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☆ Sam Bankman-Fried trial: Caroline Ellison is getting ready to testify against FTX founder
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-10 | by ( Allison Morrow | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

Her testimony is crucial to prosecutors’ case against Sam Bankman-Fried, whom they accuse of orchestrating a scheme to steal billions of dollars from customer accounts in FTX, his now-bankrupt crypto trading platform. Caroline Ellison, former CEO of Alameda Research. carolinecapital/XProsecutors’ case hinges on evidence that FTX and Alameda were deeply financially intertwined, despite repeated assurances from Bankman-Fried that they were separate companies, operating independently from one another. As Alameda was spiraling last fall, Ellison told her employees that the fund had borrowed money from FTX customer accounts to pay back lenders. Already, prosecutors have presented evidence that looks bad for Bankman-Fried, though the defense has yet to present its case.

Persons: CNN Business ’, Caroline Ellison, Sam Bankman, Ellison, FTX’s, ‘, — Ellison, SBF, ” Ellison, “, Fried, Sam Organizations: CNN Business, New York CNN, Alameda Research, Stanford, New York Times Locations: New York, FTX, Bankman, Alameda, Manhattan

For Drock, a lobbyist who lives in Washington, DC, and his wife, the road to a $1 million net worth by 35 was littered with trade-offs. Drock told Insider there are three lifestyle tradeoffs that have had an outsized impact on his and his wife's ability to build wealth. "When I first asked her to consider moving, she literally cried," Drock wrote in a blog post. It turned out to be a "key decision for our financial life," he said. Their combined income stands at $300,000 a year, "which still seems surreal to me," Drock wrote on his blog.

Persons: Drock, Drock's, Read, they've, we've Locations: Washington ,, Mint, Europe

WASHINGTON (AP) — The confidence of American consumers slipped this month, particularly about the future, as expectations persist that interest rates will remain elevated for an extended period. The Conference Board, a business research group, said Tuesday that its consumer confidence index fell to 103 in September from 108.7 in August. Most troubling was the decline in the index measuring future expectations, which tumbled to 73.7 in September from 83.3 in August. Confidence improved late in the spring as inflation eased in the face of 11 interest-rate hikes by the Federal Reserve. America’s employers added 187,000 jobs in August, evidence of a slowing but still-resilient labor market despite the high interest rates the Federal Reserve has imposed.

Persons: Dana Peterson Organizations: WASHINGTON, Conference Board, Target, Home, Federal Reserve Locations: U.S, United States

☆ It's going to be way harder to be a tourist in NYC
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-18 | by ( Jordan Hart | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

New York City is getting serious about its laws on rentals and hotels. Tourists might have a hard time finding a place to stay in New York City. "We could see fewer budget travelers but more tourists willing to spend on regulated high-quality accommodations," he said. AdvertisementAdvertisementThe Airbnb law especially is a big change. Still, New York City will always draw tourists.

Persons: aren't, Steve Turk, Turk, you'll, Razonie Napier, he'd, Napier, That's Organizations: Service, Wired, Apple, Turk Hospitality, Special Enforcement, New Yorker Locations: York City, New York City, Wall, Silicon, New York, York, New, Lower, Coney Island , Brooklyn, , New York City, Omaha

☆ Getir emerged as a tentative winner in Europe's pandemic-fueled rapid-delivery sector. But it still faces sizable threats.
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-18 | by ( Riddhi Kanetkar | Callum Burroughs | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

In March 2022, Nazım Salur invited thousands of Getir employees to a Zoom meeting to celebrate its newfound "decacorn" status. However, as soaring inflation and rising interest rates began to hobble the tech sector, investors became far less forgiving of businesses that had oriented themselves more toward growth than sustainability. In December 2021, The Guardian reported that Getir had offered customers a deal where they could get £15 off if they spent £16. About 21 rapid-delivery startups were operating across Europe in 2021, with Getir joined by the German outfits Gorillas and Flink, as well as the British startup Zapp. Getir tentatively emerged as the winner in the rapid-delivery sector when it bought its main competitor, Gorillas , in a heavily discounted deal for $1.2 billion in December.

