Talk:Jacob Helberg

Correcting Helberg's Title at Palantir

Hello editors! Jacob Helberg has hired me to update his Wikipedia page. I've disclosed this COI on my Talk page. Please let me know if you have any questions. Thank you. Signed, BlueRoses13 (talk) 18:13, 8 August 2024 (UTC)

The second sentence of the page currently says Helberg is a “senior policy advisor” at Palantir. In fact, his correct title is “senior advisor.”

An article in CNBC (“Vinod Khosla and Palantir’s Jacob Helberg call on Senate to ban TikTok: It’s ‘a weapon of war,’” 2024) confirms this: “Helberg is a senior advisor at Palantir.”

Similarly, an article in the New York Times says (“A.I. Leaders Press Advantage With Congress as China Tensions Rise,” 2024), “May’s event is being organized by Jacob Helberg, a senior adviser to Palantir.”

Finally, Helberg’s bio on USCC.gov says “Senior Advisor.”

Can we therefore correct “senior policy advisor” to “senior advisor”?

 Done the WSJ gives "senior policy advisor", but the majority of sources have "senior advisor" so this seems unobjectionable. Rusalkii (talk) 00:08, 14 August 2024 (UTC)

Thank you! BlueRoses13 (talk) 14:40, 14 August 2024 (UTC)

Helberg Is Not a “Think Tank Analyst”

Hello editors! Jacob Helberg has hired me to update his Wikipedia page. I've disclosed this COI on my Talk page. Please let me know if you have any questions. Thank you. Signed, BlueRoses13 (talk) 18:13, 8 August 2024 (UTC)

The first sentence currently says this:

Jacob Helberg is an American author and think tank analyst.

“Think tank analyst” is incorrect. This phrase was added by an anonymous user and sourced to https://www.nytimes.com/2024/03/27/technology/ai-lobby-china.html and https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2024/05/01/big-tech-tiktok-ban-hill-valley-forum/, neither of which mentions the phrase “think tank.”

Instead, the Post article describes Helberg as a “tech industry adviser.” Here’s another Post article that describes Helberg as a “tech advisor,” and another Post article that refers to “his advisory role at Palantir.”

Can we therefore replace “think tank analyst” with “technology advisor”? After all, Helberg is a “senior advisor” at Palantir, a big tech company.

Alternatively, it seems that “technology executive” is a common description on Wikipedia. Should we use that title?

 Done Quick skim of some news articles gives "Palantir adviser"x2, "tech executive", "senior advisor to [Palantir/Palantir's CEO]"x2, various descriptions of his job for US-China Economic and Security Review Commission, "senior Karp adviser", "policy advisor", etc. Not really seeing think tank anywhere, as you said. The bare "technology advisor" isn't really there either but I'm not sure how to best rephrase this so it's good enough. Rusalkii (talk) 00:19, 14 August 2024 (UTC)

Thanks so much for your research and judgment! BlueRoses13 (talk) 14:41, 14 August 2024 (UTC)

Updating the Amount Helberg Has Donated to Trump

Hello editors! Jacob Helberg has hired me to request updates to his Wikipedia page. I've disclosed this COI on my Talk page. Please let me know if you have any questions. Thank you for your consideration. Signed, BlueRoses13 (talk) 14:44, 14 August 2024 (UTC)

The "political involvement" section currently says this:

Helberg is one of the top donors to Donald Trump's 2024 reelection campaign, donating $1 million in 2024.

According to a new, in-depth article from The Hollywood Reporter ("“F*** These Trump-Loving Techies”: Hollywood Takes on Silicon Valley in an Epic Presidential Brawl," August 7, 2024), the current amount is $2 million. Here's an excerpt (I bolded the part that relates to Helberg):

"Nevertheless, the number of pro-Trump tech billionaires is nearly as startling as the piles of cash they’ve been raising for his campaign: Supporters like Cameron and Tyler Winklevoss, the twin bitcoin magnates who in 2004 sued Mark Zuckerberg for allegedly stealing their idea for Facebook (they were both played by Armie Hammer in David Fincher’s The Social Network); venture capitalist David Sacks (who recently hosted a $300,000-a-head fundraiser for Trump); Valor Equity Partners founder Antonio Gracias (who donated $1 million); Jacob Helberg, an advisor to defense technology firm Palantir ($2 million); tech entrepreneur Joe Lonsdale ($1 million); Sequoia Capital’s Douglas Leone (another million); Shaun Maguire ($500,000); and tech investor Ben Horowitz (who has announced plans to make a “significant” contribution); among a dozen or so others."

Note: THR is a reliable source, per https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Reliable_sources/Perennial_sources.

