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The numbers behind a big fundOn Wall Street, one mystery has been whispered about for months: How accurate is the valuation of Blackstone’s flagship real estate fund? The speculation has arisen because the fund, the $59 billion Blackstone Real Estate Income Trust — more commonly known as BREIT — has managed to keep an “appraised” value of its assets that far exceeds virtually every other real estate fund. Many rivals have fallen in value, some quite dramatically, in the face of high interest rates and a flagging property market. BREIT’s performance has floated above its competition, and it has boasted a 10.5 percent annual return since its 2017 debut. (Those appraisals help to determine a firm’s management fees: The higher the appraisal value, the higher the fees.)

Persons: —, Blackstone, DealBook’s Andrew Ross Sorkin, Michael de la Organizations: Blackstone Real Locations: Michael de la Merced

But there’s an overlooked set of winners as well: utilities and energy companies. The power demands of the huge data centers that underpin the A.I. Wall Street is taking notice — but the climate effect isn’t getting as much attention. Tech’s energy needs are coming into focus as investors get to grips with how much of an “energy hog” generative A.I. Analysts at Wells Fargo see the A.I.

Organizations: Microsoft Locations: Wells

☆ Meet nuclear power's newest fans: data centers
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-06 | by ( Daniel Geiger | Ellen Thomas | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +11 min

The deal illustrates data centers' new-found interest in nuclear power. Joe Dominguez, the CEO of Constellation, the nation's largest operator of nuclear plants, said in a March earnings call that powering data centers with nuclear energy was "kind of a perfect marriage." AdvertisementVistra, another nuclear owner, also indicated it was arranging data center deals for a nuclear plant it owns in Ohio and one in Texas. Greg Poulos, the executive director of a PJM watchdog group, said that "one of my highest priority, highest radar items" is how data centers could push costs onto consumers and also whether nuclear data centers deals could reduce grid reliability. Beyond the nuclear optionNot all data centers, of course, are seeking out nuclear power to seize their energy independence.

Persons: —, Wes Swenson, Swenson, Joe Dominguez, Jim Burke, Ralph La Rossa, La Rossa, Steve Helber, Burke, Dominguez, PJM, Michael Jacobs, Brian Janous, Greg Poulos, Poulos, Biden Organizations: Service, Susquehanna, Amazon, Business, US Energy Information Administration, Nuclear, Constellation, Public Service Enterprise Group, Microsoft, International Energy Agency, Dominion Energy, Talen Energy, Energy, Union of Concerned Locations: Pennsylvania, Salt Lake City, Ohio, Texas, New Jersey, Our, Jersey, Virginia, Chester , Va, Susquehanna, Chicago, New York City

Paramount’s proposed merger with Skydance has been the most tumultuous media deal in years. Now it has taken yet another turn after the exclusivity period for negotiations expired without an agreement in hand. Paramount shareholders grumbled that granting exclusivity was a mistake, and that the company should have engaged with Apollo instead. This week, the special committee told Skydance that it was letting the exclusivity period lapse. But it does allow Paramount to open up negotiations with Apollo and Sony Pictures Entertainment, which joined Apollo’s bid.

Persons: Paramount’s, Skydance, David Ellison — Organizations: Apollo Global Management, Paramount, Skydance, Apollo, Sony Pictures Entertainment

☆ Berkshire Reports Drop in Profits but Formidable Cash Stockpile
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-04 | by ( Michael J. De La Merced | More About Michael J. De La Merced | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Berkshire Hathaway on Saturday reported a sharp drop in first-quarter profits, driven largely by lower investment income, as the conglomerate’s chief executive, Warren E. Buffett, prepares to speak at its annual investor meeting. Those results belie an increase in operating earnings, which track the actual profits that Berkshire’s array of companies produce, and in Berkshire’s formidable cash hoard — which totaled nearly $189 billion as of March 31 — that points to the company’s robust health. The company’s latest results set a backdrop for the meeting in downtown Omaha, which will be the first for Berkshire since the death in November of Charles Munger, Mr. Buffett’s longtime business partner and alter ego, at age 99. For the first three months of the year, Berkshire reported $12.7 billion in earnings attributable to its shareholders, down 64 percent from the same time a year ago. Driving the drop was a steep fall in the paper value of Berkshire’s vast investment portfolio though Mr. Buffett has long warned shareholders to ignore fluctuations in the company’s stock holdings.

