Bonita Mersiades is a FIFA whistleblower and a former head of corporate and public affairs at Football Australia. She played a key role in Australia's bid to host the 2018 and 2022 FIFA World Cups, a bidding season at the heart of a major FIFA corruption scandal that led to the indictment of 14 officials and executives.
After she was fired in 2010, Mersiades became a prominent whistleblower and helped expose "the FIFA way," the culture of bribery and corruption within FIFA. Her efforts contributed to investigations that led to high-profile FIFA arrests in 2015. She is the author of "Whatever It Takes: The Inside Story of the FIFA Way" and the founder of Fair Play Publishing, a company specializing in nonfiction stories about football.
Mersiades speaks with Business Insider about the ongoing culture of corruption within FIFA, the controversial 2018 and 2022 selections of Russia and Qatar, and the history of misconduct and misogyny within the world of football. She speaks about the future of the World Cup tournament, which has been awarded to Saudi Arabia for 2034.
United Airlines will roll out free Starlink WiFi on regional aircraft this spring.
Its entire fleet of 1,000 Boeing and Airbus planes will eventually get the upgrade too.
More than half a dozen carriers worldwide have inked deals for Starlink WiFi.
United Airlines is one step closer to bringing free WiFi to its planes.
The Chicago-based carrier announced plans in January to test Elon Musk's high-speed Starlink internet on an Embraer 175 regional jet in February.
By year-end, United's entire two-cabin regional fleet, meaning its smaller planes with first and economy class, will get the upgrade. Its first mainline aircraft will also take off by the end of 2025, with the entire fleet getting the upgrade at some point.
Members of United's MileagePlus loyalty program will be able to access Starlink for free, including for browsing and streaming.
Members currently pay $8 for internet on domestic and short-haul international flights, while non-members by $10. International WiFi pricing depends on destination and flight length.
United's new free internet access will join Delta Air Lines and JetBlue Airways, both of which already provide complimentary WiFi through other providers like ViaSat and Gogo
American Airlines has free ad-sponsored internet on certain narrow-body planes, but it's limited to 20 or 30 minutes.
Starlink is growing its list of airline customers
Starlink, an arm of SpaceX, provides WiFi via low-orbit satellites. Its reliability is particularly useful in remote areas and on cruise ships, and its popularity has grown on commercial airplanes.
Viasat, by comparison, has only a few satellites and is slower by comparison.
Hawaiian Airlines, now merged with Alaska Airlines, has retrofitted its Airbus A330 and A321neo planes with free Starlink and has plans to add its Boeing 787s, too.
AirBaltic, Air France, Air New Zealand, Qatar Airways, and Japan's Zipair have also selected Starlink for their fleets.
Qatar rolled out free Starlink on its first Boeing 777 in October. It plans to install the service on the entire 777 fleet by the end of 2025 and start the upgrades on its Airbus A350s this summer.
Business Insider tested Qatar's new WiFi at 36,000 feet and found a download speed of up to 215 megabits per second, though it dipped over certain areas.
The service could easily manage high-speed streaming and video calling with little to no buffering.
Several airlines retired the Boeing 747 during the pandemic and Boeing stopped production.
But the iconic "Queen of the Skies" is still operated by several country's governments and royals.
That includes China's Xi Jinping and the Saudi King, who boards on a golden escalator.
The Boeing 747 has become one of the most iconic airplanes ever built since it was introduced in 1970. The double-decker aircraft pioneered the use of the term "jumbo jet."
But the "Queen of the Skies" is growing old, and its four engines are thirstier than newer, more fuel-efficient jets.
A handful of Boeing 747s are still flying commercially, but you're more likely to see one carrying cargo.
Yet sometimes, reputation outweighs efficiency. The 747 is still the jet of choice for 11 governments and royal families around the world.
Air Force One is the most iconic β although technically, it's not a 747 but a militarized version called the VC-25A. The jumbo jet is most popular among leaders in Asia, primarily the Middle East.
In alphabetical order, here are the countries that have their own Boeing 747s.
Bahrain
The Kingdom of Bahrain, an island country in the Persian Gulf, is one of many oil-rich nations on this list.
Bahrain Royal Flight operates two 747-400s which are both over 20 years old. They are used to fly King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa and his family.
Brunei
The Sultan of Brunei, Hassanal Bolkiah, is one of the flashiest leaders in the world. His palace has over 1,700 rooms, more than 2 million sq ft of space, and a 110-car garage.
One of the few absolute monarchs on this list, he has one Boeing 747-8, which is operated by the airline Sultan's Flight.
Sultan's Flight previously had another two 747s. Its current fleet also includes a Boeing 767 and a Boeing 787 Dreamliner that was delivered in 2018.
China
China is the only country whose governmental Boeing 747 is actually operated by its flag carrier.
With the Air China livery, it looks the same as the airline's eight 747s on the outside. However, the one registered B-2479 is said to have been kitted out for the government to use.
During Xi Jinping's visit to South America in November, Air China deployed another 747 for other personnel, as well as a cargo version that carried a luxury Hongqi car, Simple Flying reported.
Morocco
Morocco has the lowest GDP per capita on this list, of $4,204. However, the royal family is one of the richest: Forbes estimated that King Mohammed VI had a net worth of $5.7 billion in 2015.
