• Trump told an interviewer that he dined with Jeff Bezos on Wednesday night.
• That's the same day Bezos announced a major shake-up at the Washington Post's opinion section.
• Trump said little about the dinner, but marveled that so many billionaires are cozying up to him.

President Donald Trump says he had dinner with Jeff Bezos, the executive chairman of Amazon and the owner of the Washington Post, on Wednesday night.

That's the same day that Bezos announced a major shake-up of the Post's opinion section, including a new focus on defending "personal liberties and free markets."

Trump told The Spectator in an interview conducted on Thursday that he "had dinner with Jeff Bezos last night."

The president offered few details of the encounter, and it's unclear who else was at the dinner, or what was discussed. A White House spokesman declined to comment further, while representatives for Bezos did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Trump demurred when asked whether he trusts Bezos: "Who do I trust? I mean, who do you trust? Do you trust anybody? These are very smart guys."

But he also marveled at how Bezos and other billionaires, including Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, have cozied up to him since his 2024 election victory.

"We have dinners together, usually started by them. I'm so busy with all of this. Between China, Russia, Ukraine, I've got more things happening," Trump told the outlet. "I said, 'would you have been here if I lost,' you know? 'Would you have been here if I lost it?' They never answer that question. Actually, they just sort of shy away from it."

Bezos, Zuckerberg, and other major tech billionaires and CEOs attended the inauguration in January, with prime seating in front of Trump's Cabinet. It was a stark reversal from Trump's first term in office, when he had a more antagonistic relationship with many of those tech leaders.

In October, Bezos blocked the Post from endorsing Vice President Kamala Harris in the 2024 presidential election.

• There are 21 Oscar categories for feature-length films, which means that 90 films can be recognized.
• However, some outstanding films were completely ignored by the academy.
• Stanley Kubrick's last film, "Eyes Wide Shut," is regarded as a classic, but it was snubbed in 2000.

Each year, the Academy Awards recognize the best films of the year — at least, that's what's supposed to happen.

However, some quality films fail to receive any nominations, even if they've been generating buzz all year, star academy favorites, or tell stories the academy typically loves.

This year, for example, the tennis romantic drama "Challengers" — a critical and box-office hit — was snubbed, even though fans assumed, at the very least, it would be recognized in best original score or best original song.

Ahead of the 97th Academy Awards on Sunday, here are some movies you'd be surprised to learn weren't nominated for a single Oscar.

"Zodiac" (2007)

"Zodiac," directed by David Fincher, is about the hunt for the Zodiac Killer in '70s San Francisco.

The academy typically loves to reward the true-crime genre (see: "Killers of the Flower Moon," "Monster," and "Goodfellas"), but it completely overlooked this film, which stars Oscar favorites Robert Downey Jr. and Mark Ruffalo, and was highly regarded by critics upon its release.

If anything, Fincher, his cinematographer Harris Savides, and his production designer Donald Burt deserved nominations, if not wins.

"Much Ado About Nothing" (1993)

Kenneth Branagh wrote, directed, and starred in this Shakespeare adaptation in 1993 — Branagh had previously been nominated for his direction and acting for a different Shakespeare adaptation, "Henry V."

However, the academy ignored this film, even though Branagh, and his costars Emma Thompson and Denzel Washington — who had each won an acting Oscar by 1993 — easily could've been nominated.

"Widows" (2018)

"Widows" is a heist thriller starring major talents including Viola Davis — who'd won the best supporting actress Oscar the year before for "Fences" — Cynthia Erivo, Elizabeth Debicki, Colin Farrell, Daniel Kaluuya, Michelle Rodriguez, and others.

While the film didn't receive Oscars attention, it was highly critically acclaimed. It was atop multiple top-10 lists, and Davis was nominated for a BAFTA.

"The Good Dinosaur" (2015)

It's impossible to deny the academy loves Pixar. Since the best animated feature category was introduced in 2001, Pixar has released 25 films, and all but six received nominations (with 11 wins).

The first non-sequel Pixar film to not receive a nomination was "The Good Dinosaur" which, even if it's not the most loved Pixar movie, still felt like a shocking snub.

"Hustlers" (2019)

If you were on the internet in 2019, you probably remember that everyone was expecting to wake up on Oscar nomination morning to find out that Jennifer Lopez had received her first nod.

Instead, Lopez, who played a cutthroat stripper Ramona in "Hustlers" and also produced the box-office smash, had to settle for Golden Globe, Indie Spirit, and SAG Award nominations.

You can even see how upset she was about the snub in her documentary "Jennifer Lopez: Halftime."

"Eyes Wide Shut" (1999)

In 2022, IndieWire released a list of the 100 best films of the 1990s, and "Eyes Wide Shut" took the No. 1 spot.

However, the final film directed by iconic director Stanley Kubrick received zero Oscar nominations. As well as being considered one of cinema's greats, Kubrick had previously been nominated four times without a win — this would've been the academy's last chance to award him.

That's not even mentioning stars Tom Cruise, Nicole Kidman, and Sydney Pollack, or the cinematography by Larry Smith.

"Shutter Island" (2010)

Martin Scorsese has directed 26 films, and 18 have been nominated for at least one Oscar.

That leaves eight that have been snubbed by the academy, including 2010's "Shutter Island," which at the very least could've received an adapted screenplay nom for Laeta Kalogridis, best actor for Leonardo DiCaprio, or best editing for Thelma Schoonmaker.

"Boy Erased" (2018)

"Boy Erased" received multiple Golden Globes nominations and one Critics' Choice nomination for star Nicole Kidman.

The film is based on the 2016 memoir by Garrard Conley, which details his experiences at a conversion therapy camp as a young adult.

This type of heartbreaking true story is typically Oscars catnip, but the academy didn't go for it this year.

"Portrait of a Lady on Fire" (2019)

The BFI Sight & Sound poll is one of the most respected movie rankings in the entertainment industry, with over 1,600 professionals in the film industry voting on their top 10 films.

An updated version comes out every 10 years, with the most recent list being published in 2022.

There are not many films from the 21st century, and even fewer from the 2010s — just 12 of 100. And the highest-placing film from last decade was the 2019 French film "Portrait of a Lady on Fire."

However, this film didn't even get a best international feature film nomination at the Oscars. France chose a different film entirely to submit as its country's representative, "Les Misérables."

"Battle of the Sexes" (2017)

"Battle of the Sexes" is another "based on a true story" film that the academy didn't appreciate, even though both Emma Stone and Steve Carell have earned nominations (and in Stone's case, two wins) before.

The academy loves to acknowledge a physical transformation — see: Charlize Theron, Rami Malek, and Gary Oldman — so it was a surprise to some that Stone (playing Billie Jean King) and Carell (playing Bobby Riggs) were blanked.

At the very least, a hair and makeup nomination would've been deserved.

• Some posts on social media fueled panic that Washington's housing market was rapidly weakening.
• Agents and an economist said the president's efficiency efforts haven't yet affected the DC market.
• While return-to-office mandates and layoffs sow uncertainty, it may take time to see their impact.

