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☆ FBI offered former British spy behind the discredited 'pee tape' dossier up to $1m to prove Trump-Russia links, report says
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-15 | by ( Joshua Zitser | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

The FBI offered a British ex-spy up to $1m to prove Trump's ties to Russia, per The Times of London. A senior FBI analyst revealed this during the trial of the Steele dossier's primary source — Igor Danchenko. Christopher Steele could not verify his allegations, and the money was not paid out. Danchenko, a Russian citizen, was sent by Steele to search for material on Trump, The Times said. The Mueller report contained passing references to some of the allegations in the dossier.

☆ A founder built an executive team of former Amazon, Starbucks, and WeWork employees. Here are the 3 ways small-business owners can attract top talent.
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-14 | by ( Alexandra York | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

He shared his advice for other small-business owners looking to build an all-star executive team. This article is part of Talent Insider, a series containing expert advice to help small business owners tackle a range of hiring challenges. Today Odeko has 470 employees, including an executive team of six made up of former employees from Starbucks, WeWork, Squarespace, and Bed Bath & Beyond. Atkinson spoke with Insider about the importance of building a robust executive team and how to attract top talent to your small business. Retain top employees by investing in their growthMany business owners have a difficult time letting go of responsibility, Atkinson said.

☆ Elon Musk claims whistleblower burned 10 notebooks as part of a Twitter order to destroy sensitive information about the company
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-11 | by ( Grace Kay | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

A whistleblower said he destroyed notebooks and computer files at Twitter's request, per a court filing. Elon Musk requested sanctions against Twitter on October 3, alleging it destroyed evidence. The filing was made public on Monday, but filed the day before Musk made a U-turn on the purchase. Zatko's notes included details from meetings with executives, as well as communications with Twitter CEO Parag Agrawal regarding his concerns over Twitter's security practices, per the court filing. After Zatko's whistleblower complaint became widely reported in August, Musk amended his countersuit against Twitter to include the former security chief's allegations.

☆ Belarusian activist Ales Bialiatski and two human rights groups win 2022 Nobel Peace Prize
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-07 | by ( Jenni Reid | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Belarusian human rights activis Ales Bialiatski speaks after he and the Belarusian human rights organization Vjasna were awarded the 2020 Right Livelihood Award in Stockholm on December 3, 2020. Belarusian human rights activist Ales Bialiatski, Russian human rights organization Memorial and the Ukrainian human rights organization Center for Civil Liberties have been awarded the 2022 Nobel Peace Prize. The Nobel committee said he had "devoted his life to promoting democracy and peaceful development in his home country." The Center for Civil Liberties was set up in 2007 to support Ukrainian civil society, promote human rights and campaign for full democracy in the country. The final recipient, Russian rights group Memorial, was founded in 1987 in the former Soviet Union to honor victims of political oppression.

☆ This under-the-radar solar stock can rally 41%, HSBC says
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-29 | by ( Carmen Reinicke | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

The firm on Wednesday initiated coverage of the solar producer with a buy rating and a $76 price target. It has also seized the opportunity to move the industry forward by commercializing TOPCon, a next-generation solar cell. Jinko also has strong production capacity and sales channels in overseas markets. "In our view, Jinko is ahead of its peers in scalable production, efficiency and cost reduction of these N-type solar products," said Yang. In the coming years, the entire industry is going to move to "N-type" products — which are more efficient than older "P-type" ones — and see rapid growth.

☆ Elon Musk's own data scientists couldn't find many bots on Twitter, and he hid that crucial information, the company says
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-27 | by ( Grace Kay | Kali Hays | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

The firm Cyabra told Musk it estimated Twitter to possibly have 11% bots or fake accounts. That's very different from Musk's estimates. "None of these analyses remotely supported what Mr. Musk told the Twitter parties and told the world in the termination letter he served up on July 8." Musk claims this amounts to fraud and allows him to walk away from the acquisition cost-free. Legal experts are unconvinced that any of Musk's claims are strong enough to win this case.

