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☆ Let's be real, Apple couldn't hype its ChatGPT collab — that would mean conceding it's lost the AI race
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-11 | by ( Kwan Wei Kevin Tan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Read previewTech watchers expecting a sweeping partnership announcement between Apple and OpenAI were probably disappointed on Monday. The Cupertino-based giant unveiled its generative AI strategy, "Apple Intelligence," during its keynote presentation at this year's Worldwide Developers Conference. very happy to be partnering with apple to integrate chatgpt into their devices later this year! AdvertisementAside from poaching talent and working with external partners like OpenAI, Apple has also worked with TSMC to make AI chips for its data centers. Making chips would go a long way toward securing Apple's AI supremacy since, unlike most companies, it would not have to rely completely on chip giant Nvidia.

Persons: —, Mark Gurman, OpenAI, Apple, Craig Federighi, Federighi, Sam Altman didn't, Altman, — Sam Altman, Siri, John Giannandrea, TSMC, Gene Munster, Apple didn't Organizations: Service, Apple, Apple Intelligence, Business, Microsoft, Meta, Nvidia, Financial Times, BI Locations: Cupertino

☆ Young men and women are diverging politically. That could shape the 2024 election.
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-11 | by ( Ronald Brownstein | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +18 min

In 2013, the share of self-identified liberals among young women exceeded the share among young men by 5 percentage points; by 2023, that gap was nearly four times as large. (In that survey, young men were substantially more likely than young women to say they rely on YouTube as a major source of news.) (In the Harvard poll, one-fourth of young women identified in some way as LGBTQ, more than double the share of young men.) “He’s got to make up for the defection of young men by winning young women by more, and he’s got to get every young woman he can out to vote,” said Lake, the Democratic pollster. Biden’s best hope of avoiding a catastrophic decline in his youth support is that the number of young women Trump repels exceeds the number of young men he attracts.

Persons: Joe Biden, Donald Trump, Biden, John Burn, Murdoch, ”, Harvard University’s John F, Daniel Cox, William Frey, Melissa Deckman, Gen, “, Trump, John Della Volpe, Joe Biden doesn’t, Della Volpe, White, Deckman, aren’t, Cox, Dobbs, Anna Dean, Dean, ” Della Volpe, he’s, don’t, ” Cox, “ Donald Trump, “ He’s Organizations: CNN, Trump, Biden, Pew Research Center, Financial, NBC, Democratic, Republican, GOP, Institute of Politics, Harvard University’s, Kennedy, Republican Party, Harvard, Democrats, Survey Center, American Enterprise Institute, Biden didn’t, Brookings Metro thinktank, Religion Research Institute, Biden’s, YouTube, Pew, AEI, Blacks, Harvard Poll, Biden won’t Locations: Gaza, New York, Bentonville , Arkansas, America

☆ Check out the very corporate goodbye email PwC told staffers to send if they're taking a buyout
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-10 | by ( Meghan Morris | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

PwC offered UK buyout packages and directed staff on how to communicate their exits. The buyout comes amid slowing client work, with PwC and other firms cutting jobs and delaying hires' starts. download the app Email address Sign up By clicking “Sign Up”, you accept our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy . AdvertisementAfter accounting giant PwC offered UK buyout packages in recent weeks, staff were directed on exactly how they should communicate their exits, the Financial Times reported. The FT saw a note sent to employees that told them they could not talk about the circumstances of their departure.

Persons: PwC, — Organizations: Service, Financial Times, Business

☆ Macron has taken a radical gamble that could backfire
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-10 | by ( Mikhaila Friel | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Read previewFrench President Emmanuel Macron shocked the world on Sunday by calling a snap election in France. The move came after a big win for his rival Marine Le Pen's National Rally party at the European parliamentary elections. AdvertisementHowever, the snap election could likely end the current coalition, which comprises Macron's party, Renaissance, the Democratic Movement, Horizons, En commun, and the Progressive Federation. Macron may have to form a cohabitation government with a prime minister from an opposition party, such as the National Party or Les Republicains. AdvertisementRepresentatives for President Macron did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Persons: —, Emmanuel Macron, There's, Daniel Hamilton, Johns Hopkins University SAIS, France's, Macron, I've, Pen, Alain Duhamel, Bruno Cautrès, Antonio Barroso Organizations: Service, Business, Foreign, Institute, Johns Hopkins University, CNBC, Guardian, Cac, Financial Times, Democratic Movement, Progressive Federation, National Party, Sciences Po Locations: France, Paris