 Done The $1 million number is from May and this sort of thing moves quickly, updated. However, note that the perennial sources entry just says that it is generally reliable for entertainment related topics, I wouldn't take that as a general endorsement (though I have no reason to believe it isn't generally reliable). Rusalkii (talk) 03:47, 15 August 2024 (UTC)

Understood. Thanks for your eagle eye and speedy action. Best, BlueRoses13 (talk) 13:35, 15 August 2024 (UTC)

Helberg's Book

Hello editors! Jacob Helberg has hired me to request updates to his Wikipedia page. I've disclosed this COI on my Talk page. Please let me know if you have any questions. Thank you for your consideration. Signed, BlueRoses13 (talk) 15:18, 14 August 2024 (UTC)

The "publications" section lists only the title of Helberg's book. But is it clear that this is a book? And won't readers want to know what the book says? Here are two succinct sentences to consider, which would help readers understand the book's importance, as illustrated with footnotes in The Information, Axios, and The Washington Post:

In 2021, Simon & Schuster published a book by Helberg, The Wires of War: Technology and the Global Struggle for Power. The book argues that foreign adversaries are using technology to wage war against the U.S.

References

Note: The phrase, "Foreign adversaries are using technology to wage war," comes verbatim from The Information article, which says this: "In 2021, he penned 'The Wires of War,' a Simon & Schuster–published book about foreign adversaries using technology to wage war against the U.S."

If we use a direct quote, it needs to be quoted & ideally attributed in text, or it's a copyright violation. Ideally, this would be rephrased independently. (Also, you may want to use the {{reflist talk}} template to collect references for one talk page section, I've inserted it for you here.) Rusalkii (talk) 03:40, 15 August 2024 (UTC)

Thanks again for all your help. Good idea re reflist — that's much cleaner (though it doesn't seem to work in replies). Does the following revision — now with attribution and quotation marks — work? Many thanks for your continued guidance!

In 2021, Simon & Schuster published a book by Helberg, The Wires of War: Technology and the Global Struggle for Power. According to The Information, the book argues that "foreign adversaries are using technology to wage war against the U.S."

Signed,

BlueRoses13 (talk) 13:54, 15 August 2024 (UTC) BlueRoses13 (talk) 13:54, 15 August 2024 (UTC)

References

 Done Rusalkii (talk) 19:41, 27 August 2024 (UTC)

@Rusalkii Thank you very much! Signed, BlueRoses13 (talk) 22:22, 27 August 2024 (UTC)

Headshot

Hello editors! Jacob Helberg has hired me to request updates to his Wikipedia page. I've disclosed this COI on my Talk page. Please let me know if you have any questions. Thank you for your consideration. Signed, BlueRoses13 (talk) 03:45, 29 August 2024 (UTC)

The current headshot of Helberg could be better: It’s four years old, and his head is not facing the camera.

By contrast, consider Helberg’s official photo from a U.S. government website (in this case, the U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission). Here’s the webpage, and here’s the hi-res image.

1. As you can see from the file path — /2023-01 — this photo comes from 2023, so it’s newer.

2. It features Helberg’s face straight on.

3. The photo appears to be in the public domain and available for fair use.

What do you think?

Could you please explain why you think that photo is in the public domain? Otherwise seems fine. Rusalkii (talk) 04:35, 29 August 2024 (UTC)

 Not done: Simply because the head is not facing the camera does not mean that it's not suitable. Also, the 2023 image's licensing is unclear and risks violating the non-free content policy, so it can't be used. The current image is under a compatible licence, so it should stay as is. Quetstar (talk) 04:57, 29 August 2024 (UTC)

Understood. Thanks. Signed, BlueRoses13 (talk) 16:29, 17 September 2024 (UTC)

Thanks for asking! You're right! I did a little research and the Labor Department's policy seems instructive: "Generally, materials produced by federal agencies are in the public domain and may be reproduced without permission. However, not all materials appearing on this web site are in the public domain." So perhaps this photo is *not* public. Thanks again. Signed, BlueRoses13 (talk) 16:32, 17 September 2024 (UTC)

Political-Party Allegiance

Good afternoon editors, It's been almost 3 weeks, and I haven't heard back from Quetstar about this COI request, which Quetstar declined "for now." Respectfully, since Quetstar's reasoning didn't really wrestle with what I wrote — Quetstar rendered a decision on the basis of 1 footnote when I provided 5 — and since the sentence I'd like to change is misleading and incomplete, I'm taking the liberty of re-opening this. I hope that's ok. You can see my original request and response below. I appreciate greatly the volunteer work you all do, and I hate to be a pest. Thank you kindly. Signed, BlueRoses13 (talk) 21:34, 5 October 2024 (UTC)

Hello editors! Jacob Helberg has hired me to request a correction to his Wikipedia page. I've disclosed this COI on my Talk page. Please let me know if you have any questions. Thank you for your consideration. Signed, BlueRoses13 (talk) 20:27, 3 September 2024 (UTC)

The "political involvement" section says this:

Prior to the October 7th Hamas Assault, Helberg primarily donated to Democratic candidates, including the Pete Buttigieg 2020 presidential campaign.

