• OpenAI confirmed it is working on a new company structure.
• Its current for-profit arm has been governed by a nonprofit board.
• OpenAI said its existing for-profit arm would become a public benefit corporation with ordinary shares of stock.

OpenAI has detailed its plans for a new corporate structure that would separate its business from being controlled by its nonprofit board.

In a blog post shared by the company on social media on Friday, the company said its board was considering "how to best structure OpenAI to advance the mission of ensuring AGI benefits all of humanity have been."

"Our plan is to transform our existing for-profit into a Delaware Public Benefit Corporation⁠ (PBC) with ordinary shares of stock and the OpenAI mission as its public benefit interest," OpenAI wrote.

"The PBC is a structure⁠ used⁠ by many others⁠ that requires the company to balance shareholder interests, stakeholder interests, and a public benefit interest in its decisionmaking. It will enable us to raise the necessary capital with conventional terms like others in this space."

This structure aims to generate profit while also benefiting the public interest. The nonprofit arm would take shares in the public benefit corporation, it added.

OpenAI said it was planning to make the change to its structure "in order to best support the mission of ensuring artificial general intelligence benefits all of humanity."

"As we enter 2025, we will have to become more than a lab and a startup — we have to become an enduring company," it added.

This is a developing story…

• A group of Republicans recently introduced a bill to repeal the Impoundment Control Act.
• It would hand Trump more control over government spending — he could even unilaterally cut it off.
• Several Republicans who backed the bill told BI they're fine with giving up congressional power.

Ahead of President-elect Donald Trump's return to the White House, some Republicans on Capitol Hill are ready to do something unusual: Relinquish some of their own power over federal spending.

More than 20 Republicans cosponsored a bill this month that would repeal the Impoundment Control Act of 1974, or ICA, a Watergate-era law that requires the president to spend all of the money that Congress approves. In the absence of that law and subsequent court rulings, the president would have the power to spend less money than what Congress decides — or refuse to spend money on certain programs altogether.

That would bring a massive power shift from the legislative to the executive branch, upending a balance between the two that's existed for 50 years. Some Republicans on Capitol Hill say it's their best hope of enacting spending cuts and reducing the national debt, given Congress's history of inaction and what they view as their colleagues' unwillingness to reduce spending.

"I think the spending is just out of control, and I think Congress is gutless," Rep. Tim Burchett of Tennessee told Business Insider. "I just don't think we're capable of making changes without some other interference, whether it be the executive branch or the voters."

"If the power is reducing expenditures, then I'm all for it," Rep. Eric Burlison of Missouri told BI. "Something has to be done."

"You look at where we are in this country, why not give him that power?" Rep. Ralph Norman of South Carolina told BI, referring to the country's fiscal situation. "At this point, I'm willing to take that risk. Anything can be abused. I can drink too much water, and suffer from it."

The Trump-Vance transition did not respond to a request for comment.

'We can simply choke off the money'

Trump is no stranger to impoundment — his first impeachment was triggered by his refusal to deliver aid to Ukraine. As he's mounted his third presidential bid, Trump has argued that the ICA is unconstitutional and should be done away with, either via congressional repeal or via the courts.

"With impoundment, we can simply choke off the money," Trump said in a 2023 campaign video. "I alone can get that done."

As Trump has staffed up his administration, he's appointed staunch proponents of impoundment to key positions. That includes Russell Vought and Mark Paoletta, who have been nominated to their previously held roles of director and general counsel of the Office of Management and Budget, respectively.

The president-elect's allies have argued that impoundment is a constitutional power that all presidents hold, owing to the president's duty under Article II of the US Constitution to "take Care that the Laws be faithfully executed."

They also point out that for roughly 200 years before 1974 — when Congress passed the ICA as President Richard Nixon refused to spend money on programs he disagreed with — presidents of all stripes have used impoundment for a variety of reasons, including policy disagreements.

"When Congress passes a spending bill, we pass a ceiling," Rep. Andrew Clyde, the Georgia Republican who introduced the ICA repeal bill, told BI. "It's not a floor and ceiling put together at one number."

More recently, impoundment has been embraced by Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy, whose "Department of Government Efficiency" initiative aims to enact trillions of dollars in cuts to federal spending. The duo have publicly agreed with Trump's argument that the ICA is unconstitutional, and the topic arose when they visited Capitol Hill to speak with Republicans earlier this month.

"I look at it as a tool of saving money, and being more efficient," Clyde said. "That's what the American people literally demanded in this election."

'Maybe this is too broad'

There are plenty of opponents of impoundment on Capitol Hill, including among Republicans. Sen. Susan Collins of Maine, the incoming GOP chairwoman of the Senate Appropriations Committee, has told reporters that she's opposed to repealing the ICA. And it's not just Trump skeptics who are uneasy with it.

"If it's something that further weakens Congress' ability to do its job the way they should be, then I'm going to look at that real carefully," Republican Rep. Mark Amodei of Nevada told BI in November.

Key Democrats, meanwhile, have expressed opposition to Trump's impoundment plans. Rep. Brendan Boyle, the top Democrat on the House Budget Committee, released a fact sheet making a case against impoundment.

"The legal theories being pushed by Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy are as idiotic as they are dangerous," Boyle said in a statement. "Unilaterally slashing funds that have been lawfully appropriated by the people's elected representatives in Congress would be a devastating power grab that undermines our economy and puts families and communities at risk."

Republican skepticism, along with Democrats' likely opposition to any effort to give Trump more spending power, could make repealing the law via Congress an uphill battle.

The president-elect said in the 2023 video that he "will do everything I can to challenge the Impoundment Control Act in court," queueing up what would be a high-stakes legal fight early in his second term.

What remains unclear is exactly how expansively Trump would try to use impoundment. For some of the Republicans who support the effort, it's merely about spending less than what's necessary. Others warn that Trump could use that power in a retributive way, denying federal funding to states and localities over policy disagreements.

Even those who've cosponsored the ICA repeal bill expressed some ambivalence about its potential implications.

"Maybe this is too broad. I don't know," Rep. Andy Biggs of Arizona told BI. "But I can tell you this: if you have a president who says 'I don't need 10 billion, I need 2 billion,' then I would like them not to spend that 8 billion. That's really kind of what the objective is, I think."

• In the new Bob Dylan biopic "A Complete Unknown," Elle Fanning plays Sylvie Russo.
• The character is a renamed version of Dylan's former girlfriend Suze Rotolo.
• They dated in the early '60s, and Rotolo appeared on the cover of "The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan."

Elle Fanning's Sylvie Russo plays a key role in the new Bob Dylan biopic "A Complete Unknown," acting as the main romantic interest, artistic muse, and down-to-earth foil to Timotheé Chalamet's mysterious musical genius.

She's also the only character who was given a name different than her real-life counterpart, in this case Suze Rotolo, the artist, political activist, and eventual author who died in 2011 from lung cancer.

Rotolo met Dylan in the early 1960s shortly after he moved to New York City, where Rotolo was working for the Congress of Racial Equality (CORE). They quickly fell in love and moved in together in Greenwich Village.

Director James Mangold confirmed to Rolling Stone that Fanning's character Sylvie Russo is meant to closely resemble the real Rotolo, rather than be a "half-Suze, half-fictional" creation.

"It was a character who I felt — and I think Bob very much agreed when we talked early on — was the only one who wasn't a celebrity and an icon in and of themselves with a kind of public persona," Mangold said. "Everyone else is up for the gauntlet and has been in that game a long time. And Suze was just a real person."

"In many ways," he added, "Elle plays our access point or more normal kind of citizen, if you will, among all these eccentric characters. She's much more like someone we know."

According to Fanning, Dylan asked Mangold not to use Rotolo's real name, because she was "a very private person and didn't ask for this life."

"She was obviously someone that was very special and sacred to Bob," Fanning said in a separate Rolling Stone interview.

The movie accurately depicts the couple's first meeting in 1961 at a Riverside Church hootenanny, per Rolling Stone. At the time, Dylan was 20, while Rotolo was 17.

"Right from the start I couldn't take my eyes off her. She was the most erotic thing I'd ever seen," Dylan wrote in his 2004 memoir, "Chronicles: Volume One."

"She was fair skinned and golden haired, full-blood Italian. The air was suddenly filled with banana leaves," he continued. "We started talking and my head started to spin. Cupid's arrow had whistled past my ears before, but this time it hit me in the heart and the weight of it dragged me overboard."

In Dylan's recollection, Rotolo was embedded in the New York art scene as a painter, illustrator, and graphic designer, in addition to her work with civil rights committees. She'd grown up in Queens, he said, and was raised in a "left-wing family." It's been reported that both her parents were members of the American Communist Party.

"Meeting her was like stepping into the tales of '1001 Arabian Nights.' She had a smile that could light up a street full of people and was extremely lively, had a kind of voluptuousness — a Rodin sculpture come to life," Dylan wrote. "She reminded me of a libertine heroine. She was just my type."

Not long after their first encounter, Dylan said he ran into Rotolo's sister, Carla, and asked if he could see Rotolo again.

"She said, 'Oh, she'd like to see you, too,'" he recalled. "Eventually we got to be pretty inseparable. Outside of my music, being with her seemed to be the main point in my life."

By early 1962, Dylan and Rotolo had moved in together, even though her family disapproved. (Dylan described Rotolo's mother, Mary, as "very protective" and disapproving of Dylan's "nameless way of life." Rotolo's father, Gioachino, died when Rotolo was 14.)

