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Almost to the weekend! Gen Z’s vocabulary knows no bounds. What the rest of us consider small talk at work, Gen Zers have rebranded as “corporate flirting.” Here’s a full breakdown of all their jargon.
In today’s big story, we’re unpacking all the far-flung places and high-end events billionaires visit and attend throughout the year.
What’s on deck:
Markets: Ken Griffin sounds off on remote work, Miami as a financial hub, and the US presidential election.Tech: A leaked AWS email hints at the new AI products the company is working on.Business: The case for getting America to start building again, and the radical way to do it.
But first, can we check our itinerary?
The big story
Life in the three-comma club
Insider
There’s the rich. There’s the wealthy. And then there are billionaires.
Divisions in socioeconomic classes have only widened in the wake of the pandemic, but some places remain melting pots. (After all, who doesn’t love to eat good in the neighborhood?)
The exception, however, is billionaires.
For them, it’s not the difference between flying first class over economy or a luxury suite instead of a standard room. It’s private planes and secret islands.
For a glimpse at how 0.00003% of the world’s population lives, Business Insider’s Madeline Berg mapped out the typical annual calendar of a billionaire. From the World Economic Forum’s annual meeting in Davos in January to the Monaco Yacht Show in September, Madeline has a full breakdown of the average social calendar for the richest people in the world.
The irony of these events is that billionaires’ expenses are often comped or heavily discounted despite their exorbitant wealth, Madeline told me. Meanwhile, the general public has to fork over a small fortune to get their foot in the door.
Whether you view billionaires’ jetsetting lifestyles with delight or disgust, there’s no denying their relevance.
If you put enough wealthy and powerful people in one place, business is bound to get done. Just look at the history of deals from Sun Valley’s summer camp for billionaires.
Laszlo Balogh/ Reuters, Tom Cooper/TAS23/Getty Images, Getty
But even if your bank account is limitless, money can’t buy everything.
(No, I’m not talking about meaningful relationships or the love of a family member. Leave that for everyone else to worry about.)
When it comes to sold-out events or limited-edition luxury items, the people serving the financial needs of the uber-wealthy are happy to oblige, writes Business Insider’s Hayley Cuccinello.
From organizing an elephant procession down a busy London road to finding the right medical specialists after a grave diagnosis, anything is on the table to stay in a client’s good graces.
These types of luxury services won’t necessarily win new clients, Hayley writes, but they do serve as a way to strengthen the relationship between a private bank and its ultra-rich clients.
3 things in markets
Getty; Marianne Ayala/Insider
Ken Griffin has some thoughts. The billionaire hedge fund manager touched on a variety of topics during a recent interview, including how remote work makes it easier for companies to fire people. The Floridian also made the case for why Miami could overtake New York as a financial hub. And the political megadonor said he’d like to see former President Donald Trump debate presidential hopeful Nikki Haley. Here’s what is helping to inform the Fed’s decision about what to do with rates. As 2024 market predictions pour in, many hinge on if and when the Fed will start cutting rates. These 10 academic journals are favorites among central bankers when developing their policies.The investors pushing in — and cashing out — of the market’s hottest stock. Regulatory filings show these hedge funds are starting to take profits in their stakes in Nvidia, the best-performing S&P 500 stock in 2023. But firms linked to Bill Gates and Ray Dalio are buying up shares.
3 things in tech
Lelanie Foster for Insider
Tech’s quiet connecting force: Ruzwana Bashir. About $1 billion worth of ticket sales goes through her startup Peek every year. In an industry where success is often measured by how much noise a startup makes, Peek — and Bashir — have proved they don’t need the limelight to commandeer an industry.Leaked email: An Amazon team is racing to launch new products similar to those from GitHub. In the email obtained by Business Insider, a new VP lauded his team for building similar products to GitHub in a much shorter period of time. Plus, he urged them not to be discouraged that rivals beat them to market.Tesla added — and quickly deleted — a $50,000 resale fee for its Cybertruck. The unusual clause spooked some investors and Cybertruck order holders. This could be a sign that the truck is going to be a smaller release than expected.
3 things in business
Matt Harrison Clough for Insider
Make America Build Again. For the past 50 years, the US has been coasting. After talking with dozens of experts, a reporter has a radical plan to fix this: blanket the country with affordable houses, clean energy, and mass transit — fast. 2024 will be Gen Z’s year to change work as we know it. Some Gen Zers are pretty shocked and depressed at having to work a 9-to-5 schedule. But by early 2024, there will likely be more Gen Zers working full-time than baby boomers. This could change the workplace as we know it.These four red-state cities could be the future of America. Americans and businesses are flocking to cities like Houston and Miami — often leaving coastal cities behind. These could be the future hubs for the energy, healthcare, and finance industries.
In other news
Video shows the moment Antony Blinken winces after Biden calls China’s Xi a dictator, upending months of careful diplomacy.Trump lawyers ask for a mistrial in $250 million fraud case, accuses law clerk of “co-judging.“Snap workers say they’re being closely ‘tracked’ to enforce compliance with the RTO mandate.With an intensified focus on AI, VC firm Mayfield is closely watching for the “maturing” early-stage gen AI startups in 2024.The CEO of Pret was promoted 10 times from store manager to chief exec — here are his 3 top tips for getting promoted.The one genuinely relatable thing about Lauren Sánchez and Jeff Bezos.A Taylor Swift song is the best investment advice for 2024, Goldman Sachs says.Elon Musk’s SpaceX is reportedly eyeing a 2024 IPO for its Starlink internet satellite business.Blue texting bubbles are coming to this Android phone — but there’s a catch.Get hired at Disney: 6 insiders reveal how they landed their jobs and share secrets for nailing recruiters’ questions.
What’s happening today
It’s the 20th annual International Guinness World Records Day. It commemorates when the “Guinness World Records” book became the best-selling book of all time in 2004. Plus, it’s meant to encourage people to continue breaking records.The Latin Grammy Awards are tonight in Seville, Spain. For the first time, the ceremony will be hosted outside the US. Karol G, Edgar Barrera, and Shakira are among the artists up for multiple nominations.Earnings today: Walmart, Gap, Macy’s, and other companies.
For your bookmarks
Bartender tip tips
Courtesy of Starr Douglas
A bartender for nearly 10 years revealed techniques she used to land larger tips. Plus, she warned about who she tries to avoid serving.
The Insider Today team: Dan DeFrancesco, senior editor and anchor, in New York City. Diamond Naga Siu, senior reporter, in San Diego. Hallam Bullock, editor, in London. Lisa Ryan, executive editor, in New York.