• Klarna will start drug testing employees in Sweden from January, Business Insider has learned.
• The buy-now, pay-later firm told staff about the new measures in an internal Slack post on Monday.
• Klarna, which is gearing up to IPO, said it was part of a wider effort to "strengthen security."

Klarna will start testing employees in Sweden for alcohol and drugs from January, Business Insider has learned, in a sign of the company increasing its internal security ahead of an anticipated IPO.

The buy-now, pay-later firm told employees via a company Slack channel post on Monday that an external supplier would carry out the random testing to ensure it was conducted in accordance with local laws and industry standards.

The post, from Klarna's director of people and HR, Mikaela Mijatovic, said the move was "part of a larger effort to strengthen security across Klarna."

The Slack message, seen by BI, said that Klarna plans to introduce similar drug testing in other countries where it operates, "following local laws and regulations." Mijatovic added that all new hires in Sweden will undergo testing during the recruitment process, starting in January.

Nafsika Karavida, an attorney at Reavis Page Jump in Sweden, told BI that employee drug testing is generally permitted under Swedish law within the private sector. She said it is "fairly common" in the fintech and banking industry and "getting more and more common."

The announcement comes after Sebastian Siemiatkowski, the CEO of Klarna, floated the idea of randomized drug testing to staff during a September all-hands. He said the company could need to introduce some additional safeguards because, as a growing financial institution, there had been greater interest in the startup from "less favorable parts of society: criminals, different hacking groups, and so forth," according to a recording of the meeting obtained by BI.

Some of the measures he discussed included monitoring employees' locations and drug testing staffers. Siemiatkowski added, "For more senior and more sensitive roles, this could also include things like understanding your financial statements to understand if someone is in trouble or could be potentially compromised."

In Monday's internal post, Mijatovic added that Klarna would also examine how it manages company devices and shares information externally.

The Swedish fintech, once Europe's most valuable startup, has been gearing up for an IPO in the US. It announced in November that it confidentially submitted draft registration documents to the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Klarna declined to comment.

Do you work for Klarna? Got a tip? Contact the reporter, Jyoti Mann, via the encrypted messaging app Signal at jyotimann.11 or via email at [email protected]. Reach out through a nonwork device.

• Klarna CEO Sebastian Siemiatkowski spoke about AI and the workforce.
• Siemiatkowski said AI "can already do all of the jobs" humans do.
• He said Klarna stopped hiring a year ago despite the company advertising jobs online.

Klarna CEO Sebastian Siemiatkowski is all-in on artificial intelligence at the fintech company.

In an interview with Bloomberg TV, Siemiatkowski said he's "of the opinion that AI can already do all of the jobs that we as humans do."

"It's just a question of how we apply it and use it," he said.

Klarna is a payment service that offers consumers "buy now, pay later" options. According to its website, the company is connected with more than 575,000 retailers.

The increased attention around AI has raised concerns about how it will affect careers and the workplace. A 2023 report by McKinsey & Company estimated that 12 million American workers will have to change occupations by 2030 as AI technology develops.

During the interview, Siemiatkowski said Klarna stopped hiring last year.

"I think what we've done internally hasn't been reported as widely. We stopped hiring about a year ago, so we were 4,500 and now we're 3,500," Siemiatkowski said. "We have a natural attrition like every tech company. People stay about five years, so 20% leave every year. By not hiring, we're simply shrinking, right?"

Siemiatkowski said his company has told employees that "what's going to happen is the total salary cost of Klarna is going to shrink, but part of the gain of that is going to be seen in your paycheck."

Although Klarna's website is advertising open positions at the time of writing, a spokesperson told Business Insider the company is not "actively recruiting" to expand its workforce. Rather, Klarna is backfilling "some essential roles," primarily in engineering.

• Brittany Broski focuses on community over follower count for lasting influence.
• Broski rose to fame in 2019 with a viral kombucha video and now has millions of followers.
• What she thinks will last in a crowded influencer market is authenticity and reliability.

Social media star Brittany Broski says she has always leaned into building her community over worrying about her follower count.

"What do numbers really determine when you can buy followers, when you can buy a check mark now?" Broski told Business Insider.

"I think the real power comes from community, the people that you can bring together."

Broski, whose real name is Brittany Tomlinson, rose to fame in 2019 following a mega-viral moment in which she tasted kombucha for the first time.

She now has 7.5 million TikTok followers and over 2 million subscribers on YouTube.

