That's what happens when people abuse a public good.

Spotify paid out ten billion dollars to artists in 2024. This is not small potatoes - total 2024 music industry merchandise sales was around $14b.

These big platform payouts matter a lot.

Correction: to record labels.

When you read artists' blog posts you can see they get peanuts. Not due to Spotify - due to the recording deals.

If you want an exhaustive but eye-opening account of all of the details, I recommend "All you need to know about the music business" by Don Passman.

This is the artists fault for signing with the labels. The labels own their music, of course they get the payment.

Whenever an actual artist reveals their earnings, it’s absolutely pitiful.

A quick search suggests a very steep drop off from the top earners.

‘At 100 million streams, artists can earn approximately $300,000-$500,000 in gross royalties. However, the actual amount reaching the artist varies dramatically based on their contracts. Major label artists receive $90,000-$150,000 after the label’s cut, while independent artists could keep $255,000-$425,000 after distributor fees.’ https://rebelmusicz.com/how-much-do-artists-make-on-spotify/

And the subsequent PSOE admins show precisely why Spain had to be a dictatorship.

Gentle reminder that we have a gag law that subtly undermines the right to strike as well as give full and total power to police to do whatever they want if they deem your actions a "disrespect" or "disobedience" without giving explanation to anyone.

This has gotta be the dumbest issue in politics today. By far, the biggest use of data centers right now is on streaming Netflix and YouTube and stuff, but you don't see any protests about that.

I thought it was going to be an essay on the hero archetype from Earendil to Mario lol.

I thought it would be a team-up between two. Presumably the elf would help fight turtles and donkey kong, since what good is a plumber in a world without plumbing?

This doesn't seem like someone who's miserable at all to me. They seem like someone who has a wide variety of hobbies and is and is intellectually interested in futurism

Yeah, I have an half baked thought about billionaires like this that they truly want the best for this world even if they have to seek it by immoral means.

Paul made a statement today: https://x.com/paulg/status/2041363640499200353?s=20

It clarifies he did not fire Sam

I overall agree with your takeaway, but this is not a criticism of the article itself.

Paul answers that here: https://x.com/paulg/status/2041363640499200353?s=20

This is PG's response about Sam leaving YC. It says nothing about the original motivation of offering him the position at YC.

The other explanation besides profit is that they're true believers that democratic militaries should be stronger than the military of dictators around the world, including AI capabilities.

I appreciate your point about this. At the same time AI doesn't discriminate. Its going to help the democratic and the facist altogether.