This is misleading and incomplete. Can we change "prior to the October 7th Hamas Assault" to "previously,” and then add a sentence that explains the shift? Here’s sample language, with footnotes:

Previously, Helberg primarily donated to Democratic candidates, including the Pete Buttigieg 2020 presidential campaign. He attributes his shift to the COVID-19 pandemic, technological concerns about China, and anti-Israel views among Democrats.

We’re requesting these changes for two reasons: First, because Helberg shifted well before October 2023. Second, because readers will want to know why he shifted. Here are sources:

Changing “Prior to the October 7th Hamas Assault” to “Previously”

1. In September 2022, Helberg and his husband hosted a “major fundraiser for Senate Republicans and Senate candidates.”

2. In December 2022, Helberg was appointed to the US-China Economic and Security Review Commission by a Republican Speaker of the House. Republicans appoint Republicans; Democrats appoint Democrats. (How do we know the appointment occurred in December 2022? According to https://www.uscc.gov/commission-members/jacob-helberg, “Commissioner Helberg was appointed to the Commission by then House Speaker Kevin McCarthy for a term expiring December 31, 2024.” And according to https://www.politico.com/newsletters/digital-future-daily/2023/08/22/ex-google-aim-at-china-00112316, Helberg’s “two-year term … began in January [2023].”)

3. In July 2023, in reference to Ron DeSantis, the then Republican Governor of Florida, Helberg’s husband told Fortune, "I want to say very clearly that my husband and I are significant supporters of the Governor and all his policies." The article continued, "Rabois, who lives in Miami with his husband Jacob Helberg, an author and Stanford University senior adviser, added: ‘We think what he’s doing in Florida is the recipe that should be copied in every state. Period, without exception.'"

Adding the Sentence That Begins With, “He Attributes His Shift”

1. “Covid and his concern about China made him realize he fit in better with the G.O.P.” (“The Silicon Valley Megadonor Olympics,” Puck)

2. “But the pandemic, an artificial intelligence arms race against China, and taking up a crusade to ban TikTok in the United States began to shift his views and party allegiances, he says.” (“Trump gets $1 million from Silicon Valley donor who once gave to Democrats,” Washington Post)

3. “Part of his rationale in switching his support to Trump has to do with Israel and antisemitism. Helberg tweeted last week that ‘American Jews who still support Biden should have their heads examined.’” (“Top Silicon Valley donor cites anti-Israel left in his shift from Biden to Trump in 2024,” Jewish Insider)

References

 Not done for now: Jewish Insider is too biased to be included as a source. The sourcing is therefore insufficient, so the request has no standing. Quetstar (talk) 06:09, 6 September 2024 (UTC)

@Quetstar It seems odd to decline a request on the basis of 1 footnote when I provided 5. Would you be up for reviewing the other 4, or would you prefer that I reopen this request sans the source you object to?

By the way, if you haven't already, you may want to take a look at the “about” page for Jewish Insider. The publication seems to be dedicated to news, to employ editors, and to have a reputation for fact checking and accuracy. Also, the article in question is not a Q&A interview; it’s a reported, in-depth profile. Finally, as a reference point, editors consider Jacobin, a "leading voice of the American left, offering socialist perspectives on politics, economics, and culture," to be "generally reliable but biased."

TL;DR: I think the article in Jewish Insider deserves a closer look. Please let me know.

Thank you.

Signed,

BlueRoses13 (talk) 19:14, 16 September 2024 (UTC)

 Done I agree that the sourcing didn't say anything about donations pre- and post-October 7. Added new sources as requested. In the future, please consider simplifying your requests by using the textdiff template. See User:STEMinfo/COI edit requests. STEMinfo (talk) 06:24, 4 November 2024 (UTC)

Thank you so much! And thanks for the tip about textdiff; I'll try to incorporate this template next time. Thanks again, and have a great day! Signed, BlueRoses13 (talk) 13:43, 4 November 2024 (UTC)

The Hill and Valley Forum

Hello editors! Jacob Helberg has hired me to update his Wikipedia page. I've disclosed this COI on my Talk page. Please let me know if you have any questions. Thank you for your consideration. Signed, BlueRoses13 (talk) 13:14, 19 September 2024 (UTC)

The “political involvement” section says this:

Helberg is the founder of the Hill and Valley Forum, a working group of American venture capitalists and lawmakers concerned about China's impact on the American technology industry.

It seems that the forum — which has its own Wikipedia page — deserves more than a single sentence. Here’s some tweaked and additional language, sourced to the same news articles as the current text, for your consideration:

In 2022, Helberg founded the Hill and Valley Forum, a working group of American venture capitalists and lawmakers concerned about China's impact on the American technology industry. In 2024, The Washington Post called the forum “one of the most powerful lobbying forces for the technology industry in Washington,” thanks in part to the role the forum played in pushing Congress to pass divest-or-ban legislation targeting the video app TikTok.

References

Not done. If that additional material belongs anywhere then it will be in the article for the Hill and Valley Forum rather than here. Axad12 (talk) 14:52, 19 September 2024 (UTC)