What is Yuri Milner thinking? That’s the question I posed last week to Milner’s spokesman, after Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine, and then again on Monday, after Western governments responded with crippling sanctions. Milner, after all, is easily among Silicon Valley’s most prominent Russians, having made billions of dollars as the force behind DST Global, the venture firm that placed historic bets on Facebook and Twitter, among other Bay Area landmarks. But it was Milner’s embattled friends that put him on my mind: The Russian provenance of DST’s early capital was supplied in large part by Alisher Usmanov, a Russian oligarch who made his fortune in metal and mining before teaming up with Milner in 2008.
Try Puck for free
Sign up today to join the inside conversation at the nexus of Wall Street, Washington, A.I., Hollywood, and more.
Already a member? Log In
- Daily articles and breaking news
- Personal emails directly from our authors
- Gift subscriber-only stories to friends & family
- Unlimited access to archives
- Exclusive bonus days of select newsletters
- Exclusive access to Puck merch
- Early bird access to new editorial and product features
- Invitations to private conference calls with Puck authors
Exclusive to Inner Circle only
Latest Articles from A.I.
Allbirds’ A.I. Pivot Is Not a Joke
The Bores Identity
The Ex-Pixar Producer Who’s All In on A.I.
The A.I. Socialist Manifesto
The Brain Trust
The Optimist’s Case for A.I.
The Great A.I. PAC Crackup
Get access to this story
Enter your email for a free preview of Puck’s full offering, including exclusive articles, private emails from authors, and more.
Latest Articles from A.I.
Harvard’s A.I. Gut Check
The First A.I. Candidate
Has Google Already Won the A.I. Race?
The $2B Mira Murati Mystery
The Trump-Xi A.I. Rain Dance
Hey Grok, Is Elon Giving Up on A.I.?
Trump’s Mythos Panic Attack
You have 1 free article Left
To read this full story and more, start your 14 day free trial today →
Already a member? Log In
Get access to this story
Enter your email to get access to one article and free previews of our private emails from Puck authors and editors.
Already a Member? Sign in
Latest Articles from A.I.
The Last A.I. Chopper Out of Saigon?
What If Elon Wins the OpenAI Trial?
Hollywood’s A.I.-Infringement Terminator
Love It or Lehane It
A.I.’s X-Ray Vision
The Data Center Debate Cannot Hold