A federal worker renting outside Washington, DC, is house-hunting for a property to buy — in Baltimore.

According to the worker's real-estate agent, Shanna Moinizand, they've been summoned back to the office and extended their house hunt to Baltimore, about 40 miles outside the nation's capital, because properties are less expensive and the commute is reasonable.

"They can't afford to be in DC proper," Moinizand told Business Insider. "They reached out to me about the possibility of buying in Baltimore near Penn Station so they can afford their house, be a little bit closer, and feel like they can get a cheap house — and feel stable and commute to DC."

As thousands of workers await news of layoffs or firings as a result of the Trump administration's efforts to reduce the federal government's size, the Washington, DC, housing market is in limbo.

Some residents fear that newly jobless federal workers will leave the city en masse, causing for-sale and rental inventory to skyrocket and prices to fall dramatically. Others believe that return-to-office mandates might prompt people to flood into the city, heightening demand as they look to move closer to work.

Multiple videos posted to TikTok in February saying that nearly thousands of homes had been listed for sale in recent weeks stirred anxiety that inventory had already started to pile up.

Listing data, however, shows that the number of homes currently on the market is typical for this time of year. Local brokers told BI that any conclusions about the Washington market so far are premature.

While high-end real-estate in Washington, DC, has experienced a "Trump bump" as a few of the president's appointees buy up luxury mansions and power players try to sidle up to the White House, brokers said they are waiting to see if the rest of the housing market follows suit or falters.

The DC market has not crashed since Trump took office

Washington- and Maryland-based Compass agent Jaime Willis said that while some federal workers she's heard from feel uncertain about their job security, that uneasiness has yet to affect the market meaningfully.

"There was some histrionics happening on social media about how the price of homes in DC has gone down $150,000, and there are a million more listings than normal — and that is not true," she said. "Neither one of those is true."

New listings data from Bright MLS, which operates a major multiple listing service in the Mid-Atlantic region, show that the return-to-office and reduction in the federal workforce have had little impact so far on the number of homes for sale in Washington, DC.

During the first half of February 2024, 423 listings hit the market. In 2025, during the same time span, a total of 452 were on the market — about a 7% increase. In the greater Washington, DC, region, which Bright MLS defined as 18 surrounding counties and cities in Maryland and Virginia, there was no significant change in new listings.

Factors outside DOGE's reforms, like interest rates and cold weather, contribute to any fluctuation in listings, Bright MLS Chief Economist Lisa Sturtevant told BI. It's also unlikely that the tumult across federal agencies over the last month would affect the sales market immediately, she added.

"Walking through the exercise of how a household or family might respond to a job cut, the first thing you'd do is not list your home for sale," Sturtevant said. "We wouldn't have expected an onslaught of new listings as a result of federal cuts."

Part of an explanation for the relatively steady listing volume might be that while Washington, DC, has a large number of federal employees, they do not completely dictate what happens to its housing market.

Office of Personnel Management data from September 2024 showed over 162,000 federal civilian employees assigned to offices in Washington, DC.

To put that number in perspective, Washington's population is 702,250, according to the US Census Bureau's 2024 estimates. If every federal worker assigned to a DC office actually lived within city limits, they would make up only about 23% of the population.

DC's luxury market is humming along

What anxiety? Washington's luxury market is doing just fine.

Washington, DC, Sotheby's agent Daniel Heider told BI that the market for homes priced $5 million and up is going "absolutely gangbusters" with record-setting purchases. One is the $25 million sale of a French Château-style property with five bedrooms across about 16,000 square feet to commerce secretary appointee Howard Lutnick, a transaction that Heider confirmed he brokered in December.

Heider also said that his brokerage had its best fourth quarter ever in 2024 and is carrying the momentum into the first quarter, with over $130 million in deals in 2025 so far. BI was unable to independently verify that sales figure.

According to the New York Post, Trump's nominee for Under Secretary of State for Economic Growth, Energy, and the Environment, Jacob Helberg, spent $7 million in February on a home in Kalorama, the same Washington, DC, neighborhood where Ivanka and Jared Trump used to live.

Even though the luxury sector is having a moment, Heider said he thinks people could soon start vacating the suburbs in favor of areas closer to offices in the city center.

"As those return-to-work mandates come into effect — and not just for the federal government, but for private business — I would expect that more in-town markets are going to see a reaction from that," he added.

Willis, the other agent in DC, said she hasn't received calls from clients trying to offload their farther-away homes or find new ones near work. She has, however, heard from people trying to figure out what to do who haven't taken action — yet.

"Yeah, people are nervous," she said. "People have lost their jobs. People haven't lost their jobs, but they're just worried about what's happening. The market doesn't like people afraid."

• Microsoft said it plans to shut down Skype in May.
• It paid $8.5 billion for the internet calling platform in 2011.
• Skype said users would be invited to switch to Microsoft Teams ahead of the switch off.

Microsoft is shutting down Skype, the internet calling service it bought almost 14 years ago for $8.5 billion.

Users are set to be invited to switch to Teams before the service is turned off in May.

Skype posted on X on Friday: "Starting in May 2025, Skype will no longer be available. Over the coming days you can sign in to Microsoft Teams Free with your Skype account to stay connected with all your chats and contacts. Thank you for being part of Skype."

Jeff Teper, Microsoft's president of collaborative apps and platforms, said in a statement: "Hundreds of millions of people already use Teams as their hub for teamwork, helping them stay connected and engaged at work, school, and at home. In the past two years, the number of minutes spent in meetings by consumer users of Teams has grown 4X, reflecting the value Teams brings to everyday communication and collaboration." 

Paid Skype features will not be offered to new customers, Microsoft said.

"Current Skype subscription users can continue to use their Skype Credits and subscriptions until the end of their next renewal period. Skype Credit users can also continue to use their remaining Skype Credit. After May 5, 2025, the Skype Dial Pad will be available to remaining paid users from the Skype web portal and within Teams," Microsoft said.  

Skype was launched in 2003, and Microsoft acquired it in 2011. It was the Windows maker's biggest acquisition at the time.

eBay paid $2.6 billion in cash and stock for Skype in 2005.

• My husband and I spent time on the Amalfi Coast while on our honeymoon in Italy.
• I underestimated how tiring it would be to get from the US to Rome to Naples to the Amalfi Coast.
• We should've booked a boat tour and spent more nights on the Amalfi Coast.

When my husband and I chose the Amalfi Coast for our honeymoon, we knew we were in for a once-in-a-lifetime trip.

Everything about this part of Italy sounded dreamy, from the stunning cliffside views and the tasty local cuisine to the charming coastal towns and stunning beaches.

In many ways, our honeymoon was incredible. However, looking back, there are three things I wish we'd done differently to make our trip even better.

I underestimated how exhausting it would be to get to the Amalfi Coast

Getting to the Amalfi Coast wasn't as simple as hopping on a direct flight.