Broski, 27, now also has two podcasts: Royal Court, where she interviews celebrities in a free-flowing format, and The Broski Report, where she muses on whatever she is thinking about that week.

She thinks that influencers who are authentic and build loyal communities online will have more staying power, even if that means those communities are niche.

The influencer gap

There's some debate over whether brands still prefer to work with micro-influencers after engagement became the pinnacle in the past few years.

Some surveys and experts think things are going backward, and superstars are being favored once more, leading smaller creators to feel pushed out.

Others, however, see creators with small but mighty audiences thriving again in the near future.

Ultimately, algorithms change, and what is popular today may not be tomorrow.

Broski's advice for creators is to lean into what makes them different.

Broski felt she had been "pigeonholed as a meme" at the start of her internet career as the "kombucha girl," and she wanted to distance herself from this as soon as possible.

Instead, she strived to "build out an identifiable brand."

Community and connection

Community, both on and offline, has always been important to Broski. She told BI that's one reason she partnered with White Claw this holiday season in a campaign that focuses on making quality time with friends and family.

On Broski's shows, she also strives to "share a human moment with people" rather than repeat the same questions celebs receive at press junkets.

"More than anything, people just want to be heard and seen and felt like they're known," she said.

In Royal Court, Broski often asks her guests, including Saoirse Ronan and Daisy Edgar-Jones, to "prove their worth to earn a spot on Lady Broski's coveted small council" and has them dress up in medieval costumes.

"I really like leaning into this sort of silly nature of, I'm going to make you wear a cape and a hat, and you're going to like it," she said. "You get to see that person's personality more than just, let's talk about your work."

Broski thinks what is going to last is "authenticity and reliability."

"Those two words are so overused and so bastardized, but it doesn't take away from the core meaning," she said.

Her advice to creators is that people want to watch someone they relate to, Broski said — someone who makes them think, "She's just like me."

"That's all people want," she said. "So don't overthink it."

The audience also just wants the people they watch to be themselves.

"That seems so cliché, but what else can you do?" Broski said. "If you try to be anyone else, you're doomed to fail."

• I've skied at over 20 resorts in the US. After visiting Brighton Resort twice, I wouldn't go back.
• The resort isn't as impressive as its neighbors in terms of vertical drop and skiable acres.
• I thought it was too crowded on my visits and I'd rather try somewhere new next time.

I've had the opportunity to ski at over 20 resorts across the United States, and five of them were located in Utah.

The state is home to some of the most iconic ski resorts in the US and lots of snowfall, truly making it a powder skier's paradise.

When I close my eyes and think of skiing there, I picture myself gliding down black-diamond runs, indulging in the après-ski scene, and soaking in breathtaking mountain views.

Although that's the experience I've had at most resorts, one beloved Utah destination has let me down: Brighton Resort.

After skiing there in two different years and in two different months, I've realized this popular spot is one I just don't need to return to.

Brighton's lift lines were significantly longer than other ski resorts I've been to

Brighton is part of the Ikon Pass, a famous ski-lift pass that many skiers and snowboarders have around the world.

The ski resorts on the pass are known for their excellent runs, top-notch amenities, and overall upscale atmosphere, which attracts many tourists.

Due to the pass's popularity, you can generally expect larger crowds at Ikon Pass destinations across the country.

However, I've skied at numerous Ikon destinations around the country, and the lift lines at Brighton during my visits felt significantly longer than any others I've encountered.

This is likely because Brighton only has six lifts that service dozens of trails. In comparison, the majority of Ikon destinations in the US have at least 10 lifts — some more than 20.

I wish the resort would install more lifts or make existing ones larger to better alleviate some of the crowding.

Its terrain doesn't measure up to neighboring resorts

Brighton has over 1,050 skiable acres of terrain. Although it's not necessarily small, it seems relatively compact compared to neighboring resorts like Alta and Snowbird, each home to over 2,000 skiable acres.

Brighton's vertical drop is also at least 780 feet smaller than the ones at those nearby resorts.

This results in fewer challenging runs and allows skiers to reach the bottom more quickly, leading to longer waits in lift lines for the next run.

I felt the nearby après-ski options were limited and a bit disappointing

I really enjoy the après-ski experience and love hanging out with my husband and friends after a long day on the slopes.

At well-known resorts, I can typically find a wide variety of choices for post-slope drinks, appetizers, and meals throughout the surrounding mountain and village areas.

