{"id":3489091,"date":"2026-04-02T19:21:00","date_gmt":"2026-04-02T19:21:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/techingeek.com\/index.php\/2026\/04\/02\/openai-takes-over-tbpn-the-trendy-founder-driven-business-discussion-program\/"},"modified":"2026-04-02T19:21:00","modified_gmt":"2026-04-02T19:21:00","slug":"openai-takes-over-tbpn-the-trendy-founder-driven-business-discussion-program","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/techingeek.com\/index.php\/2026\/04\/02\/openai-takes-over-tbpn-the-trendy-founder-driven-business-discussion-program\/","title":{"rendered":"OpenAI takes over TBPN, the trendy founder-driven business discussion program"},"content":{"rendered":"
<\/div>\n

OpenAI has purchased the well-known tech talk show TBPN \u2014 Technology Business Programming Network \u2014 marking the AI powerhouse’s inaugural acquisition of a media entity. The show will report to OpenAI’s chief political strategist, Chris Lehane.<\/p>\n

TBPN, hosted by ex-tech entrepreneurs John Coogan and Jordi Hays, is a daily live program that broadcasts on YouTube and X for a duration of three hours, concentrating on technology, business, AI, and defense.<\/p>\n

The show has cultivated a devoted audience in Silicon Valley, serving as a safe haven where industry leaders can express themselves openly and engage with fellow insiders. It has earned a reputation akin to that of a Sports Center for the tech sector \u2014 a venue where prominent tech executives such as Mark Zuckerberg, Satya Nadella, Marc Benioff, and, indeed, Sam Altman, gather to discuss current events and occasionally break news of their own.<\/p>\n

TBPN will maintain its identity as an independent brand, which OpenAI intends to help expand. Not that it particularly required assistance in that regard; according to The Wall Street Journal, TBPN has evolved into a powerhouse anticipated to generate over $30 million this year.<\/p>\n

OpenAI already hosts its own podcast featuring extensive discussions with individuals involved in the company’s technology initiatives.<\/p>\n

OpenAI will also leverage the founders\u2019 impressive communication and marketing skills beyond the show, as noted by OpenAI\u2019s head of AGI deployment, Fidji Simo, who mentioned that TBPN will “bring AI to the world in a manner that aids people in grasping the full ramifications of this technology in their everyday lives.”<\/p>\n

Simo went so far as to say that TBPN\u2019s expertise is essential for an unconventional company like OpenAI where “the typical communication playbook simply does not apply.”<\/p>\n

\n
\n

Techcrunch event<\/p>\n

\n

\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tSan Francisco, CA<\/span>
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t|<\/span>
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tOctober 13-15, 2026<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

She stated that TBPN will enjoy editorial independence and continue to “manage their programming, select their guests, and make their own editorial choices.”<\/p>\n

Nonetheless, the acquisition may raise some concerns. After all, OpenAI is a high-value AI laboratory poised for an IPO acquiring a trendy talk show that frequently discusses the organization and its rivals. Once the deal is finalized, TBPN will function under OpenAI\u2019s strategy division and report to Chris Lehane, the architect of the term \u201cvast right-wing conspiracy\u201d employed to deflect media scrutiny from the Clinton administration.<\/p>\n

Lehane, known as a master of the “political dark arts,” is also behind the crypto industry super PAC Fairshake, which invested hundreds of millions to undermine anti-crypto candidates in the 2024 elections. He joined OpenAI that same year and has been advising President Trump since then, promoting sweeping and contentious policies like restricting states’ abilities to regulate AI and relaxing environmental regulations that could delay data center development.<\/p>\n

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, who mentioned in a social media update that TBPN is his favorite tech program, appears to believe that the acquisition will not alter TBPN\u2019s analysis and even critiques of the organization.<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t expect them to ease up on us; I\u2019m sure I\u2019ll play my part to facilitate that with occasional poor choices,\u201d he commented.<\/p>\n

TBPN, for its part, views the acquisition as an opportunity for more than mere commentary.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhile we\u2019ve been critical of the industry at times, after getting to know Sam and the OpenAI team, what stood out most was their openness to feedback and commitment to getting this right,\u201d Hays stated in a release. \u201cTransitioning from commentary to actual impact regarding how this technology is implemented and comprehended worldwide is incredibly significant to us.\u201d<\/p>\n

