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‘Not built right the first time’ — Musk’s xAI is starting over again, again | TechCrunch

‘Not built right the first time’ — Musk’s xAI is starting over again, again | TechCrunch

And then there were two: Of the original 11 co-founders who kickstarted xAI with Elon Musk three years ago, only two remain as the deep learning lab continues a personnel overhaul to compete with Anthropic and OpenAI. That rebuilding, insists Musk, is by design.

“xAI was not built right first time around, so is being rebuilt from the foundations up,” Musk said Thursday on his social media platform, X. By most measures, it isn’t going all that smoothly.

The most immediate pressure is competitive. This week, xAI co-founders Zihang Dai and Guodong Zhang left the outfit after Musk complained that the company’s AI coding tools were not effectively competing with Claude Code or Codex, rival programming assistants made by Anthropic and OpenAI, respectively. Musk said the company held an all-hands meeting on Wednesday that focused on how to catch up, which he predicted would be possible by the middle of this year.

Coding tools matter so much because they’re where the money is. While an early-year surge of users was powered by xAI’s lax regulation of Grok’s ability to produce sexual and even abusive imagery, coding tools are seen as the key revenue-generating tech for AI labs. That makes xAI’s current lag in this area more than a perception issue; it’s a business problem.

The personnel overhaul extends well beyond this week. A month ago, 11 senior engineers at xAI, including two co-founders, left the company following changes Musk described as a reorganization to suit a larger business. That effort was apparently insufficient: The Financial Times reported that SpaceX and Tesla executives have parachuted into the company to evaluate employees and fire those who don’t make the grade.

The two remaining co-founders, Manuel Kroiss and Ross Nordeen, along with Musk, have their work cut out for them.

Musk is now casting a wider net for talent. On Thursday, he said on X that he and another colleage, Baris Akis, are currently reviewing rejected employment applications in the company, with an eye toward reaching out to promising candidates who should have had a chance to interview. “My apologies,” Musk added, addressing the pile of strangers he’d ghosted.

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For the sake of comparison, LinkedIn reports that xAI has just over 5,000 employees, compared to more than 7,500 at OpenAI and more than 4,700 at Anthropic.

On the hiring front, there’s at least one encouraging sign. Andrew Milich and Jason Ginsberg are joining xAI from the AI coding tool company Cursor, where the two held joint responsibility for product engineering. Unlike xAI, Cursor depends on frontier labs for access to the AI models it runs on. Their decision to join xAI may signal the importance of direct access to LLM and computing resources to run them — and suggest that xAI’s core asset, its own frontier model, is still an attractive draw.

Either way, the pressure to show results is as much external as it is internal. Now that xAI is part of SpaceX, and with a public offering of SpaceX shares anticipated, the cash-burning unit is under pressure to demonstrate real uptake on Grok, its LLM. (A stumbling AI division is not the story Musk needs investors to be reading.)

Longer term, Musk is betting on something bigger than coding tools. xAI’s Macrohard project — Musk is convinced the name is “a funny reference to Microsoft” — aims to create an AI agent capable of doing anything a white-collar worker can do on a computer. Toby Pohlen, chosen to lead the project in February, left within weeks, and this week, Business Insider reported that Macrohard was on pause.

Musk’s response has been to draft another of his companies into the project. He revealed for the first time that Macrohard is a joint effort with Tesla, which is also developing a complementary agent dubbed “Digital Optimus” — a reference to Tesla’s Optimus humanoid robot. In Musk’s description, the xAI language model would direct the Tesla agent as it performs tasks.

It’s ambitious; it’s also not unique. Instead, the vision is not far off from what Perplexity — an AI-powered search engine — is doing with its new “Everything is Computer” offering, which aims to offer enterprise users a dedicated “digital proxy” that can orchestrate their digital tasks. It also echoes what entrepreneur Peter Steinberger is now working on at OpenAI, after creating OpenClaw’s popular personal agents.

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Garmin now wants to help address through a new initiative in partnership with MyKrida. The company has equipped seven emerging athletes from tribal regions across India with Garmin Forerunner smartwatches to help them access structured performance tracking and training insights.

Garmin Wants to Bring Data-Driven Training to More Athletes

Garmin Partners With MyKrida to Support Grassroots Athletes in India
	
Fitness wearables today are usually marketed toward marathon runners, cyclists, and people already deep into the fitness ecosystem. But for many talented athletes in India, especially those from remote or underrepresented regions, access to proper training tools remains a major challenge. That’s something Garmin now wants to help address through a new initiative in partnership with MyKrida. The company has equipped seven emerging athletes from tribal regions across India with Garmin Forerunner smartwatches to help them access structured performance tracking and training insights.



