Money. Identity. Technology.
Follow the money. Find the decision.
AI research & security
Follow Pliny’s grant, reported contracts and the personnel links into credited frontier-lab testing.
Solid lines: documented in a cited record. Dashed: reported or inferred. Hollow arrows: proposed powers. Choose a connection for its evidence.
Dates and stages belong to each relationship. Open a connection for the supporting record.
Marc Andreessen → cofounder and general partner → a16z Capital Management
Checked 12 September 2026
Meta's roster records Andreessen as a16z general partner since July 2009. Role does not attribute all firm payments or individual portfolio decisions to him.
a16z Capital Management → Announces Open Source AI Grant → Pliny the Liberator
Event or period: 2025-06-26; checked 13 September 2026
The June26,2025 cohort announcement names Pliny. The program describes grants rather than investments; recipient-specific value is undisclosed. Announcement date, not a proven payment date. No amount or governance rights established.
Marc Andreessen → Reported unrestricted grant → Pliny the Liberator
Checked 13 September 2026; event date unresolved
Reported by the cited source
TIME reports an unrestricted grant from Marc Andreessen. This may describe the a16z cohort award already mapped; it is not counted as a second transfer. Possible duplicate description of the a16z award. Grant amount and precise donor instrument remain unresolved.
OpenAI → Reported short-term research contracts → Pliny the Liberator
Checked 13 September 2026; event date unresolved
Reported by the cited source
TIME reports short-term OpenAI contracts with Pliny. Contract values, terms and timing were not obtained.
Pliny the Liberator → Publicly described as a leader → BT6 / BASI Team Six
Checked 13 September 2026; event date unresolved
The Latent Space interview introduces Pliny and John V as leaders of BT6.
John V → Publicly described as a leader → BT6 / BASI Team Six
Checked 13 September 2026; event date unresolved
John V appears alongside Pliny in the BT6 interview and publishes an operator list.
Pliny the Liberator → Links public community → BASI community
Event or period: 2026-09-13; checked 13 September 2026
Pliny’s public project hub directs readers to the BASI community. Date of observation, not the community founding date.
John V → Listed as AI red-team specialist → Lysios — AI research organization
Checked 13 September 2026; event date unresolved
TrojAI’s organizer page identifies John Vaina with Lysios.
OpenAI → Credits external red teaming: Operator → Lysios — AI research organization
Event or period: 2025-01-23; checked 13 September 2026
OpenAI names Lysios LLC among the red-teaming organizations in the Operator System Card. System-card publication date; acknowledgment is not a disclosed payment.
OpenAI → Credits external red teaming: Deep Research → Lysios — AI research organization
Checked 13 September 2026; event date unresolved
Lysios LLC appears in the Deep Research System Card acknowledgments, section5. The PDF has later revisions; its February2025 cover date does not date the first appearance of this credit.