Defense officials Steve Feinberg, founder of Cerberus Capital Management, and Emil Michael, former Uber executive, were involved in a tense Pentagon meeting with Anthropic. On the morning of a meeting between Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei, a story was published about Pentagon’s tough contract negotiations with Anthropic, emphasizing the Pentagon’s “supply-chain risk” label if the company did not comply with acceptable use policy demands.
Axios reported that Hegseth brought senior Defense officials to demonstrate Pentagon’s seriousness. However, the backgrounds of attendees drew attention: Emil Michael, now Pentagon CTO, was previously known for involvement in Uber’s controversial “A-Team,” and Steve Feinberg, now Deputy Secretary, founded Cerberus and faced conflict of interest concerns regarding defense investments.
Feinberg and Michael’s presence highlights the private sector’s aggressive mindset in government negotiations. The “single-supplier vulnerability” issue has become crucial for maintaining contracts with two AI labs for security compliance. However, only Anthropic was cleared for classified use, forcing the Pentagon to consider less ideal options, like xAI’s Grok.
In related tech and political dynamics, concerns arose with Coinbase’s role in Clarity Act negotiations and its connections to Trump, despite commentary from figures like Laura Loomer. In another business twist, AJ Scaramucci, son of Anthony Scaramucci, set a record with his purchase of a Pokémon card, intending to enshrine it as an iconic piece in a treasure hunt.
In legal matters, courts assert that sharing correspondence on public AI platforms voids attorney-client privilege. As discussions continue, stakeholders prepare for upcoming events and political dynamics.