Garmin Wants to Bring Data-Driven Training to More Athletes







The idea behind the initiative is fairly straightforward. Garmin’s Forerunner smartwatches can track metrics like heart rate, pace, distance, recovery, sleep quality, and training load. For professional athletes, this kind of data is already standard. But for many young athletes in smaller regions, access to these tools can genuinely change how they train. Garmin says the watches are meant to help athletes train smarter and improve consistency through better recovery and performance monitoring rather than simply increasing training intensity.



According to Deepak Raina, Director at AMIT GPS & Navigation LLP:




India has immense untapped athletic potential, particularly in regions where access to structured training tools remains limited. At Garmin, our focus is on enabling athletes with reliable, performance-led technology that brings clarity to how they train, recover, and improve. Through this initiative, we aim to support long-term athletic development and help these athletes compete with greater confidence and consistency.




The on-ground implementation is being managed by MyKrida, which works across grassroots and elite sports development programs in India. The platform focuses heavily on identifying athletes early and connecting them with structured support systems. According to MyKrida founder Shubham Sharma, the collaboration with Garmin helps bring “world-class performance technology directly to these athletes.”

#Garmin #Partners #MyKrida #Support #Grassroots #Athletes #IndiaGarmin

The idea behind the initiative is fairly straightforward. Garmin’s Forerunner smartwatches can track metrics like heart rate, pace, distance, recovery, sleep quality, and training load. For professional athletes, this kind of data is already standard. But for many young athletes in smaller regions, access to these tools can genuinely change how they train. Garmin says the watches are meant to help athletes train smarter and improve consistency through better recovery and performance monitoring rather than simply increasing training intensity.

According to Deepak Raina, Director at AMIT GPS & Navigation LLP:

India has immense untapped athletic potential, particularly in regions where access to structured training tools remains limited. At Garmin, our focus is on enabling athletes with reliable, performance-led technology that brings clarity to how they train, recover, and improve. Through this initiative, we aim to support long-term athletic development and help these athletes compete with greater confidence and consistency.

The on-ground implementation is being managed by MyKrida, which works across grassroots and elite sports development programs in India. The platform focuses heavily on identifying athletes early and connecting them with structured support systems. According to MyKrida founder Shubham Sharma, the collaboration with Garmin helps bring “world-class performance technology directly to these athletes.”

#Garmin #Partners #MyKrida #Support #Grassroots #Athletes #IndiaGarmin">Garmin Partners With MyKrida to Support Grassroots Athletes in India
	
Fitness wearables today are usually marketed toward marathon runners, cyclists, and people already deep into the fitness ecosystem. But for many talented athletes in India, especially those from remote or underrepresented regions, access to proper training tools remains a major challenge. That’s something Garmin now wants to help address through a new initiative in partnership with MyKrida. The company has equipped seven emerging athletes from tribal regions across India with Garmin Forerunner smartwatches to help them access structured performance tracking and training insights.



Garmin Wants to Bring Data-Driven Training to More Athletes







The idea behind the initiative is fairly straightforward. Garmin’s Forerunner smartwatches can track metrics like heart rate, pace, distance, recovery, sleep quality, and training load. For professional athletes, this kind of data is already standard. But for many young athletes in smaller regions, access to these tools can genuinely change how they train. Garmin says the watches are meant to help athletes train smarter and improve consistency through better recovery and performance monitoring rather than simply increasing training intensity.



According to Deepak Raina, Director at AMIT GPS & Navigation LLP:




India has immense untapped athletic potential, particularly in regions where access to structured training tools remains limited. At Garmin, our focus is on enabling athletes with reliable, performance-led technology that brings clarity to how they train, recover, and improve. Through this initiative, we aim to support long-term athletic development and help these athletes compete with greater confidence and consistency.




The on-ground implementation is being managed by MyKrida, which works across grassroots and elite sports development programs in India. The platform focuses heavily on identifying athletes early and connecting them with structured support systems. According to MyKrida founder Shubham Sharma, the collaboration with Garmin helps bring “world-class performance technology directly to these athletes.”

#Garmin #Partners #MyKrida #Support #Grassroots #Athletes #IndiaGarmin

now wants to help address through a new initiative in partnership with MyKrida. The company has equipped seven emerging athletes from tribal regions across India with Garmin Forerunner smartwatches to help them access structured performance tracking and training insights.

