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☆ Disney technology executive Aaron LaBerge to leave company for personal reasons
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-22 | by ( Alex Sherman | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

The Walt Disney company logo is displayed on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange during morning trading on Dec. 1, 2023. Aaron LaBerge, the chief technology officer for Disney Entertainment and ESPN, is leaving the company, according to an internal memo. LaBerge is leaving for personal reasons related to his family and will stay on at Disney until June, the memo said. At ESPN, LaBerge has been a central figure behind the company's streaming services, including ESPN+, the upcoming sports streaming application co-owned by Disney, Warner Bros. They include former CEO Bob Chapek, former head of streaming Kevin Mayer, ex-finance chief Christine McCarthy, former Walt Disney Studios Chairman Alan Horn, former Disney general counsel Alan Braverman, ex-head of communications Zenia Mucha, and former president of Walt Disney Pictures, Sean Bailey.

Persons: Aaron LaBerge, LaBerge, He'll, He's, Bob Chapek, Kevin Mayer, Christine McCarthy, Alan Horn, Alan Braverman, Zenia Mucha, Sean Bailey, Aaron, Jimmy Pitaro, Dana Walden, Alan Bergman, Chris Lawson, Paul Allen Organizations: Walt Disney, New York Stock Exchange, Disney Entertainment, ESPN, PENN Entertainment, ESPN Bet, Disney, Hulu, Warner Bros . Discovery, Fox, Walt Disney Studios, Walt Disney Pictures, ESPN BET, Company, Starwave

☆ How Rick Beato struck YouTube gold with his ‘Everything Music’ channel
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-25 | by ( John Blake | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +16 min

I first heard about Beato after stumbling onto his YouTube channel. During the pandemic, for example, many music fans migrated to the internet to watch various forms of music because live music was off-limits. “I still feel at 60 the same way I did when I was 14,” he said recently in a YouTube video. His face lights up when he talks about his family on his YouTube channel. “My YouTube Channel was a way to honor my parents and leave something for my kids.

Persons: Rick Beato, Instagram, Beato, ”, Pat Metheny, Sting, Jimi Hendrix, he’s, it’s, “, you’re, He’s, Rick, —, Mike Rowe, Jobs, ” Rowe, I’ve, I’m, “ Woo, Bach, Brad Mehldau, Keith Williams, Williams, ” Beato, Dick Cavett, Keith Jarrett, Jarrett, John Coltrane, Beato regaled Jarrett, awestruck, ” Jarrett, Steve Gadd, Chuck Mangione, Oscar Peterson, Music —, Nina, Dylan, Lennon, Layla, Eric Clapton, polychords, Taylor Swift’s “, Paul Allen, Everybody, Joni Mitchell, Herbie Hancock, Rick Beato's, Melissa Golden, John Blake Organizations: CNN, YouTube, Costco, Twitter, Facebook, Berklee College of Music, Eastman School of Music, Ithaca College, New, Conservatory, Music, Ithaca, Microsoft, Intelligence Locations: Atlanta , Georgia, London, Berlin, New Jersey, Fairport, Rochester , New York, Italian, New York, Ithaca, Atlanta, Silicon Valley

☆ David Hockney painting ‘California’ expected to fetch up to $20 million
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-26 | by ( Story Reuters | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

Reuters —An early work by British artist David Hockney, a painting depicting his well-known pool motif and not seen in public for more than 40 years, is headed for auction with an estimate of around $20 million. The painting, last seen in public in 1979, is a highlight of auction house Christie’s “20th/21st Century: London Evening Sale” on March 7. It is listed with “a price on request,” with an estimate in the region of £16 million ($20.37 million). English artist David Hockney printmaking at the Edition Alecto Press studios, London, circa 1965. “There is a lot of crossover between the two works but also we’ve seen since that world record price in 2018 a real broadening of the market for David Hockney,” Lord said.

Persons: Reuters —, David Hockney, Hockney, Christie’s, ” Tessa Lord, Tony Evans, ”, ” Lord, “, Paul Allen Organizations: Reuters, Press, Timelapse, Hulton Locations: British, California, Los Angeles, Christie’s, London, ” “ California, Paris, New York

☆ A top Cisco executive says he was successful despite skipping college, but still pushed his kids to go because he may just be a one-off
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-31 | by ( Sawdah Bhaimiya | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Meads still encouraged his kids to go to college because he was worried his success was a one-off. NEW LOOK Sign up to get the inside scoop on today’s biggest stories in markets, tech, and business — delivered daily. AdvertisementAdvertisementCisco's top executive in the UK has something in common with Bill Gates: he doesn't have a college degree and doesn't think you need one either. "I never did anything academically beyond my GCSEs [exams taken at 16 in the UK] and never went to university," Meads told Fortune. But Meads still pushed his children to go to university because he was worried that his success might be a one-off.

