• Kate Rouch, OpenAI's chief marketing officer, said she was diagnosed with breast cancer.
• Rouch said she is expected to make a full recovery and urged other women to prioritize their health.
• She said she leaned on OpenAI's ChatGPT to navigate her treatment.

Kate Rouch, the chief marketing officer at OpenAI, shared on Friday that she was diagnosed with invasive breast cancer weeks after assuming the role, which she called her "dream job," in December.

In a thread posted on X, Rouch said she was sharing her story to help other women, adding, "We can't control what happens to us--but we can choose how we face it. My biggest lesson: no one fights alone."

Prior to joining OpenAI as the company's first CMO, Rouch was CMO at Coinbase and, before that, spent over a decade at Meta, including as vice president, global head of brand and product marketing.

Rouch said she started treatment right around the Super Bowl in February, when OpenAI aired its first-ever ad, and that she has since gone through 13 rounds of chemotherapy while leading OpenAI's marketing team. She wrote that she is expected to make a full recovery.

"It has been the hardest season of life — for me, for my husband, and for our two young children," Rouch said, adding she has been supported by OpenAI "at every step."

"Silicon Valley can be brutal and transactional. And yet — I've never felt more held," she said, adding that "people showed up in incredible and unexpected ways."

Rouch also said OpenAI's ChatGPT has helped her navigate her diagnosis and treatment, including by explaining cancer in a way that is age-appropriate for her kids, helping her manage the side effects of chemo, and creating custom meditations.

"Experiencing our work as a patient has made OpenAI's mission feel more personal and important," she said.

Rouch said she was sharing her story to encourage other women to "prioritize their health over the demands of families and jobs."

"A routine exam saved my life. It could save yours, too," she said.

Business Insider reached out to OpenAI for comment.

Kevin Weil, the chief product officer at OpenAI, expressed support for Rouch in a reply to her thread.

"We love you @kate_rouch!" he wrote. "Proud of you for telling your story and for being so full of fight."

• Top Trump officials are meeting Chinese negotiators in London on Monday.
• This would be the first official US-China talk since a temporary tariff truce on May 12.
• International trade experts have said that Trump could be under pressure to strike a deal.

Three top Trump administration economic officials will face off against Chinese negotiators in a renewed effort to break the US-China trade deadlock.

Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent, Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick, and Trade Representative Jamieson Greer will be meeting China's delegation in London on Monday.

"The meeting should go very well," President Donald Trump wrote in a social media post announcing the talks.

This coming meeting will be the first official talk between the two countries since they mutually lowered tariffs in a temporary truce on May 12, after talks in Geneva.

The renewed talks follow a 90-minute phone call between Trump and China's leader Xi Jinping on Thursday, a rare direct conversation that Trump later described as "very good." According to Trump, the two leaders also agreed to visit each other in person, without providing more details in terms of a timeline.

The Chinese Embassy of Washington did not respond to a request for who would be attending this negotiation from its side. The team they sent to Geneva consisted of Vice Premier He Lifeng, Vice Commerce Minister Li Chenggang, and Vice Finance Minister Liao Min.

Notably, Li has a Master of Laws from the University of Hamburg in Germany and has been part of China's delegation to the World Trade Organization since 2021.

International trade experts previously told Business Insider that much is at stake for both China and the US to strike a deal, or at the very least, continue the truce beyond August 12 when the 90-day tariff pause will expire.

"The Trump administration made their job harder because the tariff policies they've implemented are costly to Americans and American companies, and therefore, the market doesn't like it," said Philip Luck, director of the CSIS Economics Program. "They are under a lot of pressure to do things fast."

Meanwhile, a lawsuit that threatens to undo all of Trump's tariffs enacted under the IEEPA also looms over negotiations with China.

Drew DeLong, lead in geopolitical dynamics practice at Kearney, a global strategy and management consulting firm, told BI that if the court strikes down tariffs before trade deals could come to pass, other routes of imposing tariffs could be more complicated and time-consuming.

The White House did not provide Business Insider with any additional comment beyond Trump's Truth Social post.

• Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick clashed with a congresswoman over where bananas can be grown.
• The president's April tariffs include a 10% baseline on all imports, which is driving up grocery prices.
• Much of the US lacks the tropical climate that bananas would need to grow.

The Secretary of Commerce and a Congresswoman just clashed over whether bananas can and should be grown in the US.

"There's no uncertainty if you build in America and you produce your product in America, there will be no tariff," Howard Lutnick told Rep. Madeleine Dean of Philadelphia during a House hearing on Thursday morning.

Dean was saying that for her constituents in suburban Philadelphia, Trump's tariffs would cause at least a $2,000 a year price increase on goods. She specifically called out the price of bananas and said Walmart has already hiked the price of the fruit by 8%.

"We can't produce bananas in America," the Democratic congresswoman responded.

"The concept of building in America and paying no tariff is very, very clear," Lutnick said.

"We cannot build bananas in America," Dean repeated.

Large-scale banana farms are not viable in much of the US. However, bananas are grown in Hawaii and in parts of Florida, and can be grown in other parts of the Southern United States. In 2023, Hawaii produced 4.73 million pounds of the fruit, according to the Department of Agriculture.

Rep. Dean's office did not immediately respond to a request for comments.

The debate over bananas took place over a House hearing about trade deficits and the uncertainty Trump's tariff plan has caused since its rollout in April.

Under Trump's April 2 tariffs, a 10% baseline tariff applies to all goods imported into the US, including bananas. Though additional higher tariffs on trading partners are currently on pause for a limited time, some additional tariffs apply for products from China, as well as for imports of all steel and some other categories of metals.

Banana plants thrive in tropical regions with average temperatures of 80°F and a recommended relative humidity of 70 to 80%, according to EOS Data Analytics. The data company that provides crop monitoring services also wrote that farmers grow most bananas within a 30-degree range north and south of the equator.

According to figures from the American Farm Bureau Federation, in 2023, Guatemala supplied 40% of bananas consumed in the US by value, followed by Ecuador and Costa Rica, each contributing 16%.

Walmart and the Department of Commerce did not immediately respond to a request for comments.

• DeepSeek's latest and greatest AI model update went largely unnoticed by the tech industry.
• Earlier this year, everyone freaked out about DeepSeek's R1 model, sparking a slump in tech stocks.
• Here's why the industry kinda shrugged this time.

DeepSeek updated its R1 AI model a few days ago. It performs better and it's still cheaper than most other top models.

Did you miss it? I missed it. Or I saw the news briefly and then forgot about it. Most of the tech industry and investors greeted the launch with a giant shrug.

This is a pretty stark contrast to early 2025 when DeepSeek's R1 model freaked everyone out. Tech stocks plunged and the generative AI spending boom was seriously questioned.

This time, DeepSeek's rollout "came and went without a blip," Ross Sandler, a top tech analyst at Barclays, wrote in a note to investors.

"The stock market couldn't care less," he added. "This tells us that the investment community's level of understanding on the AI trade has greatly improved in just five short months."

An unscientific DeepSeek poll

I polled my colleagues on Business Insider's tech team on Friday, just to see if I'd been spending too much time watching Elon Musk and Donald Trump argue on social media (rather than doing my real job).

Here are some of their responses:

• One editor said they didn't notice DeepSeek's update, but now they feel guilty for not spotting it. (Solid thinking. Only the paranoid survive in journalism).
• Another colleague said they knew about it from their quick headline scans, but didn't read too much into it.
• A tech reporter saw a Reddit thread about it, scanned it, and didn't think about it again.
• Another reporter said they missed it entirely.
• Another editor: "hadn't noticed tbh!"

So, it barely registered. And these folks are glued to tech news every second of the day.

Why does no one really care now?

DeepSeek's latest R1 model is probably the third best in the world right now, so why isn't it making waves like before?

Sandler, the Barclays analyst, noted that DeepSeek's latest offering is not quite as cheap as it used to be, relatively speaking. It costs just under $1 per million tokens, which was roughly 27 times cheaper than OpenAI's o1 model earlier this year.

Now, DeepSeek's R1 is "only" about 17 times cheaper than the top model, according to Barclays research and data from Artificial Analysis' AI Intelligence Index.

This illustrates a broader and more important point. Something I've been telling you about since last year: Most top AI models are roughly similar in performance because they've mostly been training on the same data from the internet.

This makes it hard to stand out from the crowd, based just on performance. When you leap ahead, your inventions and gains are incorporated quickly into everyone else's offerings.

Price is important, yes. But distribution is becoming key. If your employer has an enterprise ChatGPT account, for instance, you're highly likely to use OpenAI models at work. It's just easier. If you have an Android smartphone, you'll probably be talking to Google's Gemini chatbot and getting responses from the search giant's AI models.

DeepSeek doesn't have this type of broad distribution yet, at least in the Western world.

Was the AI infrastructure freakout misplaced?

Then, there's the realization that "reasoning" models, such as DeepSeek's R1 and OpenAI's o3, require a massive amount of computing power to run. This is due to their ability to break requests down into multiple "thinking" steps. Each step is a new kind of prompt that is turned into a huge number of new tokens that need to be processed.

The DeepSeek freakout in January happened mostly because the tech industry worried that the Chinese lab had developed more efficient models that didn't need as much computing infrastructure.

In fact, this Chinese lab may have instead helped popularize these new types of reasoning models, which might require even more GPUs and other computing gear to run.

Sign up for the weekly BI Tech Memo newsletter here.

• Brookfield Properties has cut several executives in its office division as the company restructures.
• The firm has evolved from a property-focused firm into a Wall Street fund manager like Blackstone.
• The new structure will break down regional management in favor of national business leaders.

Brookfield Properties, which operates one of the country's largest commercial real estate portfolios, laid off a handful of executives in its office division on Thursday, according to a person with direct knowledge of the downsizing.

In its New York headquarters, the firm let go of three office leasing executives, an executive who oversees asset management, and an employee who was part of an internal group that manages art installations and events, the person familiar with the cuts said. Nationally, "a handful" of people were let go, including roles in Los Angeles and Houston, the person said.

Brookfield Properties is a subsidiary property investment manager for Brookfield, an investment firm that holds more than $1 trillion in assets, including 65 million square feet of US office space.

An internal memo sent to Brookfield Properties employees and shared with Business Insider said the shift reflected the company's transition from a manager of long-term office investments to one that would oversee various strategies and that would need to reap and recycle capital through more frequent asset sales.

"The evolution of our business — from one largely comprised of forever-hold, balance sheet assets to a mix that also includes properties held in fund strategies with varied hold periods and return goals — has led us to examine our organizational structure," the memo read.

Brookfield was once well known for its focus on commercial real estate, particularly office buildings, such as Brookfield Place, a large commercial complex it owns in Lower Manhattan. It now controls investments across categories like insurance, credit, infrastructure, and real estate, and has become one of the world's largest investment firms. In recent years, that evolution has drawn comparisons to other major asset managers like Blackstone.

