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☆ Amazon Prime looked like it had plateaued. Now a record 3 out of 4 Americans use it.
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-18 | by ( Eugene Kim | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

Amazon's Prime membership hit a record 180 million US shoppers in Q1, according to new estimates. Now a record 75% of Americans use the subscription service. AdvertisementJust over a year ago, Amazon's Prime subscription service looked like it had plateaued. Prime reached a record 180 million US shoppers in the first quarter, data from Consumer Intelligence Research Partners suggests. This story is available exclusively to Business Insider subscribers.

Persons: —, It's Organizations: Amazon's, Service, Consumer Intelligence Research Partners, Business

☆ Leaked presentation reveals Microsoft's astounding plan to ramp up data-center capacity for the AI boom
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-17 | by ( Eugene Kim | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Microsoft significantly expanded its data-center capacity recently and plans to ramp up growth to astounding levels going forward, according to an internal document obtained by Business Insider. Since July 2023, the start of Microsoft's latest fiscal year, the company delivered more than 500 megawatts of new data-center capacity, the document disclosed. This requires Microsoft to deliver more than 200 megawatts in data-center capacity every month. "This is a very large data-center capacity." Microsoft's GPU footprint expanded into 39 additional data centers in this period, and the company now has "AI clusters" live in 98 locations globally.

Persons: Shaolei Ren, Ren Organizations: Microsoft, Business, Operations, Innovation, OpenAI, University of California, BI Locations: Riverside, Hong Kong

☆ Leaked presentation reveals Microsoft's astounding plan to ramp up data center capacity for the AI boom
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-17 | by ( Eugene Kim | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Since July 2023, the start of Microsoft's latest fiscal year, the company delivered more than 500 megawatts of new data center capacity, the document revealed. The rise of generative AI and huge foundation models is fueling a new data center boom. Microsoft's 5 gigawatts of installed data center capacity is equivalent to Hong Kong or Portugal's annual energy consumption, according to Shaolei Ren, an electrical and computer engineering professor at UC Riverside. This will require Microsoft to deliver more than 200 megawatts in data center capacity every month. "This is a very large data center capacity."

Persons: Shaolei Ren, Ren Organizations: Microsoft, Business, OpenAI, UC Riverside, BI Locations: Hong Kong

☆ Amazon Prime Video viewers have been ditching shows because of its error-plagued catalog system, leaked docs show
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-16 | by ( Eugene Kim | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

Amazon has invested billions of dollars in Prime Video to secure original content and live-streaming rights. CEO confidenceIn Amazon's recent annual shareholder letter, CEO Andy Jassy showed his continued support for Prime Video. "We have increasing conviction that Prime Video can be a large and profitable business on its own," he wrote. Among the top "catalog quality issues" were incomplete or inconsistent titles, as well as a "Season Integrity" problem. Multiple posts about wrong movie titles on Prime Video can also be found on Amazon's forum and Reddit.

Persons: Amazon, Andy Jassy, Video's headcount, they're, Anthony Palomba, Palomba, It's Organizations: Amazon, Business, MGM, BI, Prime, Citadel, House, Amazon's, University of Virginia

☆ Inside Andy Jassy's plan for Amazon in the generative AI era
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-12 | by ( Dan Defrancesco | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

NEW LOOK Sign up to get the inside scoop on today’s biggest stories in markets, tech, and business — delivered daily. By the way, we're wrapping up voting for the championship matchup in our business, tech, and innovation bracket. In today's big story, we're looking at Amazon CEO Andy Jassy's letter to shareholders, which details the tech giant's plan in the age of generative AI . What's on deck:AdvertisementBut first, Amazon, AI, and a letter. The big storyAmazon in the AI ageMichael M. Santiago/Getty Images; Chelsea Jia Feng/BIThe generative AI revolution is coming, and Amazon wants in on the ground floor.

Persons: —, We've, Andy Jassy's, Michael M, Chelsea Jia Feng, Andy Jassy, Ana Altchek, Jassy, that's, Andy Jassy Mike Blake, Eugene Kim, Jassy's, Phillip Faraone, Gregor Fischer, Noam Galai, Here's, it's, Morgan Stanley, Ben Bergman, Rebecca Zisser, Adam Neumann, Neumann, Samantha Lee, Bon Appétit, Dan DeFrancesco, Jordan Parker Erb, Hallam Bullock, George Glover Organizations: Business, Service, Amazon, Getty, AWS, Bridgewater Associates, Pfizer, Reuters, Prime, TechCrunch, Games, New York Times, Visual China, BI, JPMorgan Chase, Citigroup, Coachella Locations: Wells Fargo, New York, London