Our journey from the United States involved a long-haul flight to Rome, a train to Naples, and then a car ride along winding cliffside roads to reach our final destination.

In theory, we knew this would be a long travel day, but we didn't fully appreciate just how exhausting it would feel after an overnight flight.

By the time we arrived, jet-lagged and slightly carsick, we felt too drained to truly enjoy our first evening as much as we'd hoped.

In hindsight, I wish we had planned a night's stopover in Rome to break up the journey. This would've allowed us to rest, adjust to the time zone, and ease into vacation mode before heading to the coast.

If you're traveling a long distance to the Amalfi Coast, you may also want to consider giving yourself a buffer day in Rome, Naples, or even Sorrento to make the journey less overwhelming.

A boat tour could've been a great addition to our trip

One of the most iconic ways to experience the Amalfi Coast is from the water — I'd seen amazing photos of private boat tours that pass beautiful villages and stop at hidden coves and caves.

However, we decided not to book a tour since our time on the coast was limited, and they can be pricey (most are over 100 euros a person).

At the time, we assumed that taking in the coastline from land would be more than enough. The views from our hikes and hotel terrace were breathtaking, but we both felt we had missed an opportunity by skipping a boat tour.

We only got to enjoy the coastal beauty via water taxi a few times while going from our hotel in Praiano to Positano — and part of me regrets not extending our journey further to explore places like Capri.

I wish we'd stayed longer

We spent four nights on the Amalfi Coast before heading to Rome.

With such limited time, we packed as much into our schedule as possible and split our time between Praiano and Positano.

Although we had a fantastic experience, our time on the coast felt rushed.

There's something about this part of Italy that made us want to slow down for a long lunch with a view or leisurely wander the streets without an agenda. I found myself wishing for more downtime.

Another couple of nights would have allowed our trip to have a more relaxed pace while giving us a chance to explore lesser-known spots or savor an extra dinner at our favorite restaurant.

For anyone considering a honeymoon or trip to the Amalfi Coast, I recommend staying at least five or six nights.

Overall, we still had a good trip

Our honeymoon on the Amalfi Coast was nothing short of incredible, and I wouldn't trade the experience for anything.

If I return in the future, I'd make a few small adjustments based on my experience, like booking a boat tour, breaking up the long travel day, and extending our stay to make our trip even better.

For future travelers, my other big piece of advice is to plan with intention but leave room for spontaneity.

The Amalfi Coast is meant to be savored, and the best moments of a trip often happen when you slow down, take a deep breath, and simply enjoy the beauty around you.

• In 2020, I learned how to coupon through TikTok videos.
• My CVS app says I've saved over $2,000 in the last five years by couponing.
• I can save money with relatively low effort.

When I was furloughed and pregnant in 2020, I, like many others, was addicted to TikTok. However, I wasn't on the app watching teenagers dance. I was learning how to coupon. Because I could really only go to the grocery store or drug store during this time, couponing became a way to save money and entertain myself.

Five years later, I'm proud to say that my frugal ways have helped my family save a ton of money in grocery and household costs. According to my CVS app, I've saved $2,322 in the last five years — and that's just at one store. I haven't paid for toothpaste in years and had a good couple of yearslong streak where I never paid more than $1 a gallon for oat milk.

It's social for me, too; my neighborhood group text is always buzzing with advice on what deals were good this week. With steep prices these days, couponing is an essential and easy way for me to keep costs down and have a little fun gaming the system. Here's how I do it.

Most coupons are digital

Some people have an image in their heads of a mom in the 90s with a big coupon binder. Times have evolved; all my couponing is done in-store apps and a few external aggregate apps. I have two small children, so while I'd love to get organized and go through each store app and plan my trip out, most of the time, I'm shuffling through the deals and adding them quickly to my queue as I walk into the grocery store with my girls in tow. I've only reached for a handful of paper coupons in the last five years.

Many apps now have a scan function, which allows you to scan a barcode on an item and see if a coupon is attached to it. Coupons either come off during the transaction, such as in a store app like Kroger or Publix or after you scan a receipt, such as with Fetch and Ibotta. For these, funds can be withdrawn at any time directly to your bank account.

To make it even easier, coupon influencers can guide you through coupons for stores such as Target, Dollar General, and even Sam's Club. They regularly highlight deals for name brands such as Bounty, Pampers, Arm & Hammer, and Rubbermaid.

Coupons exist for lots of categories of products, including premium groceries

Coupons can get you great deals on everyday items like canned goods, yogurt, and cheese, but premium brands give out way more coupons than people might think.

Merryfield, for example, is a couponing app with coupons for expensive brands like Applegate Farms, Vital Farms and Lesser Evil. I regularly see coupons for Siete and Dave's Killer Bread on Ibotta; I've gotten free Wow Bao buns from the app Aisle that retail for $8.79 at Kroger. I've even used coupons from some of these apps at Costco and Trader Joe's. If you love Sumo mandarin oranges, you'll know they can cost up to $6 a pound. There's a current coupon for them.

These cost savings add up in a major way with relatively little effort

Every time I tell someone I'm a couponer, they scoff that it's too much work to keep up with, but to me, spending a few minutes each shop doing the work is absolutely worth it. I'm saving money and getting a huge dopamine hit. I squeal with glee when I work a good deal, begging my husband to ask how much I paid for something. (The answer is often that I was paid to take the item from the store, a regular occurrence at my local CVS where I go so often they greet me by name.)

While free stuff is amazing, the real value is in the little coupons that accumulate over time. If you combine this strategy with shopping your store's weekly sales, the savings can be enormous. In today's economy, every cent counts, and coupons are a proven way to make your money go even further.

• Virtual influencer Mori Calliope performed a sold-out show at the Hollywood Palladium in February.
• These influencers, also known as VTubers, appear as digital avatars and are gaining popularity.
• I went to the concert. It was unlike anything I've seen before.

Inside Los Angeles' Hollywood Palladium, red and purple penlights glowed. Fans waved the electronic instruments popular in the anime community, danced, and cheered on a digital avatar while its creator performed from behind the stage.

The virtual influencer who sold out the 4,000-person theater isn't a household name. But she's part of a growing trend of creators who use technology to appear as digital avatars in their content and in live performances.

The VTuber, short for virtual YouTuber, goes by the name Mori Calliope. The creator conceals her true identity to fans. Mori Calliope has 2.5 million subscribers on her main YouTube channel, where she posts music videos in both English and Japanese, chats with fans on livestreams, and streams herself playing games like Minecraft. Some of her livestreams in the last three months were almost eight hours long.

On Wednesday, I went to Mori Calliope's second solo concert. Tickets ranged from $95 for general admission floor tickets to $400 for four balcony table seats, according to the show's official website. I was invited to check out the event for free with a press pass.

If you're still wondering what a VTuber is. Don't worry, you're not alone. The niche creator category, which originated in Japan, reflects an anime style. Although small in terms of the overall creator economy, the genre has a surprisingly dedicated fan base — one unlike I've seen before.

