Mug shot of Eric Gillespie, Govini Founder and Chairman.
Courtesy: Pennsylvania Attorney General
The founder of Virginia-based defense startup Govini was arrested on charges of attempting to solicit a pre-teen girl for sexual contact in Pennsylvania, authorities said Monday.
The founder, Eric Gillespie, 57, was charged with four felonies, including multiple counts of unlawful contact with a minor, according to the Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Office.
Gillespie, who lives in Pittsburgh, was denied bail by the judge, citing flight risk and concerns over public safety.
His company has a $900-million U.S. government contract and multiple deals with the Defense Department.
Govini, which last month announced it had passed $100 million in annual recurring revenue and is considered a prominent “unicorn” in the defense technology space, is a key partner in the U.S. Army’s Next Generation Command Control program.
Pentagon officials told CNBC they are looking into the arrest and possible security issues.
Gillespie lists himself as executive chairman of the company on his LinkedIn page.
The White House has referred all security clearance questions to the Department of Defense.
An agent posed as an adult on an online chat platform that the AG’s office said was often utilized by offenders who try to arrange meetings with children, and engaged in a conversation with Gillespie.
The AG’s office said Gillespie then made attempts to arrange a meeting with who he believed was a pre-teenage girl in Lebanon County, which is located near Hershey, Pennsylvania. Gillespie also alluded to methods he used to contact children, and other evidence was found.
Govini did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Read more CNBC tech news
The state attorney general’s office would not comment on questions about electronic devices seized during the sting. The AG’s office is asking the public to come forward with any other information on the case.
Govini, along with Anduril Industries, Palantir, Striveworks, Instant Connect Enterprise, Research Innovations, Inc., Microsoft and Lockheed Martin are also a part of the $99.6 million U.S. Army’s Next Generation Command and Control program.
NGC2 is a program for the U.S. Army to transform command and control operations by ensuring commanders have access to critical real-time data and infrastructure in areas where communications may be disrupted.
According to the company, Govini’s suite of AI-enabled applications is used by every department of the U.S. military and other federal agencies. The access to sensitive information is vast.
The software analyzes supply chains and critical details of companies being considered by the U.S. government for acquisition, enabling the U.S. military to make informed decisions.
In a recent Bain Capital press release announcing a $150m investment of Govini, Scott Kirk, Partner at Bain Capital Tech Opportunities, said, “We’re thrilled to support Govini’s next phase of growth as it continues to revolutionize how the U.S. government acquires and deploys the capabilities that keep us safe.”
Bain has not responded to CNBC’s multiple emails for comment.
Elon Musk announced his new company xAI, which he says has the goal to understand the true nature of the universe.
Jaap Arriens | Nurphoto | Getty Images
Elon Musk‘s artificial intelligence company xAI has raised $15 billion from investors, sources familiar with the matter told CNBC’s David Faber.
The funding adds another $5 billion to the $10 billion round CNBC reported on in September that valued the startup at $200 billion. Sources told CNBC that a lot of the money will fund graphic processing units that underpin large language models.
Artificial intelligence startups have reached sky high valuations in recent months as they raise massive amounts of capital to power seemingly endless demand for foundational models.
Last last week, Tesla shareholders voted to approve Musk’s massive pay package worth nearly $1 trillion, and voted on a proposal for the company to invest in xAI.
Brandon Ehrhart, general counsel at Tesla, said there were more votes for than against, but noted the abstentions and said the company is considering next steps on the issue.
This is breaking news. Please refresh for updates.
U.S. President Donald Trump signs the funding bill to end the U.S. government shutdown, at the White House in Washington, D.C., U.S., Nov. 12, 2025.
Kevin Lamarque | Reuters
This is CNBC’s Morning Squawk newsletter. Subscribe here to receive future editions in your inbox.
Here are five key things investors need to know to start the trading day:
1. Opening time
President Donald Trump ended the longest government shutdown in U.S. history last night, signing into law a short-term funding bill passed by the House of Representatives earlier in the evening that funds the government through January.
Here’s what to know:
While the deal does not include the extension of enhanced Obamacare tax credits that Democrats wanted, it does include a guarantee from Republicans that the Senate will vote on a health care bill of Democrats’ choosing next month.
The agreement also ensures funding for food stamps, the reversal of shutdown-related layoffs and backpay for government employees.
As he signed the legislation ending the 43-day shutdown, Trump said “people were hurt so badly” and that “we can never let this happen again.” He blamed Democrats for the closure, saying “Republicans never wanted a shutdown.”
Earlier on Wednesday, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said key inflation and labor data for October may never be released because of the shutdown. Without these reports, Leavitt said Federal Reserve policymakers will be “flying blind at a critical period.”
The Department of Transportation also halted the flight cuts it imposed last week as disruptions to air travel eased. The cancellations would have risen from 6% to 10% on Friday.
A shot of Cinderella Castle in the Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando, Florida.
