Uber CEO Invests in Pillar’s $20M AI Risk Seed as Ex-Uber Exec Nets $44.1M
Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi participated in Pillar’s $20M seed round for its AI-driven commodity risk platform, marking Uber’s strategic foray into fintech innovation with a firm now valued at $23M raised. Former Uber AI chief Daniel Danker earned $44.1M at Walmart last year, underscoring intense AI talent competition.
1. Uber CEO Backs AI-Driven Pillar Platform
Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi joined Andreessen Horowitz and others in leading a $20 million seed round for Pillar, boosting the startup’s total funding to $23 million. Pillar leverages AI to ingest client data—from contracts and ERP systems to WhatsApp messages—to automate continuous commodity hedging and risk management.
2. Former Uber AI Exec Earns $44.1M at Walmart
Daniel Danker, who previously held senior AI roles at Uber, received $44.1 million in total compensation as Executive Vice President of AI Acceleration at Walmart, including a $5 million sign-on bonus and $37.7 million in stock awards. The hefty package highlights the escalating battle among top employers for AI leadership talent.