I've witnessed crowds of superfans for gaming creators like DreamSMP at creator conferences, including VidCon, as well as at pop-ups for YouTube superstar MrBeast. Last year, I attended a YouTuber event in a North Hollywood theater that was packed with children for a viewing of the animated YouTube show "Battle for Dream Island."

Unlike those events, most of the fans at Mori Calliope's show appeared to be in their late teens and 20s compared to some of YouTube's younger fanbases. I felt more like I was at an anime convention than a concert. Fans wore apparel like T-shirts, hoodies, jackets, and even cosplay of the VTuber.

Mori Calliope shows the growing popularity of VTubers

Mori Calliope is one of dozens of VTubers taking over YouTube.

The creator is signed to Universal Music Japan and Cover Corporation's Hololive, a virtual influencer agency based in Japan. Hololive manages Mori Calliope's business ventures and YouTube channel, similar to the way talent agencies do for other creators and stars.

Globally, Cover is a big deal. The company's market capitalization is about $160 billion yen, or around $1 billion. It recently opened an office in Los Angeles as part of a US expansion, Cover CEO Motoaki Tanigo told Business Insider.

Hololive's English-speaking audiences are still a fraction of those in Japan, but they're growing. Combined, Hololive's VTubers had 5.9 billion subscribers in Japan and 3.2 billion subscribers overseas as of December 31, with about two-thirds of those in English-speaking regions, according to the company's February financial presentation.

Tanigo said music like Mori Calliope's is one of the top ways its talent reaches new audiences.

"The popularity of these events proves that North American audiences have a tremendous appetite for VTuber content," Tanigo said in a January interview conducted through translators. "Our goal is to elevate VTubers alongside popular Japanese exports like manga, anime, and games."

One concertgoer told me fans lined up as early as 3 p.m. on the day of the show. When I arrived about an hour before the start time, a line to get into the venue wrapped around the block. Fans held plushies of Mori Calliope and other characters from her videos. They dressed in merch and other apparel that matched her character's logo and signature pink. I also saw several fans ahead of me dressed in cosplay.

Inside, people stood in line for Mori Calliope merchandise, including T-shirts, glowsticks, a jersey, and a keychain. Hololive also sold the event merch online and at a Los Angeles pop-up earlier in the month.

Part of the show was livestreamed for free on YouTube for Mori Calliope's global audience. At one point, 28,000 fans were watching.

About a quarter of the way into the show, the VTuber directed those viewers to a link where they could buy tickets to watch the rest of the performance online. The tickets ranged from $43 to $51 on platforms like SPWN and Streaming+.

After the concert, I overheard groups of fans outside the venue exchanging information including social media handles and Discord groups. They cheered as a pink car wrapped in images of Mori Calliope drove swiftly past them.

• The CEO of Denmark's largest retailer said it will start labeling goods made by European companies.
• A spokesperson told BI that customers had asked for greater clarity, but weren't rejecting US goods.
• However, the move comes amid souring relations over Trump's comments about taking over Greenland.

The CEO of Denmark's largest retailer said that his company will start marking its goods to indicate which ones are made by European companies, in what he described as a response to customer demand.

Anders Hagh, CEO at Salling Group, wrote in a LinkedIn post on Thursday about the move, saying they'd received inquiries from a number of customers who wanted to buy groceries from European brands.

"Our stores will continue to have brands on the shelves from all over the world, and it will always be up to customers to choose," he added.

Hagh shared a sample image showing a black star on a pricing label to show the product's European origin.

The move comes amid strained transatlantic relations and widespread public outrage at President Donald Trump's repeated comments about how the US should take control of Greenland, which is part of Denmark.

Salling Group, which commands about 36% of the Danish market, operates more than 1,700 stores across countries including Denmark, Poland, and Germany, including the Netto supermarket chain, the føtex department store, as well as hypermarket Bilka. They reported a combined revenue of more than $9.8 billion in 2023.

In his post, Hagh made no reference to the tensions with the US but said that the Salling Group had recently received inquiries from customers who wanted to buy goods from European brands.

Christoffer Green Sørensen, a company spokesperson, told Business Insider that the group's customers had "not made inquiries regarding a boycott of the USA," adding: "They have solely requested more explicit information about European ownership."

He added that the change is set to come into its Danish stores "within two to three weeks," with the possibility of rolling it out across German and Polish stores later.

Public sentiment in Denmark has soured since President Donald Trump's Greenland comments.

Mette Heerulff Christiansen, the owner of a delicatessen store, told Danish TV earlier this month that "Trump has only been president for a month, and we have already felt that our customers have an opinion."

She added: "I actually think it's the start of something that could almost become a movement here in Denmark and elsewhere in Europe."

Trump's sharp criticisms of European and NATO policies have also set alarm bells ringing for the status of the transatlantic relationship.

A Danish group titled "Boycott goods from the USA," created in response to what it described as a trade war by Trump, has more than 36,000 members on Facebook.

Meanwhile, an English-language subreddit named r/buyfromEU, set up less than two weeks ago, has 57,000 members and counting.

• Some famous actors began their Hollywood journeys before they were born.
• Many appeared in their parents' projects or alongside them on red carpets.
• Old photos reveal the Hollywood pasts of stars like Jennifer Aniston, Dan Levy, and Lily Collins.

From attending events like the Oscars at a young age to being formally introduced to the press as newborns, these celebrities have been in front of the cameras their whole lives.

The term "nepo babies," which is short for nepotism babies, surfaced on social media before New York Magazine published a 2022 cover story listing dozens of celebrities continuing their parents' legacies in the entertainment industry.

While many of these celebrities have resisted the label, saying it undermines their efforts and work, others have embraced it.

These 25 pictures show today's stars when they were just kids of famous Hollywood actors, directors, and producers.

Jane Fonda

Academy Award winner Jane Fonda is the daughter of Hollywood and Broadway legend Henry Fonda and the Canadian-American socialite Frances Ford Seymour.

In the above photograph, Jane Fonda is pictured second from right, between her father and her brother, Peter. Left, Henry Fonda's third wife, Susan Blanchard, holds their daughter Amy.

Angelina Jolie

Actor, director, producer, and humanitarian Angelina Jolie is the youngest child of Hollywood actor Jon Voight and his second wife, TV actor Marcheline Bertrand.

Jolie is pictured at the 1986 Academy Awards with her brother, grandmother, and father.

Benedict Cumberbatch

The "Doctor Strange" and "Sherlock" actor was born in 1976 to British TV actors Wanda Ventham and Timothy Carlton, who also had a career in theatre.

Mariska Hargitay

Hargitay, best-known for playing detective Olivia Benson in "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit," was one of the five children of Playboy Playmate and 1950s sex symbol Jayne Mansfield. Her father, Mickey Hargitay, was an actor and bodybuilder famous for winning the 1955 Mr. Universe. A 1-year-old Hargitay is pictured second from right.

