AI公司创始人现跑路迪拜！80%收入烧广告、假账骗投资人，微软都被坑：硅谷的第一个AI大泡沫出现了！

Core Viewpoint - Builder.ai, once a leading AI startup valued at $1.5 billion, has faced a dramatic downfall due to inflated sales figures and mounting debts, leading to its bankruptcy filing in Delaware [4][5][24]. Group 1: Company Background and Growth - Builder.ai was founded by Sachin Dev Duggal, who aimed to simplify software development for businesses without requiring programming skills [7]. - The company initially did not emphasize its AI capabilities, but after significant funding in 2018, it began to market itself as an AI-driven platform [7][8]. - The launch of ChatGPT in late 2022 catalyzed investor interest, resulting in a total investment of $450 million from various investors, including Qatar Investment Authority and SoftBank [9]. Group 2: Financial Mismanagement and Decline - The company's board discovered that Builder.ai's reported revenues were significantly exaggerated, with actual revenues for FY2023 being only $42 million against reported figures of $157 million [23]. - By 2024, the discrepancy widened further, with reported revenues of $217 million but actual revenues of just $51 million [23]. - The company faced severe cash flow issues, leading to unpaid debts of $85 million to Amazon and Microsoft [5][23]. Group 3: Marketing and Operational Strategies - Builder.ai spent approximately 80% of its revenue on marketing rather than product development, with promotional expenses reaching $42 million by 2024 [11][10]. - The company aimed to make software creation as easy as ordering food, promoting its AI project management tool "Natasha" at various tech conferences [12][10]. - Despite claims of AI capabilities, internal documents revealed that much of the work was performed by human contractors rather than AI technology [25][26]. Group 4: Legal and Ethical Concerns - Allegations surfaced regarding the company maintaining two sets of financial records, one for investors and another for internal use, raising concerns about transparency [17]. - Former executives compared Builder.ai to Theranos, suggesting it operated on misleading claims about its technology [17]. - The company's practices of underpaying contractors and misrepresenting its AI capabilities led to significant backlash from former employees [26][25].