Microsoft Invests $1.5B in G42

I understand this comment is tongue in cheek, but of course the answer could only be yes if somehow the UAE had some sort of stranglehold on the product that couldn't be replicated by other players, like uniquely talented engineers, prestigious universities doing fundamental research, etc. I don't think the UAE, or any of the middle eastern countries, is going to be the principal player in AI development.

Re: Microsoft Invests $1.5B in G42

#5

Post by anizan » Tue, Apr 16, 2024, 11:59 AM UTC

Rinzler89 wrote: post #3

Is AI gonna be UAE's new oil?

At least one UAE fund is trying to setup data centres in Kenya in an attempt to lower cooling requirements while keeping latency minimal.

Re: Microsoft Invests $1.5B in G42

#6

Post by blackhawkC17 » Tue, Apr 16, 2024, 12:37 PM UTC

Sheikh Tahnoon just took Microsoft for a ride.

For the uninitiated, Sheikh Tahnoon is a powerful UAE royal- the founder and Chairman of G42. He chairs a $750 billion wealth fund and controls a great deal of the Abu Dhabi stock market through opaque holdings [1].

Why Microsoft goes to invest $1.5 billion in a company with such lax corporate governance, I can’t tell. Tahnoon is literally above the law in the UAE.

1- https://www.bloomberg.com/news/features/2024-04-05/uae-s-she...

Re: Microsoft Invests $1.5B in G42

#7

Post by papichulo2023 » Tue, Apr 16, 2024, 12:41 PM UTC

Rinzler89 wrote: post #3

Is AI gonna be UAE's new oil?

I'd guess any country with cheap energy and lax laws.

Re: Microsoft Invests $1.5B in G42

#8

Post by [deleted] » Tue, Apr 16, 2024, 12:54 PM UTC

[deleted]

Re: Microsoft Invests $1.5B in G42

#9

Post by pjmlp » Tue, Apr 16, 2024, 12:55 PM UTC

Meanwhile MAUI and WinUI teams deal with lack of resources...

Re: Microsoft Invests $1.5B in G42

#10

Post by Rinzler89 » Tue, Apr 16, 2024, 12:56 PM UTC

blackhawkC17 wrote: post #6

Sheikh Tahnoon just took Microsoft for a ride. For the uninitiated, Sheikh Tahnoon is a powerful UAE royal- the founder and Chairman of G42. He chairs a $750 billion wealth fund and controls a great deal of the Abu Dhabi stock market through opaque holdings [1]. Why Microsoft goes to invest $1.5 billion in a company with such lax corporate governance, I can’t tell. Tahnoon is literally above the law in the UAE. 1- ht…

>Sheikh Tahnoon just took Microsoft for a ride.

Did they? What if that "investment" is sort of a masked bribe in order to secure exclusivity of juicy government contracts worth a lot more than 1.5B?

Microsoft also "invested" in opening an office in Munich just so Bavaria would cancel the move to Open Office which was also a bribe in disguise.

I think sometimes HN is too naive when it comes to such big deals between mega corps and shady governments, missing the forest from the trees.

"Investments" like these are often there just to grease the wheels or act as a cover for more nefarious projects. Especially that the UAE is getting involved more and more in tech defense procurement and shady offensive cybersecurity without giving a damn about human rights.