I am uncomfortable growing Tesla to be a leader in AI & robotics without having ~25% voting control. Enough to be influential, but not so much that I can’t be overturned.
Unless that is the case, I would prefer to build products outside of Tesla. You don’t seem to understand that Tesla is not one startup, but a dozen. Simply look at the delta between what Tesla does and GM.
As for stock ownership itself being enough motivation, Fidelity and other own similar stakes to me. Why don’t they show up for work?
Nicki Minaj openly mocking artists over her low rent, exploitative AI marketing. What a genius branding decision from one of the richest stars on the planet. It's all about funneling money up to the top, make no mistake about it.
Kiss just performed its last live concert.
Since 1974, the iconic band has grossed $1B+ on tours but it isn't over: Kiss will be the first US band to get immortalized as digital avatars.
They'll use the same tech as ABBA, which has made $150m+ in the past 18 months for its digital avatar show (“Voyage”).
That project was a collaboration between Industrial Light & Magic (George Lucas' FX company) and Pophouse Entertainment Group (founded by ABBA's Björn Ulvaeus).
ABBA: Voyage cost $175m to create and the virtual-only show is housed in London at a special 3000-person venue (see trailer below).
Per Bloomberg, ABBA Voyager has sold 99% of all seats and is printing $2m a week.
Since they are virtual avatars — looking like the Swedish pop stars in their 20s (they are all over 70 now) — the show can play 7 days a week, indefinitely.
Kiss announced the avatars at the close of its final live performance at Madison Square Garden on December 2nd (see the 0:47 mark of video below).
The KISS band-members created their avatars the same way ABBA did (with motion-capture suits).
Kiss is already a licensing juggernaut and has easily sold $1B+ in merch over its lifetime. Digital avatars make total business sense.
Paul Stanley — the 71-year old KISS co-founder and frontman — says “what we’ve accomplished has been amazing, but it’s not enough…the band deserves to live on because the band is bigger than we are."
Who’s next?
The list of top-grossing tours has a lot of older acts that may want to stop touring and immortalize themselves: Elton John, U2, Guns N' Rosses, The Rolling Stones, AC/DC, Metallica.
Digital musical avatars that “live forever” to capitalize on nostalgia does sound like a recipe for cultural stagnation, though (comparable to Hollywood with its non-stop sequels, remakes and comic adaptions).
Having said that, I would happily get a nice pre-drink buzz and watch any of these digital avatar acts “on stage”.
Doctors and researchers are beginning to see connection between COVID surges and heart attacks. @ErinNBCNews and Senior Medical Correspondent for @NBCNews@DrJohnTorres share more.