The US loses tech hires, sayonora to Sora, and Afroman's win

March 27, 2026

AI Summary

5 min read

This episode of Indicators of the Week from Planet Money covers three distinct developments: a shift in global tech talent flows favoring Europe over the US, OpenAI's abrupt shutdown of its AI video app Sora after six months, and rapper Afroman's courtroom victory against police in a defamation suit.

Europe Nets Tech Workers from the US

Europe gained a net 112 tech workers from the US in a recent period, according to Revelio Labs in collaboration with The Economist. This marks a reversal from the historical dominance of Silicon Valley, home to 56 of the world's 100 most valuable tech companies compared to Europe's six. Factors include Europe's fragmented markets across countries with varying languages and laws, plus stricter regulations like the EU's GDPR, which studies link to reduced innovation. Tax rules have also hindered European startups from offering Silicon Valley-style stock options to employees.

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What you'll learn

1 (00:00) **Podcast Intro** - Hosts Waylon Wong, Darien Woods, and Mary Childs kick off Indicators of the Week.
2 (00:41) **Episode Topics Preview** - US loses edge in European tech hires, Sora AI app shutdown, Afroman legal victory.
3 (01:01) **Darien's Indicator: 112** - Europe nets 112 tech workers from US per Revelio Labs and Economist data.
4 (01:52) **EU Regulations Weigh Down US Appeal** - Strict GDPR curbs innovation; past tax rules limited stock options.
5 (02:25) **Factors Boosting European Tech** - New favorable stock taxes, government backing for local firms like UtilSAT, US immigration curbs.
6 (03:08) **Waylon's Indicator: 6 Months** - OpenAI releases Sora AI video app in Sep 2025, shuts it down this week.
7 (04:18) **Sora-Disney Deal Collapses** - Ends $1B investment and licensing for Marvel/Star Wars characters on Disney+.

+ Full timestamped outline available in the app

Show Notes

It’s Indicators of the Week (now on YouTube!). It’s our weekly look at some of the most fascinating economic numbers from the news.

On today’s episode: The US ain’t doing too hot in attracting European tech workers; OpenAI takes its video generator Sora behind the barn; and a rapper, pound cake, and the police.

Related episodes:
OpenAI's deals are looking a little frothy
We're about to lose a lot of foreign STEM workers
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