🎬400 million users

February 24, 2025

Good morning. Job alert! If you think X is overcrowded, you can now apply to contribute to Community Notes on Facebook, Instagram, and Threads. This should mean something to you especially if you’ve been commenting “photoshopped” on hot people’s thirst traps; it’s time to go professional.

— Obafemi Ayomide.

CURRENCIES

Currency exchange rates against the US Dollar as of market close. Here’s what these numbers mean

ENTERTAINMENT
Amazon now has creative control over James Bond

Jake Crowsky

Live and let Prime. Amazon is taking over creative control of the famed James Bond franchise from its longtime producers, the company announced last week.

The deal is a culmination of an off-camera deadlock between Amazon and Barbara Broccoli, who, along with her brother Michael G. Wilson, inherited control of the Bond franchise from their father. The family maintained ironclad control over the IP for more than 60 years.

Pure gold(finger). Under a new joint venture, creative control will go to MGM Studios, which Amazon acquired in 2022 for $8.5 billion, while the two Broccoli family members will remain co-owners in the franchise. It’s a boon for Amazon—the 25 Bond films have made a collective $6 billion at the domestic box office—and a shocking about-face by the Broccolis:

  • Broccoli and Wilson previously controlled every creative decision, from casting to dialogue to advertising.

  • The two had reportedly clashed with Amazon over the franchise’s future, fearing over-commercialization could weaken the character’s cachet.

Mum’s the word…there’s been no sign of what’s next for 007 since No Time to Die came out in 2021, ending Daniel Craig’s storied run as the British spy. But the deal augurs a new era of Bond that will likely get the Amazon treatment with spin-offs, TV series, and maybe even a Mr. Beast feature. -OA.

DIGITS
400 million users

Didem Mente/Anadolu/Getty Images

OpenAI is growing faster than the time it takes ChatGPT to write up your weekly work reports. The AI giant now has 400 million weekly active users (more than Netflix) as of this month—up 33% from December, COO Brad Lightcap told CNBC.

And it’s not just everyday consumers powering the breakneck growth. Lightcap said the ChatGPT-maker now has 2 million enterprise customers—double the number from September.

But there could be headwinds...ahead. OpenAI is facing increased competition from China’s DeepSeek, which spooked the US tech sector with its emergence this year. It’s also fending off lawsuits and real bids to buy the company from friend-turned-rival Elon Musk.

SHOWER THOUGHTS

“A door handle is on a different side of your body every time you walk through that door. Unless you back out of the room just to prove a point.”

NEWS
Round the continent

DA Media/CNN via Getty

  • South Africa is currently facing a stage 3 blackout with about 3000MW cut from its national grid, according to ESKOM.

  • Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces and its allies have signed a charter to form a parallel government. The UN has denounced the pact.

  • Ghana is currently facing a cholera outbreak with over 6,100 cases and 51 deaths recorded by February 16th.

  • Rwanda is contesting a US sanction on its Minister of Foreign Affairs, James Kabarebe following his alleged involvement in the DR Congo crisis.

Reply

or to participate.