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☆ Exclusive: Tech billionaire Peter Thiel was an FBI informant
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-19 | by ( Mattathias Schwartz | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +12 min

Another source close to Thiel told Insider that while they could not confirm that Thiel was a CHS, Thiel did speak to Buma occasionally. "[They] will be either an 'FBI source' or a 'former FBI source' and, in turn, his or her conduct or misconduct will reflect upon the FBI." Drew Angerer/Getty ImagesAs a CHS, Thiel was assigned a code name and an internal serial number to track his reporting. Thiel, Johnson said, was directed by the FBI not to report on his interactions with Donald Trump or other US political figures. Johnson told Insider that he brokered an introduction between Thiel and the FBI special agent who would become his handler.

Persons: Peter Thiel, Trump, Thiel, Johnathan Buma, Charles Johnson, Johnson, MAGA, Donald Trump, Drew Angerer, Scott Horton, Buma, Sen, J.D, Vance of, Blake Masters, —, Vance, Joe Biden's, Vance of Ohio, Anna Moneymaker, Masters, Mithril's, Matt Gaetz, Gaetz's, Ginger Gaetz, Bill Barr, Rudy Giuliani, Alex Wong, Jeffrey Epstein, Enrique Tarrio, Tarrio, Mattathias Schwartz Organizations: FBI, Buma, CHS, Trump, Trump Tower, Republican National Convention, Joe Biden's Department, Getty Masters, Mar, Masters, Pentagon, CIA, National Security Agency, US Army, NSO Group, Forbes, Mithril, Clearview's, Committee, Capitol, Founders Fund, Boys Locations: Los Angeles, Germany, United States, New Zealand, Malta, Silicon, Vance of Ohio, Arizona, Palantir, American, Russian, Atlantic City, schwartz79@protonmail.com

☆ TikTok lures luxury-bag buyers to its Shop platform as it partners with Entrupy to authenticate purses
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-18 | by ( Madeline Stone | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

TikTok is working with Entrupy, a maker of product-authentication technology, to offer handbag-authentication services on its new e-commerce platform, TikTok Shop , Entrupy announced Wednesday. The partnership reflects a growing effort to build trust in TikTok Shop as the social-media company looks to establish itself as a shopping destination. It expanded to TikTok Shop in response to a growing demand for its services on the platform. TikTok and Entrupy have worked together since TikTok Shop launched in beta earlier this year. Resellers must use a third-party authentication service — either Entrupy or Real Authentication — to resell luxury handbags on TikTok Shop, according to the policies.

Persons: TikTok, Entrupy, Chanel, Prada, Vidyuth Srinivasan, Srinivasan, it's Organizations: Burberry, TikTok, eBay Locations: Entrupy, mstone@insider.com

☆ Flexport CEO Ryan Petersen tells employees 'get back to work people' amid rumors about layoffs that could come as soon as Friday
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-12 | by ( Madeline Stone | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Flexport employees are bracing for layoffs they believe could come as soon as Friday. Meanwhile on Slack, Flexport CEO and founder Ryan Petersen told employees "Get back to work people!" The comment, which was viewed by Insider, came in response to a set of questions an employee posed about executives' tips for success. Insider first reported that Flexport was planning layoffs on September 7, the day after its former CEO Dave Clark departed. The next day, Petersen hinted at more changes through a series of posts on X, formerly known as Twitter, saying, "Strategic Plan, Day 1: Make better decisions!"

Persons: Slack, Flexport, Ryan Petersen, " Petersen, Dave Clark, Petersen, Clark, Madeline Stone Organizations: Employees, Street, Amazon, Shopify Logistics Locations: Amazon, Flexport, mstone@insider.com

☆ Shopify is getting a new head of customer support amid an AI-centric shift for the division
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-06 | by ( Madeline Stone | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Shopify's head of customer support, Clovis Cuqui, is departing after more than eight years at the e-commerce company. Cuqui's departure comes amid a period of change for the division , which troubleshoots issues for the millions of merchants using the e-commerce platform. "I look forward to continuing this work in lock step with our incredible crew of 1000s of Support Advisors and team members." The division is also working on a new, enterprise level of support as more large merchants have joined Shopify. Shopify also has been hiring outsourced customer-support representatives through the company TaskUs, many of which are in the Philippines, Insider previously reported.

