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☆ Here's how billionaires from Mark Zuckerberg to Jeff Bezos celebrate their birthdays
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-16 | by ( George Glover | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

The Meta CEO hung out with Bill Gates in recreations of his old bedrooms for his birthday bash. Zuckerberg isn't the only billionaire to celebrate with a lavish — and slightly bizarre — party. download the app Email address Sign up By clicking “Sign Up”, you accept our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy . AdvertisementMark Zuckerberg marked turning 40 this week by channeling his inner Eminem, squeezing into recreations of his old bedrooms, and hanging out with Bill Gates. The Meta CEO isn't the first billionaire to celebrate his birthday with a lavish — albeit slightly bizarre — party.

Persons: Mark Zuckerberg, Bill Gates, Zuckerberg, —, isn't, Jeremy Strong's Kendall Roy, Wu Organizations: Service, HBO, Wu -, Business Locations: Wu - Tang

☆ Vietnam wants to take China's place as a new factory of the world — but a $12 billion financial fraud case is getting in the way
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-12 | by ( Huileng Tan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Vietnamese real-estate tycoon Truong My Lan was sentenced to death for her role in a $12.5 billion fraud case. Lan's fraud case is part of Communist Party Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong's corruption crackdown. Lan, the chairwoman of real-estate developer Van Thinh Phat Group, was arrested in 2022 over the fraud case. AdvertisementThe high-profile fraud case has scandalized the country and is raising questions about the one-party state. For context on the scale of the Vietnam fraud case, consider the 1MDB case, which rocked Malaysia and the world when it started to unravel in 2015.

Persons: Truong, Lan, Communist Party Secretary Nguyen Phu, —, Van Thinh, Zachary Abuza, Trang Bui, Bui Organizations: Communist Party Secretary, Service, Prosecutors, Vietnamese Communist Party, National War College, Washington DC, Bloomberg, Cushman, Nikkei Locations: Vietnam, China, Malaysia, Malaysian, Hanoi, Washington, Wakefield

☆ A global scramble to make humanoid robots is gearing up to be the 21st century's space race
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-30 | by ( Joshua Zitser | Jyoti Mann | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +11 min

Humanoid robots are symbols of power and technological capability, a geopolitics expert says. An incident earlier this month involving a Saudi humanoid robot inappropriately touching a female reporter might not at first seem even remotely connected. AdvertisementHumanoids are visual representations of breakthroughs in AIIn Italy, the Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia is working on iCub, a research-grade humanoid robot. AdvertisementChina wants to take the leadWhen it comes to humanoid robots, China is vying for the top spot, so it's no wonder other nations are getting nervous. "The vast magnitude of the market offers an unmatched chance to test, improve, and expand the uses of humanoid robots," he said.

Persons: —, Neil Armstrong's, Muhammad, Elie Metri, Giorgio Metta, Metta, there's, Zen Koh, Koh, Peggy Johnson, Johnson, it's, David Becker, OpenAI, Mercedes, Tesla, Julian Mueller, Kaler, Mueller, Tang Ke, Li Boyang, Will Jackson, Johannes Simon, you've, Jackson, we're, Gartner, Nvidia's, Melonee Wise, Justin Sullivan, Metri Organizations: Service, Robotics, QSS Robotics, Muhammad, Istituto, Tecnologia, European Union, Ministry of Industry, Information Technology, Fourier Intelligence, Getty, BMW, Strategic Foresight, Stimson, TIME, Beijing, Conference, Boston Dynamics, Arts, Engineered Arts, GTC, Getty Images Saudi Locations: China, Saudi Arabia, Italy, Soviet Union, Saudi, DeepFest, Riyadh, Robotics Saudi Arabia, India, Nigeria, Shanghai, Oregon, Las Vegas, Texas, Beijing, China's Liaoning Province, San Jose , California, Getty Images Saudi Arabia, QSS, Europe

The sun is about to pull another disappearing act across North America, turning day into night during a total solar eclipse. Photos You Should See View All 15 ImagesHere's what to know about April’s extravaganza and how to prepare:WHAT HAPPENS DURING THE TOTAL SOLAR ECLIPSE? By a cosmic stroke of luck, the moon will make the month’s closest approach to Earth the day before the total solar eclipse. WHEN IS THE NEXT TOTAL SOLAR ECLIPSE? The next total solar eclipse, in 2026, will grace the northern fringes of Greenland, Iceland and Spain.

