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☆ Goldman Sachs' investor day led to more questions than answers
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-01 | by ( Dan Defrancesco | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

David Solomon at Goldman Sachs' 2023 investor day. All eyes were on Goldman Sachs yesterday as the bank held its second-ever investor day. The biggest news of the day was Solomon, along with other key executives, acknowledging the bank was exploring "strategic alternatives" for its consumer business. Hinting at "strategic alternatives" was something people would want to hear more about. And click here to read more about Goldman exploring "strategic alternatives" for its consumer biz.

☆ Mark Zuckerberg and Elon Musk have been publicly criticizing each other for years — but now Meta is mirroring Twitter
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-25 | by ( Hallam Bullock | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

With the launch of Meta Verified, Mark Zuckerberg is appearing more like Elon Musk by the day. Now, let's look at why people are starting to say that Zuckerberg "idolizes Elon Musk." With the announcement of Meta Verified, Meta's new verification subscription service for Facebook and Instagram, many have drawn comparisons between Mark Zuckerberg and Elon Musk. Schilsky added: "I think it's clear that Mark Zuckerberg idolizes Elon Musk." Black VCs like Beta Boom's Kimmy Paluch are addressing long-standing diversity, equity, and inclusion issues in the industry head-on.

☆ Meet 12 tech execs helping top private-equity firms like Apollo and Blackstone use AI and alternative-data to cut deals
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-24 | by ( Bianca Chan | Rebecca Ungarino | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

The people responsible for private-equity firms' internal tech have never been more important. Alt-data and AI capabilities are emerging as ways for firms to make deals and win new business. But that's starting to change as some of the largest PE firms take the plunge to invest in their own internal tech. Private equity has largely taken a wait-and-see approach to investing and building internal tech operations. Here is a list of top tech execs to know in the private equity industry.

☆ The new Bing is acting all weird and creepy — but the human response is way scarier
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-23 | by ( Adam Rogers | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +12 min

It's a profit-making move designed to leverage our very human tendency to see human traits in nonhuman things. Look, I don't think we don't need to treat chatbots with respect because they ask us to. Making chatbots seem as if they're human isn't just incidental. So the real issue involving the current incarnation of chatbots isn't whether we treat them as people — it's how we decide to treat them as property. The robots don't care."

SummarySummary Companies Ministry plans for low-carbon power systemAims for 80% green power in 2030Will prepare tenders to attract stable capacityFRANKFURT, Feb 20 (Reuters) - Germany will do most of the work this year to prepare its power market for greater reliance on renewable supplies by the end of the decade, Economy Minister Robert Habeck said on Monday. "We will do most of the necessary work in 2023," he said at a consultation meeting on power market reform. To back up swings in green power as more reliable nuclear and coal production is phased out, the government will prepare tenders for gas-fired power capacity, Habeck said. A further challenge will be the simultaneous increase in demand for power to run electric cars and heat pumps. Germany's plan could set it apart from some other European Union countries holding on to more stable sources of power, said Habeck.

☆ Matt Brown of CAIS advocates a 50/30/20 portfolio, with 20% in alt investments
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-17 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailMatt Brown of CAIS advocates a 50/30/20 portfolio, with 20% in alt investmentsMatt Brown, CEO and founder of CAIS, joins 'Closing Bell' to discuss diversifying portfolio investments, the changing outlook for a 60/40 portfolio, and allocating investment in alternative portfolios.

☆ Here is the 14-page pitch deck a fintech helping SMBs get approved for loans via alt data used to raise $1.8 million from ATX Venture Partners, Rex Salisbury, and others
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-14 | by ( Bianca Chan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Here is the deck Uplinq used to raise a $1.8 pre-seed extension round. One financial-technology startup trying to bring alternative data to small-business lending is catching the attention and dollars of some of the most notable fintech investors in the space. The latest round brings Uplinq's total funding to $5.6 million, with the startup raising its initial $3.5 million pre-seed round in April 2022. And is the credit score really an accurate reflection of their true credit worthiness?" Here's the 14-page pitch deck Uplinq used to raise $1.8 million.

☆ After unexpected death of 6-year-old girl, family becomes target of 'Died Suddenly' anti-vax conspiracy theories
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-11 | by ( Isobel Van Hagen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

An anti-vax social-media campaign has targeted the family of a 6-year-old girl who died suddenly. A photo of the child posted on the "Died Suddenly" Twitter blamed her parents for vaccinating her. #DiedSuddenly is a recent iteration of an online conspiracy spreading disinformation about vaccines. The "Died Suddenly" hashtag is centered around a video by the same name, which labels itself as a "documentary film of a generation." Anastasia and her family are only one of the latest targets of the "Died Suddenly" Twitter account, which began posting in October 2022 and has nearly 300,000 followers.

