Zhipu, which operates a ChatGPT-like service called Z.ai, raised $558 million in the IPO. Its chairman, Liu Debing, amassed a fortune of $2.1 billion based on his stake in the Chinese AI model company.
From Trump frenemyship, the DOGE debacle, unmet self-driving car promises, chainsaws and “Mechahitler” to a $1 trillion pay deal, 2025 was the billionaire’s most chaotic and lucrative year.
Record activity in the AI sector this year has boosted dozens of founders and business executives into the billionaire ranks.
In this week’s edition of The Prototype, we look at a drug to help spinal injuries, a crypto billionaire’s big space play, revitalizing aging immune systems and more.
As AI coding tools surge in popularity, two-year-old Lovable is now valued at $6.6 billion, making billionaires of cofounders Anton Osika, 35, and Fabian Hedin, 26.