What it was like covering both Diddy trials
Business Insider's Senior Legal Correspondent Laura Italiano breaks down what it's been like reporting on both Diddy trials.
Business Insider's Senior Legal Correspondent Laura Italiano breaks down what it's been like reporting on both Diddy trials.
Tal Bibas
Elan Bibas entered the "Love Island USA" villa with a disadvantage: He was added late, as part of a group of hunks sent to stir things up. But he also has an advantage: his younger brother, Tal, who's running his social media while Elan's on the show.
I talked to Tal about his experience running Elan's social accounts and the business opportunities that have presented themselves since his brother's time on the huge summer hit for Peacock. (It was the No. 2 most watched original streaming show during its first two weeks, Nielsen said.)
Contestants on the show β and if you haven't watched, I must recommend it as great summer fun! β compete to find love, or share part of the $100,000 prize with their partner.
Appearing on the show can also be a big business opportunity.
Fan favorites from past seasons have gone on to success as influencers with lucrative brand deals or other entertainment appearances. Cast members from last season will reunite for a new show, "Beyond the Villa," starting later this month.
As my colleague Callie Ahlgrim observed, the spectre of social media looms large: "The islanders seem hyper-aware of their role as entertainers and competitors, much too preoccupied with how they're being perceived by an invisible audience to be truly honest and vulnerable with each other."
Contestants have to give up their phones during their time on the show, which airs five nights a week in near real-time, so some of them have entrusted family or friends to run their social media accounts for that time. Cierra Ortega, an early fan favorite, has her friend MJ Hedderman running her Instagram, who's been delighting fans with her funny perspective and long captions.
Business Insider talked to Tal Bibas, 22, who lives in London and has been posting to his older brother Elan's Instagram and TikTok accounts. Elan, 24, grew up in the suburbs of Toronto and now lives in Miami and works in tech.
So far, Tal's strategy for managing his brother's Instagram has seemed to work. Elan's followers have gone up from about 3,000 to 63,000 since he first appeared on the show a week and a half ago.
This interview has been condensed and edited for clarity.
Were you surprised when Elan told you that he was going to be a contestant on "Love Island?"
One hundred percent. I think it was a shock to us all. Elan's a very smart guy β it's hard to see that on TV, but he's almost like a nerd. He's always been a super academic guy and always top-of-his-class. He got out of university, did computer science and engineering and entrepreneurship, came out with a job at a consultancy, a tech consultancy, helping them code and advise. He was doing really well with that. I think he hit a ceiling in Toronto and was really craving to move to a new city. Obviously, Miami comes with the beautiful weather, so that's what moved him there.
In the past few years, he's just got this virus to want to do these crazy ultramarathons and running. He formed a community of people in Miami doing that kind of stuff, and a lot of them are content creators within the health and wellness niche. He found that that was quite cool, and he's like, You know what? Wow, maybe I should start doing this a bit.
So shortly before he got approached to be on the show, he started doing a bit of content around health and wellness, running, self-improvement βΒ things along those lines. I wouldn't say he had any viral posts or anything like that. Then he honestly just got DMed by a casting director, and that's kind of how this whole thing happened.
So the casting team reached out to him. He didn't apply to be on the show?
Exactly.
Oh, that's interesting. I didn't realize that's how the casting works. In terms of his day job, obviously, it's hard to take a month or two off to go shoot a reality show. What's the status of his job?
His work seemed to be quite fine with it. They basically said, "You can definitely take on this opportunity, but take all paid time off first, and then everything after that would be unpaid leave."
Tal Bibas
Knowing your brother, what's your reaction to what's happening on the show?
At first, when I saw him on, I was excited, but I had that weird feeling where it's just like, "Oh my God, you never know how the public's going to perceive someone on TV."
Honestly, I was quite surprised by how comfortable he seemed. I thought maybe he would sound a bit different or move in a different way. Right now, the way he's acting inside the villa is the exact same way he acts in real life.
Cast members build big social followings during the show, which can lead to all sorts of lucrative opportunities. When Elan asked you to manage his socials, was that something very much at the top of your mind?
I think Elan is not doing this for the clout or fame. Honestly, that's the last thing on his mind. He loves saying "yes" to opportunities. For him, it's all about going through this, living through this experience, and just having this bucket-list, once-in-a-lifetime experience to be able to say he did this thing. And through that, to form connections, build relationships, and meet a lot of cool people.
Elan basically said, "Here's my login details. Do your best to keep things positive and have fun with it. Mostly just let it ride and just see how it goes."
I guess I have my own strategy for how I want to manage his Instagram. I don't think he knows exactly that. I definitely see this as not just a business opportunity, but a way to help my brother out. I want to do the most I can to post good content, engage with the audience, and leave him in the best spot for when he comes out to have that seamless transaction of "OK, guys, he's back." And it's kind of that exact brand and audience that he's known for.
I was studying a lot of the old contestants and seeing what their experiences were via their social presence, and so I was learning quite a lot from just looking at that.
