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☆ Russian oligarch went to Moscow in effort to broker complex prisoner exchange that included Navalny, sources say
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-08 | by ( Sebastian Shukla | Alex Marquardt | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

CNN —A multi-country prisoner exchange that might have freed Russian opposition leader Alexey Navalny was being discussed and progressing when he died last month, multiple sources have told CNN, and included the direct involvement of a Russian oligarch, Roman Abramovich. However, a source close to Navalny’s team told CNN that on the evening of February 15 they had received word that a message had been delivered to Putin. Clinton “initially passed on the message” to US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan, Grozev told CNN. “We had to find a way to package the German asset [Krasikov] into an American negotiation,” the source close to the Navalny team said. Getting the message to Putin was one of the greatest challenges, the individual close to the Navalny team told CNN.

Persons: Alexey Navalny, Roman Abramovich, Navalny, Abramovich, Hillary Clinton, Vladimir Putin, Putin, Maria Pevchikh, “, ”, Dmitry Peskov, it’s, Christo Grozev, Clinton, Grozev, Biden, Viktor Bout, Brittney Griner, Clinton “, Jake Sullivan, Sullivan, Pevchikh, Vadim Krasikov, Krasikov, Tucker Carlson, Evan Gershkovich, Paul Whelan, Whelan, Gershkovich, Whelan –, Sergey Vladimirovich Cherkasov, ” Abramovich Organizations: CNN, United Arab, Kremlin, IK, Aspen Ideas, FSB, US National, National Security, Wall Street, Krasikov, Navalny, US Department of Justice Locations: Russian, Moscow, United Arab Emirates, Ukraine, Siberia, Western, Russia, Aspen, Colorado, Berlin, Chechen, Europe, Germans, Brazil

☆ Bumble CEO: Here are the 'crazy hacks' I used to grow my app into a $1.9 billion company—one of them cost only $20
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-15 | by ( Megan Sauer | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Bumble had a "modest budget" at the time, Wolfe Herd said in a MasterClass course released on Thursday. Instead of traditional marketing campaigns, Wolfe Herd put together a series of "crazy hacks" to drum up interest in her Austin, Texas-based startup, she said. Wolfe Herd used a similar tactic with college fraternities, dropping off pizza with branded bumblebee stickers slapped onto the cardboard boxes. For Wolfe Herd, the momentum was validating. Seven years after launching the app, Wolfe Herd became the youngest female founder in history to take a company public.

Persons: Whitney Wolfe Herd, Bumble, Wolfe Herd, —, Fortune, Andrey Andreev, Forbes, She'd, Wolfe Organizations: Badoo, Aspen Ideas, Bumble Inc, CNBC Locations: Austin , Texas, Aspen , Colorado

☆ Where Uber's climate and autonomous driving goals will meet in the future
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-24 | by ( Tim Mullaney | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +10 min

"For most of our history, profitable wasn't the first thing that came up when you asked someone about Uber," Khosrowshahi said on Uber's second-quarter conference call Aug. 1. The $1 a ride alone can add up to $4,000 to a driver's annual revenue, the company says. All of them will compete for customers on Uber's platform much as hotels search for business on Expedia.com – a business once run by Khosrowshahi. Indeed, one threat to Uber's current status as a market darling is if AV makers, especially Tesla, decide to compete with Uber directly for riders, Zino said. Khosrowshahi told Sellers that 10-20% of Uber drivers may soon be robots, but said he still thinks more people will be driving for Uber than there are today.

Persons: Angelo Zino, Uber, Savannah, Khosrowshahi, Dara Khosrowshahi, Zino, Scott Devitt, Morgan Stanley's Brian Nowak, undercharging, They've, Devitt, –, Hertz, That's, Tracy Lynn Young, Tesla, they've, Cruise, AVs, Sellers Organizations: GM, General Motors, Ideas, Uber Technologies, Aurora, Wedbush Securities, Hyundai, Tesla, EVgo, EVs, TrueCar.com, Uber, CNBC, Hertz, Waymo, Cruise, Khosrowshahi Locations: California, San Francisco, Pittsburgh, Hyundai Kona, London, U.S, North America, Atlanta

☆ JPMorgan executive explains why decarbonization is a megatrend that business can't ignore
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-22 | by ( Catherine Clifford | In Catclifford | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +9 min

"It doesn't matter whether you're an energy client, or a consumer products client, or a retail client, there is something about this megatrend that is going to impact your business model, your business," Variankaval told CNBC. Right now, Variankaval says, it's too soon to know exactly which climate tech companies are going to the winners and losers. It's a multi decade-long process," Variankaval told CNBC. In some segments of climate tech, there are debates about which solutions are better than others that take on a near religious fervor. So you need to diversify in terms of technologies, but also in time horizons," Variankaval told CNBC.