Rotolo had a major impact on Dylan's artistic taste and political views

In his memoir, Dylan said he began to broaden his horizons once Rotolo entered his life. She loaned him poetry books, introduced him to works by Arthur Rimbaud and Bertolt Brecht, and took him to local hang-out spots for artists and painters. He was particularly fond of off-Broadway productions and local museums.

"A new world of art was opening up my mind," Dylan wrote.

"A Complete Unknown" also correctly notes that Rotolo inspired Dylan to write topical songs, including "The Death of Emmett Till" and "Oxford Town."

"A lot of what I gave him was a look at how the other half lived — left-wing things that he didn't know," Rotolo told writer David Hajdu in his book "Positively 4th Street."

"He knew about Woody [Guthrie] and Pete Seeger, but I was working for CORE and went on youth marches for civil rights, and all that was new to him," she explained. "It was in the air, but it was new to him."

After the commercial failure of Dylan's self-titled debut album, he pivoted from folk covers to writing his own songs, influenced by Rotolo's poetry and his expanding political awareness. These formed the bedrock of his 1963 sophomore album, "The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan." Rotolo cemented herself in music history by posing with Dylan for the cover art, the pair walking arm-in-arm down Jones Street.

In her 2008 memoir, "A Freewheelin' Time," Rotolo said the album cover was beloved for its "casual down-home spontaneity," which was unusual for the "perfectly posed" trends of the time. She said it embodied the image of "rebellion against the status quo."

"The songs had something to say," she wrote. "It was folk music, but it was really rock and roll."

Before 'A Freewheelin' Bob Dylan' was finished, Rotolo went to study art in Europe, leaving Dylan heartbroken in New York

In the summer of 1962, Rotolo left New York to study art at the University of Perugia in Italy. ("A Complete Unknown" shows Russo leaving for 12 weeks. In real life, she was gone for six months.)

Dylan channeled his lovelorn yearning into songs like "Don't Think Twice, It's All Right," a much-celebrated highlight on his sophomore album; "Down the Highway," which includes a lyric about his lover taking his heart "away to Italy;" and "Boots of Spanish Leather," later included on his third album, 1964's "The Times They Are a-Changin.'"

The couple shot the album cover for "A Freewheelin' Bob Dylan" after Rotolo returned in January 1963. But their romantic relationship wouldn't last much longer.

As both parties recalled, Dylan's fast-growing fame eroded their trust and intimacy. Rotolo also said she took issue with Dylan's "paranoia and secrecy."

In "A Complete Unknown," the couple fight about Dylan's reluctance to discuss his pre-New York life in the Midwest. Russo specifically needles him about changing his name, which matches the recollections in Rotolo's memoir; she'd found out that Dylan's real name was Robert Allen Zimmerman when his draft card fell out of his wallet. "It was suddenly upsetting that he hadn't been open with me," she wrote. "I was hurt."

"People make up their past, Sylvie," Dylan counters in the movie. "They remember what they want. They forget the rest."

According to Fanning, Dylan himself added a line to the screenplay for the fight scene, which takes place before Russo leaves for Italy.

"It was something like, 'Don't even bother coming back,'" Fanning told Rolling Stone. "We know the arguments were real, so maybe he was remembering something — or regretting something that he said to her."

Even after they stopped living together, Rotolo said she and Dylan still spent time together

In August 1963, Rotolo moved out of their shared apartment on West 4th Street to live with her sister instead.

"I could no longer cope with all the pressure, gossip, truth, and lies that living with Bob entailed," Rotolo wrote in her memoir. "I was unable to find solid ground — I was on quicksand and very vulnerable."

Shortly after, Rotolo discovered she was pregnant and had an illegal abortion, which she said sent her into a depression. At the same time, Dylan's rumored affair with Joan Baez (Rotolo described him as "a lying shit of a guy with women, an adept juggler") and his long-simmering tension with Rotolo's family ("For her parasite sister, I had no respect," Dylan sings in "Ballad in Plain D," a song he later said was a mistake to release) put strain on their relationship.

However, the young couple continued to spend time together — or, as Rotolo put it in her book, they were "caught in the whirlpool of indecision that is tortured young love." She also described their connection as an "addiction."

Though Rotolo said they'd "ostensibly broken up" by late 1963, Dylan regularly visited Rotolo's apartment and called whenever he was out of town. Still, she felt increasingly suffocated by Dylan's mystique and the worship of his fans. She feared people were only nice to her to get close to him and, she wrote, lost a sense of herself in the process.

"It wasn't easy; even when broken, the bond between lovers tends to hold in unpredictable ways," Rotolo wrote. "But I knew I was not suited for his life. I could never be the woman behind the great man."

It's unclear exactly when the couple cut ties for good, but sometime in 1963 or 1964, Rotolo realized she had to walk away. Dylan agreed, she wrote, with a "resigned sadness."

In 1965, ahead of Dylan's spring tour in England, Rotolo said she got a call from his manager about updating her passport.

"This was another cue for me to sever another tie," she wrote. "Slowly untying all those entanglements. I said thank you but no."

In "A Complete Unknown," Russo is present for the climactic event: Dylan's electric performance at the 1965 Newport Folk Festival.

In real life, Rotolo wasn't there to see Dylan enrage his friends and fans with rock music; Dylan was already living at the Chelsea Hotel with his future wife, Sara Lownds, by the time he performed at the festival in July 1965. Lownds was also pregnant with their son, Jesse.

"During our time together things became very complicated because so much happened to him so fast," Rotolo wrote in her memoir. "We had a good time, but also a hard time, as a young couple in love."

Dylan's memoir includes a similarly enigmatic description of their breakup.

"The alliance between Suze and me didn't turn out exactly to be a holiday in the woods," he wrote. "Eventually fate flagged it down and it came to a full stop. It had to end. She took one turn in the road and I took another. We just passed out of each others' lives."

• A North Korean soldier was captured by Ukraine, per South Korean intelligence.
• The soldier later died from his injuries, the National Intelligence Service said.
• It comes after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Russia was trying to hide North Korean losses.

A North Korean soldier captured by Ukrainian forces has died from his injuries, South Korea's National Intelligence Service (NIS) said on Friday, per Yonhap news agency.

The NIS had earlier confirmed reports that an injured North Korean soldier had been taken prisoner by Ukraine.

"Through real-time information sharing with a friendly nation's intelligence organization, (we) confirmed the capture of a wounded North Korean soldier and plans to thoroughly examine the subsequent development," the NIS said in a statement.

The incident marked the first reported case of a North Korean combatant being taken alive during the ongoing war in Ukraine.

The soldier was reportedly seized on December 26 in Russia's Kursk region, into which Ukraine launched an offensive in August.

It comes after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said earlier this month that Russia was trying to "conceal losses" of North Korean troops fighting against Ukraine.

"After first combats with our warriors, Russians are trying… to literally burn the faces of North Korean soldiers killed in battle," Zelenskyy wrote on X, sharing a video seemingly showing the alleged act.

"There is not a single reason for North Koreans to fight and die for Putin. And even after they do, Russia has only humiliation for them," he continued. "This madness must be stopped—stoped by a reliable and durable peace, as well as Russia's accountability for this cynical war."

Pyongyang reportedly began sending troops to Russia in October, with up to 11,000 thought to have arrived in Kursk so far.

North Korea's elite "Storm" Corps have reportedly been at the forefront of the fighting in the region.

The NIS said more than 100 "Storm" troops had been killed and 1,000 more injured in their first battles for Russia.

The agency reportedly told lawmakers earlier this month that the elite troops — thought to be Pyongyang's best-trained and most heavily indoctrinated — are ill-prepared for drone attacks and the local terrain.

Zelenskyy said in December that preliminary estimates suggested over 3,000 North Korean soldiers had been killed or wounded in Russia's Kursk region.

• The CDC randomly inspects and scores cruise ships to prevent the spread of stomach viruses.
• 27 cruise ships received a perfect score in 2024.
• Norovirus can spread quickly on packed vessels.

Not all cruise ships are created — or operated — equally.

In 2024, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported 13 bacterial and viral outbreaks (mostly norovirus) on ships. However, not every floating resort is damned to become a floating petri dish.

Quite the opposite — in 2024, the public health agency awarded perfect sanitation scores to 27 vessels.

Norovirus, also known as the stomach flu, is the most common virus to afflict cruises. Crowded ships provide an ideal setting for the highly contagious bug to spread fast, often through contaminated water, food, surfaces, and people.

Just as quickly, it can ruin your vacation — the four predominant symptoms are vomiting, diarrhea, nausea, and stomach pain.

To help mitigate these incidents, the CDC's Vessel Sanitation Program regularly inspects cruise liners and scores them from zero to 100.

The reviews — which include checking heavily trafficked areas like pools and children's activity centers — are random and unannounced.

Vermin and improperly stored food are big no-nos. In addition to the obvious, inspectors also look behind the scenes for more nuanced details, such as the dishwasher's water temperature and the frequency at which the pool's hair and lint strainer is disinfected.

