Copy of AI Wonder-kid Ignored The Signs And Is Now Seeing Wonders; Oando Plc Still Makes A Loss But At A Slower Pace; The Slopfest Is Over As LinkedIn Cracks Down On AI Posts; And Sainsbury's Sells Of
- Dipo Owolabi
- 11 minutes ago
- 4 min read
The AI investment frenzy is showing both its rewards and its risks. Prominent AI investor Leopold Aschenbrenner has reportedly been forced to exit his public stock portfolio after heavy losses, while Oando is staging a strong turnaround by cutting its first-half losses by 77% and returning to quarterly profitability. Elsewhere, LinkedIn is cracking down on low-quality AI-generated content with a new reporting tool, and Sainsbury's is offloading Argos for £120 million as it sharpens its focus on food retail. All this and more in today's Read It And Eat! |
Markets as of 31st of July 2026.. Cells in RED mean that the value is down, cells in Green mean the value is up.
MAJOR HEADLINES
AI Investor Leopold Aschenbrenner Forced To Exit Public Stock Portfolio After Heavy Losses
Prominent artificial intelligence investor Leopold Aschenbrenner has reportedly been forced to unwind all of his hedge fund's public stock positions following steep losses, according to CNBC. Sources familiar with the matter said the liquidation affected both long and short positions as the fund sought to reduce leverage after recent market volatility. The move comes despite Aschenbrenner's reputation as one of the technology sector's most outspoken AI bulls and follows months of aggressive positioning in companies tied to the AI infrastructure boom.
The reported liquidation highlights the risks associated with highly leveraged bets on artificial intelligence, even as the broader long-term investment thesis remains intact. Aschenbrenner rose to prominence through his influential writings on AI development and has been widely followed by investors for his optimistic outlook on the sector. Following the collapse, the fund's entire public equity portfolio was reportedly acquired by Citadel Securities at a steep discount, marking one of the most closely watched distressed portfolio transactions in the AI investment space this year.
The development also underscores how elevated volatility is beginning to test even the most conviction-driven AI investors. The fund reportedly held approximately $25 billion in assets against about $20 billion in liabilities, with the liquidation triggered after its assets fell below a critical threshold that forced margin calls and ultimately caused the entire fund to implode. The episode illustrates how aggressive leverage can rapidly unravel even the highest-conviction AI investment strategies when market conditions deteriorate. CNBC
Oando Cuts H1 Pre-Tax Loss By 77% As Second Quarter Returns To Profit
Oando reduced its first-half pre-tax loss by 77% as the indigenous energy company returned to profitability in the second quarter, according to Nairametrics. The improvement was driven by stronger upstream production, improved operational efficiency and a recovery in earnings across key business segments despite continued volatility in global energy markets.
The second-quarter turnaround reflects Oando's ongoing efforts to strengthen its balance sheet following recent acquisitions and investments in upstream oil and gas assets. Management said improved production volumes and tighter cost controls contributed to the significant reduction in losses during the reporting period.
The results suggest Oando's restructuring efforts are beginning to gain traction as the company seeks to position itself for sustained profitability. Investors will be watching closely to see whether the momentum can be maintained through the second half of the year as Nigeria's energy sector continues to undergo significant regulatory and operational changes. Nairametrics
LinkedIn is testing a new reporting feature that allows users to flag posts as "Seems like AI slop" as the professional networking platform steps up efforts to curb low-quality AI-generated content, according to Engadget. The new option will appear alongside existing reporting tools and is designed to help LinkedIn identify posts that appear overly automated, generic or lacking original insight as generative AI becomes increasingly common across social media.
The feature forms part of LinkedIn's broader strategy to promote authentic professional conversations while limiting the spread of repetitive AI-generated posts. Alongside the reporting tool, the Microsoft-owned company is deploying improved classifiers that reduce the visibility of content deemed inauthentic and is replacing some AI-assisted writing features with lighter proofreading tools that preserve users' own voices.
The move comes at a time when LinkedIn has increasingly been singled out as the major internet platform with the highest concentration of so-called "AI slop," as professionals flood the site with AI-generated posts, comments and thought-leadership content. As AI-generated content becomes increasingly difficult to distinguish from human-written posts, LinkedIn and other platforms are investing more heavily in moderation tools that prioritize originality and expertise over automated engagement. Engadget |
Sainsbury's Agrees £120 Million Sale Of Argos As It Refocuses On Food Retail
Sainsbury's has agreed to sell Argos for £120 million to Swift Partners, a company led by experienced UK retail executives, according to the BBC. The deal marks a dramatic reduction from the roughly £1.4 billion Sainsbury's paid to acquire Argos in 2016 and reflects the supermarket group's decision to focus on its core grocery business after years of struggling to generate meaningful returns from its general merchandise operations.
Under the agreement, Argos will continue operating from Sainsbury's stores under long-term commercial arrangements while retaining access to the Nectar loyalty programme. Swift Partners has pledged to invest in the retailer and build on its digital and store-based business model, while Sainsbury's will redeploy capital and management resources towards expanding its food retail operations.
The transaction highlights the continued restructuring taking place across the UK retail sector as companies streamline operations and concentrate on higher-margin businesses. For Sainsbury's, the sale brings an end to one of the country's largest retail acquisitions, while giving Argos an opportunity to pursue growth under dedicated ownership after years of integration within the supermarket group. BBC
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