Persons: Berkshire Hathaway, Warren E, Buffett, Charles Munger, Buffett’s Organizations: Berkshire Locations: Omaha, Berkshire

☆ Kendrick Lamar and Drake's beef explained, from its 2013 origins to their diss tracks "Push Ups" and "6:16 in LA" and latest responses
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-04 | by ( Ayomikun Adekaiyero | Eve Crosbie | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +26 min

Both rappers released diss tracks that took blistering personal shots on Friday night. "He doesn't have the heart for the lying, disrespect, and animosity it requires to make an effective diss track," Pierre wrote. Later in the track, Drake references Cole's diss track and apology. At the end of the track, Lamar samples a 1994 Tupac interview to simulate a conversation between the two rappers. "6:16 in LA" also parodies Drake's song titles, which often feature location names and timestamps.

Persons: Kendrick Lamar, Drake's, Drake, —, Lamar's fiancée Whitney Alford, Lamar, Aubrey Drake Graham —, Lamar dissed Drake, J, Cole, Rick Ross, Cole —, Taylor, Joseph Okpako, WireImage Lamar, Jermaine Cole, Big, Wale, Pusha, Meek Millz, Big Sean, Jay, Tyler, Mac Miller, Kunta, Lamar hasn't, Meek, Getty, Tim Mosenfelder, Aubrey, Muhammad Ali, Michael Jackson, Jackson, Prince, Mike Jack, Prince . Prince, “, rics, Organizations: Metro Boomin, Service, Future, Metro, HBO, Drake, Wireless, Lamar, Big, Rocky, Rap Locations: Drake's, Lamar, LA, Florida

But this year’s event will be the first without Munger, who died in November at age 99 — and comes amid growing questions about Berkshire post-Buffett, who’s 93. Buffett will have a different crew answering questions alongside him on Saturday. Berkshire’s vice chairmen, Greg Abel and Ajit Jain, will be on hand for much of the day. Shareholders most likely will be focused on what Abel, Buffett’s appointed successor as C.E.O. In Buffett’s annual letter to investors, he noted challenges to Berkshire’s biggest businesses, including the BNSF railroad (falling shipment volumes) and its utility business (forest fires).

Persons: Warren Buffett, Charlie Munger, Munger, Buffett, Greg Abel, Ajit Jain, Abel, Buffett’s Organizations: Berkshire, Shareholders Locations: Berkshire, Omaha, Woodstock, America

ImageHERE’S WHAT’S HAPPENINGExxon Mobil strikes an agreement to win regulatory approval of its $60 billion megadeal. Elsewhere, shares in Shell were up after the producer reported $7.7 billion in adjusted quarterly earnings, beating analyst expectations. The U.S. imposes sanctions on Chinese companies over military support for Russia’s war effort. The Biden administration announced on Wednesday nearly 300 sanctions, including on more than a dozen Chinese businesses, aimed at disrupting Moscow’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. The culprit: pressure on prices, amid growing competition from Eli Lilly’s Zepbound, supply constraints and scrutiny from lawmakers.

Persons: Scott Sheffield, Biden, Janet Yellen, Antony Blinken, Eli Lilly’s Zepbound, James Comer, Comer Organizations: Labor Department, Exxon Mobil, Natural Resources, Wall Street, Novo Nordisk, Republican, European Commission Locations: Shell, U.S, Ukraine, Danish, Kentucky, iRobot

A flicker of hope for the weed businessFor years, the dreams of the cannabis industry looked like they might go up in smoke, with the U.S. government classifying marijuana as a drug as dangerous as heroin. But the multibillion-dollar industry now has some hope that could change. The bet is that this will give the industry a new lease on life — though it shouldn’t expect big changes immediately. Shares in Tilray, a giant in the industry, jumped 39 percent on Tuesday, while those in Canopy Growth leaped nearly 79 percent. That’s welcome news for investors in both companies: Canopy Growth’s stock is down 97 percent over the past five years, while those in Tilray are down 95 percent.

