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CultureQuiet 11d · day 14

Colossus, VC-funded glossy, draws fire as tech PR dressed as journalism

A lushly produced quarterly founded by investor Patrick O'Shaughnessy wins praise from the moguls it profiles and scorn from veteran journalists who call it PR.

newest coverage 11d agosummary written 11d ago7 pieces12 likes & upvotes NewswiresMastodonHacker News

What to know

  • Colossus, launched in 2024 by investor-podcaster Patrick O'Shaughnessy, trades deep access for glowing, skepticism-light coverage of tech and finance elites.
  • Subjects including Mark Zuckerberg, Joshua Kushner and Neil Mehta grant Colossus intimate access they deny to mainstream outlets.
  • Veteran journalists Kara Swisher and Nilay Patel call the approach PR, arguing it won't change public perception of unpopular figures like Zuckerberg.
  • Tech investors Alexis Ohanian, Bill Ackman and Reid Hoffman have publicly championed Colossus's profiles as superior journalism.

“If Mark actually wanted to be understood as he says he does, he'd sit down for a truly adversarial journalistic interview and try to make his case. But I don't think he can take the risk.”

Nilay Patel, Editor-in-chief, The Verge · SF Standard (email) ↗ · Oct 29

Patrick O'Shaughnessy Founder of ColossusMark ZuckerbergMark Zuckerberg Meta CEO, Colossus cover subjectKara SwisherKara Swisher Veteran tech journalistNilay PatelNilay Patel Editor-in-chief, The VergeHiten Samtani Media company founder, Colossus defenderAlexis Ohanian Reddit cofounder, venture capitalist

Colossus, VC-funded glossy, draws fire as tech PR dressed as journalism
sfstandard.com

How it unfolded 1 development · click the chart to see its coverage articlesposts

Peak 3 pieces in 3h at Oct 30, 2 PM; 7 pieces over 14 days (2 articles · 5 posts) Oct 30, 8 AM — 1 piece · 1 article — Newswires 1Oct 30, 11 AM — quietOct 30, 2 PM — 3 pieces · 3 posts — Mastodon 2, Hacker News 1Oct 30, 5 PM — quietOct 30, 8 PM — quietOct 30, 11 PM — quietOct 31, 2 AM — quietOct 31, 5 AM — quietOct 31, 8 AM — quietOct 31, 11 AM — quietOct 31, 2 PM — quietOct 31, 5 PM — quietOct 31, 8 PM — quietOct 31, 11 PM — quietNov 1, 1 AM — quietNov 1, 4 AM — quietNov 1, 7 AM — quietNov 1, 10 AM — 2 pieces · 1 article · 1 post — Mastodon 1, Newswires 1Nov 1, 1 PM — 1 piece · 1 post — Hacker News 1Nov 1, 4 PM — quietNov 1, 7 PM — quietNov 1, 10 PM — quietNov 2, 1 AM — quietNov 2, 4 AM — quietNov 2, 7 AM — quietNov 2, 10 AM — quietNov 2, 1 PM — quietNov 2, 4 PM — quietNov 2, 7 PM — quietNov 2, 10 PM — quietNov 3, 1 AM — quietNov 3, 4 AM — quietNov 3, 7 AM — quietNov 3, 10 AM — quietNov 3, 1 PM — quietNov 3, 4 PM — quietNov 3, 7 PM — quietNov 3, 10 PM — quietNov 4, 1 AM — quietNov 4, 4 AM — quietNov 4, 7 AM — quietNov 4, 10 AM — quietNov 4, 1 PM — quietNov 4, 4 PM — quietNov 4, 7 PM — quietNov 4, 10 PM — quietNov 5, 1 AM — quietNov 5, 4 AM — quietNov 5, 7 AM — quietNov 5, 10 AM — quietNov 5, 1 PM — quietNov 5, 4 PM — quietNov 5, 7 PM — quietNov 5, 10 PM — quietNov 6, 1 AM — quietNov 6, 4 AM — quietNov 6, 7 AM — quietNov 6, 10 AM — quietNov 6, 1 PM — quietNov 6, 4 PM — quietNov 6, 7 PM — quietNov 6, 10 PM — quietNov 7, 1 AM — quietNov 7, 4 AM — quietNov 7, 7 AM — quietNov 7, 10 AM — quietNov 7, 1 PM — quietNov 7, 4 PM — quietNov 7, 7 PM — quietNov 7, 10 PM — quietNov 8, 1 AM — quietNov 8, 4 AM — quietNov 8, 7 AM — quietNov 8, 10 AM — quietNov 8, 1 PM — quietNov 8, 4 PM — quietNov 8, 7 PM — quietNov 8, 10 PM — quietNov 9, 1 AM — quietNov 9, 4 AM — quietNov 9, 7 AM — quietNov 9, 10 AM — quietNov 9, 1 PM — quietNov 9, 4 PM — quietNov 9, 7 PM — quietNov 9, 10 PM — quietNov 10, 1 AM — quietNov 10, 4 AM — quietNov 10, 7 AM — quietNov 10, 10 AM — quietNov 10, 1 PM — quietNov 10, 4 PM — quietNov 10, 7 PM — quietNov 10, 10 PM — quietNov 11, 1 AM — quietNov 11, 4 AM — quietNov 11, 7 AM — quietNov 11, 10 AM — quietNov 11, 1 PM — quietNov 11, 4 PM — quietNov 11, 7 PM — quietNov 11, 10 PM — quietYesterday, 1 AM — quietYesterday, 4 AM — quietYesterday, 7 AM — quietYesterday, 10 AM — quietYesterday, 1 PM — quietYesterday, 4 PM — quietYesterday, 7 PM — quietYesterday, 10 PM — quiet 1
Oct 31Nov 1Nov 2Nov 3Nov 4Nov 5Nov 6Nov 7Nov 8Nov 9Nov 10Nov 11now · 1:55 AM ET
  1. 1

