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☆ China's robotaxi push sparks concerns about job security for drivers
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-11 | by ( Evelyn Cheng | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Wuhan is the largest operational region for Baidu's Apollo Go, one of the largest robotaxi operators in China. CNBC was unable to independently verify the document, which claimed the taxi company had to stop operating four of its 159-car fleet since April due to falling income. Ride-hailing drivers on the riseA surge of new companies and ride-hailing drivers have meanwhile prompted some local governments to restrict the industry. China had more than 7 million registered ride-hailing drivers as of the end of May, according to the Ministry of Transport. In comparison, the U.S. had nearly 400,000 taxi and ride-hailing drivers, shuttle drivers and chauffeurs in 2022, according to the latest available figures from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Persons: Baidu, robotaxis, Goldman Sachs Organizations: Baidu, Bloomberg, Getty, BEIJING, Weibo, CNBC, Ministry of Transport, Bureau of Labor Statistics Locations: Wuhan, San Francisco, Phoenix , Arizona, Beijing, Guangzhou, robotaxis, China, Wuhan city, Guyuan, Ningxia, Guiyang, That's, U.S

☆ I tutored the children of Russia's elite amid the backdrop of war. One teenager said he had his own massage therapist.
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-16 | by ( Cameron Manley | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

NEW LOOK Sign up to get the inside scoop on today’s biggest stories in markets, tech, and business — delivered daily. The agency counted some of Russia's elite among its clientele — so I was quickly thrust into a world of private jets, guarded estates, and personal chauffeurs. I worked in Moscow until Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, when I was relocated to Monaco. I have a massage every day, I have my own massage therapist," he told us. AdvertisementBut the children often brought the topic up themselves, their comments ringing with the ideology they had likely absorbed at home.

Persons: —, Cameron Manley, Barts, Vladimir Putin, Ivan, Alexei, Elena, It's, Philippe Jacquemart, Jorg Greuel, Putin, Sasha Mordovets, getty, wryly, Elizaveta Organizations: Service, Business, Monaco penthouses, Monaco, Mandoga, Getty, Mercedes, Benz, United Arab, Russia's, Sirius Locations: Moscow, Ukraine, Monaco, St, Caribbean, Rublevka, Saint, Nice, France, Russia, United Arab Emirates, Dubai, Russian, Sochi, Kyiv

☆ Wheely, Uber's luxury competitor, launches in Dubai to take on the UAE's dominant player
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-07 | by ( Ryan Browne | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

The company, founded by Russian-Swiss entrepreneur Anton Chirkunov, told CNBC it will offer rides in the United Arab Emirates city starting Wednesday, catering mainly to wealthy clients. "European families and entrepreneurs have been moving to Dubai in the last five years," Chirkunov told CNBC in an interview ahead of the launch. Wheely's platform is tailored more toward mass market usage, however, and Chirkunov thinks his platform has an opportunity to stand out. He compares the Wheely brand to the American Express Centurion and Platinum membership credit cards in terms of brand status. Wheely plans to expand its Middle East team and chauffeur network to over 1,000 in the next three to five years, the company told CNBC exclusively.

Persons: Shariff, Covid, Anton Chirkunov, Wheely, That's, Mercedes, Chirkunov, it's, chauffeurs, Duke of Northumberland, Covid lockdowns Organizations: Russian, CNBC, United Arab Emirates, BMW, Benz, Tesla, American Express, Mercedes, East, Companies Locations: Dubai, Swiss, Europe, London, Mayfair, City of London, Wheely, Paris

☆ Palazzo Vilòn: Incredible historical mansion opens to overnight guests in Rome
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-04 | by ( Silvia Marchetti | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

Featuring multiple suites, all filled with artistic masterpieces, Rome’s 17th-century Palazzo Vilòn is sheer luxury. And now, Palazzo Vilòn can be all yours for 25,000 euros ($26,665) per night if you opt for the “buy-out” offer. Palazzo Vilòn offers a rare chance to travel back to a time when noble families ruled the Eternal City. Today, Palazzo Vilòn is believed to be Italy’s most expensive historical retreat. Despite all the grandeur, Florio stresses that Palazzo Vilòn is not a museum brought back to life.

