The Biggest Private Funding Round in History | E2256
This Week in Startups
Jason Calacanis
4.2 • 1.4K Ratings
🗓️ 28 February 2026
⏱️ 80 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
This Week In Startups is made possible by:
Deel - http://deel.com/twist
Wispr Flow - https://wisprflow.ai/twist
Luma AI - https://lumalabs.ai/twist
Today’s show:
*$110 billion buys you 15% of OpenAI. Amazon, Nvidia, and SoftBank placed their bets on ChatGPT, which now has 900 million weekly active users and 50 million paying subscribers. Find out why Jason is anticipating the wildest J-Curve swing of all time, and believes we’ve ALREADY hit AGI… it’s just not implemented yet.
Plus a visit from our roving correspondent Nick O’Neill, checking in on the Crypto Chaos in Miami Beach, and hot demos from three young founders.
GUESTS:
Nick O’Neill: https://x.com/chooserich
Everest Chris: https://openclaw.unloopa.com/
Ben Broca: https://polsia.com/
Adi Gabrani: https://makemyclaw.com/
Timestamps:
00:00 Intro
01:33 We’re hiring a new producer!
05:42 OpenAI raised $110 billion
08:59 Understanding the LLM J-Curve
00:11:25 Deel - Founders ship faster on Deel. Set up payroll for any country in minutes and get back to building. Visit https://deel.com/twist to learn more.
00:15:02 CRYPTO CHAOS IN MIAMI BEACH!
00:21:10 Wispr Flow - Stop typing. Dictate with Wispr Flow and send clean, final-draft writing in seconds. Visit https://wisprflow.ai/twist to get started for free today.
00:22:54 Mass layoffs at Block
00:30:50 Luma AI - Stop guessing and start directing with the all-in-one Dream Machine text-to-video platform. Visit https://lumalabs.ai/twist to try The Dream Machine for free.
00:32:04 AI Scott Adams: The Saga Continues
00:38:13 Make URLs for local businesses with Unloopa
00:45:36 Rent a Polsia agent to run your company
00:58:55 Deploy swarms in 60 seconds with MakeMyClaw
01:05:05 LAUNCH FEST is coming to SF
01:55:49 Will Paramount actually buy WBD?
01:06:58 Why Lon loves “Knight of the 7 Kingdoms”
01:07:21 On “Neighbors” and First Amendment Warriors
01:13:43 All about Jason’s favorite chargers
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Follow Alex:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexwilhelm
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LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasoncalacanis
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Great TWIST interviews: Will Guidara, Eoghan McCabe, Steve Huffman, Brian Chesky, Bob Moesta, Aaron Levie, Sophia Amoruso, Reid Hoffman, Frank Slootman, Billy McFarland
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Substack: https://twistartups.substack.com
Transcript
Click on a timestamp to play from that location
| 0:00.0 | We got to get out of here. |
| 0:01.4 | This open AI funding situation has blown our minds. |
| 0:05.1 | We're going to be unemployed and I can't even pay for my damn rent anymore. |
| 0:08.7 | This is unedited. |
| 0:09.9 | This is unfiltered. |
| 0:11.0 | This is what's happening right now. |
| 0:12.2 | This week in startups is brought to you by Luma AI. |
| 0:16.7 | Stop guessing and start directing with the all-in-one dream machine text video platform. |
| 0:22.4 | Visit luma labs.a-i-slash-twist to try the dream machine for free. |
| 0:27.9 | Whisperflow. Stop typing. |
| 0:30.1 | Dictate with Whisperflow and send clean final draft writing in seconds. |
| 0:34.5 | Visit whisperflow.a-i-slash. slash Twist to get started for free today. |
| 0:39.1 | And deal. |
| 0:40.4 | Founders ship faster on deal. |
| 0:42.6 | Set up payroll for any country in minutes and get back to building. |
| 0:46.2 | Visit deal.com slash twist to learn more. |
| 0:51.8 | All right, everybody. |
| 0:52.9 | It's Twist. |
| 0:53.5 | It's Friday. |
| 0:54.1 | It's February 27th in the year of our Lord. |
| 0:57.0 | A.O. 33, Jason. A.O. 33. 33 days after OpenClaw appeared on this program. And we're going to keep building replicants. We're going to keep building open claw agents. Yeah, we're using like |
| 1:13.9 | SlackBot 2% of the time. We're going to check out Notions, new one. We're going to keep track |
... |
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