Persons: Rama Variankaval, decarbonization, Variankaval, Megatrend, —, Joe Biden, Sen, Joe Manchin, Chuck Schumer, James Clyburn, Frank Pallone, Kathy Catsor, Drew Angerer, Biden, signe, It's, it's, That's, We're Organizations: JP Morgan Securities LLC, Aspen, Bloomberg, Getty, JPMorgan Chase, CNBC, JPMorgan, United Nations, Carbon, SC, White, Federal Reserve Locations: Miami Beach , Florida, Paris, decarbonization, United

☆ EV sales: Hyundai overtakes GM, but Tesla's U.S. dominance continues
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-07 | by ( Michael Wayland | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

Meanwhile, Hyundai — including the Kia brand that's owned by the same parent company — increased its EV sales by roughly 11% during that time to 38,457 units. GM, which was second in EV sales through the first quarter, more than quadrupled electric car and truck sales to 36,322 units through June compared with a year earlier. And Volkswagen more than doubled EV sales to 26,538 units sold through June. Scott Mlyn | CNBCGM's EV sales thus far have been disappointing, especially when it comes to new models with the automaker's "Ultium" battery technologies. Correction: GM was second in EV sales through the first quarter of this year.

Persons: Brandon Bell, Tesla, Andrew Frick, hasn't, Elon Musk, Musk, disappoints Hyundai's, Randy Parker, we're, Parker, Scott Mlyn, Cadillac Lyriq, Mary Barra, Barra, It's, —, Phil LeBeau, Lora Kolodny Organizations: Getty, Hyundai Motor, General Motors, Motor Intelligence, Hyundai, Kia, GM, Ford Motor, EV, Ford, U.S, Automotive, Biden, Hyundai Motor America, New York Auto Show, CNBC, GMC Hummer, Cadillac, Chevrolet, Aspen Ideas, Chevrolet Silverado, Detroit Locations: Austin , Texas, U.S, Mexican, Texas, North America, South Korea

☆ The Kremlin is open to discussions over a potential prisoner swap for detained Wall Street Journal journalist Evan Gershkovich, report says
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-04 | by ( John L. Dorman | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

The Kremlin has expressed openness to a potential prisoner swap that could involve Evan Gershkovich. Gershkovich, a WSJ reporter, was detained by Russian officials in March on suspicion of espionage. The Journal and the US government have vehemently denied the allegations against Gershkovich. Russia's internal security service at the time said that it had detained Gershkovich, accusing him of "espionage in the interests of the American government." The US has told the Kremlin that Gershkovich is not a spy and is not a government official.

Persons: Evan Gershkovich, —, Dmitry Peskov, Peskov, Gershkovich, Joe Biden, Evan, Biden, Gershkovich's, …, Roger Carstens, We've, Carstens, They're, Paul Whelan — Organizations: Gershkovich, Service, Street, Russian Foreign Ministry, Moscow —, White House, Kremlin, Aspen Ideas, US State Department, US Marine Locations: Russia, United States, Yekaterinburg —, Moscow, Russian, Colorado

☆ SoLo Funds, peer-to-peer loan platform for underserved banking consumers, is expanding to Nigeria
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-29 | by ( Natalie Rose Goldberg | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +7 min

Expansion to Nigeria, Williams said, is a first step on the path to further international growth. In Nigeria, SoLo Funds has already connected with Paga, a mobile payment company, Platform Capital, an African investing firm based in Nigeria, and Endeavor, an entrepreneurial community network. SoLo Funds users have the opportunity to lend small amounts of money, ranging from $50-$1,000, to peers on the platform. That mission has not come without controversy, and allegations that SoLo Funds is creating a new form of predatory short-term lending. The complexity of lending regulation in the U.S. on a state-by-state basis has prepared SoLo Funds for the equally complex international launch.

Persons: Williams, Elon, " Williams, Rodney Williams, Travis Holoway, We've Organizations: Procter & Gamble, Visa, Intel, Synchrony, CNBC, Aspen Ideas, Platform, Endeavor, Google, NBCUniversal News Locations: Nigeria, Africa, America, Connecticut, California, Washington, United States, U.S, Latin America, Southeast Asia

☆ Never in history has technology led to an overall loss of jobs: Tulane University's Walter Isaacson
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-28 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailNever in history has technology led to an overall loss of jobs: Tulane University's Walter IsaacsonTulane University professor Walter Isaacson joins CNBC's Andrew Ross Sorkin at the Aspen Ideas Festival to discuss innovation, artificial intelligence and its potential impact to jobs.