Charlie Sheen

Born Carlos Irwin Estévez, the "Two and a Half Men" actor (center) is the child of actors Janet Sheen and Emmy-winning Martin Sheen. Martin Sheen (second from right) has had a lengthy career in Hollywood, appearing in movies like "Apocalypse Now" and "Badlands" and shows like "West Wing" and "Grace and Frankie."

In fact, all four of Janet and Martin Sheen's kids have enjoyed careers in Hollywood: Emilio Estévez (pictured second from left) was part of the Brat Pack, Renée Estevez (left) appeared in movies including "Heathers," and Ramón Estévez acts, produces, and directs.

Jennifer Aniston

The "Friends" actor was born in 1969 to Greek "Days of Our Lives" actor John Aniston and TV actor Nancy Dow.

Gwyneth Paltrow

The Goop founder and actor was born in 1972 to Emmy- and Tony-winning actor Blythe Danner and producer Bruce Paltrow. Her godfather is Steven Spielberg.

She had her acting debut in "High," a 1989 film her father directed.

Nicolas Cage

Born Nicolas Kim Coppola, the "National Treasure" actor is part of the Coppola family, which includes his uncle, filmmaker Francis Ford Coppola. He's also related to Sofia Coppola and Jason Schwartzman, both cousins.

Kate Hudson

The "Almost Famous" and "How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days" actor is the daughter of Oscar winner Goldie Hawn and musician Bill Hudson, and she is close with her mother's longterm partner, actor Kurt Russell.

"The nepotism thing, I mean … I don't really care," Kate Hudson told The Independent in 2022. "I remember ['Almost Famous' director] Cameron Crowe saying that it wasn't as if Goldie Hawn and Kurt Russell showed up to his door with, like, trench coats on, holding a gun to his head and making him put me in the movie. That's not how any of this works."

Lily Collins

The daughter of musician Phil Collins, the "Emily in Paris" actor began her acting career at the age of 2. She had her breakout role in 2009, playing Sandra Bullock's daughter in "The Blind Side."

Zoey Deutch

Known for her roles in "The Politician" and the satirical "Not Okay," Deutch (second from left) is the daughter of "Back to the Future" actor Lea Thompson and "Pretty in Pink" director Howard Deutch.

Her older sister, Madelyn Deutch, is also an actor and musician.

Carrie Fisher

"Star Wars" actor Carrie Fisher was the daughter of "Singin' in the Rain" star and Hollywood legend Debbie Reynolds and musician Eddie Fisher, who married Elizabeth Taylor after divorcing Reynolds.

Carrie Fisher was the mother of a nepo baby herself — her daughter, Billie Lourd, has also made a name for herself in acting.

Dakota Johnson

The "Fifty Shades of Grey" star is the daughter of "Miami Vice" actor Don Johnson and second-generation Hollywood actor Melanie Griffith. Her maternal grandmother, Tippi Hedren, starred in Alfred Hitchcock's "The Birds" in 1963.

Dakota Johnson made her film debut at age 10 in "Crazy in Alabama," directed by her then-stepfather Antonio Banderas.

Johnson has called the "nepo baby" discourse "incredibly annoying and boring," People reported in 2024.

Margaret Qualley

Qualley, who is known for her recent role in "The Substance" alongside Demi Moore, is the daughter of Andie MacDowell, with whom she starred in the Netflix show "Maid" in 2021.

She made her modeling debut at New York Fashion Week in 2011, at age 16, and the following year walked for Valentino and Chanel in Paris Fashion Week. She made her acting debut in 2013, appearing in Gia Coppola's "Palo Alto."

Maya Rudolph

The SNL comedian and actor is the daughter of musicians Minnie Riperton and Richard Rudolph.

Her mother's biggest hit, the 1974 "Lovin' You," was written for Maya by her parents as a nighttime lullaby.

Dan Levy

The "Schitt's Creek" star, writer, and producer is the son of Canadian actor and comedian Eugene Levy, who co-starred and executive-produced the show alongside his son.

Zooey and Emily Deschanel

The sisters are the daughters of cinematographer Caleb Deschanel, who worked on "National Treasure" and "The Passion of the Christ," and TV actor Mary Jo Deschanel.

Mia Farrow

The "Rosemary's Baby" actor is the child of Academy Award-winning film director John Farrow and Irish actor Maureen O'Sullivan, who played Jane Parker in the "Tarzan" films.

Michael Douglas

The Academy Award-winning "Wall Street" actor is the son of actor and filmmaker Kirk Douglas, who appeared in over 90 films throughout his career, and actor Diana Douglas.

Tracee Ellis Ross

Daughter to the legendary singer Diana Ross and her then-husband, music executive Robert Ellis Silberstein, Tracee Ellis Ross grew up in an artistic sphere — she was even photographed by Andy Warhol during her childhood.

Drew Barrymore

When Drew Barrymore shot to fame, aged 7, for "E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial," she was the youngest of a long line of performers — the Barrymore family has its acting roots in mid-19th-century London. Her father, John Drew Barrymore, starred in many films in the 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s.

But growing up in the spotlight was not easy, and Drew Barrymore has spoken of the challenges of stardom at a young age.

Jack Quaid

Better known for his role in "The Boys," Jack Quaid is the son of "When Harry Met Sally" star Meg Ryan and "The Parent Trap" actor Dennis Quaid.

"Jack is really talented," Meg Ryan told Glamour in 2023. "He's more of a natural than I'll ever be … That nepo stuff is so dismissive of his work ethic, his gifts, and how sensitive he is to the idea of his privilege."

Following her comments, Quaid told The Daily Beast of the "nepo baby" label, "I don't think it undermines my talent. I know that I work hard, and I know I've heard 'no' way more than I've heard 'yes.' But I also know that this industry is insanely hard to break into, and I had an easier time doing that than most. Both things can be true."

Bryce Dallas Howard

The "Jurassic World" actor is the eldest child of legendary Hollywood director and Oscar winner Ron Howard and writer Cheryl Howard.

Jamie Lee Curtis

The scream queen is the daughter of "Psycho" star Janet Leigh and actor Tony Curtis, who appeared in more than 100 films.

In a 2022 Instagram post, Jamie Lee Curtis criticized the nepo baby discourse.

"The current conversation about nepo babies is just designed to try to diminish and denigrate and hurt," Curtis wrote. "There's not a day in my professional life that goes by without my being reminded that I am the daughter of movie stars."

Ben Stiller

The "Zoolander" star and comedian was born in 1965 to actor Anne Meara and comedian Jerry Stiller, who made up the comedy duo Stiller and Meara in the 1960s and 1970s.

• Prime Video's "The Boys" will end with its upcoming fifth season.
• "Supernatural" stars Jared Padalecki and Misha Collins will have roles in the final season.
• There's no release date yet, but filming is underway and expected to continue through mid-2025.

All good things must come to an end, including Prime Video's popular superhero satire series "The Boys."

