OpenAI's big Seattle deal; Steve Ballmer under NBA scrutiny; the irony in Google's antitrust case
GeekWire
GeekWire
4.4 • 116 Ratings
🗓️ 6 September 2025
⏱️ 32 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
This week on the GeekWire Podcast: Former Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer and his NBA team, the Clippers, face scrutiny over an alleged salary-cap dodge tied to star Kawhi Leonard. We unpack the report and Ballmer’s emphatic denial, while reflecting on his history in tech and sports.
Also: OpenAI's surprise $1.1 billion acquisition of Seattle startup Statsig, and what it says about the AI talent wars. Plus, the ironic role of Microsoft’s own antitrust past in the landmark ruling against Google’s search monopoly this week.
Seattle journalist, radio host and bar owner Mike Lewis joins GeekWire's Todd Bishop for this episode, which also features a highlight from a segment with KUOW's Kim Malcolm.
Related Stories
- OpenAI acquires Statsig for $1.1B, names CEO to key role in surprise exit for Seattle-area unicorn
- ‘Absurd’: Steve Ballmer responds to report that Clippers funneled money to star player via endorsement deal
- Pablo Torre details his investigation on "Pablo Torre Finds Out."
- ESPN's Ramona Shelburne interviews Steve Ballmer.
- Google antitrust ruling gives Microsoft a shaky bridge over search giant’s competitive moat
- KUOW: Is the Google antitrust ruling a ‘big whiff,’ or an advantage for rivals like Microsoft?
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | one of the coolest experiences I had and we've got a picture of it up here in the |
| 0:06.9 | geekwire offices is I said hey Steve if we're going to be doing a podcast with you about numbers |
| 0:12.9 | there is no way that I'm not going to be doing an episode on the numbers of the NBA and so I |
| 0:19.8 | actually got to sit next to him for one quarter. He gave me one |
| 0:24.2 | period. That picture is phenomenal too. I love the picture that came with that story. |
| 0:28.2 | Chatting with him on the sidelines at the Clippers game, the person that was sitting on the other |
| 0:33.4 | side of him for that quarter was Dave Cutler. He is the father of Windows NT. |
| 0:39.9 | Right. In the picture that we've got on the wall, he's on one side, I'm on the other, |
| 0:44.0 | and Balmer is standing up in the middle of us screaming. Which was Balmer most of every game. |
| 0:49.9 | Yes. |
| 0:55.5 | Hi and welcome to Geekwire from Geekwire.com in Seattle. I'm Todd Bishop, and I'm pleased to be |
| 1:00.8 | joined here in the Geekwire offices this week by Mike Lewis. Todd, it's not only great to be here |
| 1:06.4 | as a Geekwire contributing editor. Do you still hold that title? |
| 1:15.6 | You know, until you guys wrench it from me, I am not going to give it up. |
| 1:19.3 | I am going to identify myself as such and just like sort of ride on the brand's coattails as long as I can. |
| 1:20.7 | I love it. |
| 1:21.1 | So for folks who are not familiar with Mike, he is a longtime journalist, radio host, |
| 1:26.4 | tavern owner. |
| 1:27.8 | He is sometimes a caterer of key choir events as he was. |
| 1:33.7 | Anything that just keeps the rent paid. |
| 1:35.4 | But Mike, you closely follow sports as you would expect from somebody who owns a bar |
| 1:41.9 | near Climate Pledge Arena. |
... |
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