Zuck's $28B windfall

Welcome, Tech enthusiasts.

If you’re feeling FOMO over the Apple Vision Pro, you’re not alone. But one person who probably isn’t? Mark Zuckerberg.

While his competitor may have captured the headlines, Zuck just found himself $28B (!) richer after a Meta stock surge and the company’s first-ever dividend. Let’s get into it…

In today’s tech rundown:

• Meta’s stock surges with first-ever dividend

• Oxford PV sets world record for most efficient solar panel

• 8 new products

• Joe Rogan inks $250M agreement with Spotify

• Jeff Bezos selling $8B in Amazon shares

• Japan’s lander goes dark on the moon

Read time: 3 minutes

TODAY’S HEADLINES

META

📈 Meta’s stock surges with first-ever dividend

The Rundown: Meta shares surged over 20% after strong earnings and the company’s first-ever dividend, adding over $200B in value — and raising Mark Zuckerberg's net worth rose by more than $28B (!) in a single day.

The details:

• Meta's profit tripled year-over-year to $14B as revenue climbed 25%, its fastest growth since mid-2021.

• Meta achieved higher margins and reduced expenses, signs its "year of efficiency" which included major layoffs, has paid dividends.

• The company announced its first-ever dividend of $0.50 per share, rewarding investors and adding additional fuel to the stock rally.

• Zuckerberg's roughly 350M shares means he stands to gain about $700M per year from the dividends.

Why it matters: The Vision Pro may have gotten all the hype this weekend — but Zuck’s probably feeling just fine with his $28B windfall. Add these positive trends in with the company’s vast AI compute power and endless data, and Meta looks extremely well-positioned for a tech-driven future.

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ENERGY TECH

🌞 Oxford PV sets world record for most efficient solar panel

The Rundown: Oxford PV, a solar tech spinout of Oxford University, just created the world's most efficient solar panel — with 25% efficiency in converting sunlight to electricity.

The details:

• Their tandem solar cells combine the mineral perovskite with silicon to achieve 43% theoretical maximum efficiency, much higher than the sub-30 % efficiency of typical panels.

• The panels were produced in Germany in collaboration with Fraunhofer and are already equipped for volume manufacturing.

• Oxford PV’s CTO said the record-breaking panels show the world is ‘on the cusp of the next solar revolution’.

Why it matters: By creating more efficient solar panels, breakthroughs like these can continue to bring down the cost of solar power and increase adoption — meaningfully accelerating the global transition to renewable and cleaner energy.

NEW PRODUCTS

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🎬 HeyGen- Create videos from text in minutes with AI-generated avatars and voices (link)

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SNIPPETS

Podcast icon Joe Rogan enters a new $250 million agreement with Spotify for 'The Joe Rogan Experience.’

Amazon founder Jeff Bezos is planning to sell up to $50M shares (valued at $8.6B) over the next year, according to the company’s regulatory filing.

Repair website iFixit posted an inside look at the Apple Vision Pro, giving a detailed breakdown of the headset’s hardware.

Mark Zuckerberg's original creation, Facebook, now plays a secondary role in Meta's portfolio of apps, having evolved from a college network into a controversial yet financially foundational element of his broader ambitions.

JAXA's SLIM lander has entered a dormant state during the lunar night after sending one last image from the moon's surface.

Samsung states the Galaxy S24's less vivid display mode is deliberate, designed for a more natural viewing experience.

Google Bard is set to be rebranded as Gemini and integrated into a wider range of apps, along with plans for a dedicated Android app.

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THAT’S A WRAP

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