Persons: Nazım Salur, Nazım, Getir, Blok, London's, Alexi Rosenfeld, they've, Adam Neumann, Michael Moritz Organizations: Tiger Global, Mubadala, Financial Times, Getir, TechCrunch, Guardian, DST Global, Gorillas, Abu Dhabi Growth Fund, Google, PayPal Locations: Spanish, Berlin, Turkey, Turkish, Germany, Netherlands, Istanbul, Turkey's, Europe, British, Abu Dhabi

☆ The billionaire son of H&M's founder owns a sprawling English country estate with over 100 cottages, a distillery, and a pub that sells his own beer
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-17 | by ( Grace Dean | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Stefan Persson, the son of H&M's founder, owns a 19,000-acre country estate in southern England. In 1997, Persson splurged some of his fortunes on a 3,000-acre country estate in Wiltshire, southern England, which went on to become Ramsbury Estates. Ramsbury Estates has about 7,000 acres of farmland, with a focus on wheat and barley alongside a small herd of cattle. Geography Photos/Universal Images Group via Getty ImagesLike many modern farms, Ramsbury Estates has diversified. Ramsbury Estates declined to comment on exactly what the "agency" portion of its business is comprised of.

Persons: Stefan Persson, H, Persson, Erling Persson, Stefan, Persson splurged Organizations: M's, Service, 101st, Bloomberg, Invest, –, Ramsbury Estates, Getty, Ramsbury, M Locations: England, Wall, Silicon, Sweden, Wiltshire, Ramsbury, Monki

☆ Inditex can afford to start sharing its cash pile
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-13 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

An employee arranges clothes at one of the largest Zara stores in the world, in Madrid, Spain, April 7, 2022. REUTERS/Juan Medina/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsLONDON, Sept 13 (Reuters Breakingviews) - Marta Ortega is facing a test on Inditex’s (ITX.MC) bulging cash pile. In the same period, Inditex delivered 2.5 billion euros of net profit, up 40% year-on-year. Still, growing profits mean its cash pile will only get larger. Net cash is expected to balloon to 12 billion euros by year-end, LSEG data show.

Persons: Juan Medina, Marta Ortega, Massimo Dutti, Inditex, Ortega, Inditex’s, Aimee Donnellan, BoE, Lisa Jucca, Streisand Neto Organizations: REUTERS, Reuters, Reuters Graphics Reuters, X, Treasury, UBS, Warner Bros Discovery, Thomson Locations: Zara, Madrid, Spain, Asia

☆ Inflation woes persist for small businesses as they struggle to hire
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-12 | by ( Bryan Mena | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

Washington CNN —America’s small businesses felt gloomier in August as they continued to struggle with inflation and hiring qualified workers, according to a survey from the National Federation of Independent Business released Tuesday. Optimism among more than 600 small businesses surveyed declined in August from the prior month, snapping a three-month streak of improving sentiment. The share of small business owners saying they had job openings that were hard to fill stood at 40% last month, down slightly from July but still historically high. “With small business owners’ views about future sales growth and business conditions discouraging, owners want to hire and make money now from strong consumer spending,” said Bill Dunkelberg, the NFIB’s chief economist, in the release. The US economy remains on strong footing, despite rapid rate hikes, with consumer spending jumping 0.8% in July and retail sales advancing 0.7% that month.