The latest move restructures the office business's management and operations, which had been previously organized around regions of the country, into a more nationally focused team, the person familiar with the cuts said.

In 2023, Brookfield Properties appointed Bobby Swennes as the US president of its office division. Swennes's role remains unchanged, but with the new structure, Brookfield Properties announced that several executives will now take national roles under him.

"We will drive the business by function rather than geography, transitioning from a region-head model to a function-lead model," the company's memo stated. "This structure will enhance portfolio-wide strategy and decision-making."

As part of its broader shift to asset management, Brookfield Properties has cut back on in-house operations personnel to manage its real estate portfolio in favor of third-party service providers. Last year, for instance, the company outsourced property management of its US office portfolio to the real estate services and brokerage firm CBRE.

Brookfield's office business has also been bruised in past years as part of the aftereffects of the pandemic, which reduced office occupancy and demand. The company defaulted on a collection of office towers in downtown Los Angeles. In 2023, Brookfield Properties laid off dozens of workers, according to written reports at the time.

Brookfield's focus on higher-end properties has helped its office portfolio rebound from that dip.

The company has also bulked up in areas of the property market beyond office, including rental apartment buildings and industrial warehouses, categories where it has acquired a combined $10 billion of assets in the past year and a half.

• Omada Health just became the second digital health company to IPO this year.
• The chronic care company saw its shares jump Friday morning by over 38% above its initial price.
• Here's what Omada's major investors' stakes are worth after the public market debut.

Omada Health just went public at a $1.1 billion valuation — 14 years after its founding.

It's the second digital health IPO of the year, following physical therapy company Hinge Health, which went public on May 21. The two IPOs come after a multiyear drought for healthcare public market debuts.

And so far, Omada's IPO hasn't disappointed. While the chronic care company priced its initial shares at $19, its stock opened at $23 a share and jumped as high as $28.40 Friday morning, nearly a 50% increase.

Omada Health launched in 2011 to provide virtual care for prediabetes, making its name in the years following for diabetes management.

In recent years, its business has surged in new areas beyond diabetes care. Omada's weight care business has boomed as more patients taking GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic for weight loss seek companion care. The San Francisco-based company says most of its new employer and health plan clients approach Omada initially, interested in its metabolic health track.

Omada's initial valuation of $1.1 billion is roughly where it was privately valued. Omada's last private fundraise, a $192 million Series E round announced in February 2022, put Omada's valuation over $1 billion.

It's perhaps the best outcome Omada's investors could've hoped for, given that many digital health startups now looking to IPO last raised at huge valuations during VC's ZIRP period. Those valuations could be difficult to realize in today's market. Hinge Health, for example, went public at a $2.6 billion valuation after being valued in its 2021 fundraise at $6.2 billion.

We don't know what Omada Health's investors paid for their shares, so we can't calculate their profit. However, since Omada's shares opened on the stock market at $23, we used that price to determine the worth of its investors' stakes. None of Omada's major investors sold any shares in its IPO.

Here's what the stakes of Omada Health's major investors and executives are worth after its IPO.

Revelation Partners, an investor: $120 million

Revelation Partners is a healthcare-focused investment firm that says it provides flexible capital to companies, especially to give liquidity to startups.

The firm first invested in Omada in September 2019, according to its website. Revelation Partners told Business Insider in an email that the firm invested in Omada through a series of secondary transactions. Omada hasn't mentioned Revelation Partners in previous press releases about its fundraises.

Revelation Partners owns about 5.2 million shares, or 9.3% of the company. At the $23 market debut price, the firm's stake is worth about $120 million.

US Venture Partners, an investor: $108.5 million

San Francisco-based US Venture Partners makes early-stage investments across healthcare, software, consumer, and security. The firm says it's invested $4.5 billion across 532 companies.

USVP led Omada Health's $4.7 million Series A fundraise in 2013. The firm contributed additional financing in Omada's Series B through D rounds.

General partner Dr. Jonathan Root has served on Omada's board of directors since the firm's 2013 investment.

USVP owns about 4.72 million shares, or 8.5% of Omada Health. At the $23 market debut price, the firm's stake is worth about $108.5 million.

Andreessen Horowitz, an investor: $106 million

VC giant Andreessen Horowitz, or A16z, first invested in Omada Health in 2015, when the firm led Omada's $23 million Series B.

The firm went on to invest in Omada's Series C and D fundraises, per PitchBook.

At the time of A16z's 2015 investment, former general partner Balaji Srinivasan joined Omada's board of directors. It's unclear when he stepped down from the board; he moved into a part-time role at A16z that same year.

A16z owns about 4.6 million shares, or 8.3% of the company. At the $23 market debut price, the firm's stake is worth about $106 million.

Fidelity Management and Research Company, an investor: $102 million

Fidelity Management and Research Company is the parent company of financial services giant Fidelity Investments. Fidelity has invested in a handful of healthcare startups over the years, leading rounds like now-public insurtech Oscar Health's $400 million raise in 2016 and smart ring maker Oura's $200 million Series D in December.

FMR led Omada's $192 million Series E fundraise in February 2022.

Fidelity owns about 4.4 million shares, or 8.0% of the company. At the $23 market debut price, the firm's stake is worth about $102 million.

Cigna Ventures, an investor: $79 million

Health insurance giant Cigna spun out a venture capital arm in 2018 to back healthcare companies. Omada Health was one of the firm's first bets.

Cigna began working with the diabetes company in 2015. Two years later, the insurer announced an investment in Omada, leading a $50 million round in 2017 that Cigna Ventures later called Omada's Series C-1 financing.

Cigna also expanded its partnership with Omada as part of its formal investment.

Cigna Ventures owns about 3.4 million shares, or 6.2% of the company. At the $23 market debut price, the firm's stake is worth about $79 million.

aMoon Fund, an investor: $62 million

Israeli VC firm aMoon fund invests in healthcare and life sciences companies from early to late stages. Founded in 2016, it has backed a number of biotech companies that later went public, including Sophia Genetics, which went public in 2021, and Amylyx Pharmaceuticals, which went public in 2022.

The firm first invested in Omada Health in its $192 million Series E round in 2022.

"The entire space of all these clusters of diseases that includes diabetes, hypertension, and obesity is going through a major revolution right now," aMoon Fund managing partner Tomer Berkowitz told BI. "The solution in the end will not just be based on drugs, but it'll be a combination of drugs and behavioral change. I think Omada plays a significant role in that."

aMoon owns about 2.7 million shares, or 4.9% of the company. At the $23 market debut price, the firm's stake is worth about $62 million.

Norwest Venture Partners, an investor: $58 million

San Francisco-based Norwest Venture Partners invests in early- to late-stage startups. It's backed more than 700 companies and manages over $15.5 billion in assets, per the firm. Its healthcare portfolio also includes hospital operations AI company Qventus, which raised $105 million in January led by private equity firm KKR, and behavioral health site Talkspace, which went public in a 2021 SPAC deal.

The firm led Omada's $48 million Series C round in 2015 and put additional funding into Omada's Series C-1 and D rounds.

Norwest owns about 2.5 million shares, or 4.5% of the company. At the $23 market debut price, the firm's stake is worth about $58 million.

Sean Duffy, CEO: $46 million

Sean Duffy cofounded Omada Health alongside Adrian James, Omada's former president, and Andrew DiMichele, former chief technology officer, in 2011. The startup sought to use technology to deliver care for chronic conditions, initially focusing on prediabetes, to patients in between visits with their primary care providers.

Duffy and James spun Omada out of the design and consulting firm IDEO, where they'd begun researching the challenges in prediabetes and metabolic disease care. For Duffy, the IDEO gig had begun as an internship while he was getting dual MD-MBA degrees at Harvard. Instead of returning to complete his studies, he turned his focus to the idea that would become Omada.

Before Omada, Duffy had created the interactive Microsoft Excel training tool Excel Everest, written about healthcare innovation for the medtech blog Medgadget, and worked in people analytics at Google.

Duffy owns about 2 million shares, or 3.5% of Omada Health. That number includes about 860,000 shares of common stock and 1.15 million stock options exercisable by May 30, according to Omada's S-1 filing.

At the $23 market debut price, his stake is worth about $46 million.

Wei-Li Shao, president: $13 million

Wei-Li Shao has served as Omada's president since 2021. He first joined the company in 2021 as its chief commercial officer.

Before Omada, Li spent a combined 17 years at Eli Lilly managing a number of the pharma giant's businesses and brands, including its Alzheimer's disease, diabetes, and neurosciences businesses.

Shao owns about 579,095 stock options exercisable by May 30, representing 1.0% of the company. He does not own any common stock.

At the $23 market debut price, his stake is worth about $13 million.

Steve Cook, CFO: $7.9 million

Steve Cook joined Omada Health as its chief financial officer in 2021. He'd previously led strategic finance efforts at primary care chain One Medical through its 2020 IPO. Before that, he spent six years in finance and strategy at Salesforce.

Cook owns about 340,000 stock options exercisable by May 30, giving him less than 1% ownership. He does not own any shares of common stock.

At the $23 market debut price, his stake is worth about $7.9 million.

Trevor Fetter, board member: $5.3 million

Trevor Fetter has served on Omada's board of directors since March 2021. He's a senior lecturer at Harvard University and the lead independent director of insurance business The Hartford.

Fetter is best known as the former chairman and CEO of health system giant Tenet Healthcare, a position he held for 15 years.

Fetter also holds advisory positions at multiple other private and public companies, sitting on the board of directors at healthtech startup Biofourmis and serving as a member of the advisory board of private equity firm TowerBrook Capital Partners.

Fetter owns about 231,000 shares, or less than 1% of the company. That number includes about 111,000 shares of common stock and 120,000 stock options exercisable by May 30.

At the $23 market debut price, his stake is worth about $5.3 million.

Jeryl Hilleman, chair of the board of directors: $4.8 million

Jeryl Hilleman has spent the majority of her career as a serial CFO, holding the lead finance role at five different companies across industries, including software, biotech, and medtech. All five companies were ultimately acquired.

Today, Hilleman is the chair of Omada's board of directors, a position she's held since 2019. She also serves on the boards of cancer therapeutics maker Novocure, which completed its IPO in February, as well as public medtech company Si-Bone and public vaccine maker HilleVax.

Hilleman owns about 210,000 stock options exercisable by May 30, which gives her less than 1% ownership of Omada. She does not own any common stock.

At the $23 market debut price, her stake is worth about $4.8 million.

Dr. Sachin Jain, board member: $604,000

Dr. Sachin Jain is the president and CEO of Medicare Advantage provider SCAN Health Plan. He joined Omada's board of directors in August.

Jain is also a professor of medicine at Stanford and a practicing academic hospitalist at the US Department of Veterans Affairs. Previously, he was a senior advisor to the administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, the president and CEO of CareMore Health and Aspire Health, and the chief medical information and innovation officer at Merck.