☆ Former Amazon Robotics chief raises $100 million for his 35-person startup, pushing the valuation over $500 million
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-10 | by ( Eugene Kim | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Read previewAnother robotics startup has raised a large amount of money, signaling a rebound in investor appetite in the space. Collaborative Robotics, an automation startup founded by former Amazon Robotics chief Brad Porter, just raised $100 million in a round led by General Catalyst. The latest round values Collaborative Robotics at more than $500 million, Porter told Business Insider. Founded in 2022, Collaborative Robotics has 35 employees and deployed its first product earlier this year. Mayo Clinic, which also invested in Collaborative Robotics, is one of the early customers, he added.

Persons: —, Brad Porter, General Catalyst, Porter, hasn't, Pitchbook, There's Organizations: Service, Robotics, Amazon Robotics, General, Bison Ventures, Industry Ventures, Lux Capital, Sequoia Capital, Khosla Ventures, Business, Physical Intelligence, Mayo Clinic, Venture

☆ K-Pop Group Asks U.S. Court for Help Finding YouTube User in Defamation Case
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-10 | by ( John Yoon | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

NewJeans, one of the biggest K-pop acts, has asked a federal court in California to order Google to release the identity of the person behind a YouTube account that the members say is spreading defamatory statements about them. The group said that a YouTube user with the handle @Middle7 made the statements in dozens of videos that were viewed more than 13 million times, according to the court filing. The group’s lawyer, Eugene Kim, wrote that the account had also engaged in “name-calling or other mocking behavior” targeting NewJeans. The move, made on March 27, is the latest example of K-pop stars responding to the pressures they face from the fervid online fan culture in South Korea. The request, if granted, would allow the group to sue the YouTube user in South Korea for defamation and insult, which are criminal offenses in the country.

Persons: Eugene Kim, ” Ador Organizations: Google, YouTube Locations: California, South Korea

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via Email27-year-old turned her side hustle into a business bringing in $25,000 a monthLiz Chick, 27, started making and selling art as a side hustle to get reprieve from her "windowless office" job. Now, she runs a Brooklyn, New York-based art studio and event business called RecCreate Collective that brings in about $25,000 a month, hosting events from knitting to cake decorating. The goal, says Chick: inspire creativity and give attendees a community to connect with.

Persons: Liz Chick, Chick Locations: Brooklyn , New York

☆ Amazon is laying off hundreds of employees in its cloud division
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-03 | by ( Jyoti Mann | Eugene Kim | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Amazon is laying off hundreds of employees in its cloud division, emails obtained by BI show. The latest round of job cuts will impact employees in its cloud division, Amazon Web Services, internal emails seen by Business Insider show. "We didn't make these decisions lightly, and we're committed to supporting the employees throughout their transition to new roles in and outside of Amazon. Earlier this year, Amazon also cut hundreds of jobs across its Prime Video and healthcare units. AdvertisementA recently obtained internal HR document from last year showed Amazon placed more employees on performance-improvement plans while carrying out the mass layoffs.

Persons: —, Matt Garman, we're, Geekwire, Amazon's Organizations: BI, Amazon, Service, Amazon Web, Business, Global Services

☆ How Tony's Chocolonely brings in $162 million a year selling chocolate
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-30 | by ( Beatriz Bajuelos Castillo | Gene Kim | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailHow Tony's Chocolonely brings in $162 million a year selling chocolateWith its bold and colorful packaging, Tony's Chocolonely is trying to achieve a huge mission: to make chocolate 100% slave free. In fiscal year 2023, this Dutch chocolate company brought in $162 million in revenue.

Persons: Chocolonely

☆ Read Amazon's internal guidance on why it won't give base pay increases to many senior employees this year
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-27 | by ( Eugene Kim | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Amazon is not giving base pay increases to many of its senior employees this year, according to people familiar with the matter. Level 6 versus other employeesThe base pay freeze only applies to those in Level 6 positions or above. Other Amazon employees lower down the corporate hierarchy will likely do better in terms of base pay raises this year. For many years, Amazon's base pay was capped at $160,000 a year. "Amazon's compensation philosophy emphasizes ownership, which means that a portion of employee compensation includes RSUs.