Bored Ape Yacht Club was not the biggest crypto phenomenon, but it was one of the top beneficiaries of celebrity hype. The Bored Apes — a computer-generated collection of 10,000 cartoons — were being presented as a status symbol, membership in an exclusive club. Yuga sued Ripps for trademark infringement, and argues that his maligning of the Yuga apes is nothing more than a profiteering tactic. Hickman, who is Black, thought the Bored Apes looked like stereotypical portrayals of Black people as stupid or lazy. He said he thought this would be obvious to most people the second they saw an image of a Bored Ape.

☆ Twitter API: Why users are upset about the platform's latest change
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-03 | by ( Aj Willingham | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

While the concept of an “API restriction” may not sound dramatic, this latest change has users once again worried about Twitter’s future. Many of Twitter’s users are not happy about the change, as they say it will fundamentally alter the platform’s culture. Some people have used Twitter’s API to provide accessibility options to content, like alt text or image descriptions. How could restricting API access change Twitter? Some users are concerned about what the API access changes will mean for their work.

☆ HBCU students are diversifying Alternative Investing with the help of Wall Street's biggest firms
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-01 | by ( Frank Holland | Caitlyn Freda | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailHBCU students are diversifying Alternative Investing with the help of Wall Street's biggest firmsCNBC's Frank Holland reports on Alt-Finance, a unique fellowship introducing HBCU students to alternative investing, created by Ares Capital, Oaktree Capital and Apollo Global Management.

☆ Why Hollywood's tech evangelists are bullish on NFTs and Web3 storytelling, even after the FTX scandal tarnished blockchain's rep
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-31 | by ( Elaine Low | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Amid the FTX scandal and declining NFT sales, Web3 chatter has grown quieter in Hollywood. But proponents of NFTs and Web3 storytelling are betting on the tech's entertainment potential. Hollywood's evangelists of Web3 — the decentralized, blockchain-based future of the web that includes crypto and NFTs — were out in full force. She has worked to distance the creative and storytelling potential of NFTs and other blockchain-based technologies from the cowboy rep of the digital currency world. "I'm excited about moving Web3, blockchain technologies past sort of the hype cycle that we've seen with digital collectibles and NFTs," Greg Reed, Universal Pictures' VP of technology partnerships, told Variety.

☆ McDonald's is testing strawless lids in the US after uproar over paper straws in UK
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-27 | by ( Nancy Luna | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

In 2018, it rolled out paper straws in the UK, but admitted the alt-materials were not recyclable. The chain recently began testing strawless lids for cold beverages in select US markets. A few years after Starbucks launched strawless lids, McDonald's is testing out its own in select US markets, the company confirmed. In 2018, McDonald's pledged to recycle food and beverage packaging in 100% of McDonald's restaurants by the end of 2025. The new lids come after McDonald's restaurants in the UK rolled out paper straws in 2018.

☆ Ken Griffin has built two of Wall Street's most powerful firms. His next target could be influencing politics.
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-23 | by ( Dan Defrancesco | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Ken Griffin, the founder and CEO of Citadel. It's good to be Ken Griffin. Plenty of people find success on Wall Street that most can only dream of. But Ken Griffin seems to be winning in ways that even his peers can't fathom. Click here to read more about Ken Griffin rise to the top of Wall Street and what could be next for the billionaire.

It was totally avoidable.”Now, Bolsonaro is in Orlando, where he has supporters among the state's growing number of Brazilian Americans. After Bolsonaro's loss, unfounded claims of election fraud, reminiscent of those in the U.S., began to surface in Brazil. Bannon had said prior to the Brazilian election that Bolsonaro would lose only if “the machines” steal the election. Leading to the presidential elections in Brazil, Trump allies exported many of the former president's campaign strategies to the Latin American country. After Bolsonaro's October loss, tens of thousands of supporters began camping outside military facilities throughout Brazil to protest his loss.

☆ 4 SEO strategies that'll supercharge your website's ranking, from real small business owners who use them
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-10 | by ( Erin Greenawald | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

SEO can be a cheap and effective way to drive traffic to your small business's website. Business owners and SEO experts said a good URL and strong meta descriptions are key. This article is part of "Marketing for Small Business," a series exploring the basics of marketing strategy for SBOs to earn new customers and grow their business. Small business owners and SEO experts shared with Insider the strategies that have helped them improve their site rankings over time and build a meaningful flow of organic traffic from search. "SEO grows over time," Fabio added, "so by 12 months, you should see much stronger results than at six months."

☆ Steve Bannon calls Bolsonaro protesters who stormed Brazil's Congress 'freedom fighters'
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-09 | by ( Mia Jankowicz | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Steve Bannon hyped the protesters who stormed Brazil's Congress, calling them "freedom fighters." The former Trump advisor has long stoked unsubstantiated rumors of election fraud in Brazil. Bannon has seized on the issue in the same way he did with Trump's own election fraud claims. Lately Bannon, a former Trump advisor, has also amped unevidenced claims of election fraud in Brazil. A review by Brazil's military late last year found no credible evidence of widespread election fraud, according to The New York Times.