Jain owns about 26,000 stock options exercisable by May 30, representing less than 1% of the company. He does not own any common stock.

At the $23 market debut price, his stake is worth about $604,000.

Julie Klapstein, board member: $527,000

Omada Health added Julie Klapstein to its board of directors in August. Klapstein was the founding CEO of Availity, one of the largest health information networks in the country. She spent nearly 11 years at Availity after its 2001 founding.

Since Availity, she's served as a board member at nearly two dozen public and private companies, including healthcare companies like value-based primary care chain Oak Street Health and investment firms like PE firm Riverside Partners. She's also been an advisor to Andreessen Horowitz, most recently serving as a partner advisor from 2023 through April, per her LinkedIn.

Klapstein owns about 23,000 stock options exercisable by May 30, representing less than 1% of the company. She does not own any common stock.

At the $23 market debut price, her stake is worth about $527,000.

Adam Stavisky, board member: $527,000

Omada added Adam Stavisky to its board of directors in August, alongside Klapstein and Jain.

He most recently spent six years as the senior vice president of US benefits at Walmart. Before that, he spent 13 years at Fidelity, leaving as its head of benefits consulting. In addition to his role at Omada, he's a member of the board of advisors at marketing agency StrawberryFrog.

Stavisky owns about 23,000 stock options exercisable by May 30, representing less than 1% of Omada Health. He does not own any common stock.

At the $23 market debut price, his stake is worth about $527,000.

Dr. Anne Beal, board member: $380,000

Omada added Dr. Anne Beal to its board of directors in October. Beal is the founder of AbsoluteJOI Skincare, a science-based clean beauty company. She's also a board member at pharma giant GSK and life sciences company Prolacta Biosciences.

She previously served as the chief patient officer at biopharma behemoth Sanofi.

Beal owns about 17,000 stock options exercisable by May 30, representing less than 1% of Omada Health. She does not own any common stock.

At the $23 market debut price, her stake is worth about $380,000.

• The world's richest person and most powerful person are fighting.
• Donald Trump and Elon Musk's devolving relationship has potential ramifications for politics, tech, and business.
• These are the big takeaways from that relationship's very public disintegration.

Elon Musk, the world's richest person, and President Donald Trump, the world's most powerful person, have had a working relationship that touches on everything from party politics to spaceflight.

As that relationship disintegrates in full public view, there are major ramifications — and revelations — from their feud.

Whether you're catching up or avidly following the latest play-by-play as it unfolds online, these are 4 major bombshells and takeaways from their apparent falling out.

It was a $138 billion fight

It may be a war of words, but when the dust settled, both Musk and Tesla emerged worth significantly less for it.

Tesla shares in the EV giant closed down over 14% on Thursday, wiping $138 billion off the company's valuation. Musk saw his net worth drop by $34 billion.

The feud, if it persists, means Musk could lose some of the MAGA might who had previously rushed to his defense when Tesla's stock was dropping.

When Tesla's value was falling in March amid brand backlash, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick urged people to buy Tesla stock. Trump then bought a Tesla at a White House event with Musk. After their row, Trump is considering selling it.

CFRA analyst Garrett Nelson wrote in a note following the public fallout on Thursday that investors should "buckle up" and expect more volatility in the near term. The automaker's stock price recovered slightly in overnight trading, but Tesla could lose one of its biggest backers if Trump decides he's done with his onetime "first buddy."

Thomas Monteiro, an analyst at Investing.com, told Business Insider that Tesla's stock had already been "extremely overvalued" because of perceiving added benefits from Musk's close relationship with Trump.

"Once you remove the buffer that was shielding the company, investors are forced to look at the actual internal numbers, and they are simply not consistent with the stock's performance this year," Monteiro said. "With sales down across the board in what seems now like a sustained trend, it's very hard to look past the brand devaluation factor."

Trump could also move to make life harder for Tesla on the regulatory front. Tesla is also gearing up to launch a flagship robotaxi service in Austin this month, and Musk has been pushing for the Trump administration to overhaul the autonomous vehicle regulations that stand in the way of his ambitious plans.

Trump threatened Musk's government contracts, and NASA relies on SpaceX

As the fight escalated, Trump said on TruthSocial on Thursday that cutting Musk's companies' government contracts would save "Billions and Billions."

Monteiro said that if Trump were to follow through on his threat, the potential cut to government contracts would likely impact SpaceX more than Tesla.

Musk's rocket company, SpaceX, has around $22 billion in federal contracts and counts NASA as its largest customer, its CEO Gwynne Shotwell said last November.

The space agency is set to use SpaceX's Starship rocket in its coming Artemis moon missions, and SpaceX also has numerous contracts with the Department of Defense, including a nearly $6 billion deal to launch national security satellites struck in April.

SpaceX's Dragon spacecraft is the only US vessel capable of carrying passengers and cargo to and from the International Space Station, and also has a nearly $1 billion contract to deorbit it in 2030. The move floated by Trump sparked concerns that it could mark the end of the International Space Station and leave it without a safe deorbiting plan.

Musk responded to Trump's Truth Social post by saying SpaceX would begin decommissioning the Dragon immediately, although he later backed down.

Musk is mulling a new political party — and could try to bring his MAGA fans with him

With both Musk and Trump commanding massive followings that have increasingly overlapped in the last year, Trump could soon find himself fighting to convince some of them to stay on his side.

The president could also lose one of his largest backers.

In addition to pouring over $270 million into efforts to elect Trump, Musk also used his social media platform as a promotional outlet for the president.

Now, Musk is polling his followers to determine whether it's time to create a new political party. He racked up over 5.6 million votes in the span of 24 hours, with about 80% voting in favor of the idea. Mark Cuban seemed to support it, reposting Musk's poll on X and replying with three check marks.

It's unclear whether it's an idea Musk is seriously considering. However, if he did follow through, it could result in more turmoil with Trump and increased tensions within the Republican Party.

While Musk replied "Yes" to a post that included a reference to impeaching Trump, several Republicans, including Vice President JD Vance, made their allegiance to Trump known.

Meanwhile, high-profile backers of both have also pushed the two to reconcile. Hedge fund billionaire Bill Ackman shared a post on X in support of both Trump and Musk and called for the two to "make peace for the benefit of our country." Musk didn't seem completely opposed to extending the olive branch with Trump, commenting on the post, "You're not wrong."

Musk also reshared a post that said, "Tech needs Republicans for the present. Republicans need Tech for the future. Drop the tax cuts, cut some pork, get the bill through."

Both men aired dirty laundry about each other

The escalating feud offered a window into how each of the men view their devolving relationship — and they didn't appear to hold much back in their criticism.

Trump posted on Truth Social on Thursday that "Elon was 'wearing thin,'" and was asked by Trump to leave his position in the White House.

"I asked him to leave, I took away his EV Mandate that forced everyone to buy Electric Cars that nobody else wanted (that he knew for months I was going to do!), and he just went CRAZY," Trump posted.

He also said that Musk had seen the "Big Beautiful Bill" that he lashed out against, and only developed an issue with it when he discovered that it would cut EV mandates. Musk fired back, implying Trump had lied and that he had never seen the bill.

Musk also made it clear that he felt responsible for Trump's election victory.

"Without me, Trump would have lost the election, Dems would control the House and the Republicans would be 51-49 in the Senate," he wrote. "Such ingratitude," he added.

Then it was "time to drop the really big bomb," as Muck described it, alleging that Trump is in the "Epstein files" and that was the "real reason they have not been made public." (Trump's past ties to Epstein have been publicly known, and Trump has said the two had a falling out more than 15 years ago and that he wasn't a fan of the convicted sex offender.

While it's unclear if Musk and Trump will repair their rift, Thursday's public blowup made one thing clear: both are willing to roll up their sleeves and punch back.

• A high-profile Paul Weiss lawyer is leaving five months after rejoining the firm.
• Damian Williams is joining Jenner & Block, a Big Law firm fighting the Trump administration.
• Williams served as US Attorney in Manhattan, one of the most powerful Justice Department positions.

Damian Williams, one of the most prominent federal prosecutors in the country, is walking away from the law firm that struck a deal with Donald Trump — and joining one that's suing him.

Williams is leaving Paul Weiss five months after returning to the firm to work for Jenner & Block, a law firm actively challenging the Trump administration in court.

Jenner & Block announced the move Friday. Williams will serve as co-chair of both the firm's Litigation Department and its Investigations, Compliance, and Defense Practice.

The high-profile defection is a blow for Paul Weiss, an elite law firm that was the first to broker an agreement with President Donald Trump in March. As part of the deal, Paul Weiss said it would devote $40 million in pro bono hours toward Trump's political priorities. After it was announced, Trump rescinded an executive order that would have, among other sanctions, stripped Paul Weiss employees of security clearances and cut off government contracts.

Eight other firms have since made similar deals with the White House. Four — including Jenner & Block — opted to sue instead. All four have won court rulings blocking Trump's orders.

"Jenner & Block fearlessly advocates for its clients and provides outstanding strategic counsel through their most difficult challenges," Williams said in a press release. "I've seen firsthand how this firm expertly tackles the toughest cases and lives its values."

"I'm excited to join a team with an extraordinary depth of legal talent that doesn't shy away from hard fights — and delivers results that matter," his statement continued.

Williams isn't the only notable attorney to leave Paul Weiss in recent weeks. Karen Dunn, a prominent litigator who helped Kamala Harris prepare for her 2024 presidential debate with Trump, left along with three other top lawyers last month to start a new boutique law firm.

Williams previously served as the US Attorney in the Southern District of New York, one of the most powerful perches in the Justice Department. Williams brought criminal cases against Sean "Diddy" Combs, Sam Bankman-Fried, New York City Mayor Eric Adams, and now-former Sen. Robert Menendez of New Jersey.

Before that, Williams worked at Paul Weiss between 2009 and 2012 and clerked for Justice John Paul Stevens on the US Supreme Court and Merrick Garland on the federal appeals court in Washington, DC.

In Paul Weiss' January announcement about his return, Williams praised the firm's "devotion to pro bono."

"Damian is a transcendently talented lawyer who has led many of the government's highest-profile prosecutions and investigations," Paul Weiss's chair Brad Karp said at the time. "He will be an exceptional addition to our already outstanding team of white collar and regulatory lawyers and a leader in the national legal community."

A representative for Paul Weiss didn't respond to a request for comment Friday.

• I ranked four different store-bought barbecue sauces from worst to best.
• They all paired well with chicken nuggets, though some were thicker and more flavorful than others.
• I liked the barbecue sauces from Sweet Baby Ray's the most, including the no-sugar-added variety.

Barbecue season is here, so I made it my mission to find out which brand delivers the tastiest barbecue sauce straight from the bottle.