Persons: David Meads, Meads, —, Bill Gates, Fortune, you've, didn't, Paul Allen, it's Organizations: Cisco's, Service, Ireland, Siemens, Meads, Harvard University, Microsoft

☆ Should I Wear a Fleece to the Office?
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-25 | by ( Vanessa Friedman | More About Vanessa Friedman | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Currently, I wear a charcoal fleece with a nice fit, but I can’t help but feel the look is starting to feel tired. Fleece is an easy solution and was, for a while, the favorite office uniform of shadow banker bros everywhere, for a variety for reasons. Second, it provided a direct visual contrast to the navy-suit establishment, suggesting that your hedge fund or private equity firm had a different, cooler set of values (especially if said firm was ESG-Patagonia aligned). I knew one private equity titan who deliberately kept his office temperature frigid and always wore a fleece quarter-zip under his jacket, the better to put visitors, who were not expecting the chill, at a disadvantage. The problem is, at that point — or the I-don’t-want-to-look-like-an-extra-in- “Billions” point — fleece at work becomes a cliché.

Persons: — Jessica, Paul Locations: San Diego, Davos, Patagonia

☆ Climate Forward Live Event Discussing the Threats of a Rapidly Warming Planet
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-21 | by ( Adam Pasick | The New York Times | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +3 min

PinnedThe Times climate event will feature interviews and sessions with speakers including (clockwise from upper left) Ajay Banga, Robin Wall Kimmerer, Marie Kondo, Bill Gates, Michael R. Bloomberg and Ebony Twilley Martin. The Climate Forward live event is bringing together some of climate’s most vital newsmakers to share ideas, work through problems and answer tough questions about the threats presented by a rapidly warming planet. The former vice president noted that the United Nations had appointed a top oil executive, Sultan Ahmed al-Jaber of the United Arab Emirates, to lead this year’s global climate talks. “That’s just, like, taking the disguise off,” Mr. Gore said at The New York Times’s Climate Forward event in Manhattan. “It’s enough already.”Expert journalists from across The Times’s newsroom are providing critical analysis of the remarks by guests at the Climate Forward event, who include world leaders, activists, scientists and corporate executives.

Persons: Ajay Banga, Robin Wall Kimmerer, Marie Kondo, Bill Gates, Michael R, Ebony Twilley Martin, ”, Al Gore, Sultan Ahmed al, Jaber, “ That’s, ” Mr, Gore, “ They’ve, “, We’ll, Bill Gates Bill Gates, Paul Allen, Melinda Gates, Ajay Banga Ajay Banga, David Malpass Organizations: Bloomberg, United Nations, United Arab, The, Microsoft, Melinda Gates Foundation, Energy, World Bank, Mastercard Locations: New York City, United Arab Emirates, York, Manhattan, Banga

☆ Oracle founder Larry Ellison makes first-ever trip to Microsoft headquarters for cloud announcement
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-14 | by ( Jordan Novet | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Larry Ellison, the co-founder, chairman and chief technology officer of Oracle , has been going up against Microsoft to in database software for more than 30 years. He has also had to deal with clients looking to connect their Oracle and Microsoft products. Putting the Oracle equipment in Azure data centers means that applications will be able to quickly access data from the databases. Nadella said the new collaboration might help companies more quickly move their workloads from their existing data centers to the public cloud. But Ellison controls 42% of Oracle's outstanding shares, while Gates owns just over 1% of Microsoft stock, according to FactSet.

Persons: Larry Ellison, Bill Gates, Monfils of, Alexander Zverev of, Satya Nadella, Ellison, It's, Nadella, haven't, Paul Allen, Gates, McNamee Organizations: Oracle, Microsoft Co, BNP, Microsoft, Bing, Sun Microsystems, Windows, U.S . Justice Department, Bloomberg, Partners Locations: Alexander Zverev of Germany, Indian Wells, Calif, Seattle, Redmond, Washington

☆ Painting bought at thrift store for $4 could fetch $250,000 at auction
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-30 | by ( Oscar Holland | Carlie Porterfield | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

Her joke was no laughing matter, and the painting is now estimated to fetch as much as $250,000 at auction in September. According to specialists at Bonhams Skinner auction house, the seller unknowingly purchased the work at a Savers thrift store in Manchester, New Hampshire, while searching for frames to reuse. The Wyeth painting had been stashed against a wall along with mostly damaged posters and prints, according to the auction house. Bonhams Skinner auction house expects the painting to fetch between $150,000 and $250,000 at September's auction. Auction house specialists believe the publishing company Little, Brown and Company may have passed the work along to an editor or to the author’s estate.

