Business & Markets — October 6, 2026

Musk regains trillionaire status. A jump in SpaceX shares returned Elon Musk to trillionaire status Monday, a title he first briefly held after the company's June IPO.

Forbes reports the milestone traces back to SpaceX's public debut in June, which the outlet described as a blockbuster offering. Musk crossed the trillion-dollar threshold shortly after that listing but did not hold the distinction for long. The latest rise in the rocket company's stock price pushed his net worth back above the mark, according to Forbes.

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Schneider Electric buys PTC. Schneider Electric agreed to acquire industrial software maker PTC for $22.6 billion, the latest sign of the AI datacenter boom enriching infrastructure companies.

The Register frames the deal as part of a broader pattern in which surging demand for AI datacenters is driving large payouts to companies that supply the underlying infrastructure. PTC makes industrial software, a category now drawing significant acquisition interest as spending tied to the AI buildout flows toward firms positioned to support it, according to the outlet's reporting.

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Starbucks sued over 'sugar-free' drinks. A consumer lawsuit alleges some Starbucks protein drinks labeled 'sugar-free' may contain more sugar than a Reese's peanut butter cup.

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Paramount-Warner Bros. merger closes. The hard-fought combination formally closes Tuesday, and the new company, Skydance, begins operating. Casey Bloys becomes co-chair and chief content officer of its streaming unit, overseeing HBO Max and Paramount+.

The deal's closing follows a contentious path, with NPR reporting that the combination withstood court challenges, public protests and regulatory scrutiny before winning approval. The newly formed company launches with leadership appointments already announced, including Bloys taking a senior content role spanning both legacy streaming platforms, signaling how the merged entity intends to consolidate its entertainment operations from the outset.

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