I tried store-bought barbecue sauces from three different brands to determine which offered the smokiest, tangiest flavor for the best value. I also tried one brand's no-sugar-added version to see if it could measure up to the original.

While barbecue isn't typically my go-to sauce for all things dipping — proud ranch fan, here — I tried each of the sauces on their own and with chicken nuggets to see which sauce was my favorite.

Here's how I'd rank four store-bought barbecue sauces, from worst to best.

My least favorite barbecue sauce was Kraft's slow-simmered original barbecue sauce.

The sauce is made with ingredients like tomato, molasses, and hickory smoke.

It cost $4.19 for an 18-ounce bottle at my local Key Food supermarket in Brooklyn, New York.

The sauce wasn't as thick as the other brands I tried.

The texture was more watery and ketchup-like compared to the thicker, more molasses-heavy varieties.

The sauce was light and tangy, but it didn't have a strong enough flavor for me.

Compared to the other brands, I thought this barbecue sauce was lacking. I typically go for a thick, smoky barbecue sauce, and this was much lighter. I think I would struggle to fully coat chicken or ribs in this more viscous sauce, though I did enjoy the flavor.

It was tangy and slightly sweet, with a honey-like flavor, but reminded me more of a sweet-and-sour sauce than a true barbecue sauce.

I also tried KC Masterpiece's American Original barbecue sauce.

The sauce is made from molasses, onions, and spices to deliver an authentic Kansas City-style barbecue sauce.

Aside from any store discounts, this barbecue sauce was the cheapest I tried. An 18-ounce bottle cost $2.89 at my local Key Food supermarket in Brooklyn, New York.

KC Masterpiece's was the thickest sauce I tried.

It clung to the chicken nugget and had a dark, buttery, molasses-like consistency.

I thought this sauce was a good balance of smoky and sweet.

The sauce had a robust, smoky flavor and a consistency that easily clung to the chicken nugget, making for a balanced bite that overtook my tastebuds.

It was really sweet, very much tasting of molasses. However, I was missing that slight tangy flavor that would have really taken this sauce over the edge and provided a more dynamic flavor profile.

Up next was the Sweet Baby Ray's barbecue sauce with no added sugar.

Before this taste test, I was already familiar with Sweet Baby Ray's barbecue sauce.

The brand has been cited as the top-selling barbecue sauce in the US, so this sauce had a lot to live up to, especially since it had no added sugar, which I worried would weaken the flavor.

An 18.5-ounce bottle cost $4.89 at my local Key Food, making it the most expensive sauce I tried.

The sauce had a balanced consistency. It wasn't too thick or too watery.

The sauce easily coated the chicken nugget, without being too thick or gloopy.

I was really impressed by the flavor. It was sweet without being overpowering.

Overall, this sauce nailed it for me. It was tangy but not sickly sweet, and it had a balanced consistency in terms of texture. I definitely got the smoky flavor without the overpowering molasses flavor I tasted in the KC Masterpiece barbecue sauce.

It was also the lowest-calorie sauce of the ones I tried, with 15 calories per serving.

However, when it came down to price, it was beaten out by the original version.

My favorite barbecue sauce was Sweet Baby Ray's original barbecue sauce.

It perhaps comes as no surprise that this sauce was my favorite. After all, the brand has won awards at various barbecue competitions for its sauce.

An 18-ounce bottle cost $2 at my local Key Food after a markdown of $1.89, making it the least expensive barbecue sauce I tried.

The sauce had a rich, red color and a similar consistency to the no-sugar-added version.

It was just a touch less thick than the other sauce from Sweet Baby Ray's, but it still managed to coat the chicken nugget easily. In my opinion, this was the best sauce for dipping.

Sweet Baby Ray's original barbecue sauce struck the perfect balance for me.

The sauce had a slightly acidic, tart flavor that balanced out the sweet notes and an undercurrent of earthy flavor that made me feel like I was at a backyard barbecue.

Next time I'm firing up the grill for some barbecue ribs or just need a dipping sauce for my nuggets or chicken tenders, I know exactly which barbecue sauce I'm grabbing.

• Readying the Qatari plane set to serve as Air Force One will likely cost less than expected, the Air Force secretary said.
• Qatar gifted the plane to the Trump administration last month, but it needs to be overhauled.
• Democratic lawmakers and others have said retrofitting the plane could cost upwards of $1 billion.

The costs of modifying a luxury jet gifted by Qatar to the Trump administration to serve as an interim Air Force One for the president could be less than expected, the US Air Force secretary said this week.

Some lawmakers and outside experts have said the expected costs could be as high as $1 billion, as the aircraft would require substantial security and communications reworks before it could be used for presidential air travel.

Secretary of the Air Force Troy Meink said on Thursday that it'll probably cost less than $400 million to retrofit the jet. Some costs, he added, would likely still exist regardless.

"There has been a number thrown around, on the order of a billion dollars, but a lot of those costs associated with that are costs that we would've experienced anyway," such as new technologies, capabilities, and spare parts, Meink said at a House Armed Services Committee hearing.

The Boeing 747-8 in question was gifted by the Qatari royal family to the Department of Defense last month. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth recently directed the Air Force to start planning to modify it for use.

The extensive modifications are meant to ensure that when the plane becomes Air Force One — a call sign for any Air Force aircraft the president flies on but also the name that is most commonly associated with the well-known light blue and white Boeing VC-25 aircraft regularly used for flying the president — it meets the security demands for the mission.

The Qatari aircraft is a 13-year-old luxury jumbo jet with multiple bedrooms, bathrooms, a salon, offices, dining areas, a living room, and a playroom for kids.

Last month, the US Department of Defense said it would "work to ensure proper security measures and functional-mission requirements are considered for an aircraft used to transport the President of the United States."

Air Force One is effectively custom-built to be a flying command center if needed. Concerns from lawmakers, especially Democrats, in Congress have centered around potential ethical problems, as well as worries about filling this role with a plane gifted by a foreign country and the work needed to upgrade it with necessary capabilities.

Connecticut Rep. Joe Courtney, the top Democrat on the House Armed Services subcommittee that oversees Air Force One, previously argued that "retrofitting a plane from Qatar would create huge costs & a security nightmare that would impede the work underway to deliver the actual AF1 by 2027."

Trump has voiced disappointment with Boeing over delays in delivering the new VC-25B aircraft meant to replace the current Air Force One jets. Congressional leaders, however, warn that retrofitting the Qatari jet may be an unnecessary distraction.

At Thursday's hearing, Courtney said that "based on the experience that we already have gone through with retrofitting planes, 747s, it's clear that this is going to be a drain on the Air Force's budget."

• As an American who spent six months living in Europe, I noticed lots of lifestyle differences.
• I plan on taking some aspects of life in Europe back home with me.
• I'll no longer let the weather affect my plans and hope to find more small adventures close to home.

It's no secret that Europeans and Americans have very different lifestyles. From shopping habits to sports preferences to work culture, we often fall onto different ends of the spectrum.

I experienced these differences firsthand as an American traveling around Europe for six months, spending time in places like the UK, Czech Republic, France, Germany, the Netherlands, and Switzerland.

Here are the five European lifestyle choices I'll be integrating into my life in the States.

I'll no longer let the weather ruin my plans.

I'm lucky to have sunshine most of the year in my home state of Colorado. Because of this, though, I tend to talk myself into staying home when the weather is rainy, windy, or even overcast.

When I was in the UK, however, rainy days were a normal part of life. I didn't want to waste time following my "nice weather or bust" mindset, so I started watching the locals.

For example, they had quality rain jackets and carried waterproof casings to go over their backpacks or bags to keep them dry.

I followed their lead and invested in a more heavy-duty raincoat, and I quickly learned that with proper preparation, the cold and rain aren't bad at all. The moody weather often added to the overall ambiance of the day.

I'm going to make an effort to find more adventures near my hometown.

When I travel, I actively try to accumulate the most experiences in an area, from museums and landmarks to local events. However, I feel guilty about not always doing this at home. It's similar to the cliché that some born-and-bred New Yorkers have never been to the Statue of Liberty.

Some of my favorite experiences in Europe weren't the grand, famous monuments, but the quirky things I encountered in small towns.

I loved seeing a statue of a goat king in Kerry, Ireland, and stumbling upon an older couple giving an alphorn concert in a Swiss village.

I'm certain there are similar gems close to my hometown, and now I'm determined to find them.

I'll be embracing the idea that less is more.

Many of the Europeans I met were wonderful at having a "less is more" mindset. They owned fewer things, like clothes and decor items, and bought less food at once than I did in the US.

They seemed to have a different attitude about buying things in general. Part of this is likely because European apartments are generally smaller than American homes.

After shopping less while abroad, I'm going to try to maintain that habit stateside.

Using two duvets instead of one comforter is a game changer.

In my marriage, I'm known as the "blanket hog" — though this is still hotly debated on my end. So, when my husband and I walked into an alpine cabin and saw two neatly folded duvets over the bed, he was ecstatic.

We encountered this several times throughout our journey, and I must admit, having my own fluffy blanket to cuddle into was pretty nice. The duvet covers are also way easier to wash than a comforter.

I'm excited to continue following soccer.

Americans still haven't embraced soccer the way other countries have. Though I'll always be a diehard American football fan, being in Europe for the UEFA European Championship opened my eyes to just how electrifying soccer can be.

From the team chants and bitter rivalries to the epic watch parties, I'll be setting my alarm to watch some major games from across the pond.

This story was originally published on November 7, 2024, and most recently updated on June 6, 2025.

• Recent hiring has mainly been constrained to just two areas of the US economy.
• Healthcare and restaurant job seekers had an easier time landing work than those looking elsewhere.
• White-collar fields had lower demand, such as in professional and business services.

Health services and restaurant gigs are in strong demand, while office jobs are not.

May's jobs report out Friday morning showed the US added 139,000 new jobs that month. Adding in March and April's numbers, that means that there are 406,000 more employed workers now than in February.

But over those last three months, gains have been tightly concentrated in two sectors, while the rest of the labor market has been much flatter.

Employment in private education and health services jumped by 252,000 in May from February, with robust growth at hospitals and individual and family services.

Employment in leisure and hospitality rose by 122,000 from February, mainly due to growth in food services and drinking places, which include restaurants and bars.

Together, that means those two sectors account for 92% of the total net job growth from February to May.

Cory Stahle, an economist at the Indeed Hiring Lab, told Business Insider there are still job opportunities, especially if you want an in-person job like in healthcare. However, he said there is less demand in white-collar fields.

"Right now, your feelings as a job seeker are going to be largely determined based on the type of work you do or the type of work you're looking for," Stahle said.

White-collar changes were mixed: employment in financial activities increased from three months ago, while professional and business services fell. However, the growth in financial activities was small compared to the healthcare sector or leisure and hospitality.

"This report's a really good example of what we've seen as a trend in the last couple of years, which is there are real divides that have emerged in job opportunities for job seekers," Stahle said.

