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But now, three powerhouses —the NFL, Interscope Geffen A&M Records and Electronic Arts Sports — have partnered to empower players to pursue their music dreams. It’s the first-time music made by NFL players appears in the video game franchise, now in its 35th year. “These dudes can rap,” said Bas, a Grammy-nominated rapper who shared his musical expertise during the players recording sessions. People see like these big NFL players and they say ‘Do your one job, tackle somebody or run that route.’ But creativity is part of a healthy life. It’s humbling to watch.”Many of the songs featured on “Crowd Control” were conceived in a songwriting session at Interscope this summer where NFL players worked with producers and artists.

Persons: Terron Armstead, Interscope Geffen, “, ’ ”, Armstead, Pro Bowler, it’s, Darren Waller, Ray, Ray McCloud, Melvin Ingram, Chark Jr, can’t, ”, Waller, Thomas “ Fats ” Waller, Bowler, Jay Rock, Lebra Jolie, Derrick Milano, Justin Bieber, Megan Thee, Nicki Minaj, they’re, They’re, David Nieman, aren’t, Ashley Smith, Smith, Trey Smith, you’re, there’s, ” Smith, ” McCloud, McCloud Organizations: Miami Dolphins, NFL, M Records, Electronic Arts, —, Madden NFL, New York Giants, Carolina Panthers, D.J, Interscope Records, Interscope, EA Sports, Kansas City Chiefs Locations: SANTA MONICA, Calif, San Francisco, Santa Monica , California

I don’t know if the camera saw me looking up,” said Gauff, who was scheduled to play in the quarterfinals in Ashe on Tuesday. From the Biebers to the Obamas, from New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers to New York Yankees slugger Aaron Judge, from retired ski racer Lindsey Vonn to director Spike Lee, the bold-faced names keep swinging by the U.S. Open. Some of them want to see a specific player,” U.S. Tennis Association spokesman Chris Widmaier said. So I didn’t know until after the match,” Gauff said. “I’m going to never forget that moment for the rest of my life.”___AP tennis coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/tennis

Persons: — Coco Gauff, Arthur Ashe, Justin, Hailey Bieber, “, ”, Gauff, Ashe, aren’t, Aaron Rodgers, Aaron Judge, Lindsey Vonn, Spike Lee, Chris Widmaier, “ Frances Tiafoe, Coco Gauff, Novak Djokovic, Roger Federer, Serena Williams, it’s, they're, Widmaier, Pusha, Tiafoe, Carlos Alcaraz, J Balvin, Ben Stiller, Justin Bieber, ‘, ’, Hailey, Michelle Obama, Barack Obama, Biden, Clinton, ” Gauff, “ I’m Organizations: U.S, New York Jets, New York Yankees, U.S ., U.S . Tennis, USTA, MTV Locations: Flushing Meadows, New, U.S, —, Maryland, Florida

☆ This Year’s U.S. Open Belongs to Coco Gauff, Win or Lose
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-04 | by ( Matthew Futterman | More About Matthew Futterman | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

player Jimmy Butler of the Miami Heat is one of the many boldface names who have come out for her matches. They were in the house on Friday for Gauff’s third-round win over Elise Mertens. Butler was there, too, and returned for her fourth-round win over Caroline Wozniacki on Sunday. He started putting her on the court in matches against players who were more advanced in their development than she was. More often than not, she found a way to win.

Persons: Jimmy Butler, Justin Bieber, Hailey, Elise Mertens, Butler, Caroline Wozniacki, Patrick Mouratoglou, Serena Williams, Mouratoglou Organizations: Miami Heat, Gauff

☆ Coco Gauff says Justin Bieber inspired her comeback victory at the US Open
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-02 | by ( Issy Ronald | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —Coco Gauff says she drew inspiration from Justin Bieber during her third-round comeback victory at the US Open on Friday, rallying after she saw the singer in the crowd on the big screen. “I definitely saw who was there,” the 19-year-old said on the ESPN broadcast after the match. I guess it was a little date night for them, which was really cool.”Coco Gauff reached the fourth round of the US Open. But there is one celebrity who has not yet seen Gauff play and who she said would leave her completely starstruck. “If (Beyoncé) ever came, oh, my goodness, I hope they would not show her on the screen.