Persons: CNN — It’s, Vilon, Sala di, Mattia Aquila, Borghese, Vilòn, it’s, –, ”, Palazzo Vilòn, Samuele Florio, Florio, ‘ It’s, Italy won’t, “, It’s Organizations: CNN, Michelin, Mirrors Locations: You’re, Campo Marzio, Europe, Rome, Italy, Vilòn, Italian

One of the longest labor crises in Hollywood history is finally coming to an end. Upset about streaming-service pay and fearful of fast-developing artificial intelligence technology, actors joined screenwriters on picket lines in July. The writers had walked out in May over similar concerns. It was the first time since 1960, when Ronald Reagan was the head of the actors’ union and Marilyn Monroe was still starring in films, that actors and writers were both on strike. Brooks Barnes and Nicole Sperling reported from Los Angeles and John Koblin from New York.

Persons: —, Ronald Reagan, Marilyn Monroe, Brooks Barnes, Nicole Sperling, John Koblin Organizations: SAG Locations: Hollywood, Los Angeles, New York

☆ Rolls-Royce CEO Torsten Muller-Otvos retires after boosting sales six-fold
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-05 | by ( Robert Frank | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Rolls-Royce CEO Torsten Muller-Otvos unveils the new coachbuilt Rolls-Royce Boat Tail on May 27, 2021, at the Home of Rolls-Royce in Goodwood, West Sussex, England. Torsten Muller-Otvos, the Rolls-Royce CEO who turned an aging brand into a coveted badge of success for pop stars, athletes and young entrepreneurs, is retiring after 14 years. Rolls-Royce announced Thursday that Muller-Otvos, 63, the longest serving CEO of Rolls-Royce in nearly a century, will retire on December 1. Muller-Otvos brought new shine to the Rolls-Royce brand and became a leader in the luxury world by attracting a new generation of wealthy buyers. Muller-Otvos is the longest-serving CEO of Rolls-Royce since Claude Johnson, who brought Charles Rolls and Henry Royce together in 1904 and served until 1926.

Persons: Torsten Muller, Otvos, Muller, Chris Brownridge, " Muller, Claude Johnson, Charles Rolls, Henry Royce, Cullinan, Royce Organizations: Royce, BMW UK, Muller, CNBC, NBA Locations: Goodwood , West Sussex, England, U.S

☆ German chauffeur services company Blacklane just raised $36 million in fresh funds with this 10-slide pitch deck
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-27 | by ( Callum Burroughs | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

German chauffeur services company Blacklane has raised $36 million in a Series F funding round. The Berlin-based firm, founded in 2011, was originally set up to simplify business travel through the creation of a marketplace for chauffeurs. "We could have continued to grow organically with our cash flow but we want to grow faster," he said. Blacklane has brought in the funding as part of a second close of its previously announced Series F round. The fresh funds will go towards deepening the company's existing network of products, particularly in North America, as well as in Dubai where the business has ambitions to offer premium mobility services to users in the city for functions beyond traditional chauffeur services like airport transfer.

Persons: Blacklane, Jens Wohltorf Organizations: chauffeurs, Mercedes Benz Mobility, Gargash Group Locations: Berlin, Dubai, North America

☆ I spent a day training to be a chauffeur for the rich and famous with a luxury ride-hailing app. I learned about the importance of the correct kind of socks, and why to wear a clip-on tie.
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-20 | by ( Pete Syme | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: 1 min

Ricky also told us to write down a list of word-swaps. Greetings are always like "good morning, sir," and affirmatives are "certainly" instead of "yeah." Chauffeurs are taught not to say no to a request, so if something's impossible, they'll instead politely suggest alternatives — like pulling over so a passenger can smoke because it's illegal to do so in the vehicle. The Chauffeur Academy, Courtesy of Wheely