Persons: Clovis, Glen Worthington, Kaz Nejatian, Worthington, Cuqui, Shopify, Bobby Morrison Organizations: LinkedIn, Support Advisors, Bobby Morrison . Company Locations: Philippines, mstone@insider.com

☆ Joe Biden has a decision to make about Julian Assange
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-01 | by ( Mattathias Schwartz | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +26 min

A small group of lawyers and media executives gathered in a well-appointed back room to listen to Gabriel Shipton, Assange's half-brother. In the case of Vault 7, WikiLeaks' source turned out to be a disgruntled former C.I.A employee. AdvertisementAdvertisementIn New York, Gabriel Shipton, Assange's half-brother, declined to rule out the possibility of a plea deal. Every time the Australian government raises this issue, the Chinese government puts out a statement about Julian Assange. Senator Peter Whish-Wilson, right, was part of a delegation of Australian officials in the US to press for the release of Julian Assange.

Persons: Julian Assange, Assange, Gabriel Shipton, Tucker Carlson, Tucker, Shipton, he'd, Anthony Albanese, Joe Biden, Monique Ryan, Albanese, Mike Pompeo, Caroline Kennedy, Der Spiegel, El Pais, David Hicks, Julian, John Shipton, Assange's, John, Gabriel, Brett Assange, Peter Whish, Wilson, We've, Robert Carr, Chelsea Manning's, Obama, We're, Cheng Lei, —, Chelsea Manning, Manning, What's, Julian Assange's, John MacDougall, …, they'd, he's, John Young, Laura Poitras's, Mueller, Robert Mueller's, John Podesta's, Bernie Sanders, John Koeltl, They've, Donald, Trump, we've, James Comey, Hillary Clinton, He's, I'm, Yevgeny Prigozhin's Wagner, I've, Putin, exfiltrate Assange, Julian wasn't, Dana Rohrabacher, Rohrabacher, Jennifer Robinson, Tracey Nearmy, we'd, Marjorie Taylor, Greene, Antony Blinken, Biden, Mattathias Schwartz Organizations: United Nations General Assembly, WikiLeaks, Washington Post, Washington, DOJ, The Washington, Australia's Labor Party, New, Biden, Senate Intelligence, Justice Department, New York Times, Guardian, Chelsea, Pentagon, Getty, Justice, The State Department, Laura Poitras's WikiLeaks, State Department, DNC, Democratic, Committee, Democratic National Convention, of, Russian Federation, Novaya Gazeta, Trump, CIA, The Justice Locations: New York, London, Assange's, Pacific, Ecuadorian, Washington, Russia, Australia, Shipton, Brig, Chelsea, Iraq, Australian, China, American, Moscow, Getty Shipton, … Shipton, Cryptome, There's, Southern, of New York, Russian, Ukrainian, Ukraine, Panama, schwartz79@protonmail.com

☆ Leak: Shopify clarifies its stance on employee side hustles in new internal guidance one day after CEO memo said Shopify requires 'unshared attention'
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-29 | by ( Madeline Stone | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Shopify on Thursday released additional internal guidance around employee side hustles, one day after a company-wide memo from CEO Tobi Lütke caused confusion among workers. Lütke continued: "You should run a Shopify store to learn our product. Shopify's guidance on Thursday clarified the company's stance. And when it comes to starting a Shopify store, we encourage it. Shopify employees can use the company's software to launch their own stores for free.

Persons: Tobi Lütke, Lütke, I've, Shopify, We're, you'll Organizations: Employees Locations: mstone@insider.com

☆ In a leaked memo, Shopify CEO Tobi Lütke discourages employees from having side hustles, saying Shopify requires 'unshared attention'
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-28 | by ( Madeline Stone | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Shopify CEO Tobi Lütke wrote a company-wide memo Wednesday discouraging employees from having side hustles. "This surprises me because it directly contradicts the countless times I've said Shopify is like a professional sports team that requires our unshared attention." The Vault is a set of internal web pages where Shopify employees can access information about company policies. "He was someone who could devote his full attention and time to that quest," Finkelstein wrote. Lütke said Wednesday that employees should start their own Shopify stores because it helps them to stay familiar with the platform.

