DIRS.INFO The most relevant business & tech news

☆ Kim Kardashian reportedly earned up to $1 million speaking at a hedge fund conference weeks after speaking at Harvard about her private equity firm
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-07 | by ( Hannah Getahun | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Kim Kardashian was a speaker at a hedge fund conference in Miami on January 31. She reportedly made around $1 million for speaking at the event, an unnamed source told Page Six. Kardashian spoke about her private equity firm SKKY partners. The reality star turned business mogul spoke at the iConnections Global conference on January 31 about her private equity firm, SKKY Partners, which launched in October. "I was happy to see so much support for a female fund manager in an industry dominated by men," Biscardi told Page Six.

☆ Judge Releases Decision Approving Meta’s Virtual-Reality Deal
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-05 | by ( Jan Wolfe | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

WASHINGTON—A judge has made public his decision that allowed Meta Platforms Inc. to acquire a virtual-reality startup, providing new details on why he ruled against the Federal Trade Commission in its high-profile antitrust case against the Facebook parent company. The ruling, which was initially sealed and was released late Friday, rejected the FTC’s arguments for why Meta’s acquisition of Within Unlimited was anticompetitive. But the judge sided with the FTC on some legal and factual arguments, bolstering the agency’s ability to bring similar cases in the future, some antitrust lawyers said.

☆ Infamous fake German heiress Anna Sorokin plans to speak with Harvard MBA students
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-02 | by ( Jordan Hart | Jacob Shamsian | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Anna Sorokin, aka Anna Delvey, is preparing to speak with a class of MBA students at Harvard University. Sorokin, aka Anna Delvey, confirmed to Insider that this semester she is set to make a virtual live appearance in front of MBA students at the top business school on February 14. In September, the 32-year-old spoke at an "Intro to Reporting" class for Columbia University students from her ICE detention facility. She pretended to be a German heiress and sought to bilk banks and other institutions for money in order to build a project she called the Anna Delvey Foundation. In January, Harvard MBA students had the chance to hear from another unconventional source.

☆ FTC Loses Antitrust Challenge to Facebook Parent Meta
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-01 | by ( Dave Michaels | Jan Wolfe | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

WASHINGTON—A federal judge declined to halt Meta Platforms Inc.’s acquisition of the virtual-reality startup Within Unlimited, delivering a setback to antitrust enforcers at the Federal Trade Commission seeking to block the deal, a person familiar with the ruling said. In a sealed court decision issued overnight, U.S. District Judge Edward Davila in San Jose, Calif., denied the FTC’s request for an injunction blocking the proposed merger, the person said.

☆ Pitch Decks That Advertising Tech Startups Used to Raise Millions
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-10 | by ( Business Insider | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +19 min

Check out these pitch decks that they've used to sell their vision and raise millions from private equity and VC investors. Blocking ad fraudAdtech startup Lunio, announced a $15 million Series A funding round in September 2022. In May 2022, the software-as-a-service startup raised a $30 million Series B round, led by Insight Partners. Marketing in the metaverseAnima, an augmented-reality startup, raised a $3 million funding round from investors in Janury. He raised $50 million in Series D after closing a $34 million Series C last year, bringing its total raised to $100 million.

☆ Lisa Rinna is leaving ‘Real Housewives of Beverly Hills’
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-06 | by ( Samantha Kubota | Liz Calvario | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +3 min

Longtime “Real Housewives of Beverly Hills” star Lisa Rinna announced on Jan. 5 that she is leaving the show, Bravo confirmed to TODAY.com. The 59-year-old reality star is “excited” for the next chapter in her career, after being on the reality show for eight seasons. “RHOBH” star Denise Richards also called out Rinna after the Season 12 reunion, writing on Instagram, “I watched #RHOBH last night. While I have empathy for Lisa Rinna losing her mom, what is her excuse all the other years on the show for being so cruel & so vindictive?”Rinna’s mother, Lois Rinna, died in November 2021 at age 93. And I was like, ‘Oh my God, I’ve made it.’”After news of her departure broke on Jan. 5, Rinna’s former costar Lisa Vanderpump seemingly shaded her on Twitter, writing simply “Ding dong.”