Persons: Kelly Korreck, Neil Armstrong's, won’t, NASA’s Organizations: Michigan —, Indianapolis Motor, Armstrong Air, Space Museum, NASA, Space, Pacific, Associated Press Health, Science Department, Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Science, Educational Media Group, AP Locations: North America, Texas, Oklahoma, New England, Canada, Mazatlán, Mexico, Newfoundland, U.S, — Tennessee, Michigan, Dallas, Rock , Arkansas, Indianapolis, Cleveland , Ohio, Buffalo , New York, Montreal, Seattle, Portland , Oregon, Africa, Tiffin , Ohio, Russellville , Arkansas, Wapakoneta , Ohio, Virginia, Greenland, Iceland, Spain, Alaska, Western Canada, Montana, North Dakota, Northern California, Cape Canaveral , Florida, Carbondale , Illinois

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Federal investigators say a local want ad for a yoga instructor in Costa Rica helped them capture the woman who killed rising pro cyclist Anna Moriah Wilson in 2022. Kaitlin Armstrong was convicted and sentenced to prison for 90 years in November for gunning down Wilson in Austin, Texas in a jealous rage. Investigators had been searching for Armstrong for more than a month and believed she was moving around Costa Rica looking for work as a yoga instructor. Armstrong was still wearing a bandage on her face when Perez met the woman at a hostel and recognized Armstrong's eyes from photographs. Political Cartoons View All 253 Images“I noticed that she had a bandage on her nose and possibly her lips were swollen, and I saw her eyes,” Perez said.

Persons: Anna Moriah Wilson, Kaitlin Armstrong, gunning, Wilson, Armstrong, Emir Perez, Damien Fernandez, Santa Teresa, “, Perez, ” Perez, ” Wilson Organizations: —, CBS, ”, U.S, Local, Dartmouth College Locations: AUSTIN, Texas, Costa Rica, Austin , Texas, beachside, Santa, Vermont, New Hampshire, Austin

☆ Vietnam to Extend Anti-Graft Drive as Police Reveal Real Estate Fraud Worth 3% of GDP
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-23 | by ( Nov. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +3 min

By Khanh Vu and Francesco GuarascioHANOI (Reuters) - Vietnam's top leader vowed to extend "for the long-term" an anti-corruption campaign that has had a chilling effect on the economy, after police revealed financial scandals in the real estate sector worth more than 3% of gross domestic product. Trong's remarks came after the police announced the outcome of months-long investigations into two financial scandals, revealing for the first time the scale of the fraud, worth a combined $12.8 billion, or 3.2% of the economy. The case had been widely publicised when My Lan was arrested in October last year and led to a crisis in the real estate sector and the market for corporate bonds, which she has been accused of issuing illegally in large amounts. The huge scale of the fraud had not been known until this week and has raised concern among financial experts about the impact on the banking sector. In September, the Asian Development Bank warned of potential spillover into banking from the crisis in the real estate sector as the ratio of non-performing loans increased.

Persons: Khanh Vu, Francesco Guarascio HANOI, Nguyen Phu Trong, Trong's, Truong My Lan, Van Thinh, Lan, Morgan, Moody's, Tan, Francesco Guarascio, Robert Birsel Organizations: Communist Party's, Van Thinh Phat Holdings Group, Stock Commercial Bank, Morgan Research, Asian Development Bank, Group Locations: Communist, Saigon, China

☆ Georgia Tech overcomes big deficit, tops Howard
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-10 | by ( Field Level Media | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

November 10 - Miles Kelly scored 27 points and Tyzhaun Claude added 19 to fuel host Georgia Tech to an 88-85 victory over Howard on Thursday night in Atlanta. Georgia Tech also overcame a 4-for-18 performance from 3-point range (22.2 percent) and 16-for-27 effort from the foul line (59.3 percent). Kelly drained a go-ahead 3-pointer and added another jumper to stake Georgia Tech to an 80-76 lead with two minutes remaining in the second half. Kelly responded by drilling a pair of free throws to push Georgia Tech's lead to 86-82 with 15 seconds left. He then stole the ball and added two more free throws before Strong's 3-pointer capped the scoring.