Persons: Tobi Lütke, Lütke, I've, Shopify, Harley Finkelstein, David Segal, Finkelstein, Segal, Jess Hertz, Read, Jess, Tia, Truman Locations: Shopify, mstone@insider.com

☆ TikTok Shop is offering hemp-derived THC syrup, sex toys, and other banned goods to users as the platform struggles with enforcement
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-27 | by ( Dan Whateley | Madeline Stone | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

TikTok is in an all-out blitz to make its e-commerce marketplace Shop take off. But as it races to drive up sales, it's letting prohibited products slip through the cracks. TikTok Shop has over 200,000 sellers, according to the company, which has been a challenge as it tries to keep out banned goods at scale. TikTok isn't alone in failing to keep its e-commerce marketplace cleanTikTok isn't the only e-commerce player to struggle with marketplace quality. It's early days for TikTok Shop in the US, and the company is still finding its footing.

Persons: TikTok, TikTok isn't, Etsy, it's, Madeline Stone, Dan Whateley Organizations: TikTok Locations: mstone@insider.com, dwhateley@insider.com

☆ Rudy Giuliani 'may have been compromised' by the Kremlin, and FBI leaders didn't care, alleges special agent Johnathan Buma
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-16 | by ( Mattathias Schwartz | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +10 min

Johnathan Buma says his FBI supervisors didn't care about his leads tying Giuliani to Russian intelligence. They are also investigating Hunter Biden for the firearm-related charges that he was indicted for this week. FBI didn't care about Giuliani's possible Kremlin ties, Buma says"Rudy Giuliani may have been compromised by individuals suspected of being involved in Russian counterintelligence influence operations," Buma told Insider. According to Buma's disclosure, an FBI Intelligence Information Report asserted that Fuks was "a co-opted asset of the RIS" or the Russian intelligence services. Hunter Biden left his laptop at a computer repair store in April 2019.

Persons: Johnathan Buma, Giuliani, Hunter Biden, Robert Mueller's Trump, Donald Trump's, Buma, Biden, Trump, Rudy Giuliani, Pavel Fuks, Fuks, Burisma, Hunter's, George Soros, Hunter Biden's, Bill Barr's, Geoffrey Berman, Bill Barr, Barr, Berman, he's, Amelia Kosciulek, we're, aren't, Mattathias Schwartz Organizations: FBI, Service, Los Angeles Field Office, Trump, GOP, of Justice, New York Post, Southern, of New, Washington Field Office, New York Field Office Locations: Russian, Wall, Silicon, Russia, Mar, Lago, Ukrainian, Moscow, Washington, Ukraine, Ukraine —, Delaware, of New York, Buma, schwartz79@protonmail.com

☆ Google cuts more jobs in its recruiting division
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-13 | by ( Hugh Langley | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

The company on Wednesday announced it would cut hundreds of roles in its recruitment division, people familiar with the matter said. The company laid off 12,000 employees in January, the biggest cuts in the history of the internet giant. The latest round of cuts affects only recruiters but includes hundreds of full-time positions at the company. "We're supporting everyone impacted with a transition period, outplacement services, and severance as they look for new opportunities here at Google and beyond." "Google Recruiting has been impacted by layoffs, again," another employee wrote.

Persons: we've, Courtenay Mencini Organizations: Google, Wednesday, LinkedIn

☆ Hunter Biden sues former Trump aide Garrett Ziegler, alleging illegal hacking of his laptop and iPhone data
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-13 | by ( Mattathias Schwartz | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

A federal lawsuit filed by Hunter Biden accuses former Trump aide Garrett Ziegler of hacking his data. Ziegler denied the allegations and told Insider that he came by the data legally from Biden's laptop. The Hunter Biden laptop story is only the latest product of opposition research to make headlines. Ziegler posted more than 100,000 emails from Hunter Biden's account online, along with photos and other documents. Hunter Biden did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Persons: Hunter Biden, Garrett Ziegler, Ziegler, Biden, Biden's, Joe Biden, Hunter Biden's, Donald Trump, Hunter, Peter Navarro, — Michael Flynn, Sidney Powell —, Trump, " Hunter Biden, Rudy Giuliani, Donald Trump's, Giuliani, Giuliani's, Kevin Morris, Mattathias Schwartz Organizations: Trump, GOP, Service, Trump White House, Clinton Foundation, Capitol, White, New York Post Locations: Wall, Silicon, Russian, Delaware, Ukraine, Ziegler, Los Angeles, schwartz79@protonmail.com

☆ Amazon is launching new supply chain services that will expand its logistics and fulfillment business beyond its marketplace
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-12 | by ( Madeline Stone | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Amazon announced new supply-chain services Tuesday that expand its fulfillment and logistics operations for sales outside of Amazon.com. Amazon has spent billions on its global fulfillment operations, Fulfillment by Amazon, or FBA. "A seller doesn't want to have two sets of supply-chain services, one that's for Amazon and one that's for someone else. For example, it offers multi-channel fulfillment, which enables sellers to use Amazon's services to fulfill customers' orders even if the sale took place off of Amazon. Mehta said that he expects Buy with Prime to "naturally benefit" from Amazon's continued investment in supply chain tools.

