• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia

Trendingnow

1

MacKenzie Scott alone accounted for one-third of America's $19.2 billion in megagifts last year

2

Philanthropy leader at Warren Buffett and Bill Gates’ Giving Pledge says children of billionaires are pushing them to give their wealth away faster

3

Now worth $200 million, Sarah Jessica Parker credits being ‘one of eight kids that struggled financially’ for her hunger, ambition, and work ethic

1

MacKenzie Scott alone accounted for one-third of America's $19.2 billion in megagifts last year

2

Philanthropy leader at Warren Buffett and Bill Gates’ Giving Pledge says children of billionaires are pushing them to give their wealth away faster

3

Now worth $200 million, Sarah Jessica Parker credits being ‘one of eight kids that struggled financially’ for her hunger, ambition, and work ethic
TechData Sheet

Data Sheet—Why It Makes Sense To Charge for Online News

By
Aaron Pressman
Aaron Pressman
and
Adam Lashinsky
Adam Lashinsky
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Aaron Pressman
Aaron Pressman
and
Adam Lashinsky
Adam Lashinsky
Down Arrow Button Icon
May 14, 2019, 7:59 AM ET
John Ridding At The Cambridge Union
CAMBRIDGE, CAMBRIDGESHIRE - OCTOBER 30: John Ridding, CEO of the Financial Times speaks at The Cambridge Union on October 30, 2018 in Cambridge, Cambridgeshire. (Photo by Alisa Molotova/Getty Images) Alisa Molotova—Getty Images
Add Fortune on Google for similar content.

This is the web version of Data Sheet, Fortune’s daily newsletter on the top tech news. To get it delivered daily to your in-box, sign up here.

I have more than a passing interest in legacy brands defending their turfs against digital upstarts. With that in mind, I met last week in San Francisco with John Ridding, CEO of the Financial Times Group, publisher of the storied British newspaper that’s now owned by the Japanese financial news organization Nikkei.

Ridding has presided over a daring and successful turnaround at the FT. It was the first big paper to institute a paywall, in 2002, though Ridding doesn’t like the word. “I always objected to that term,” he says, fit and casual in the lounge of an upscale San Francisco hotel. “When you buy a car you don’t run into paywall.”

Quite right. The FT was a lonely voice that had the audacity to charge its readers for its high-quality work. Now The New York Times, Washington Post, and The Wall Street Journal are soaring on subscription revenues—and a Trump bump that benefits the FT as well. Ridding is in a celebratory mood because the FT recently crossed a million paying subscribers. He says three-fourths of the company’s revenues are now from digital subs and a similar percentage are from outside the U.K., a complete reversal from the decade-plus-ago situation.

Ridding, whose own journalists successfully objected to his compensation package, has every right to gloat about the FT’s strategy. “A lot of news organizations have been making a lot of bad strategic decisions,” he says. “To try to win the scale war was always going to be self-defeating.” Quite right again.

***

While composing my Monday screed about Facebook spokesman Nick Clegg’s argument for why Facebook shouldn’t be broken up, I wrote a snarky line about the Brit having become an expert on U.S. antitrust law history. Believe it or not, I often self-edit out my snark, and I’m glad I removed that line because it turns out I’m not much of an expert on recent British political history. Clegg exited the U.K. governing coalition when David Cameron’s Conservative party was re-elected in 2015 without the help of Clegg’s pro-Europe Liberal Democrats. Therefore Clegg bears no responsibility for Brexit. I regret the error and appreciate those who called me on it.

***

It is tough to value an unprofitable company that faces brutal completion and has no discernible prospects of becoming profitable. With Monday’s 11% stock-price slide, Uber is now worth a bit over $60 billion, or half what its bankers once whispered it would fetch in the public markets. It’s a strange state of affair when a “failed” IPO raises $8 billion. It’s also tough to separate Uber’s Monday slide with the market’s, itself a victim of a tweet-and tariff-happy president who may not be the shrewd dealmaker he promised his voters.

Adam Lashinsky
@adamlashinsky
adam_lashinsky@fortune.com

NEWSWORTHY

Duck and cover. Tough day in the markets for Apple shareholders on Monday. The Supreme Court said a lawsuit against Apple over alleged monopolization of the iTunes app store could go forward. And the worsening trade war could hit the iPhone and other Apple devices made in China. Apple's shares dropped 6%, marking a 14% loss this month so far.

An honest day's wage. The current $15 an hour minimum wage paid by Facebook to its contract workers is going up. The workers, who do everything from moderate content to drive buses, will get a minimum wage of $20 an hour in the Bay Area, New York City, and Washington, and $18 an hour in Seattle.

Too many secrets. After a U.S. national security panel objected to China's Beijing Kunlun Tech owning gay dating app Grindr, the Chinese company must sell the app by June 2020.

Twice the view. Forget folding phone screens. Lenovo showed off a prototype on Monday of a laptop with a folding screen. The folding Thinkpad isn't expected to go on sale until next year, however.

ON THE MOVE

At cybersecurity firm Symantec, director Richard Hill was named interim CEO after CEO Greg Clark stepped down to care for his ailing father. Hill is the former CEO of Novellus Systems. The company also named Vincent Pilette as CFO. He joins from Logitech, where he was CFO, and replaced Nicholas Noviello, who left in January...Docker CEO Steve Singh is leaving after two years on the job and will be replaced by former Hortonworks CEO Rob Bearden, who lost his previous gig when his company was bought by Cloudera last year.