Garmin Wants to Bring Data-Driven Training to More Athletes

Garmin Partners With MyKrida to Support Grassroots Athletes in India
	
Fitness wearables today are usually marketed toward marathon runners, cyclists, and people already deep into the fitness ecosystem. But for many talented athletes in India, especially those from remote or underrepresented regions, access to proper training tools remains a major challenge. That’s something Garmin now wants to help address through a new initiative in partnership with MyKrida. The company has equipped seven emerging athletes from tribal regions across India with Garmin Forerunner smartwatches to help them access structured performance tracking and training insights.



Garmin Wants to Bring Data-Driven Training to More Athletes







The idea behind the initiative is fairly straightforward. Garmin’s Forerunner smartwatches can track metrics like heart rate, pace, distance, recovery, sleep quality, and training load. For professional athletes, this kind of data is already standard. But for many young athletes in smaller regions, access to these tools can genuinely change how they train. Garmin says the watches are meant to help athletes train smarter and improve consistency through better recovery and performance monitoring rather than simply increasing training intensity.



According to Deepak Raina, Director at AMIT GPS & Navigation LLP:




India has immense untapped athletic potential, particularly in regions where access to structured training tools remains limited. At Garmin, our focus is on enabling athletes with reliable, performance-led technology that brings clarity to how they train, recover, and improve. Through this initiative, we aim to support long-term athletic development and help these athletes compete with greater confidence and consistency.




The on-ground implementation is being managed by MyKrida, which works across grassroots and elite sports development programs in India. The platform focuses heavily on identifying athletes early and connecting them with structured support systems. According to MyKrida founder Shubham Sharma, the collaboration with Garmin helps bring “world-class performance technology directly to these athletes.”

#Garmin #Partners #MyKrida #Support #Grassroots #Athletes #IndiaGarmin

The idea behind the initiative is fairly straightforward. Garmin’s Forerunner smartwatches can track metrics like heart rate, pace, distance, recovery, sleep quality, and training load. For professional athletes, this kind of data is already standard. But for many young athletes in smaller regions, access to these tools can genuinely change how they train. Garmin says the watches are meant to help athletes train smarter and improve consistency through better recovery and performance monitoring rather than simply increasing training intensity.

According to Deepak Raina, Director at AMIT GPS & Navigation LLP:

India has immense untapped athletic potential, particularly in regions where access to structured training tools remains limited. At Garmin, our focus is on enabling athletes with reliable, performance-led technology that brings clarity to how they train, recover, and improve. Through this initiative, we aim to support long-term athletic development and help these athletes compete with greater confidence and consistency.

The on-ground implementation is being managed by MyKrida, which works across grassroots and elite sports development programs in India. The platform focuses heavily on identifying athletes early and connecting them with structured support systems. According to MyKrida founder Shubham Sharma, the collaboration with Garmin helps bring “world-class performance technology directly to these athletes.”

#Garmin #Partners #MyKrida #Support #Grassroots #Athletes #IndiaGarmin">Garmin Partners With MyKrida to Support Grassroots Athletes in India

Fitness wearables today are usually marketed toward marathon runners, cyclists, and people already deep into the fitness ecosystem. But for many talented athletes in India, especially those from remote or underrepresented regions, access to proper training tools remains a major challenge. That’s something Garmin now wants to help address through a new initiative in partnership with MyKrida. The company has equipped seven emerging athletes from tribal regions across India with Garmin Forerunner smartwatches to help them access structured performance tracking and training insights.

Garmin Wants to Bring Data-Driven Training to More Athletes

Garmin Partners With MyKrida to Support Grassroots Athletes in India
	
Fitness wearables today are usually marketed toward marathon runners, cyclists, and people already deep into the fitness ecosystem. But for many talented athletes in India, especially those from remote or underrepresented regions, access to proper training tools remains a major challenge. That’s something Garmin now wants to help address through a new initiative in partnership with MyKrida. The company has equipped seven emerging athletes from tribal regions across India with Garmin Forerunner smartwatches to help them access structured performance tracking and training insights.



Garmin Wants to Bring Data-Driven Training to More Athletes







The idea behind the initiative is fairly straightforward. Garmin’s Forerunner smartwatches can track metrics like heart rate, pace, distance, recovery, sleep quality, and training load. For professional athletes, this kind of data is already standard. But for many young athletes in smaller regions, access to these tools can genuinely change how they train. Garmin says the watches are meant to help athletes train smarter and improve consistency through better recovery and performance monitoring rather than simply increasing training intensity.



According to Deepak Raina, Director at AMIT GPS & Navigation LLP:




India has immense untapped athletic potential, particularly in regions where access to structured training tools remains limited. At Garmin, our focus is on enabling athletes with reliable, performance-led technology that brings clarity to how they train, recover, and improve. Through this initiative, we aim to support long-term athletic development and help these athletes compete with greater confidence and consistency.