Persons: Ricky, they'll

☆ Mark Cuban doesn't spend his billions on yachts, butlers, or chauffeurs because more staff means 'no privacy'
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-05 | by ( Jordan Hart | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Unlike fellow elites, Cuban doesn't own a luxury yacht, but he still makes pricey purchases. Billionaire businessman Mark Cuban doesn't want to let his financial status change him, and he's gone out of his way to maintain a normal life. However, on an episode of "The Really Good Podcast," Cuban said he avoids certain habits that are associated with the exorbitantly rich. "I just try to be the same person, I mean, as I was when I was poor, middle, and rich," Cuban told podcast host Bobbi Althoff. "I like the privacy," Cuban said.

Persons: Mark Cuban, Bobbi Althoff, he's, Cuban, I've, that's Organizations: Cuban, Morning, Dallas Mavericks, Forbes Locations: Texas, Dallas

☆ Life Under U.K. Sanctions: Chauffeurs, Chefs and $1 Million Allowances
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-27 | by ( Jane Bradley | More About Jane Bradley | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The majority went to a security company owned by Mr. Aven’s financial manager, who has been under investigation for potentially helping Mr. Aven evade sanctions, court records show. That is all,” said Mr. Aven, reached by phone in the Hamptons. The British Treasury granted at least 82 licenses last year and many more applications are pending, according to official figures seen by The New York Times. Treasury officials allowed Mr. Aven, for example, to spend more than £1 million while technically cut off from the British economy. At the same time, law enforcement officers investigated him for possible sanctions evasion and raided his countryside mansion last year.

Persons: Petr Aven, Aven, Fridman, ”, Vladimir V, Putin Organizations: Mr, Kremlin, Hamptons, British Treasury, The New York Times

☆ Luxury homes like Beyoncé and Jay-Z's Malibu estate take a staff of up to 50 to maintain — and could cost owners $1 million a year
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-16 | by ( Jordan Pandy | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

"These homes run like a well-oiled machine," Jenny Greenwood Huber, owner and founder of Heritage Estate Management, told Insider. Heritage Estate ManagementHeritage Estate Management provides household staffing and property management services for West Coast estates in places like Beverly Hills and Malibu, where the Carters' new home is located. With a staff of 20, property owners could be paying nearly $5,000 a day — or $1.8 million a year. Heritage Estate Management charges $150 per hour of property management service. Heritage Estate ManagementAccording to Huber, her staff could work 20 hours to 50 hours a month at a single estate.

Persons: Jenny Greenwood Huber, Huber, Beyoncé, Downton, nannies, Jay, housekeepers, Anthony Barcelo Huber Organizations: Service, Heritage Estate Management, Heritage Estate Management Heritage Estate Management, nannies, butlers, Heritage Locations: West, Wall, Silicon, Malibu, West Coast, Beverly Hills, chauffeurs, Los Angeles

☆ A Reuters journalist explores his ancestors’ ties to slavery
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +38 min

It took me a few minutes of research to figure out why I was losing track of the descendants of the people George Julian enslaved. If the racial cleansing of Forsyth County was mentioned, I didn’t notice. Still hopeful that I might be able to somehow identify and locate living descendants of the people my family enslaved, I flew to Georgia last November. Her father was also a butler for a wealthy white family, her mother a cook. In 1860, Osby’s ancestors were enslaved and working the fields of Forsyth County.

