Billionaire Bucks Co-Owner Alleges $1 Billion Blackmail Plot After Affair With China-Born Entrepreneur Wesley Edens, billionaire investor and co-owner of the Milwaukee Bucks, replied to a 2022 LinkedIn message from Changli Sophia Luo, a China-born founder of a small Manhattan nonprofit that produced interview videos. Their exchanges turned personal; by June 2023 they met at her apartment and had s...
Billionaire Bucks Co-Owner Alleges $1 Billion Blackmail Plot After Affair With China-Born Entrepreneur Wesley Edens, billionaire investor and co-owner of the Milwaukee Bucks, replied to a 2022 LinkedIn message from Changli Sophia Luo, a China-born founder of a small Manhattan nonprofit that produced interview videos. Their exchanges turned personal; by June 2023 they met at her apartment and had sex, according to the Wall Street Journal , citing prosectuors. What followed, authorities say, became an extortion case. Luo was indicted for allegedly trying to extract over $1 billion by threatening to release explicit images and videos . Prosecutors claim she repeatedly contacted Edens’s relatives, warned she would approach investors, and vowed to ruin him. She faces four charges, including blackmail and evidence destruction, and has pleaded not guilty. Released on $500,000 bond, she awaits trial. Edens was not initially named, but a spokesman confirmed he is “Victim-1.” He reported the matter over safety concerns and is expected to testify. His side declined further comment: “Mr. Edens will be making no comment on the case as the indictment speaks for itself with respect to the charges against the defendant.” The WSJ writes that Luo’s attorneys argue she sought accountability for what they describe as “an inappropriate and aggressive sexual encounter,” asking the court to dismiss the case. Federal prosecutors have not commented. The dispute highlights reputational risks when personal relationships involving high-profile figures unravel. Victims often hesitate to involve authorities, partly because cases can expose private details. “Extortion victims usually don’t want to cooperate, and don’t want to go to the government—for the very reasons that extortion or blackmail work,” said defense lawyer Scott R. Wilson. Investigators began looking into Luo in early 2025 after Edens’s lawyer contacted the Manhattan U.S. attorney’s office. After their encounter, Luo sent Edens a m...
IonQ (NYSE:IONQ) , developer of trapped-ion quantum computers and software for complex problem-solving, closed Monday at $56.89, up 15.54%. The stock moved higher after SkyWater Technology shareholders approved their merger agreement. Investors are watching how the deal boosts IonQ’s in-house chip capacity and U.S.-based packaging capabilities. The company’s trading volume reached 55.9 million sha...
IonQ (NYSE:IONQ) , developer of trapped-ion quantum computers and software for complex problem-solving, closed Monday at $56.89, up 15.54%. The stock moved higher after SkyWater Technology shareholders approved their merger agreement. Investors are watching how the deal boosts IonQ’s in-house chip capacity and U.S.-based packaging capabilities. The company’s trading volume reached 55.9 million shares, which is about 110% above compared with its three-month average of 26.6 million shares. IonQ went public in 2021 and has grown 427% since its IPO. The S&P 500 (SNPINDEX:^GSPC) added 0.19% to finish Monday at 7,412.84, while the Nasdaq Composite (NASDAQINDEX:^IXIC) inched up 0.10% to close at 26,274. Among quantum computing industry peers, D-Wave Quantum closed at $24.03 (+6.47%) and Rigetti Computing finished at $20.51 (+8.29%), reflecting broader enthusiasm for the space. Continue reading
Exchange Income press release ( EIFZF ): Q1 Non-GAAP EPS of $0.61. Revenue of $867M (+29.7% Y/Y) beats by $269.03M . 2026 Guidance Update Based on the first quarter results we expect that our Adjusted EBITDA for Fiscal 2026 to be in the range of $825 million to $875 million with an updated bias to the upper end of the range. More on Exchange Income Exchange Income: Sold Off Some Months Ago Due To ...