The CDC has performed 151 inspections in 2024, including repeat inspections on 23 ships. The majority scored above 95, and 27 (listed below) have received perfect marks:

• Celebrity Apex — Celebrity Cruises (inspected November 10)
• Seven Seas Grandeur — Regent Seven Seas Cruises (inspected October 23)
• Norwegian Jade — Norwegian Cruise Line (inspected October 21)
• Carnival Magic — Carnival Cruise Line (inspected October 13)
• Star Pride — Windstar Cruises (inspected September 29)
• Jewel of the Seas — Royal Caribbean International (inspected September 28)
• Serenade of the Seas — Royal Caribbean International (inspected September 10)
• Carnival Spirit — Carnival Cruise Line (inspected September 3)
• Zuiderdam — Holland America Line (inspected August 24)
• Viking Orion — Viking Ocean Cruises (inspected August 18)
• Seabourn Odyssey — Seabourn Cruise Line (inspected August 16)
• Norwegian Jewel — Norwegian Cruise Line (inspected July 24)
• Oceania Regatta — Oceania Cruises (inspected July 24)
• Radiance of the Seas — Royal Caribbean International (inspected July 21)
• MSC Meraviglia — MSC Cruises (inspected July 9)
• Norwegian Bliss — Norwegian Cruise Line (inspected June 22)
• MSC Seashore — MSC Cruises (inspected May 26)
• Norwegian Sky — Norwegian Cruise Line (inspected May 23)
• Brilliance of the Seas — Royal Caribbean International (inspected May 16)
• Viking Polaris — Viking (inspected April 2)
• Celebrity Equinox — Celebrity Cruises (inspected February 25)
• Norwegian Breakaway — Norwegian Cruise Line (inspected September 22)
• Norwegian Escape — Norwegian Cruise Line (inspected January 27)
• Explora I — MSC Cruises (inspected January 25)
• Disney Fantasy — Disney Cruise Line (inspected January 24)
• Celebrity Ascent — Celebrity Cruises (inspected January 7)
• Norwegian Gem — Norwegian Cruise Line (inspected January 2)

In 2023, 24 vessels racked a perfect score.

• Tim Miller was paid $225,000 for directing the first "Deadpool" movie in 2016.
• The superhero movie raked in $782 million at the box office.
• It launched a huge franchise, which is worth $2.9 billion after 2024's "Deadpool & Wolverine."

Back in 2016 Tim Miller directed "Deadpool", launching a lucrative global superhero franchise — work he said earned him a relatively small $225,000.

The violent, R-rated movies star Ryan Reynolds as the titular foul-mouthed superhero. According to TheNumbers.com, the franchise is now worth over $2.9 billion after the riotous success of the third film, "Deadpool & Wolverine."

Collider reported that Miller discussed his salary during a recent panel at the CCXP convention in Brazil, which took place from December 5-8.

He said: "You guys might not know, but it's not really a profitable thing to be a first-time director in Hollywood, and I'll tell you exactly. I got $225,000 to direct 'Deadpool.' I know it sounds like a lot of money, but for two years of work, that's not a ton of money."

Miller said he was grateful for the opportunity, but joked that at the time, his agent told him: "'Dude, you make more on an episode of 'The Walking Dead!'"

The director went on to say that there's a misconception about typical salaries in Hollywood. "I think a lot of people think that everyone's getting paid millions and millions in Hollywood. It's just not the case, not always," he said.

The minimum salary for members of the Director's Guild of America in 2024 is $237,670 for a guaranteed shoot of 10 weeks.

In July 2024, Reynolds said he "let go of getting paid" for "Deadpool" because it was a passion project for him and he wanted to see it on the big screen. The film was a risk because of its violence and profanity, which meant that younger fans and families couldn't go see it.

Regardless, it still made $782 million worldwide, according to Box Office Mojo. For Miller, that success overrides the small salary.

He said: "You know what I feel? Nothing but pride. I mean, I feel like every time I walk down the aisles out there on the floor of CCXP and I see all these Deadpool figurines, I think they wouldn't be here if we hadn't made that film. And I feel uniquely fortunate that I could be part of it."

Miller's work on "Deadpool" propelled his career forward. He directed 2019's "Terminator: Dark Fate" as well as episodes of Netflix's "Love, Death, and Robots." He also created the animated anthology video game series, "Secret Level," for Amazon Prime Video.

He also joked that he should've negotiated a merchandise deal into his contract.

"Then my second thought is, I wish my director deals had a piece of the merchandising so that I could get some money from all of that."

Rob Mitchell, the director of theatrical insights at Gower Street Analytics, told Business Insider that backend and merchandise deals allow actors and directors to take on "riskier" projects that earn more if the project is successful.

He said: "The most famous one is Jack Nicholson's deal on the original 'Batman' film that he got a huge payday out of. He took a salary cut, but took a backend and made an absolute fortune of it. That isn't uncommon, that would happen with big stars in riskier projects."

• Pro-Trump tech leaders and MAGA loyalists are feuding over how to overhaul US immigration.
• A debate over high-skill immigration intensified between the two groups in recent days.
• The debate came after Trump's appointment of an Indian-born tech leader as a senior policy advisor.

President-elect Donald Trump's backers in Silicon Valley are at odds with his MAGA loyalists over a key issue: immigration.

In recent days, Elon Musk and others in the tech sector have increasingly shared support for visas that allow companies to hire highly-skilled workers from overseas. The move has riled up Trump backers in favor of stricter immigration rules in the process.

The recent debate came after Trump offered Sriram Krishnan, a Chennai-born, Indian-American investor, a role as a senior policy advisor for artificial intelligence — a move that triggered heated criticisms online.

Krishnan, who was recently in London leading an expansion of venture capital firm A16z's — previously lived in the US, where he completed stints at Microsoft, Twitter, and Meta from 2005.

Criticisms have largely come from anonymous accounts online — one X post asked if anyone had voted "for this Indian to run America," prompting a defense from Trump's AI and crypto czar David Sacks.

They also prompted a wider debate on the merits of the H-1B visa commonly used to employ skilled workers from other countries.

Tech leaders such as Musk, who have been deeply critical of illegal immigration, have used the saga to defend immigration that prioritizes the transfer of high-skilled foreign workers into American companies.

On Thursday, Musk said his priority was bringing in top engineering talent legally — saying it is "essential for America to keep winning."

"Thinking of America as a pro sports team that has been winning for a long time and wants to keep winning is the right mental construct," he wrote on X.

Musk's co-lead at the Department of Government Efficiency, Vivek Ramaswamy, also took to X on Thursday. He argued that tech companies often hire foreign-born engineers, saying it allowed them to avoid what he called an American culture that has "venerated mediocrity over excellence for way too long."

"A culture that celebrates the prom queen over the math olympiad champ, or the jock over the valedictorian, will not produce the best engineers," he wrote in an almost 400-word post.

In a later post, he said immigration rules should be reformed more effectively to funnel talent to the US. The H-1B system was not effective, he said, and "should be replaced with one that focuses on selecting the very best of the best."

Marc Benioff, the boss of Salesforce, also weighed in, offering a solution to keep the "best and brightest" foreign students in the US after graduation: "Can we staple a US green card to every degree earned at an American university?"

The pro-immigration messages haven't gone down well with everyone in the Trump pack.

Former Florida congressman Matt Gaetz, who Trump briefly put forward to be his Attorney General, wrote an X post on Thursday saying that tech figures should butt out.

When Republicans embraced them, he said, "We did not ask them to engineer an immigration policy."

Meanwhile, far-right activist and Trump supporter Laura Loomer used several posts to express strong opposition to H-1B visas and her concerns over the "replacement of American tech workers by Indian immigrants."

Where Trump will land on the issue remains to be seen. Immigration lawyers have warned tech workers that a "storm is coming" with the arrival of a second Trump term, and suggested those who have left to get back before it's too late.

The debate signals a deep divide between different groups of Trump supporters as he prepared to take office.

• My husband and I are both from hardworking families, and we both used to work a lot.
• After having our third child, our priorities changed, and we now both work 4-day workweeks.
• We have less money but more time to spend with our family, and we're happier.

I first met my husband Sam when he was 24 and I was 21. Back then, he worked six days a week. At the time, he had his own remedial massage business on the Gold Coast, in Australia, and he believed that as a young business owner, he had to put in long hours to succeed.

Sam was raised in a hardworking, middle-income Australian family. His dad worked for the government, and his mom worked in retail. They taught Sam about the importance of having a strong work ethic, budgeting, and investing wisely.

I was also raised in a family of hard workers. For as long as I can remember, my dad worked 12-hour days, five days a week, as an agricultural spare parts salesman, while my mom worked part-time in advertising to help support our family of six.

As soon as I could, I started working and got a job at the age of 14 at our local ice cream shop to earn my own money. I continued working throughout school and while I was at university. Before I'd even graduated, I'd already lined up an internship at the local newspaper.

We traveled together for years and worked full-time when we returned home

In our 20s, Sam and I traveled for several years and did odd jobs while overseas. When we returned to Australia in 2013, we were pretty broke, so we started working full-time again and trying to fill up the coffers, so to speak.

I got a job as a print journalist at a newspaper in Melbourne then started my own copywriting business, while Sam opened a remedial massage and myotherapy clinic in Melbourne (he'd closed the Gold Coast business in 2011 when we went travelling).

It was during the pandemic that our priorities really shifted. When the 2020 lockdowns began in Melbourne, Sam had to close his clinic, while I continued working from home as a copywriter. He homeschooled our kids. I took over as the main breadwinner for the family.

I was working extremely long hours, and while it was financially lucrative, deep down, I knew our family life was suffering. By that stage, we had two children, and I felt like I was missing out on quality time with them.

By late 2021, the pandemic lockdowns had stopped, and life was pretty much back to normal. Sam and I were both working full-time again. Then, I became pregnant with our third child. She was born in August 2022.