Are you a job seeker or recently landed work in healthcare or leisure and hospitality? Share your story with this reporter at [email protected].

• YouTube is adding a new tool to let creators change thumbnails for videos in different languages.
• It's part of a push by YouTube to help videos travel globally.
• AI-powered dubbing is a top priority among YouTube stars like MrBeast.

YouTube is releasing a new feature to help creators spread their content around the world.

The tool, which will be rolling out in the next few days, lets creators upload different thumbnails for each video that's dubbed into a different language, a company spokesperson confirmed to Business Insider. The aim is to help influencers localize their thumbnails based on a viewer's language.

The feature is available to a subset of creators who have access to YouTube's dubbing technology.

"We're always testing more ways for creators to reach new audiences. In this case, a handful of creators are able to localize their thumbnails for videos with multiple language audio tracks," the YouTube spokesperson said.

Several of YouTube's top stars, including MrBeast, are bullish on using AI to dub videos so they can reach global audiences. YouTube began testing multi-language audio dubbing with some creators as early as 2023.

This thumbnail feature opens up an additional opportunity for creators to make their videos feel more native to a viewer's location, said Nate Stone, cofounder at the AI dubbing platform DittoDub.

DittoDub is offering a tool that uses AI to detect the text in a creator's thumbnail in order to change its language for each dubbed video. Creators with access to YouTube's new multi-language thumbnail feature can then upload those custom thumbnails to their YouTube accounts.

DittoDub said its translation tools are reviewed by humans to ensure a high level of confidence that it's preserving the meaning in any translated audio or visuals. They want to capture the creator's original tone, no matter the language.

"The emotion that we always strive for is not to recreate something different, but instead to preserve all of the original intentions of the creator," Stone said.

• Donald Trump and Elon Musk had a public falling out on social media on Thursday.
• Late-night hosts cracked jokes at the pair's expense.
• Stephen Colbert compared Trump and Musk's fallout to Bravo's "Real Housewives" franchise.

President Donald Trump and Elon Musk's bromance imploded on Thursday after the latter criticized the former's "Big Beautiful Bill."

It was gold for late-night hosts like Stephen Colbert.

"Now Donald Trump is a Tesla owner who hates Elon Musk? He's never been more relatable," Colbert said.

Musk, who once referred to himself as the "First Buddy," stepped down from his role at DOGE in May. Cracks in the pair's relationship began surfacing earlier this week when Musk called the spending bill — which includes provisions on AI regulation and tax cuts — a "disgusting abomination." Trump publicly ignored the dig until Thursday morning when he answered press questions at a White House event.

"He knew every aspect of this bill — better than almost anybody —and he never had a problem until right after he left," Trump said. "He said the most beautiful things about me. He hasn't said bad things about me personally, but I'm sure that'll be next. But I'm very disappointed in Elon. I've helped Elon a lot."

Trump added, "People leave my administration, and they love us, and then at some point they miss it so badly, and some of them embrace it, and some of them actually become hostile."

That appeared to set Musk off, resulting in a flurry of X posts directed at Trump, some of which extended beyond criticism of the spending bill.

Trump responded on Truth Social. The public back-and-forth was not great for Tesla's stock price and also hurt Dogecoin.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said in a statement to Business Insider that Musk's comments were an "unfortunate episode."

The whole spectacle made for some great television, however.

The Late Show with Stephen Colbert

Colbert's 12-minute monologue about Trump and Musk's feud has garnered over 1.5 million views on YouTube so far. The host gave a spirited play-by-play breakdown of the fallout, including when Trump told reporters he "helped Elon a lot."

"It's true," Colbert said, impersonating Trump. "I've helped Elon a lot during the campaign. I helped him declutter his bank account of $288 million. He would hand me every dollar out, hold it, and I would say 'this one sparks joy.' And in the pocket it goes safe and sound with Daddy."

At one point, Colbert compared Trump and Musk's battle to cast members on Bravo's "Real Housewives."

"Let's recap together," Colbert said. "The most powerful man in the world and the richest man in the world, each with their own missiles, are throwing haymakers at each other, like 'Real Housewives' on a girls' trip."

Colbert said the situation could've spiraled out of control, but thankfully, a cooler head stepped in to calm things down: Kanye West. West implored the two to stop fighting in an X post on Thursday.

"You know things are bad when the rational voice mediating your dispute is Kanye West," Colbert said.

Late Night with Seth Meyers

Meyers addressed Trump and Musk's dispute during the "Closer Look" segment. The 15-minute clip has gained over 1.7 million views so far.

"Another male friendship destroyed. This is why men are so lonely. These two used to be inseparable," Meyer said. "Onstage, on foreign trips, at rocket launches, in the Oval Office. Just last week, Trump gave him a ceremonial golden key he stole from the 'Pirates of the Caribbean' ride at Disneyland."

Meyers played clips of reporters discussing the drama, including one that touched on Musk's accusation that Trump is mentioned in the Epstein files. Jeffrey Epstein is the disgraced financier who died by suicide in a New York City jail in 2019 after being found guilty of sex trafficking minors.

"It's clear as ever that neither of these guys really believed in anything," Meyers said. "Elon spending $300 million to get Republicans elected and now he's shocked that they're doing the thing everyone said they would do. And in the process, Trump used Elon to get back into power. You know, in a way, they were right: watching these guys destroy each other is both big and beautiful."

Jimmy Kimmel Live

Kimmel, whose monologue has over 1.5 million views on YouTube, said he planned to discuss the Indiana Pacers battling the Oklahoma City Thunder in the NBA Finals before Trump and Musk traded verbal jabs.

"We thought the focus would be on basketball, but instead, once again, the spotlight has been stolen by another round orange thing," Kimmel said.

Kimmel focused much of his 10-minute monologue on Musk's X post mentioning the Epstein files. He compared the pair's feud to the "Star Wars" franchise.

"Vader turns on the emperor again," Kimmel said.

At one point, Kimmel joked about Musk agreeing with an X post that said Trump should be impeached and replaced by Vice President JD Vance.

"Which means JD better get that waterproof eyeliner out of the drawer," Kimmel said. "He's in a bit of a fix."

Kimmel managed to tie in Diddy's ongoing trial in Manhattan.

"But now you've got one MAGA hero accusing another MAGA hero of withholding the Epstein files because he himself is a part of them. And what do they do? I can't wait to find out. At the end of this one of them's in a cell with Diddy, that's what I think," Kimmel said.

The Daily Show

Michael Kosta, a senior correspondent on "The Daily Show," also discussed Trump and Musk's feud. The clip has over 1.5 million views on YouTube.

"By the way, can we just point out how crazy 2025 is? Most people can't afford to eat eggs anymore," Kosta said. "Meanwhile, these two billionaires are attacking each other from different social media platforms that they each own. Maybe we should eat the rich?"

Kosta also touched on Trump's threat to end contracts between the government and Musk's companies.

"Elon's government contracts can't be worth that much. Oh, it's $6.3 billion last year? Elon, you idiot. This is why you always sign a prenup," Kosta said.

The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon

Fallon began his 4-minute monologue, which has over 204,000 views on YouTube, with pop culture references.

"Things have taken a shocking turn with one of the hottest couples on 'Love Island,'" Fallon said, adding that the relationship "went off a cliff faster than a self-driving Tesla."

He then mentioned actors Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni, who are embroiled in a tense legal battle related to the 2024 film, "It Ends with Us."

"I'm not saying it's bad, but right now Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni are like, 'Guys, take it easy. This is getting out of hand.'"

Fallon also mentioned Timothée Chalamet and Kylie Jenner, who are dating.

"I can't believe their relationship fell apart this fast. I mean, a week ago they were all over each other like Timothée Chalamet and Kylie Jenner at a Knicks game,' he said.

• "Stranger Things" will return for its fifth and final season at the end of this year.
• When the show began almost 10 years ago, many of its stars were unknown child actors.
• Now, the kids of "Stranger Things" are adults and making moves in Hollywood and beyond.

Think back to July 2016: A new show just dropped on Netflix that combined the '80s nostalgia of "The Goonies" and Steven Spielberg movies with state-of-the-art special effects and a cast of talented young kids no one had ever seen before.

That show, of course, was "Stranger Things," which became a full-blown phenomenon for the streamer — and turned the cast of unknown kids into A-listers almost overnight.

But not all of them have become huge outside "Stranger Things." Millie Bobby Brown, Sadie Sink, and Joe Keery have all parlayed their success from the show into other things, including other franchises, musical careers, and even a Tony nomination. But some of the other actors have remained low-key, only appearing in indie movies or concentrating on their education.

We looked at post-show résumés, social media followings, non-show business side projects, and general fame level to evaluate who the most successful "Stranger Things" child star is.

While we wait (and wait) for the first trailer for season five, here's how we rank the child stars of "Stranger Things" by success.

14. Priah Ferguson

Ferguson, who plays Lucas' sassy (and almost always correct) little sister Erica Sinclair, is the youngest member of the main cast at 18. She was 11 when she joined "Stranger Things" in season two.

Impressively, while she was shooting the show, she was also balancing her studies — she graduated from high school this year. She wrote to her 3.6 million Instagram followers that "balancing an adult career — on and off screen" while maintaining an above-average GPA at her public high school was a "unique journey."

Besides playing Erica, Ferguson had roles in the films "The Oath" and "The Curse of Bridge Hollow" (another Netflix joint). She's also had voice roles in animated series "Hamster & Gretel" and "My Dad the Bounty Hunter."

Now she's done with school and has more time to focus on her career, we expect Ferguson will appear in more scene-stealing roles.

13. Charlie Heaton

Heaton, 31, plays Jonathan Byers, Will's devoted older brother who will do anything to help Will and his mom. He was 22 when the show began, playing a high school sophomore.

The British actor hasn't done much outside the show. He was in the calamitous final 20th Century Fox "X-Men" movie, "The New Mutants," in 2020, which essentially doesn't exist. He also stared in the indie movie "No Future," which never had a wide release, and "The Souvenir Part II," which was critically beloved but not a big box-office hit.

On the TV front, he only appeared in an episode of the 2020 anthology series "Soulmate."

And while he has 5.3 million followers on Instagram, that number doesn't compare to some of the follower counts of his fellow cast members.

We'd argue that Heaton's biggest claim to fame is his real-life relationship with Natalia Dyer, his on-screen love interest.

12. Natalia Dyer

Speaking of Dyer, 30, she's next up on the list. She plays Nancy Wheeler, Mike's older sister with an investigative streak. Nancy was also involved in a love triangle with her first love, Steve, and Jonathan. She eventually picked Jonathan, but some moments in season four made it seem like a possible "Stancy" reunion is in the cards.

Dyer, who was 21 when the show began, has the edge on her boyfriend, Heaton. She's appeared in multiple short films during her "Stranger Things" tenure, and had supporting roles in films like "Velvet Buzzsaw" and "Things Heard & Seen" (both Netflix films).

