Manus

3 briefs

power 2026-05-07

China Retroactively Killed a $2 Billion AI Deal. The Founders Can't Leave.

Beijing blocked Meta's acquisition of AI startup Manus ten weeks after it was announced, ordered the parties to unwind it, and restricted the Chinese co-founders' ability to travel. The move draws a permanent line: Chinese-origin AI does not get sold to Americans.

power 2026-04-28

Beijing's New Veto Power Over American AI

China just blocked Meta's $2 billion acquisition of Manus. The founders cannot leave the country. The deal was already done. Beijing is showing it can retroactively unwind US tech acquisitions of Chinese-origin startups.

power 2026-04-27

China Vetoes Manus: What Happens When the Startup You Bought Can't Leave

Beijing blocked Meta's $2B acquisition of the agentic AI startup Manus. The founders are under exit bans. The employees are in Meta's Singapore offices. No one knows who owns what.