Persons: Fortune, Amazon's Organizations: Stock, Amazon, Business, BI, Amazon's

☆ Leaked document shows Amazon expects to save $1.3 billion by slashing office vacancies and terminating leases early
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-27 | by ( Eugene Kim | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Read previewAmazon expects to save roughly $1.3 billion in coming years by radically reducing office vacancies, according to a person familiar with the matter and an internal document obtained by Business Insider. The company's office-vacancy rate of almost 34% results from slower growth and layoffs, the person familiar told BI. Related storiesIn an email to BI, Brad Glasser, a spokesperson for Amazon, said it's a normal business practice to review the company's real-estate portfolio. AdvertisementThe person familiar with the matter also noted that so-called "hibernations" can help reduce office costs for Amazon. Internally, Amazon is aware of how last year's RTO policy caused confusion and frustration among some employees, people familiar with the plans told BI.

Persons: —, Fitch, Brad Glasser, Glasser, Andy Jassy Organizations: Service, Business, Google, Amazon, Alexa

☆ Leaked email shows Amazon is laying off more employees in its advertising business
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-26 | by ( Eugene Kim | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

Amazon is laying off more employees in its advertising unit. Amazon's CFO hinted at further job cuts in February. download the app Email address Sign up By clicking “Sign Up”, you accept our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy . AdvertisementAmazon is laying off more employees in its advertising unit, extending job cuts that have been going on for the last 18 months, according to an internal email obtained by Business Insider. This story is available exclusively to Business Insider subscribers.

Persons: —, isn't Organizations: Service, Business, Amazon Locations: New York, New Jersey

☆ Official Amazon HR document reveals a spike in employees put on PIPs during a time of record layoffs
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-20 | by ( Eugene Kim | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +10 min

Layoffs vs. terminationsThe spike in PIPs coincided with 27,000 layoffs that Amazon announced between November 2022 and March 2023. "Managers, however, do not engage in performance management work eagerly. "To suggest we use our performance management process to drive any other outcome, such as reducing our employee base, is wrong," Callahan added in a statement. PIPs and quiet firingSome Amazon employees previously told BI that the company had put more people on PIPs as part of what they perceived as the quiet-firing push. Amazon had roughly 400,000 total corporate employees in that period, according to another internal document obtained by BI.

Persons: They're, aren't, Margaret Callahan, Callahan, Erik Gordon, David Ryder, cumulatively, Peter Cappelli, Cappelli, Amazon's, couldn't, Eugene Kim, Peter Capelli Organizations: Amazon, Business, Experience, Technology, BI, University of Michigan, Pivot Employees, University of Pennsylvania, Wharton's Center, Human Resources

☆ Who will buy TikTok from ByteDance?
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-14 | by ( Allison Morrow | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

At $100 billion, there are few companies that could afford to buy TikTok outright. Citing people familiar with the matter, the Journal wrote that Kotick “floated the idea of partnering to buy TikTok to a table of people that included OpenAI CEO Sam Altman.”CNN couldn’t independently confirm the report. Its one go at the social media scene, the buggy and short-lived Ping, was one of Apple’s biggest flops. And any tech executive or private equity investor thinking of buying TikTok would need to be prepared to enter the social media quagmire. A key question in assessing the value of a TikTok deal is whether China would allow ByteDance to export its algorithm — the secret sauce that keeps TikTok users glued to their phones.

Persons: CNN Business ’, There’s, Joe Biden’s, who’d, Dan Ives, ” Ives, Who’s, ”, Gene Kimmelman, OpenAi, Bobby Kotick, Activision Blizzard, “, Sam Altman, ” CNN couldn’t, Altman didn’t, doesn’t, quagmire, They’d, Mark Zuckerberg, Shou Chew, It’s, Trump, —, Brian Fung Organizations: CNN Business, New York CNN, Senate, Microsoft, Department, Google, ” Meta, Facebook, Street Journal, Activision, ” CNN, Kotick, Apple, Oracle, Walmart, Communist Party, ByteDance Locations: New York, United States, Beijing, Europe, China

☆ Amazon's secret war on Android: The company has a plan to cure Alexa's addiction to Google's operating system.
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-06 | by ( Eugene Kim | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

Amazon's Alexa division is cutting costs across the board, having laid off thousands of employees and reshuffled projects over the past 18 months. Vega is a "new portable operating system for consumer electronics developed by Amazon," the document explained. Tech newsletter Lowpass previously reported on some parts of the new Vega OS. Feature parity gapThe feature parity gap between Amazon's own Alexa devices and third-party voice-assistants using Alexa has long been a problem, both internally and externally, according to the people familiar. Not off Android entirelyWith the new Vega OS, Amazon is reducing its reliance on the Android-based Fire OS.

