Spotify CEO Daniel Ek Will Invest Over $1 Billion in European Moonshots (protocol.com) 24
At an event hosted by Slush, the Spotify CEO said: "I will devote 1 billion euro of my personal resources to enable the ecosystem of builders to achieve [the] European dream over the next decade." From a report: "I will do so by funding so-called moonshots focusing on the deep technology necessary to make a significant positive dent, and work with scientists, investors, and governments to do so," he added. The pledge came after Ek explained his desire to see more big European companies, saying "Europe needs to raise its ambition." When questioned on which areas he'll be investing in, Ek highlighted health care, education, machine learning, biotechnology, material sciences and energy. "The types of moonshots that I'm talking about, at least when I talk to the scientists and the entrepreneurs, they often face no [funding] options, because these ideas may be too early to bring in venture capital," he said, "so I definitely think we can do a lot more for those types of opportunities here."
Everyone in the UK... (Score:4, Funny)
Re:Everyone in the UK... (Score:4, Informative)
Well that's okay. Spotify's CEO is investing in Europe, the thing that the UK doesn't want anything to do with. He'd be mad to send any money in the UK's direction right now.
98 days left.
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Here is a map of Europe https://www.onestopmap.com/europe-continent/europe-continent-465/
Note the UK is on it.
Re:Everyone in the UK... (Score:4, Informative)
Here is a map of Europe https://www.onestopmap.com/eur... [onestopmap.com]
Note the UK is on it.
Indeed, but only physically. Not in any sense that an investor would care about. If you want a relevant map, look at a map of Europe colourcoded by EFTA membership. That's where money will be going.
Re: Everyone in the UK... (Score:2)
Thr dumbest PM doing the dumbest thing in living history by leaving the EU, but not one opposition party will now stand with the decent, clever people who oppose that disastrous, racist, evil policy.
The idiots won, British is doomed.
Oh, the irony. (Score:4, Insightful)
It's always fucking cute to find a tax-dodging CEO bragging about his money he kept by dodging taxes, funding a project for the benefit of us taxpayers, for a tax write-off.
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funding a project for the benefit of us taxpayers, for a tax write-off.
Those two are not mutually exclusive. This is precisely why tax write-offs are granted.
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And it is being done wrong in the west. We need to quit taxing corporations that are working locally
So adding more complexity and likely illegal. Taxing local and foreign companies differently.
Simply tax gross revenue
Not really feasible with different industries having vastly differing gross revenue structures.
along with a ending VAT (i.e. just between wholesale and retai), which also taxes imports and services.
Why not just have a VAT?
And why are you encouraging manufacturers and wholesalers to cut out the retail, and just sell direct to the customers? Your idea here is also infeasible.
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And it is being done wrong in the west.
Is it? Are you actively complaining about this result here where $1bn is being invested rather than kept away? Or are you speaking in general?
I see your comments are general, but they are also highly unworkable.
Re: Oh, the irony. (Score:2)
Corp tax is either 0% if labor cost and hours is local, or do a straight up tax on gross sales like many states due;
VAT just before going retail, or if shipped directly to cust.
Personal tax is simplified with no write-offs/deductions, instead all money obtained taxed on same progressive tax scale.
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Simply tax gross revenue along with a ending VAT (i.e. just between wholesale and retai) [slashdot.org]
And why are you encouraging manufacturers and wholesalers to cut out the retail, and just sell direct to the customers? Your idea here is also infeasible. [slashdot.org]
VAT just before going retail, or if shipped directly to cust.
At least you now realize your plan was infeasible and changed it. No need to thank me.
And are you still planning on leaving the WTO? Or will you just accept all the retaliatory tariffs?
Still thinking a replacement tax on gross sales is feasible?
A lot of work to
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Any topic even vaguely related to taxes he trots it out.
He'll never admit it's unworkable. He's like a dog with a bone
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funding a project for the benefit of us taxpayers, for a tax write-off.
Those two are not mutually exclusive. This is precisely why tax write-offs are granted.
You're not going to merely dismiss or gleam over the root cause of that shit, and the fact that taxpayers will be paying for it again.
Like he's gonna fly anything to the fucking moon, for free...
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and the fact that taxpayers will be paying for it again.
Tax payers paying for someone else investing? The alternative here is simply keeping the money and doing nothing with no tax payer benefit what so ever. In this zero sum game the end result is new products and services. I.e. the desired outcome.
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and the fact that taxpayers will be paying for it again.
Tax payers paying for someone else investing? The alternative here is simply keeping the money and doing nothing with no tax payer benefit what so ever...
No, that would be the socially accepted attitude of yours that blindly accepts corruption.
A billionaire sitting on their billions would not be "simply keeping the money". They would be paying fucking taxes on it.
You know, to do what taxes are supposed to do, instead of let billionaires make other billionaires happy by starving the masses. I'm supposed to feel better because of this fucking bread crumb of a gesture? Wake up.
about damn time (Score:2)
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He's not talking about space...calm down.
He's talking about funding non space related projects.
So, not moonshots then (Score:2)
You do realise you posted a story YESTERDAY about American moonshots, to the effing MOON?
CEO is a visionary (Score:4, Insightful)
I initially thought he was talking about an actual moonshot...to the moon and was excited. Billionaire partners w/SpaceX, build some habitats, lunar robots, nascent lunar manufacturing, get this whole moonbase thing rolling.
But no, he's talking about investing his money into other companies in order to make more money. I'm not sure how or why we are supposed to applaud that or think it's great. I have some money invested in MSFT...where's my news article?
As mentioned, the whole term 'moonshot' has been misused. The actual moonshot was a focused effort of people and money to a singular goal. A lot of money ~$25 billion then /$175 billion in todays money, 400k people. Its the opposite of what this guys is talking about which is small scale, risky endeavors, aka R&D.
Off topic: Movie 'Moon' (2009) with Sam Rockwell is really good: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1... [imdb.com]
EUphemism (Score:2)