However, at Brighton Resort, I felt the options were limited. Most of the nearby dining spots were located by the base of the mountain, which meant they could get pretty crowded.

During our trip, we struggled to find available tables in the packed — and, thus, often loud — restaurants we visited in the area.

I also found the views from the dining options we visited to be less impressive than those I've experienced at other ski resorts in Utah.

Many people love skiing at Brighton, but I don't plan on going back

Utah attracts over a million visitors yearly, with many of those skiers and snowboarders heading to Brighton to enjoy its snow and runs.

Although I'm glad to have checked this resort off my bucket list, I ultimately doubt I'll return. I felt I spent too much time in lift lines, was not particularly impressed with the terrain, and found the après-ski options didn't meet my expectations.

That said, if you view lift lines as part of the experience, don't mind cruising down more moderate terrain, and aren't particularly concerned about après-ski selections, you might enjoy this resort.

Brighton Resort did not respond to a request for comment.

• The Alps have the bulk of the world's major ski resorts.
• Property companies say the quality of the skiing is not the only criteria for some Alpine buyers.
• Instead of winter sports, wellness is taking priority for many seeking an Alpine chalet.

Powdery snow, wide slopes, epic mountain views, and a vast network of interconnected trails weaving through snowcapped forests are hallmarks of skiing in the Alps, home to many winter resorts.

About 120 million people visit the Alps between December and April for its ski and snowboard offerings.

Yet, for some wealthy chalet buyers in upmarket towns such as Gstaad and Courchevel, it seems skiing is no longer the only draw.

In its 2024 Alpine Market Review published in November, property company Knight Frank reports buyers are just as interested in the "après ski" health and wellness activities after hitting the slopes as strapping on the skis.

Knight Frank surveyed about 730 high-net-worth individuals from more than a dozen countries for the report and found that health and wellness ranked above skiing and snowboarding in priority when asked about the Alpine lifestyle they're most interested in.

Wellness offerings also came out ahead of ski-in/ski-out access and proximity to the village center when wealthy respondents were asked what amenities were most important in their purchasing decisions.

The rebalancing of their priorities aligns with findings from Bain & Company and Altagamma's 2024 Luxury Monitor. They found that consumer spending has shifted away from tangible goods to luxury experiences, particularly those linked to wellness and personal treatment.

In response to increased demand for wellness offerings, Knight Frank notes that resorts in the Alps are repositioning themselves as "a top destination for rejuvenation" with high-end spas, thermal baths, and specialized health resorts.

"The Alps are increasingly viewed as a year-round destination, with health and wellness now overtaking skiing as the primary lifestyle driver for buyers," said Kate Everett-Allen, head of European residential research at Knight Frank.

Knight Frank's results echo a similar ski market report from Savills, highlighting the emergence of "wellness/medical retreats" in luxury winter resorts.

Jeremy Rollason, head of ski for Savills and author of the report, told Business Insider that health and wellness offerings are not an entirely novel concept. In the mid-1900s, he said, the Swiss Alps had sanatoriums visited by those with physical and mental health issues.

But interest in modern health and wellness trappings, such as saunas, steam rooms, and heated outdoor pools, among Alpine buyers, is now picking up speed, Rollason said.

"You buy in a ski resort because you like the mountains and probably because you like skiing or winter sports," he said. "There is much more than that now, and that's required developers and providers of hospitality in the ski resorts to offer so much more."

Rollason added that if the uber-wealthy are buying a chalet, "then it's not just a chalet — it's an all-encompassing leisure object."

• Photojournalist Gary He has visited McDonald's restaurants in more than 55 countries.
• He dined at McDonald's locations with distinct architecture and unique local integration.
• He said the most unique include the McSki in Sweden and a UFO-shaped McDonald's in the US.

Most McDonald's locations around the world follow a familiar design: red and white branding topped with golden arches. But some stand out for their distinct architecture and unique backstories.

From a glass-covered restaurant in Batumi, Georgia, to one built over an ancient Roman road in Italy, the fast-food chain has found unique ways to blend with the local surroundings while maintaining its individuality.

In his upcoming book, "McAtlas: A Global Guide to the Golden Arches," which will be released on November 29, author and photojournalist Gary He captures the essence of some of these locations while explaining what makes each one special.

Since 2019, He has traveled to over 55 countries and dined at more than 100 McDonald's restaurants. When it came to picking his favorite locations, he had clear favorites.

