Tesla’s Driverless Delivery, Zuck’s AI Shopping Spree, and Nvidia Execs Cash In

1st July 2025

Tesla just pulled off its first autonomous customer delivery, Zuckerberg is building an AI Avengers team with fat checks, and Nvidia execs are cashing out hard as the stock peaks. Meanwhile, Harvard hits a funding wall, and the Middle East turns to Asia for loans. It's tech, talent, and tactical finance. All in today’s read-and-eat-it.

Major Headline

• Tesla delivers first customer car with no driver, no remote help

  
  

• Tesla has completed what it claims is the world’s first fully autonomous vehicle delivery. A driverless Model Y traveled 15 miles from Tesla’s Austin factory to a customer’s apartment complex, with no one onboard and no remote assistance. CEO Elon Musk said the car used the same tech powering Tesla’s robotaxi fleet, which recently launched in Austin. After delivery, the vehicle’s software was downgraded to the commercial Full Self-Driving (Supervised) version. Musk’s timing wasn’t accidental—Tesla is set to report second-quarter delivery and earnings numbers this month, with expectations low after a rough 2024. Musk’s X post about the feat sparked a Friday stock bump, though shares slipped again Monday. A 30-minute video of the trip showed the car navigating on-ramps, roundabouts, and unprotected turns, demonstrating major leaps in AV capability. Tesla’s message is clear: even as financials stumble, its tech ambitions are charging ahead. TechCrunch

  
  

• Zuckerberg is building a $100M AI superteam 

  
  

• Mark Zuckerberg is personally reaching out to top AI researchers with compensation packages reportedly worth up to $100 million, trying to lure them to Meta. The campaign—internally dubbed “The List”—targets engineers from Google DeepMind, OpenAI, and elite PhD programs. Some offers have created tension in the AI world, with OpenAI CEO Sam Altman calling the packages “crazy.” Meta recently bought a $14B stake in Scale AI and tasked its 28-year-old founder with leading a new “superintelligence” lab, signaling its intention to compete with the AI giants. Zuckerberg’s recruiting push comes as Meta delayed its Behemoth model and reorganized its AI teams. The stakes? Cultural dominance, compute control, and staying relevant in a world racing toward AGI. Wall Street Journal

  
  

• Nvidia execs cash out over $1B in stock amid AI boom

  
  

• Insiders at Nvidia, including CEO Jensen Huang, have sold more than $1 billion in stock over the last year—$500 million of that just this month—as the chipmaker rides its historic AI-fueled rally. Nvidia briefly became the world’s most valuable company last week, and its GPUs remain foundational to the AI revolution. The insider selling doesn’t necessarily mean trouble, but investors are watching closely. The company’s stock is up more than 60% since early April, as optimism over AI and a potential trade thaw override recession concerns. Whether this momentum holds through earnings and macro shifts remains the billion-dollar question.  Financial Times

  
  

• Harvard turns to corporate donors as federal funding dries up

  
  

• Harvard’s T.H. Chan School of Public Health is in crisis after losing most of its federal research funding—more than $200 million—due to cuts by the Trump administration. The administration cited concerns over antisemitism and DEI policies in targeting Harvard's funding, tax status, and student visas. Layoffs have begun, and the school is warning that up to half of its research could be shut down next year without new funding. The move has sparked fears across academia that elite institutions may become increasingly reliant on corporate donors to fill political funding gaps.  Wall Street Journal

Minor Headline

• Stock rally now led by non-Mag 7 players — Wall Street Journal 

  
  

• Apple may let Anthropic, OpenAI power Siri — TechCrunch

  
  

• Meta merges AI efforts under ‘Superintelligence Labs’ — TechCrunch

  
  

• Digital devotion startup Sri Mandir sees investor buzz — TechCrunch

  
  

• PwC cuts prices as AI boosts efficiency — Bloomberg

  
  

• Trump claims TikTok has a buyer—but stays quiet on who — Bloomberg

  
  

• SoftBank’s new goal: become an ASI giant —Reuters

  
  

• US-Canada trade talks resume as Canada caves —CNBC

Gen Z Word of the Day: Rizzler

Meaning: A person who’s extremely smooth, confident, or charismatic — especially in how they flirt or talk to people. Derived from “rizz” (charisma).

Example: “He walked into the room and had everyone laughing in seconds. Certified rizzler.”