<\/h4>\n

\t\t\tHave a tip or documents about the AI sector? From a personal device, reach out to Rebecca Bellan confidentially at rebecca.bellan@techcrunch.com or Signal: rebeccabellan.491. \t\t<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

<\/div>\n

OpenAI has purchased the well-known tech talk show TBPN \u2014 Technology Business Programming Network \u2014 marking the AI powerhouse’s inaugural acquisition of a media entity. The show will report to OpenAI’s chief political strategist, Chris Lehane.<\/p>\n

TBPN, hosted by ex-tech entrepreneurs John Coogan and Jordi Hays, is a daily live program that broadcasts on YouTube and X for a duration of three hours, concentrating on technology, business, AI, and defense.<\/p>\n

The show has cultivated a devoted audience in Silicon Valley, serving as a safe haven where industry leaders can express themselves openly and engage with fellow insiders. It has earned a reputation akin to that of a Sports Center for the tech sector \u2014 a venue where prominent tech executives such as Mark Zuckerberg, Satya Nadella, Marc Benioff, and, indeed, Sam Altman, gather to discuss current events and occasionally break news of their own.<\/p>\n

TBPN will maintain its identity as an independent brand, which OpenAI intends to help expand. Not that it particularly required assistance in that regard; according to The Wall Street Journal, TBPN has evolved into a powerhouse anticipated to generate over $30 million this year.<\/p>\n

OpenAI already hosts its own podcast featuring extensive discussions with individuals involved in the company’s technology initiatives.<\/p>\n

OpenAI will also leverage the founders\u2019 impressive communication and marketing skills beyond the show, as noted by OpenAI\u2019s head of AGI deployment, Fidji Simo, who mentioned that TBPN will “bring AI to the world in a manner that aids people in grasping the full ramifications of this technology in their everyday lives.”<\/p>\n

Simo went so far as to say that TBPN\u2019s expertise is essential for an unconventional company like OpenAI where “the typical communication playbook simply does not apply.”<\/p>\n

\n
\n

Techcrunch event<\/p>\n

\n

\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tSan Francisco, CA<\/span>
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t|<\/span>
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tOctober 13-15, 2026<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

She stated that TBPN will enjoy editorial independence and continue to “manage their programming, select their guests, and make their own editorial choices.”<\/p>\n

Nonetheless, the acquisition may raise some concerns. After all, OpenAI is a high-value AI laboratory poised for an IPO acquiring a trendy talk show that frequently discusses the organization and its rivals. Once the deal is finalized, TBPN will function under OpenAI\u2019s strategy division and report to Chris Lehane, the architect of the term \u201cvast right-wing conspiracy\u201d employed to deflect media scrutiny from the Clinton administration.<\/p>\n

Lehane, known as a master of the “political dark arts,” is also behind the crypto industry super PAC Fairshake, which invested hundreds of millions to undermine anti-crypto candidates in the 2024 elections. He joined OpenAI that same year and has been advising President Trump since then, promoting sweeping and contentious policies like restricting states’ abilities to regulate AI and relaxing environmental regulations that could delay data center development.<\/p>\n

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, who mentioned in a social media update that TBPN is his favorite tech program, appears to believe that the acquisition will not alter TBPN\u2019s analysis and even critiques of the organization.<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t expect them to ease up on us; I\u2019m sure I\u2019ll play my part to facilitate that with occasional poor choices,\u201d he commented.<\/p>\n

TBPN, for its part, views the acquisition as an opportunity for more than mere commentary.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhile we\u2019ve been critical of the industry at times, after getting to know Sam and the OpenAI team, what stood out most was their openness to feedback and commitment to getting this right,\u201d Hays stated in a release. \u201cTransitioning from commentary to actual impact regarding how this technology is implemented and comprehended worldwide is incredibly significant to us.\u201d<\/p>\n

<\/h4>\n

\t\t\tHave a tip or documents about the AI sector? From a personal device, reach out to Rebecca Bellan confidentially at rebecca.bellan@techcrunch.com or Signal: rebeccabellan.491. \t\t<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":3489092,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"Default","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3489091","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/techingeek.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3489091"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/techingeek.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/techingeek.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/techingeek.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/techingeek.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3489091"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/techingeek.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3489091\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/techingeek.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3489092"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/techingeek.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3489091"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/techingeek.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3489091"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/techingeek.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3489091"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}