☆ The biggest threat to the dollar isn't other countries but America's own dysfunction, think tank experts say
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-10 | by ( Filip De Mott | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Foreign de-dollarization efforts are unlikely to spur the greenback's demise. Instead, internal dysfunction could cut into the dollar's dominance, two think tank experts wrote in the FT.That's because the US's global and economic power are the basis for the currency's might. Sign up to get the inside scoop on today’s biggest stories in markets, tech, and business — delivered daily. AdvertisementWhile they've grabbed a lot of attention, foreign efforts to advance the trend are questionable at best, Kamin and Sobel wrote. Amplifying de-dollarization is rising trade protectionism and the potential for unilateral financial sanctions.

Persons: —, Steven B, Kamin, Mark Sobel, they've, Sobel, bode Organizations: Service, Financial Times Locations: Russia, Ukraine

☆ NATO is making plans for surging US troops into Europe in case Russia invades
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-06 | by ( Thibault Spirlet | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

download the appSign up to get the inside scoop on today’s biggest stories in markets, tech, and business — delivered daily. Read previewNATO is busy setting up land corridors that US soldiers and military vehicles would use in the case of a Russian invasion of Europe, The Telegraph reported, citing unnamed officials. AdvertisementPlans are also being developed to move troops through ports in Sweden, Finland, and the Balkans, the outlet reported. AdvertisementLast year, NATO leaders agreed to keep 300,000 soldiers in a state of high readiness, The Telegraph reported. Last week, the Financial Times reported that NATO had less than 5% of the air defenses needed to protect Central and Eastern Europe, citing people familiar with NATO's defense plans.

Persons: —, Vaidotas Urbelis, Donald Tusk, Poland's, Alexander Sollfrank Organizations: Service, NATO, The Telegraph, Business, The, Telegraph, Financial Times, Command Locations: Europe, Netherlands, Greece, Italy, Turkey, Norway, Hungary, Ukraine, Bulgaria, Romania, Sweden, Finland, Balkans, Germany, Poland, Russia, Baltic States, Central, Eastern Europe

☆ The diamond industry is in trouble as it loses its sparkle in China
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-06 | by ( Joshua Zitser | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

In China, the industry's second-largest market, lab-grown varieties, a sluggish luxury market, and low marriage rates are causing it to lose its sparkle. Related storiesCook said one issue is a shift in perception of lab-grown diamonds in the country. The Knot's Real Weddings Study found that nearly half of engagement rings bought in the US last year featured a lab-grown diamond as a center stone. A social media analysis by Daxue Consulting found that lab-grown diamonds are also gaining traction in China, particularly among cash-strapped younger people. Even so, De Beers recently announced that it would halt its six-year experiment with selling lab-grown diamond jewelry.

Persons: —, Duncan Wanblad, De Beers, Wanblad, Al Cook, Cook, Paul Zimnisky, Zimnisky Organizations: Service, Financial, Business, Financial Times, Daxue Consulting Locations: China, De Beers

☆ Russia's biggest energy company says it'll take it at least 10 years to recover gas sales lost because of the Ukraine war
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-05 | by ( Filip De Mott | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Russia's gas giant Gazprom won't recover gas sales lost to the Ukraine war for at least a decade. Gazprom will likely lose its leading role in Russia's energy sector over time. AdvertisementGazprom, Russia's state-owned energy giant, likely won't recoup pre-war gas sales for a decade, research commissioned by the company said. By that year, gas exports to Europe will barely average a third of the volumes sold before 2022, when Moscow invaded Ukraine. Although Europe has long been the primary hub for Russia's gas, the war triggered a wave of retaliatory sanctions, upending trade with the West.

Persons: —, that's Organizations: Gazprom, Financial Times, Service, Financial, West Locations: Ukraine, Russia's, Europe, Moscow, Siberia, Russia, Beijing, China

☆ Opinion: 80 years after D-Day, have our world leaders learned nothing?
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-05 | by ( Frida Ghitis | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

The ceremonies, as is tradition, honor those who fought and died in World War II, and reaffirm a commitment to learn the lessons of history. But what exactly are those lessons, and how exactly will world leaders turn that commitment into reality? Join us on Twitter and FacebookAs they gaze on the once blood-drenched beaches of Normandy, world leaders should consider the lessons of World War II, and how to apply them today. Eventually, 16.4 million Americans served in the military during World War II, more than 10% of the population. And yet, the beaches of Normandy resonate with the lessons of that terrible history; world leaders should listen closely.

