$1B Rejected, $3B Won | Gulf Pivots From Premier League Takeovers | Adia Backs $6.5B AI Unicorn IPO episode artwork

EPISODE · Jan 1, 2026 · 4 MIN

$1B Rejected, $3B Won | Gulf Pivots From Premier League Takeovers | Adia Backs $6.5B AI Unicorn IPO

from The Smashi Business Show · host Augustus Media

What would you do if someone offered you $1 billion for your six-person startup? Jordanian-American founder Amjad Masad said no—and today, Replit is worth $3 billion. In this episode, we break down his gutsy decision and Marc Andreessen's game-changing advice. Plus: dealmaker Amanda Staveley reveals why Gulf sovereign funds won't be buying more Premier League clubs (and what they're doing instead), and Abu Dhabi Investment Authority places a $65M bet on Chinese AI startup MiniMax—despite it losing half a billion dollars a year. From billion-dollar rejections to shifting investment strategies, here's everything happening in Arab business and tech. Newsletter: aug.us/4jqModrWhatsApp: aug.us/40FdYLUInstagram: aug.us/4ihltzQTiktok: aug.us/4lnV0D8Smashi Business Show (Mon-Friday): aug.us/3BTU2MY

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$1B Rejected, $3B Won | Gulf Pivots From Premier League Takeovers | Adia Backs $6.5B AI Unicorn IPO

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