Persons: Biden Organizations: U.S, Justice Locations: Tilray

☆ NASCAR and Its Race Teams Fight Over the Sport’s Future
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-01 | by ( Ken Belson | More About Ken Belson | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

When Michael Jordan and his right-hand man, Curtis Polk, bought a NASCAR team in 2020 with the driver Denny Hamlin, they were prepared to endure short-term losses. The Next Generation cars that were introduced in 2022 would cost top teams about $18 million a year to run before paying a driver, and their team, 23xi, had two. But they believed they’d make that money back over time because NASCAR had a lot of room to grow. Sponsorships, the lifeblood of every race team, were still in demand, especially for a team owned by a basketball legend like Jordan. The main reason, they said, is NASCAR’s reluctance to share more of its growing revenue with 23xi and the 15 other racing teams in the NASCAR Cup Series.

Persons: Michael Jordan, Curtis Polk, Denny Hamlin, Jordan Organizations: NASCAR, Fox, NBC, Amazon, Warner Bros .

☆ The $21 billion influencer industry has gone completely off the rails
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-01 | by ( Katherine Tangalakis-Lippert | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

Influencer marketing is booming, and brands spend billions to promote products with a personal touch. But these days, the industry of influencer marketing is completely off the rails. Since 2016, the dollars driving the influencer marketing industry have ballooned from $1.6 billion a year to an estimated $21.1 billion in 2023, according to Influencer Marketing Hub. Marketers, brands, influencers, and platform companies all have opportunities to exploit one another to varying degrees of harm." It's not great for consumersDespite the money flying around, the FTC only provides basic guidelines about disclosure requirements for influencer marketing to protect consumers of their content.

Persons: —, Emily Hund, Hund, David Camp, Michael Jordan, George Foreman, Brooke Shields, Calvin Klein, isn't, It's, Kim Kardashian, influencer Chiara Ferragni, Lindsay Lohan, DJ Khaled, Naomi Campbell, Kardashian, Dylan Mulvaney, Bud Light, Ben Shapiro, Donald Trump Jr, Camp Organizations: Service, Business, Social Media, Harvard Business, CBS News, Nike, Salton, FTC, SEC, Consumer, NBC Locations: influencers, California

Paramount’s cloudy futureThe boardroom intrigue at Paramount Global — the drama that has gripped the corporate world — just got messier. Bob Bakish is out as C.E.O., replaced by three subordinates who will form an “office of the C.E.O.” His departure caps a year of rising tension between him and Shari Redstone, Paramount’s controlling shareholder, who is pushing for a deal with David Ellison’s Skydance. Bakish’s exit removed an executive who didn’t support that transaction, but it doesn’t resolve all of the big questions hanging over the company’s future. Why Bakish was pushed out: Redstone picked the low-profile company veteran to lead Paramount after years of internal strife, but they still ended up clashing.

Persons: Bob Bakish, ”, Shari Redstone, David Ellison’s Skydance, Bakish Organizations: Paramount Global, Redstone, Paramount

Why Elon Musk went to ChinaJust days after Secretary of State Antony Blinken traveled to Beijing and warned China about unfair trade practices, Elon Musk landed in the Chinese capital. 2 official may have paid off: Musk reportedly cleared two obstacles to introducing a fully autonomous driving system in the world’s biggest car market. Musk is betting big on self-driving, and China is key. Tesla last week reported its worst quarter in two years as a price war hurts profit. Fully autonomous driving is also crucial.