She also had a lead role in the coming-of-age indie "Yes, God, Yes," released in 2020. But it's been five years, and she hasn't been able to parlay that into more leading roles.

In 2023, she starred in the first season of the Peacock series "Based on a True Story" alongside Chris Messina and Kaley Cuoco.

Dyer has slightly more Instagram followers than Heaton as well, at 7.3 million.

11. Eduardo Franco

Franco joined the cast in the fourth season of "Stranger Things" as Argyle, Jonathan's stoner best friend in California.

Before even joining the show, 30-year-old Franco was well on his way to becoming a zillennial "that guy" — he's had recognizable roles in projects like "Booksmart," "Superintelligence," "Self Reliance," "American Vandal," and "Y2K" just last year.

Franco also has had successful voice roles. He starred in "Ruby Gillman, Teenage Kraken," and has been playing DJ Catnip on the hit children's show "Gabby's Dollhouse" since 2021. A feature-length "Gabby's Dollhouse" film is set to premiere this year, with Franco reprising his role.

His social media is what takes him down a bit, with 533,000 followers on Instagram.

10. Dacre Montgomery

Montgomery was 23 years old when he joined "Stranger Things" in season two as Max's older stepbrother, Billy Hargrove, who made it his personal mission to bully Max, her friends, and even Steve.

Now 30, Montgomery has been steadily working, but hasn't gotten his true big break. The same year he joined "Stranger Things," he starred in the ill-conceived "Power Rangers" movie as the Red Ranger.

Since then, he had a small role in "Elvis" and starred in the underrated 2020 rom-com "The Broken Hearts Gallery."

However, Montgomery has big things coming soon. He has three movies on the docket: "Faces of Death," which costars Barbie Ferreira, Josie Totah, Charli XCX, and Jermaine Fowler; "Dead Man's Wire," which will be directed by Gus Van Sant and costars Bill Skarsgård, Colman Domingo, Myha'la, and Cary Elwes; and "The Engagement Party" which will also be Montgomery's directorial debut.

But since those projects haven't come out yet, he can't be too high on this list.

The Australian actor has 7.8 million followers on Instagram.

9. Noah Schnapp

Schnapp, 20, has played Will Byers, who was originally taken to the Upside Down (a dark parallel universe) in the show's first episode, since he was 12.

Pre-"Stranger Things," Schnapp had a small role in "Bridge of Spies" and played Charlie Brown in "The Peanuts Movie."

Since playing Will, Schnapp had a small role in "Hubie Halloween" (a Netflix movie) and starred in the indie film "Waiting for Anya," both in 2020. In the five years since, he's had just one other role, appearing in the 2023 thriller "The Tutor," which was a flop critically and financially.

There's a reason for his slowdown in work, though — since 2022, he's attended the University of Pennsylvania. He's also leveraged his fame to become a business owner (he started the company TBH, which is a healthier alternative to spreads like Nutella) and YouTuber. He has 4.56 million subscribers on the site, even though he hasn't posted in years. He also has a huge Instagram presence, with 21.4 million followers.

Schnapp has mainly been in headlines for his views on the Israel-Hamas conflict. Per Entertainment Weekly, after he made posts supporting Zionism in 2023, some fans called for a boycott of season five (which was then in production) or for Schnapp to be fired.

In a January 2024 TikTok post, he said, "I feel like my thoughts and beliefs have been so far misconstrued from anything even close to what I believe."

He continued, "I think anyone with any ounce of humanity would hope for an end to the hostility on both sides."

8. Caleb McLaughlin

McLaughlin has played Lucas Sinclair, the more levelheaded and skeptical member of the core group, since season one, when he was 15. Now 23, McLaughlin has arguably undergone the biggest transformation — he even has a beard!

Like many of his costars, McLaughlin has continued to work with Netflix. He appeared in "High Flying Bird" (directed by Steven Soderbergh), "Concrete Cowboy," and "The Deliverance," all Netflix originals.

He had a role in the 2023 biblical comedy "The Book of Clarence," which was a box-office flop but critically well-liked. He also played former NBA player and current college coach Dru Joyce III in "Shooting Stars," a Peacock film about a young LeBron James.

"Stranger Things" isn't the only TV show he's done, either. He played Ricky Bell in the BET miniseries "The New Edition Story," and has had voice roles in "Summer Camp Island," "Ultra City Smiths," and "The Boys Presents: Diabolical."

There's also a growing movement to cast McLaughlin, who has 12.3 million Instagram followers, as a live-action Miles Morales.

7. Gaten Matarazzo

Matarazzo, 22, plays the lovably geeky Dustin Henderson, who formed a bond with older kids Steve and Eddie. He was 14 when the show began airing.

Matarazzo has since built himself a very well-rounded career.

In addition to his movie roles ("Honor Society," "My Father's Dragon," "Please Don't Destroy: The Treasure of Foggy Mountain" and the upcoming "Animal Farm" remake) and theater roles ("Into the Woods," "Parade," and the original cast of the "Sweeney Todd" revival), Matarazzo has also made himself a TV personality; he executive-produced and hosted the Netflix hidden-camera series "Prank Encounters."

He also has 15.8 million followers on Instagram.

6. Maya Hawke

Hawke, 26, joined the show in season three in 2019, when she was 21. She plays Robin Buckley, originally Steve's coworker at Scoops Ahoy, but soon she becomes his best friend. She's also one of the show's two canonically queer characters, alongside Will.

Technically, Hawke has been famous since birth, as her parents are Ethan Hawke and Uma Thurman. But 2019 was her breakout year, as she joined "Stranger Things" and appeared in "Once Upon a Time in Hollywood."

Like the rest of her costars, Hawke has a good relationship with Netflix. She starred in "Fear Street Part One: 1994," "Do Revenge," and "Maestro," all on the streamer.

Besides that, Hawke appeared in the Wes Anderson film "Asteroid City" and the highest-grossing film of 2024, "Inside Out 2." She voiced a new emotion, Anxiety.

Next year will be a big one, though. Hawke was announced to be joining the cast of "The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping" as Wiress, originally played by Amanda Plummer in "Catching Fire."

Hawke has a music career, as well. She's released three albums: "Blush" (2020), "Moss" (2022), and "Chaos Angel" (2024). She's set to resume her world tour for "Chaos Angel" this summer.

She has 8.7 million followers on Instagram.

5. Finn Wolfhard

Wolfhard, 22, is the show's lead character, Mike Wheeler. He's the one who decides to go looking for Will after he goes missing and forms a special bond with the mysterious girl they meet in the woods. We know the most about his home life, as his sister Nancy is a main character, and we've met his parents and younger sister, as well.

He began playing Mike when he was 13 years old.

Wolfhard has two successful franchises to his name. He played young Richie in 2017's "It" (which made $704 million) and 2019's "It Chapter Two" (which made $473 million).

He also appeared in "Ghostbusters: Afterlife" and "Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire," which each made around $200 million worldwide.

In 2024, he had a small role in "Saturday Night," and this year, he appeared in the A24 film "The Legend of Ochi." His directorial debut, "Hell of a Summer," premiered this April and made back its budget, per The Numbers.

Wolfhard has also become a successful voice actor. He voiced Pugsley in the animated "Addams Family" movie, which also made around $200 million (though he was recast for the 2021 sequel), and voiced Candlewick in 2021's "Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio," which went on to win best animated feature at the Academy Awards.

It's a wonder that Wolfhard also has time for a career as a musician. From 2017 to 2019, he was the lead singer of the band Calpurnia. He then joined the band The Aubreys, which released its debut album in 2021. On June 6, Wolfhard will release his debut solo album called "Happy Birthday." He's going on a mini-tour to support it during the month.

He has 21.4 million followers on Instagram.

4. Joe Keery

At last, we've come to Keery, aka Steve "The Hair" Harrington. Steve began the show as one of the mean popular kids, but has gone through a heartwarming transformation to become a fan favorite. Also, remember that baseball bat with the nails in it? Swoon.

Keery was 24 when the show started airing, and now he's 33, the oldest of the main "kids" cast.

His career has taken off since then. He was the lead of the 2020 black comedy/horror film "Spree," starred in "Free Guy" and "Pavements," and has an upcoming film co-starring Liam Neeson, Lesley Manville, and Vanessa Redgrave called "Cold Storage."

He also had a main role in the fifth season of the anthology series "Fargo."

But where Keery's edge lies is his music. While his costars have semi-successful musical careers, Keery (as his alter ego Djo) has had real success. His song "End of Beginning" was a bona fide hit in 2024, peaking at No. 11 on the Hot 100 chart, and received Billboard Music Award and Brit Award nominations.

His 2025 album, "The Crux," peaked at No. 10 on the US Rock chart and No. 50 on the Billboard 200. The song "Charlie's Garden " is dedicated to his "Stranger Things" costar and friend Charlie Heaton.

While Keery doesn't have a personal Instagram, he does have one as Djo, which has 1.4 million followers. He'll be touring through October 2025.

3. Sadie Sink

Sink, 23, joined "Stranger Things" in season two as Max Mayfield, the new kid in Hawkins and a tomboy able to keep up with Mike and his friends, when she was 14. She eventually develops a close friendship with Eleven and begins dating Lucas in season three.

Max was one of the biggest parts of season four. A pivotal scene in which she escapes the Upside Down helped bring the 1985 Kate Bush song "Running Up That Hill" back to the top of the charts, peaking at No. 3 on the Hot 100.

Since joining "Stranger Things," Sink starred in the two Netflix horror films: "Fear Street 1978" and "Fear Street 1666." She also starred in the 2022 Oscar-winning film "The Whale," which earned her a Critics' Choice Award nomination.

She began starring in the Broadway play "John Proctor Is the Villain" in 2025, which earned her a Tony Award nomination for best actress in a play.

Sink is rumored to have an undisclosed role in the 2026 film "Spider-Man: Brand New Day," per Deadline.

Now, we can't talk about Sink without mentioning her role as, essentially, the Taylor Swift self-insert role in "All Too Well: The Short Film," the music video for the 10-minute version of "All Too Well." If Swift picks you to play a fictional version of herself, you know you've made it.

Sink has 24.8 million followers on Instagram.

2. Joseph Quinn

If you were on TikTok in the summer of 2022, it was impossible to miss the sound of Quinn's voice screaming for Chrissy to wake up.

Quinn, 31, joined the cast in season four as a high school (super) senior named Eddie Munson, a heavy-metal-loving, Dungeons-and-Dragons-playing sweetie who bonds with Dustin.

Quinn's this high on the list because, in the three years since he was on the show, his career has soared. Since last year, he's been in "A Quiet Place: Day One" (a hit), "Gladiator II" (another hit), "Warfare," and will play none other than the Human Torch in "The Fantastic Four: First Steps" in July.