Persons: Frida Ghitis, Joe Biden, Donald Trump, ”, Hitler, Trump, Reenactors, Daniel Cole, Biden, Volodymyr Zelensky, Russia’s Vladimir Putin, Emmanuel Macron, Putin, Macron, Ukraine's Volodymyr Zelensky, Ludovic Marin, Donald Tusk, Zelensky, Jeremias Gonzalez, Olaf Scholz, Jens Stoltenberg, America Firsters Organizations: CNN, Washington Post, Politics, CNN CNN, Frida Ghitis CNN, Europe, Utah, AP, Kyiv, Russia, Financial Times, Zelensky, NATO, 1st Infantry Division, Twitter, Facebook Locations: France, United States, US, Normandy, Nazi, Ukraine, Europe, Sainte, Marie, Mont, Paris, Moscow, Russian, Russia, ” Germany, Spain, AFP, Kyiv, Soviet Union, Czechoslovakia, Poland, Kharkiv, Omaha Beach, Finland, America, Pearl

☆ Europe Has Fallen Behind the U.S. and China. Can It Catch Up?
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-05 | by ( Patricia Cohen | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

Europe’s share of the global economy is shrinking, and fears are deepening that the continent can no longer keep up with the United States and China. “We are too small,” said Enrico Letta, a former Italian prime minister who recently delivered a report on the future of the single market to the European Union. “We are not very ambitious,” Nicolai Tangen, head of Norway’s sovereign wealth fund, the world’s largest, told The Financial Times. “Americans just work harder.”“European businesses need to regain self-confidence,” Europe’s association of chambers of commerce declared.

Persons: ”, Enrico Letta, ” Nicolai Tangen Organizations: European Union, Financial Times Locations: United States, China, Italian

☆ Diamond industry 'in trouble' as lab-grown gemstones tank prices further
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-05 | by ( Lee Ying Shan | In Ying-Shan-Lee | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Diamond prices have fallen 5.7% so far this year, according to Zimnisky's rough diamond index, declining more than 30% from their all-time high in 2022. Lab-grown diamonds, which can be up to 85% cheaper than natural diamonds, are made in a controlled environment using extreme pressure and heat. Lab-grown diamond sales have surged from just 2% of the global diamond jewelry market in 2017 to 18.4% in 2023, according to data provided by Zimnisky. An industry 'in trouble'"The diamond industry is in trouble," Daga told CNBC, adding that he believes natural diamond prices could fall another 15%-20% over the next 12 months. Similar to a natural diamond, a lab-grown diamond is graded based on the 4Cs — clarity, color, cut and carat weight.

Persons: Leon Neal, Duncan Wanblad, De, Paul Zimnisky, De Beers, Marcelo Esquivel, Ankur Daga, Daga, Anish Aggarwal, Lionel Bonaventure Organizations: Afp, Getty, De, BHP, Financial Times, De Beers, CNBC, Daxue Consulting, Bloomberg, Zimnisky Locations: Harrods, London, De Beers, American, China, U.S

☆ Elliott builds $2 billion position in SoftBank, pushes for buyback
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-05 | by ( Rohan Goswami | In Rohangoswamicnbc | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Investment firm Elliott Management has rebuilt its position in Japanese conglomerate SoftBank and is pushing the Masayoshi Son-led firm to begin a $15 billion share buyback, according to a person familiar with the matter. The news, first reported by the Financial Times, sent SoftBank shares up as much as 6.3%. SoftBank shares have surged in recent months largely off the back of its Arm investment. SoftBank's Japanese shares trade at their highest level in decades. SoftBank launched a $20 billion share buyback and asset disposal program in 2020 during Elliott's initial campaign.