We knew something had to change and decided it was our work schedules

Around Christmastime that year, we chatted about what was important to us. We decided we'd rather have less money if it meant having more time with our three children, who were then 7, 4, and four months old.

So, in 2023, we made some big changes. When I went back to work after maternity leave, I cut my hours back to four days a week, and my husband also cut his work hours back to four days a week. Having our own businesses meant we could dictate our own rosters, so we were extremely lucky in that regard.

We're still both only working four days each week, and our system is working really well for us. My husband and I tend to tag-team with the kids. One or the other of us will take care of our youngest (who only goes to day care three days a week) in the mornings and then work in the afternoon. We also take turns doing school pick-ups, so our kids know that either mommy or daddy will always be at the school gate waiting for them at the end of the day.

Rather than paying for childcare, which is expensive, we get to be the ones to take them to extracurricular activities and birthday parties, do homework with them, and watch their swimming lessons or dance recitals. Those moments are invaluable to us.

Working four days a week means my husband and I have had to adjust our spending habits quite a lot. We've felt the cost-of-living pressures in the past couple of years and have had to learn to budget better. But we believe it's worth it.

We know we'll probably never have the flashiest house or the best cars. But what we will have are plenty of memories with our children while they're still young and want to spend time with us. For us, those memories are worth their weight in gold.

• I recently stayed at Hotel Bel-Air, one of the most legendary hotels in Los Angeles.
• The iconic pink hotel is full of Hollywood history and luxurious suites.
• I was most impressed by its new culinary vision, including a brand-new on-site bakery.

If Hotel Bel-Air's signature pink stucco walls could talk, they'd be full of Old Hollywood's secrets.

The luxury resort, located in one of Los Angeles' most exclusive neighborhoods, was beloved by the likes of Grace Kelly, Elizabeth Taylor, and Marilyn Monroe. Ronald Reagan's daughter said "I do" in the garden, and King Charles once said he slept better in a bed there than in any other hotel in the world.

Hotel Bel-Air's star-studded guest list is now private, but its reputation remains esteemed. It's ranked No. 35 on the World's 50 Best Hotels list — one of just four resorts from the US to make the cut.

I've always wanted to see if Hotel Bel-Air was worth the hype. And with a brand-new culinary program led by a Michelin-starred chef, I knew it'd be the perfect time to visit.

Hotel Bel-Air feels like an escape from the moment you walk in.

As I walked across the bridge connecting the valet to the lobby, I admired the hotel's massive garden. The air smelled of jasmine, and swans were gliding across the lake. A waterfall was softly burbling in the distance. It was all incredibly lush and idyllic.

After checking in, I wandered past gorgeous pink buildings on the way to my room.

Hotel Bel-Air's signature pink stucco walls have remained unchanged since the 1940s, even through the hotel's major renovations.

The playful and cheerful hue transported me to the Mediterranean, as did the Spanish archways. Palm trees swayed in every direction, their fronds framing the nearby canyons. Dozens of pink and fuchsia flowers added bright pops of color, while a koi pond filled with orange and white fish shimmered under the sunlight.

I was spending the night in Hotel Bel-Air's canyon suite.

Rooms at the Hotel Bel-Air start at $900 a night, while my suite was priced at $3,500. (Business Insider received a media rate for the one-night stay.)

As I walked into my 600-square-foot suite, I was immediately struck by the change in vibe. The bright pink and green hues that filled the hotel's exterior had been swapped for deep earthy tones like olive green and burnt sienna.

The shift in design initially took me by surprise and was more subtle than I expected. But it's clear that the canyon suite is meant to be a peaceful sanctuary.

Plus, when you're confident in your natural glamour, you can be low-key about it. Isn't that the true meaning of quiet luxury?

Christoph Moje, the hotel's general manager, told BI that the "refined interiors of the Canyon Suite are aligned with the hotel's overarching design aesthetic, which is to provide guests with a welcoming yet luxurious environment that is the perfect retreat from LA's busy scene."

"Its look and feel is contemporary and fresh while also reflective of old-world glamour and understated elegance, much like Hotel Bel-Air itself," Moje added.

The spacious suite features a bedroom, two bathrooms, and a private patio.

The bedroom's color palette was the same as the living room's, and a wood-paneled ceiling added warmth to the space.

The leather bed frame had built-in book lights, which I thought were a cute touch. The king bed was topped with one of the plushest comforters I've ever slept with.

The real stars of the suite were the stunning views and heated plunge pool on the patio.

A retractable glass wall in the living room offers a full view of the huge patio, which features sun beds, lounge chairs, and a fireplace. It was easily my favorite part of the suite.

I had lunch at Hotel Bel-Air's restaurant, which is simply called The Restaurant.

Hotel Bel-Air's culinary director, Joe Garcia, told me there were two dishes that would never be removed from The Restaurant's menu: the chopped salad inspired by Nancy Reagan and the tortilla soup.

I opted for the soup, which debuted at The Restaurant in 1980. The delicious broth is light on the tongue but rich in flavor, with just a hint of creaminess thanks to the sour cream and knobs of avocado. The roasted chicken is tender and plentiful, while the wisps of saffron add a luxurious touch.

Then, I wandered through the pink halls to check out the hotel's pool.

Hotel Bel-Air's pool was once a horse-riding ring, hence its distinct oval shape.

The water is always heated to 82 degrees, and tall palm trees provide ample shade and a postcard-perfect backdrop.

I also stopped by the hotel's brand-new lounge for a cocktail.

The Living Room is hands down my favorite part of the Hotel Bel-Air.

It's a beautifully decorated space with stylish but comfortable velvet couches and chairs. A fire is always roaring in the center of the room, while big windows offer views of the fairy lights that twinkle from the trees at night.

Chef Garcia told me The Living Room was conceptualized following requests from locals and guests who wanted a place at the hotel where they could get glammed up and enjoy cocktails. So, Garcia set out to create a playful menu that still fit the atmosphere.

"I wouldn't put chicken wings on the menu," he said. "You're sitting on a $70,000 sofa."

I returned to The Restaurant for dinner, which began with one of the best bread baskets I've ever tasted.

The Restaurant's bread and desserts are clearly in good hands with executive pastry chef Christophe Rull, a world-renowned chocolatier who helped open the hotel's patisserie, the only bakery in Bel-Air.

I quickly learned that Rull's dedication to his customers is unparalleled. When one local wanted their almond croissant baked a certain way, Rull personally went to his house to try to get the flavor just right.

Rull's croissant skills are also on display at The Restaurant, where he offers a savory garlic version with perfect flakiness. I was also a huge fan of his truffle brioche, which instantly melted in my mouth.

I was very impressed by Garcia's dinner menu.

Garcia had big shoes to fill when he became Hotel Bel-Air's culinary director in December 2023, following an 11-year stint by the legendary Wolfgang Puck.

But the chef told me he was up for the challenge, shifting The Restaurant's fusion-leaning menu to dishes that feel more seasonal and show off his classical French training.

I loved the indulgent white truffle pasta and the lamb chops served alongside an elegant ratatouille. The Michelin-caliber dinner was delicious and creative.

Hotel Bel-Air is a splurge, but even stopping by for a drink or dinner is worth it.

The five-star hotel obviously isn't in everyone's price range, but Hotel Bel-Air isn't just coasting on its reputation.

The brand-new culinary program, plus the delicious patisserie and beautiful lounge, have infused the space with vitality and turned the resort into a dining destination.

Whether you're looking for an Old Hollywood escape or just want some delicious food and cocktails, the Hotel Bel-Air should be on everyone's LA bucket list.

• Real estate investors share the strategies they're using in 2025.
• One investor is buying mobile home parks for tax incentives.
• Another is leaning into mid-term rentals, which tend to cash flow more than long-term rentals.

Prudent real estate investing can create long-term wealth, and while every investor has their own unique circumstances — from how much risk they're willing to take on to how much cash they have accessible — there are lessons to be learned from veteran investors.

Business Insider asked top real estate investors who have achieved financial independence or are on their way to doing so about their plans for 2025.

Here's a look at how they are positioning themselves as we head into a new year and what trends are driving their decisions.

Ludomir Wanot is buying mobile home parks for the tax incentives

Seattle-based investor Ludomir Wanot, who built his wealth wholesaling and buying long-term rentals, is adding mobile home parks to his portfolio.

They can be depreciated at a faster rate than other investment properties and significantly reduce an investor's taxable income, he explained: "The government actually allows you to depreciate at least up to 60% of the purchase price of the value of the asset in year one. I bought a million-dollar property in New York. I was able to depreciate up to $600,000 of that in the first year, and so that basically reduced my taxable income to zero."

It's a win-win, he added: "I'm providing housing for people that only make maybe $1,000 a month and I'm providing it to them at a significantly lower rate, around $200 a month. They get to live in a good community, I get to rebuild a community, and I get this crazy incentive from the government."

Mike Zuber is looking for motivated sellers

Mike Zuber, who built a portfolio of rentals in Fresno that allowed him to retire early, is expecting to see "more motivated sellers" in 2025.

"I think there are some people that will just have to sell — life events, death, divorce, all of that," he said. "And unless the house is perfect, no owner is going to buy it. The general public is basically out of the housing market. So if you have a house that's a little dated, a little old, a little bit too close to busy streets, you're going to eventually have to sell to an investor."