And that's not all. In addition to reprising his role in "Avengers: Doomsday," he was announced to be playing George Harrison in Sam Mendes' four-part Beatles movie extravaganza.

Quinn has 5.6 million followers on Instagram — not bad for someone who only joined the app in 2022 to promote "Stranger Things."

1. Millie Bobby Brown

We haven't really mentioned Eleven (as played by Brown) in this ranking, because it's hard to explain her character without sounding a bit out there. But here we go: Eleven is a young girl who escaped from a secret government lab after discovering she has immense psychic powers.

Brown, 21, was easily the breakout star of the show. During Halloween 2016, that pink dress, blonde wig, fake nosebleed, and Eggo box were unavoidable.

Brown was just 12 when "Stranger Things" premiered, and received back-to-back Emmy nominations before she was 16.

Since then, she's appeared in "Godzilla: King of the Monsters" ($387 million worldwide) and "Godzilla vs. Kong" ($470 million worldwide). She's also starred and produced in four Netflix movies ("Enola Holmes," "Enola Holmes 2," "Damsel" and "The Electric State" — three of which were huge hits) and has another "Enola" film on the way.

She's proven herself to be a savvy businesswoman. She was reportedly paid $10 million for "Enola Holmes 2," and Brown has founded three successful companies: Florence by Mills Beauty, Florence by Mills Coffee, and Florence by Mills Fashion. Her beauty brand is available at Ulta, while her coffee is on shelves at Walmart.

Brown also proved just how famous she was when she married Jake Bongiovi (son of Jon Bon Jovi) in 2024 and their wedding made dozens of headlines.

And in case all that hasn't convinced you, Brown is far and away the most followed person from the cast, with a staggering 63.8 million followers on Instagram.

• Republicans on Capitol Hill watched in awe as Trump and Musk feuded with each other on Thursday.
• They're mostly siding with Trump — but they don't want to bash Elon too much.
• "I'm sorry that his tour of duty ended that way," one House Republican said of Musk.

Rep. Tom Tiffany seemed to be at a loss for words.

"I don't have anything to say," the Wisconsin Republican told me as we descended the steps outside the House chamber. "Let's wait for the next tweet."

I was hoping for a bit more, so I pressed on. "It is what it is," he said with a slight laugh.

It was the last vote of the day, and House Republicans were eager to get out of there. Their counterparts in the Senate had managed to leave town for the week just as the nasty — and for some, long-anticipated — feud between Elon Musk and President Donald Trump was getting underway.

What began as a disagreement over the "Big Beautiful Bill" had taken a strange turn. By this point, Musk had replied "yes" to a post that included a reference to impeaching Trump, claimed responsibility for the president's 2024 victory, declared that tariffs would cause a recession, and said that Trump is in the "Epstein files." Trump had floated taking away Musk's government contracts, said that the billionaire "went CRAZY," and insinuated that the tech titan suffered from "Trump Derangement Syndrome."

As Tiffany faltered, a Democratic colleague pounced. "So Tom," Rep. Mark Pocan of Wisconsin interjected as he walked by, "Elon or Trump? Who's gonna win?"

The Republican congressman's tepid laughter grew into a guffaw. We all waited for the response. It never arrived. "I've got the press here," an exasperated Tiffany said. "What do you want me to say, Mark?"

Many Republican lawmakers on Capitol Hill found themselves in some version of Tiffany's position, unsure what to say about the vicious war of words unfolding online.

"Is Mercury in retrograde?" asked Republican Rep. Lauren Boebert of Colorado.

For months, Trump and Musk have appeared largely in lockstep. Republicans had become accustomed to brushing off and explaining away questions about the former DOGE leader's machinations in the executive branch, as they had with Trump for nearly a decade.

Now, with the two men very publicly at odds, it was a time for choosing. But Republicans weren't all that eager to choose. And at least one who did quickly reconsidered.

"Enough Elon. Put the phone down and go outside and play," Republican Rep. Greg Murphy of North Carolina wrote in a post on X that was deleted minutes later.

Rep. Ryan Zinke, a Montana Republican who served as Secretary of the Interior during Trump's first term, initially offered praise for Musk when asked about the feud. "I respect, obviously, the President. I respect Elon Musk," Zinke said. "Very, very bright."

When informed about Musk's response to the post referencing Trump's impeachment, Zinke let out a sharp sigh. "Yeah, that's a bridge too far," he said. "You know, I'm sorry that his tour of duty ended that way."

"This is a sign of the times that you see some of this stuff being done in public," Republican Rep. Scotty Perry of Pennsylvania said. "People over the course of history who wanted to save the republic had different viewpoints about how to do it."

Several Republicans on Thursday used social media to subtly make their allegiance to Trump known, even without explicitly criticizing the world's richest man.

One of them was Republican Rep. Abe Hamadeh of Arizona, who posted a photo of himself with Trump on X as the drama with Musk unfolded.

Was it a veiled message? Hamadeh laughed and looked down when asked about it. "President Trump's my president," he told me. "People voted for him. I supported him. President Trump is the reason why we're all here."

He later added that he "appreciated" Musk's contributions.

For Democrats, it was a told-you-so moment.

"None of it surprises me, to be honest," Rep. Melanie Stansbury of New Mexico, the top Democrat on the DOGE subcommittee, told me. "You sell your soul to the devil, or you pay your way into it, and this is what you get."

The only Republican who seemed to be genuinely enjoying himself was Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky, who's had his fair share of feuds with Trump and voted against the "Big Beautiful Bill" for largely the same reason that Musk decided to critique it.

"I tell my colleagues," Massie said, "if I get hit on Independence Avenue, and they have to deliver my eulogy, just say he was having his best day ever."

• Elon Musk says the "Epstein files" haven't been released because Trump is in them.
• The president's name has cropped up repeatedly in Epstein-related court documents.
• Trump's name is included in Epstein's contact book and flight records.

Elon Musk has an allegation about why President Donald Trump hasn't released all of the so-called "Epstein files."

He's in them.

Musk's claim, tying the president to the dead financier and sex trafficker, is the latest punch in the escalating beef between the richest man in the world and the president of the United States.

"Time to drop the really big bomb: @realDonaldTrump is in the Epstein files. That is the real reason they have not been made public," Musk posted on X Thursday afternoon. "Have a nice day, DJT!"

"Mark this post for the future," he added in a follow-up post. "The truth will come out."

Musk didn't elaborate on his claim or provide evidence that backed up his assertion. House Democrats nonetheless seized on Musk's claim, with two members of the oversight committee demanding a response from Justice Department officials.

Trump's relationship with Epstein has long been part of the public record. None of that record supports any notion that the president was involved in Epstein's sex trafficking.

The two were friends in the 1980s, spending time in the same wealthy social circles in Palm Beach and Manhattan, and Trump's name has repeatedly come up in litigation related to Epstein. The two had a falling-out in the 2000s.

Trump has previously denied involvement in any wrongdoing related to Epstein. In 2019, following criminal charges against the financier, Trump said he "wasn't a fan."

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said Thursday that Musk's claims about Trump and Epstein were "unfortunate."

"This is an unfortunate episode from Elon, who is unhappy with the One Big Beautiful Bill because it does not include the policies he wanted," Leavitt said in a statement. "The President is focused on passing this historic piece of legislation and making our country great again."

During his 2024 presidential campaign, Trump indicated he supported making government documents related to Epstein public if he were elected.

It's not clear exactly what Musk meant by the "Epstein files." Attorney General Pamela Bondi and FBI Director Kash Patel have promised to release documents in possession of the Justice Department related to the wealthy pedophile.

Other agencies that may have Epstein-related documents, like the CIA, have been publicly silent about the matter.

We already have a lot of Epstein documents

Bondi and Patel have published one batch of documents, in February.

Aside from a three-page list of evidence seized during a 2019 criminal investigation into Epstein, it included only information that had previously been made public during the criminal case against his associate Ghislaine Maxwell and in other civil litigation.

Among those records are a copy of one of Epstein's contact books, which lists Trump and some of Trump's family members among hundreds of entries. The records also include some flight logs for Epstein's private jets; Trump is mentioned as a passenger.

Trump's Mar-a-Lago club featured prominently in Maxwell's criminal trial. One woman who said Epstein raped her testified that the financier took her to the club when she was 14 years old and introduced her to Trump. Another of Epstein's most prominent accusers, Virginia Giuffre, who died by suicide in April, has said she was recruited as a victim by Maxwell while at Mar-a-Lago. A Mar-a-Lago employee briefly testified at Maxwell's criminal trial about Giuffre's father's employment at the club.

Trump's name has also been included in long-running civil litigation related to Epstein. Documents including Trump's name became public in January 2024, when a federal judge unsealed and unredacted thousands of pages of court documents in a lawsuit that Giuffre brought against Maxwell. The judge had previously referred to Trump with the pseudonym "Doe 174."

The lawsuit did not accuse Trump of any wrongdoing. Many of the people whose names were initially kept under seal in the court documents were identified as Epstein's victims or had only an incidental connection to the financier.

The documents from that lawsuit include excerpts of a deposition by Johanna Sjoberg, who has accused Epstein of rape. At one point during the deposition, Sjoberg was asked about giving massages to various associates of Epstein at his residences, and she denied giving any to Trump. Asked about a trip to Atlantic City, she described visiting one of Trump's casinos after flying on Epstein's private jet.

"Jeffrey said, 'Great, we'll call up Trump, and we'll go to' — I don't recall the name of the casino, but — 'we'll go to the casino,'" Sjoberg said in the deposition.

Other documents mention Trump only in passing, referencing him as one of the many high-profile people who have been friends with Epstein.

Epstein — who also spent time with other powerful figures, including Bill Clinton, Prince Andrew, Steve Bannon, and Ehud Barak — died by suicide in a federal Manhattan jail while awaiting trial on sex-trafficking charges in 2019. As part of the same investigation, Justice Department prosecutors brought sex-trafficking charges against his associate Ghislaine Maxwell, who was convicted in late 2021 and sentenced to 20 years in prison.

Musk was famously photographed with Maxwell at a 2014 Vanity Fair event. He has said she "photobombed" him.

The Tesla CEO has denied a connection to Epstein. Following a 2023 subpoena in litigation related to JPMorgan's ties to Epstein, Musk said he never took financial advice from him.

"That cretin never advised me on anything whatsoever," Musk posted on social media at the time.

• Booking a room at the front of the ship was my biggest regret on my first cruise.
• On Royal Caribbean's Wonder of the Seas, I learned that rooms at the front are bumpier than others.
• I booked the front room of deck eight and felt seasick for most of my voyage.

The first night of my first cruise was terrifying. The floor trembled beneath me as I was startled by booming noises that sounded like the crashing of heavy items on decks above and below mine.

Determined to stay awake and prepared for disaster, I sat stiffly on the couch. I read the emergency instructions over and over for what felt like hours until I accidentally fell asleep.