The on-ground implementation is being managed by MyKrida, which works across grassroots and elite sports development programs in India. The platform focuses heavily on identifying athletes early and connecting them with structured support systems. According to MyKrida founder Shubham Sharma, the collaboration with Garmin helps bring “world-class performance technology directly to these athletes.”

#Garmin #Partners #MyKrida #Support #Grassroots #Athletes #IndiaGarmin

The idea behind the initiative is fairly straightforward. Garmin’s Forerunner smartwatches can track metrics like heart rate, pace, distance, recovery, sleep quality, and training load. For professional athletes, this kind of data is already standard. But for many young athletes in smaller regions, access to these tools can genuinely change how they train. Garmin says the watches are meant to help athletes train smarter and improve consistency through better recovery and performance monitoring rather than simply increasing training intensity.

According to Deepak Raina, Director at AMIT GPS & Navigation LLP:

India has immense untapped athletic potential, particularly in regions where access to structured training tools remains limited. At Garmin, our focus is on enabling athletes with reliable, performance-led technology that brings clarity to how they train, recover, and improve. Through this initiative, we aim to support long-term athletic development and help these athletes compete with greater confidence and consistency.

The on-ground implementation is being managed by MyKrida, which works across grassroots and elite sports development programs in India. The platform focuses heavily on identifying athletes early and connecting them with structured support systems. According to MyKrida founder Shubham Sharma, the collaboration with Garmin helps bring “world-class performance technology directly to these athletes.”

#Garmin #Partners #MyKrida #Support #Grassroots #Athletes #IndiaGarmin

In a recent SEC filing, AI Financial has indicated that it may not be able to survive another year writing, “These conditions raise substantial doubt about the Company’s ability to continue as a going concern within one year after the date these financial statements are issued.”

AI Financial is a publicly-traded company that serves as a major holder of World Liberty Financial’s WLFI tokens. In its quarterly report for the period that ended March 28th, the company posted a net loss from continuing operations of $271.3 million during the quarter, driven largely by a $348.3 million unrealized loss on its massive WLFI token holdings. The company reported only $4.7 million in revenue for the quarter (all from its fintech segment), and it ended the period with $10.5 million in cash and a $5.5 million working-capital deficit, while burning $12.3 million in operating cash flow.

However, management did also outline several potential paths to stabilize the business in their recent filing. The company had already secured a $15 million loan from World Liberty Financial in late January, providing some short-term breathing room. More importantly, it controls approximately 7.28 billion WLFI tokens, which were valued at about $706 million on the balance sheet at quarter end. Those tokens were acquired in August 2025 and remain subject to contractual lock-up provisions until around August 2026. Once unlocked, the company hopes to monetize portions of the position to cover operating needs, alongside plans for fintech revenue growth and possible additional debt or equity raises. 

The ties between AI Financial and World Liberty Financial run deep. Zachary Witkoff serves as chairman of AI Financial while also acting as CEO and co-founder of World Liberty Financial. Board member Zachary Folkman is another World Liberty Financial co-founder. World Liberty Financial itself holds a substantial stake in AI Financial, including 1 million common shares plus warrants and pre-funded warrants that together represent roughly 46% ownership on a fully diluted basis. Notably, World Liberty Financial is a Trump family project. Donald Trump is listed as co-founder emeritus and chief crypto advocate. His sons Eric Trump, Donald Trump Jr., and Barron Trump are co-founders and actively participate in the venture.

In practice, AI Financial functions as a treasury company for the WLFI token. The strategy mirrors what Michael Saylor has pursued at Strategy with bitcoin, where the public company accumulates and holds the asset as its primary reserve. In AI Financial’s case, the reserve asset is the much newer WLFI token. Critics have occasionally labeled the Strategy approach as resembling a Ponzi scheme because it depends on continued capital raises and asset appreciation to sustain operations. Applying a similar model to WLFI introduces additional layers of risk given the token’s shorter history, higher volatility, and dependence on the success of a single Trump-affiliated crypto project.

Although crypto-related projects reportedly increased the Trump family fortune by $1.4 billion in 2025 alone, a number of these Trump-linked projects have faced trouble this year. Most recently, World Liberty Financial filed a defamation lawsuit against crypto billionaire Justin Sun in Florida after Sun accused the project of improperly freezing his token holdings and pressuring him for further investments. Sun had previously purchased billions of WLFI tokens and served in an advisory role.

According to data from CoinMarketCap, the TRUMP memecoin is down 84% over the past year and World Liberty Financial’s WLFI token is down 73%.