☆ Elon Musk will be forced to acquire Twitter for $44 billion, says a top M&A legal expert who warns that the billionaire is 'in trouble' as he heads to court
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-26 | by ( Kali Hays | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Elon Musk has spent the past few months trying to get out of his agreement to acquire Twitter. Musk needs only to convince Judge Kathaleen McCormick of one of his claims, while Twitter needs to convince her of all of its claims. Musk can appeal the ruling, and likely will, but he will almost certainly still be forced to buy Twitter, Miller said. Musk knew Twitter has some "bots" and even stated in the press release announcing the deal that he would "defeat" them. "Musk could probably go to Mars and try do this under Martian law and have a better chance than going to Texas law," Miller said.

☆ Ukrainian collaborators who sided with Russian occupation were given top jobs and fancy titles. Now they're being hunted down.
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-23 | by ( Mia Jankowicz | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +11 min

Around half the city has fled since Russia occupied the city in February, according to its elected mayor, Ivan Fedorov. On August 5, both Ukrainian and Russian sources reported that Vladimir Saldo has been put into a medically induced coma, citing a suspected poisoning. Saldo had the head of the government in the occupied city of Kherson. The business was owned by Balitsky and formerly had many Russian and Belarusian contracts, according to the BBC's Russian service. More than 1,300 people are under investigation for aiding the Russians in Ukraine, according to Ihor Klymenko, Ukraine's Head of National Police.

☆ A Kremlin ally died falling down the stairs, report says — the latest in a series of unexplained deaths among prominent Russians
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-22 | by ( Mia Jankowicz | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

The Moscow Aviation Institute's former rector died in an accident on Wednesday, the facility said. Local media said Anatoly Gerashchenko, 72, died falling down several flights of stairs. It's the latest in a string of accidental or untimely deaths of top Russian figures. The Moscow Aviation Institute (MAI) university announced the death of Anatoly Gerashchenko, 72, saying he died "as a result of an accident." An unnamed source told Russian newspaper Izvestia that he died on the university's grounds, by falling "from a great height" down several flights of stairs.

☆ Twitter hunts for documents showing possible connection between Elon Musk and former executive turned whistleblower Peiter 'Mudge' Zatko
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-22 | by ( Kali Hays | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Zatko accused Twitter of lax security and other missteps during his time as a top executive. He also sided with Elon Musk in claiming "bots" are improperly quantified on the platform. Twitter now wants to know if Zatko has had prior dealings with Musk or those on his side of the deal. He also openly sided with Musk and his claims that Twitter hosts more "bots" or fake accounts that it publicly discloses. A section of Zatko's disclosure is titled "Lying about Bots to Elon Musk" and accuses Twitter of misrepresenting how it counts and combats spam accounts, saying "Elon Musk is correct."

☆ Tech leaders dish on how asinine it is to try to describe their companies, products, and worth to Congress
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-21 | by ( Hanna Kang | Kayla Gallagher | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +24 min

Tech companies are worried an aging Congress can't meet or even understand their demands. Younger members of Congress are beginning to take the lead in conversations on tech issues. Hawley said younger members are generally more critical of big tech. However, he added, new technologies are more widely used by younger people, and users tend to understand technology better. Meanwhile, major tech companies continue to ramp up their federal lobbying spending, together spending more in 2021 than in any other year in history.

☆ Ukrainian ex-serviceman claims Russians tortured him in eastern city of Izium
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-21 | by ( Tom Balmforth | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

When Russian troops withdrew from the town on Sept. 9 and 10, he wept with joy as he and other detainees were suddenly set free. Russia has consistently denied its troops have committed war crimes since its troops invaded Ukraine in February. On Monday, the Kremlin rejected allegations of such abuses in Kharkiv region, where Izium is located, as a "lie". A grave of 17 Ukrainian soldiers was also found. One of the Russian soldiers did surreptitiously give him water without the others seeing, he said, and he was eventually released by his jailors - and found by passers-by.