Persons: Julian, Abijah’s, George Julian, George, ”, Adaline, –, Abijah, Dick, Lott, Aggy, Henry, Lewis, Ellick, Jim, Josiah, Reuben, Woodrow Wilson, Rob Edwards, Black, Oprah Winfrey, Forsyth, “, Cumming, who’d, Abijah Julian, ” Gov, Joseph Mackey Brown, ‘ Dick, I’d, Grandma Horseyfeather, Brice gesturing, ” I’d, Grandma Horseyfeather’s, – I’ve, “ Lott, Abijah Julian’s, Richard Julian, Charlotte Julian, Richard, Charlotte, George Julian’s, She’d, “ I’m, That’s, Martin Luther King, wasn’t, Sophia Dodd, Dodd, Elon Osby, – Dodd, Osby, Bailey, George H, Julian ” –, – “, ” Osby, ” Dodd, Ida Julian ., Ida Julian’s, Ida ., Ida hadn’t, Ida Julian, Bagley, Willie M, Willie Mae Bagley, Willie Mae Butts, Elon Butts Osby, Osby’s, ’, Elon Osby’s, Ida Bagley, William Bagley, Adaline Julian, Richard Julian –, Abijah Julian –, she’d, we’ve, you’ve, ELON, crunched underfoot, could’ve, Abijah John Julian ”, Webster, I’ve, weren’t, “ We’re, – we’re, …, Horseyfeather, gesturing, “ You’re, Tom Lasseter, Corinne Perkins, Wong, Jeremy Schultz, Catherine Tai Design, John Emerson, Blake Morrison Organizations: ., Reuters, ”, Black, Charlotte, Toyota, Atlanta History, Elon, Lockheed, Tiffany, Atlanta Housing Authority, Task Force, Mazda, American Legion, United, Confederacy Locations: Forsyth, Negros, negros, Virginia, . Civil, Georgia, Cumming, U.S, Forsyth ., Dawson, Atlanta, Tulsa , Oklahoma, Jefferson County , Georgia, Forsyth County, Charlotte, Thai, Macedonia, Buckhead, Bagley, America, Fulton County, Fulton, Bagley Park, Iraq, Afghanistan, Osby, England, Juneteenth, Brooks County

Ambassador and South Carolina Republican Gov. Nikki Haley has walked a long and windy road when it comes to her one-time boss, former President Donald Trump. DeSantis’ announcement nears: NBC News’ Dasha Burns reports that Florida Republican Gov. And the New York Times reports DeSantis has been telling donors that out of the three “credible” candidates for president (Trump, himself and President Biden), only he and Biden can win. Raising eyebrows: Virginia GOP Gov.

☆ Larry Page, Sergey Brin Post-Google Lives: Investments, Yachts, Islands
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-11 | by ( Hugh Langley | Rob Price | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +33 min

Even before their retirement from Google, Page and Brin relied heavily on their respective family offices to bring order to their worlds. The Bay Area headquarters of Koop, Larry Page's family office, is nondescript and gives little indication of the billionaire's empire. Insider; Marianne Ayala/Insider Show less Bayshore Global Management, Sergey Brin's family office, is based in Palo Alto and has a bit more of a public face. Insider; Marianne Ayala/Insider Show lessThe difference in styles holds true for Brin's family office, Bayshore Global Management. The CEO of Page's family office is Wayne Osborne, a former elder in the Presbyterian Church who attended Princeton Theological Seminary.

☆ A former bodyguard for Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt shares what his job was like and the biggest misconceptions about protecting celebrities
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-13 | by ( Mark Ellwood | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

Mark "Billy" Billingham was a bodyguard for years for stars like Angelina Jolie and Russell Crowe. Billingham's biggest job, he said, was an 18-month position working full time for Brad Pitt, Angelina Jolie, and their family. "I was literally working 18 hours a day, every day, and I stayed with them," he said. Decoys and detours are great ways to test new security detailsIn his role as the head of security, Billingham had to coordinate the entire security team, including what's often a huge army of drivers. The ruse for new chauffeurs began with telling them about the next day's route for Pitt and Jolie in advance.

☆ Rivian owners can’t help but gush about their trucks, flaws and all
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-27 | by ( Matt Mcfarland | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

“The Rivian is probably my favorite vehicle.”A Rivian R1T leaves the assembly line at its manufacturing plant in Normal, Illinois. Rivian owners have generally praised the R1T's features, including the gear tunnel for extra storage. Barnhart was one of several Rivian owners who said they were pleased with how accurately Rivian estimates its vehicles range. Feehley and other Rivian owners say it’s common to get questions from curious onlookers in parking lots, or to have people in cars driving alongside them taking pictures. Rivian owners describe being unwilling to ever sell their trucks.

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