RandomEye Photography | Twenty20
Mickey Mouse may be joining Pluto in the dog house. Disneymissed Wall Street’s revenue estimates for the fiscal fourth quarter this morning, sending shares down more than 4% in premarket trading.
While the company’s Disney+ streaming service grew, the entertainment giant was hampered by its linear TV business and its its theatrical film slate. But Disney’s quarterly earnings came in higher than analysts anticipated.
“Overall we’re leaving the year with a lot of momentum,” Disney CFO Hugh Johnston told CNBC’s “Squawk Box” this morning, referring to the company’s streaming and experience businesses.
3. Personnel matters
U.S. President Donald Trump and Lisa Cook, governor of the U.S. Federal Reserve
Annabelle Gordon | Reuters | Al Drago | Bloomberg | Getty Images
Mark your calendar: The Supreme Court said it will hear arguments on Trump’s attempt to fire Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook on Jan. 21. The court in October allowed Cook to keep her job while the case plays out.
Meanwhile, Atlanta Fed President Raphael Bostic announced yesterday that he will leave his position when his term expires in February. Bostic, the first Black and openly gay regional Fed president, said in a statement that he was proud of efforts “to turn the lofty goal of an economy that works for everyone into more of a reality.”
4. Inside the AFP business
Jgi/jamie Grill | Tetra Images | Getty Images
As drug costs in the U.S. skyrocket, a growing industry of businesses called alternative funding programs are promising patients more affordable options for accessing specialty medications — in many cases by obtaining the drugs overseas.
Federal authorities are raising alarm about the legality of AFPs and the potential health risks for patients. Nicole Johnson, a special agent with the Department of Homeland Security, said AFPs are fulfilling prescriptions through “unverified” suppliers and “potentially illicit” online pharmacies.
In a new investigation, CNBC traced medications traveling into the U.S. via a supply chain that’s not authorized by the drug companies that make them. The investigation shows how ubiquitous these companies — which contract with employer-sponsored health plans — are becoming.
Get Morning Squawk directly in your inbox
5. Electric slide
Samuel Boivin | Nurphoto | Getty Images
Anthropic announced yesterday that it plans to spend $50 billion to build out infrastructure tied to artificial intelligence. As CNBC’s MacKenzie Sigalos notes, the move makes the technology company a major U.S. player in physical AI infrastructure. The project will start with custom data centers in Texas and New York and is expected to create 800 permanent jobs and more than 2,000 construction positions.
But there’s growing political backlash to the AI industry’s data centers, with voters angry over rising electricity prices. Abigail Spanberger, who won last week’s governor race in Virginia, promised to make the industry pay “their fair share” of higher costs.
The Daily Dividend
The House Oversight and Government Reform Committee released more than 20,000 documents obtained from sex offender Jeffrey Epstein’s estate yesterday, among which were emails referencing Trump. The president has denied knowing about Epstein’s sexual abuse of underage girls and young women and has never been charged with wrongdoing in connection with Epstein.
House Speaker Mike Johnson said the House would vote next week on releasing files related to Epstein.
I know how dirty donald is
Jeffrey Epstein in a 2018 email thread
— CNBC’s Dan Mangan, Jeff Cox, Emily Wilkins, Sean Conlon, Lillian Rizzo, Scott Zamost, Paige Tortorelli, Melissa Lee, MacKenzie Sigalos and Spencer Kimball contributed to this report. Josephine Rozzelle edited this edition.
With ski season approaching, Uber wants to take you to the slopes.
The ride-hailing company on Thursday announced Uber Ski, which will allow users to book a ride to and from nearly 40 mountains in the U.S., Canada, Switzerland, and France, according to a release. The services is available through March.
Uber is partnering with Vail Resorts to let riders book an Uber Reserve directly to the mountain resort company’s various destinations. Users can buy an Epic Pass, which grants access to over 90 ski and snowboarding resorts, directly on the app.
Riders can reserve an UberXL or UberXXL up to 90 days in advance, with the larger vehicles offering more trunk space to fit extra gear.
Uber Ski landing page.
Courtesy: Uber
The launch is a part of a series of updates Uber is offering ahead of the holiday season.
Pradeep Parameswaran, Uber’s global head of mobility, said that new features will help “people spend less time stressing about logistics and more time enjoying the moments that matter” during the festive months.
The company is also rolling out Uber Share at three airports as flight delays and cancellations continue to pile up across the country from the government shutdown. President Donald Trump late Wednesday signed into law a funding bill to end the longest shutdown of the federal in U.S. history.
At John F. Kennedy International Airport, LaGuardia Airport, and Orlando International Airport, riders can use Uber Share to save up to 25% by pairing up with another traveler headed in the same direction.
Additionally, Uber released a new “Send a Ride” in-app feature that lets users cover the expense of someone else’s ride by sending a voucher link that will be automatically applied to the person’s next trip. The company already has a gifting option for its Uber Eats platform.
When using the “Send a Gift” feature, customers will be able to include a video that could be personalized or picked from a selection of celebrities, including Megan Thee Stallion, the Jonas Brothers, and Tracee Ellis Ross.