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Daily Tech News Roundup - 2026-01-04

1. Tech billionaires cashed out $16 billion in 2025 as stocks soared
Source: https://techcrunch.com/2026/01/03/tech-billionaires-cashed-out-16-billion-in-2025-as-stocks-soared/
Summary: Jeff Bezos led the way. The Amazon founder sold 25 million shares for $5.7 billion in June and July, right around the time he was getting hitched to Lauren Sanchez in Venice.

2. Surprise, surprise: Silksong wins Steam’s Game of the Year
Source: https://www.theverge.com/games/853786/hollow-knight-silksong-steamawards-game-of-the-year
Summary: Valve has announced the winners of the 2025 Steam Awards and, unsurprisingly, Hollow Knight: Silksong, took home the Game of the Year honors. It was also given the "Best Game You Suck At" award, which, I'm not sure if that's a good thing or not. Given the relentless fawning over Silksong since its release in […]

3. California residents can use new tool to demand brokers delete their personal data
Source: https://techcrunch.com/2026/01/03/california-residents-can-use-new-tool-to-demand-brokers-delete-their-personal-data/
Summary: A new tool should make it easier for California residents to limit data brokers’ ability to store and sell their personal information.

4. Someone made a ton of money betting on Maduro’s capture
Source: https://www.theverge.com/news/853765/someone-made-a-ton-of-money-betting-on-maduros-capture
Summary: Shortly before the US military launched an attack on Venezuela and captured President Nicolás Maduro, an account on Polymarket made some very suspiciously timed investments. The prediction market had been running bets on when or if Maduro would be removed from power, with prices for "out by January 31, 2026" as low as $0.07 late […]

5. Bitfinex hacker Ilya Lichtenstein credits Trump for early release from prison
Source: https://techcrunch.com/2026/01/03/bitfinex-hacker-ilya-lichtenstein-credits-trump-for-early-release-from-prison/
Summary: Ilya Lichtenstein, who pled guilty to money laundering charges tied to his role in the massive hack of crypto exchange Bitfinex, has apparently been released early from prison.

6. Meta’s Quest 3S is still $50 off and comes with a $50 gift card
Source: https://www.theverge.com/gadgets/853151/meta-quest-3s-apple-airtag-steam-winter-sale-deal
Summary: We posted a couple of times about Meta’s Quest 3S during the holidays. The virtual reality headset that typically sold for $299.99 was — and still is — available for $249.99. Better yet, you can get in on a promotion at Amazon that includes a $50 digital account credit with purchase. You can find a […]

7. I went to the Stranger Things finale in theaters and the strangest thing happened
Source: https://www.theverge.com/streaming/853133/stranger-things-finale-theater-scene-report
Summary: The parking lot was packed. That's the first Strange Thing. A little background. Just about every mall is struggling now, but the Neshaminy Mall in Bensalem, Pennsylvania is more or less comatose. As Defector's Dan McQuade, a lifelong Pennsylvanian and mall fan, wrote in his fond remembrance of the shopping center, the once bustling complex […]

8. This smart home controller is literally a piece of wood
Source: https://www.theverge.com/tech/852598/mui-board-smart-home-controller-matter
Summary: One of the fun parts of being a tech journalist for over a decade is that occasionally you get to watch a truly unique gadget go from concept to reality - and, eventually, into your living room. That's the case with the Mui Board, a smart home controller built into a piece of wood. The […]

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