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☆ Facebook is getting rid of the News tab in Europe
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-05 | by ( Jonathan Vanian | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Facebook users in the U.K., France and Germany will no longer see a dedicated section for news articles starting in December. The company added that it plans to spend more time and money on short-form video, as best exemplified by its TikTok-like Reels product. News represents less than 3% of what people see in their Facebook feeds, Meta said. Meta debuted Facebook News in 2019, saying at the time that the product "was built to bring people closer to the stories that affect their lives." The decision to deprecate Facebook News is part of a broader move away from the news business.

Persons: Andrew Ross Sorkin, Mark Zuckerberg, Meta Organizations: Meta, New York Times DealBook, Jazz At Lincoln Center, Facebook Locations: New York City, France, Germany, Canada

☆ BlackRock has a 'responsibility to democratize investing,' including in crypto, Larry Fink says
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-14 | by ( Jesse Pound | In Jesse-Pound | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Andrew Ross Sorkin speaks with BlackRock CEO Larry Fink during the New York Times DealBook Summit in the Appel Room at the Jazz At Lincoln Center on November 30, 2022 in New York City. BlackRock 's move into crypto fits into the asset management giant's broader mission of creating products that are easy to use and cheap for investors, CEO Larry Fink said Friday. Fink had previously been critical of crypto, saying in 2017 that the popularity of digital currencies was do in large part to money laundering. However, interest from clients and the high cost of transactions motivated BlackRock to take a closer look at entering the space, Fink said. BlackRock reported its second-quarter results on Friday, earning $9.28 in adjusted earnings per share on $4.46 billion in revenue.

Persons: Andrew Ross Sorkin, Larry Fink, We've, Fink, BlackRock Organizations: BlackRock, New York Times DealBook, Jazz At Lincoln Center, Securities, Exchange Commission, SEC Locations: New York City, cryptocurrencies

☆ Larry Fink doesn't see a big recession this year, but expects inflation to stay higher for longer
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-14 | by ( Yun Li | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Larry Fink, chairman and CEO of BlackRock , believes the U.S. could skirt a major economic downturn this year, but inflation is going to be around for a while. "No I don't see a big recession," Fink said on CNBC's "Squawk on the Street" Friday. "I'm not sure we're going to have a recession in 2023, we may have it in early 24." The head of the world's largest asset manager said the chance of a recession is dependent on the Federal Reserve's battle against inflation. "It all depends on what is the pathway of inflation of the short run and pathway to the Fed," Fink said.

☆ A grassroots group took on Amazon and won. Then came the hard part
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-01 | by ( Catherine Thorbecke | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +11 min

Amazon still refuses to recognize the union or come to the bargaining table, dashing the Staten Island workers’ hopes of creating their first contract. Union organizer Christian Smalls (L) celebrates following the April 1, 2022, vote for the unionization of the Amazon Staten Island warehouse in New York. “I told Christian, ‘We have a problem, you need to stop traveling, you need to focus on the workers,’” Goodall told CNN. The company has claimed the independent federal agency tasked with overseeing union elections exerted “inappropriate and undue influence” with the Staten Island effort. An Amazon employee signs a labor union authorization for representation form outside the Amazon LDJ5 fulfillment center in the Staten Island borough of New York, on Monday, Feb. 7, 2022.

☆ TikTok and its CEO are fighting to save the app in the US
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-22 | by ( Catherine Thorbecke | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

In his talk, Chew, the CEO of TikTok, said the social network would not provide US user data to the Chinese government and has never been asked to do so. Chew stressed the steps TikTok has taken to protect US user data. The Harvard event is just one of several media appearances Chew has made in recent weeks amid mounting scrutiny of TikTok and of himself. “It’s life or death for TikTok, from their perspective,” said Justin Sherman, the CEO of Global Cyber Strategies, D.C.-based research and advisory firm, who was among the researchers TikTok invited to be briefed on “Project Texas,” the company’s $1.5 billion initiative to address lawmakers’ security concerns. But for some lawmakers with security concerns, the latest push “may be too little too late.”In his TikTok video on Tuesday, Chew appealed directly to users of the app.

☆ Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz declines to appear at U.S. Senate hearing
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-15 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Howard Schultz speaks onstage at The New York Times DealBook DC policy forum on June 9, 2022 in Washington. Starbucks Chief Executive Howard Schultz declined an invitation from 11 senators to testify on March 9 on the coffee company's compliance with federal labor law, according to a letter seen by Reuters late on Tuesday. Senator Bernie Sanders, who chairs a committee on labor issues, and 10 other members of the committee asked Schultz to answer by Feb. 14 whether he would take part. Schultz, who re-joined Starbucks as interim CEO in April 2022, will "fully transition" out of the role next month, said Starbucks acting executive vice president and general counsel Zabrina Jenkins in the letter. Sanders' office did not immediately comment on Starbucks' letter.

