Q1 2026 Broke Startup Funding Records — But the Headline Is Lying

The fundraising headlines are misleading founders, and we are breaking it down. In Q1 2026, startups raised a record $297 billion — but $122 billion of that went to a single company: OpenAI.

If you have been waiting for the market to turn around, this is the reality check you need before next week's full fundraising episode drops May 5th. Plus, we get into the headlines shaping culture and business this week: The Michael Jackson biopic opens to $217 million globally.

Was that a surprise? We break down why international numbers tell a different story.

Hollywood's biggest names — Ben Stiller, Emma Thompson, Jane Fonda — sign petitions against the Paramount and Warner Bros. merger. One family is about to own CBS, HBO, CNN, BET, Nickelodeon, DC Comics, and more.

We call it what it is. Keith Lee brings his first food festival to New Orleans and immediately catches controversy over $70 tickets, a random lineup, and a Live Nation partnership that may have cost him the community buy-in he needed most.

Rich Takes drops every week as a quick-hit segment from the Rich Lessons podcast. Subscribe on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and YouTube so you never miss an episode. 🎙️ Next week on Rich Lessons: our deep dive on fundraising in 2026—what’s changed, what hasn’t, and what founders need to know now.