Persons: Tulane University's Walter Isaacson, Walter Isaacson, Andrew Ross Sorkin Organizations: Tulane, Tulane University's Walter Isaacson Tulane, Aspen Ideas

☆ Recession in early 2024 is 'a reasonable possibility', says Roger Ferguson
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-28 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailRecession in early 2024 is 'a reasonable possibility', says Roger FergusonRoger Ferguson, former Federal Reserve vice chairman, joins CNBC's Andrew Ross Sorkin at the Aspen Ideas Festival to discuss the Fed's inflation hike, whether more rate hikes are in store, the cause of inflation, and more.

Persons: Roger Ferguson Roger Ferguson, Andrew Ross Sorkin Organizations: Federal Reserve, Aspen Ideas

☆ Trump tape: The audio that encapsulates why the former president may be unfit for the Oval Office -- and why it may not matter
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-28 | by ( Stephen Collinson | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +11 min

CNN —Critics on Tuesday seized on the latest Trump tape as a perfect example of why the twice-impeached, twice-indicted former president is unfit to return to the Oval Office. On the audio – exclusively obtained by CNN – Trump discusses holding a secret document. In the tape, Trump seems to indicate he was holding up information that may be among the government’s most closely guarded secrets. As he often did in office, Trump appears to have been using US national security as a tool for his own personal or political gain. In response to the tape, Trump – as he often does – sought to redefine an apparent example of aberrant behavior as perfectly acceptable.

Persons: CNN – Trump, Trump, “ We’ve, Liz Cheney, NBC’s Lester Holt, Elie Honig, Donald Trump, ” Honig, “, Adam Kinzinger, Cheney, –, ” Trump, he’s, Kevin McCarthy –, CNN’s Kristen Holmes, Breitbart, ”, Fox, Volodymyr Zelensky, Joe Biden, Trump’s, I’m, Rudy Giuliani, Nikki Haley, Jack Smith, Haley didn’t, “ We’re Organizations: CNN, Trump, GOP, Wyoming, Aspen Ideas, CNBC, California Republican, Breitbart News, –, Fox News Digital, weaponized Justice Department, New Hampshire Federation, Republican, NBC News, Republicans, New Hampshire Republican, Justice Department, Biden’s, Former South Carolina Gov Locations: Washington, Bedminster , New Jersey, United States, Illinois, California, Florida, Georgia, New Hampshire, Manhattan

☆ A.I. experts weigh in on how the technology could impact upcoming elections
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-27 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailA.I. experts weigh in on how the technology could impact upcoming electionsCNBC's Deirdre Bosa joins 'TechCheck' to discuss the Aspen Ideas Festival, the impact of generative AI on elections, and harnessing the benefits of AI technologies.

Persons: Deirdre Bosa Organizations: Aspen Ideas

☆ GM CEO Mary Barra on Tesla partnership: I texted Elon Musk
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-27 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

In this videoShare Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailGM CEO Mary Barra on Tesla partnership: I texted Elon MuskGM CEO Marry Barra joins CNBC's Andrew Ross Sorkin at the Aspen Ideas Festival to discuss the company's EV transition, profitability targets, Tesla partnership, and more.

Persons: Mary Barra, Elon, Barra, CNBC's Andrew Ross Sorkin Organizations: Tesla, CNBC's, Aspen Ideas

☆ Chevron CEO on the record about EV transition and oil demand
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-27 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailChevron CEO on the record about EV transition and oil demandChevron CEO Michael Wirth speaks with CNBC's Andrew Ross Sorkin from the Aspen Ideas Festival about the transition to EVs and what the shift means for energy companies such as Chevron.

Persons: Michael Wirth, CNBC's Andrew Ross Sorkin Organizations: Chevron, Aspen Ideas

☆ Ralph Lauren CEO on consumer spending: We're seeing them gravitating towards higher priced items
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-27 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

In this videoShare Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailRalph Lauren CEO on consumer spending: We're seeing them gravitating towards higher priced itemsRalph Lauren CEO Patrice Louvet joins CNBC's Andrew Ross Sorkin from the Aspen Ideas Festival to discuss consumer spending habits, whether consumers are trading down, marketing in today's landscape, and more.

Persons: Ralph Lauren, Lauren, Patrice Louvet, Andrew Ross Sorkin Organizations: Aspen Ideas

☆ BlackRock's Fink says he's stopped using 'weaponised' term ESG
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-26 | by ( Isla Binnie | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

June 26 (Reuters) - BlackRock (BLK.N) boss Larry Fink, at the forefront of the business world's adoption of environmental, social and corporate governance (ESG) standards, has stopped using the term, saying it has become too politicized. But the world's largest asset manager hasn't changed its stance on ESG issues, Fink told the Aspen Ideas Festival on Sunday. Republican politicians have attacked ESG as a way for the corporate world to implement what they argue is a politically liberal agenda, triggering a backlash from Democrats who are seeking to defend it. "I don't use the word ESG any more, because it's been entirely weaponised ... by the far left and weaponised by the far right," Fink said. "We had ... one of the best years ever, but I'm ashamed of being part of this conversation," said Fink, adding that his annual letters to investors that addressed ESG issues were never meant to be political statements.