When I woke up, I rushed out the door to ensure everything was all right. As seemingly unfazed cruisers filled the buffet and lined up for the water slides, I realized I'd experienced a normal night at sea.

This was back in April 2022 when I booked a room on one of the largest cruise ships in the world, Royal Caribbean's 18-deck Wonder of the Seas.

For $2,000, I spent seven nights in a 179-square-foot ocean-view stateroom at the very front of deck eight. It was a mid-tier room — a step above the windowless interior staterooms, a step below staterooms with a balcony, and two steps below a suite.

I unknowingly booked a room where movement on the ship felt the strongest

After my first rocky night aboard the ship, I wondered whether everyone had the same experience. So, I talked to some fellow passengers who were seasoned cruisers. They told me that the front of the ship is one of the worst places to be if you're often seasick. They said that higher decks in the middle of the ship feel calmer and more stable.

Since my room on the 18-deck ship was situated at the front of the eighth floor, I felt constant motion in my room. As someone who gets motion sickness from the slightest movement of bathwater, this spoiled many aspects of my first cruise. 

Some nights were rockier than others. On the roughest nights, I heard and felt a similar sensation to thunder beneath me every few minutes. Loud thumps and heavy vibrations in my room sounded like large pieces of furniture falling.

During the days at sea, it was especially challenging for me to eat and participate in activities. And I didn't feel rested for my excursions at port stops, which included hikes in the sun.

Some cabins can be rockier than others, like those situated at the front of the cruise ship

Cruise passengers prone to motion sickness should book a room in the middle of the ship to feel the least amount of rocking.

I wish I'd researched how the location of a cabin can affect the amount of motion you feel while the ship is moving before booking my cruise. Next time, I'd choose a room in the middle of the ship.

• When it comes to fashion, Dakota Johnson has a chic and seemingly effortless style.
• However, the "Fifty Shades of Grey" star also regularly experiments with daring looks.
• She's worn sheer dresses, plunging necklines, mismatched shoes, and more.

If you somehow haven't noticed, Dakota Johnson has been everywhere lately.

She made multiple appearances at the Cannes Film Festival in May, has since been photographed all over New York City, and has appeared on multiple late-night talk shows this month.

The 35-year-old actor has, of course, been promoting her film "Materialists," which she stars in alongside Pedro Pascal and Chris Evans.

All the while, she's stood out in her signature style: chic, effortless outfits that are also quite bold. Here's a look at the most daring looks she's worn lately, and ones she's donned in the past.

Dakota Johnson's bold red-carpet style can be traced back to her 2012 appearance at a GQ party.

For the event, she wore a long-sleeved lace top over a black bra and tucked the former into high-waisted leather pants.

By 2013, she was already elevating her daring fashion.

At the LACMA Art + Film Gala that year, she wore a black Gucci dress with multiple daring elements. It had netted sleeves up top, golden feathers across her chest, and green fringe on her skirt.

The actor showed the playful side of her style in 2015.

While in New York City, she wore a fuzzy green vest over a tan jumpsuit. And she didn't stop there.

Johnson also wore strappy heels and sunglasses that made the casual outfit look dramatic and glam.

For the UK premiere of "Fifty Shades of Grey," Johnson wore a striking Saint Laurent gown.

The white dress had thin straps and a plunging neckline embellished with crystals.

She then attended the 2015 Venice Film Festival in a backless, blush-colored gown.

The Prada design hugged her body in the front and revealed her tattoos on her back.

Johnson embraced sheer fashion again for the 2015 "Trumbo" premiere.

She walked the red carpet that night in a black velvet gown with sheer sleeves and matching mesh panels across her waist and legs.

Plunging necklines remained a staple of the actor's wardrobe in 2017.

At the "Fifty Shades Darker" premiere that year, Johnson arrived in a shapeless Valentino gown with a V-neckline that plunged below her chest.

A few weeks later, she went full metallic for the Oscars.

Her gold Gucci gown was made from satin. It had a high pleated neckline, long sleeves, and an oversize bow at the waist.

She then stood out at the Green Carpet Fashion Awards in a semi-sheer Gucci gown.

The skin-revealing design was made from black tulle, Swarovski crystals, and recycled brass.

Johnson embraced the "no-shirt" trend at the 2017 Hollywood Film Awards.

She wore a vibrant red suit jacket with no shirt underneath, matching trousers, and a diamond choker. Equally daring were her mismatched heels, which had giant crystals on one shoe but not the other.

In 2018, the actor put a glamorous twist on the sheer trend at the Venice Film Festival.

She wore a strapless Dior gown made from lace with a corset-style bodice and sheer skirt.

She later opted for a dramatic gown at the Marrakech Film Festival.

Johnson wore a Givenchy look with brown fabric surrounding its asymmetrical metallic bodice and a matching silver belt.

Johnson swapped her usual gowns for a bold minidress in 2019.

She walked the red carpet at "The Peanut Butter Falcon" screening in a Saint Laurent design. It featured a large bow as a top, a triangle cutout at the chest, and all-over crystal designs.

Johnson wore one of her most daring and stunning looks at the 2021 Venice Film Festival.

Her silver Gucci gown had a plunging neckline, a see-through bodice and skirt, and crystal fringe.

The see-through corset she wore to "The Lost Daughter" premiere was also bold.

Johnson paired it with leather pants, pointed pumps, and a diamond necklace.

However, she took her daring fashion to another level the next day.

While meeting fans in New York City, Johnson was photographed wearing a cream-colored dress with a high slit in its skirt that almost reached her hips.

In November 2021, Johnson attended a fashion show in a fringe minidress.

Her Gucci frock was held together by sparkling belts strapped across her chest, and matched her Gucci-logo tights.

She wore Gucci again in December 2021. The look was even more eye-catching than her last.

She wore pink satin pants — they were so wide they resembled a skirt — and a cropped, crystal-covered top that was sleeveless with a deep V-neckline.

At the 2022 Met Gala, Johnson wore a see-through catsuit made from black lace.

The "naked" design from Gucci was covered with long silver fringe and delicate sparkles.

To kick off 2023, Johnson wore her own version of a Canadian tuxedo.

The Magda Butrym look included a denim bustier, a matching trench coat, and baggy jeans.

She went the opposite direction in May that year.

For a Gucci runway show, Johnson wore black lingerie underneath a see-through slip dress and monogrammed coat.

In 2024, Johnson wore the most sheer gown of her career.

At the "Madame Web" premiere, Johnson sported a custom chainmail gown from Gucci that sparkled in the light. It was sleeveless, plunged at the neckline, and see-through.

Though the gown did appear to have a small lining, it matched the actor's skin tone perfectly and created the illusion that she was only wearing the crystal links.

Johnson is still staying loyal to sheer clothes in 2025.

In early June, she was photographed walking around New York City in a maroon bodysuit beneath a black tulle dress.

The latter had long sleeves, a wrapped neckline, and a flared skirt, making for a classic silhouette. However, it was entirely see-through.

• Amazon's retail business won't grow its hiring budget this year.
• An Amazon spokesperson said the company is still hiring.
• CEO Andy Jassy's cost-cutting measures aim to boost profit margins and operational efficiency.

Amazon's retail business is locking down its hiring budget.

According to an internal email, this major part of the company will keep a "flat headcount opex," or operating expenses, this year compared to 2024. Headcount operating expense refers to employee salaries plus their stock-based compensation, the email noted.

The update was shared earlier this year by a finance leader in Amazon's retail unit. This executive explained that any increase in the hiring budget will be "scrutinized" and require "strong supporting reasons." Business Insider obtained copy of the email.

The retail business is also shifting from managing "opex targets versus headcount targets," according to the email. That likely means managers now have a strict predefined budget allocated to their teams, instead of specific headcount targets when hiring.

These changes only apply to corporate employees in Amazon's retail business. They do not apply to staff working in Amazon warehouses and in the company's cloud division, Amazon Web Services.

The retail organization includes everything from Amazon's online marketplace to its logistics arm and Fresh grocery business.

In an email to BI, Amazon spokesperson Zoe Hoffman said this is the "responsible way" to grow a company of its size, and stressed that not growing the hiring budget in a given year is not the same as not hiring. Amazon continues to hire across the company, she added.

"Each of Amazon's many businesses has its own approach to hiring based on its individual needs," Hoffman added in a statement. "However, across the company, we've historically considered both the number of people we need to hire and the associated costs — that is, Operating Expenses or OpEx — of those hiring decisions."

The move underscores CEO Andy Jassy's relentless push for increased efficiency and higher profit margins.

Since taking over in 2021, he's slashed jobs, revamped pay, trimmed management layers, and even reconsidered Amazon's product listing approach, all in the name of saving money and driving efficiency. Amazon reported record profit of $59 billion in 2024, nearly double its 2023 result.

Holding the hiring budget steady could encourage Amazon retail managers to get smarter and more flexible with compensation expenses. HR professionals say budget-based planning offers tighter financial control than headcount targets. That can be useful in uncertain business environments.

Staying within limits

The email said Amazon retail CEO Doug Herrington inspected operating expenses "very closely throughout the last two years." The retail organization also recently launched new financial reporting and analysis tools for tracking headcount and operating expenses. Some of the new features include the ability to plan headcount mix by job level, technical skills, and tenure, according to the email.

Amazon has been on a yearslong cost-cutting spree. After booming during the pandemic, the online retail and cloud giant's growth slowed, triggering cutbacks in warehouse growth and the closure of some experimental ventures.

Headcount has also leveled off. The company doubled its workforce to 1.6 million from 2019 to 2021, but that number dipped to 1.55 million last year. Amazon has cut at least 27,000 employees since late 2022.

Managing headcount instead of a hiring budget lets managers bring on high-cost talent without worrying much about salary, David Kryscynski, a human resources professor at Rutgers, told BI. But with a fixed labor budget, he said, managers are more likely to stay within financial limits, either by hiring less or opting for lower-cost candidates.

This model also gives managers more staffing flexibility, said Shaun Pichler, a management professor at California State University, Fullerton. Without headcount targets, they can bring on cheaper contractors or temporary workers. And they're not pressured to spend the full budget, often resulting in leaner teams.

"Tech firms have more widely adopted OpEx targets post-pandemic for largely the same reasons — high labor costs, reduced revenues, and to give managers more flexibility," Pichler said.

Amazon's retail arm remains laser-focused on cutting costs. At an internal all-hands meeting earlier this year, retail chief Doug Herrington told employees that belt-tightening would likely extend into 2025, even as the company pours money into major investments elsewhere, BI previously reported.

"We have to keep reducing costs so that we can afford the big investments in big new businesses," Herrington said.

Have a tip? Contact this reporter via email at [email protected] or Signal, Telegram, or WhatsApp at 650-942-3061. Use a personal email address and a nonwork device; here's our guide to sharing information securely.