☆ How 'Real Housewife' Jen Shah's fabulous life came crashing down
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-06 | by ( Stephanie Clifford | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +43 min

The woman wrote to the judge overseeing Shah's case that she'd had to remortgage her house, almost divorced, and "thought about ending my own life." The couple decided that he should get his degree while Jen Shah dropped out of college to work. (Shah told a judge at her 2022 plea hearing that she had been treated for "alcohol and depression" two years prior. Koa Johnson, Jen Shah's former fashion designerWhen Sharrieff Shah did participate in filming, he quickly became a fan favorite, calm and sensible. Once the show aired and Jen Shah developed a fan base, her behavior became more dramatic, Johnson said.

☆ Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg Testifies in FTC Case to Block Virtual-Reality Deal
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-20 | by ( Salvador Rodriguez | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Facebook parent Meta Platforms Inc. CEO Mark Zuckerberg took the witness stand Tuesday in a case in which the Federal Trade Commission is seeking to prevent the social-media company from acquiring a virtual-reality startup. The FTC is seeking an injunction blocking Meta’s planned acquisition of Within Unlimited Inc., the company behind the popular virtual-reality fitness game “Supernatural.” The legal move poses a direct challenge to Meta’s strategic focus on the metaverse, a term used to describe a platform where numerous online users work and play in virtual worlds.

☆ Read the pitch deck Anima, an augmented-reality startup, used to raise $3 million
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-15 | by ( Marta Biino | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

An augmented-reality startup called Anima announced a $3 million funding round. Anima shared 15 pages of the pitch deck it used to convince investors. Anima plans to offer the technology to allow creators to bring 3D assets into AR and easily view and interact with their creations. Examples of augmented-reality art on Anima include this mirror sculpture on a beach. Anima gave Insider an exclusive look at 15 slides from the pitch deck it used to raise $3 million.

☆ Elon Musk suspended his jet tracker's Twitter account for sharing public information about his whereabouts, then shared a person's license plate with his 121 million followers
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-15 | by ( Grace Dean | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Musk has allowed some controversial users back onto Twitter, including former president Donald Trump and satire publication The Babylon Bee. "Any account doxxing real-time location info of anyone will be suspended, as it is a physical safety violation," Musk tweeted on Wednesday. Some Twitter users have accused Musk of changing Twitter's terms to target Sweeney's account. Hours later, Musk posted a video that he claimed showed the "stalker" and included the driver's license plate. Sweeney told Insider that he planned to continue sharing the whereabouts of Musk's jet on other platforms, including Instagram, Discord, and Mastodon.

☆ Judge to Hear FTC’s Bid to Block Meta from Acquiring Virtual-Reality App Maker
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-08 | by ( Jan Wolfe | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

WASHINGTON—The Federal Trade Commission on Thursday will ask a judge to halt Meta Platforms Inc.’s planned acquisition of a virtual-reality startup, a case that represents a shift in U.S. antitrust enforcement and poses a challenge to the Facebook parent’s metaverse strategy. The FTC is seeking an injunction blocking Meta’s planned acquisition of Within Unlimited Inc., the company behind the popular virtual-reality fitness game “Supernatural.”

☆ Judge Hears FTC’s Bid to Block Meta From Acquiring Virtual-Reality App Maker
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-08 | by ( Jan Wolfe | Salvador Rodriguez | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

WASHINGTON—The Federal Trade Commission on Thursday asked a judge to halt Meta Platforms Inc.’s planned acquisition of a virtual-reality startup, a case that represents a shift in U.S. antitrust enforcement and poses a challenge to the Facebook parent’s metaverse strategy. The FTC is seeking an injunction blocking Meta’s planned acquisition of Within Unlimited Inc., the company behind the popular virtual-reality fitness game “Supernatural.”

☆ Collin Gosselin says ‘Jon & Kate Plus 8’ tore his family apart
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-30 | by ( Lisa Respers France | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —Former child reality star Collin Gosselin is now 18 years old and says he hasn’t been in contact with his mother or the bulk of his siblings for years. Kate Gosselin and her children in 2012. Jon Gosselin eventually was granted custody of Collin, who lives with his sister Hannah, at their father’s home. But Collin Gosselin said his relationship with his mother Kate is nonexistent. “So I’m kind of just waiting for the day that they reach out.”CNN has reached out to reps for Kate Gosselin for comment.