☆ Behind-the-scenes C-SPAN footage from the House chamber shows chaos and frustration after nearly a dozen failed attempts to elect a Speaker
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-06 | by ( Lauren Frias | Sonam Sheth | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: 1 min

Democratic Rep.-elect Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez was seen speaking with GOP Rep.-elect Paul Gosar, who once stirred controversy for sharing a violent edited anime video of him slaying her. The edited anime, "Attack of Titan," has been co-opted by alt-right factions when discussing white supremacist narratives. Source: Insider

☆ Cardinal Health Hires Finance Chief From Sysco
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-19 | by ( Dean Seal | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Cardinal Health Inc. has hired Aaron Alt, the chief financial officer of Sysco Corp. , to be its next finance chief. The Dublin, Ohio-based healthcare-products distributor said Monday that Mr. Alt will take over from Trish English, who has served as interim finance chief since August when then-CFO Jason Hollar was tapped as chief executive officer. Mr. Alt will succeed Ms. English on Feb. 10, the company said. Mr. Alt has been with Sysco since December 2020, according to his LinkedIn profile. He previously served as CFO for Sally Beauty Holdings Inc. and held senior executive roles at Target Corp. Write to Dean Seal at dean.seal@wsj.comCopyright ©2022 Dow Jones & Company, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

☆ Elon Musk says his politics are in the center but extremism experts say he's using Twitter to increasingly empower right-wing viewpoints
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-11 | by ( Katherine Tangalakis-Lippert | Hannah Getahun | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

Elon Musk has been weighing in more and more on political issues since buying Twitter. "Any argument that he's trying to empower the center is patently bullshit," a researcher on extremism told Insider. "In the past I voted Democrat, because they were (mostly) the kindness party," Musk wrote in a tweet this May. "Any argument that he's trying to empower the center is patently bullshit and should be treated as such." "The way that Twitter's content moderation has changed since he's taken over has definitely skewed towards favoring the far-right," Berger said.

☆ Tesla investors tell Elon Musk to stop wasting time on Twitter as his erratic tweets prompt them to sell shares
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-08 | by ( Pete Syme | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Elon Musk's tweets about politics and memes have dented some investors' confidence in him. The business analyst from Kansas City, Missouri told Bloomberg that he recently sold Tesla shares worth $30,000. He now says that Musk's erratic behavior is too much to deal with, and only kept a handful of Tesla shares. "It's almost like he's abandoned us in favor of his new mission," Goodwin told Bloomberg. He told Bloomberg that he's defended Musk online like many of the billionaire's acolytes, but the latest episode "has lost a lot of us."

“After the Infowars interview, we were disgusted by his behavior,” CalmYe said. “We didn’t want to give a platform to what he’s saying anymore.”After the Infowars interview, we were disgusted by his behavior. The subreddit became increasingly difficult to moderate, and Ye’s praise of Hitler was the tipping point. CalmYe said most fans seem “disgusted” with Ye’s recent behavior, and this latest interview caused many to ditch the artist for good. Other Ye-focused creators have tried to steer their followings through the aftermath of the Infowars interview.

☆ Milo Yiannopoulos has been fired from Kanye West's political team: report
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-05 | by ( Hannah Getahun | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Milo Yiannopoulos is no longer working for Ye's political team. "Ye and I have come to the mutual conclusion that I should step away from his political team," Yiannopoulos wrote: "I will continue to pray for Ye and all his endeavors." Yiannopoulos was one of a handful of right-wing figures who joined Ye during a dinner at former President Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago home on November 22. Fuentes denied that the dinner was a plot against Trump in a Telegram post following the NBC report. Ye removed references to Yiannopoulos and Fuentes on his Twitter account on Thursday before he was permanently suspended later that day, Newsweek reported.

☆ Milo Yiannopoulos has been fired from Kanye West's 2024 presidential campaign team: report
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-05 | by ( Hannah Getahun | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Milo Yiannopoulos is no longer working for Ye's 2024 presidential campaign. Ye told paparazzi that Yiannopoulos, who previously interned for Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, would join his campaign team as a campaign manager on November 25 following the rapper's announcement that he intends to run for president in 2024. Yiannopoulos was one of a handful of right-wing figures who joined Ye during a dinner at former President Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago home on November 22. Fuentes denied that the dinner was a plot against Trump in a Telegram post following the NBC report. Ye removed references to Yiannopoulos and Fuentes on his Twitter account on Thursday before he was permanently suspended later that day, Newsweek reported.

☆ Elon Musk’s Twitter risks opening floodgates of hate speech and extremism in India
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-01 | by ( Yashraj Sharma | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +2 min

SRINAGAR, India — For five years, Alt News has fought India’s rise in disinformation tied to Hindu nationalism, with Twitter as one of the main battlefields. All that is now in jeopardy amid the chaos at Twitter since its takeover last month by billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk. With 24 million users, India is Twitter’s third-largest market after the United States and Japan, as well as one of its greatest challenges. But more than 90% of Twitter’s 200-odd employees in India were reportedly among the thousands worldwide who have lost their jobs under Musk’s ownership. “Like all companies, Twitter needs to understand the harms associated with its platform and take steps to address them,” he wrote.

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