Get all your news in one place.

100's of premium titles.
One app.

Get all your news in one place.

100's of premium titles. One news app.

Fortune

Jessica Mathews

Silicon Valley and Saudi Arabia are still closely intertwined despite age-old controversy

Saudi Arabia Neom Jamal Khashoggi Andreessen Horowitz Craft Ventures Techstars Marc Andreessen Sam Altman Tim Brown ALQST

(Credit: Stefan Wermuth—Getty Images)

It was just as Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi went missing in Oct. 2018 that Saudi Arabia announced it had formed a global advisory board for the $500 billion passion project of Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman: the futuristic megacity called NEOM.

The announcement spotlighted many venture capital and tech industry elites, such as Sam Altman, who was then the president of Y Combinator; Marc Andreessen, cofounder of Andreessen Horowitz; Travis Kalanick, the founder of Uber; SoftBank’s Masayoshi Son; and IDEO’s then-CEO Tim Brown.

Sign up to read this article

Read news from 100's of titles, curated specifically for you.

Already a member? Sign in here

Top stories on inkl right now

Election deniers stoke Trump-driven ballot security fears before midterms

Election deniers stoke Trump-driven ballot security fears before midterms

Former and current officials who bolstered claims of voter fraud in 2020 make fresh allegations of vulnerabilities

The Guardian - US

Lawyers for ex-Olympian cleared in Reflecting Pool case call for government watchdog investigations

Lawyers for ex-Olympian cleared in Reflecting Pool case call for government watchdog investigations

Lawyers for a former Olympian whom the Justice Department charged with intentionally damaging the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, only to abruptly drop the case after determining that he was not responsible, are urging two different government watchdogs to examine what they say was a flawed investigation and prosecution

The Independent UK

Measles is spreading across the US – and officials can’t agree on the death toll

Measles is spreading across the US – and officials can’t agree on the death toll

New York has just declared a state of emergency as measles cases continue to rise. So far this year, the US has recorded 3,887 cases of measles, the highest annual total since 1991. That is about 70% more cases than were recorded during the whole of 2025.

The Conversation

Trump’s suggestion that Iran could ‘take out’ LA or San Diego draws Republican rebuke

Trump’s suggestion that Iran could ‘take out’ LA or San Diego draws Republican rebuke

Congressional candidate Jim Desmond says he ‘served to protect Americans, not write off American cities’

The Guardian - US

One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites

Already a member? Sign in here

Nancy Guthrie Case Investigation Update: False Extortion Demands Investigated by FBI and Sheriff

Nancy Guthrie Case Investigation Update: False Extortion Demands Investigated by FBI and Sheriff

Investigators have ruled out a September extortion text in the disappearance of Nancy Guthrie, while the FBI and Pima County Sheriff's Department continue seeking credible leads

International Business Times UK

‘No more Viktor Orbán’: EU plans 15-year probation period for new member states

‘No more Viktor Orbán’: EU plans 15-year probation period for new member states

Enlargement commissioner Marta Kos outlines proposed safeguards to protect EU from undemocratic leaders

The Guardian - UK

Related Stories

Top stories on inkl right now

Election deniers stoke Trump-driven ballot security fears before midterms

Election deniers stoke Trump-driven ballot security fears before midterms

Former and current officials who bolstered claims of voter fraud in 2020 make fresh allegations of vulnerabilities

The Guardian - US

Lawyers for ex-Olympian cleared in Reflecting Pool case call for government watchdog investigations

Lawyers for ex-Olympian cleared in Reflecting Pool case call for government watchdog investigations

Lawyers for a former Olympian whom the Justice Department charged with intentionally damaging the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, only to abruptly drop the case after determining that he was not responsible, are urging two different government watchdogs to examine what they say was a flawed investigation and prosecution

The Independent UK

Measles is spreading across the US – and officials can’t agree on the death toll

Measles is spreading across the US – and officials can’t agree on the death toll

New York has just declared a state of emergency as measles cases continue to rise. So far this year, the US has recorded 3,887 cases of measles, the highest annual total since 1991. That is about 70% more cases than were recorded during the whole of 2025.

The Conversation

Trump’s suggestion that Iran could ‘take out’ LA or San Diego draws Republican rebuke

Trump’s suggestion that Iran could ‘take out’ LA or San Diego draws Republican rebuke

Congressional candidate Jim Desmond says he ‘served to protect Americans, not write off American cities’

The Guardian - US

One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites

Already a member? Sign in here

Nancy Guthrie Case Investigation Update: False Extortion Demands Investigated by FBI and Sheriff

Nancy Guthrie Case Investigation Update: False Extortion Demands Investigated by FBI and Sheriff

Investigators have ruled out a September extortion text in the disappearance of Nancy Guthrie, while the FBI and Pima County Sheriff's Department continue seeking credible leads

International Business Times UK

‘No more Viktor Orbán’: EU plans 15-year probation period for new member states

‘No more Viktor Orbán’: EU plans 15-year probation period for new member states

Enlargement commissioner Marta Kos outlines proposed safeguards to protect EU from undemocratic leaders

The Guardian - UK

Our Picks

Gen Z's new American Dream: Skip the mortgage, book the flight

Young Americans are trading square footage, new cars and even moving out for plane tickets, even as airfares jump more than 20%.

Megan Fox Tagged 'Unrecognisable' in Letterboxd Video as Fans Defend Her Against Meaningless Comments

A Letterboxd video featuring Megan Fox and Karyn Kusama prompted online debate about Fox's appearance, with fans challenging unsupported speculation about cosmetic procedures or health

International Business Times UK

US Schools Record Nearly 12,000 Book Bans, the Highest Ever in a Single Year, as 'Jane Eyre' and 'Lessons in Chemistry' Join the List

PEN America reports nearly 12,000 book-ban instances in US schools, a record total, as Texas overtakes Florida and AI tools enter the removal process.

International Business Times UK

Alice Zaslavsky’s shortcut beetroot baked risotto – recipe

An unconventional technique makes this vibrant rice – finished with dill fronds – a lower-touch dinner for weeknights

The Guardian - AU

Does your sleep tracker get it right? A Pittsburgh neuroscientist weighs in

On a typical night, I go to bed wearing a tracking watch on one wrist and another type of tracker on the other wrist. Then I compare their sleep findings while I drink my morning coffee.

The Conversation

There's A Reason Taxi Cabs Are Almost Always Yellow

Yellow taxis are easy to spot in traffic, but the color's history goes far beyond simple visibility.

Fourteen days free

Download the app

One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.

Download on the AppStore

Get it on Google Play