The kids ‘picked last in gym class’ gear up for Super Bowl
Source: TechCrunch
Super Bowl in Silicon Valley
The Super Bowl is happening in Silicon Valley this Sunday, and the Patriots‑Seahawks game at Levi’s Stadium is set to be packed with tech money. YouTube CEO Neal Mohan is expected to attend, as is Apple’s Tim Cook, who has become a Super Bowl fixture since Apple Music began sponsoring the halftime show several years ago.
Longtime VC Venky Ganesan of Menlo Ventures told the New York Times that the Bay Area Super Bowl is “tech billionaires who got picked last in gym class paying $50,000 to pretend they’re friends with the guys who got picked first.” He added, “And for the record, I, too, was picked last in gym class.”
Ticket Prices
- Average ticket price: ≈ $7,000 (according to the Times).
- Last‑minute seats on StubHub can be found for ≈ $3,600.
- Only a quarter of tickets go to the general public; the rest are allocated to NFL teams.
- The largest buyer group (27 %) is from Washington State, supporting the Seahawks, who have won one Super Bowl compared with the Patriots’ six titles (all with Tom Brady at quarterback).
Tech Companies and Their CEOs
- Google – CEO likely to appear.
- OpenAI – CEO likely to appear.
- Anthropic – CEO likely to appear.
- Amazon – CEO Andy Jassy (splits time between Seattle and Santa Monica).
- Meta – CEO likely to appear.
These companies are splashing out on competing ads about whose AI is best for customers, so their CEOs may show up at the game. Most have homes within an hour of the stadium.
Menlo Ventures and Anthropic
Menlo Ventures has been heavily investing in AI:
- In summer 2024, Menlo set up a $100 million fund with Anthropic to invest in other AI startups.
- The firm has participated in numerous funding rounds for Anthropic itself, both through its flagship fund and special‑purpose vehicles.
- Anthropic is reportedly expected to close a $20 billion round of funding next week at a post‑money valuation of $350 billion (see the Yahoo Finance article).
Bay Area Super Bowl History
- 1985 – Stanford Stadium (Stanford University): 49ers defeated the Dolphins.
- 2016 – Levi’s Stadium: Broncos defeated the Panthers.
- 2026 – This upcoming game marks the third time the Bay Area hosts the Super Bowl.