Persons: Son, Elliott, SoftBank, Elliot, Nabeel Bhanji, unfriendliness, WeWork Organizations: SoftBank Group Corp, University of Tokyo, Investment, Elliott Management, Financial Times, Tokyo Stock Exchange, Mitsubishi Fudosan, Toshiba, Dai Nippon Printing, Vision Locations: Tokyo, Japan, SoftBank, China

☆ SoftBank shares jump up to 6.3% on report that Elliott Management's pushing for $15 billion in buybacks
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-05 | by ( Sheila Chiang | In Sheilachiang | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

SoftBank Group Corp. is scheduled to announce its earnings figures on May 13. Elliott is lobbying for $15 billion worth of share buybacks, arguing that the buybacks will boost SoftBank's share price and "act as a sign of Son's confidence in his strategy," the Financial Times reported. SoftBank shares hit a high of 9,572 yen on Wednesday, 6.32% higher than its Tuesday closing price, according to LSEG data. Elliott had invested $2.5 billion in SoftBank in 2020 and sought share buybacks worth $20 billion along with governance changes, Financial Times reported that year. SoftBank Group declined to comment.

Persons: Toru Hanai, Elliott, SoftBank, Elliott's, Masayoshi Son Organizations: SoftBank Corp, SoftBank Group Corp, Bloomberg, Getty, SoftBank, Elliott Management, Financial Times, U.S Locations: Tokyo, Japan, SoftBank

☆ Meta's AI chatbot says it was trained on millions of YouTube videos. Meta didn't deny it but said the bot could be inaccurate.
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-04 | by ( Kali Hays | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Read previewThe Meta AI chatbot is more willing to share what data it was trained on than Meta is. It expanded Meta AI in April as a chat and image generator function across all its apps, including Instagram and WhatsApp. Meta AI told Business Insider that it was trained on large datasets of transcriptions from YouTube videos. Meta AI initially said its training data included a third-party dataset of 3.7 million transcribed YouTube videos. In responding to further queries about its YouTube training data, Meta AI said its training data included another, larger dataset of transcriptions from 6 million YouTube videos also compiled by a third party.

Persons: —, hasn't, Meta, OpenAI, Meta AI's, We'll, Meta's chatbot, Google's GoogleBot, Kali Hays Organizations: Service, Meta, Facebook, Business, TED, YouTube, NBC News, CNN, Financial Times, US Locations: khays@businessinsider.com

☆ Ukraine says China is in Russia's pocket. It may be the other way around.
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-03 | by ( Tom Porter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Read previewAt the Shangri-La conference in Singapore on Sunday, Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy accused China of doing Russia's bidding in seeking to disrupt a peace conference scheduled for June. "Regrettably this is unfortunate that such a big independent powerful country as China is an instrument in the hands of [Russian President Vladimir] Putin," said Zelenskyy of China, whose economy is vastly bigger than Russia's. Zelenskyy's remarks highlight the increasing interdependence between China and Russia in the wake of Russia's 2022 Ukraine invasion. It's bad news for Russia's President Putin, with the Russian gas industry having been badly impacted by sanctions and increasingly dependent on exports to non-Western countries, notably China. AdvertisementIf Xi comes out of the Ukraine war with little to show, then his credibility and bid to assert China as the world's major power will be seriously dented.

Persons: —, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Vladimir, Putin, Xi Jinping, Xi, he's Organizations: Service, Business, Financial, Russia's, Central Asian Republics Locations: Singapore, China, Russia, Ukraine

☆ Opinion | Should Biden Downplay His Own Success?
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-03 | by ( Paul Krugman | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The performance of America’s economy over the past two years has been remarkable, especially given the dire predictions of many observers. Remember the economists who forecast a recession in 2023? Remember all those warnings that getting inflation down would require years of high unemployment? Stocks are way up since President Biden took office. Yet there’s still a lingering conventional wisdom that says Biden shouldn’t trumpet his economic record.

Persons: Biden, there’s, Jimmy Carter’s Organizations: Washington

☆ Shein IPO: London Stock Exchange is desperate for IPOs. Could Shein end the drought?
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-03 | by ( Anna Cooban | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

If Shein goes ahead with the listing, it is expected to try to raise more than £1 billion ($1.3 billion) from the sale of new shares, Sky News said. Bloomberg and the Financial Times have also reported that Shein is preparing a confidential filing for a London listing. Given its high profile and potential hefty valuation, an IPO by Shein would be a much-needed coup for the London Stock Exchange. In recent years, several companies have quit the exchange for other cities or chosen New York to go public. Still, even the slightest hint that Shell could ditch London will have rattled the city’s financial center.