Persons: Miles Kelly, Tyzhaun Claude, Howard, Kowacie Reeves, Kyle Sturdivant, Howard's Shy Odom, Bryce Harris, Joshua Strong, Kelly, Odom, Claude each, Strong, Reeves Jr, Isiah Warfield, Deebo Coleman, Marcus Dockery Organizations: Georgia Tech, Yellow Jackets, Georgia, Jackets, Thomson Locations: Atlanta

Kaitlin Armstrong, 35, has been charged with murder and faces up to 99 years in prison in the May 2022 shooting death of Wilson, a competitive gravel and mountain bike racer. Wilson had been shot five times when she was found at a friend's home before a race she was among the favorites to win. Armstrong's SUV was seen at the home where Wilson was staying the night she was killed. Federal authorities tracked Armstrong to Costa Rica, where investigators said she tried to change her appearance and used several aliases while attempting to establish herself as a yoga instructor in that country. The trial judge placed a gag order on the case in August 2022, preventing her defense attorneys or prosecutors from commenting.

Persons: gunning, Anna Moriah Wilson, Kaitlin Armstrong, Wilson, Mo, ”, Armstrong Organizations: Police Locations: AUSTIN, Texas, Costa Rica, Vermont

☆ A star voice actress was fired from a show after posting online about the Israel-Hamas war
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-19 | by ( Kelsey Vlamis | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Voice actress Tara Strong was fired from "Boxtown" over posts on the Israel-Palestine conflict. Several law students have also had job offers pulled due to statements on the Israel-Hamas war. AdvertisementAdvertisementSuccessful voice actress Tara Strong was fired from the upcoming animated indie TV show "Boxtown" due to posts she shared about the Israel-Hamas war, the show said in a statement. The show confirmed in a statement posted Monday that she was fired over posts she made about the war. Strong's firing comes as others are also losing job opportunities over statements on the Israel-Hamas war.

Persons: Tara Strong, —, Strong, I'm, Charlie Gavin, Israel Organizations: Service, Twitter, Palestinian, ISIS, HAMAS, Columbia University, Harvard University, A New York University Locations: Israel, Palestine, A

☆ Morgan Stanley says buy this real estate name focused on sustainability after sell-off
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-17 | by ( Lisa Kailai Han | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Hannon Armstrong 's improving fundamentals should lead to a turnaround for the stock, according to Morgan Stanley. Structured as a real estate investment trust, Hannon Armstrong provides renewable energy projects with debt and equity capital. HASI YTD mountain HASI YTD chart The analysts believe the selloff cannot be justified when given the company's strategic business decisions, along with its balance sheet flexibility and move toward an equity self-funding model. Additionally, Morgan Stanley noted that the sustainable investment firm's high cash flow can support steady dividends to come. Morgan Stanley isn't the only firm on Wall Street that likes Hannon Armstrong.

Persons: Hannon Armstrong, Morgan Stanley, Andrew Percoco, Hannon Armstrong's, HASI, Morgan Stanley isn't, Baird, — CNBC's Michael Bloom

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — A woman awaiting trial in the killing of professional cyclist Anna Moriah Wilson tried to run from officers escorting her to a doctor appointment Wednesday, authorities said. Two corrections officers had taken Kaitlin Armstrong to the appointment and were escorting her back to a patrol vehicle “when she ran," Travis County Sheriff spokeswoman Kristen Dark said. Armstrong ran more than a block into a neighborhood, but she could be seen by deputies the entire time before she was caught, Dark said. Armstrong and the two officers were taken to a hospital for a brief examination after the incident, and Armstrong was later returned to jail. Authorities have said Armstrong tried to change her appearance and used several aliases as she moved around Costa Rica while attempting to establish herself up as a yoga instructor in that country.

Persons: —, Anna Moriah Wilson, Kaitlin Armstrong, Kristen Dark, Armstrong, Dark, Rick Cofer, Wilson, Colin Strickland Organizations: Authorities, Police Locations: AUSTIN, Texas, Travis, Vermont, Austin, Costa Rica

☆ This sustainability-focused real estate stock can rally more than 80%, Baird says
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-10 | by ( Lisa Kailai Han | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

A proven track record of success gives Hannon Armstrong a leg up over its peers, according to Baird. The firm reiterated its outperform rating of Hannon Armstrong on Tuesday, naming it a bullish fresh pick. Organized as a REIT, Hannon Armstrong specializes in providing financing for sustainable infrastructure projects in the form of debt and equity capital. Additionally, a competing investment firm's recent reduction of Hannon Armstrong's dividend growth outlook may have also contributed to the sell-off. HASI YTD mountain HASI YTD chart "This frustration and bearish sentiment for broader renewables sector growth outlook in the near term have compounded weakness and led to shares being oversold in our view," he wrote.