Persons: Wyeth, Skinner, Bonhams Skinner, Lauren Lewis, Andrew Wyeth, Jamie Wyeth, Lewis, ” Lewis, CNN Wyeth, Helen Hunt, Ramona, ”, Brown, Paul Allen’s, Andrew Wyeth’s Organizations: The Art, CNN, Boston Globe, Globe, Microsoft, Christie’s Locations: Maine, Manchester , New Hampshire, N.C, York

☆ Bill Gates says he didn't find school 'interesting' and was 'lazy' at math when he was young
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-21 | by ( Sawdah Bhaimiya | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Microsoft's cofounder Bill Gates lacked motivation when he was at school and was 'lazy' at math. "Early on in math, I was kind of lazy," 67-year-old Gates said. "And a teacher in eighth grade said, you know: 'How come you're so lazy? Gates explained that the teacher would give him books to read and push him to do better. However, Gates has encouraged students to stick out the full four years of college to get the best out of their education.

Persons: Bill Gates, Sal Khan –, Gates, we're, Paul Allen Organizations: Harvard University, Microsoft, Morning, Khan, –

☆ Virgin Galactic launches first paying customers to the edge of space
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-29 | by ( Jackie Wattles | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

CNN —Virgin Galactic, the venture founded by British billionaire Richard Branson, successfully launched its first paying customers to the edge of space — a milestone two decades in the making. (Future Virgin Galactic flights, however, are expected to include a range of high-profile customers.) Bennett’s role was to assess the comfort and function of the flight, using that information to inform future changes Virgin Galactic might make to its rocket-powered space plane, VSS Unity. Organizations such as NASA have routinely flown experiments on suborbital rockets, including Virgin Galactic and Blue Origin missions. In a tragic 2014 accident, Virgin Galactic’s space plane broke apart during flight, killing the mission’s copilot, Michael Alsbury.

Persons: Richard Branson, Virgin Galactic’s, Jeff Bezos’s, Walter Villadei, Angelo Landolfi, Colin Bennett, Pantaleone, Branson, Burt Rutan, Paul Allen, Hamish Harding, Michael Alsbury, — Organizations: CNN, Virgin Galactic, Italian Air Force, Virgin, SpaceX, Italy’s National Research Council, Branson, VSS, VSS Unity, NASA, International, National Research Council, Microsoft, Galactic, OceanGate, Scaled Composites, Origin, Congress, Federal Aviation Administration, FAA Locations: British, New Mexico, United States

☆ Self-made millionaire: Smart risk-takers don't try to 'change the world'—here's what they do instead
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-07 | by ( Ashton Jackson | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Oftentimes, commencement speakers conclude their speeches with something to the effect of, "now go out and change the world." Taking smart risks can ultimately lead to revolutionary ideas, says John Crowley, executive chairman of Amicus Therapeutics, a biotechnology company. But if your ultimate career goal is to change the world, you may be setting yourself up for disappointment. "Very few people have changed the world," Crowley tells CNBC Make It. Crowley says that smart risk-takers avoid setting lofty, broad goals, opting instead for clear, tangible goals.

Persons: John Crowley, Crowley, they've, —, Bill Gates, Paul Allen, Steve Jobs, Steve Wozniak, Kelly Evans Organizations: Amicus Therapeutics, CNBC, Novazyme Pharmaceuticals, Genzyme Corporation, Microsoft, Apple

☆ Bill Gates' top books, TV shows and music for summer 2023: 'There's more to life than reading'
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-05 | by ( Nicolas Vega | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

The world's fourth-richest man normally releases his summer reading recommendations near the beginning of June. But this year, Gates decided that "there's more to life than reading." These are Bill Gates' "great books, songs and shows for the summer." "It was far from stateless and primitive when Europeans arrived," Gates writes. His curated Spotify playlist includes "many of my favorite songs" from artists ranging from Enrique Iglesias to Vampire Weekend.

Persons: Bill Gates, Gates, I've, Gabrielle Zevin, —, Paul Allen, Howard French, Howard W, Netflix Gates, Birgitte Nyborg, who's, Enrique Iglesias, Bono, Kelly Evans Organizations: Microsoft, Netflix Locations: Denmark, Africa, French, Danish

☆ Here's what Bill Gates is reading, listening to, and watching this summer
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-03 | by ( Grace Kay | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

"Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow" by Gabrielle ZevinBill Gates recommended the book "Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow" for his 2023 summer reading list. Gates said he loved the book even though he doesn't consider himself a gamer. "Like Sam and Sadie, we worked together every day for years. Paul's vision and contributions to the company were absolutely critical to its success, and then he chose to move on. We had a great relationship, but not without some of the complexities that success brings."

