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Image: Bill Gates/Facebook
Wake up to the shifts shaping the future.
From boardroom shakeups and billion-dollar bets to the latest tech breakthroughs rewriting the rules, The Company Brief is your front-row seat to the stories moving markets and mindsets.
We cut through the noise so you can stay ahead of the curve, one bold business move at a time.
Bill Gates a no-show at India AI summit
Bill Gates pulled out of India's AI Impact Summit hours before his scheduled keynote address on Thursday, dealing another blow to a flagship event already marred by organisational lapses, a robot bungle and delegate complaints over traffic disruptions. The Gates Foundation said the billionaire will not deliver his address "to ensure the focus remains on the AI Summit's key priorities". Only days ago, the foundation had dismissed rumours of his absence and insisted he was on track to attend. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to address the event on Thursday, alongside French President Emmanuel Macron, Google CEO Sundar Pichai, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei.
Meta's Zuckerberg denies at LA trial that Instagram targets kids
Meta Platforms CEO Mark Zuckerberg on Wednesday repeatedly said during a landmark trial over youth social media addiction that the Facebook and Instagram operator does not allow kids under 13 on its platforms, despite being confronted with evidence suggesting they were a key demographic. Mark Lanier, a lawyer for the woman suing Instagram and Google's YouTube for harming her mental health when she was a child, pressed Zuckerberg over his statement to Congress in 2024 that users under 13 are not allowed on the platform. Lanier confronted Zuckerberg with internal Meta documents. The case involves a California woman who started using Instagram and YouTube as a child. She alleges the companies sought to profit by hooking kids on their services despite knowing social media could harm their mental health. She alleges the apps fueled her depression and suicidal thoughts and is seeking to hold the companies liable.
Apollo says CEO Rowan had no business or personal relationship with Epstein
Apollo Global Management said on Wednesday that CEO Marc Rowan had neither a business nor a personal relationship with Jeffrey Epstein, as the unfolding of the late sex offender's correspondence continues to fuel tumult across corporate America. "Neither Marc Rowan nor anyone else at Apollo (excluding Leon Black) had either a business or personal relationship with Jeffrey Epstein," Apollo said in a letter sent to clients and partners. The Epstein documents do not accuse Apollo or its executives of any engagement or awareness of Epstein's illicit activities. The Apollo response comes as two teachers' unions, which hold financial interests in Apollo through their pension funds, asked the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission on Tuesday to investigate what they believe were "misleading" statements by Apollo to its investors.
Retail sales expected to grow modestly in 2026
Shopping activity in South Africa is expected to improve this year, supported by lower inflation and a more accommodative interest rate environment, after retail performance softened during the festive season. Data released by Statistics South Africa (StatsSA) on Wednesday showed that retail sales rose by 2.6% year-on-year in December 2025, following an upwardly revised 3.6% increase in November. While growth remained positive, the December reading marked the slowest expansion since August, highlighting continued pressure on consumers. The moderation was most visible in key categories. Sales of pharmaceuticals, medical goods, cosmetics and toiletries slowed sharply to 1.4% from 9.8% in November.