The show was officially renewed for a fifth season in May 2024. Two days before the season four premiere, creator and showrunner Eric Kripke revealed via X (formerly Twitter) and Instagram that the upcoming fifth season would be the show's last.

"#TheBoys Season 4 Premiere Week is the perfect time to announce: Season 5 will be the Final Season! Which was always my plan, I just had to be cagey about it until I got final permission from @voughtintl,'" Kripke wrote on Instagram.

"But I'm thrilled to bring this story to a gory, epic, emotional climax. So check out Season 4, premiering THIS THURSDAY, because the end has begun! Hop in for the ride. Which will be bumpy. And probably a little moist. @theboystv @primevideo."

Here's everything we know about season five of "The Boys," so far.

Season 4 is designed to be a darker, more introspective season ahead of the all-out action of season 5

Season four explores the characters' biggest fears and unresolved traumas. Kripke compared the show to a three-act film and said that season four serves as act two.

"It's like the darkest point, the most introspective point," he told Deadline. "It's the one where the characters have to emotionally face their existential trauma. So then they're able to jump onto the roller coaster ride that is the climax of the movie."

In an interview with LADbible, Kripke said that the season four finale makes the five-season plan even clearer.

"There's no way a show goes one more season after the events of that finale," the showrunner said.

"As far as we're concerned, it's our show's version of the apocalypse," he said of season five.

Jeffrey Dean Morgan hopes to return as Joe Kessler

Morgan joined season four of "The Boys" as one of Butcher's old buddies who reenters his life. It's not until episode six that fans learn that the real Joe is actually dead, and Butcher has been hallucinating the whole time — a side effect of his brain tumor.

In season four, the hallucination version of Joe serves as the manifestation of Butcher's bloodthirsty side, the part of him that wants to wipe out all supes. During the last moments of the finale, Butcher is seen driving off with the last dose of the supe-killing virus, with Joe smiling with satisfaction in the rearview mirror.

"I don't know how you do season five without an appearance, at least," Morgan told Variety when asked if he'll return for the final season. "That's my feeling. I've never had any official talks about it, but I think it'd be really hard to carry on without some sort of resolution — and hopefully that'll be a whole season!"

Jensen Ackles will return as Soldier Boy, and he'll be joined by his 'Supernatural' costars Jared Padalecki and Mischa Collins

Jensen Ackles joined "The Boys" during season three as Soldier Boy, an obnoxious supe and the biological father of Homelander (Antony Starr). Ackles was absent from season four but had a cameo at the very end of the season.

Ackles made a surprise appearance at a panel for "The Boys" at San Diego Comic-Con in July 2024, where it was announced that he would be a series regular for season five.

"You know, what we realized was we really hadn't explored the father-son relationship much between Homelander and Soldier Boy," Kripke told video game blog Gamesradar+ at SDCC. "There's a lot of material there, how Soldier Boy feels about Homelander, how Homelander feels about his dad, and so we really wanted to dig into that relationship."

There's also going to be another "Supernatural" reunion.

In February 2025, the social media accounts for "The Boys" posted a video revealing that Ackles' "Supernatural" costars Jared Padalecki and Misha Collins will also appear in season five.

Additional new cast members for season 5 include "Hamilton" star Daveed Diggs and "Stranger Things" actor Mason Dye.

Variety reported that Diggs will be a series regular. Dye will play a supe named Bombsight, who's already been referenced in "The Boys" as one of the oldest known supes in history.

Kripke already has ideas for the series finale ending

Kripke told Deadline that the writers' room spent weeks discussing the show's mythology and broad ideas for season five, and he has a good idea of how the series will conclude.

"I know that moment where the title card comes up, and it says six months later, and you see where everybody is," he said. "I know that. I can really write the last 10 pages of this story right now."

He explained to The Hollywood Reporter that everything hasn't been mapped out in detail yet because he wants to allow the writers to suggest ideas and twists.

"I don't totally know how we're going to get there, but I know the destination," he said.

Season 5 of 'The Boys' will definitively wrap up the show's story

"The Boys" juggles many characters and storylines, but the heart of the show is the dynamic between sworn enemies Butcher (Karl Urban) and Homelander (Antony Starr).

Homelander already teased a "scorched" earth" destiny for him and Butcher in the season three premiere. It looks like fans will likely see that play out in season five.

"The show is a serialized story that is about Butcher and Homelander slowly crashing into each other, and the show doesn't work without either of those," Kripke told The Hollywood Reporter. "So, you just can't keep that going on forever, you have to let them smash into each other."

"What I would say is, this particular story is ending, the Butcher-Homelander is ending," he told Variety. "But there can be other stories and other corners of the universe."

There are already various "Boys" offshoots in different stages; the college-set "Gen V" was renewed for a second season in October 2023, and a Mexico spin-off is in the works. There's also the prequel spin-off series "Vought Rising," which will star Ackles and Aya Cash, reprising her role as Stormfront. Entertainment Weekly reported that Dye will return as Bombsight in "Vought Rising."

But the upcoming fifth season of "The Boys" will be the end of the road for the show.

"This story of 'The Boys' will not continue on," Kripke told Entertainment Weekly, adding that some other potential spin-offs in development have yet to be announced.

There's no release date yet for season 5

In July 2024, Kripke told Variety that season five would begin filming around mid-November.

"And I don't know when it'll premiere yet, but we'll be shooting well into middle of '25," he said.

The showrunner added that, like past seasons, the final installment will be comprised of eight episodes.

Since season five is anticipated to film through 2025, that means it likely won't premiere until 2026.

• US Gen Alpha shoppers represent around $28 billion in spending power, according to shopper analytics firm Numerator.
• The younger consumers often have an average weekly allowance of $22, mostly spent on toys and snacks.
• When it comes to brands, their choices tend to be influenced by social trends and digital marketing.

Kids these days are growing up in a remarkably different consumer landscape than prior generations.

The estimated 46 million Generation Alpha shoppers in the US represent around $28 billion in spending power and their influence is already being felt by brands, according to shopper analytics firm Numerator.

Born in 2010 or after, these under-15-year-olds typically have an average weekly allowance of $22, which they largely spend on toys and snacks, Numerator found.

As the new year gets underway, Gen Alpha's brand preferences tend to be influenced by social trends and digital marketing, leading some products to breakout success.

In particular, Samyang — makers of the Buldak "fire chicken" ramen packs — topped Numerator's chart of brands to watch, followed by Owala — the makers of the multicolored flip-top insulated steel water bottles.

Cirkul's hydration system also placed in the top 10 at number seven.

And as kids grow and change, personal care appears to feature more prominently in their discretionary purchases, with three brands in the top 10: Squatch Soap Co., Kitsch, and Hero Cosmetics.

Among kids 6 and older, the top source of product discovery is from their friends, followed by TV commercials and social media influencers.

