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This Week in Startups · September 11, 2026 · 1h 12m

The Pentagon Wants Equity in AI Startups

Jason Calacanis, Lon Harris, Tibo Louis-Lucas
Show Notes

Jason and Lon commemorate 9/11 and discuss the Pentagon's potential $5B loan to Fluidstack, with Jason arguing that the real story is the government becoming a direct equity investor in AI startups. Tibo Louis-Lucas returns to show how he uses stacked AI agents to run seven companies with under 10 people. The hosts also break down Apple's new foldable iPhone Duo, and close with an Off-Duty Friday review of Lanterns and Dark Matter Season 2, and a remembrance of Robin Williams.

This summary was generated from show notes and public descriptions, not from a full transcript review. Details may contain inaccuracies.

Canon

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Running Seven Companies With Fewer Than 10 People Using AI Agents00:38:04
Tibo Louis-Lucas demonstrates how he runs seven companies with a team of under 10 people by stacking multiple AI agent subscriptions, which he says can replace an entire marketing team.
ClaudeChatGPTGemini

Highlights

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The Pentagon Wants Equity in AI Startups00:09:10
The Pentagon is reportedly in talks to lend AI cloud startup Fluidstack $5 billion, and Jason argues the real story is the US government owning equity in private AI companies, competing with venture capital.
ClaudeChatGPTGemini
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Apple Unveils Foldable iPhone Duo00:21:45
Jason and Lon discuss Apple's announcement of the foldable iPhone Duo, exploring what it means for the smartphone market.
ClaudeChatGPTGemini

Editorial

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Off-Duty Friday: Lanterns and Dark Matter Season 2 Reviews00:54:11
Jason shares his enthusiasm for the new DC series 'Lanterns' while Lon reviews the second season of Apple's 'Dark Matter'.
ClaudeChatGPTGemini
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25 Years Since 9/11 and Remembering Robin Williams00:00:00
Jason and Lon commemorate the 25th anniversary of 9/11 with personal stories and honor Robin Williams' legacy.
ClaudeChatGPTGemini
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Solyndra and Fisker: Cautionary Tales of Government Loans00:09:10
Jason references the Solyndra and Fisker government loan defaults as cautionary examples of why government equity stakes in startups are risky.
ClaudeChatGPTGemini

References

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Robin — Dave Itzkoff (2018) — Biography of Robin Williams discussed during the episode's remembrance segment

Misc

✧Jason and Lon share personal 9/11 memories 25 years later
✧The story of Keith Roma, the 344th firefighter remembered for his sacrifice
✧The Robin Williams-Disney feud over Aladdin and Picasso
✧Jason's enthusiastic take on Hal Jordan in 'Lanterns'
✧Lon's review of 'Dark Matter' Season 2
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