Persons: Washington CNN —, ”, Bill Dunkelberg, Goldman Sachs, Simona Mocuta Organizations: Washington CNN, National Federation of Independent Business, Federal Reserve, Labor Department, American Bankers, Economic, Committee, State Street Global Advisors

Now, given the current high car costs and interest rates, drivers are shifting their focus to less expensive models. That shift shows in so-called "days to turn" numbers, which measure how long cars are in dealer inventory before being sold. "People have stopped going for top-of-the-line cars and are going for mid-trim cars," he added, "That's where we're starting to see the shift." Paul Waatti industry analyst at AutoPacificFive years ago, there were 12 vehicles selling for an average price of more than $100,000. Know your budget — really Most car buyers use monthly payments to conceptualize how expensive a car is.

Persons: Patrick T, Joseph Yoon, homebuyers, Yoon, Edmunds, Brian Moody, Kelley, Moody, Paul Waatti, Waatti, they're, Tom McParland Organizations: Fallon, Bloomberg, Getty, Finance, Mitsubishi Mirage, Consumers, Chevrolet, Chrysler, Fiat, Honda, Hyundai, Kia, Mazda, Mitsubishi, Nissan, Subaru, Toyota, Volkswagen —, Auto, AutoPacific, Ferrari, Lamborghini, Royce, Automatch Consulting Locations: Autonation, Carvana, Buffalo , New York, Edmunds

☆ A Gen Z couple pays $1,300 for a New York City microstudio. Here's how they made it work for them and their cat.
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-06 | by ( Noah Sheidlower | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

A Gen Z couple each pay $650 a month for a microstudio they split in the East Village. They say looking out over bustling St. Marks Place makes the apartment even more special. They also have a fire escape that overlooks the main stretch of St. Marks Place, a bustling street with lots of nightlife. AdvertisementAdvertisementBoth partners said that sharing such a small space has helped their relationship. And the constant noise and commotion on St. Marks gives Wallace a certain peace of mind, she said.

Persons: they've, Elana Wallach, Luis Cortorreal, Wallach, Alexander Bruni, Cortorreal, Bruni, Elana Wallach Wallach, we're, Axel Webber, We've, it's, Marks, Wallace, I've Organizations: Service, Yorkers, Square Property Management Locations: East, St, Wall, Silicon, Baltimore, Manhattan, Queens, Marks, Brooklyn, Jersey City

☆ Best Buy declares the 'low point' in tech sales after years of declines
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-29 | by ( Hayley Peterson | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Best Buy's CEO said we're in "the low point in tech demand after two years of sales declines." "We continue to expect that this year will be the low point in tech demand after two years of sales declines," Best Buy CEO Corie Barry said Tuesday on a call with analysts after the company reported its second-quarter earnings. Best Buy is already seeing glimmers of stabilization in categories like home theater, executives said on the call. AdvertisementAdvertisementBut first, Best Buy has to get through the rest of this year. "Best Buy faces a tough environment in which few consumers are looking to splurge on big-ticket items such as home theaters, TVs, and appliances," Stambor wrote.

Persons: we're, Macy's, Corie Barry, Barry, Zak Stambor, Stambor Organizations: Shoppers, Service, Chase, Walmart, Amazon, Costco, Intelligence Locations: Wall, Silicon

☆ U.S. Consumers Are Showing Signs of Stress, Retailers Say
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-25 | by ( Jordyn Holman | More About Jordyn Holman | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Consumers power the U.S. economy, and their capacity to spend has repeatedly defied predictions. In early 2020, after a short but severe recession caused by the pandemic, consumers splurged on big-ticket goods, from patio furniture to flat-screen TVs and home gym equipment. Then came what economists called “revenge spending” with experiences that were off-limits during lockdowns, like traveling and going to concerts, taking precedence. Financial reports from retailers — including Macy’s, Kohl’s, Foot Locker and Nordstrom — that landed this week suggest a shift is underway, from consumers buying with abandon to spending more on their needs. Retail sales in July were stronger than expected, leading some economists to raise their forecasts for economic growth this quarter.