Persons: Elon Musk, Antony Blinken, Tesla, China’s, they’ve, Musk, ” Organizations: Elon Locations: China, Beijing

☆ NBA stars are scoring big in the fashion world
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-29 | by ( Nick Remsen | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

Basketball players’ style — largely in the men’s league, but increasingly the women’s too — has become a bonafide pillar in fashion media and consumption. Basketball players’ style has more eyes on it than any other sport, the Pulitzer Prize-winning author Mitchell S. Jackson told CNN. “(The league) was the first to embrace it,” Jackson, author of the recently released photobook “Fly: The Big Book of Basketball Fashion,” explained. “Basketball players are so much a part of American culture. Bettman/Getty Images/Courtesy Workman“We talk a lot about current NBA tunnel style, but the league has been America’s most stylish for decades,” Schube continued.

Persons: Tyrese Haliburton, Pepper Robinson, Ron Hoskins, NBAE, — Tyrese Haliburton, —, Pharrell Williams, Birkin, it’s, Shai Gilgeous, Alexander, Russell Westbrook, LeBron James, Josh Giddey, Tyler Herro, “, Marcus Paul, Luka Dončic, ” There’s, Caitlin Clark, Prada, Sam Schube, Thom Browne, AJ Mast, Tyler Ross, Workman, Virgil Abloh, Louis Vuitton, Williams, Kim Kardashian’s, Donovan Clingan, Caleb Love, Hunter Dickinson, Jared McCain, Duke, Robert Dillingham, Paxson Wojcik, Mitchell S, Jackson, ” Jackson, ”, LeBron, Michael Jordan, Jordan, Jackson’s, Peggy Sirota, who’ve, Stephen “ Steph ” Curry, Curry, Steph Curry, Jed Jacobsohn “, ’ ” Curry, ” Curry, “ I’m, Kyle Kuzma, Timothée, Johnson, Andrew D, Bernstein, Walt Frazier, Bettman, ” Schube, “ Allen Iverson, Phil Jackson, Pat Riley, Armani, Walt Fraziers, Wilt Chamberlain’s, Fatih Aktas, ‘, ’ ”, …, they’d, ” Gilgeous, Alexander —, haven’t Organizations: Indiana Pacers, Basketball, Gilgeous, CNN, GQ, Cleveland Cavaliers, New York Times, Los Angeles Lakers, Oklahoma City Thunder, NBA, UConn, UNC, “ Basketball, Golden State Warriors, Fashion Council, Savant, State, GQ Sports, ’, Workman New York Knicks, Royce, Anadolu Agency, Getty, Civil, Nike Locations: Haliburton, Arizona, Kansas, Robert Dillingham ( Kentucky, Chicago , Illinois, Gilgeous

☆ We need to step up to create more resilience, deterrence: Saab CEO
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-26 | 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 EmailWe need to step up to create more resilience, deterrence: Saab CEOSaab CEO Michael Johansson discusses the outlook for defense spending by European countries.

Persons: Michael Johansson Organizations: Saab

☆ The best outfits celebrity couples wore at the Time100 Gala
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-26 | by ( Amanda Krause | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

A handful of celebrity couples were in attendance and showcased their most glamorous looks. Patrick and Brittany Mahomes wore diamonds, while Michael J. Fox and Tracy Pollan looked chic. From Patrick and Brittany Mahomes to Michael J. Fox and Tracy Pollan, here are the best couple outfits on the red carpet.

Persons: Patrick, Brittany Mahomes, Michael J, Fox, Tracy Pollan, — Organizations: Service Locations: New York City, Patrick

An effort to give Trump more say on ratesThis week, investors had planned to examine the latest inflation data, due out at 8:30 a.m. Eastern on Friday, for clues about when the Fed would start cutting interest rates. The Wall Street Journal reports that allies of Donald Trump are devising ways of watering down the central bank’s independence if he is re-elected president. But it also raises questions about whether such a plan is possible — or whether Trump’s Wall Street supporters would back it. Among the most consequential would be asserting that Trump had the authority to oust Jay Powell as Fed chair before Powell’s term is up in 2025. While Trump gave Powell the job in 2017, he has since soured on his pick for raising rates, and has publicly said he wouldn’t give Powell a second term.