Persons: Panos Panay, Andy Jassy, Jeff Bezos, Vega, Dave Limp, Alexa, It's Organizations: Alexa, Business, Software, BI, Amazon, Amazon's, Tech, Google, Blue, Washington Post, Vega

☆ Amazon, CVS, and Walgreens went all in on primary care. Their bets are bleeding money.
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-06 | by ( ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

In the past several years, Amazon, CVS Health, and Walgreens each spent billions to own primary-care companies. CVS bought Oak Street Health. Here's how the bets that Amazon, CVS, and Walgreens made are playing out. CVS is building more Oak Street clinics despite lossesAn Oak Street Health location in Elgin, Illinois during its grand opening. CVS is hoping to help Oak Street clinics get profitable quicker by driving more patients their way.

Persons: Andy Jassy, Thos Robinson, It's, JP Morgan, Berkshire Hathaway, Business Insider's Eugene Kim, Kim, they've, it's, VillageMD hasn't, Jefferies, Brian Tanquilut, Tanquilut, Lydia Ramsey, Mike Pykosz, Pykosz, Aetna, Michael Cherny Organizations: CVS Health, Walgreens, Amazon, CVS, Oak Street Health, Business, Aetna, Medical, Washington Post, Summit Health, Oak, Health Locations: Oak, VillageMD, Haven, Florida, Elgin , Illinois

☆ Wall Street is loving AI while Big Tech is warning employees about how they use it
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-23 | by ( Dan Defrancesco | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

In today's big story, we're looking at Wall Street's love affair with Nvidia (and AI) while Big Tech still grapples with how to use the tools . Since Nvidia's GPUs sit at the center of the AI revolution, the company's success suggests the hype around the tech is warranted. One issue is bias showing up in AI tools . AdvertisementInternal documents show that Amazon is warning its employees not to use third-party generative AI tools for work , BI's Ashley Stewart and Eugene Kim report. It's an interesting acknowledgement of the risks involved with using AI tools — especially when Amazon is pitching its own chatbot to customers .

Persons: —, It's, Michael M, Tyler Le, it's, Matthew Fox, Wall, Jensen, Kathleen Brooks, XTB, BI's George Glover, Chelsea Jia Feng, — ChatGPT, Monica Melton, BI's Ashley Stewart, Eugene Kim, Paul Morigi, Jenny Chang, Rodriguez, Goldman, Joe Duran, Jensen Huang, Huang, Reddit, Sam Altman, Elon Musk, Gemini, isn't, RJ Scaringe, Rivian, Scaringe, Steve Conine, Niraj Shah, Lucas Jackson, Wayfair, Bruce Dixon, they'd, Dan DeFrancesco, Jordan Parker Erb, Hallam Bullock, George Glover, Grace Lett Organizations: Service, Nvidia, Big Tech, Getty, Nasdaq, Nikkei, GameStop, SEC, CNBC, EV, Warner Bros Discovery Inc, Hyatt Hotels Locations: Paul, New York, London, Chicago

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailHow much it really costs to buy a $1 home in ItalyIn the late 2010s, towns around Italy started going viral for selling off crumbling properties for 1 euro, or roughly $1.05. How much does it really cost to buy and renovate a 1-euro home in Italy? And is it worth it? CNBC Make It spoke to several Americans who have bought a 1-euro home in Sicily, Italy.

Organizations: CNBC Locations: Italy, Sicily

☆ Amazon's internal documents warn employees not to use generative AI models for work
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-22 | by ( Ashley Stewart | Eugene Kim | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Amazon is warning employees not to use third-party generative AI tools for work, according to multiple internal guidances viewed by Business Insider. Amazon's internal third-party generative AI use and interaction policy, viewed by BI, warns that the companies offering generative AI services may take a license to or ownership over anything employees input into tools like OpenAI's ChatGPT. Amazon's internal generative AI policy states employees can use third-party models for work if they obtain director and legal approval and comply with any applicable security reviews. Amazon's spokesperson Adam Montgomery said the company has been developing generative AI and large machine learning models for a long time and employees use its AI models every day. "We have safeguards in place for employee use of these technologies, including guidance on accessing third-party generative AI services and protecting confidential information," Montgomery said.

Persons: Amazon's, Adam Montgomery, Montgomery, Ashley Stewart, Eugene Kim Organizations: Business, BI, Microsoft Locations: OpenAI

☆ Leak: Amazon retail CEO tells employees about his 'AI show and tell' and warns of companies that 'failed to adapt' to big technology shifts
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-20 | by ( Eugene Kim | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

“I would say it's important to remember that history is littered with big successful companies who faced big technology shifts,” Herrington said during the event. Internally, Amazon is scrambling to brainstorm new AI projects . Herrington oversees Amazon’s entire retail business, including the online marketplace, healthcare unit, and logistics service. While mentioning big companies that failed to adapt to these transitions and ultimately phased out, Herrington said he’s confident Amazon is going to be a leader in AI. Advertisement“It's all of our responsibility together to make sure that's not going to be the Amazon story,” Herrington said.