Persons: Locker, Nordstrom, “, ”, Janine Stichter Organizations: ” Locations: U.S, Kohl’s

☆ How Do You Deal With a Windfall in Your 20s?
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-19 | by ( Caitlin Kelly | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Roach, who uses they/them pronouns, still shares an apartment with their brother despite having more than enough money to buy a house. Roach, 24, the youngest ever “Jeopardy” super-champion, the $560,983 in winnings has done little to change how they live their daily life. Despite the popular fantasy that a sudden financial windfall — whether a game-show win, an inheritance or a lawsuit settlement — will radically change a young person’s life, it’s not a guarantee. It does, of course, for some, allowing them to buy a house or adventure around the world at a young age. But for those who receive money after losing a loved one or who are learning to manage large sums of money for the first time, a windfall can feel overwhelming.

Persons: Mattea Roach, haven’t, it’s, “ School’s, ”, “ Organizations: Roach Locations: Toronto, Halifax , Nova Scotia

☆ Earnings this week show shoppers will spend money for value, favoring two retail stocks
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-18 | by ( Paulina Likos | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +11 min

A busy week of retail earnings revealed that American consumers are spending with value top of mind. This disparity signals that certain discretionary goods categories are working while others are not. TGT YTD mountain Target YTD performance Target on Wednesday reported a second-quarter that reflected weak sales along with a slowdown in discretionary spending. TJX YTD mountain TJX Companies YTD performance TJX tells a different story. COST YTD mountain Costco YTD performance Looking ahead, Costco is set to release its fiscal fourth-quarter earnings on Sept. 26.

Persons: Jim Cramer, Matthew Shay, Doug McMillon, Brian Cornell, That's, Maxx, TJX, Ernie Herrman, it's, ROSS, Ross, Jim, Jim Cramer's Organizations: Walmart, TJX Companies, Costco, National Retail Federation, CNBC, Retailers, Health, Wellness, Walmart's, Marshalls, & Beverage, Food & Beverage, Target, Ross Stores, Corbis, Getty Locations: Maxx, TJX, U.S, Teterboro , New Jersey

☆ Apple has plowed over $500 billion into stock buybacks since 2012 — more than Visa, JPMorgan, or Exxon are worth
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-11 | by ( Theron Mohamed | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Apple has spent over $500 billion on stock buybacks since 2012, a Markets Insider analysis shows. Warren Buffett has welcomed Apple's buybacks as they've boosted his ownership at no cost to him. It splurged $90 billion on buybacks in its last financial year, and has repurchased $56 billion worth of its shares in the last nine months alone. His Berkshire Hathaway empire owns nearly 6% of Apple, and the position accounts for almost half of its roughly $350 billion stock portfolio. "Much of what the company retained was used to repurchase Apple shares, an act we applaud," Buffett wrote in his 2021 letter to shareholders.

Persons: Apple, Warren Buffett, Apple's buybacks, Charlie Bilello, Bilello, Apple's repurchases, Buffett, Tim Cook, Apple's Organizations: Service, Visa, JPMorgan, Exxon Mobil, Apple, Citigroup, Berkshire Hathaway Locations: Wall, Silicon, buybacks, Berkshire

☆ Passenger stuck on a sweltering United Airlines flight for 7 hours with no food said it was 'like being tortured'
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-08 | by ( Sophia Ankel | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

United Airlines passengers en route to Rome last month were stuck on the plane for more than 7 hours. Scott Rosnov, a passenger in business class, told Insider that it felt like being taken "hostage." The flight was initially only delayed for 20 minutes after flight personnel identified a problem with the air conditioning, Rosnov told Insider. "The flight attendants and the pilots did a horrible job from top to bottom," Rosnov told Insider. A spokesperson for the company told Insider in an email that the flight returned to the gate at Newark to "address a temperature issue."