    SF Standard profiles Colossus's rise and its critics

    Andrew Fedorov's feature documents investors like Ohanian, Ackman and Hoffman praising Colossus's coverage while journalists Kara Swisher and Nilay Patel call the approach PR rather than journalism, and media figure Hiten Samtani pushes back on that characterization.

    “It is PR. These people are so fragile and made of papier-mâché that they need Vaseline mirrors to reflect them back at themselves.”
    — Kara Swisher
    1. 1 outlet Silicon Valley’s ‘in-flight magazine’: Colossus gives moguls the coverage they crave

      first by SF Standard, 13d ago

    • estherschindler@newsie.social

      Colossus, a lushly produced, oversize print quarterly and website, wants to make tech fall in love again. Launched in 2024, its journalistic approach — heavy on access, short on skepticism — has been heaped with praise by the very entrepreneurs and investors it covers. https:// sfstandard.com/2026/10/30/colo ssus-glossy-quarterly-silicon-valley/

      estherschindler@newsie.socialMastodon13d agoview on Mastodon ↗
    1 more of the top 2 · 2 posts in this stretch
    • harrymccracken@mastodon.social

      This is a good read. https:// sfstandard.com/2026/10/30/colo ssus-glossy-quarterly-silicon-valley/

      harrymccracken@mastodon.socialMastodon13d agoview on Mastodon ↗
    all of them →
  2. background

    Colossus publishes 15,000-word Zuckerberg cover story — The magazine's biggest subject yet, the profile features intimate scenes of the Meta CEO with his family at their homes and draws effusive reader praise.

  3. background

    Musk tells Economist editor the media is 'the problem' — Elon Musk's remark to The Economist's Zanny Minton Beddoes underscores the broader animosity between Silicon Valley elites and traditional press that Colossus has positioned itself to exploit.

  4. background

    Colossus launches as an access-first tech and finance magazine — The venture capitalist-backed, oversize print quarterly and website debuts with a journalistic approach described as heavy on access and short on skepticism toward the entrepreneurs and investors it covers.

  5. background

    O'Shaughnessy takes over, then sells, his father's investment firm — Patrick O'Shaughnessy took over O'Shaughnessy Asset Management in 2018 and sold it to Franklin Templeton four years later, financing his media ambitions.

  6. background

    O'Shaughnessy launches 'Invest Like the Best' podcast — Patrick O'Shaughnessy starts the podcast, borrowing its title from a book his father James published in 1994, building the audience and investor relationships that would later feed Colossus.

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