Persons: Shein, ”, “, Marco Rubio, Susannah Streeter, Hargreaves Lansdown, Wael Sawan, Sawan, Shell Organizations: London CNN, Authority, Sky News, Bloomberg, Financial Times, UK’s Labour Party, CNN, Shein, London Stock Exchange, Nasdaq, Shell Locations: China, United Kingdom, Britain, Singapore, New York, United States, While New York, London

CNN —The UK ambassador to Mexico was quietly fired earlier this year after pointing a rifle at a local embassy employee, the Financial Times reported Friday. The incident was captured in a video shared on social media. When asked for details, the UK embassy in Mexico deferred CNN’s questions to the British foreign office. The UK government website indicates that Benjamin is no longer an envoy. Mexico - which holds presidential, national and local elections Sunday - faces rampant violent crime, with sky-high crime and homicide rates.

Persons: Jon Benjamin, Benjamin, “ Jon Benjamin Organizations: CNN, Financial Times, British Foreign, Commonwealth, Development Locations: Mexico, British, Durango, Sinaloa

☆ Saudi Arabia is reportedly funding a Chinese startup that aims to take on OpenAI
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-01 | by ( Beatrice Nolan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

A Saudi fund is the only foreign investor in China's leading AI startup, The Financial Times reported. Zhipu AI is China's largest generative AI startup by staff numbers and aims to rival OpenAI. AdvertisementSaudi Arabia is reportedly helping to fund China's AI development. A Saudi fund recently became the sole foreign investor in Zhipu AI, a startup that's part of Chinese efforts to build an OpenAI rival, The Financial Times reported citing two unnamed sources. According to the report, Prosperity7, which is part of the state-owned oil group Saudi Aramco, recently participated in the latest funding round for the Chinese startup as a minority investor.

Persons: OpenAI, — Organizations: Saudi, Financial Times, Service, The Financial, Saudi Aramco, Business Locations: Saudi Arabia

☆ Billionaire Bill Ackman is reportedly leaning toward endorsing Trump
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-31 | by ( Brent D. Griffiths | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

Pershing Square Capital Management CEO Bill Ackman is leaning to supporting Donald Trump. According to multiple reports, Ackman is considering a public announcement backing Trump. AdvertisementBillionaire investor Bill Ackman is considering endorsing former President Donald Trump, according to multiple reports. The Financial Times was the first to report that the hedge fund manager is leaning toward the former president. Ackman also supported former UN Ambassador Nikki Haley, who recently endorsed Trump after her failed GOP primary run.

Persons: Bill Ackman, Donald Trump, Ackman, Trump, —, Dean Phillips, Joe Biden, Nikki Haley Organizations: Pershing, Capital Management, Wall Street titans, Service, Financial Times, Dean Phillips of, GOP, Business Locations: Dean Phillips of Minnesota

☆ A major ammo supplier to Ukraine says poor quality parts are impacting half the shells it's trying to deliver
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-30 | by ( Mia Jankowicz | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

download the appSign up to get the inside scoop on today’s biggest stories in markets, tech, and business — delivered daily. Read previewCentral Europe's largest ammunition supplier said that quality and cost issues meant that half of the shells it's sourcing for Ukraine can't be sent directly to the country, according to the Financial Times. In January, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said that the war in Ukraine had "become a battle for ammunition." Ukraine has been forced to limit itself to firing 2,000 shells per day for much of this year, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said. AdvertisementAnd it's only been since mid-May that its forces have started to breathe more easily over their ability to expend shells, Zelenskyy said.

Persons: —, Michal Strnad, Strnad, Strnad's, Jens Stoltenberg, Sinéad Baker, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Zelenskyy Organizations: Service, Financial Times, Czechoslovak Group, Business, CSG, Radio Free, NATO, Reuters Locations: Ukraine, Czech, Asia, Africa, Prague, Russia

☆ NATO doesn't have enough air defenses to protect Eastern Europe from an invasion: report
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-30 | by ( Kwan Wei Kevin Tan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

NATO members have less than 5% of the air defenses needed to protect Central and Eastern Europe, per the FT.A NATO official said their air defense "stockpiles have been reduced." Putin hinted on Tuesday that he might attack NATO members calling for Ukrainian strikes on Russia. download the app Email address Sign up By clicking “Sign Up”, you accept our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy . AdvertisementCentral and Eastern European countries may find themselves vulnerable during an invasion because of NATO's weak air defenses, per a new report from the Financial Times. Members of the military alliance only have less than 5% of the air defense capabilities needed to protect those regions from attacks, the FT reported on Wednesday, citing people familiar with NATO's defense plans.

