Former SpaceX propulsion CTO Thomas Mueller’s space startup reached unicorn status this year thanks to $525 million in funding since 2021. It’s just one of 141 other startups founded by SpaceX alumni.
Brian Lian founded publicly traded Viking Therapeutics to focus on metabolic diseases. With obesity drugs in development and the GLP-1 space booming, it’s now a prime M&A target for giants jostling for their share of a potential $100 billion market.
Record activity in the AI sector this year has boosted dozens of founders and business executives into the billionaire ranks.
OpenAI wanted GPT-5 to be less warm and agreeable than its predecessor. Some neurodivergent people struggled with the change, showing the tricky balance AI companies must strike when releasing new models.