That's good news for Zuber and other property investors looking for deals. He's prepared to "write offers that make sense at a high cost of capital."

Dion McNeeley is considering selling a property and capitalizing on an IRS rule

Dion McNeeley, who spent over a decade carefully building a portfolio of rental properties throughout Washington State, has never sold a property.

"I'm the slow, boring investor: Save up a down payment, buy the next place; save up a down payment, buy the next place," he said.

That may change in 2025, partly due to an intriguing tax benefit he'll be eligible for.

McNeeley's most recent real estate project was buying and rehabbing a duplex. He lives in one unit and rents the other. In July 2025, he'll have owned and lived in the duplex for two years, which qualifies him for the Section 121 Exclusion, an IRS rule that lets taxpayers exclude up to $250,000 of the gain from the sale of the property. The main requirement is that you must use the home as your main residence for at least two of the five years preceding the sale.

"I could sell it, make a couple hundred thousand dollars in profit, and not have to pay a penny in taxes — and either go and repeat the process somewhere else or go buy something with the gains and have a bigger, nicer place," said McNeeley, who plans to make a decision in July after doing an appraisal.

Nyasia Casey is testing a strategy she might want to scale: Building tiny homes

Nyasia Casey, who lives in New York City and owns investment properties in Baltimore, is excited about a new 2025 project: building a tiny home on a plot of land that her friends own in upstate New York.

"I'm going to buy a trailer and build a tiny house. I'm going to keep it on wheels so I can transport it if I wanted to go somewhere else with it — if I buy my own land," said Casey, who is starting the build in the spring.

She'll likely experiment with listing it on a short-term rental platform like Airbnb, she said: "I like the idea of it being a more affordable option for people to go and explore instead of renting something for $300 a night. So, it's something that I'm testing out and then if it works, I will definitely consider buying land and doing a couple more."

Dana Bull is experimenting with mid-term rentals

Massachusetts-based investor Dana Bull built wealth by following a specific strategy: buying quality properties with upside in solid areas and filling them with long-term tenants.

However, with the most recent property she purchased and renovated in 2023, she decided to experiment with operating a mid-term rental, which is a lease agreement that typically lasts between three and nine months.

"It's my first experience with something other than a long-term rental. I'm kind of in uncharted waters, but it's been great," said Bull, who plans to test out the mid-term rental strategy for at least 18 months. It's more work than managing a long-term tenant, but she said she's bringing in more revenue, which is helpful since she bought when interest rates were relatively high.

Bull has already refinanced once, which shaved about $250 off of her mortgage.

"I'd love it if they dropped again and I could save another 250," she said. "At that point, I probably would transition it to a long-term rental because it would be lucrative enough and less of a headache, but right now I'm just experimenting for my own curiosity and I want to understand more about this niche."

Karina Mejia is expanding her portfolio, starting with a BRRRR

Karina Mejia, who owns investment properties in Boston, where she lives, and Augusta, Georgia, sat out 2024 in terms of acquisition but plans to expand in 2025.

"I definitely would like to continue purchasing property primarily because of the tax advantages," she said. "This year, I didn't close on anything, and so I'm really going to see the effect of that on my taxes."

She's under contract for a three-family home in Boston and plans to close at the end of January.

"I'll end up renovating and BRRRR-ing it," said Mejia, who is also an agent and jumped on this property when she saw it. "I have it under agreement for 850 and the appraisal came back already at 930 in its as-is condition. I'm projecting to put some money into it and I know that the ARV, or the after-repair value, will end up being over a million so I may even be able to get back more money when I refinance than I'm putting into it, which would be great because then I get my money back and I can invest that in another property next year."

Peter Keane Rivera is leaning into his rent-by-the-room strategy

Part-time investor Peter Keane-Rivera, who owns single-family homes in the greater Seattle area, is leaning into his rent-by-the-room strategy.

"I'm looking to expand my single-family home, room rental portfolio," he said. "My strategy will be to accelerate my purchasing of real estate while learning how to scale my room rental operations."

Finding tenants to share a space hasn't been a challenge yet for Keane-Rivera, who lists his rooms on Roomster, Roomies, and Facebook Marketplace.

"There are a lot of different subgroups looking for something more economical: people coming out of college, people getting their first job, people who just got divorced," he said. "I would say everyone that rents with me is looking to save money."

The room rental strategy produces generous positive cash flow, around $1,000 a month per property, and lowers his risk, he said: "You diversify your cash flow by having four tenants under one roof instead of one. Very rarely will you have all your tenants move out, and if you do, that's indicative of some bigger problem that you should probably go fix."

• An Azerbaijan Airlines flight crashed in Kazakhstan on Wednesday, killing 38.
• An oxygen tank exploded before the crash, Kazakhstan's transport minister said.
• The plane was likely hit by Russian air defense before the crash, BI reported Thursday.

An oxygen tank on the Azerbaijan Airlines flight exploded before the plane crash, Kazakhstan's transport minister said.

It adds a little more detail to the series of events leading to the fiery crash landing of the Embraer 190 on Christmas Day that killed 38.

The minister, Marat Karabayev, did not say definitively that the oxygen-tank explosion was a direct cause of the crash.

He also did not say why it exploded. Analysts have blamed Russia, saying it likely fired an air-defense missile at the plane by mistake.

The plane was bound for Russia from Azerbaijan — but veered off course after sustaining some kind of damage, crossing the Caspian Sea to crash-land at the airport in Aktau, Kazakhstan.

At a press briefing Thursday, Karabayev said Kazakh authorities heard of the disaster from a Russian air-traffic controller. They said an oxygen cylinder had exploded in the passenger cabin of the aircraft, and that some passengers were losing consciousness.

Karabayev said this triggered an emergency response in Aktau. Rescuers were quickly on the scene and managed to rescue 29 of the 67 passengers.

The plane departed from Baku, Azerbaijan, early Wednesday, heading for Grozny, Russia.

Business Insider reported Thursday, citing reports from Euronews and The New York Times, that Azerbaijani investigators believed Russia shot the plane down.

Those sources pointed to a Russian Pantsir-S air-defense system.

Russia has said the plane diverted after a bird strike, and denied playing a role — an explanation analysts were swift to dismiss.

Osprey Flight Solutions, an aviation security firm, said in an alert sent to its clients and shared with BI that the flight was "likely shot down by a Russian military air-defense system of unspecified type/variant over the North Caucasus Federal District."

Kazakhstan's transport ministry didn't immediately respond to a request for comments.

• Movie studios have new competition — from Madison Ave.
• A slew of brands got behind films and TV shows in 2024 as they try to combat ad fatigue.
• Here's what marketers from Walmart to H&R Block say about their approach to the format.

People are increasingly tired of seeing ads, so big brands, from Walmart to Chick-fil-A, have been getting behind filmed entertainment as a way to grab their attention.

Brands' dollars and ability to promote projects have been welcomed by Hollywood, which is still hungry for programming but has less money to buy it.

"Brands, platforms, and partners, they're all open for business more than I've ever seen," said Paul Furia, head of content and creative packaging at ad agency Media by Mother. "Everyone's having conversations."

2024 brought many new iterations of the branded content trend to life.

Mattel's success with 2023's "Barbie" notwithstanding, brands' comfort zones have largely been unscripted formats like documentaries. But 2024 saw some branch out to new formats like reality TV and game shows, which are cheap to make, crowd favorites, and lend themselves to product integration. Brands have also been getting into shoppable shows, a trend that's likely to continue as brands figure out how to get people to buy things straight from their TVs.

Read: Why Brands like Ally and H&R Block are making reality TV-style shows

New players are trying to capitalize. Many Hollywood production companies are actively pitching their talents to brands, from Michael Sugar's Sugar23 to Ron Howard and Brian Grazer's Imagine Entertainment (which produced "The Day Sports Stood Still" alongside Nike) and Anonymous Content. New ones like Sonic Gods Studios are going a step further, using brands to fully finance TV shows from the start.

Top talent are no longer turning up their noses at brand films (or their money). Saint Laurent, for example, paired with Pedro Almodóvar and David Cronenberg to make films.

Read: 13 production companies helping Chase, Pepsi, and more brands make Hollywood movies and TV for streamers like Netflix

Streamers are willing partners in brand films. As streamers increasingly look to ad dollars to become profitable, they're rolling out the red carpet for brands. And brands want the distribution because it legitimizes their projects and helps ensure they get seen (and in some cases, even make a profit). They're also becoming more systematic about tracking measurement and results.

Read: Netflix and Amazon are duking it out over brand partnerships as streaming ads enter a new phase

Read more about how brands and partners are jumping on filmed entertainment:

• Amazon's newest branded entertainment show wants to tie its boxes to 'spreading joy'
• Walmart is betting this holiday movie can get you to spend more

• An unticketed passenger was caught on board a Delta Air Lines plane, the airline said.
• The incident occurred on Christmas Eve at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport.
• It comes weeks after another person tried to fly from New York to Paris without a boarding pass.

A Delta Air Lines passenger was caught trying to fly to Hawaii without a boarding pass on Christmas Eve, the airline said.

The person went through standard security screening before bypassing ID verification and boarding-status stations, the Transportation Security Administration said in a statement shared with BI.

Delta flight 487 was taxiing to the runway at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport when the person was discovered, the airline said.

It added that, per procedures, the Airbus A321neo then returned to the gate. The Port of Seattle told CNN the suspect then departed before police located them in an airport restroom using video surveillance.