Persons: Coco Gauff, Justin Bieber, ‘, ’, Gauff, Belgium’s Elise Mertens, CNN Bieber, Hailey, Jimmy Butler, “, Barack, Obama, Michelle Obama, Justin, Lev Radin, Billie Jean King, Anna Wintour, Lindsey Vonn, ”, Caroline Wozniacki Organizations: CNN, ESPN, Wimbledon, NBA, Reuters, Anadolu Agency, Getty, WTA, Marvel

☆ Star-struck Gauff uses Bieber as motivation for comeback win
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-02 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Gauff dropped the opening set at Arthur Ashe Stadium but rallied, sealing a 3-6 6-3 6-0 win and reaching the fourth round with Bieber and his wife, Hailey, watching. "I definitely saw who was there," Gauff said on the ESPN broadcast after the match. "I thought, 'I cannot lose in front of Justin Bieber'. "I got a little tight when I first saw him, then I remembered President (Barack) Obama and Michelle Obama were at my first-round match." Sixth seed Gauff, who is chasing her first Grand Slam title, said she was honoured to have celebrities in the stands during her matches this year.

Persons: Justin Bieber, Hailey Bieber, Coco Gauff, Belgium's Elise Mertens, Shannon Stapleton, Elise Mertens, Gauff, Arthur Ashe, Bieber, Hailey, Barack, Obama, Michelle Obama, Jimmy Butler, Katie Holmes, it's, Justin, Caroline Wozniacki, Shrivathsa Sridhar, gErry Doyle Organizations: Tennis, U.S, ESPN, Miami Heat, Thomson Locations: Flushing Meadows , New York, United States, Bengaluru

☆ Hailey Bieber and Justin Bieber’s donut run embodies their wildly different styles
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-01 | by ( Leah Dolan | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —Opposites are said to attract, but the poles between Hailey and Justin Bieber couldn’t be further apart — at least sartorially. Was Hailey off to a sophisticated dinner and drinks, while Justin had just nipped out for a packet of M&Ms and some laundry detergent? Hailey, on the other hand, has worked to market herself as a modern-day It Girl, a title which unsurprisingly demands a captivating wardrobe. Justin and Hailey’s clashing ensembles sparked a thorny discussion on the semiotics of dressing as a pair. Had Justin committed to a pair of slacks or a button-down, his partner could have had her moment with no distractions.

Persons: Hailey, Justin Bieber couldn’t, Alessandra Rich, Justin, Robert Kamau, ong, ustin, ike y ou’re, J Organizations: CNN, ust Locations: New York

☆ ‘Bored Apes’ investors sue Sotheby’s, Paris Hilton and others as NFT prices collapse
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-17 | by ( Christy Choi | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

CNN —A group of investors is suing Sotheby’s Holdings Inc. and others over a 2021 auction and promotion of Bored Ape Yacht Club non-fungible tokens (NFTs) following a collapse in prices for the celebrity-endorsed collectibles. Sotheby’s is among 30 defendants named in the lawsuit, with celebrities like Justin Bieber and Paris Hilton also accused of promoting the NFT collection without disclosing their financial links to it. A spokesperson for Yuga Labs meanwhile said, via email: “We believe that these new allegations, like those in the previous iteration of this opportunistic complaint, are completely without merit or factual basis. “As a media and technology company, Yuga Labs has empowered strong communities of enthusiasts and entrepreneurs to innovate, connect, and build. The Bored Ape Yacht Club, a collection of 10,000 NFTs hosted on the Ethereum blockchain, launched in April 2021.

Persons: Yuga, Justin Bieber, Paris Hilton, Sotheby’s, NFTs, “, Jack Dorsey’s, LeBron James, “ Beeple, ”, ” —, MoonPay Organizations: CNN, Sotheby’s Holdings Inc, Paris Hilton, Labs, Yuga Labs, Twitter, Adidas, Securities and Exchange Commission Locations: California, freefall

☆ ‘Passages’ Review: A Toxic Ménage
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-03 | by ( Amy Nicholson | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The misery unfurls in a straight timeline of dramatic scenes that leap over the lived-in moments that make up a relationship. We only get fleeting seconds of Martin and Agathe without Tomas dominating the conversation, or lack of one, as he tends to mutely prod them into an extended sex scene. As a result, we barely know his partners at all. Agathe, in particular, might look powerful in Khadija Zeggaï’s striking costumes, but she’s so vaguely written that she barely seems to exist when Tomas isn’t in the room. Sachs frames one talk between the spouses with Tomas’s body eclipsing Martin’s until he’s invisible; the camera reflects how little Tomas sees his partners, too.