Todd and Julie Chrisley’s attorney says the couple will appeal following their sentencing Monday for bank fraud and tax evasion. An attorney for the Chrisleys, known for their USA Network series “Chrisley Knows Best,” said in a statement that the couple is planning to appeal. But Todd and Julie are people of faith, and that faith gives them strength as they appeal their convictions,” family attorney Alex Little said Tuesday. Todd Chrisley was sentenced Monday to 12 years in prison, and Julie Chrisley to seven years. Additionally, as part of sentencing, both Todd and Julie Chrisley will have to pay an undetermined amount in restitution that will be determined at a later date.

☆ Trump rants on social media about how he is 'not at all angry' about the midterms, saying he actually 'did a great job'
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-10 | by ( Nicole Gaudiano | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Donald Trump seems really angry about reports that he's angry. He is lashing out at the "fake narrative from the corrupt media" that he's angry about the midterms. He claims he did "a great job" and urged his Truth Social followers to remember he's a "'Stable Genius.'" The former president is lashing out at what he describes as the "fake narrative from the corrupt media" that he's angry — correction, "Angry" — about the midterms and telling his Truth Social followers not to believe it. He insisted that almost all of his endorsees won and said the New York Times was "only quoting enemies and losers."

☆ Jimmy Kimmel says he was going to quit his show if ABC asked him to stop making Trump jokes
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-03 | by ( Dan Heching | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —Jimmy Kimmel claims he was ready to walk out on his longtime late-night hosting gig if his bosses at ABC asked him to stop making jokes about then-presidential hopeful Donald Trump. But regardless of that slip in popularity among certain circles, Kimmel said at the time that he was simply not willing to refrain from making jokes about Trump. I’m just not going to do it like that,’” Kimmel remembered saying. “You watch the news all day, you see what’s going on, how do you walk on stage and ignore it? That’s fun.”Kimmel renewed his deal with ABC earlier this year that will keep him in his hosting chair for three more years.

☆ Julie and Savannah Chrisley get emotional about family’s struggle amid legal drama
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-26 | by ( Lisa Respers France | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

CNN —Savannah Chrisley believes her mother Julie is handling her current legal issues better than she is. The pair sat down for an episode of the podcast “Unlocked with Savannah Chrisley” that came out Tuesday and their conversation was emotional. Todd and Julie Chrisley, Savannah’s parents, were convicted in June of conspiracy to defraud banks out of of more than $30 million in loans. “Everyone has it hard,” Julie Chrisley said. Savannah Chrisley urged people to “do the research” when it comes to her parents’ legal issues and said the whole legal experience has “broken” her father.

☆ Oculus founder Palmer Luckey compares Facebook's metaverse to a 'project car,' with Mark Zuckerberg pursuing an expensive passion project that no one thinks is valuable
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-25 | by ( Kali Hays | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Luckey founded Oculus and sold it to Facebook for $2 billion in 2014. He wants the metaverse to be built, but says Facebook's current product Horizon is "not good." Luckey sold Oculus, a virtual-reality startup, to Facebook in 2014 for $2 billion. Luckey was fired from Facebook in 2016, which he said happened because of his political donations to an "unpopular" cause. He said the amount of money Zuckerberg is putting behind the project alone means there's a chance Horizon Worlds will get better and the metaverse will be a success.

☆ Kim Kardashian misses Vegas birthday surprise after private jet couldn’t land
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-24 | by ( Lisa Respers France | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

Kim Kardashian was all set to take on Las Vegas for her 42nd birthday over the weekend, but unfortunately it didn’t happen. After a birthday dinner, she headed to the airport where a pair of Vegas showgirls offered a hint as to where she was headed on her sister Kylie Jenner’s private jet. “For the record… We did fly to Vegas and tried to land twice at two different airports,” she wrote in an Instagram story. On Sunday Kardashian shared a video of Usher wishing her happy birthday, saying that he “hated” that they didn’t make it and welcoming her with “open arms” the next time she wants to attend. Private jets belonging to celebs, including Jenner’s, have recently come under criticism by many for contributing to the climate crisis.