There are two jumbo jets registered to the country's government: a 747-400 and a larger 747-8. It also owns a Boeing 737.
The 747s have "Kingdom of Morocco" written on the side in Arabic, and stripes in the flag's colors of red and green. It's similar to the former livery of the country's flag carrier, Royal Air Maroc.
Oman
Like Brunei's leader, the Sultan of Oman, Haitham bin Tariq also heads an absolute monarchy.
Oman Royal Flight operates two Boeing 747s. The older 747-400 was delivered in 2001, while a newer 747-8 was delivered in 2012.
The Sultan also owns a business-jet version of Airbus' A320 and A319 jets.
Qatar
The Boeing 747 pictured above may look like a Qatar Airways plane from the outside, but it is only used to transport the country's ruling Al-Thani family.
Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani and his wife, Noora bint Hathal Al Dosari, arrived on one of their two 747-8s when they visited the UK in December.
Qatar Amiri Flight has 13 planes in total β the most of any on this list.
Bloomberg estimated the family's fortune to be $150 billion. The country's sovereign wealth fund has myriad investments around the globe, including a substantial stake in London Heathrow Airport.
Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia has the richest royal family in the world. Including its holdings in state oil company Aramco, some estimates put the figure over $1 trillion.
Among its six active jets is one Boeing 747-400, per ch-aviation data.
88-year-old King Salman travels with a 1,500-person entourage and two Mercedes Benz limousines, The Points Guy reported.
He also has a golden escalator to board and deplane the 747 βΒ which once malfunctioned on a trip to Russia.
South Korea's presidential jet is known as Code One β an upgraded 747-8 leased from flag carrier Korean Air.
It's the newest plane on this list, in service since January 2022.
"From decorating the exterior of the plane to remodeling the inside of the plane with customized facilities for the president, such as an office room and sleeping area, the plane needs to reinforce its protection function for the security of the president," an industry inside told The Korea Herald.
Turkey
After opposition politicians expressed concern about using taxpayers' money to buy a jet, Qatar's Al-Thani gifted Turkey a $500 million Boeing 747-8 in 2018, per the BBC.
The two countries grew closer after Turkey supported Qatar during a diplomatic crisis from 2017 to 2021, when other Arab states cut off ties.
The Turkish government also owns four Airbus planes.
United States
Air Force One is perhaps the most iconic governmental plane. However, it stands out from the rest because it isn't technically a 747. Instead, it's a militarized version called the VC-25A, meaning it can do things like refuel in midair.
However, it's over 30 years old, with two new ones in the pipeline. In his first term, Donald Trump renegotiated the contract with Boeing to limit costs below $4 billion. He most likely won't get to fly on the new jets, though, with delivery now expected in 2029.
The Waltons have reclaimed the title of the world's wealthiest family
The Walmart family fortune has grown by 66% since last year to a record $432 billion.
Jim, Rob, Alice, and the other Waltons are richer than the royal families of Abu Dhabi and Qatar.
The Waltons are once again the world's wealthiest family, ranking ahead of Gulf royalty, luxury fashion houses, and industrial dynasties.
The heirs to the Walmart fortune have grown their wealth by 66% since last year to a record $432 billion as of December 5, meaning they've regained the No.1 spot on Bloomberg's annual list of the world's richest families.
That wealth figure exceeds the market value of some of America's biggest companies including Home Depot ($412 billion), Procter & Gamble ($402 billion), and Netflix ($396 billion).
Abu Dhabi's ruling family, the Al Nahyans, topped the ranking last year with an estimated $305 billion fortune that dwarfed the Waltons' $260 billion. The two clans switched places this year with the Al Nahyans now worth $324 billion, more than $100 billion less than the Waltons.
Qatar's ruling dynasty, the Al Thanis, placed third this year with $173 billion to their name. France's Hermès family, which includes the Birkin maker's artistic director and executive chairman, landed in fourth with $171 billion. Rounding out the top five were the Kochs, the legendary US industrialists worth an estimated $149 billion.
The richest families on the planet also include Saudi Arabia's rulers, candy dynasties Mars and Ferrero, and the Wertheimer family behind Chanel.
Family fortunes
Walmart founder Sam Walton's three surviving children β Jim, Rob, and Alice β have each grown about $43 billion richer this year, per the Bloomberg Billionaires Index.
The trio joined the $100 billion club in September and ranked among the 15 richest people on the planet as of December 12 with north of $112 billion to each of their names.
Lukas and Christy Walton, the son and widow of Sam's late son, John T. Walton, also feature on Bloomberg's rich list with net worths of about $40 billion and $18 billion each.
The five Waltons' combined fortune has ballooned by more than $150 billion this year, representing a big chunk of the 25 richest families' total wealth gain of $407 billion.
The Walton family's wealth bump has been fueled by a roughly 80% surge in the retailer's stock price this year. Sam Walton gave each of his four children a 20% stake in the family enterprise early on, and his three surviving kids each own upward of 11% of Walmart β now a company valued north of $750 billion β through a family trust. They've also raked in more than $15 billion from stock sales and dividends over the years, Bloomberg says.