Persons: Hannon Armstrong, Baird, Ben Kallo, Hannon, — CNBC's Michael Bloom

☆ Kuss victory can boost U.S. road racing, says Horner
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-18 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

LONDON, Sept 18 (Reuters) - Sepp Kuss's unlikely victory in La Vuelta a Espana could provide a timely boost for a flagging road cycle racing scene in the United States, according to Chris Horner whose 2013 triumph Kuss emulated on Sunday. The 29-year-old Kuss entered the race as a 'domestique' for more illustrious Jumbo-Visma team mates Jonas Vingegaard and Primoz Roglic. The road race scene is hardly booming in the U.S with few stage-racing opportunities for up-and-coming riders after the demise of the Tour of California, Colorado and Utah. "The racing scene in the U.S. is drowning or at best its nose is over the water. They were having meetings before the race, during the race, after the race, and then before everyone went to bed.

Persons: Sepp Kuss's, Chris Horner, Kuss, Jonas Vingegaard, Horner, Greg LeMond, Lance, Vingegaard, Jumbo, GCN, Angliru, Sepp, Visma, Richard Plugge, Martyn Herman, Christian Radnedge Organizations: La, de France, Giro, of California, EF Education, de, Jumbo, Thomson Locations: Espana, United States, U.S, of California , Colorado, Utah, Madrid

☆ Inside Kendall Roy's $29 million NYC 'Succession' apartment: We went to 'great lengths to create something truly unique'
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-20 | by ( Celia Fernandez | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

One of the many, many highlights of tuning in to HBO's "Succession" every week is getting to see how the other half lives. Unlike Logan and Marcia Roy's home, also featured prominently in the episode, Kendall's stunning space is not a set. For one fan of the show, seeing this penthouse apartment featured in prime time was a gratifying experience. McMillan is the founder and CEO of DDG, the developer of 180 East 88th Street in New York City, where the luxury apartment is located. The five-bedroom, four-bathroom, 5,508 square-feet "triplex" apartment, which is in Manhattan's tallest tower north of 72nd Street, is listed for $29 million.

☆ Vietnam Communist Party nominates Vo Van Thuong as new president - sources
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-01 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

HANOI, March 1 (Reuters) - Vietnam's Communist Party has nominated Vo Van Thuong as the country's new president, two party sources said on Wednesday, following the sudden forced resignation in January of his predecessor as part of a sweeping anti-corruption campaign. Thuong, 52, is the youngest member of the party's Politburo, the country's top decision-making body, and is widely regarded as being close to General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong, Vietnam's most powerful figure. Both the government and Communist Party said on Wednesday the party's Central Committee had agreed on a nomination for president, without naming the candidate. The president in Vietnam holds a largely ceremonial role, but is among the top four political figures in the country, together with the party's general secretary, the prime minister and the head of the national assembly. Speaking at a party meeting last month, Thuong said: "The people's lawful and legitimate interests must be the important starting point of all the Party's guidelines and policies".

☆ Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong is sounding the alarm on a potential 'staking' crackdown. Here's what it says about crypto
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-09 | by ( Tanaya Macheel | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

"We're hearing rumors that the SEC would like to get rid of crypto staking in the U.S. for retail customers," he said in his tweet . Staking is not just a yield-generating opportunity for crypto investors, it's also essential to the way proof-of-stake protocols like Ethereum operate. If there was some kind of chokehold on staking or staking services, the outcome for Ethereum could be "disastrous," according to Owen Lau, an analyst at Oppenheimer. That opportunity is widely seen as a catalyst for mainstream adoption of crypto and a revenue opportunity for exchanges like Coinbase. Armstrong's latest comments came a day before Kraken, one of Coinbase's main exchange competitors, agreed to shutter its crypto staking operations to settle charges with the SEC, according to CoinDesk.

☆ Tech sector should see 'very strong' second half of 2023, says Flowcode CEO Tim Armstrong
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-06 | 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 EmailTech sector should see 'very strong' second half of 2023, says Flowcode CEO Tim ArmstrongTim Armstrong, Flowcode CEO and former AOL CEO, joins 'Squawk Box' to discuss Armstrong's thoughts on the digital ad space, how the tech sector will play out through the year and more.

"Saturday Night Live's" final show of 2022 doubled as a send-off for Cecily Strong, who exited amid her 11th season and as one of the longest-tenured female cast members. Amid speculation she would depart before the 48th season started in fall, Strong stayed on. Her original characters on the show included Cathy Anne, "Weekend Update" anchor Michael Che's chain-smoking neighbor, which she reprised Saturday in a goodbye sketch. "Actually, I’m a little emo here tonight because truth is I’m here to say goodbye," Cathy Anne said. Cecily Strong as Cathy Anne on "Saturday Night Live."