Persons: Dharmesh Mehta, They've, Mehta, " Mehta Organizations: Amazon, Shoppers Locations: mstone@insider.com

☆ Flexport had an executive exodus days before Dave Clark's surprise departure as three ex-Deliverr leaders left
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-08 | by ( Madeline Stone | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

The exodus came before former CEO Dave Clark announced his departure on Wednesday. Flexport was experiencing an exodus of executives before former CEO Dave Clark announced his sudden resignation on Wednesday. Clark, who was Amazon's worldwide consumer CEO before joining Flexport last September, announced his departure on X, formerly known as Twitter, on Wednesday. In his post, Clark cited the desire of Flexport founder and former CEO Ryan Petersen to return to his role leading the company. During a company town hall on Thursday, Flexport executives told employees that cost-cutting measures were on the way , possibly including job cuts, multiple sources said.

Persons: Flexport, Dave Clark, — Artur Rivilis, Flynn Fishman, Stephanie New —, Rivilis, Fishman, Slack, Shopify, Clark, Ryan Petersen, Freightwaves, Petersen, Tobi Lütke Organizations: Flexport, Shopify Logistics Locations: Deliverr, ,, Flexport, San Francisco , Los Angeles, Dallas, New York, Amazon, mstone@insider.com

☆ Champions Round, a Gen-Z fantasy sports app that raised $10 million, is winding down and looking to sell its assets
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-29 | by ( Ashley Rodriguez | Margaret Fleming | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Champions Round, a startup that raised $10 million to disrupt fantasy sports, is winding down. In a June 14 all-hands meeting, company leaders told staffers that Champions Round would be laying off much of its staff and preparing to sell its assets, the two people said. Champions Round is the latest startup to fold in the current culling driven by changes in the funding environment. But Champions Round initially appeared to be bucking some of these market trends. Are you an employee at Champions Round or another sports startup?

Persons: Carter Russ, It's, —, hadn't, Russ, Ashley Rodriguez, Margaret Fleming Organizations: Point72 Ventures, Goodwater, Twitter

☆ Shopify plans to introduce a new level of customer support for its largest enterprise merchants, as it works to attract bigger companies, leaked video reveals
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-28 | by ( Madeline Stone | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Shopify is working on a customer support offering for enterprise merchants. In June, Shopify announced that its one-click checkout Shop Pay would be made available to non-Shopify enterprise merchants through Commerce Components. The 2023 version of the report evaluated Shopify Plus and ranked the platform at the top of its peers in terms of execution. Merchant success managers are Shopify employees who consult with Plus merchants about launching and running their online stores. They're often touted as a benefit that can help merchants "get the most value out of Shopify Plus."

Persons: Shopify, Staff Glen Worthington, Ken Wong, Oppenheimer, Wong, Harley Finkelstein, Kaz Nejatian Organizations: Staff, Mattel, Merchant, Shopify Locations: Canadian, Commerce

☆ With Prigozhin dead, Putin has traded low-budget global reach for safety at home
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-26 | by ( Mattathias Schwartz | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

On Friday, the Kremlin's spokesperson said the idea that Russian President Vladimir Putin was behind the Wednesday plane crash that killed Yevgeny Prigozhin was "a complete lie." It was unavoidable payback for Prigozhin's insubordination, which culminated in a march towards Moscow with a column of his Wagner Group mercenaries. AdvertisementAdvertisementThose files were obtained from anonymous hackers who had pried them loose from the Wagner Group. Russia uses the Wagner Group to boost its military strength, but it is nothing like a conventional fighting force or diplomatic corps. Other reports suggest that the job replacing Wagner in Africa will fall to the GRU, Russia's military intelligence unit.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Wagner, Prigozhin, Prigozhin's, he'd, —, Putin, grandiosity, they'd, Alexander Lukashenko, James, Mattathias Schwartz Organizations: Wednesday, Wagner Group, Saint, Kremlin, Group, Central African, YouTube, Google, Wagner, Saint Petersburg, ISIS, Russia, Wall Street Journal, Russia's Ministry of Defence Locations: Moscow, Saint Petersburg, Central African Republic, Russian, Ukraine, East, Africa, Saint, China, Belarus, Russia's