Exchange Income press release ( EIFZF ): Q1 Non-GAAP EPS of $0.61. Revenue of $867M (+29.7% Y/Y) beats by $269.03M . 2026 Guidance Update Based on the first quarter results we expect that our Adjusted EBITDA for Fiscal 2026 to be in the range of $825 million to $875 million with an updated bias to the upper end of the range. More on Exchange Income Exchange Income: Sold Off Some Months Ago Due To Valuation (Rating Downgrade) Exchange Income Corporation (EIF:CA) Q4 2025 Earnings Call Transcript Exchange Income prices inaugural $600M investment-grade senior unsecured notes Historical earnings data for Exchange Income Dividend scorecard for Exchange Income
When given the options of "true," "false" or "not sure," and asked whether each of the incidents "was staged," a majority of respondents said they thought each event was either staged or were unsure. (Image credit: Mandel Ngan)
When given the options of "true," "false" or "not sure," and asked whether each of the incidents "was staged," a majority of respondents said they thought each event was either staged or were unsure. (Image credit: Mandel Ngan)
Super Group press release ( SGHC ): Q1 GAAP EPS of $0.17 misses by $0.01 . Revenue of $612M (+18.4% Y/Y) beats by $26.66M . Profit for the period was $86 million for the first quarter of 2026, by comparison, profit for the period for the first quarter of 2025 was $59 million. Adjusted EBITDA, a non-GAAP financial measure, increased by 36% to $152 million for the first quarter of 2026 compared to $...
Super Group press release ( SGHC ): Q1 GAAP EPS of $0.17 misses by $0.01 . Revenue of $612M (+18.4% Y/Y) beats by $26.66M . Profit for the period was $86 million for the first quarter of 2026, by comparison, profit for the period for the first quarter of 2025 was $59 million. Adjusted EBITDA, a non-GAAP financial measure, increased by 36% to $152 million for the first quarter of 2026 compared to $111 million in the first quarter of 2025. Cash and cash equivalents was $422 million as of March 31, 2026 compared to $513 million at December 31, 2025. Reaffirming FY2026 Revenue and Adjusted EBITDA guidance: Revenue >$2.55 billion and Adjusted EBITDA >$680 million More on Super Group Super Group Q4 Review: Fantastic Shift Of Strategy (Rating Upgrade) Super Group (SGHC) Limited (SGHC) Q4 2025 Earnings Call Transcript Super Group reports Q4 results Seeking Alpha’s Quant Rating on Super Group Historical earnings data for Super Group
Nikada/iStock Unreleased via Getty Images We have written before on AvePoint, Inc. ( AVPT ), here and here . The data management service provider should have a strong tailwind from the AI revolution, which puts a premium on data quality and governance. AVPT IR presentation Indeed, management emphasizes that data governance is no longer back-office hygiene but a prerequisite for AI adoption. Many o...
Nikada/iStock Unreleased via Getty Images We have written before on AvePoint, Inc. ( AVPT ), here and here . The data management service provider should have a strong tailwind from the AI revolution, which puts a premium on data quality and governance. AVPT IR presentation Indeed, management emphasizes that data governance is no longer back-office hygiene but a prerequisite for AI adoption. Many organizations face trust issues with AI tools like Microsoft Copilot due to poor data quality or lack of governance, which AvePoint directly addresses, from the Morgan Stanley Presentation : And this is probably going back two years ago. The Copilot inside of 365, for us, that creates another - it's just another productivity app, where organizations that first turned that on were starting to have concerns, wait, I turned Copilot on, and I'm asking it to go find me the latest employee handbook, and it brings back a bunch of information, and is that information curated, is the information accurate? Organizations immediately came back to us and said, look, we want to make sure we're looking at our data state and we're putting the right controls in place. Can you help us? So it wasn't that the Copilot was something we were solving. It was that Copilot triggered off a thought in the organization that really said, we probably need to go get data state ready for what's coming. Fast forward two years later, we're now in a year where I think a lot of organizations are seeing the opportunity and the possibility to work not just with Copilot but other models. AVPT IR presentation And its product portfolio: AVPT IR presentation Strategic Positioning: The Trust Layer for AI Management noted that customer conversations have shifted from general AI productivity to enterprise trust, focusing on how to govern and operate AI safely at scale. This demand for AI-trust plays into the company's cards as it positions itself above the commoditized infrastructure layer (chips and hardware) and benea...
24K-Production Bakkt ( BKKT ) stock dropped 11% in Monday after-hours trading after the company's Q1 results sank from a year ago as the company executes on its strategy pivot to focus on stablecoin infrastructure. It started as a digital asset marketplace that spun off from Intercontinental Exchange ( ICE ) in 2021. Q1 GAAP EPS of -$0.41, missing the -$0.10 consensus, slumped from $1.13 in the ye...