Persons: Gabrielle Zevin Bill Gates, Sadie, Gates, doesn't, Paul Allen, Sam, Paul Organizations: Microsoft Locations: Cambridge , Massachusetts

☆ Virgin Orbit enters $17 million 'stalking horse' bid to sell aircraft assets
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-17 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

May 16 (Reuters) - Bankrupt satellite launch company Virgin Orbit said on Tuesday it entered into a "stalking horse" agreement with Stratolaunch to sell mainly its aircraft assets, including the "Cosmic Girl" carrier aircraft, for $17 million in cash. A stalking horse bid is used as a starting bid or minimally accepted offer that other interested bidders must surpass if they want to buy the asset or company. In a court filing, Virgin Orbit said the bid does not prevent going concern bidders from making bids for all its assets, including the ones Stratolaunch is bidding for. The company said the bankruptcy marketing process has also generated considerable interest in its assets other than carrier aircraft. Virgin Orbit, founded by billionaire Richard Branson, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in April after the company struggled to secure long-term funding following a failed satellite launch in January.

☆ Virgin Orbit receives $17 million bid for rocket-carrying aircraft in bankruptcy court
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-17 | by ( Michael Sheetz | In Michaeljsheetz | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Bankrupt rocket company Virgin Orbit received a $17 million "stalking horse" bid for its modified 747 carrier jet and other aircraft assets, as it continues to examine options during Chapter 11 court proceedings. A stalking horse bid represents the first foray on assets of a bankrupt company, and effectively sets the minimum bid for any potential competing offers. According to bankruptcy filings released Tuesday, the stalking horse agreement followed "hard-fought negotiations" between the companies. Virgin Orbit filed for bankruptcy protection on April 4 after the company failed to secure a funding lifeline and laid off nearly its entire workforce. Virgin Orbit previously disclosed that it received "over 30 indications of interest" during its bankruptcy process, with the company continuing to look for a wholesale deal.

☆ Bill Gates: Here are ‘the 5 things I wish I was told at the graduation I never had’
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-13 | by ( Ashton Jackson | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

Bill Gates never finished his undergraduate degree — the billionaire dropped out of Harvard University after three semesters to start Microsoft. Not much, personally, to be honest," Gates told students at Northern Arizona University's commencement ceremony on Saturday. If Gates had finished college, these are "the five things I wish I was told at the graduation I never had," he said. Gates did work at Microsoft for a long time: He was the company's CEO until 2000, and board director until 2014. 'Don't underestimate the power of friendship'One of Gates' biggest college regrets, he told Harvard students in 2018: Not being sociable enough.

☆ A large Navy research vessel that once belonged to late Microsoft billionaire Paul Allen tipped over — injuring 33 people — and is stuck at a 45 degree angle
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-22 | by ( Erin Snodgrass | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

A large research vessel tipped over at a dry dock in Scotland on Wednesday, leaving 33 injured. The massive boat once belonged to Microsoft billionaire Paul Allen but is now owned by the US Navy. Deidre Brock, an MP who represents Edinburgh North and Leith, said in a tweet that "strong winds" had tipped the ship. Photo by Jeff J Mitchell/Getty ImagesPhotos from the scene show the massive ship sitting tipped halfway over near the dock on Wednesday morning as emergency services removed injured people from the area. The 3,000-ton ship was originally funded by Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen, who bought the then-offshore service vessel in 2016 and had it retrofitted to serve as an underwater research and exploration vessel.

☆ Here are the top ways the world's ultra-rich spent their money last year, including pouring $455 billion into commercial real estate
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-01 | by ( Morgan Chittum | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

The world's rich invested $455 billion in commercial properties in 2022, according to Knight Frank's wealth report. Whether in a private capacity or through a family office, the world's wealthy invested $455 billion in commercial properties, according to Knight Frank's wealth report released on Wednesday. Private capital also surpassed investments from institutions, which poured $440 billion in commercial property, down 28% from the year before. Investments in luxury collectibles increased by 16% last year, according to the Knight Frank Luxury Investment Index. Despite the increased investment, the world's ultra-rich ultimately lost $13.8 trillion, or 13.6%, of their wealth in 2022.

☆ The age of most successful startup founders may surprise you. And no, it's not early 20s.
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-28 | by ( Madeline Garfinkle | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Tales of young founders like Steve Jobs or Bill Gates have given the impression that youth is tied to success in Silicon Valley. But the average age of most successful startup founders is 42, according to Harvard Business Review. Researchers found that founders with work experience were more likely to be successful. Jeff Bezos was 30 when he founded Amazon. The success stories of young startup founders have in some ways given the impression that youth is tied to success in Silicon Valley.