☆ An antitrust battle over GIFs could be a wake-up call for Silicon Valley
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-20 | by ( Brian Fung | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

But a long-running legal battle over who can control access to them, culminating this week in a rare defeat for Meta (META), the parent of Facebook, could have major ramifications for Big Tech regulation. On Tuesday, UK regulators forced Meta to unwind its 2020 purchase of Giphy, one of the largest searchable internet libraries of GIFs. “The Citadel may have been breached,” said Joel Mitnick, an antitrust attorney at the law firm Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft. The company said this week that it will continue to explore acquisitions despite the UK ruling. And US courts don’t typically take foreign antitrust rulings into account; their job is to interpret US law.

☆ Analysis: 'Big Shot' new season finds the ball back in John Stamos' court
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-15 | by ( Lisa Respers France | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

But thanks to John Stamos, I’m now more of a basketball fan, which leads us into what to watch this week. Three things to watch‘Big Shot’ Season 2(From left) John Stamos as Coach Korn and Sophia Mitri Schloss as Emma Korn are shown in a scene from "Big Shot." “I need to now cut her loose and let her live in the minds and hearts of the fans that have supported her,” Curtis told Entertainment Weekly. “Sharing people’s stories that are not just on a rap sheet will help people get comfortable and understand where someone has come from,” Kardashian told The Hollywood Reporter. “I wasn’t talking about politics,” Elias told CNN.

☆ A Minute With: South Korea's Kian84 on showing at London StART art fair
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-13 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

South Korean artist and reality star Kian84 sits with some of his work at the Saatchi Gallery in London, Britain, October 12, 2022. REUTERS/Dylan MartinezLONDON, Oct 13 (Reuters) - South Korean artist and reality television star Kian84 is debuting his work in Britain this week, showing his pop art pieces as part of the StART art fair in London. In an interview with Reuters, Kian84 spoke about his art, inspiration and showing to a new audience. Kian84: “I didn’t really understand art before because seeing a painting with a dot on it being sold at a very high price, I thought it was something I could never understand. But here, British people don’t know me that well, so I’m very curious how my art will be received by them.

☆ Teddi Mellencamp announces stage 2 melanoma diagnosis: ‘Such a wake-up call’
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-12 | by ( Chrissy Callahan | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +2 min

Teddi Mellencamp is sharing an update on her melanoma scare in the hopes that her fans will take sun protection seriously. In March, the former star of “The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills” announced that she had a suspected melanoma removed after her former co-star Kyle Richards noticed some alarming discoloration on her back. On Tuesday, the 41-year-old revealed that her dermatologist diagnosed her with stage 2 melanoma during a recent follow-up appointment. “Despite my anxiety, I listened to the doctors and went in for my 3-month skin check last week since my previous melanoma. I got the call this morning: Stage 2 melanoma,” she wrote on Instagram.

☆ Khloe Kardashian reveals she had tumor removed from her face
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-11 | by ( Gina Vivinetto | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +2 min

Khloe Kardashian has revealed that she recently underwent a procedure to have a tumor removed from her face. “A few days later I was told I need to have an immediate operation to remove a tumor from my face,” she went on. “I’m grateful to share that Dr. Fisher was able to get everything — ll my margins appear clear and now we are onto the healing process,” the reality star wrote. Kardashian told fans she would be wearing a bandage on my face, which she intended to rock in “fabulous” style. Kardashian said decided to go public with the story of her tumor to “remind everyone” to get any unusual skin conditions checked out by a dermatologist.

☆ Khloe Kardashian says a skin cancer scare is the reason for her recent face bandage
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-11 | by ( Dan Heching | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

CNN —Khloe Kardashian is speaking out about the importance of getting skin cancer checks after experiencing a scare of her own. The reality star, 38, revealed in an Instagram story on Tuesday that she recently had to undergo surgery to remove a tumor from her famous face. “All my margins appear clear and now we move on the healing process,” she wrote. “You’ll continue to see my bandages and when I’m allowed, you’ll probably see a scar (and an indentation in my cheek from the tumor being removed) but until then I hope you enjoy how fabulous I’m making these face bandages look.”In one selfie, Kardashian is seen with a small rectangular white bandage covering her right cheek. “Most people aren’t as lucky as me and I am forever thankful.”

Search resuls for: "Reality Star"

25 mentions found