24K-Production Bakkt ( BKKT ) stock dropped 11% in Monday after-hours trading after the company's Q1 results sank from a year ago as the company executes on its strategy pivot to focus on stablecoin infrastructure. It started as a digital asset marketplace that spun off from Intercontinental Exchange ( ICE ) in 2021. Q1 GAAP EPS of -$0.41, missing the -$0.10 consensus, slumped from $1.13 in the year-ago quarter. Q1 total revenue of $243.6M, trailing the $310.9M consensus, sank from $1.07B in Q1 2025. The majority of that figure is offset by corresponding crypto costs and execution, clearing, and brokerage fees, which together totaled $242.0M in the quarter, the company said. " This quarter marks the beginning of a new chapter for Bakkt, one defined by execution against what we believe is a generational opportunity," said CEO Akshay Naheta. "We believe stablecoin infrastructure represents one of the most significant structural transformations in global finance in decades, with an addressable market measured in the trillions." He added that the company's strategy is built on three growth engines: Bakkt Markets, Bakkt Agent, and Bakkt Global — "each positioned to capitalize on powerful secular tailwinds reshaping the future of financial services." Bakkt's cash and cash equivalents of $82.6M as of March 31, 2026, will be enough liquidity to execute across its three growth engines, the company said. The company completed its acquisition of Distributed Technologies Research on April 30, 2026, in an all-stock deal to integrate agentic AI and stablecoin infrastructure into Bakkt's ( BKKT ) platform. It also named Daniel Ishag as chief commercial officer to lead the rebuilding of Bakkt's commercial organization across Bakkt Markets and Bakkt Agent. Total operating expenses of $260.5M slid from $1.08B in the year-ago quarter, primarily reflecting lower crypto costs and execution, clearing, and brokerage fees in line with lower trading volumes. Q1 adjusted EBITDA of -$13.7M sl...
Bain Capital Specialty Finance press release ( BCSF ): Q1 net investment income per share of $0.42. For the three months ended March 31, 2026 and December 31, 2025, total investment income was $66.2 million and $68.2 million, respectively. Net investment income for the three months ended March 31, 2026 and December 31, 2025 was $27.4 million or $0.42 per share and $29.7 million or $0.46 per share,...
Bain Capital Specialty Finance press release ( BCSF ): Q1 net investment income per share of $0.42. For the three months ended March 31, 2026 and December 31, 2025, total investment income was $66.2 million and $68.2 million, respectively. Net investment income for the three months ended March 31, 2026 and December 31, 2025 was $27.4 million or $0.42 per share and $29.7 million or $0.46 per share, respectively. During the three months ended March 31, 2026, the Company had net realized and unrealized losses of $24.0 million. Net increase in net assets resulting from operations for the three months ended March 31, 2026 was $3.4 million, or $0.05 per share. More on Bain Capital Specialty Finance Bain Capital Specialty Finance: Deep Discount, Strong Returns Bain Capital Specialty Finance, Inc. (BCSF) Q4 2025 Earnings Call Transcript Bain Capital Specialty Finance, Inc. 2025 Q4 - Results - Earnings Call Presentation OpenAI enters talks with private equity firms to form enterprise AI joint venture: report Bain Capital Specialty Finance signals stable $0.42 dividend and highlights low 1.5% nonaccruals amid competitive middle market environment
Software development firm GitLab Inc. ( GTLB ) on Monday said it is restructuring its operations, which include workforce reductions, as the software company shifts toward a leaner organization and greater use of AI automation. Stock down -9% in after-market trading. The company said it plans to reduce the number of countries where it has small teams by up to 30%, flatten management structures, an...
Software development firm GitLab Inc. ( GTLB ) on Monday said it is restructuring its operations, which include workforce reductions, as the software company shifts toward a leaner organization and greater use of AI automation. Stock down -9% in after-market trading. The company said it plans to reduce the number of countries where it has small teams by up to 30%, flatten management structures, and reorganize its research and development operations into smaller teams. GitLab also said it is automating more internal processes using AI agents, which will lead to role reductions across the company. CEO Bill Staples said the changes are aimed at positioning GitLab for what it sees as a major shift in software development driven by AI. "We anticipate reinvesting the majority of savings into accelerating our progress against the specific growth and technological initiatives that we've outlined," Staples said. GitLab reaffirmed its FY2027 guidance and said first-quarter results are expected to be in line with prior forecasts. More on GitLab GitLab: Something Needs To Change GitLab: Finally Time For A Bullish Stance GitLab: Growth Is Slowing, But Cheap Enough To Keep Buying Twilio, GitLab in focus as BofA changes ratings ahead of earnings GitLab pops as it deepens AWS collaboration