☆ Shopify plans to cut a key benefit for 16,000 of its highest-paying subscribers, leaked email shows
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-22 | by ( Madeline Stone | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

About 16,000 Shopify Plus merchants will lose access to the company's merchant success managers. Merchants success managers are a key perk of the Shopify Plus subscription. Shopify plans to tell about 16,000 of its Plus merchants that they will no longer have direct access to merchant success managers, a key perk of the higher-priced subscription. Merchant success managers are Shopify employees who consult with Plus merchants about launching and running their online stores. They're often touted as a benefit that can help merchants "get the most value out of Shopify Plus."

Persons: Biss, Shopify Organizations: Merchant, Shopify

☆ Meta's updated RTO mandate is as strict as Amazon's, with a few unique rules. Here are all the key details.
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-18 | by ( Kali Hays | Hugh Langley | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

The company is putting in place detailed and mandatory rules for in-office and remote work. See new rules on badge tracking, monthly evaluations, and remote workers only allowed in-office a few days per quarter. Meta founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg used to say remote work was the way of the future . Meta's guidelines appear to be tailored specifically to avoid remote workers having their cake, and eating it, too. Both will be evaluated monthly, for in-office and remote workers, and employees found to be non-compliant will be notified.

Persons: Mark Zuckerberg, Lori Goler, Meta, Andy Jassy, Zuckerberg, Kali Hays, Hugh Langley Organizations: Meta, Facebook, Google, Employees, Twitter Locations: khays

☆ Meta updates RTO policy with stricter mandate, saying workers could lose their jobs if they don't show up 3 days a week
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-17 | by ( Kali Hays | Hugh Langley | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +10 min

Meta in June said it wanted workers to come into the office three days a week. Employees already approved for fully remote work do not have to comply with the three-day per week mandate. Managers at Meta will be responsible for following up with workers on a monthly basis, making sure they are complying with RTO. STATUS TOOL• Everyone - both office and remote workers - must keep the Status Tool updated with your work location, ideally 2 weeks in advance. Leaders can include global office locations and remote work (internal only) as part of their strategy.

Persons: Meta, Lori Goler, Goler, Mark Zuckerberg, Tim Ferris, Zuckerberg, we're, •, isn't, you'll, Kali Hays, Hugh Langley Organizations: Facebook, Meta, RTO, Workers, Labor, Office, Org, Twitter Locations: that's, khays

☆ Shopify's ecosystem is about to face a major test: Large partners like Klaviyo are eying an IPO, while smaller startups may struggle to compete
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-14 | by ( Madeline Stone | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

As Shopify's app ecosystem matures, it's becoming a make-or-break moment for some developers and partners. If they succeed in the public markets, it's a positive sign for the Shopify ecosystem. Upcoming IPOs will be a testSome Shopify ecosystem companies are eying the public markets, even in a year when IPO activity has been slow. That will make it even more important for Shopify's app partners to ensure their solution is differentiated from competitors. "This shared focus is why we're committed to ensuring a healthy Shopify ecosystem that fosters innovation, scale, and speed."

Persons: Shopify, it's, it'll, Amit Jhawar, Ben Parr, Parr, lockdowns, Sid Murlidhar, we're, Chris Wattie, Jhawar, Glen Coates, It'll, Chris Grouchy, Convictional, Roger Kirkness, Rick Watson Organizations: Shopify, Reuters, Shopify Ventures, Global, RMW Commerce Consulting Locations: Klaviyo, Ottawa , Ontario, Canada, Shopify

☆ Chinese online retailer Pinduoduo has a 'hyper-aggressive' culture with hours surpassing a '996' schedule, analysts write
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-11 | by ( Madeline Stone | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Temu's sister company Pinduoduo may have a "9127" culture, Bernstein analysts wrote. This is a play on "996" work culture, which encourages work from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., six days a week. Temu sister company Pinduoduo is known for having an exceptionally intense workplace culture, Bernstein analysts wrote in a note published this week. "996" is a reference to a work culture that encourages tech employees to work from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., six days a week. While Shein remains ahead of Temu in terms of buyer awareness, Temu sees high buyer retention rates, the Bernstein analysts noted.