Persons: Donald Trump, Trump, Jay Powell, Powell, wouldn’t Organizations: Trump, Street Journal, Wall

☆ Why auction houses are embracing luxury — and celebrity — fashion
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-25 | by ( Joan Kennedy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

(CNN) — There’s a lot of talk about luxury’s rising prices, but it’s at auction that fashion is selling for the most eye-popping of sums. Fashion items from the sets of TV, film and even commercials can also garner high prices. Frank Augstein/APWhile selling prices are widely publicized, auction houses maintain something akin to attorney-client privilege when it comes to the identities of their bidders. In fact, much of the archival fashion seen on stars today has passed through auction. “That dress would now sell for $10 million because of that double whammy connection of a celebrity,” said Nolan.

Persons: —, Celine, Joan Didion, Levi’s, Kurt Cobain, Elton, Burberry, ”, Nicole Kidman, Lucy Bishop, Frank Augstein, Bishop, Audrey Hepburn, Diana —, Victoria, they’re, Lady Gaga, Kim Kardashian, Michael Jackson’s, Laverne Cox, Jordan Strauss, ’, Shannon Hoey, Hoey, Dior, Elizabeth Debicki, Diana, “, Meg Randell, Leigh Anne Clark —, Valentino, Saint Laurent, Chanel, Andre Leon Talley’s Birkin, Christie’s, Anna Wintour, Clark, Talley, would’ve, Andre Leon Talley's, Meghan McCarthy, Renae Plant, Diana’s, It’s, Carrie Bradshaw, Martin Nolan, Carrie Bradshaw's, Craig Blankenhorn, Barbie, Marilyn Monroe, John F, Kennedy, Nolan, Read Organizations: The, Fashion, CNN, AMC, Albert Museum, York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art, Vogue, USA, Plant, City, Julien’s, HBO Locations: London, Dallas, Palm Beach , Florida, California, Paris, Australia

Meta’s A.I. But for investors, that’s not enough — and that’s a warning to other tech giants set to announce their own financial results in the coming days. That makes clear that while Wall Street loves the opportunities that A.I. The company plans to spend $35 billion to $40 billion this year — much of that on the technology — up from a forecast of $30 billion to $37 billion. It also expects second-quarter revenue to come in at $36.5 billion to $39 billion, below analyst estimates.

Persons: Meta’s, Meta, that’s, Mark Zuckerberg Organizations: Facebook, Wall, Meta

The winners from the TikTok battleThe countdown to TikTok disappearing from the United States is about to start. The Senate overwhelmingly passed legislation to force the divestment of the video app by its Chinese owner, ByteDance, within a year or be banned. Barring the app from U.S. shores could take months, or even years — if it actually happens. The road ahead is complicated, and any disruptions to the app could bolster its American rivals. Analysts at Bernstein have estimated that, should TikTok be banned, Meta could draw up to 60 percent of TikTok’s American ad revenue, while YouTube could take another 25 percent or so.

Persons: Biden, Bernstein Organizations: Google, Meta, YouTube Locations: United States

☆ Remember that Versace dress Jennifer Garner wore in ‘13 Going on 30"?
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-23 | by ( Marie Lodi | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

DeSanto accessorized the dress with colorful Swarovski crystal jewelry by Tarina Tarantino, including a blue butterfly statement necklace. Columbia Pictures/Everett CollectionDecades later, the dress has become a beloved artifact for nostalgic rom-com fans and modern fashion enthusiasts alike. “(Garner) put it on, we got her all dolled up, she went to dance, and we moved on,” she said. DeSanto also credits director Gary Winick, who died in 2011, for the film’s fashion sense. As DeSanto points out, “13 Going on 30” is a story about a young woman coming into herself — and how, more than anything, it’s important just to be yourself.