Investigators determined the unticketed passenger had passed through a security checkpoint the day before, Port of Seattle Police told CBS News.

They were arrested on charges of criminal trespass, the Port of Seattle said, per the outlet.

The flight to Honolulu departed more than two hours later than scheduled. Delta said that the TSA carried out additional security checks, including rescreening customers, and CBS reported the aircraft was swept by K9 dogs.

"As there are no matters more important than safety and security, Delta people followed procedures to have an unticketed passenger removed from the flight and then apprehended," a Delta spokesperson said in a statement. "We apologize to our customers for the delay in their travels and thank them for their patience and cooperation."

The Port of Seattle did not immediately respond to a request for comment from BI, which was sent outside regular working hours.

After a similar incident last month, 57-year-old Svetlana Dali was charged with being a stowaway on an aircraft after sneaking onto a Delta Air Lines service to Paris. If found guilty, she faces up to five years in prison.

The complaint against Dali, which BI has seen, says she boarded a Delta flight from New York to Paris without a boarding pass or a passport.

It added that she was able to pass through security by entering a special lane for airline staff. Dali is also said to have admitted in an interview with authorities that she intentionally evaded TSA and Delta staff to board the flight.

The incident is said to have occurred in late November, during another busy holiday period when Thanksgiving travel set records.

The TSA said it expected to screen nearly 40 million people at airports from December 19 to January 2, up 6.2% from 2023.

It said the busiest days would be December 20, 27, and 30.

• A safari vacation is filled with hidden costs.
• Before leaving, travelers pay for vaccines, visas, and necessary supplies for the trip.
• Once on a safari, costs like tipping and road transfers add up.

Whether you're staying in a five-star canvas tent at the edge of Tanzania's Serengeti National Park or heading on a budget safari in South Africa's Kruger National Park, a safari vacation is dotted with hidden costs.

These fees start before you even arrive at your destination. On a two-week trip across Tanzania, I encountered eight hidden costs that added thousands of dollars to the total of my trip. Take a look.

Before embarking on a safari, travelers are hit with hidden costs. One major one is vaccines and medication.

Vaccines and medications might be required for travel, depending on the destination. Uganda and Kenya, for instance, require a yellow fever vaccine before entering.

I was overwhelmed when I pulled up the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's website to figure out what vaccines I needed for Tanzania. Over a dozen vaccines were listed. While some were routine, others were diseases I had never heard of.

To be safe, I met with a travel nurse who researched where I was going and advised me on what I did and didn't need. Altogether, I spent $250 on malaria medication, a Typhoid fever vaccine, and the consultation. That, along with over-the-counter medication, sunscreen, and bug spray, put this unexpected cost closer to $300.

Visas also aren't cheap. Tanzania's tourist visa, for example, costs $100.

While plenty of destinations require a visa, the cost can vary.

In Tanzania, travelers apply for a yearlong tourist visa, which costs $100. If they're heading to Tanzania's Zanzibar Island, visitors are required to pay another $40 for mandatory travel insurance.

Altogether, I spent $140 just to be able to start my safari vacation.

Safari-goers are encouraged to wear certain clothes and colors, which might require some shopping.

Whether it's a travel agent or a TikTok video you're referencing for packing advice, the source is bound to mention bringing neutral colors for your trip.

Visitors are encouraged to wear olive, tan, brown, and khaki colors for safaris. They should avoid blues and blacks because they can attract tsetse flies, which can carry a sleeping sickness disease. Meanwhile, bold colors can scare off animals.

While you might have some athletic clothes in this color palette, chances are you'll need to do some shopping for the trip.

For example, I didn't have a neutral-colored sweater or pair of pants for the trip. By the end of my shopping spree, I had spent nearly $150 on clothes — a number I didn't factor into my original budget.

The season you travel in will also have a major impact on the cost of your trip.

Lodges across the Serengeti typically price their accommodations based on the season. Some lodges have two categories: high season and low season. Others divide prices by peak, mid, and low season.

In the Serengeti, the high season includes June through October and the end of December. During this time, guests can expect to pay more for accommodations.

Depending on the lodge, peak prices cost travelers hundreds of dollars more than low-season prices.

Once you're in the country you're traveling to, hidden costs continue. Quick bush flights and road transfers can add up.

Tanzania is home to a myriad of ecosystems and habitats. The Serengeti is a main draw for tourists, but nearby areas like the Ngorongoro Crater, Lake Manyara National Park, Mount Kilimanjaro, and Zanzibar Island are also popular stops on a Tanzania itinerary.

While many of these areas are short drives or flights away, the costs of road transfers and bush flights can add up if you're visiting multiple areas on vacation.

For example, a flight between Arusha and Zanzibar cost me $75, and a road transfer between two Zanzibar properties was $100. Within the Serengeti, a 30-minute bush flight between two lodges costs $300.

Transfers ended up being a major part of my safari budget, and I hadn't realized they would be so costly when I started planning the trip.

The rates for lodges often don't include conservation and park fees.

When researching the cost of a lodge or safari accommodation, travelers often see a sticker price for a night at the lodge.

While this price might include game drives, meals, and laundry services, it often doesn't include government levies, taxes, park fees, or conservation fees.

Those fees can add up. For example, I paid $283 in park and camping fees for a two-night stay within the Serengeti. At another lodge, the national park and concession fees were $271 for two nights.

Depending on the length of the trip, an extra $130 a night can quickly add up.

Some activities, like guided walks and community visits, might not be included in the stay.

As safari owners and travel agents have previously told Business Insider, these additional activities are worth it.

A guided walk in the bush, for instance, will give travelers a whole new perspective on the ecosystem. They'll see insects, birds, and plants that can't be spotted from a safari vehicle.

Similarly, community visits to learn about the history and culture of the Indigenous populations living in Tanzania offer new perspectives and global connections the average traveler doesn't get every day.

These activities were some of the highlights of my two-week Tanzania trip. While they had payoffs, they also cost extra. For example, I paid $100 for a community visit one day and $60 the next for a guided walk.

Tipping is another major cost to factor into your budget.

Tipping is customary across most of Africa; who you tip and how much you tip can quickly add up.

Meg van Niekerk, a safari planner for Go2Africa, explained that these tips support lodge staff, who often have spouses, parents, and children back home to support as well.

"It's like a blessing," van Niekerk said.

Fortunately, these costs are standardized, so it's something you can budget for ahead of time.

For example, Go2Africa recommends tipping $20 a day for your safari guide, $20 for general hotel staff, $15 for a butler, and $15 for your safari tracker.

There's also bound to be a few more people you didn't factor in — like the driver for a road transfer or a guide for a community visit. I found $100 to be a fair amount to budget per day for tips during my safari.

Van Niekerk added that this is "just a guideline," and travelers can tip more or less depending on their budget and the service they receive.

Research and talking to a travel agent before a trip can help you plan for hidden costs.

Sure, I knew a few bush flights and tips would impact the overall cost of my first safari, but I didn't know by how much.

Thankfully, conversations with travel agents helped me better understand just how much I could expect to pay for a safari vacation.

While the unexpected costs of a safari felt overwhelming at times, the experience was all worth it.

Van Niekerk put it best when she told me, "It starts with it being a once-in-a-lifetime trip, but you will come back."

Regardless of hidden fees, I don't doubt van Niekerk, and I'm sure I'll be back.

• At first, my financial habits clashed with my husbands. He prioritized saving over spending.
• He was able to retired at 40 by making smart choices and enjoying a modest lifestyle.
• Now that he's gone, I'm teaching our sons his financial strategies so they can live comfortable lives.

One of the first disagreements my husband and I ever had was over a pair of boots. They were creamy cocoa, knee-high suede, with a slender heel. I told him they were half-off the original $700.

"You spent three hundred and fifty dollars on a pair of shoes?" he asked, aghast.

It spiraled into a tedious argument, and I said what you should never say in any financial quarrel: "I spent my own money."

"That's not the point," my husband retorted. "When we have kids, we must be united on what we prioritize."

He was the saver, I was the spender.

After decades in sales, my husband was able to retire at 40, several years before we met. People assumed he'd had some stroke of fortune and that he now spent his time playing golf or buying art. But there was nothing glamorous about his choice. Long ago he'd calculated the passive income needed to support a modest lifestyle and stopped working once he hit that number. It was enough for a single man with limited expenses. Once I entered the picture, I kept working.

He was set in his ways

Over the years, I slowly absorbed his frugal habits. He scrutinized every credit card bill and regularly renegotiated cable and insurance rates. He drove the same car for 18 years. He only owned two pairs of shoes at any time. He bought his clothes at Goodwill — and he did that only on Tuesdays when seniors got 10% off. He railed against consumerism, fast-forwarding through commercials and firmly believing that most people need only a fraction of what corporate America tries to sell them.

Adjusting to his mindset wasn't easy. I'd been a fashion editor, where a designer wardrobe was part of the job. I loved luxury hotels, roomy airline seats, and instant solutions — like buying a new dining set when a chair broke. (My husband would simply pull a spare chair from the garage, unconcerned that it didn't match.)

He wanted to teach our kids to be savers

After our sons were born, my husband opened custodial accounts, bought them piggy banks, and read them illustrated books about saving.

While thrifty, he was never cheap — especially when it came to his family. He bought organic berries and antibiotic-free chicken. When our older son showed promise on the piano, my husband enrolled him in $200-an-hour master classes. (Now 23, that son is a professional pianist and composer with millions of TikTok views.) When our younger son became fascinated with aviation, my husband booked discovery flights and invested in remote-controlled airplanes. (At 19, he's now a flight instructor.) Fundamentally, my husband believed money should support a sterling interior life — physical well-being, emotional wholeness, a refined intellect — not "flash and fripperies," as he'd say.