That stands in contrast to those 5 and under, who often respond to what they see while walking in the store with their parents as well as what they learn about from family members. Interestingly, Numerator found that more than half of six-year-olds have asked for something they saw in an advertisement.

As for categories (rather than brands), about half of kids 10 and under spend their allowance on toys, though Numerator found that share falls off dramatically after they turn 11. Kids of all ages are still spending their money on snacks, however.

Perhaps the least surprising finding was which retailer stands out most among Gen Alpha shoppers: Five Below.

Numerator found that roughly a third of Gen Alpha households shop at the discount chain — a rate that is twice that of the overall US population.

• This post originally appeared in the Business Insider Today newsletter.
• You can sign up for Business Insider's daily newsletter here.

Happy Friday! What do Lauren Sánchez, Katy Perry, and Gayle King have in common? They are part of the first all-women space crew since 1963. Sánchez is leading the six-person crew on an 11-minute journey on one of her fiancé Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin rockets.

In today's big story, Amazon's love affair with AI doesn't extend to job candidates using it during interviews.

What's on deck

Markets: Goldman Sachs pulls back on DEI language in its annual report. It says it's just following the law.

Tech: Internal xAI documents show how workers are instructed to suss out "woke ideology" and "cancel culture" in Elon Musk's chatbot.

Business: Netflix isn't losing sleep over your canceled subscription. In fact, you'll probably be back.

But first, AI for me, but not for interviewees.

If this was forwarded to you, sign up here.

The big story

Interviewing on AI

Tech companies love AI. Just don't try to use it to get a job at one.

Amazon created guidelines for its internal recruiters to sniff out job candidates who might be using AI during the hiring process, writes Business Insider's Eugene Kim.

The tech giant's stance is that AI tools give candidates an "unfair advantage" that doesn't allow Amazon to evaluate their "authentic" skills, according to guidelines Eugene obtained.

As a reminder, this is the same Amazon pouring billions of dollars into AI development in the hopes that AI tools become a key part of people's personal and professional lives. The same Amazon encouraging employees to use its AI chatbot at work. The same Amazon that would love to have its AI-powered Alexa+ in homes across America.

With all that AI encouragement, it's not surprising candidates would turn to these tools to give themselves the best chance possible, especially when the market for tech jobs is so tough.

Dealing with AI-powered interviewees isn't just an Amazon problem.

For about as long as AI chatbots have been around, people have been figuring out how to use them to cheat get an advantage.

BI's Rob Price has covered the topic extensively, writing about the "magic teleprompter" apps that feed candidates answers.

Sometimes, using AI is just about passing a technical test to get a raise or to land a job. Other times, the tools are shadow stand-ins for people, doing some, if not all, of their actual work.

While the latter might sound egregious, using AI tools to get a job that'll require you to use AI tools doesn't seem that out of line. Imagine if you had to try out for a track team but weren't allowed to wear running shoes. Why ban someone from using something they'll eventually need to succeed?

I put that question to a tech recruiter. They said the problem is candidates solely relying on AI tools instead of having their own logic and general knowledge. It's a big issue, particularly with younger candidates fresh out of college, they added.

Still, it's not like candidates haven't been trying to get an edge on interviews for years. The recruiter mentioned the 2008 book "Cracking the Coding Interview," which includes programming questions commonly asked during interviews.

Sometimes, the recruiter has to stay a step ahead, like asking follow-up questions the chatbots might have trouble managing.

And if all else fails, maybe AI can help with the AI problem.

News brief

• What to know about the economic blackout that boycotters are planning today to protest corporate corruption.
• The cofounder of Airbnb is joining DOGE.
• Sam Altman says OpenAI's new ChatGPT-4.5 is a more emotionally intelligent model but warns that it's 'expensive' to train and run.
• These are the job responsibilities of DOGE staff embedded in federal agencies, according to Trump.
• North Korea was behind the $1.5B Bybit crypto hack, FBI says.
• I'm a pediatrician working in the middle of Texas's measles outbreak. Here's what I want parents to know.
• Woman charged in Tesla dealership vandalism incident involving Molotov cocktails and graffiti, police say.
• Talen CEO says Amazon is investing 'sweat equity' at its data center next door to the Susquehanna nuclear plant.

3 things in markets

1. Meet the fund manager who beats the S&P 500 again and again. Michael Cuggino's Permanent Portfolio Aggressive Growth Portfolio has outperformed the S&P 500, returning 28% versus the index's 17% on a trailing 12-month basis. Cuggino's fund also had a higher average annual gain than the S&P 500 over the past decade. The secret? The fund doesn't invest along themes or focus too much on specific indexes, instead prioritizing quality growth firms.

2. Nvidia still has something to prove. Despite strong earnings, one subject came up a bunch during Nvidia's Wednesday call: gross margins. CFO Colette Kress said expectations are in the "low 70s" for the current quarter as the company ramps up Blackwell chip production. Still, she thinks the gross margins will bounce back after. Even once Nvidia isn't as stressed over speeding up Blackwell, one analyst doesn't think the chip titan will be out of the woods.

3. Goldman wants to play by the rules as it drops DEI references. The bank toned down DEI language in its annual report, mentioning diversity much less than in previous years. The bank also said its "aspirational hiring goals" will expire this year without clarifying if new ones will be implemented. Goldman CEO David Solomon said the bank made the adjustments "to reflect developments in the law in the US."

3 things in tech

1. xAI is training Grok in anti-wokeness. BI reviewed internal xAI documents outlining how AI tutors should "spot bias" and look out for "woke ideology" and "cancel culture" in its chatbot Grok's responses. Tutors are told to consider the company's "guiding principles," which include "do not moralize, preach, or judge." Some workers said they felt the training methods prioritize right-wing beliefs, while a researcher said he believes Grok's approach can differentiate it from other chatbots. Check out some of the sample prompts and responses tutors were shown.

2. Googlers are using a Google Doc to track Google's layoffs. The tech giant cut jobs across its Cloud, ads, and Trust & Safety teams this week. It follows smaller, surgical cuts across the company over the past few months, employees said. In an effort to track the layoffs, current employees have circulated a crowdsourced Google Doc reviewed by BI.

3. An origin story for Amazon's robots revolutionalizing e-commerce. In 2015, Amazon hosted a competition challenging researchers to build robots that could identify and pick up specific warehouse items. A decade later, those ideas have helped launch a flock of advanced robots that could help the e-commerce giant save as much as $10 billion a year.

3 things in business

1. Rise of the Gen Z realtors. The share of realtors under 30 quadrupled in 2024, data shows, as the profession attracts more young people. Three Gen Z brokers told BI the profession helped them experience financial freedom and avoid slogging away at a typical desk job — even if their baby faces made it hard to get off the ground initially.

2. I just can't quit you, Netflix. The streaming giant isn't worried if you cancel your subscription — data from the analytics company Antenna suggests it'll probably win you back quickly. In 2023, 61% of subscribers who canceled were back on the platform within a year. That win-back rate far surpasses Netflix's streaming rivals' average of 45%.