I do have a background also in digital marketing and social media. I worked as an intern at a big influencer-marketing agency in Toronto, so I kind of understand the nuances of how the industry works β I just never thought it would be my brother. It's been an interesting learning curve.
Have you been approached by brands or business opportunities for him? How are you fielding these incoming things?
I made a separate email account for him for his social accounts. There's a lot of random stuff coming in there. Going through it and figuring out what's legit and what's not takes time. I want to make this process as seamless as possible for Elan so that when he comes out I can say, "Look, I was taking care of everything when you were gone. This is what happened. We've got these brands, these people approaching you for these opportunities," and just go through it with him and see what is the priority right now, what makes the most sense. I wouldn't say there's a long list of brands, but there are talent agencies that want to represent him.
Trump's new proposal includes tax cuts, student loan reforms, and stricter rules for Medicaid and SNAP. Here's what the four biggest changes could mean for you.
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security says it arrested Mexican boxer Julio CΓ©sar ChΓ‘vez Jr., and he's being processed for expedited removal from the U.S. due to an active arrest warrant in Mexico.
Why it matters: ChΓ‘vez is the son of Mexican boxing legend Julio CΓ©sar ChΓ‘vez and just lost against Jake Paul by unanimous decision in a 10-round cruiserweight subpar bout this weekend.
The big picture: This appears to be the first time the Trump administration is seeking to remove a high-profile athlete from the country amid stepped-up immigration enforcement.
Driving the news: DHS posted on X on Thursday that it had detained ChΓ‘vez and was placing him for fast-track removal.
ChΓ‘vez's attorney, Michael Goldstein, told ESPN that the boxer was picked up by federal agents while riding a scooter near his home in Studio City, California.
Zoom in: DHS stated that ChΓ‘vez entered the country legally in August 2023 with a B2 tourist visa, which was valid until February 2024.
State of play: The Biden administration allowed ChΓ‘vez to reenter the country in January and paroled him into the country at the San Ysidro port of entry, the Trump administration said.
What they're saying: "It is shocking the previous administration flagged this criminal illegal alien as a public safety threat, but chose to not prioritize his removal and let him leave and COME BACK into our country," said DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said in a release.
Go deeper: Trump travel ban may hit MLB players from Cuba, Venezuela
The Big, Beautiful Bill, passed Thursday by Congress, dramatically increases funding for immigration enforcement in accordance with President Trump's policy priorities.
Why it matters: The funding will allow the Trump administration to approximately double immigrant detention capacity, significantly bolster immigration enforcement personnel and potentially exacerbate backlogs in the court system.
The big picture: The bill, which will go to Trump's desk by his July 4 goal, allocates more than $100 billion to ICE and border enforcement through September 2029.
Zoom out: The existing annual budget for ICE was about $8 billion.
Context: Trump's immigration enforcement policies have put ICE under financial strain.
Read more about some of the bill's immigration funding allocations:
$46.5 billion will go toward border wall expenses including construction, installation, improvement, access roads, cameras, lights and other detection technology.
Zoom out: Border crossings earlier this year plunged to the lowest level in decades as Trump began implementing and broadcasting his immigration crackdown.
$45 billion is for single adult detention and family residential centers.
State of play: This could fund an increase in ICE detention to at least 116,000 beds, according to a July 1 report from the American Immigration Council said.
$29.9 billion is set to fund hiring, training and retention of ICE officers, agents, investigators and support staff as well as ICE technology, transportation and fleet modernization.
$5 billion was apportioned for the lease, acquisition, construction, design or improvement of facilities and checkpoints owned or operated by Customs and Border Protection.
$4.1 billion will support hiring and training Border Patrol agents, Customs and Border Protection field support personnel, Air and Marine Agents and others.
$3.3 billion for hiring immigration judges, attorneys and support staff; combatting drug trafficking; prosecuting of immigration matters.
Go deeper:
Miles Astray/Getty Images
Whether by car, helicopter, the LIRR, or the infamous Jitney bus, if it's a Friday afternoon between Memorial and Labor Day, Wall Street is going "out east."
The Hamptons have been a haven for the ultrawealthy since the Astors and Vanderbilts set up estates there more than a century ago, but the transition from fishing and whaling towns to playground for urban professionals really started to take off in the freewheeling 1980s, during Wall Street's boom years.
Since then, the secret has been out, and over the last decade, social media and Bravo's "Summer House" have introduced a whole new generation to these once-sleepy seaside towns of Long Island.
Walker Ward, who previously sold data and research to hedge funds and other large investors, told Business Insider that the Hamptons remain a recreation hub for stressed-out Wall Streeters looking to escape the heat and humidity of the city.
"There's so much to do there," Ward said, who has summered there for the better part of the last decade. "Why wouldn't you want to go out there if you could afford it?"
Whether you're looking to relax or rage, there's something for everyone β as long as you have deep pockets. And, as with any destination for the wealthy, these resort towns offer ample opportunity to peacock.
"The Hamptons, especially with social media, have become a runway show for people to go out and flaunt what they have, how much money they make, and what kind of car they're driving," said Ward, who now parodies Wall Street on social media as WalkSauce42.
