China Kills Meta / Manus Deal (Story Of The Year) E2281

This Week In Startups is made possible by: IM8 Health - IM8health.com/twist Sentry - Sentry.io/twist Deel - Deel.com/twist Plaud - What’s the technology story of the year? No, it’s not Anthropic’s Mythos model, nor any other AI model. Upcoming IPOs? Wrong again. Jason thinks it’s China’s government’s decision to block Meta's acquisition of Manus. The multi-billion-dollar deal was heralded as evidence that AI companies founded in China could sidestep onerous government meddling by moving their operations to Singapore. That loophole now appears closed. Jason and Lon then dug into the newly-reforged OpenAI-Microsoft partnership. The two companies have had a mutually beneficial, if fractious, operating relationship to date; that they had to rework their agreement is not a shock. Then, your hosts watched and digested a video from China purportedly showing a self-driving car hitting a child at speed. What would happen in the United States if such a tragedy struck? And is that fait accompli? Closing the show, Jason and Lon reacted to the latest Russell Brand implosion, discussed Lon’s new favorite show ‘Criminal Record,’ and shared recommended foot pedals (for AI dictation) and headphones for the road warriors tuning in. Key Links: OpenAI and Microsoft OpenAI’s announcement of its new Microsoft deal Microsoft’s announcement of its new OpenAI deal OpenAI announces its deal with AWS News that Microsoft was considering legal action against OpenAI Microsoft-OpenAI negotiations late 2025 edition , and terms announced in early 2026 Amazon announces that OpenAI models are coming to AWS Timestamps: 0:00 Show starts 1:24 OpenAI and Microsoft have a new deal 3:22 Why would Microsoft cede exclusive access to OpenAI models? 5:36 Plaud: If your work depends on conversations — interviews, meetings, calls — you need a Plaud NotePin. You can check it out at and use code TWIST for 10% off! 8:09 Why Jason thinks Microsoft and Apple should work together on AI 9:45 China will block the Meta-Manus deal 12:12 Deel - Founders scale faster on Deel. Set up payroll for any country in minutes, hire anyone anywhere, get visas handled fast, and get back to building. Visit to learn more. 12:23 Golden Shares and what they provide 14:57 How do you unravel a multi-billion-dollar deal? 22:08 Sentry - New users can get $240 in free credits when they go to and use the code TWIST 24:42 The Huawei ADC crash 29:49 What happens when something similar happens in the United States? 31:55 IM8 Health: Start feeling like your best self every day. Go to and use the code TWiST to get a free welcome kit, five free travel sachets, and 10% off your order. 36:15 Russell Brand's public humiliation 41:22 Don't trust palm reading! 43:59 Lon's Off Duty streaming pick: Criminal Record 46:25 Jason's Pick: Which foot pedal for AI dictation is right for you? 48:43 Jason's Pick: In the market for new headphones?

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China Kills Meta / Manus Deal (Story Of The Year) E2281 is an episode from This Week in Startups by Jason Calacanis.

This episode is 00:53:03 long.

This episode was published on Apr 28, 2026.

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