Good Morning, Builders.

Today, we’re looking at power shifts between governments, platforms, capital, and brands, and how those shifts are reshaping markets, media, and global access. Let’s get to work.

The US is putting the brakes on a $40 billion technology agreement with the UK, signaling growing frustration over Britain’s digital rules. The deal, pitched as a “Tech Prosperity” partnership covering AI, quantum computing, and nuclear energy, was announced with fanfare during President Trump’s visit to London, but implementation has stalled as Washington pushes back on UK policies like digital services taxes, online safety regulations, and food standards. British officials say talks are ongoing and relations remain strong, but the pause highlights how non-tariff issues are becoming the real fault lines in modern trade deals, especially when Big Tech and data regulation are involved. (Reuters) 

Instagram is officially taking Reels off your phone and onto your TV, starting with a new app for Amazon Fire TV. The idea is simple: if YouTube owns the living room, Meta wants a seat on the couch. The TV version auto-plays short videos, organizes Reels into channel-style categories like comedy and music, and personalizes everything based on your Instagram habits, basically turning doomscrolling into something you do with a remote. It’s a clear play to capture attention when viewers don’t want a full Netflix commitment, and another sign that short-form video platforms are racing to dominate every screen in your house. (TechCrunch)

Elon Musk just did something no one else has even come close to: crossing a $600 billion net worth. The jump comes after SpaceX’s latest tender offer valued the company at roughly $800 billion, instantly making Musk’s SpaceX stake his most valuable asset and pushing his fortune to an estimated $677 billion. With an IPO targeted for 2026 that could value SpaceX at $1.5 trillion, Musk is now openly flirting with trillionaire status. Add in Tesla stock, a potentially massive future pay package, and a fast-growing AI business, and Musk isn’t just the richest person alive; he’s operating in a financial orbit no one else has reached. (Forbes)

Lovable just turned “vibe coding” into very real money. The Stockholm-based AI startup is raising a new round that values it at $6.6 billion, more than tripling its valuation since July and capping off a breakout year that few European startups can match. Founded in 2023, Lovable went from $1 million to $200 million in annual recurring revenue in under a year by letting users build apps and websites with plain English instead of code. Accel and Khosla Ventures are backing the round, signaling that U.S. investors are fully bought into the vibe coding wave. With 100,000 projects launched daily and new offices opening in Boston and San Francisco, Lovable is quickly becoming one of Europe’s strongest answers to Silicon Valley’s AI gold rush. (CNBC)

Kraft Heinz is going back to a familiar move from the legacy food playbook. The company just tapped former Kellogg CEO Steve Cahillane to lead it through a breakup that will split sauces like Heinz ketchup from grocery brands like Oscar Mayer. The hire comes after years of sliding sales, a stock still down, and growing pressure from cheaper private labels and changing eating habits. Cahillane, who already ran a similar split at Kellogg, is expected to take the reins of the higher-margin sauces business once the separation wraps in 2026, a unit some investors already see as a future sale candidate. Kraft Heinz is betting that a proven breakup CEO can turn a tired pantry into two cleaner stories Wall Street might actually want to buy. (Reuters)

The U.S. has fallen out of the Henley Passport Index top 10, landing at No. 12, after a string of visa rule changes. The drop wasn’t about Americans traveling less, but about other countries opening doors to each other while leaving the U.S. off the guest list. Brazil reinstated visas for Americans over reciprocity issues, Vietnam skipped the U.S. in its latest visa-free expansion, and new eVisa systems elsewhere leveled the playing field for rival passports. For U.S. travelers, no need to panic; your passport is still strong, with visa-free access to 180 destinations, but expect a bit more pre-trip admin, more forms, and fewer last-minute “let’s just go” options compared to travelers from places like Singapore or Japan. (CNN Travel)

To the Arena,
- Founders Daily Brief Team

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