☆ Amazon stock hit hardest after tech earnings bonanza, despite misses by Apple and Alphabet
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-03 | by ( Annie Palmer | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Its stock was hit harder than peers Apple and Alphabet , which also reported on Thursday evening. Shares of Apple were trading up about 4% on Friday morning while Alphabet was down about 1%. Amazon said it expects revenue of between $121 billion and $126 billion in the current quarter. Similarly, despite Alphabet's misses, analysts are bullish on its prospects for artificial intelligence and highlighted its strong core business. WATCH: Arete Research's Richard Kramer on the outlook for Apple, Amazon and Alphabet

☆ Here are the companies that have laid off employees this year
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-21 | by ( Ramishah Maruf | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

Tech firms went on a hiring spree. “Over the past two years we’ve seen periods of dramatic growth,” CEO Sundar Pichai said in an email to employees. The crypto brokerage announced in early January that it’s cutting 950 people – almost one in five employees in its workforce. Departments from human resources to the company’s Amazon (AMZN) Stores will be affected. They’re not in heavy people expansion mode every year,” CEO Andy Jassy said in a memo to employees.

☆ Who is Shou Zi Chew? Mounting scrutiny on TikTok could put new spotlight on its CEO
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-20 | by ( Catherine Thorbecke | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

Months later, when TikTok was grilled by Congress over privacy and security concerns, Pappas was the TikTok executive in the hot seat fielding questions. But Chew, who took over as TikTok CEO in April 2021, has largely stayed out of the spotlight at a time when the app he leads can’t seem to avoid it. He eventually went on to become the CFO of Chinese tech giant Xiaomi, which he helped take public in 2018. While Chew is not a Chinese national, Quint noted Chinese tech companies and leaders that have drawn too much attention to themselves have faced tough government crackdowns. Ultimately, Quint said, “I don’t think the CEO of TikTok has much relevance at all” for US lawmakers scrutinizing its ties to China.

☆ Inside Amazon, there's chatter, and jokes, about Jeff Bezos coming back as CEO in the midst of massive layoffs and a plummeting stock price
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-06 | by ( Eugene Kim | Claire Atkinson | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Some Amazon employees are calling for Jeff Bezos to return as CEO. Some Amazon employees are calling for the return of founder Jeff Bezos as CEO in the midst of massive layoffs and a plunging stock price. "Apparently not even Andy is safe," one employee wrote, referring to Jassy who took over from Bezos as CEO in July 2021. "He should come…he is the best," another employee wrote, referring to Bezos. In the turkey-themed email, viewed by Insider, the CEO acknowledged challenges, thanked Amazon employees, and called for resilience and optimism.

☆ Our predictions for big themes in 2023, from China tensions to the abundance agenda and tech discipline
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-01 | by ( Matt Turner | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

On the agenda today:But first: Now that it's 2023, I want to share some of the things I'm personally fascinated with that I think will be big themes for the year ahead. 3 big themes for 2023China tensions: The fate of the world economy may depend on what happens to a company in Taiwan most Americans have never heard of. These are all huge storylines for 2023 driven by increasing tensions between China and the US. Big tech companies are making their performance reviews tougher. What do you think are the big themes that will shape 2023?

☆ How Gerry Cardinale became the go-to dealmaker for the likes of the Yankees, AC Milan, and Ben Affleck
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-29 | by ( Hayley Cuccinello | Dakin Campbell | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +20 min

He bought the soccer club AC Milan in August, earning the attention of the Italian press. This past spring, AC Milan won its first national title in 11 years. Claudio Villa/AC Milan via Getty Images Show less Cardinale at a training session for AC Milan. For instance, the teams sell each other's merchandise in their stadiums, and the YES Network airs AC Milan games. "Now we have a new phase of expansion and internationalization of AC Milan with Gerry."

☆ 12 media executives anonymously predict 2023's biggest deals, trends and changes
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-18 | by ( Alex Sherman | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

Candle Media has acquired intellectual property assets including Reese Witherspoon's Hello Sunshine production company and Moonbug, which owns the animated kids series "CoComelon." Executive 3: Iger extends his contract There's been lots of speculation over who Iger will choose as his successor. History suggests he has a hard time leaving the role of Disney CEO. Christine M. McCarthy, Senior Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer The Walt Disney Company. "I love Shari [Redstone], but ViacomCBS is not long for this world as it stands today," said a media executive last year.