☆ 'It appears massive fraud was committed': Here are the 7 best quotes from Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong's interview on crypto, FTX, and the future of digital assets.
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-08 | by ( Matthew Fox | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

The implosion of FTX shook the crypto industry to its core in recent weeks as token prices continue to fall. CEO Brian Armstrong gave an interview to the Stratechery newsletter, and these are the best quotes. CEO Brian Armstrong spoke with the Stratechery newsletter on Thursday, addressing the future of crypto as well as the implosion of FTX and its impact going forward. On the prevalent fraud in crypto"I do think we have to admit as an industry that crypto has attracted more fraudsters than we'd like. On the future of crypto"There are enough great people working in crypto that I think this industry is going to do really well.

☆ Outperforming asset manager picks 3 global retailers to short amid a fall in consumer spending
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-28 | by ( Ganesh Rao | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Shares of mass market retailers will fall as profit margins are squeezed, and consumers curtail spending next year, according to Plurimi Wealth's chief investment officer. Selling shares "short" means borrowing shares through a broker to sell them immediately with a plan to repurchase them when the price is lower. In such an environment, mass market retailers that benefit from discretionary spending will see their revenues decline. While investors are split over the health of the American consumer, European shoppers are mostly expected to curtail their spending habits next year. Elsewhere in Europe, economists are also expecting a recession for the first half of next year that will impact discretionary spending.

☆ Outperforming asset manager picks the stocks set to win as margins get squeezed
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-25 | by ( Zavier Ong | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

"Consumers are going to have their purse strings pulled by utility bills, higher mortgage costs, higher petrol prices, and there's going to be margin squeeze." He said wage pressure and higher commodity prices were particularly challenging and could eat into companies' margins. Luxury Luxury stocks are another favorite for Armstrong. Moreover, the "massive" profit margins of luxury companies are also insulated from increases in input prices, he added. Within the space, Armstrong's fund owns French luxury goods companies LVMH and Hermes , given their "defendable margins" and the ability to be price setters.

☆ Coinbase's CEO says FTX's Sam Bankman-Fried reached out for emergency funds: 'It felt like a pretty bad situation that we wanted to stay away from'
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-10 | by ( Samantha Delouya | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong confirmed to CNBC that Sam Bankman-Fried approached him to try to raise emergency funds for FTX. Armstrong's revelation comes as Bankman-Fried reportedly warned investors that he needs to raise $4 billion in emergency funding or risk bankruptcy, according to a report by Bloomberg. "I f---ed up," Bankman-Fried reportedly told investors. Investors reportedly withdrew $6 billion from the FTX earlier this week on fears of a cryptocurrency meltdown, creating a liquidity crunch for the company. Armstrong told CNBC he felt "duped" by Sam Bankman-Fried after revelations of how FTX reportedly misused customer funds came to light.

☆ China's Xi greets Vietmanese ally with ceremony, call for defiance
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-31 | by ( Martin Quin Pollard | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/2] Chinese President Xi Jinping meets the media following the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, China October 23, 2022. REUTERS/Tingshu WangBEIJING, Oct 31 (Reuters) - Chinese President Xi Jinping told the visiting leader of Vietnam's ruling Communist Party on Monday that both countries and parties should "never let anyone interfere" with their progress, state broadcaster CCTV reported. Trong's was the first visit by a foreign leader since Xi secured a precedent-breaking third term as General Secretary at the Chinese Communist Party's 20th party congress this month. The visit by Trong - who holds more power than either Vietnam's president or prime minister - was a showcase of Communist unity. Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz will also visit China this week.

☆ China's Xi greets Vietnamese ally with ceremony, call for defiance
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-31 | by ( Martin Quin Pollard | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

☆ YouTubers are pushing dodgy crypto investment advice. Here’s why you should ignore it.
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-26 | by ( Rob Price | Meghan Morris | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +15 min

Together, these revenue streams mean cryptocurrency influencers profit off their viewers no matter which way the market turns. Of course, crypto YouTube is a far cry from the regulated world of traditional finance. Armstrong told the Post that he made "maybe close to a million" from before dropping sponsored content in January 2022. A price list leaked by ZachXBT appears to show that dozens of small crypto influencers also have menus for similar undisclosed deals. But with little regulatory oversight, crypto influencers show little sign of slowing down — despite the precipitous decline of the crypto market.

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