Going forward, a key area of concern for many Trump-affiliated crypto businesses will likely be the potential inclusion of ethics or corruption-related provisions in the crypto regulatory bill known as the CLARITY Act, which is currently making its way through the U.S. Senate. The legislation advanced out of the Senate Banking Committee on a 15-9 vote in mid-May 2026, but several Democrats have signaled they will block final passage unless it includes stronger language that would restrict the president, vice president, and their families from certain digital asset transactions.

Much of the investment into these projects has drawn scrutiny over alleged conflicts of interest, including the pardon granted to former Binance CEO Changpeng Zhao, the administration’s approval of hundreds of thousands of advanced Nvidia AI chips for the United Arab Emirates shortly after a UAE royal invested $500 million in World Liberty Financial, and the aforementioned Sun’s ability to settle a prior SEC enforcement case after pouring an estimated $175 million into Trump-linked crypto tokens.

#TrumpLinked #Crypto #Company #Notes #Substantial #Doubt #Survive #MonthsCryptocurrencies,Donald Trump,World Liberty Financial">Trump-Linked Crypto Company Notes ‘Substantial Doubt’ It Can Survive Another 12 Months
                In a recent SEC filing, AI Financial has indicated that it may not be able to survive another year writing, “These conditions raise substantial doubt about the Company’s ability to continue as a going concern within one year after the date these financial statements are issued.” AI Financial is a publicly-traded company that serves as a major holder of World Liberty Financial’s WLFI tokens. In its quarterly report for the period that ended March 28th, the company posted a net loss from continuing operations of 1.3 million during the quarter, driven largely by a 8.3 million unrealized loss on its massive WLFI token holdings. The company reported only .7 million in revenue for the quarter (all from its fintech segment), and it ended the period with .5 million in cash and a .5 million working-capital deficit, while burning .3 million in operating cash flow. However, management did also outline several potential paths to stabilize the business in their recent filing. The company had already secured a  million loan from World Liberty Financial in late January, providing some short-term breathing room. More importantly, it controls approximately 7.28 billion WLFI tokens, which were valued at about 6 million on the balance sheet at quarter end. Those tokens were acquired in August 2025 and remain subject to contractual lock-up provisions until around August 2026. Once unlocked, the company hopes to monetize portions of the position to cover operating needs, alongside plans for fintech revenue growth and possible additional debt or equity raises. 

  Trump says he knows nothing about the 0M Abu Dhabi investment in his family’s WLFI crypto project. “I don’t know about it… my family is handling it.” pic.twitter.com/sBEfXO1FCK — TFTC (@TFTC21) February 2, 2026  The ties between AI Financial and World Liberty Financial run deep. Zachary Witkoff serves as chairman of AI Financial while also acting as CEO and co-founder of World Liberty Financial. Board member Zachary Folkman is another World Liberty Financial co-founder. World Liberty Financial itself holds a substantial stake in AI Financial, including 1 million common shares plus warrants and pre-funded warrants that together represent roughly 46% ownership on a fully diluted basis. Notably, World Liberty Financial is a Trump family project. Donald Trump is listed as co-founder emeritus and chief crypto advocate. His sons Eric Trump, Donald Trump Jr., and Barron Trump are co-founders and actively participate in the venture.

 In practice, AI Financial functions as a treasury company for the WLFI token. The strategy mirrors what Michael Saylor has pursued at Strategy with bitcoin, where the public company accumulates and holds the asset as its primary reserve. In AI Financial’s case, the reserve asset is the much newer WLFI token. Critics have occasionally labeled the Strategy approach as resembling a Ponzi scheme because it depends on continued capital raises and asset appreciation to sustain operations. Applying a similar model to WLFI introduces additional layers of risk given the token’s shorter history, higher volatility, and dependence on the success of a single Trump-affiliated crypto project. Although crypto-related projects reportedly increased the Trump family fortune by .4 billion in 2025 alone, a number of these Trump-linked projects have faced trouble this year. Most recently, World Liberty Financial filed a defamation lawsuit against crypto billionaire Justin Sun in Florida after Sun accused the project of improperly freezing his token holdings and pressuring him for further investments. Sun had previously purchased billions of WLFI tokens and served in an advisory role.