Persons: Larry Fink, hasn't, Fink, it's, " Fink, Isla Binnie, Ross Kerber, Mark Potter Organizations: Aspen Ideas, Republican, United, BlackRock, Aspen, Thomson Locations: BlackRock, United States, United Nations, Texas, decarbonization

☆ FDA Commissioner Califf defends need for IRA Price negotiation
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-23 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailFDA Commissioner Califf defends need for IRA Price negotiationFDA Commissioner Robert Califf says his department is working with Medicare to help develop criteria for the first drugs to be subjected to price negotiations under the Inflation Reduction Action Act. Speaking with CNBC's Bertha Coombs at Aspen Ideas Health, Califf says the process may need adjustments but defended the need to try to bring down drug prices.

Persons: Califf, Robert Califf, CNBC's Bertha Coombs Organizations: Medicare, Aspen Ideas Health

☆ Airbnb CEO says his $75 billion company was rejected by investors—until a $40 box of cereal turned things around
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-18 | by ( Megan Sauer | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Airbnb CEO Brian Chesky and his two co-founders did it with $40 boxes of cereal. Specifically, they sold self-designed cereal boxes featuring then-presidential candidates Barack Obama and John McCain as a breakfast option in Airbnbs. The cereal proved popular, selling more than 1,000 boxes and making $30,000 for the company, Chesky said. It might have never happened without the cereal: Airbnb was rejected by multiple major investors during its first year of operations, Chesky noted in a 2015 Medium post. "The investors that rejected us were smart people, and I am sure we didn't look very impressive at the time," he wrote.

☆ Kamala Harris recalls testy exchange with Mike Pompeo on climate change during sit-down with Gloria Estefan
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-09 | by ( Kimberly Leonard | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Vice President Kamala Harris recalled a testy exchange she had with Mike Pompeo back in 2017. During Pompeo's confirmation hearing, she asked him if he believed in climate change. Harris was speaking about the Biden administration's climate policies at the Aspen Ideas conference in Miami. Speaking about her time in the Senate, Harris recalled the "heat" she took after an exchange she had with a Trump appointee about climate change during a confirmation hearing. Harris, who was then fresh off her election to represent California, asked Pompeo whether he believed in climate change.

☆ Walgreens CEO Roz Brewer wants to make getting healthcare as easy as going to your neighborhood pharmacy
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-28 | by ( Marguerite Ward | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Brewer, 60, is chasing a new first of sorts in her role at Walgreens: turning the $33 billion pharmacy chain into a destination healthcare company. After stepping into power at America's second-largest pharmacy during the deadliest disease event in US history, Brewer has been pursuing a wide-ranging strategy to remake the company. The company's larger rival, CVS Health, is following a similar strategy of making healthcare a bigger part of its business. "Dispensing of pharmaceuticals is not going to be our long-term growth avenue," Brewer said at a 2022 healthcare-industry conference, according to FierceHealthcare. But healthcare is complex and even the company's long-standing pharmacy business comes with challenges.

☆ How Palantir's tech-based patriotism and politics grew into a multi-billion dollar company
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-13 | by ( Cameron Costa | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

The data mining and software company got its start with government contracts, and 19 years since its inception, Palantir's government work is still central to its business. At its start, Palantir's business came directly from the FBI, the NSA, and even the CIA, whose venture arm In-Q-Tel was one of the company's earliest backers. For Karp, data and defense are intertwined, and his company's contracts with government agencies reflect a commitment to leveraging technology to bolster the West. Karp founded the company with well-known conservative tech investor Peter Thiel, and the two have publicly sparred over politics and technology. However, even as a $16.7 billion market cap publicly traded company, Palantir's work remains opaque.

CNN —Tesla CEO Elon Musk has denied a claim that he spoke directly to Russian President Vladimir Putin in recent weeks about the war in Ukraine and a proposed “peace plan” to end the conflict. Speaking to CNN on Tuesday, American political scientist Ian Bremmer, president of political consulting firm Eurasia Group, claimed Musk told him directly about his conversation with Putin last month. “Elon Musk told me he had spoken with Putin and the Kremlin directly about Ukraine. “My recommendation…would be to figure out a special administrative zone for Taiwan that is reasonably palatable, probably won’t make everyone happy,” Musk told the Financial Times in an interview published last week. “Musk also appeared concerned about more direct threats from Putin,” Bremmer wrote.

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