Is Capex the New M&A for Big Tech?

Goldman Sachs’ annual private tech conference this week was, from one angle, a study in East Coast realism versus West Coast optimism. Spreadsheets versus innovation. Bankers’ slacks versus Palmer Luckey’s shorts. 

One of the most high-profile founders on stage, Perplexity’s Aravind Srinivas, cited the satirical TV show “Silicon Valley” as an inspiration during his start in the tech industry. A big Chicago-based fund manager, minutes later, openly fretted about whether artificial intelligence investments would really provide decent returns.