☆ A judge might force Elon Musk to buy Twitter
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-20 | by ( Alex Kantrowitz | Big Technology | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +10 min

The trial between Twitter and Elon Musk will begin on October 17 at the Delaware Chancery Court. The Delaware judge hearing Twitter's case vs. Elon Musk listened incredulously as Musk's lawyers asked her to postpone the trial. The DecoPac deal, like many acquisitions, had a clause called "specific performance," which allows the courts to force the deal to close. It didn't take long for McCormick's life at the Chancery Court to get interestingElon Musk agreed to buy Twitter in April 2022. And Twitter then sued Musk for specific performance in Delaware Chancery Court later that month.

☆ Why deleting something from the internet is 'almost impossible'
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-18 | by ( Catherine Thorbecke | Cnn Business | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

In his testimony and whistleblower disclosure, Zatko alleged Twitter does not reliably delete users' data, in some cases because it has lost track of the information. Twitter has broadly defended itself against Zatko's allegations, saying his disclosure paints a "false narrative" of the company. In response to questions from CNN, Twitter has previously said it has workflows in place to "begin a deletion process" but has not said whether it typically completes that process. Photo by Sarah Silbiger for CNNWhile Zatko's allegations are stunning, it also served as just another reminder to Sandra Matz of "how oftentimes mindless we are" in sharing our data online. "Retracting something from the internet, hitting the reset button — is almost impossible."

☆ The whistleblower hearing was more of a win for Twitter than Elon Musk in their $44 billion court battle, some experts say
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-15 | by ( Grace Kay | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Experts told Insider the Twitter whistleblower's hearing did little to aid Elon Musk's legal case. Musk's legal team has amended its countersuit against Twitter to include Zatko's claims. Another avenue for Musk's team could be if the FTC imposes a fine or revisits its 2011 settlement with Twitter. But, Zatko appeared to have no firsthand knowledge of FTC compliance issues in his testimony, experts said. Zatko has been subpoenaed for the $44 billion court battle between Musk and Twitter.

☆ Emotional video shows moment Ukrainian soldier reunited with mother in town reclaimed from Russian occupation
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-14 | by ( Natalie Musumeci | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Video shows a Ukrainian soldier reuniting with his mom in a town reclaimed from Russian occupation. Ukrainian forces have recently recaptured large swaths of territory from Russian control in the Kharkiv region. The tear-jerker video also shows Zadorenko and other Ukrainian soldiers greeting and hugging other residents in the town. In recent days, Ukrainian forces have recaptured large swaths of territory from Russian control in the Kharkiv region, Ukraine's second-largest city. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Monday that Ukrainian forces have reclaimed more than 2,300 square miles of territory from Russian occupation since the beginning of this month.

☆ Twitter whistleblower alleges at least one Chinese spy is at the company
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-13 | by ( Grace Kay | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Twitter whistleblower Peiter Zatko claims Twitter has at least one Chinese spy at the company. Twitter has said Zatko's complaint is "riddled with inaccuracies." Zatko alleged that the FBI warned Twitter that the company employed a Chinese foreign agent. "Today's hearing only confirms that Mr. Zatko's allegations are riddled with inconsistencies and inaccuracies," a Twitter spokesperson told Insider. "While it was disturbing to hear, I and many others had recognized the state of the environment at Twitter," Zatko said.

☆ Read the exclusive pitch deck that recruiting startup Joonko used to raise $25 million from top VCs including Insight Partners
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-13 | by ( Jessica Xing | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Read the pitch deck Joonko used to raise a $25 million Series B led by Insight Partners. Joonko, a human-resources tech startup in Israel, just raised a $25 million Series B funding round led by the venture-capital heavyweight Insight Partners. Backing its mission with business metrics like annual recurring revenue and a growing client base won over those investors, CEO Ilit Raz told Insider. It raised a $10 million Series A round last year at a $89 million valuation, according to PitchBook. Read the pitch deck that Joonko used to raise its $25 million Series B:

☆ Twitter slams Elon Musk's third attempt to get out of the deal as 'illegal.' Next up, more Musk texts could be made public and the whistleblower will testify.
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-12 | by ( Grace Kay | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Musk's team argued an alleged $7.75 million severance to the Twitter whistleblower breached the deal. In the letter, Musk's lawyers argued that a recently reported $7.75 million severance payment given to Twitter whistleblower and ex-security chief Peiter Zatko breached the deal. Last week, one of Musk's text messages appeared to cast doubt on the billionaire's reasons for ditching the deal. Twitter's legal team used the tweet to support its argument that Musk is walking away from the deal due to economic concerns. More of Musk's text are expected to be released publicly as soon as Monday.

