10 things in tech you need to know today

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1. Stripe is worth $95 billion. The online payments firm has raised a $600 million round that makes it Silicon Valley’s most valuable private firm. We spoke to CFO Dhivya Suryadevara about its growth.

2. Facebook created a playbook for employees to defend the company. BuzzFeed reported on an internal meeting, where Facebook execs said the firm wasn’t to blame for political polarization.

3. This is how Mark Zuckerberg’s banker built Iconiq, a secret Silicon Valley empire. Divesh Makan spent a decade building ultra-secretive wealth-management firm Iconiq Capital, which caters to technology-industry elite – and is now quietly recruiting A-list celebrities. Everything you need to know about the firm so selective it turned Kanye West away.

4. The identity of who bought Beeple’s $69-million NFT has been revealed. The mysterious founder of an NFT fund, who goes by the pseudonym Metakovan, bought the piece. Here’s why he believes the multimillion-dollar JPG file is so valuable.

5. Uber and Lyft will share data on drivers who have been banned for sexual or physical assault. The ride-hailing companies revealed other delivery companies will join the program, too. Here’s how it will work.

6. Bernie Sanders is taking on Jeff Bezos – again. This time, the senator wants him to testify before the Senate about Amazon’s reported attempts to stifle an Alabama union vote. Here’s what we know so far.

7. Google accused Microsoft of diverting attention away from the hack on Exchange servers. Microsoft president Brad Smith took aim at Google ahead of a House hearing on antitrust – prompting Google to call it an unfair attack. Get the full rundown.

8. Facebook’s diversity chief says it’s time to take action to confront violence against Asian Americans. In an opinion article for Insider, Maxine Williams called for building a coalition to “advance truly equal justice and inclusive solutions.”

9. Apple could build a car the same way it manufactures the iPhone. We spoke with a handful of experts who explained why the upsides outweigh the risks – as long as Apple finds the right partner. Here’s what the experts told us.

10. Jeff Bezos’ resignation comes on the heels of years of planning his succession. Insiders told us the Amazon CEO had a detailed plan to relinquish his title, which included leadership matrix charts and a “hit by a bus” plan. An exclusive look at how the company plans to transition to a post-Bezos era.

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Compiled by Jordan Erb. Tips/comments? Email jerb@insider.com or tweet @JordanParkerErb.

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