  The perceived corruption associated with the CZ pardon will look even worse if the Samourai Wallet devs aren’t pardoned for similar charges. How much of World Liberty Financial’s USD1 stablecoin does one need to hold to receive a pardon? https://t.co/UwFQgJwhVc — Kyle Torpey (@kyletorpey) November 20, 2025  According to data from CoinMarketCap, the TRUMP memecoin is down 84% over the past year and World Liberty Financial’s WLFI token is down 73%. Going forward, a key area of concern for many Trump-affiliated crypto businesses will likely be the potential inclusion of ethics or corruption-related provisions in the crypto regulatory bill known as the CLARITY Act, which is currently making its way through the U.S. Senate. The legislation advanced out of the Senate Banking Committee on a 15-9 vote in mid-May 2026, but several Democrats have signaled they will block final passage unless it includes stronger language that would restrict the president, vice president, and their families from certain digital asset transactions. Much of the investment into these projects has drawn scrutiny over alleged conflicts of interest, including the pardon granted to former Binance CEO Changpeng Zhao, the administration’s approval of hundreds of thousands of advanced Nvidia AI chips for the United Arab Emirates shortly after a UAE royal invested 0 million in World Liberty Financial, and the aforementioned Sun’s ability to settle a prior SEC enforcement case after pouring an estimated 5 million into Trump-linked crypto tokens.      #TrumpLinked #Crypto #Company #Notes #Substantial #Doubt #Survive #MonthsCryptocurrencies,Donald Trump,World Liberty Financial

a recent SEC filing, AI Financial has indicated that it may not be able to survive another year writing, “These conditions raise substantial doubt about the Company’s ability to continue as a going concern within one year after the date these financial statements are issued.”

AI Financial is a publicly-traded company that serves as a major holder of World Liberty Financial’s WLFI tokens. In its quarterly report for the period that ended March 28th, the company posted a net loss from continuing operations of $271.3 million during the quarter, driven largely by a $348.3 million unrealized loss on its massive WLFI token holdings. The company reported only $4.7 million in revenue for the quarter (all from its fintech segment), and it ended the period with $10.5 million in cash and a $5.5 million working-capital deficit, while burning $12.3 million in operating cash flow.

However, management did also outline several potential paths to stabilize the business in their recent filing. The company had already secured a $15 million loan from World Liberty Financial in late January, providing some short-term breathing room. More importantly, it controls approximately 7.28 billion WLFI tokens, which were valued at about $706 million on the balance sheet at quarter end. Those tokens were acquired in August 2025 and remain subject to contractual lock-up provisions until around August 2026. Once unlocked, the company hopes to monetize portions of the position to cover operating needs, alongside plans for fintech revenue growth and possible additional debt or equity raises. 

The ties between AI Financial and World Liberty Financial run deep. Zachary Witkoff serves as chairman of AI Financial while also acting as CEO and co-founder of World Liberty Financial. Board member Zachary Folkman is another World Liberty Financial co-founder. World Liberty Financial itself holds a substantial stake in AI Financial, including 1 million common shares plus warrants and pre-funded warrants that together represent roughly 46% ownership on a fully diluted basis. Notably, World Liberty Financial is a Trump family project. Donald Trump is listed as co-founder emeritus and chief crypto advocate. His sons Eric Trump, Donald Trump Jr., and Barron Trump are co-founders and actively participate in the venture.

In practice, AI Financial functions as a treasury company for the WLFI token. The strategy mirrors what Michael Saylor has pursued at Strategy with bitcoin, where the public company accumulates and holds the asset as its primary reserve. In AI Financial’s case, the reserve asset is the much newer WLFI token. Critics have occasionally labeled the Strategy approach as resembling a Ponzi scheme because it depends on continued capital raises and asset appreciation to sustain operations. Applying a similar model to WLFI introduces additional layers of risk given the token’s shorter history, higher volatility, and dependence on the success of a single Trump-affiliated crypto project.

Although crypto-related projects reportedly increased the Trump family fortune by $1.4 billion in 2025 alone, a number of these Trump-linked projects have faced trouble this year. Most recently, World Liberty Financial filed a defamation lawsuit against crypto billionaire Justin Sun in Florida after Sun accused the project of improperly freezing his token holdings and pressuring him for further investments. Sun had previously purchased billions of WLFI tokens and served in an advisory role.

According to data from CoinMarketCap, the TRUMP memecoin is down 84% over the past year and World Liberty Financial’s WLFI token is down 73%.

Going forward, a key area of concern for many Trump-affiliated crypto businesses will likely be the potential inclusion of ethics or corruption-related provisions in the crypto regulatory bill known as the CLARITY Act, which is currently making its way through the U.S. Senate. The legislation advanced out of the Senate Banking Committee on a 15-9 vote in mid-May 2026, but several Democrats have signaled they will block final passage unless it includes stronger language that would restrict the president, vice president, and their families from certain digital asset transactions.