☆ Elon Musk takes another loss in Twitter battle as his request to delay trial is denied — but judge says he can add whistleblower allegations to his suit
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-07 | by ( Grace Kay | Kali Hays | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Twitter has already seen negative effects on its business during the case so far, the judge said. Musk's team cannot do any kind of extensive additional discovery that will delay the case, with the judge only allowing "incremental" and "targeted" requests for more document production from Twitter. She rejected the billionaire's request to delay the trial, his second attempt to do so, reiterating that any further delay poses an outsized risk to Twitter as a business. "I am convinced that even four weeks' delay would risk further harm to Twitter too great to justify." While Zatko's whistleblower claims mainly revolve around security issues at Twitter, Musk seized on them to prove his allegations of fraud.

☆ The 5 key takeaways from the Twitter whistleblower
▼ + stars: | 2022-08-24 | by ( Brian Fung | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +15 min

Here's more on some of the top takeaways from Zatko's disclosure. And it has created internal workflows to ensure users know that when they cancel their accounts, Twitter will deactivate the accounts and start a deletion process, Twitter said. Partly due to its cybersecurity issues, Zatko's disclosure says, Twitter's data centers are constantly at risk of going down. Twitter also knowingly misled the FTC and French regulators on its intellectual property rights violations, the disclosure claims. The FTC settlement was supposed to force Twitter to shape up after hackers in 2009 gained access to internal Twitter systems.

The complaints, obtained by CNBC, were filed by nonprofit law firm Whistleblower Aid, which is representing Twitter's former head of security, Peiter "Mudge" Zatko. Whistleblower Aid, which also represented Facebook whistleblower Frances Haugen, verified the authenticity of the documents with CNBC. A Twitter whistleblower is alleging "extreme, egregious deficiencies by Twitter" related to privacy, security and content moderation, according to complaints filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, Federal Trade Commission and Department of Justice. If government regulators were to find Twitter misled consumers about its security protocols, that may be considered a violation of its 2011 agreement with the FTC. At the time, Twitter was barred for 20 years from misleading consumers about how it protects their security and private information.

☆ Senegal ruling coalition loses comfortable majority
▼ + stars: | 2022-08-05 | by ( Diadie Ba | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

DAKAR, Aug 4 (Reuters) - Senegal's ruling Benno Bokk Yakaar (BBY) coalition has lost its comfortable majority in parliament, securing just two seats more than two allied opposition coalitions in a legislative election at the weekend, the electoral commission said on Thursday. Provisional results from Sunday's vote showed President Macky Sall's BBY won 82 out of 165 seats, one short of the 83 required for an absolute majority, while the alliance of opposition coalitions Yewwi Askane Wi (YAW) and the Wallu Senegal won 80. Both BBY and the YAW-Wallu alliance had earlier claimed victory, with opposition leader Ousmane Sonko saying the ruling coalition would try to steal the vote and calling for his supporters to be ready to defend their choice. "The Senegalese people gave a real lesson in democracy to the political class," BBY member Amadou Sall told Reuters. Writing by Sofia Christensen and Alessandra Prentice Editing by Alexander Winning, Frances Kerry and Lincoln FeastOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Boxing legend Wladimir Klitschko is fighting on the front line to defend Ukraine – here's how investing legends Warren Buffett and Ray Dalio inspired the head of his $100 million family office
▼ + stars: | 2022-03-17 | by ( George Glover | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Insider spoke to Kostya Kovalchuk, the investing chief of Klitschko's $100 million family office. KLIWLA allocates around 35% of its $100 million assets under management to Ukraine, and invests the other 65% internationally. "Wladimir is optimistic, very entrepreneurial and always interested in meeting new people", Kovalchuk told Insider. Value investingKovalchuk allocates Klitschko's $100 million portfolio through specialist managers who better understand tech and commodities. Commodities also play a major role in Klitschko's $100 million portfolio.

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