Persons: Temu's, Bernstein, Temu, Jack Ma, Richard Liu Qiangdong, Robin Zhu, Pinduoduo, Shein Organizations: Morning, PDD Holdings, Pinduoduo, Representatives, Local Locations: China, Shanghai

☆ Exclusive: A veteran FBI agent told Congress that investigations into Giuliani and other Trump allies were 'suppressed'
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-09 | by ( Mattathias Schwartz | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +14 min

An FBI veteran said his superiors suppressed investigations of Trump, Insider can exclusively reveal. Those figures, the statement claims, explicitly included "anyone in the [Trump] White House and any former or current associates of President Trump." The directions he received included a strict prohibition on filing intelligence reports relating to Giuliani or any other Trump associate. Even before the emergence of this new whistleblower, there has been ample evidence of individual FBI agents with pro-Trump partisan sympathies. Some FBI agents were reportedly satisfied by an assertion made by Trump's legal team that he'd turned over all his classified documents, and wanted to close the Mar-a-Lago government records investigation down.

Persons: Giuliani, Rudy Giuliani, Donald Trump, President Trump, Scott Horton, Robert Mueller, Trump, Pavel Fuks, Joe Biden, Giuliani wasn't, doesn't, Charles McGonigal, Spokespeople, Fuks, Christopher Wray, Donald Trump's Mar, Hunter Biden, insurrectionists, Jim Jordan, Biden, Jordan, Russell Dye, Dye, Jared Wise, —, Trump's, James Comey, Peter Strzok —, he'd, Genius, Mattathias Schwartz Organizations: FBI, Trump, Trump White House, Service, White, Committee, Rolling Stone, New, GOP, Federal Government, Rep, Capitol, Capitol Police, Washington Post, Post, Justice Department Locations: Wall, Silicon, Russia, Ukrainian, York, New York, Fuks, Lago, Burisma, Anchorage, San Juan

☆ A publicly traded media venture with ties to MoviePass' former chairman has been suspended from Nasdaq and its stock is in free fall
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-02 | by ( Ashley Rodriguez | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Embattled digital-media company Vinco Ventures has been suspended by Nasdaq after a board exodus. It became a meme stock in 2021 after teaming up with the ex-chairman of MoviePass and touting buzzy acquisitions. The future of Vinco Ventures, the publicly traded media venture with ties to ex-MoviePass chairman Ted Farnsworth, is hanging in the balance after a series of buzzy deals collapsed and a board exodus has put the stock on the brink of a Nasdaq delisting. Shares of Vinco have nosedived 99% since their recent peak in September 2021, when meme-stock investors helped propel the stock. Farnsworth led the 2017 acquisition of MoviePass as chairman and CEO of the then-publicly-traded company Helios & Matheson Analytics, or HMNY for short.

Persons: Ted Farnsworth, we've, Shadwrick Vick, Farnsworth, Vick, It'd, Vinco, They're, Mitch Lowe, Lowe, MoviePass, Chris Bond, Mr Organizations: Vinco Ventures, Nasdaq, Zash Global Media, Entertainment, National Enquirer, Street Journal, MoviePass, Helios, Matheson Analytics Locations: Vinco, Clark County , Nevada

☆ Shopify took a $437 million loss when it sold its robotics division 6 River Systems, Ocado financial docs show
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-01 | by ( Madeline Stone | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Shopify paid $450 million for 6 River Systems in 2019. The 6 River Systems sale was part of a major pivot away from logistics by Shopify. UK grocery giant Ocado paid just $12.7 million to acquire 6 River Systems from Shopify in May, according to Ocado's mid-year financial report released July 18. Ocado ultimately paid less than 3% of what Shopify paid for 6 River Systems less than four years ago. The companies did not disclose the financial details of the 6 River Systems deal at the time of the announcement.

Persons: Ocado, Shopify, Ocado's, Chuck, Deliverr didn't, Tobi Lütke, Lütke Organizations: Systems, Shopify, Amazon Locations: Shopify, Massachusetts

☆ Shopify has conducted quiet layoffs in recent weeks. Big AI plans have workers worried a larger cut is on the way.
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-31 | by ( Madeline Stone | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Shopify workers are worried about another mass layoff. Shopify workers are once again bracing for another mass layoff. Much of the chatter around potential layoffs has centered on Shopify's Support org, which is responsible for troubleshooting issues for the company's millions of merchants. One Support employee told Insider that after viewing the town hall, they felt their firing would be inevitable. Shopify's first round of layoffs last July hit its Support division hard, and the company conducted a second round of layoffs in May.

Persons: Shopify, we're, Clovis Organizations: Company Locations: Ireland, Philippines, Shopify

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