☆ FTX users say they take little comfort in Sam Bankman-Fried's arrest - and still don't have much hope they'll get their money back
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-17 | by ( Jennifer Sor | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

SBF's arrest isn't reassuring users who are worried about getting their money out of the failed exchange. "It really wouldn't change my life or anyone's life if he goes to jail," one user said. Tadeh Tarverdian, a customer of FTX who had $10,000 in his account when the exchange collapsed last month, said news of the Sam Bankman-Fried's arrest made him more anxious about getting his money back. Evan Luthra, an entrepreneur who says he lost $2 million when the exchange collapsed, also doesn't find comfort in Bankman-Fried's arrest. He speculated the former crypto executive would be found guilty due to the "obvious" mismanagement of FTX, as well Bankman-Fried's media interviews.

☆ Meet Sam Bankman-Fried's family: His parents are Stanford law professors, his aunt is a dean at Columbia, and his brother is the founder of a nonprofit
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-14 | by ( Huileng Tan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Sam Bankman-Fried was raised in an academic family based in Silicon Valley. Sam Bankman-Fried cofounded FTX in 2019 and was its CEO. FTXFTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried was arrested in the Bahamas on Monday, in a spectacular fall from grace after his crypto exchange collapsed last month. In November, Reuters reported that a $16.4 million house in the Bahamas listed Bankman-Fried's parents, Joseph Bankman and Barbara Fried, as signatories. Here are some of the prominent members of Bankman-Fried's family.

☆ Disgraced FTX CEO Sam Bankman-Fried 'orchestrated yearslong fraud' on investors and customers, SEC and criminal charges say
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-13 | by ( Marlene Lenthang | Https | Media-Cldnry.S-Nbcnews.Com Image Upload Newscms | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +8 min

Sam Bankman-Fried, the former CEO of cryptocurrency giant FTX, defrauded investors by funneling money into his private hedge fund and conspired to commit wire fraud against customers and lenders, federal authorities said Tuesday. The Manhattan panel indicted Bankman-Fried on eight counts: conspiracy to commit wire fraud on customers, wire fraud on customers, conspiracy to commit wire fraud on lenders, wire fraud on lenders, conspiracy to commit commodities fraud, conspiracy to commit securities fraud, conspiracy to commit money laundering and conspiracy to defraud the United States and violate the campaign finance laws. $8 billion loss to customersThe wire fraud on lenders and customers started in or about 2019 and lasted through November, according to the filing. Separately, in a filing Tuesday also in the Southern District of New York, the SEC charged him with defrauding investors and enriching Alameda. FTX CEO pledges continued cooperationAlso Tuesday, the company’s new CEO, John J. Ray III, testified at a congressional hearing on FTX’s collapse and missteps.

CNBC's Andrew Ross Sorkin reported that the charges against Bankman-Fried include wire fraud, wire fraud conspiracy, securities fraud, securities fraud conspiracy and money laundering. Neither the Attorney General of the Bahamas nor the Royal Bahamas Police Force would confirm the nature of the charges against Bankman-Fried. "I didn't ever try to commit fraud," Bankman-Fried said. The CFTC and lawmakers have begun their probes into FTX and Bankman-Fried, who told Sorkin he was down to his last $100,000. Failed lender BlockFi sued Bankman-Fried in November, seeking unnamed collateral that the FTX founder provided for the crypto lending firm.

☆ FTX's Sam Bankman-Fried is 'one of the greatest fraudsters in history' and a 'master manipulator,' Binance CEO says
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-07 | by ( Morgan Chittum | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Binance's CEO says FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried is "one of the greatest fraudsters in history." "FTX killed themselves (and their users) because they stole billions of dollars of user funds," the CEO said. Bankman-Fried chalks up FTX's collapse to accounting errors and denied allegations of the misuse of customer funds. "SBF is one of the greatest fraudsters in history, he is also a master manipulator when it comes to media and key opinion leaders." Bankman-Fried chalks up FTX's collapse to accounting errors and maintains he never intentionally misused funds or defrauded anyone.

Three people close to FTX and Bankman-Fried told CNBC that the former CEO lobbied aggressively for a partnership with 11-time Grammy Award winner Taylor Swift. Bankman-Fried's commitment to getting the Swift deal done despite the deteriorating business environment fit a pattern of ignoring his lieutenants and going it alone, a half-dozen former company insiders and business partners said. The Financial Times reported earlier that FTX held talks with Swift about a potential sponsorship. Part of the Swift deal would have included the production by the singer of a collection of non-fungible tokens (NFTs), or digital items that can rise and fall in value. Beyond that, there was a lack of clarity over what Swift would be doing for the company, sources said.