Bill Gates, the cofounder of Microsoft, is thought to have a net worth of about $106 billion. Gates' own father was a high-powered attorney who became a name partner at the law firm K&L Gates. He's cultivated his brand of philanthropy with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, his endeavor with Melinda French Gates, now his ex-wife. (Brock Adams, who went on to become the transportation secretary in the Carter administration, is said to have introduced Gates' parents.) Bill Gates' mother, Mary Gates, came from a line of successful bankers and sat on the boards of important financial and social institutions including the nonprofit United Way.

☆ Publishing Magnate Si Newhouse’s Art Trove Could Sell for Near $150 Million
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-21 | by ( Kelly Crow | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +1 min

The estate of publishing magnate Samuel Irving Newhouse Jr. took note last fall when collectors clamored after Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen’s $1.6 billion record-setting estate sale. Heartened by the art market’s resilience, the publisher’s family said Tuesday it plans to follow suit—auctioning off more of Mr. Newhouse’s own trove this spring. The move marks the third time the Newhouse estate has plied his pieces into sales since he died six years ago at age 89—a trickling strategy that contrasts with the theatrical, everything-must-go atmosphere conjured when Mr. Allen or the Rockefellers before him sold off vast art holdings all at once. The 16 latest works consigned to Christie’s for its coming New York sales in May represent a fraction of the art amassed over the decades by Condé Nast’s chairman emeritus, but the batch is estimated to top $144 million and will showcase his taste for a broad sweep of artists, including Pablo Picasso, Francis Bacon, Jasper Johns and Lee Bontecou.

☆ Investing in Space: Digital orbital danger
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-12 | by ( Michael Sheetz | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

CNBC's Investing in Space newsletter offers a view into the business of space exploration and privatization, delivered straight to your inbox. Companies and governments are now launching satellites by the thousands each year, and that changing landscape brings with it the evolving challenge of cybersecurity in space. The concept of space security arguably doesn't get talked about enough, but a quick search for something like "cyber," "space," and "Pentagon" gives you an immediate sense of how U.S. military leaders see the digital threat to satellites. The company just raised $16.4 million in an oversubscribed round, to make a full-tilt push into building its space business. It entered the space market in late 2019, and Beames stepped in as chairman early last year.

☆ Larry Page, Sergey Brin Post-Google Lives: Investments, Yachts, Islands
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-11 | by ( Hugh Langley | Rob Price | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +33 min

Even before their retirement from Google, Page and Brin relied heavily on their respective family offices to bring order to their worlds. The Bay Area headquarters of Koop, Larry Page's family office, is nondescript and gives little indication of the billionaire's empire. Insider; Marianne Ayala/Insider Show less Bayshore Global Management, Sergey Brin's family office, is based in Palo Alto and has a bit more of a public face. Insider; Marianne Ayala/Insider Show lessThe difference in styles holds true for Brin's family office, Bayshore Global Management. The CEO of Page's family office is Wayne Osborne, a former elder in the Presbyterian Church who attended Princeton Theological Seminary.

☆ 'They are untouchable': Microsoft employees say 'golden boy' executives are still running wild, 8 years after the company vowed to clean up its toxic culture
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-24 | by ( Ashley Stewart | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +23 min

The Microsoft executive walked into the small, windowless room in Studio C at about 8 o'clock that evening. Despite Nadella's public stance against those he has called "talented jerks," many inside the company say Microsoft retains a nearly unlimited tolerance for bad behavior by its top rainmakers and developers. "The Microsoft of 2021 is very different from the Microsoft of 2000 to me and to everyone at Microsoft," Nadella said. But some women say the investigations drag on for months or even years, with no clear timeline for resolution. What's more, some employees say Microsoft's efforts to promote racial equity often smack of tokenism.

☆ Bill Gates has 5 new book recommendations for your holiday reading list
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-21 | by ( Tom Huddleston Jr. | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

"Stranger in a Strange Land" — Gates' favorite sci-fi book from his youth, he noted — is the story of a human who was raised on Mars, by Martians. This holiday season, billionaire Bill Gates is gifting you a list of five books to read while you're hopefully enjoying some much-deserved downtime. We need to learn to learn from our mistakes without obsessing over them," Gates wrote. The name comes from Russian chemist Dmitri Mendeleyev, who formulated the first version of the periodic table in 1869. It's "the best book I've ever read on the periodic table," Gates wrote.

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