Sharon AI Founder James Manning is Burning Down the House
The Australian Financial Review
ENRICHED
Details
- Date Published
- 5 May 2026
- Priority Score
- 1
- Australian
- Yes
- Created
- 5 May 2026, 02:00 pm
Description
James Manning’s colourful past involves owning Sydney’s historic White Bay Hotel, which burnt down in 2008.
Summary
This reporting focuses on the colorful history of James Manning, founder of Sharon AI, an Australian-linked AI 'neocloud' operator that recently listed on the Nasdaq. The article highlights the backgrounds of key figures in the emerging AI infrastructure sector, including rivals at Firmus, within the context of Sydney's financial reporting season. While it touches on the commercial players providing the hardware needed for large-scale AI, it offers no technical analysis of safety protocols or existential risks. The content is primarily a profile of industry venture dynamics rather than a contribution to AI safety literature or catastrophic risk governance.
Body
TechnologyRear WindowPrint articleMay 5, 2026 – 8.00pmMacquarie’s conference held at the Sheraton on Sydney’s Hyde Park this week is the high point of “confession season”. A slideshow of chief executives front investors over three days to dribble out any nasties before the end of the financial year. This Thursday morning, Sharon AI’s James Manning has the mic.He’ll stick out. Manning isn’t a familiar face, and not running a multibillion-dollar ASX-listed company. But his AI “neocloud” operator listed on the Nasdaq earlier this year. Its rival in token-maxxing is Oliver Curtis and Tim Rosenfield’s Firmus.Loading...SaveLog in or Subscribe to save articleShareCopy linkCopiedEmailLinkedInTwitterFacebookCopy linkCopiedShare via...Gift this articleSubscribe to gift this articleGift 5 articles to anyone you choose each month when you subscribe.Subscribe nowAlready a subscriber? LoginLicense articleFollow the topics, people and companies that matter to you.Find out moreRead MoreRear WindowSydneyETFsMacquarie BankMacquarie GroupWestConnexAIIPOFetching latest articles