FOOD FOR THOUGHT

The percentage of meals prepared outside the home has risen from under 10% decades ago to around 30% currently. But blogger and VC Alex Danco foresees a future where the combination of delivery apps and services drive the out-of-home side well above 50%. Already, a new crop of restaurants is springing up that only offer delivery.

Flexible, modular kitchens that are available for rent for any chef who wants to cook in it, and that have easy access to delivery cars and which pay for no front-of-house extras seem pretty obviously like the next iteration of back-end Cooking as a Service, and I wouldn’t be at all surprised to see them pop up everywhere soon enough. If they can collectively bring down the cost of outsourced cooking another 20-30%, I think the economics start looking pretty compelling for outsourced cooking (including delivery) to effectively pay for itself out of the savings incurred by paying for ingredients and cooking equipment in bulk. At that point, kitchens start to truly become optional.

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT

Bitcoin Comes to Whole Foods, Major Retailers in Coup for Digital Currency By Jeff John Roberts

While Uber's IPO Slumped, Big Banks Took Home $106 Million In Fees By Lucinda Shen

Why Apple, Tesla, and Intel Are Helpless in the U.S.-China Trade War By Don Reisinger

American Shipping Is Dying. But We Can Bring It Back By Scott Borgerson

Meet Georgios Papanikolaou: Pap Smear Inventor Honored With Google Doodle By Chris Morris

BEFORE YOU GO

It's been a long time since my kids watched the PBS series Arthur, but we still have fond memories of Arthur and Buster and all the other friendly animal kids. On this week's premiere of the show's 22nd season, however, the writers went in a new direction, presenting the same sex wedding of the kids' third grade teacher, Mr. Ratburn. Very sweet.

This edition of Data Sheet was curated by Aaron Pressman. Find past issues, and sign up for other Fortune newsletters.

About the Authors
By Aaron Pressman
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon
By Adam Lashinsky
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon
Add Fortune on Google for similar content.

Latest in Tech

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • World's Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
  • Lists Calendar
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon

Latest in Tech

Australia to strengthen enforcement of under-16 social media ban
PoliticsSocial Media
Australia to strengthen enforcement of under-16 social media ban
By Ainslie Chandler and BloombergJune 27, 2026
3 hours ago
Apple seeks U.S. approval to buy chips from blacklisted CXMT: FT
Big TechChips
Apple seeks U.S. approval to buy chips from blacklisted CXMT: FT
By Angela Cullen and BloombergJune 27, 2026
3 hours ago
SpaceX, Charter discussed mobile phone partnership in U.S.
North Americaspace
SpaceX, Charter discussed mobile phone partnership in U.S.
By Kelcee Griffis and BloombergJune 27, 2026
4 hours ago
Anthropic’s Mythos 5 AI model cleared by U.S. for wider use
AIAnthropic
Anthropic’s Mythos 5 AI model cleared by U.S. for wider use
By Josh Wingrove, Rachel Metz and BloombergJune 27, 2026
4 hours ago
erik
AIJobs
‘It’s not going away’: The Stanford economist who called the AI entry-level jobs crisis early has the receipts
By Nick LichtenbergJune 27, 2026
4 hours ago
Robert Shiller, professor of economics at Yale University
AIEconomics
Nobel laureate economist warns AI jobs apocalypse fears could become a self-fulfilling prophesy
By Eva RoytburgJune 27, 2026
6 hours ago

Most Popular

MacKenzie Scott alone accounted for one-third of America's $19.2 billion in megagifts last year
Success
MacKenzie Scott alone accounted for one-third of America's $19.2 billion in megagifts last year
By Sydney LakeJune 25, 2026
2 days ago
Philanthropy leader at Warren Buffett and Bill Gates’ Giving Pledge says children of billionaires are pushing them to give their wealth away faster
Success
Philanthropy leader at Warren Buffett and Bill Gates’ Giving Pledge says children of billionaires are pushing them to give their wealth away faster
By Preston ForeJune 27, 2026
8 hours ago
Now worth $200 million, Sarah Jessica Parker credits being ‘one of eight kids that struggled financially’ for her hunger, ambition, and work ethic
Success
Now worth $200 million, Sarah Jessica Parker credits being ‘one of eight kids that struggled financially’ for her hunger, ambition, and work ethic
By Orianna Rosa RoyleJune 24, 2026
3 days ago
The bond market knows something about the $39 trillion national debt that Washington doesn’t
Economy
The bond market knows something about the $39 trillion national debt that Washington doesn’t
By Eva RoytburgJune 25, 2026
2 days ago
Current price of oil as of June 26, 2026
Personal Finance
Current price of oil as of June 26, 2026
By Joseph HostetlerJune 26, 2026
1 day ago
Leon Black says Epstein's network included Elon Musk, Sergey Brin and Peter Thiel, while saying 'I knew Jekyll. I didn't know Hyde'
Politics
Leon Black says Epstein's network included Elon Musk, Sergey Brin and Peter Thiel, while saying 'I knew Jekyll. I didn't know Hyde'
By Joey Cappelletti and The Associated PressJune 26, 2026
1 day ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.