Persons: Martin, Agathe, Tomas, Tomas isn’t, Justin Bieber, Hailey, “, Sachs, Tomas can’t, we’ve

☆ At striking actors' hangout bar, tiny residual checks no longer a joke
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-02 | by ( Lisa Richwine | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

"Back in the late '90s, it used to be kind of a rarity to get a tiny residual check," actor John O'Brien said. In today's streaming-TV era, small residual checks have become so customary that they helped push the SAG-AFTRA actors union to go on strike in mid-July, joining film and television writers, who walked off the job in May, in part over residual payments. O'Brien, who has appeared on dozens of shows, from "Grey's Anatomy" to "Pretty Little Liars," shared images of residual checks from more than two decades ago worth $47.49, $87.77 and $216.25. For working class actors who were not the famous, highly paid stars, the residual checks were vital to helping them pay their bills. Lower residual payments mean fewer actors earn the $26,470 per year needed to qualify for SAG-AFTRA's health insurance coverage, said actor Michael Spellman.

Persons: John O'Brien, you'd, It's, O'Brien, Michael Spellman, Walt Disney, Arabella Field, Mike Blake, bartenders, Walt, Justin Bieber, Kirk Dinsmore, you've, Dinsmore, Spellman, We're, Lisa Richwine, Mary Milliken, Rosalba O'Brien Organizations: CITY, SAG, Alliance, Television Producers, Netflix, Studio City, REUTERS, Universal Pictures, Warner Bros, Walt Disney, Writers Guild of America, WGA, Thomson Locations: CITY , California, Hollywood, Los Angeles, Los Angeles , California, U.S

☆ Justin Bieber's Bored Ape NFT was valued at $1.3 million in 2022—now it's only worth around $60,000
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-07 | by ( Cheyenne Devon | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

But today, prices for Bored Ape Yacht Club NFTs, one of the most popular collections, has crashed to a two-year low. Take one Bored Ape NFT owned by Justin Bieber, for example: It has declined in value by about 95% over the past year and a half. In January 2022, the Grammy award-winning music artist entered the world of NFTs by allegedly dropping 500 ETH (around $1.3 million at the time) on Bored Ape #3001, an NFT belonging to Yuga Labs' Bored Ape Yacht Club (BAYC) collection. But as of July 2023, Bieber's Bored Ape is only worth around $59,000, according to Bitcoinist. Basketball star Stephen Curry purchased Bored Ape #7990 for 55 ETH (nearly $180,000 at the time) on Aug. 28, 2021.

Persons: Justin Bieber, Stephen Curry, Madonna, It's, Bieber, Curry, DappRadar's, Warren Buffett Organizations: Labs, ETH, Los Angeles Times Locations: That's

☆ Some fans have turned on Lana Del Rey. Here's a complete timeline of how the singer soured her own reputation.
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-26 | by ( Callie Ahlgrim | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +32 min

May 2020: Del Rey posted an unprompted public statement about her own reputationIt all began on May 21, four months after she attended the 2020 Grammys, when Del Rey shared a lengthy open letter on Instagram. —Lana Del Rey (@LanaDelRey) January 12, 2021—Lana Del Rey (@LanaDelRey) January 12, 2021Hardly one to stifle momentum, Del Rey also responded to the Australian blog Tone Deaf, which had published an article criticizing the defense of her album cover. —Lana Del Rey (@LanaDelRey) January 12, 2021—Lana Del Rey (@LanaDelRey) January 12, 2021Del Rey continued tweeting about her BBC interview, clarifying that she meant to criticize Trump's "significant lack of empathy" and "the issue of sociopathy and narcissism in America." Advertisement—Lana Del Rey (@LanaDelRey) January 12, 2021—Lana Del Rey (@LanaDelRey) January 12, 2021She also expressed disdain for negative publicity, citing her "long term relationship" with magazines like Complex and Rolling Stone, calling the former "pathetic." June 24, 2023: Del Rey arrived 30 minutes late to the stage at Glastonbury, telling the crowd, 'My hair takes so long to do'Lana Del Rey performs at Glastonbury Festival.

