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INTERNATIONAL22 April 2026
Sam Altman's Orb Company Fabricates Bruno Mars Partnership
Sam Altman's Orb company promoted a fake partnership with Bruno Mars, raising questions about credibility in the cryptocurrency and digital identity space. The incident highlights aggressive marketing tactics and trust issues in emerging tech.
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La Rédaction
The Vertex
5 min read

Source: www.wired.com
In a bizarre twist of corporate marketing, Sam Altman's biometric verification company Orb recently promoted a non-existent partnership with pop star Bruno Mars. The company's promotional materials claimed exclusive tour access and special merchandise through their Worldcoin initiative, only for the artist's representatives to categorically deny any involvement.
The incident raises serious questions about the credibility of tech companies operating in the cryptocurrency and digital identity space. Worldcoin, which uses Orb's iris-scanning technology to verify human identity, has already faced scrutiny over privacy concerns and the ethics of its data collection methods. This latest episode suggests a pattern of aggressive marketing tactics that may be stretching the boundaries of truth.
Bruno Mars, known for his meticulous control over brand partnerships, was quick to distance himself from the unauthorized promotion. His spokesperson's statement to WIRED leaves no room for ambiguity: no discussions occurred, no partnership was ever considered. This public disavowal not only damages Orb's reputation but also highlights the risks artists face when their image is used without consent in the volatile cryptocurrency market.
The broader implications extend beyond a single marketing blunder. As digital identity verification becomes increasingly important in our online world, trust in these technologies and their operators becomes paramount. Orb's apparent willingness to fabricate partnerships undermines the very trust its technology seeks to establish. This incident may serve as a cautionary tale for both tech companies and the celebrities they court in their quest for mainstream legitimacy.