Persons: —, Jenna Rink, Gilson nightgown, baguette, Susie DeSanto, Jennifer Garner, Miu Miu, Prada, Ralph Lauren, Roberto Cavalli, Versace, ” DeSanto, “ I’d, Giovanni Giannoni, Jenna, partygoers, Michael Jackson’s, — Versace, DeSanto, Tarina Tarantino, Tarantino, Marc Jacobs’s, — she’s, ”, “ It’s, Betsey Johnson tutus, Christa B, Allen, Ariana Grande, wasn’t, weren’t, “, Garner, Stella McCartney, Alberta Ferretti, Mark Ruffalo, Jen, we’re, I’ve, Gary Winick, Gary, ” Winick, Mark Ruffalo’s Organizations: CNN, Fairchild, Penske Media, Columbia Pictures, Everett Locations: Manhattan, lockstep, Barney’s, Italy, Etsy, Alberta, “, New York

Campus unrest spreadsTop American colleges are in turmoil, with dozens of pro-Palestinian student protesters having been arrested at N.Y.U. and Yale amid new worries about antisemitism on campus. The latest: Police were called in to break up pro-Palestinian protests at N.Y.U. Harvard shut Harvard Yard and Columbia will make classes at its main campus hybrid until next week. Encampments were growing at other schools, including M.I.T., the University of Michigan and the University of California, Berkeley.

Organizations: Palestinian, Yale, University, University of Pennsylvania, Harvard, Police, Columbia, University of Michigan, University of California Locations: N.Y.U, Columbia, Berkeley

☆ Kim Kardashian clears up whether she blow dries her jewelry and other rumors
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-23 | by ( Lisa Respers France | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

CNN —Kim Kardashian has led quite the life. “She was my next door neighbor when I was like seven and eight years old,” Kardashian said. “Everyone was like, ‘Oh my God I love your bracelets.’ And we were like, ‘Thanks. Kimmel also asked a few questions to clear up rumors he had heard about Kardashian, like whether she blow dries her jewelry before she wears it. Kardashian does not, however, have six toes on one foot.

Persons: CNN — Kim Kardashian, Kardashian, Jimmy Kimmel, Kourtney, Madonna, “, ” Kardashian, ’ ” Kardashian, Kimmel, Michael Organizations: CNN

Tesla investors’ nerve-racking rideTesla has hardly been keeping quiet as it prepares to announce earnings on Tuesday. These developments are the latest signs that Tesla is confronting its toughest stretch in years — and many shareholders aren’t convinced that the company and its C.E.O., Elon Musk, are taking the right steps to address it. The latest: During the weekend, Tesla cut prices of several models in China, the U.S. and Europe. Those moves came a day after Tesla voluntarily recalled nearly 4,000 Cybertrucks over a faulty accelerator pedal that could get stuck. It’s all apparently keeping Musk so busy that he canceled a trip to India, during which he was expected to meet with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and announce plans to build a factory there.

Persons: Tesla, aren’t, Elon Musk, Narendra Modi Locations: China, U.S, Europe, India

☆ Taylor Swift, Tupac, and Snoop Dogg are now somehow part of the weekslong rap beef between Drake and Kendrick Lamar
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-21 | by ( Hannah Getahun | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Read previewIf you thought rap's latest all-out brawl couldn't get any more convoluted, enter Taylor Swift, Snoop Dogg, and Tupac Shakur. On Friday, an embattled Drake released "Taylor Made," his second diss track in response to Kendrick Lamar, which mentions the "Fortnight" singer and uses what sounds like an AI-generated Shakur and Snoop Dogg to try to humble Lamar. AdvertisementThe fake Tupac gives Lamar advice on how to properly diss Drake by referencing rumors about the Canadian rapper "liking young girls." The actual human Snoop Dogg humorously responded to the verse in an Instagram video Friday evening. Representatives for Swift, Snoop Dogg, Drake, and Lamar, and a lawyer for Shakur's estate did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Business Insider.

Persons: —, Taylor Swift, Snoop Dogg, Tupac Shakur, Drake, Taylor, Kendrick Lamar, Lamar, J, Cole, Prince, Mike Jack, Michael Jackson, Jackson, Pop, Rick Ross, Ye, Lamar —, Tupac, Shakur, Snoop, Lamar hasn't, Swift Organizations: Service, Business, Metro Boomin, Listeners, Poet's Department, Genius, Dawg Entertainment, Apple Music Locations: Lamar

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