Persons: Lana Del Rey, Del Rey, —, Norman, Rockwell, Del Rey's, Del, she's, Ariana, Camila, Cardi, Nicki Minaj, Beyoncé, Lizzy Grant, Fader, Helen Brown, Brown, Christine Capetola, Lana, Ashley Reese, YouTuber D'Angelo Wallace, Lana Del, that's, Karen, Wallace, Nichole Perkins, Roxane Gay, Ariana Grande, Cat, Pence, It's, Magdalene, George Floyd, Kehlani, Tinashe, Violet, Noble, lana, frick, preemptively, I'm, Annie Mac, Trump, Donald Trump, Lana stans, Mac, Biden, I've, tweeting, Trump's, Steven Hyden, Ann Powers, Powers, they'd, Judah Smith, megachurch Churchome, Smith, Jack Antonoff, God, desirs, Marie Claire, Chris Pratt, Justin Bieber, Judah, Coleman Spilde, Joseph Okpako, WireImage Del, who's, Let's Organizations: Service, Pitchfork, Independent, Tulane, Trump, Twitter, Country, Billboard, Barnes, CDC, ppl, Michigan, YouTube, Capitol, NPR, Hall of Fame, BBC, Hillsong, Daily, Catholic Church, Glastonbury, Glastonbury Festival Locations: Los Angeles, America, Del Rey's, Del Rey, Churchome, y'all, WireImage Del Rey, Glastonbury

☆ Bad Bunny asks for reggaeton copyright lawsuit to be thrown out
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-19 | by ( Ramishah Maruf | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

New York CNN —Bad Bunny and some of the music industry’s biggest stars want a lawsuit that alleges copyright infringement of a 1989 song thrown out of court. Lawyers from Freundlich Law representing Benito Antonio Martinez Ocasio, known as the superstar Bad Bunny, filed a motion to dismiss the lawsuit Thursday, arguing the musical elements in question don’t fall under copyright protection. Bad Bunny himself is accused in the lawsuit of copyright infringement for 77 songs, the motion said. The lawsuit was originally filed in 2021. Stars from Taylor Swift to Led Zeppelin have been involved in legal battles over their music.

Persons: Benito Antonio Martinez Ocasio, Bad Bunny, Clevie, Wycliffe Johnson, Cleveland Browne, Shabba, ” Johnson, Bad, Pryor Cashman, Pitbull, Justin Bieber, Karol G, Enrique Iglesias, Ricky Martin, Jason Derulo, J Blavin, Luis Fonsi, Daddy Yankee, Becky G, Rosalia, Diplo, ”, Pitbull’s Mr, Ed Sheeran’s, Marvin Gaye, ” Pryor Cashman, Sheeran, Taylor Swift, Zeppelin Organizations: New, New York CNN, Freundlich Law, WK Records, CNN Locations: New York, Jamaican, Ozuna, Manhattan

☆ BTS 10th anniversary: Superfans make pilgrimage to South Korea to celebrate the K-pop band that conquered the globe
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-13 | by ( Kathleen Magramo Yoonjung Seo Paula Hancocks | Kathleen Magramo | Yoonjung Seo | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

Scroll through the gallery to see how the K-pop group went global. ilgan Sports/Multi-Bits/Getty Images BTS fans at the "Love Yourself" North American Tour at the Staples Center on September 9, 2018 in Los Angeles. Andrew Lipovsky/NBC/Getty Images BTS won all three awards they were nominated for at the 2021 American Music Awards held in Los Angeles. Theo Wargo/Getty Images BTS addressed Asian inclusion and representation at the White House in Washington, DC on May 31, 2022. “Being in America and not seeing that much of Asian representation, when I saw that seven Asian guys were trending … that totally like piqued my interest immediately.

Persons: Rowan Joss, Katie Myles ’, they’re, ’ ”, Joss, HYBE, Myles, Kim Tae, Jung Ho, Kim Nam, Kim Seok, Jeon Jung, kook, Min Yoon, Psy’s, ”, Chelsea Guglielmino, Jimmy Fallon, Andrew Lipovsky, Matt Winkelmeyer, Theo Wargo, Kent Nishimura, CedarBough Saeji, ” Saeji, Katie Myles, –, hasn’t, Anthony Wallace, ’, Lisa Trinh, Diana Phung, they’ve, Trinh, they’ll, Jimin, Hwang Young, Startrip, Yoonjung Seo, Jungkook, dad, Justin Bieber, Selena Gomez, Ariana Grande, Shawn Mendes, it’s, Michelle Cho, It’s, Phung Organizations: Seoul CNN —, BTS, Records, YouTube, ilgan, Staples Center, Chelsea, NBC, Getty, White, Los Angeles Times, East Asian Studies, Pusan National University, ARMY, Ministry of Culture, Tourism, Tower, CNN, The, Guinness, Spotify, University of Toronto Locations: Hong Kong, Seoul, South Korea, Scotland, Los Angeles, Washington , DC, Korean, AFP, Seoul’s, California, Gangwon province, Busan, Korea, Cafe, America

