Sou Hu Cai Jing·2026-01-12 05:02Group 1: Microsoft - Microsoft plans to initiate a new round of layoffs in January 2026, with an estimated scale of 11,000 to 22,000 employees, accounting for approximately 5% to 10% of its total workforce. The layoffs will primarily focus on the Azure cloud team, Xbox gaming division, and global sales department [4]. Group 2: JD.com - JD.com has established a "Chameleon Business Unit" to fully undertake the development and commercialization of core AI products such as JoyAI App and JoyInside. This initiative aims to accelerate the commercialization of AI technology and enhance the integration of technology, products, market, and sales resources [5]. Group 3: Apple - Apple is accelerating the selection process for a successor to CEO Tim Cook, who is expected to step down this year. John Ternus, Senior Vice President of Hardware Engineering, is currently the leading candidate for the position [6]. - Tim Cook's total compensation for 2025 is reported to be $74.2948 million, a slight decrease of 0.4% from 2024. The compensation structure includes a $3 million base salary, $57.5 million in stock awards, and $12 million in performance cash bonuses [7]. Group 4: NVIDIA - NVIDIA has hired Alison Wagonfeld, a former Google Cloud executive, as Chief Marketing Officer, indicating the company's intent to enhance its brand influence [8]. Group 5: Samsung Electronics - Samsung Electronics announced a stock buyback worth 250 billion KRW (approximately $1.73 billion) to be used for employee and management compensation, with the buyback period set from January 8 to April 7 [11]. Group 6: LG Electronics - LG Electronics reported an operating loss of 109.4 billion KRW for Q4 2025, marking the first quarterly operating loss in nine years, despite achieving a record annual sales figure of 89.2025 trillion KRW [12]. Group 7: Naver - Naver has established South Korea's largest AI computing cluster, deploying 4,000 next-generation NVIDIA GPUs, which is expected to enhance the speed of AI model development by approximately 12 times [13]. Group 8: Meta - Meta has shut down nearly 550,000 accounts in Australia to comply with a ban on social media use by minors, including approximately 330,000 Instagram accounts and 173,000 Facebook accounts [18]. Group 9: Global Startup Investment - Investment in global startups is highly concentrated in U.S. AI companies, accounting for 40% of total investment, with a projected increase in this trend through 2026. In 2025, global startup investment grew by 31% year-on-year, reaching $512.6 billion, with U.S. AI companies attracting about $220 billion [19].