"I wanted to document the more interesting parts of the largest restaurant group in the world," He told Business Insider, emphasizing that the project was an independent undertaking.

Here are five unique McDonald's locations that He recommends fans of the brand must visit.

The McSki in Sälen, Sweden

The McDonald's in Sälen, Sweden, tops He's list of best locations.

Nestled in one of Sweden's biggest ski resorts, Lindvallen, this spot offers a unique "ski-thru" experience. It allows skiers to grab a Big Mac without leaving their skis.

The restaurant opened in 1996 and operates daily from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. during ski season.

"The air is so clean and crisp — it's like being on top of the world," He told BI, adding, "When I visited, it wasn't even busy. It was just me, the McSki, and the mountains. I was just hanging out and enjoying myself."

Getting there isn't easy, though. He said it took him six hours to travel from Stockholm, with three transfers — first, from a train station at Borlänge Centralstation to a bus, and then 48 stops later, another bus — but the journey was worth it.

"The McSki is hands-down the coolest McDonald's I've visited anywhere in the world," He said.

The McDonald's on Dongmen Street in Shenzhen, China

"I really love the Shenzhen location in China," said He, adding, "It was the first McDonald's in China at a time when the country wasn't fully open to American businesses."

The restaurant opened on October 8, 1990, in Shenzhen's special economic zone. On its first day, it welcomed over 40,000 customers despite a seating capacity of 460, the South China Morning Post reported.

The restaurant balances local design with the chain's signature branding. The three-floor building features pagoda-style roofs, integrating traditional Chinese architectural design with the golden arches.

Reflecting on its distinct appearance, He added, "It's pretty epic."

The airplane McDonald's in Taupō, New Zealand

Ever wondered what it's like to enjoy a Big Mac on a static passenger plane? In Taupo, a town in New Zealand, you can.

Named one of the "world's coolest McDonald's," per a sign post, this restaurant is inside a decommissioned DC-3 plane built in 1943. At first, it was used as a passenger plane and then as a crop duster, an agricultural aircraft that sprays pesticides on crops from the air.

In 1984, it was decommissioned and, per Atlas Obscura, became a promotional product in Taupō's Aeroplane Car Company's parking lot until McDonald's bought it in 1990.

"The airplane location in Taupo is iconic," said He.

The UFO-shaped McDonald's in New Mexico, US

A McDonald's in the shape of a UFO is fitting for Roswell, a town known for its rumored alien sightings and extraterrestrial encounters.

The town became popular in 1947 when a mysterious aircraft, which the local newspaper, the Roswell Daily Record, identified as a "flying saucer," crashed into a ranch. Then, in 1980, Stanton Friedman, a former nuclear physicist, came across the 1947 news story and alleged it to be an alien spacecraft, sparking widespread outcry.

Government records later showed the aircraft was a top-secret government surveillance balloon used to detect echoes of Soviet nuclear-testing blasts.

But by then, people were convinced the government was hiding information about alien life, and UFOs had become a mini-industry with several themed attractions, such as the annual UFO festival and a museum, spread across town.

In 2005, a few miles from the crash site, McDonald's opened a restaurant shaped like a spaceship with neon lights.

But He loves the restaurant for more than just its exteriors.

"It has a gift shop," he said, adding, "I mean, it's cool looking, but they have merchandise, which I think is super cool."

The gift shop features Ronald McDonald in a spacesuit and alien statues.

The Méqui1000 in São Paulo, Brazil

He's final favorite is the Méqui1000 in São Paulo, Brazil, a spot that combines playful creativity with historical significance.

"It looks like the White House but decorated as a kindergartner's art project," He said, adding that the restaurant's façade undergoes multiple changes in a year and is usually adorned with vibrant artwork for promotional campaigns.

Méqui1000 also holds cultural significance; it was the 1,000th McDonald's in Brazil, one of 20 nations with over 1,000 McDonald's stores, according to Yahoo Finance.

"It's a huge market and an important location," He said.

The menu here also features items exclusive to Brazil, like the Super Mac, a fully loaded burger with lettuce, tomato, and onion, which is in a contrast to the simpler burgers popular in the US.

"Culturally, Americans want it [their burgers] cheap, fast, and straightforward, but in Brazil and other countries, people want their burgers a little more dressed up," He said.

The Magnífico, another Brazilian favorite, follows this trend with its premium toppings, making Méqui1000 a must-visit for travelers and food enthusiasts alike.