Much of the investment into these projects has drawn scrutiny over alleged conflicts of interest, including the pardon granted to former Binance CEO Changpeng Zhao, the administration’s approval of hundreds of thousands of advanced Nvidia AI chips for the United Arab Emirates shortly after a UAE royal invested $500 million in World Liberty Financial, and the aforementioned Sun’s ability to settle a prior SEC enforcement case after pouring an estimated $175 million into Trump-linked crypto tokens.

#TrumpLinked #Crypto #Company #Notes #Substantial #Doubt #Survive #MonthsCryptocurrencies,Donald Trump,World Liberty Financial">Trump-Linked Crypto Company Notes ‘Substantial Doubt’ It Can Survive Another 12 MonthsTrump-Linked Crypto Company Notes ‘Substantial Doubt’ It Can Survive Another 12 Months
                In a recent SEC filing, AI Financial has indicated that it may not be able to survive another year writing, “These conditions raise substantial doubt about the Company’s ability to continue as a going concern within one year after the date these financial statements are issued.” AI Financial is a publicly-traded company that serves as a major holder of World Liberty Financial’s WLFI tokens. In its quarterly report for the period that ended March 28th, the company posted a net loss from continuing operations of $271.3 million during the quarter, driven largely by a $348.3 million unrealized loss on its massive WLFI token holdings. The company reported only $4.7 million in revenue for the quarter (all from its fintech segment), and it ended the period with $10.5 million in cash and a $5.5 million working-capital deficit, while burning $12.3 million in operating cash flow. However, management did also outline several potential paths to stabilize the business in their recent filing. The company had already secured a $15 million loan from World Liberty Financial in late January, providing some short-term breathing room. More importantly, it controls approximately 7.28 billion WLFI tokens, which were valued at about $706 million on the balance sheet at quarter end. Those tokens were acquired in August 2025 and remain subject to contractual lock-up provisions until around August 2026. Once unlocked, the company hopes to monetize portions of the position to cover operating needs, alongside plans for fintech revenue growth and possible additional debt or equity raises. 

  Trump says he knows nothing about the $500M Abu Dhabi investment in his family’s WLFI crypto project. “I don’t know about it… my family is handling it.” pic.twitter.com/sBEfXO1FCK — TFTC (@TFTC21) February 2, 2026  The ties between AI Financial and World Liberty Financial run deep. Zachary Witkoff serves as chairman of AI Financial while also acting as CEO and co-founder of World Liberty Financial. Board member Zachary Folkman is another World Liberty Financial co-founder. World Liberty Financial itself holds a substantial stake in AI Financial, including 1 million common shares plus warrants and pre-funded warrants that together represent roughly 46% ownership on a fully diluted basis. Notably, World Liberty Financial is a Trump family project. Donald Trump is listed as co-founder emeritus and chief crypto advocate. His sons Eric Trump, Donald Trump Jr., and Barron Trump are co-founders and actively participate in the venture.

 In practice, AI Financial functions as a treasury company for the WLFI token. The strategy mirrors what Michael Saylor has pursued at Strategy with bitcoin, where the public company accumulates and holds the asset as its primary reserve. In AI Financial’s case, the reserve asset is the much newer WLFI token. Critics have occasionally labeled the Strategy approach as resembling a Ponzi scheme because it depends on continued capital raises and asset appreciation to sustain operations. Applying a similar model to WLFI introduces additional layers of risk given the token’s shorter history, higher volatility, and dependence on the success of a single Trump-affiliated crypto project. Although crypto-related projects reportedly increased the Trump family fortune by $1.4 billion in 2025 alone, a number of these Trump-linked projects have faced trouble this year. Most recently, World Liberty Financial filed a defamation lawsuit against crypto billionaire Justin Sun in Florida after Sun accused the project of improperly freezing his token holdings and pressuring him for further investments. Sun had previously purchased billions of WLFI tokens and served in an advisory role.

  The perceived corruption associated with the CZ pardon will look even worse if the Samourai Wallet devs aren’t pardoned for similar charges. How much of World Liberty Financial’s USD1 stablecoin does one need to hold to receive a pardon? https://t.co/UwFQgJwhVc — Kyle Torpey (@kyletorpey) November 20, 2025  According to data from CoinMarketCap, the TRUMP memecoin is down 84% over the past year and World Liberty Financial’s WLFI token is down 73%. Going forward, a key area of concern for many Trump-affiliated crypto businesses will likely be the potential inclusion of ethics or corruption-related provisions in the crypto regulatory bill known as the CLARITY Act, which is currently making its way through the U.S. Senate. The legislation advanced out of the Senate Banking Committee on a 15-9 vote in mid-May 2026, but several Democrats have signaled they will block final passage unless it includes stronger language that would restrict the president, vice president, and their families from certain digital asset transactions. Much of the investment into these projects has drawn scrutiny over alleged conflicts of interest, including the pardon granted to former Binance CEO Changpeng Zhao, the administration’s approval of hundreds of thousands of advanced Nvidia AI chips for the United Arab Emirates shortly after a UAE royal invested $500 million in World Liberty Financial, and the aforementioned Sun’s ability to settle a prior SEC enforcement case after pouring an estimated $175 million into Trump-linked crypto tokens.      #TrumpLinked #Crypto #Company #Notes #Substantial #Doubt #Survive #MonthsCryptocurrencies,Donald Trump,World Liberty Financial

