The Atlantic's Nick Thompson: Unpacking 2024 Big Tech trends | Rapid Response
About Nicholas
- CEO of The Atlantic since 2021, leading record subscriber growth and profitability
- Guided The Atlantic to 3 Pulitzer Prizes, 3 National Magazine Awards (2021–2026)
- Former WIRED editor-in-chief; built successful digital revenue streams and new business models
- Co-founder of The Atavist (sold to WordPress) and Speakeasy.ai (sold to Amplica Labs)
- Author of acclaimed memoir 'The Running Ground' and 'The Hawk and the Dove'
- Life member, Council on Foreign Relations; board, Nat’l Committee on American Foreign Policy
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This has been a defining year for Big Tech and media. Nick Thompson, CEO of The Atlantic, joins Rapid Response host Bob Safian to explore the dominance of companies like NVIDIA and Apple, the personalities shaping tech — from Sam Altman to Elon Musk — and the shifting landscape of AI and innovation. Nick also shares what it’s like to lead The Atlantic during a time of heightened media disruption and skepticism.
Chapters
00:00 Introducing Nick Thompson
01:01 The evolution of Big Tech’s trillion-dollar club
02:41 Nvidia’s strategic importance and challenges
05:26 The sustainable lead of OpenAI
08:47 Idealism versus profit in Silicon Valley
11:26 Mark Zuckerberg’s resilience and long-term vision
13:35 Elon Musk’s unexpected paths
15:01 Apple’s future amid challenges and opportunities
16:15 The complexities of regulating TikTok
18:13 Navigating media trust and business sustainability at The Atlantic
21:29 Inside The Atlantic’s partnership with OpenAI
24:29 What is success for The Atlantic today?
25:35 How Nick Thompson tracks his goals each year
26:35 What’s at stake for The Atlantic in 2025?