☆ Justin Bieber x Vespa: A Scooter With Liberace Flair
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-02 | by ( Dan Neil | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

This copy is for your personal, non-commercial use only. Distribution and use of this material are governed by our Subscriber Agreement and by copyright law. For non-personal use or to order multiple copies, please contact Dow Jones Reprints at 1-800-843-0008 or visit www.djreprints.com. https://www.wsj.com/articles/justin-bieber-x-vespa-review-a-scooter-with-liberace-flair-50a7c852

Persons: Dow Jones, justin, bieber, liberace

☆ How 'Grease: Rise of the Pink Ladies' found a sound of its own
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-31 | by ( Rollo Ross | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

LOS ANGELES, May 31 (Reuters) - While songwriter Justin Tranter has attained success by penning hit pop anthems like Justin Bieber's "Sorry" and Imagine Dragons' "Believer," writing music for the Paramount+ prequel "Grease: Rise of the Pink Ladies" took him in a new direction. "I'm very proud of my pop songs but there isn't the level of storytelling that's required for a musical," Tranter told Reuters. "Grease: Rise of the Pink Ladies" is set in 1954, four years before the story of the U.S. high school movie starring John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John. The first season, which ends on Thursday, follows four rebellious students who unite to become the misfits of Rydell High and eventually the "Pink Ladies" clique. "We are waiting to see how an audience receives 30 original songs over 10 episodes.

Persons: Justin Tranter, Justin Bieber's, Tranter, John Travolta, Olivia Newton, John, Rydell, Marisa Davila, Jane Facciano, Rollo Ross, Danielle Broadway, Mary Milliken, Rosalba O'Brien Organizations: ANGELES, Paramount, Reuters, U.S, Thomson

CNN —The songs of Queen are known the world over, and the band’s body of work might soon sell for a staggering sum. A source familiar with the music acquisition tells CNN that discussions are “well underway” for Universal Music Group to acquire Queen’s catalog from Disney Music Group. The source added that the sale could surpass $1 billion and that the deal is “expected to close within one month.”CNN has reached out to Universal Music Group and Disney Music Group for comment, as well as a representative for the band. That sum remains arguably the highest amount a music catalog has sold for, but if the Queen sale goes through, a new record will be set. The billion dollar total for Queen’s music is surely that high thanks in part to the 2018 Oscar-winning film “Bohemian Rhapsody,” which told the story of the band’s inception with a focus on late frontman Freddie Mercury, thereby inspiring a resurgence in popularity of the band’s music.

☆ 'He'll do anything to come for you': Bang Bang, the tattoo artist to stars like Rihanna and Justin Bieber, is a controlling, vindictive boss, ex-employees say
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-18 | by ( Melkorka Licea | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +31 min

Yet some former Bang Bang employees said that McCurdy's meticulously curated image as a thoughtful progressive in a rough-and-tumble industry wasn't much more than good PR. At Bang Bang, "they just woke-wash everything," one former employee said. This kind of behavior extended to other Bang Bang employees. Ganser, the Bang Bang manager, also sent Wang a text comparing her behavior to her father's, who was in prison. Photo by Gotham/GC ImagesNearly a decade after opening the first Bang Bang shop, McCurdy still sees himself as a trailblazer.

☆ Ramsay Hunt Syndrome: The condition public figures Sen. Dianne Feinstein and pop star Justin Bieber have brought to light
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-18 | by ( Sandee Lamotte | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —The office of Sen. Dianne Feinstein, the 89-year-old California Democrat who was diagnosed with shingles in February, confirmed Thursday she “continues to have complications” from a viral infection called Ramsay Hunt syndrome. “This makes its true frequency more difficult to determine,” the Cleveland Clinic noted. Ramsay Hunt syndrome can also cause hearing loss on the side of the face affected. About 70% of people with Ramsay Hunt will regain complete or “almost complete” function of facial muscles, according to the Cleveland Clinic. Early diagnosis and prompt treatment with antiviral therapy seem to improve long-term outcomes,” the Cleveland Clinic notes on its website.

☆ Hailey Bieber reveals what she fears about having kids
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-15 | by ( Lisa Respers France | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

CNN —Hailey Bieber is sharing more about her thoughts on growing her family with husband Justin Bieber. In a recent interview with The Sunday Times, the model and entrepreneur reportedly said she would like to have kids but worries about the public scrutiny the couple faces. “It’s enough that people say things about my husband or my friends,” she said. “I can’t imagine having to confront people saying things about a child.”She and Justin Bieber got engaged in July 2018. Despite her concerns, Hailey Bieber said she isn’t going to let fear keep her from welcoming children.

