Byron Allen has become the majority owner of Buzzfeed after finally closing the acquisition of the digital media brand. Allen will take over as CEO of the company, with former CEO Jonah Peretti serving as “president of BuzzFeed AI.” In this role peretti “will bring his strategic focus to applied AI research, product innovation and the development of new technology-driven media formats,” according to Variety. BuzzFeed’s transaction with Allen Family Digital was closed on Wednesday, 27 May, with Allen Family Digital acquiring 40 million shares of BuzzFeed common stock. Buzzfeed
Kevin Hart shared that his confirmed Hartbeat has downsized, but it is here to stay. When asked whether Hartbeat is still operating on The Breakfast Club, Hart said, “Hartbeat is never going anywhere.” This came after reports from employees who told Bloomberg that Hart was absent from his company, leaving employees worried after layoffs. Hart has also changed his phone number since the layoffs that eliminated almost 25% of his workforce. The current status of Hartbeat Hart told The Breakfast Club that his company did downsize, saying, “My executive team is still
Byron Allen is buying a controlling stake in BuzzFeed and becoming its chief executive, taking over from BuzzFeed founder Jonah Peretti, according to The New York Times. The announcement came on Monday, 11 May, when it was also shared that Allen will pay $120 million for a 52 percent stake in BuzzFeed. Bryon Allen purchasing a stake in Buzzfeed Allen shared in the announcement that he will focus on increasing free-streaming video, audio, and user-generated content. “Byron’s vision, operational experience and long-term commitment to premium content makes him exceptionally well-positioned to lead
Social network platform Series has raised a $5.1 million in a pre-seed round, according to TechCrunch. The round included investors such as Venmo co-founder Iqram Magdon-Ismail, Pear VC, Reddit CEO Steve Huffman, and GPTZero founder Edward Tian. Founders Nathaneo Johnson and Sean Hargrow met at Yale after both joining the university’s Society for Aspiring Entrepreneurs. About Series Users on Series can request support from other network users, such as an entrepreneur seeking help writing a business plan. The request is made to an AI-powered agent, which Series calls the agent your “AI friend.”
White Influencer Lauren Blake Boultier used AI to place her face on a photo of Black influencer Tatiana Elizabeth, according to People Magazine. The image was a 2-year-old photo of Elizabeth at the US Open. Boultier shared the image to her 1.6 million followers last month, leading them to believe she attended the Miami Open. Social media users started to notice that the image belonged to Elizabeth. On March 30, Elizabeth posted a screenshot of Bouliter’s photo next to her original on threads. The image showed that Boultier was wearing the
Fenty Beauty has launched Rose Amber,” an AI-powered beauty advisor built for WhatsApp, as reported by Glossy. Users can get reviews, product recommendations, and tutorials through the chat. This marks the brand’s first partnership with Meta in the US. “We’ve always wanted to partner with Meta more deeply,” Nanette Wong, global VP of marketing and communications at Fenty, told Glossy. “WhatsApp is so widely used all over the world, and our community and accessibility are important to us. So, we’re always thinking of new ways to connect with them.” What
Black Creator Launches App That Allows Creators To Film Vertical and Horizontal Video Simultaneously
Black creator Derrick Downey Jr. has launched DualShot Recorder, an app that allows creators to film vertically and horizontally, according to PetaPixel. The app creates videos in both portrait (9:16) and landscape (16:9) from an iPhone’s dual rear cameras in a single take. In just 24 hours, DualShot Recorder has created such a buzz that it has reached number one on the Apple App Store. Several content creators create videos for different platforms. TikTok, Instagram Reels, and YouTube Shorts videos are shot vertically, whilst long-form YouTube videos are filmed horizontally.
Meek Mill has recently shared that he will be moving away from X and joining LinkedIn. In a rant on the social media platform, the rapper explained why he no longer enjoys spending time on X. “My algorithm on x is all based on war politics …. Muslim and Jewish hate … it may have started when I first started watching bombings in Gaza … I got on this app to post music connect with fans ! And with deep fake this could make your mind sick if you see
Darren Jason Watkins Jr, known globally as IShowSpeed, marked his 21st birthday with a historic milestone: surpassing 50 million YouTube subscribers live on stream while celebrating in Lagos, Nigeria. The achievement places IShowSpeed among a small group of creators whose audiences rival mid-size television networks. According to Black Millionaires, he is the first Black creator to reach the 50-million-subscriber mark. As the subscriber counter ticked upward during the livestream, IShowSpeed framed the moment as a collective win. “Chat, this is the best birthday gift that I could ever ask for,” he
Khaby Lame, the most-followed creator on TikTok, has finalized the sale of his core company, Step Distinctive Limited, in an all-stock deal widely reported at around $900 million. The buyer is Rich Sparkle Holdings, a Hong Kong–based firm that also trades in the US as ANPA.US. Under the agreement, Rich Sparkle will hold exclusive operational rights to Lame’s brand for an initial three-year period, while Lame becomes a controlling shareholder in the acquiring company. From Viral Reach to a Single Operating System Lame, who was born in Senegal and raised
