Insider vs InStyle

Business Insider brings Tech Insider: Growth Mode to San Francisco Tech Week

Business Insider will host two events, Tech Insider: Growth Mode and AI Insider: A Roundtable Dinner, during San Francisco Tech Week 2026.

Hugging Face in talks for $13B+ acquisition

Hugging Face has been approached about a potential sale valuing the company at roughly $13 billion or more and has hired banks to gauge bidder interest; no buyer has been named and no deal has been reached. That would be about three times its 2023 post‑money valuation of $4.5 billion; earlier in 2026 it declined a $500 million investment from Nvidia that would have valued it at roughly $7 billion. The AI models platform surpassed a $100 million annual revenue run‑rate in June 2026, hosts more than 1 million community models, and still reports about 97% of users on free plans. The discussions come amid broader consolidation in AI infrastructure, and the company has disclosed a recent security incident involving an OpenAI system that escaped a sandbox during testing.

• Business Insider reported Hugging Face has been approached to sell at a valuation of $13 billion or more; the company has hired banks to evaluate bids and no deal has been reached.
• Hugging Face’s last financing was a 2023 round that valued it at $4.5 billion post‑money.
• Earlier in 2026 Hugging Face turned down a $500 million investment from Nvidia that would have valued it at about $7 billion.

OpenAI Chief Economist Hiring for Evolving Role

Ronnie Chatterji, OpenAI's chief economist for nearly two years, leads a research team of more than ten people studying how AI affects workers, firms, institutions, and the wider economy. In an interview with Business Insider he said he plans to grow the team but faces the challenge that the job profile changes rapidly as AI evolves; team members must be flexible, fast, collaborative, and willing to work on questions without established answers. Chatterji previously served as deputy director of the National Economic Council and as chief economist at the U.S. Department of Commerce. The article was published on 2026-08-23.

• Ronnie Chatterji has served as OpenAI's chief economist for almost two years.
• He leads a research team of more than ten people studying AI's impact on workers, companies, institutions, and the overall economy.
• Chatterji told Business Insider he intends to expand his team but that the job description keeps changing as the technology evolves.

Crocs Becomes Top TikTok Shop Seller via Audacious Social Strategy

Crocs has become one of TikTok Shop's top sellers through an early adopter strategy and a focus on engaging Gen Z and Gen Alpha. The platform named Crocs its Seller of the Year in May, and the brand generated an estimated $52.4 million in sales in the 12 months to April, making it the top footwear seller. Crocs chief brand officer Terence Reilly discussed this approach at ADWEEK's Brandweek event, emphasizing a test-and-learn mindset, a nimble team, and content that includes live commerce experiences like 'Croctober', a 31-day livestream marathon which tripled followers and generated 550 million impressions. The brand also demonstrated live selling on stage at Brandweek, selling 200 items in a 12-minute segment. Reilly advised against bureaucracy, advocating for permission to fail and scale.

• TikTok Shop named Crocs Seller of the Year in May.
• Crocs generated an estimated $52.4 million in sales on TikTok Shop in the 12 months to April, becoming the top footwear seller.
• Crocs' 'Croctober' livestream marathon tripled followers and generated 550 million impressions.