Articles written and podcasts
hosted by Charles
The New Yorker
The Inside Story of Microsoft's Partnership with OpenAI
The companies had honed a protocol for releasing artificial intelligence ambitiously but safely. Then OpenAl's board exploded all their carefully laid plans.
DECEMBER 1, 2023
The Pied Piper of SPACs
Letter from Silicon Valley
Chamath Palihapitiya says that the investment tool lets ordinary people get rich off startups. It may be hype-but hype can be its own economic engine.
MAY 31, 2021
How Venture Capitalists Are Deforming Capitalism
Letter from Silicon Valley
Even the worst-run startup can beat competitors if investors prop it up.
The V.C. firm Benchmark helped enable WeWork to make one wild mistake after another-hoping that its gamble would pay off before disaster struck.
NOVEMBER 23, 2020
Seattle's Leaders Let Scientists Take the Lead. New York's Did Not
Annals of Epidemiology
The initial coronavirus outbreaks on the East and West Coasts emerged at roughly the same time. But the danger was communicated very differently.
APRIL 26, 2020
Is Amazon Unstoppable?
A Reporter at Large
Politicians want to rein in the retail giant. But Jeff Bezos, the master of cutthroat capitalism, is ready to fight back.
OCTOBER 10, 2019
The New York Times
America's Professional Elite: Wealthy, Successful and Miserable
THE FUTURE OF WORK
The upper echelon is hoarding money and privilege to a degree not seen in decades. But that doesn't make them happy at work.
FEBRUARY 1, 2029
Amex, Challenged by Chase, Is Losing the Snob War
ADVENTURES IN CAPITALISM
Amex's hold on the affluent fantasies of up-and-coming elites is starting to wobble as other credit card companies are beating it at its own game.
APRIL 14, 2017
What Google Learned From Its Quest to Build the Perfect Team
THE WORK ISSUE
New research reveals surprising truths about why some work groups thrive and others falter.
NOVEMBER 25, 2016
How Companies Learn Your Secrets
Your shopping habits reveal even the most personal information - like when you're going to have a baby.
FEBRUARY 16, 2012
In China, Human Costs Are Built Into an iPad
THE IECONOMY
Apple has become one of the mightiest, richest and most successful companies in the world. But the workers assembling iPhones, iPads and other devices often labor in harsh conditions.
JANUARY 25, 2012
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