Since founding Andreessen Horowitz in 2009, Marc Andreessen and Ben Horowitz have built the company into the country’s largest venture capital firm.

They’ve also become much richer, with Andreessen worth an estimated $18.6 billion and Horowitz an estimated $18.1 billion. Now, their influence in politics is growing, too. The two billionaires have poured a combined $92 million so far into the 2026 election cycle, making them the fifth-biggest donors in the country.

The biggest beneficiary of their spending is the pro-AI super PAC Leading the Future, which has mostly backed Republicans. The spending efforts over the last few years appear to be paying off, as the Trump administration and Republican-led Congress haven’t imposed major regulations on AI development. But that could change after the November 3 midterms.

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The Federal Reserve held interest rates steady in its last decision before the midterms, though it’s “unlikely that anything will stop them from raising rates” at their December meeting, Chris Zaccarelli, Chief Investment Officer for Northlight Asset Management, said in emailed comments shared with Forbes Daily.

Microsoft shares briefly surged following a positive earnings report in which the company reported $36.6 billion in net income as Microsoft Cloud and Azure platform revenue grew.

Where markets closed (10/28): Major indexes edged higher Wednesday, with the S&P 500 up 0.3%, the Nasdaq rising 0.3% and the Dow Jones Industrial Average adding 0.2% in the wake of the Fed’s decision.

Google parent company Alphabet fell short of revenue expectations for its third quarter, leading shares to drop sharply Wednesday afternoon. The disappointing........

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