☆ A CEO is spending more than $2,000 a month on ChatGPT Plus accounts for all of his employees, and he says it's saving 'hours' of time
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-01 | by ( Aaron Mok | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Akash Nigam, the founder of Genies, purchased ChatGPT Plus accounts for all of his 120 employees. A CEO is spending thousands each month buying ChatGPT Plus accounts for every single employee at his company — and he says he's already seeing gains. While it has only been a month since Genies' employees have had their accounts, Nigam said he has "already seen many tasks get accelerated." The employees that are "using AI effectively" will be up for a promotion and raise, he said. Even Microsoft is letting employees use ChatGPT — as long as they don't share confidential information with the tool.

☆ TikTok is looking more and more like a record label. It’s annoyed many in the music industry.
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-21 | by ( Diamond Naga Siu | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Allbirds is one of the brands I'm looking at. TikTok is looking more and more like a record label. When TikTok launched SoundOn, a song-distribution and artist-services platform, some in the industry wondered whether it was trying to muscle its way into record labels' territory. TikTok is now looking to hire people who will "identify, sign, and develop new artists" as well as "design live show and merchandise strategies for artists globally." Get a front-row seat to TikTok's transformation into a record label here.

☆ Twitter users including Justin Bieber, Bill Gates, and Kim Kardashian are seeing their blue checkmarks disappear as Elon Musk charges $8 a month for verified accounts
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-20 | by ( Kate Duffy | Sarah Jackson | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Twitter appeared to start removing legacy blue checkmarks from many accounts on Thursday. Some Twitter users are watching their legacy blue checkmarks disappear from their accounts as Elon Musk implements an $8 monthly subscription program. Notable business figures including Bill Gates, LinkedIn founder Reid Hoffman, and "Shark Tank" star Barbara Corcoran no longer showed blue checkmarks on their Twitter accounts Thursday afternoon. The only way users can keep their blue checkmarks is to sign up to Twitter Blue, a subscription program that costs $8 a month. Twitter Blue has sparked controversy since it was rolled out.

☆ The CEO of the world's biggest record company just got a new contract with stock options worth as much as $100 million
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-01 | by ( Ryan Hogg | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Universal Music's CEO could receive stock options worth up to $100 million under a new contract. He took a annual pay cut to $5 million in the new contract that runs to 2028. Half of the $100 million equity option will be paid out in installments if the share price hits the targets of 26.50 euros, 30 euros, and 38 euros. The stock closed Friday at 23.30 euros in Amsterdam, valuing the company at just over 42 billion euros ($45 billion). Apple CEO Tim Cook collected almost $100 million last year alone, making about $83 million in stock awards, $12 million in incentives and salary of $3 million, CNBC reported.

☆ BTS agency HYBE seeks U.S. deals after withdrawing bid for SM Entertainment
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-15 | by ( Hyunsu Yim | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] Members of K-pop boy band BTS pose for photographs during a news conference promoting their new album "BE(Deluxe Edition)" in Seoul, South Korea, November 20, 2020. The company's efforts to expand its portfolio of music labels and fan community platforms come after HYBE on Sunday withdrew its plan to take over rival label SM Entertainment (041510.KQ) after a weeks-long battle with social media giant Kakao (035720.KS). HYBE owns multiple subsidiary labels and management companies including Ithaca Holdings, boasting a range of artists including BTS, Ariana Grande and Justin Bieber. The slowdown was largely, but not exclusively, due to the absence of BTS, who are currently on a break as a group, he said. Bang declined to comment on details of a new partnership deal with Kakao Entertainment on fan platform businesses, but added he was "personally satisfied" with the arrangement despite losing the bid to acquire SM Entertainment.

Hong Kong/Seoul CNN —The billionaire mastermind behind some of the world’s biggest K-pop stars is pushing back on accusations that he’s trying to monopolize the Korean music industry. “It wouldn’t be correct to say that we’re trying to take over the whole industry,” Bang told CNN in an exclusive interview in Seoul. Bang Si-Hyuk, who chairs the HYBE management agency, spoke with CNN's Richard Quest on Tuesday. “When the two companies are combined, a monopoly and oligopolistic group of companies that account for approximately 66% of total market sales will be created,” it told CNN. The company would then announce the outcome and next steps, it told CNN on Friday.

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