Persons: Putin, — Organizations: NATO, Service, Financial Times, Business Locations: Central, Eastern Europe, Russia, Eastern

☆ Fast-fashion behemoth Shein is preparing for an IPO. Here's an inside look at the challenges it could face.
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-30 | by ( Tasmin Lockwood | Riddhi Kanetkar | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +11 min

Its peak $100 billion valuation once made it the world's third largest privately-held company, behind TikTok owner Bytedance and Elon Musk's SpaceX. Estimates have pegged Shein's IPO valuation at around $90 billion, Bloomberg reported last year. AdvertisementTo gauge what happens to some Shein items once they're returned, BI reporters in the UK put two AirTag trackers on Shein garments and sent them back. Shein is more directly involved in production and focuses on clothes, but Temu's popularity "could affect the valuation," Swartz said. In a November statement following the news of Shein's IPO, chairman Mike Gallagher urged investors and banks underwriting the move to "carefully examine Shein's regulatory and compliance programs."

Persons: —, Bytedance, Sky Xu, Yangtian Xu, Chris, Shein, confidentially, David Swartz, Swartz, Lululemon, JADE GAO, Stephanie Benedetto, Queen, Benedetto, they're, Shein's, Morningstar's Swartz, Temu, Mike Gallagher Organizations: Service, Elon, SpaceX, Business, Reuters, Authentic Brands, Wall Street, CNBC, Bloomberg, Morningstar, Zurich Insurance Group, Guardian, BI, Coventry Airport, SEC, Street, Financial Times, London Stock Exchange, Chinese Communist Party, Nike, Adidas Locations: China, —, Singapore, Sequoia China, London , Hong Kong, York, London, Canary Wharf, Coventry, Walsall, Northern Ireland, England, Kent, Washington, Xinjiang, Dublin, Shein

☆ Bill Ackman likely to back Donald Trump for president after supporting RFK Jr., Nikki Haley
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-30 | by ( Brian Schwartz | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Hedge fund executive and billionaire Bill Ackman has signaled to associates that he is likely to support Donald Trump for president over Joe Biden, according to a source familiar with the matter. Ackman previously financed Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s campaign for president and Republican Nikki Haley's failed bid for the White House. If Ackman endorses Trump, he will join a growing crowd of Wall Street executives backing Trump over Biden. Blackstone CEO Steve Schwarzman recently said in a statement that he would support Trump. When asked at the time whether he would vote for Trump over Biden, Ackman said, "I'll make that decision when I have the choice."

Persons: Bill Ackman, David Rubenstein, Donald Trump, Joe Biden, Robert F, Kennedy Jr, Nikki Haley's, Ackman, Trump, Blackstone, Steve Schwarzman, Biden, Dean Phillips, Phillips Organizations: Pershing, Capital Management, White, Forbes, Financial Times, Wall Street, Biden, Trump, Republican, CNBC, Democratic, Commission Locations: New York

☆ ConocoPhillips is buying Marathon Oil in $22.5 billion deal
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-29 | by ( Mark Thompson | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

ConocoPhillips said Wednesday it had agreed to buy Marathon Oil in an all-stock deal worth $22.5 billion, including about $5.4 billion of debt. Marathon Oil shareholders will receive 0.255 ConocoPhillips shares for each Marathon share they own, representing a 14.7% premium to the closing price on Tuesday. Shares of Marathon (MRO) were up more than 10% in premarket trade, while Conoco (COP) stock was down about 2%. “This acquisition of Marathon Oil further deepens our portfolio and fits within our financial framework, adding high-quality, low cost of supply inventory,” Ryan Lance, ConocoPhillips CEO, said in a statement. Until 1962, Marathon Oil was called The Ohio Oil Company, which was founded in 1887 and was bought two years later by John D. Rockefeller’s Standard Oil.

Persons: Hess, ” Ryan Lance, John D, Lee Tillman, ” Tillman Organizations: London CNN, Big Oil, ConocoPhillips, Oil, Marathon Oil, Occidental, Diamondback Energy, Endeavor Energy Partners, Marathon, Financial Times, Devon Energy, Ohio Oil Company Locations: Conoco, Houston, multibillion

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