Now I'm carrying on his lessons

My husband passed away from a heart attack during COVID. In the lockdown, my career as a freelance writer languished. The boys were entering periods in their lives when we had to think about college, cars, and the hellish landscape that is auto insurance for young drivers. My husband had always believed in saving for a rainy day and in his passing, we were in the middle of a downpour.

Luckily, our sons have their father's mindset. They shop on eBay, and live at home to "stack cash." I opened brokerage accounts for them. They have yet to embrace a long-term view, rolling their eyes when I explain compound interest and what they could save by 40. "We'll probably be living in a post-apocalyptic world anyway," they say.

"Be that as it may," I reply, "just stash a few dollars a day and see what happens. It's what your dad did."

For me now, saving is the new spending. When I recently needed a winter coat, I drove past the alluring store windows, and straight to Goodwill. And, in my husband's honor, I waited till Tuesday.

• Damola Adamolekun, CEO of Red Lobster, shares three books that influenced his career in 2024.
• Adamolekun was formerly CEO of P.F. Changs, which he helped generate $1 billion in revenue a year.
• He describes "Meditations" by Marcus Aurelius as a timeless guide to leading.

At 35, Damola Adamolekun is the youngest CEO of Red Lobster of all time. The former Goldman Sachs investment banker and Harvard Business School alum was appointed CEO in August, just months after the seafood chain filed for bankruptcy.

Investors are likely hoping Adamolekun will recreate the restaurant resurgence he accomplished during his tenure as CEO of P.F. Changs from 2019 to 2023, during which he helped the struggling chain generate an estimated $1 billion in revenue a year.

The Nigerian-American businessman shared with Business Insider the three books that helped him navigate his career in 2024.

Business Insider: What three books have shaped your career and leadership this year?

1. "Unreasonable Hospitality" by Will Guidara

Damola Adamolekun: "Unreasonable Hospitality" by Will Guidara is a masterclass in creating memorable experiences through relentless care and attention to detail.

Guidara's approach to hospitality isn't just about service — it's about going above and beyond to make people feel valued. The idea of "over-delivering" resonated deeply with me, reminding me that exceptional hospitality, like exceptional leadership, often lies in the thoughtful, unexpected gestures that leave a lasting impact.

Whether in a restaurant or the boardroom, this book is a compelling reminder that relationships and culture are built on doing the little things with great intention.

2. "Meditations" by Marcus Aurelius

"Meditations" by Marcus Aurelius is a timeless guide to leading with wisdom, resilience, and humility.

Marcus's reflections on discipline and self-mastery have shaped how I approach challenges — focusing on what I can control and letting go of what I can't. His emphasis on serving the greater good is a powerful reminder that leadership is ultimately about responsibility, not power.

This book's enduring relevance lies in its ability to ground leaders in principles that foster clarity and purpose, even amid chaos.

3. "The Winner Within: A Life Plan for Team Players" by Pat Riley

"The Winner Within: A Life Plan for Team Players" by Pat Riley is a motivational book that shares leadership lessons and teamwork strategies, using stories from his NBA coaching career to inspire individuals and organizations to achieve success through unity, resilience, and continuous improvement.

As a former college athlete at Brown University, this book's story of perseverance, adaptability, and ambition echoes the mantra that I've carried from the football field into the boardroom as a CEO.

This story is part of an end-of-year reading list series that seeks to highlight the best books influential CEOs and business leaders read in 2024.

• Mark Cuban tried to invest in Musical.ly, the platform that would become TikTok.
• Cuban says the platform lost its spark, becoming "corporate."
• In an interview, Cuban said focusing on monetization often harms the user experience.

Mark Cuban tried to invest in TikTok's precursor years ago, but said the company turned him down.

Cuban told content creator and journalist Jules Terpak in an interview on her YouTube channel that he enjoyed using TikTok when it was called Musical.ly.

The platform rebranded to TikTok in 2017 when it was acquired by its current owners, ByteDance.

"I loved it because I could just turn it on and there would be 15,000 people live immediately that I could talk to," Cuban said of Musical.ly.

"It was insane. I loved it. And then, as it got into the dances and everything, it was fun."

Cuban told CNBC he tried to invest in Musical.ly but was unsuccessful because the company wasn't looking to raise more funds at the time.

Cuban told Terpak he thinks TikTok is less fun than it used to be and "more corporate."

He said that the dance-focused version of the app was losing billions of dollars, "and so at some point, they had to start trying to make some money."

"I liked it better when it was dances and music," Cuban said. "Now it's a business."

Cuban said TikTok's early beauty was that its algorithm served users with more of what they liked than any other platform.

"Now it's corporate," he said. "It's how many followers can you get and how can you engage those followers."

There's "a diminishing return" for users when platforms monetize, Cuban said, driven by business realities.

"At some point, if you're there to make money, you have to figure out how to make money," he said.

Cuban's thoughts hit on an increasing frustration many users have with TikTok, where they are flooded with ads and many see the platform as a pseudo-shopping channel.

Cuban has a TikTok account himself, where he has 1.1 million followers — though he doesn't post often.

In 2023, he faced some backlash for a "tip of the day" on making money, in which he told people to cut back on extra lattes and streaming services.

"You want to put that in a money market account earning five, maybe more, percent and watch that sucker grow," he said. "That'll make you feel a whole lot better than that extra latte that you had that day."

Some criticized the advice for being unrealistic and out of touch with the majority of people.

Cuban didn't address the critics, only posting another tip of the day to "be nice" and "smile."

According to Bloomberg, Cuban has a net worth of around $8 billion. In 1990, he sold his first tech company, MicroSolutions, for $6 million and went on to invest in several successful businesses through "Shark Tank."

In October, Cuban announced he would be leaving "Shark Tank" after its 16th season to spend more time with his kids.

• Startups and automakers are racing to build EV batteries that can charge in five minutes or less.
• Ultrafast batteries would solve one of the biggest issues customers have with EVs — charging times.
• Analysts say China's dominance in the battery industry means it is winning the race for five-minute charging.

Lengthy charging times are holding back the EV revolution, but that might be about to change.

Charging is frequently cited as one of the main reasons drivers are reluctant to go electric, with charging times in the US ranging from 20 minutes to 50 hours — far longer than it takes to simply fill up with gas.

But automakers and startups across the globe are now racing to build EV batteries that can charge in under 10 or even 5 minutes.

"It will change the entire customer experience," Ramesh Narasimhan, executive vice president at battery startup Nyobolt, told Business Insider.

"Charging would go from being an annoyance and requiring a downtime of 40 minutes to an hour, to having the same experience as what you have today in a fuelling situation," he added.

Developments over the past year suggest that dream is getting closer.

In August, Chinese Tesla rival Zeekr unveiled new batteries for its 007 sedan which it said were the world's fastest charging, able to charge from 10-80% in a little over 10 minutes.

Chinese battery giant CATL, meanwhile, unveiled its Shenxing Plus battery in April, which it said could provide 600km of range after 10 minutes of charging.

Rory McNulty, a product director at Benchmark Mineral Intelligence, told BI that advances in battery chemistry and software design had allowed manufacturers like CATL to optimize their batteries for faster charging without damaging them.

He added that new battery designs, such as silicon-based and solid-state batteries, which are expected to hit the market in the next few years, will accelerate the move toward faster charging.

"We're on the cusp of introducing new materials, which intrinsically should charge quicker," McNulty said.

Nyobolt demoed its battery technology in a prototype EV in June. The battery successfully charged from 10% to 80% in four minutes and 37 seconds, achieving a range of 120 miles after four minutes.

The UK-based startup is in talks with eight companies about incorporating its technology into high-performance EVs, and Narasimhan said he hoped to see them in passenger cars by the end of the decade.

Fully charged

Rolling out ultrafast-charging EV batteries will not be without challenges.

Narasimhan told BI that automakers face a dilemma between building EVs with large batteries that can travel huge distances, or prioritizing smaller fast-charging batteries with less range.

"Carmakers are still struggling between fast charge versus energy density and having an oversized battery that can go a thousand miles," he said.

Narasimhan added that, as batteries are by far the most expensive part of an EV, smaller batteries would mean cheaper vehicles — the lack of which is another factor that has put off some consumers from going electric.

The other major hurdle is charging infrastructure. Batteries that can charge in 5-10 minutes require high-powered 350kw electric vehicle chargers to hit maximum charging speeds.

There are currently around 30,000 charging ports with a maximum output of 350kw or more in the US, according to Department of Energy statistics.

A study from the National Renewable Energy Laboratory released last year estimated the number of fast chargers will need to grow to around 182,000 by 2030 to support EV demand.

"Charging infrastructure is the next frontier," said McNulty.

"You can have the best battery in the world, it can charge in five minutes, but if your charging port or charging infrastructure doesn't have the capability to match that, then you're always going to be limited," he added.

China races ahead

One thing is almost certain: the first widespread ultrafast-charging EV batteries will likely be Chinese.

China dominates the global battery industry, with the likes of CATL, BYD, and Zeekr leading the way in building EV batteries with longer ranges and faster charging times.