Persons: Scott Rosnov, Leonardo da Vinci, Rosnov, didn't, Scott Rosnov Rosnov, John F Organizations: United, Morning, United Airlines, Newark International, Newark Liberty International Airport, Newsweek, Kennedy, US Department of Transportation Locations: Rome, Newark

☆ Etsy forecasts downbeat third quarter as demand softens
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-02 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

A sign advertising the online seller Etsy Inc. is seen outside the Nasdaq market site in Times Square following Etsy's initial public offering (IPO) on the Nasdaq in New York April 16, 2015. REUTERS/Mike Segar/File PhotoAug 2 (Reuters) - Etsy Inc (ETSY.O) on Wednesday forecast third-quarter revenue below market expectations, signalling softening in demand for handcrafted goods at its online market place, sending its shares down 6% after the bell. This has taken the sheen off of Etsy's COVID-era gains when consumers with disposable income splurged on decor and other discretionary products. The company's consolidated gross merchandise sales (GMS) fell 0.6% to $3.01 billion in the second quarter ended June 30. The company expects revenue for the third quarter at between $610 million and $645 million, while analysts were expecting $632.4 million, as per Refinitiv data.

Persons: Mike Segar, Etsy's, Juveria, Maju Samuel Organizations: Etsy, Nasdaq, REUTERS, Thomson Locations: New York, Bengaluru

☆ Cruises are increasingly adopting the strategy of budget airlines: Get ready to pay more for all the extras.
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-30 | by ( Brittany Chang | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

Cruise lines are seemingly adopting the budget airline model: Charge a base fare and pile on extras. Newer cruise ships have "more opportunities to upsell" with restaurant and entertainment options. In fact, cruise lines have told their investors recently that passengers are embracing these add-on costs — and enhancing their bottom lines. "Cruise lines are creative to try to make you forget you actually bought some things nine months ago," Scholes said. Cruise lines are trying to cut costs at the same timeThe cost of drink packages have been increasing on some cruise lines.

Persons: Brittany Chang, Patrick Scholes, Guy, Scholes, Silversea, It's, it's, Josh Weinstein, Tynan Smith, Kara Wallace, Royal Organizations: Cruise, New, Truist Securities, Norwegian Cruise Line, MSC Cruises, Royal, Royal Caribbean Group, Royal Caribbean, Carnival Corp, Street Journal, UBS, Royal Caribbean's Locations: New York City, Norwegian, Royal Caribbean, Royal, Brittany

☆ The 'aspirational' luxury shopper is suffering, but don't expect any deals
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-27 | by ( Dominick Reuter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

US consumers earning less than $100,000 fueled record profits last year for French luxury group LVMH. These "aspirational" customers are now pulling back on spending as pandemic cash reserves run dry. Important as these shoppers are, don't expect to see huge markdowns from Louis Vuitton and Dior. "The cost of all these initiatives was obviously quite high," Guiony said. Not every luxury brand can pull this strategy off, but it appears LVMH certainly can.

Persons: Louis Vuitton, that's, Christian Dior, Tiffany, LVMH, Jean, Jacques Guiony, Neil Saunders, Saunders, Michael Kors, Guiony, Hitha Herzog, Herzog, Pharrell Williams Organizations: Dior, Service, Louis Locations: Wall, Silicon, Asia, Pont, Paris

REUTERS/Benoit TessierJuly 27 (Reuters) - Visa (V.N) and Mastercard (MA.N), which bet on China to boost travel spending, have had to contend with a disappointing first half of the year as post-COVID momentum in the world's second-biggest economy loses steam. In their earnings calls this week, both card giants said travel in China was nowhere near pre-pandemic levels. "Looking at Mainland China specifically, cross-border travel continued to improve but remains well below 2019 levels," said Vasant Prabhu, Visa's chief financial officer. His counterpart at Mastercard, Sachin Mehra, also said there was further room for travel recovery in China. Reuters GraphicsInbound cross-border travel to China stood at nearly 50% of 2019 levels, while outbound travel was nearly 70%, the company said.