☆ Sam Bankman-Fried Chucks the Crisis Communications Playbook
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-02 | by ( Nat Ives | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +5 min

The interviews could be a case study in what not to do in a crisis, some communications executives said. “He’s basically breaking every rule that somebody in the crisis communications field would advise,” said Andrew Gilman, president and chief executive at CommCore Consulting Group, a public relations and communications firm. Asked at the DealBook conference whether his lawyers thought it was wise for him to be speaking, Mr. Bankman-Fried said no. If Mr. Bankman-Fried is determined to say something now, Mr. Gilman said he would have advised putting a statement online and declining to take questions yet. But Mr. Sitrick said he couldn’t fully gauge the results of the mini-media tour because he didn’t know Mr. Bankman-Fried’s goals.

☆ FTX customers could get their money back in Japan, where the local unit is working on unfreezing withdrawals
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-02 | by ( Zahra Tayeb | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

FTX users could get their money back in Japan, where the local unit is working on unfreezing withdrawals. The now-bankrupt crypto exchange faces questions about use of the funds, with $2 billion reportedly missing. FTX Japan said Thursday a plan to restart withdrawals has been approved by its new trading management team, but with added safeguards. "Development work for this plan has already started, and our engineering teams are working to allow FTX Japan users to withdraw their fund," it said in an announcement online. FTX users have been trying to withdraw their funds from the crypto exchange ever since it filed for bankruptcy on November 11.

☆ The US Justice Department wants the fraud allegations against FTX to be investigated
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-02 | by ( Jennifer Sor | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

US Justice Department is pushing for an independent examiner to look into allegations of fraud against FTX. Authorities were already investigating FTX, and are now seeking a probe of alleged wrongdoing that led to its crash. But ex-CEO Sam Bankman-Fried has tried to deflect those accusations, stating he "didn't ever try to commit fraud on anyone." The Justice Department and US regulators were already probing Sam Bankman-Fried's crypto empire before FTX filed for bankruptcy November 11. But Bankman-Fried has tried to deflect allegations of fraud, saying he wasn't aware of what was going on at his companies.

☆ Sam Bankman-Fried ‘Wasn’t Even Trying’ to Manage Risk at FTX, He Says
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-01 | by ( Richard Vanderford | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +5 min

“I wasn’t even trying, like, I wasn’t spending any time or effort trying to manage risk on FTX,” Mr. Bankman-Fried said in an interview with George Stephanopoulos of ABC News that was broadcast Thursday on “Good Morning America.”“I don’t know what to say,” he said. A lawyer for Mr. Bankman-Fried didn’t respond to a request for comment. Risk issues weren’t seen as a “core business driver” at FTX, Mr. Bankman-Fried said in Thursday’s interview, adding that he did a “pretty incomplete job” at oversight. Mr. Stephanopoulos questioned Mr. Bankman-Fried about speculation that he might ultimately spend time in prison in connection with the problems at FTX and Alameda. Mr. Bankman-Fried said that a lot of things worry him right now, but that he would let regulatory and legal processes play out.

☆ Sam Bankman-Fried said he doesn't think he's criminally liable for FTX's implosion, but that his lawyers don't want him speaking publicly
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-01 | by ( Samantha Delouya | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Sam Bankman-Fried said he doesn't think he is criminally liable for FTX's collapse. Bankman-Fried has remained in the Bahamas but said he has "thought about" returning to the US. Speaking to journalist Andrew Ross Sorkin at the New York Times Dealbook conference on Wednesday, Bankman-Fried said, "I don't personally think that," when asked whether he was concerned he would be held criminally liable for FTX's implosion. There's going to be a time and place for me to think about myself and my own future, but I don't think this is it," he said. Don't say anything; recede into a hole," he said.

☆ Sam Bankman-Fried urges crypto investors to put their money in exchanges that don't do business like FTX
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-01 | by ( George Glover | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Sam Bankman-Fried said that crypto investors should look for "all the things I wish FTX had been able to supply" when depositing their funds. He called on exchanges to provide proof of reserves and regulatory reporting of assets and liabilities. Sign up for our newsletter to get the inside scoop on what traders are talking about — delivered daily to your inbox. "If I were a customer here, which is look for the things that I wish FTX had been able to supply." Read more: Sam Bankman-Fried said he doesn't think he's criminally liable for FTX's implosion, but that his lawyers don't want him speaking publicly

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