"China's battery industry is 10 years ahead of its Western rivals. They built a whole infrastructure around batteries which is nigh-on impossible to replicate," Andy Palmer, a former Aston Martin and Nissan executive, often called "The Godfather of EVs," told Business Insider.

Much of China's success in battery manufacturing comes from its long-running industrial strategy, which has seen the government heavily subsidize local manufacturers over the past decade.

As a result, the East Asian superpower now has a stranglehold over the global battery supply chain. McNulty estimates that China dominates 95% of the global market for graphite, a key mineral for EV batteries.

China also has the advantage of scale. The Chinese market accounted for 60% of global EV registrations in 2023, per the IEA, and the country has rapidly built up its charging infrastructure to keep up with demand.

"The charging infrastructure bottlenecks that were a problem a couple of years ago are not anymore. You have fast chargers everywhere. I have probably 10 of them just around where I live," Cosimo Ries, a Shanghai-based analyst for Trivium China, told BI.

Ries added that the brutal competition in China's EV market was putting pressure on automakers to cut charging times and roll out fast-charging models at lower price points.

"The competition is so fierce; if you don't come up with faster charging batteries at cheaper prices, you're just not going to survive," Ries said.

"We're starting to see fast-charging move toward the kind of mid-tier or even lower-end segment of the markets. I think we're probably much closer to five-minute charging than previously expected, at least in China," he added.

• Matt Phillips is an assistant VP in AT&T's benefits department.
• He shared 5 tips for making the most of your employee benefits.
• He touched on how to avoid redundant dependant coverage and utilizing HSAs.

This as-told-to essay is based on a transcribed conversation with Matt Phillips, 45, the assistant vice president of benefits, health operations at AT&T, from Dallas. Business Insider verified his employment with documentation. The following has been edited for length and clarity.

The benefits enrollment process is a two-way street. My department spends a lot of time on our package, but employees also need to understand and engage with those benefits so they can make the most of them.

I've worked in the HR benefits department at AT&T for over 10 years. We spend a lot of time trying to educate and inform employees on what they need to know about their benefits.

Prior to that, I worked as an actuarial consultant, where I consulted on post-employment benefits, such as pension and retiree health, and also worked for a nonprofit.

Since joining AT&T in 2013, I've worked in multiple areas of our benefits department, including in strategy and in running savings plans. Five years ago, I moved into my current role, overseeing all health and well-being operations.

Here are some of my top tips about benefits enrollment for employees:

1. Ask yourself key healthcare questions and consider virtual options

Asking yourself key questions can help you pick the best health plan during enrollment season.

For example, do you want to pay more or less now for your health plan?

Choosing a high-deductible plan that's cheaper in terms of what comes out of your paycheck exposes you to higher out-of-pocket costs throughout the year. I think a good idea is to pair a plan like this with an additional ancillary medical plan, like a critical illness, hospital indemnity, or accident insurance plan.

For example, my son runs cross country, and in 2022, he fractured his tibia. There were significant costs for urgent care, imaging, and a specialist appointment, but through my accident plan, I got a payment from the insurer to provide more financial security at this time.

Also, virtual care has come a long way. I often hear employees say they don't have time for preventive check-ups with primary care physicians. However, it's possible to establish an ongoing relationship with a primary care physician virtually, so I'd encourage employees to look into virtual benefits options.

This can also include virtual mental health counseling. If you feel you don't have time in your day to go see a therapist or coach, you may be able to do it over the phone.

2. Go beyond a medical plan

I spend a lot of time telling employees not to just focus on their medical plan but to ensure they're taking advantage of all the other benefits available to them.

For example, at AT&T we offer employees a robust legal plan. If you may need to do something like write a will or set up an estate plan, a legal plan can help provide services around that.

My family has also benefited from an elder care planning service under my benefits plan. The company paid for a professional to come and meet with my wife, her cousin, and me about making a plan for caring for my wife's aging aunt.

While you do have to specifically enroll in something like a legal plan, companies may give other benefits to all employees automatically. Our dependant care and mental health benefits are given to all employees without a need for enrollment, for example. Ask the HR or benefits person at your company what you're entitled to that you don't even have to enroll in.

3. Max out your 401(k) contributions and use retirement planning tools

My advice for those thinking about retirement is to make sure you're not leaving any free money on the table.

Look into your company's 401(k) match and make sure you're maxing that out.

Many employers also have a retirement planning tool that can help you. We have an online one where you can say, "I want to retire at this age, I want this much money in retirement," and it helps you build a plan for how much you should contribute to hit that goal by the time you retire.

People should also be thinking about healthcare expenses for retirement. That's likely to become a larger share of your out-of-pocket expenses once you leave a company, especially if you retire before you become Medicare-eligible. Make sure you speak about this with your advisor and think about leveraging a Health Savings Account for that.

You don't lose your HSA when you leave a company. You can contribute tax-free, interest is tax-free, and if you use it on qualified healthcare expenses, it comes out tax-free. Plus, your employer might offer to contribute to or match your HSA contributions as part of a benefits plan.

4. Avoid redundant dependant coverage

When both spouses work and have children, it doesn't make sense to cover the children under both benefits plans. You'll end up paying double out of your paychecks but not necessarily getting double the benefits out of it.

If one parent's insurer agreed to cover or make a payout for a claim, then the other parent's insurer likely wouldn't, on the basis that the family has already received coverage and potentially a payout for the claim. Insuring dependents under both parents' plans could cover potential gaps in one parent's coverage, but it's often not worth it.

Instead, parents should compare potential costs under each plan and pick the best option.

5. Reach out to people in your company who can help you

There's usually someone in your company you can contact to talk about benefits options. If it's not your direct HR person, because you're at a really large company, they will have hired resources to help you. Call that phone number, download that app, or chat with that person.

Your company will hopefully have invested in those resources to help you navigate the process; you just need to reach out and take them.

Are you a professional or consultant with advice for employees to maximize their employment? Email Charissa Cheong at [email protected]

• Ashley Dunham's experience of the festive season changed after she started using a weight loss drug in 2022.
• Semaglutide, one of several appetite suppressing drugs called GLP-1s, helped dampen her "food noise."
• Several of Dunham's family members are also on GLP-1s, and their Thanksgiving food bill is much lower now.

The holiday season used to be conflicting for Ashley Dunham.

It was a joyous time to get together with family and friends over delicious food and drinks. But as someone who wanted to lose weight, navigating that brought internal turmoil and what felt like tests of her willpower.

Between Christmas and Thanksgiving, she expected to gain 15 pounds "just by eating pretty regularly, how I would typically eat for the holiday," she told Business Insider. And then came the grueling diets in January.

Now, everything is different.

In August 2022, Dunham, 33, from St John's, Florida, started taking a compounded form of the buzzy weight loss drug semaglutide (marketed as Ozempic and Wegovy).

The appetite-suppressing medication silenced the "food noise" in Dunham's head, meaning she ate less without trying and no longer felt guilty when she did eat. She also found she had more mental capacity to think about things aside from weight loss.

With family and friends now also on similar medications, known as GLP-1 agonists, Dunham's festive get-togethers have changed drastically, she said.

Her family isn't alone: The KFF Health Tracking Poll estimated in June 2024 that one in eight Americans either take or has taken one of these medications. While the drugs have been game-changing for many, others have experienced negative side effects, such as nausea and constipation that was so bad that they came off them.

Dunham experienced nausea, migraines, and constipation in her first few months on the medication but they faded with time.

Dunham used to gain weight every holiday season

2024 is Dunham's third holiday season on the weight loss drug.

In 2022, the year she started semaglutide, injecting it once a week, she lost 12 pounds between Thanksgiving and Christmas. "I could barely finish my plate," she said.

After 17 months on the medication, Dunham transitioned to what she described as a maintenance dose, which she continues to take every 10 to 14 days. In 2023, she was able to finish her plates of food, but prioritized protein and was satisfied without overindulging. Those on GLP-1s are advised to eat a high-protein diet and regularly exercise, including strength training, to minimize muscle loss.

Before taking semaglutide, Dunham used to tell herself she couldn't have any festive treats and then feel guilty if she did.

Now, she said she can happily go to festive events, enjoy one drink and one cookie, and be satisfied.

"I'm not scared that the cookie is going to have some negative repercussion," Dunham said. "I've lost a lot of the guilt from enjoying the holidays."

Dunham's Thanksgiving food shop was significantly smaller this year

At her Thanksgiving table this year, half the group was on a weight loss medication, Dunham said.

This meant that instead of buying and preparing green beans for 10, for example, Dunham cooked for six to reduce food waste, she said.

Dunham lives with her husband and six-year-old son, and since he started using GLP-1s five months ago, the family's grocery bill has dropped by about 50%, Dunham said.

"On a crazy month, we would typically spend $1,200 or £1,300 on groceries, but now we spend more like $600 or $700," she said.

She no longer makes weight loss New Year's resolutions

Before taking semaglutide, Dunham would resolve to lose weight at the start of every year.

"I don't really recall a year, even when I was in a smaller body, that I didn't have a resolution to lose weight," Dunham said. "Even when I was really skinny, it was always just about losing weight."

At the turn of 2024, for the first time, Dunham decided she no longer needed to.

Dunham said semaglutide has also come with cognitive benefits, such as improved focus. Her goals were to read more books and achieve things that had nothing to do with her weight, food, or calories.

"It was so freeing," Dunham said, "and a little jarring too because when your life no longer revolves around your weight, you have so much more brain space to actually achieve for your greater good, and even the greater good of society. Who knows?"