Persons: Benoit Tessier, Vasant Prabhu, Sachin Mehra, Edward Jones, Logan Purk, Manya Saini, Niket, Krishna Chandra Organizations: REUTERS, Mastercard, Reuters, U.S, Reuters Graphics Visa, Thomson Locations: China, Mainland China, U.S . Federal, Bengaluru

☆ I'm a millennial real-estate agent here to tell you that long-term homeownership is not the best way to build wealth. Here's why.
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-16 | by ( Alcynna Lloyd | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

David Ravitz thinks he's cracked the code to building wealth with homeownership. David Ravitz and his wife. Courtesy of David Ravitz. Courtesy of David Ravitz. Courtesy of David Ravitz.

Persons: David Ravitz, he's, Ravitz, that's, David Ravitz's, we've Organizations: Boca, Service, University of Miami Locations: Boca Raton , Florida, Wall, Silicon, South Florida, Boca Raton

Online sales for appliances jumped 37% compared to average daily sales in June, while sales of toys rose 27%. Data firm Numerator said the average Prime Day spend per order rose to $56.64 from $53.14 a year ago. Rival retailers, including Walmart (WMT.N), Target (TGT.N) and Best Buy (BBY.N), are also offering large discounts during the Prime Day week. Data from Deloitte showed 69% of shoppers planned to rely on Prime Day sale for back-to-school purchases. Meanwhile, nearly 900 Amazon workers at a warehouse in Coventry, in Britain are striking over a pay dispute for three days from July 11-13, coinciding with the Prime Day sales event.

Persons: Vivek Pandya, Adobe's Pandey, Granth Vanaik, Ananya Mariam Rajesh, Arun Koyyur Organizations: Amazon, Walmart, Adobe, Insights, Apparel, Deloitte, Thomson Locations: Coventry, Britain, Bengaluru

David Torres-Fuentes was 4 years old when he decided to become a clown. David Torres-Fuentes, 23, works as a professional clown and entertainer in Nashville. David Torres-Fuentes decided he wanted to become a professional clown when he was 4 years old. David Torres-Fuentes was born in Mexico and moved with his family to Nashville when he was 6. David Torres-Fuentes hopes to continue performing as a professional clown into retirement.

Persons: David Torres, Fuentes, David, Lucas Mullikin, Jacquelyn, they're, Torres, Roth, they've Organizations: CNBC, Nashville Public Library, Tennessee Performing Arts Center, Nashville Locations: Nashville, Mexico, U.S, Scotland

LONDON, May 31 (Reuters) - Beyoncé's fans, collectively known as the "BeyHive," are going savage to catch a glimpse of her during her "Renaissance World Tour". Money and distance are no object when your idol beckons in 57 concerts across 40 cities in North America and 14 across Europe. Jimmy Long of San Francisco flew to Stockholm for the May 10 opening show after finding $370 front-section "Club Renaissance" seats - a bargain compared to similar U.S.-based tickets costing $1,200 or more. England-based Ayo Awokoya was uplifted despite enduring an arduous Manchester-London train ride that lasted six hours instead of 4-1/2 hours. Janny splurged 6,000 reais ($1,199.21) for her first flight, on top of 5,000 reais for Club Renaissance tickets in Frankfurt, Germany.

Persons: Jimmy Long, Beyonce, Janny Nascimento, Sharon Kimathi, Richard Chang Organizations: Club, Thomson Locations: North America, Europe, San Francisco, Stockholm, Sweden, England, Manchester, London, Rio de Janeiro, Frankfurt, Germany

☆ A Poor Province in China Splurged on Bridges and Roads. Now It’s Facing a Debt Reckoning.
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-21 | by ( Rebecca Feng | Cao Li | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

One of China’s poorest provinces is testing Beijing’s mettle with a mountain of debt that local borrowers are struggling to repay. Investors worry it is a harbinger of another major debt crisis in the country, and believe the central government will have no choice but to defuse it.

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