In preparation for the July 4 holiday, we spoke to current and former financial industry professionals, as well as some Hamptons locals and business proprietors, about this year's hottest hangouts. Some of the industry insiders we spoke to asked to remain anonymous to protect their jobs because speaking to the press is either forbidden or frowned upon.
Here are 7 top Hamptons hangouts for bankers, traders, and more.
Rebecca Smeyne/Getty Images
This was the most-mentioned spot, which is why we're putting it first. It's a quaint seaside hotel and restaurant, as well as a sceney place to get bottle service on the beach and hear live music and top DJs in Montauk. But FYI, tickets for entry on July 4th are pretty much sold out. A table on the beach for 10 for the next day is listed as $7,500.
A nearly $100 chicken tender tower went viral a few summers ago, thanks in part to TikTok and Instagram posts by Ward.
"The tendie towers baby, that's the intern's favorite, and the holy grail," Ward joked to BI. "Everyone knows Surf Lodge."
Someone who previously worked at a large investment bank confirmed it's popular with the Wall Street crowd.
"It's got a DJ, a deck. You pay thousands for a table," he said.
Eugene Gologursky/Getty Images for CondΓ© Nast Traveler
The Sag Harbor outpost of this Upper East Side French restaurant opened in 2017, and has since built a reputation for being "one of the satellite offices for the elite," said Ward, who currently summers in Amagansett, between East Hampton and Montauk.
The restaurant bans shorts and flip-flops and is perched alongside a marina deep enough to allow large yachts to dock.
"Everyone loves to sit there and drink wine and look at the sterns of all these massive yachts," Ward said.
The Wall Street recruiter described it as "another see and be seen spot."
The menu offers a seafood tower complete with a dozen oysters, king crab, langoustine, shrimp, a half lobster, snow crab and shrimp for $250, a 100-gram tin of Caviar Ossetra Imperial for $490, and their signature Le Poulet Cajun, a $39 Cajun-spice-rubbed chicken with a beurre-blanc sauce, salad, and fries.
Bryan Bedder/Getty Images for SiriusXM
Stephen Talkhouse, founded in 1987, is also known for its live music scene. It's become so popular with vacationers that one Hamptons local complained to BI of summer lines that "wrapped around the village." Ward agreed, saying you have to know the staff in order to "Trojan Horse" your way in.
Located in Amagansett, between Montauk and East Hampton, its website describes it as "a legendary music scene and casual neighborhood bar in one. The music calendar for the July Fourth weekend includes "Secret Sellebrity Society Band" and alt-rockers "Kids That Fly."
Courtesy of Mary Lou's Montauk
The Palm Beach outpost of Mary Lou's is well attended by local financiers and the socially or politically connected. It's also attracted popular musical acts from The Chainsmokers to Mojave Grey.
Mary Lou's Montauk branch, which opened earlier this year, is aiming to provide the same ambiance and flair. Cofounder Alex Melilla told BI that the crowd so far has been "a more mature crowd, affluent crowd, influencers, tastemakers, as well as a great local scene." The
The Wall Street set may be especially drawn to the special menu set to be curated by the team behind Marea, the luxurious seafood restaurant just a stone's throw from Deutsche Bank Center in midtown, which Mary Lou's will offer during a weekend later this month.
Rachel Askinasi/Insider
Duryea's is a seafood restaurant on the water in Montauk known for its $97 lobster cobb salad.
Duryea's was purchased by Apollo CEO Marc Rowan in 2014, and it quickly turned from a classic lobster shack into one of the sceniest restaurants on the East Coast. Hampton's legend and Food Network star Ina Garten has said it is one of her favorite restaurants.
"In my 20's that was the only place we would go on summer weekends there because it was cheap and easy," one Wall Street recruiter said. Not anymore. "People go to Duryea's on their yachts and tender to shore."
Eugene Gologursky/Getty Images for Poppi
Wall Streeters looking to decompress might turn to Gurney's Resort & Seawater Spa, a 146-room hotel and spa with multiple al fresco dining options along a lush stretch of beach in Montauk.
The Wall Street headhunter said it remains one of the most popular outposts for the financial crowd β and Lizabeth Zindel, the editor-in-chief of Hamptons Social Magazine, explained why: "It's absolutely beautiful," Zindel told BI. "There's a huge terrace as well, which overlooks the ocean from up above."
On the menu at the outdoor Firepit lounge are creative cocktail concoctions like the Chocolate Negroni; the "Afternoon Tea" featuring Earl Grey, bergamot, gin, and cream; and the "Improved Grasshopper" featuring mint and chocolate liqueurs. Each is $23.
David Cannon/Getty Images
As with any wealthy enclave, the Hamptons boasts numerous country clubs.
The Hampton's local described Southampton's Shinnecock, which is hosting next year's US Open, as the "fanciest golf place out here." Ward cited East Hampton's Maidstone Club as another place where "fancy people" from the Street spend their time "hobnobbing."
"Maidstone is the Arnie poster above the bed," he said, referring to a poster of Arnold Schwarzenegger as a pro bodybuilder above an aspiring muscleman's bed. "It's what you aspire to be."