Persons: —, Doug Herrington, ”, Herrington, “, ” Herrington, didn’t, ’, There’s, Andy Jassy Organizations: Service, Amazon, Business

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailCrumbl: How we built a cookie company that brings in $1 billion a yearJason McGowan is the co-founder and CEO of popular dessert chain Crumbl. He co-founded the brand with his wife's cousin Sawyer Hemsley in 2017. The company has become one of the nation's fastest growing food chains with over 980 locations scattered across the globe bringing in over $1 billion in annual revenue. Crumbl has also become a digital sensation with over 16 million followers across its social media platforms.

Persons: Jason McGowan, Sawyer Hemsley, Crumbl

☆ Hundreds of Adobe employees protest the company moving its MAX conference to Florida. Ron DeSantis thinks it's a 'stunt.'
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-14 | by ( Eugene Kim | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

A group of Adobe employees are upset over the company’s decision to host its MAX annual conference in Florida, citing the state’s “hostile” laws against marginalized groups. Earlier this month, more than 500 Adobe employees signed an internal petition demanding the company reconsider the location of the annual conference, scheduled to take place in Miami later this year. As company leaders reiterated their commitment to Miami for this year’s event, some Adobe employees took to the Slack channel to express their dismay. “I’m shocked and disappointed at the lack of consideration in that call,” one of the employees wrote in the internal Slack channel. "Adobe MAX is a celebration of our community and a platform to showcase the incredible impact that creativity has around the world.

Persons: ”, Shantanu Narayen, David Wadhwani, “, “ I’m, Ron DeSantis’s “, DeSantis, Jeremy Redfern, Ron DeSantis, Charlie Neibergall ‘, ’, Adobe’s, Erica Warren, ” Warren, Slack, Amy White, “ It’s, ” White Organizations: Adobe, Business, Disney, MAX, ”, AP, National Association for, Advancement of Colored People, Human Rights, Las, ” Adobe Locations: Florida, Miami, America, Los Angeles, London, Berlin, Tokyo, LA, San Diego, Las Vegas, ‘ Florida, “

☆ Inside Project Espresso, Amazon's secretive and painful reset of its big healthcare bet
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-09 | by ( Eugene Kim | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

It already shut down the Amazon Care telehealth service in 2022, while disbanding Haven , a joint healthcare venture, in 2021. She said Amazon's healthcare business continues to grow and receive positive customer feedback. Less focus on senior healthcareAnother idea One Medical recently explored was to put less focus on the senior healthcare business. Still, for some One Medical employees, Amazon’s scrutiny is leading to growing frustration. “As Trent Green communicated to employees, One Medical employees will not return to physical offices at this time.

Persons: Big, Samantha Kruse, ” Kruse, Andy Jassy Chelsea Jia Feng, Neil Lindsay, ” Amazon’s Kruse, Amazon's Kruse, Lindsay, ”, Amir Dan Rubin, Kruse, Amazon’s, “, Trent Green Organizations: Business, Amazon, Care, Amazon Health Services, Amazon's Pharmacy, Amazon Health, Iora Health, Iora, “ Locations: New York, Minneapolis, St, Petersburg , Florida, Francisco

☆ Leaked email shows Amazon's One Medical will shut down several offices and move the CFO to a new role
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-08 | by ( Eugene Kim | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Amazon’s One Medical is undergoing significant changes, following this week’s layoffs that cut hundreds of jobs . One Medical will also look for ways to take advantage of Amazon’s own corporate office space going forward. Green also announced in the email that Bjorn Thaler, One Medical’s CFO, will transfer to a new role that reports directly to Amazon’s healthcare boss Neil Lindsay. As part of the move, One Medical executives and teams across finance, legal, and technology will report to Amazon’s healthcare business, reflecting a tighter integration between the two companies. Amazon’s spokesperson said the reorganization will help One Medical better leverage Amazon’s resources and provide employees with more opportunities across Amazon’s healthcare business.

Persons: Trent Green, Green, Bjorn Thaler, Neil Lindsay, Thaler Organizations: Business, Amazon, Medical, State, “ Locations: New York City , Minneapolis, St, Petersburg, Francisco, Tri, New England, Maryland, Virginia, Pacific Northwest, Southwest, Southern California, Texas

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