In a recent SEC filing, AI Financial has indicated that it may not be able to survive another year writing, “These conditions raise substantial doubt about the Company’s ability to continue as a going concern within one year after the date these financial statements are issued.”

AI Financial is a publicly-traded company that serves as a major holder of World Liberty Financial’s WLFI tokens. In its quarterly report for the period that ended March 28th, the company posted a net loss from continuing operations of $271.3 million during the quarter, driven largely by a $348.3 million unrealized loss on its massive WLFI token holdings. The company reported only $4.7 million in revenue for the quarter (all from its fintech segment), and it ended the period with $10.5 million in cash and a $5.5 million working-capital deficit, while burning $12.3 million in operating cash flow.

However, management did also outline several potential paths to stabilize the business in their recent filing. The company had already secured a $15 million loan from World Liberty Financial in late January, providing some short-term breathing room. More importantly, it controls approximately 7.28 billion WLFI tokens, which were valued at about $706 million on the balance sheet at quarter end. Those tokens were acquired in August 2025 and remain subject to contractual lock-up provisions until around August 2026. Once unlocked, the company hopes to monetize portions of the position to cover operating needs, alongside plans for fintech revenue growth and possible additional debt or equity raises. 

The ties between AI Financial and World Liberty Financial run deep. Zachary Witkoff serves as chairman of AI Financial while also acting as CEO and co-founder of World Liberty Financial. Board member Zachary Folkman is another World Liberty Financial co-founder. World Liberty Financial itself holds a substantial stake in AI Financial, including 1 million common shares plus warrants and pre-funded warrants that together represent roughly 46% ownership on a fully diluted basis. Notably, World Liberty Financial is a Trump family project. Donald Trump is listed as co-founder emeritus and chief crypto advocate. His sons Eric Trump, Donald Trump Jr., and Barron Trump are co-founders and actively participate in the venture.

In practice, AI Financial functions as a treasury company for the WLFI token. The strategy mirrors what Michael Saylor has pursued at Strategy with bitcoin, where the public company accumulates and holds the asset as its primary reserve. In AI Financial’s case, the reserve asset is the much newer WLFI token. Critics have occasionally labeled the Strategy approach as resembling a Ponzi scheme because it depends on continued capital raises and asset appreciation to sustain operations. Applying a similar model to WLFI introduces additional layers of risk given the token’s shorter history, higher volatility, and dependence on the success of a single Trump-affiliated crypto project.

Although crypto-related projects reportedly increased the Trump family fortune by $1.4 billion in 2025 alone, a number of these Trump-linked projects have faced trouble this year. Most recently, World Liberty Financial filed a defamation lawsuit against crypto billionaire Justin Sun in Florida after Sun accused the project of improperly freezing his token holdings and pressuring him for further investments. Sun had previously purchased billions of WLFI tokens and served in an advisory role.

According to data from CoinMarketCap, the TRUMP memecoin is down 84% over the past year and World Liberty Financial’s WLFI token is down 73%.

Going forward, a key area of concern for many Trump-affiliated crypto businesses will likely be the potential inclusion of ethics or corruption-related provisions in the crypto regulatory bill known as the CLARITY Act, which is currently making its way through the U.S. Senate. The legislation advanced out of the Senate Banking Committee on a 15-9 vote in mid-May 2026, but several Democrats have signaled they will block final passage unless it includes stronger language that would restrict the president, vice president, and their families from certain digital asset transactions.

Much of the investment into these projects has drawn scrutiny over alleged conflicts of interest, including the pardon granted to former Binance CEO Changpeng Zhao, the administration’s approval of hundreds of thousands of advanced Nvidia AI chips for the United Arab Emirates shortly after a UAE royal invested $500 million in World Liberty Financial, and the aforementioned Sun’s ability to settle a prior SEC enforcement case after pouring an estimated $175 million into Trump-linked crypto tokens.

#TrumpLinked #Crypto #Company #Notes #Substantial #Doubt #Survive #MonthsCryptocurrencies,Donald Trump,World Liberty Financial

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