Daniel Ek

Germany plans to purchase up to 12,000 kamikaze drones from startups Helsing, Stark, and defense giant Rheinmetall for approximately 300 million euros. These drones are intended for the German brigade in Lithuania, which will defend NATO's eastern flank against Russia.

Daniel Ek, Spotify's founder, is stepping down as CEO, transitioning to the role of executive chairman. He will be replaced by co-CEOs Gustav Söderström and Alex Norström, effective January 1.

The band Massive Attack removed their tracks from Spotify, protesting Daniel Ek's investment in Helsing, a company developing military AI technologies. This happened simultaneously with joining the 'No Music for Genocide' campaign.

Daniel Ek has invested significant funds in the German defense startup Helsing, which, among other things, supplies strike drones for the needs of Ukraine. Helsing has contracts with the governments of several countries.

Spotify reported its first-ever annual profit and record user growth to 675 million. The company showed a significant improvement in financial performance and announced ambitious plans for 2025.

Spotify has officially ceased operations in Russia: On December 14, the local legal entity Spotify LLC was liquidated. The service has already stopped operating in Russia since April 2022.