3. These healthcare startups are ready for acquisitions this year. It's been a slow few years for company combinations in the healthcare startup industry. Nearly a dozen investors and bankers told BI few large companies seem willing to make big deals. The right buyers might be their peers — and seven healthcare startups appear ready to move.

In other news

• Judge says mass firings of probationary employees by the Trump administration were invalid.
• North Koreans are back to fighting alongside Russia, South Korean intelligence says.
• Vistra's stock had surged amid the AI boom. Now Wall Street is getting antsy waiting for a data center deal.
• The major companies that have relocated to Texas, from Tesla to Chevron.
• One map shows where Americans are paying the highest electricity bills.
• The Oscars gift bags are worth over $216,000. Here's what's inside.
• Real estate investors explain why they're all in on the 'steady' Louisville market and how they picked it.
• Betting markets are skeptical DOGE will accomplish some of its big goals.

What's happening today

• Ramadan begins.
• Apple's iPhone 16e hits stores.

The Insider Today team: Dan DeFrancesco, deputy editor and anchor, in New York. Grace Lett, editor, in Chicago. Ella Hopkins, associate editor, in London. Hallam Bullock, senior editor, in London. Amanda Yen, associate editor, in New York. Elizabeth Casolo, fellow, in Chicago.

• Arizona's Supreme Court has granted KPMG a license to practice law.
• The decision marks the entry of a Big Four firm into the US legal framework.
• The move is likely to create more competition for top talent and clients, one commentator said.

KPMG will become the first of the Big Four to set up a legal division in the US after the Arizona Supreme Court granted it a special license to practice law.

KPMG was approved to operate as an alternative business structure, or ABS, in Arizona — a license that enables it to establish KPMG Law US as an independent law firm.

The new entity will bring together technology and legal advice at scale, reshaping the market for legal services, KPMG said in a statement.

Its offerings will include legal managed services, legal operations consulting, and legal technology innovation.

"KPMG Law US is uniquely positioned to transform the delivery of legal services," said Rema Serafi, KPMG's vice chair of tax. "By combining cutting-edge artificial intelligence and advanced technology solutions with legal services, we are proud to be a first mover with this capability and to offer the most holistic range of tech-enabled services in the marketplace for our clients' evolving needs."

The US is the world's largest market for legal services. It is mostly closed off to nonlegal professionals by an American Bar Association rule that only permits licensed lawyers to own or invest in law firms.

While the Big Four have set up legal divisions in other key markets, they have only operated advisory, audit, and tax divisions in the US until now.

Arizona's ABS program sidesteps the rule and grants nonlegal professionals a license to provide legal services. More than 100 firms have been approved to practice law in the state since the ABS program began in 2021.

Arizona is not alone in offering market access to non-legal professionals. Washington has allowed limited nonlawyer ownership since 1991, and Utah is running a similar trial to the ABS program.

'Market-based reforms'

Lucy Ricca, executive director at Stanford Law School's Deborah L. Rhode Center on the Legal Profession, told Business Insider that Arizona's ABS reforms were intended to widen the public's access to legal services.

"The Arizona ABS reforms are market-based reforms, intended to open the power of capital, diversification, and competition in a sector, legal services, that has been stunted by the professional monopoly of lawyers," she said.

Critics of the program argue that nonlawyer ownership in law firms creates a conflict of interest and undermines the professional independence of lawyers.

KPMG Law US will operate within each state's ethics rules in line with every other law firm, the firm said.

As a condition of its ABS license, KPMG will not be allowed to provide legal services to clients for which it also performs financial audits, the Arizona Supreme Court said in a statement.

More competition

The Arizona court's decision signals further expansion for KPMG's tax and legal division, which was the fastest-growing arm of its business in its last financial year — up 10% globally.

KPMG Law US will not be limited to Arizona. It will also serve clients across the US by partnering, offering co-counsel, or referring to separate staffing firms and other law firms, subject to state rules.

Kirsten Keegan Vasquez, vice president of the legal recruiter Major, Lindsey & Africa, told BI that she doesn't expect KPMG to swiftly disrupt the market.

"Legal services are hired based on long-term proven track record. Any new entry into the market is going to have to overcome that competitive energy," she said.

However, Vasquez expected KPMG's move to create more competition for top talent and clients among big law firms.

Stanford's Lucy Ricca added: "There certainly will be winners and losers as the market grows and changes, but those pressures already exist in many ways.

"Every new entrant represents a growing and more dynamic market for legal services and a growing diversity in the supply of legal services. It means more competition, yes, but this is a market that has been stunted by a lack of real competition for decades."

• Last year, my son had his first science fair project, and it felt like my responsibility, too.
• When he had to do another one this year, I wasn't thrilled.
• Our project wasn't going well, but rather than quit, I decided we'd start over and finish strong.

In the state of Florida where my son and I live, students in grades fourth through sixth are required to complete a science fair project. My son is in fifth grade this year, so he just finished his second project. After last year, I wasn't a fan of the task. In fact, I was truly dreading it this year.

Given the amount of work involved, I think it's unrealistic to expect that any 9- to 11-year-old could handle the science fair project independently. After our experience last year, I walked away thinking it was as much, if not more, my responsibility than my son's.

Throughout the entire process, I felt conflicted. I wonder if any of the other students are actually completing the steps without a lot of involvement from parents — and if the teachers are aware that's likely what's happening.

Our project didn't start off on a great foot

I suggested several experiments for my son to choose from this year because he couldn't decide what to do. He has a growing interest in music, so we settled on seeing whether plants grew better when they listened to certain kinds of music. All of his plants died before we could finish the project, and I was stressed out, to say the least.

When my husband saw how upset I was, he suggested lying about the test results. For about a week, I seriously considered it. I had already spent so much money on the plants, and to say I was over the project entirely would be an understatement. Nagging my son to play music for his plants every night after a long day of school and work was not relaxing. I didn't want to have to buy new plants and start the whole process over again.

But as I thought about fabricating the results to my son's science experiment, I wondered what I'd be teaching him. Quitting when things go wrong, skirting around actually doing the work, and outright lying were not the lessons I wanted him to learn. I began to see that the attitude I had taken toward the whole project from the beginning had been wrong.

Instead of taking the easy way out, I took the opportunity to bond with him

While I still think the science fair projects create more work for the parents than the students, I decided to change my attitude. I also began to wonder if the true point of the assignment was to get the parents more involved. Even if that isn't the case, I chose to take the task as an opportunity to bond with my son while I still can.

I realized that I could set an example for him in how to manage one's time and turn in work that is honorable. Instead of helping him lie about results to work around failure, I helped my son start over again. In the end, we both had a project to be proud of and one that was clearly a team effort. He was able to draw the conclusion that plants do, in fact, grow better with music, based on actual evidence we gathered from a properly completed experiment.

I'm still glad that next year will be the last time we have to complete a science fair project. But from having completed two together so far, I know that the best thing I can do is model a positive attitude. There are going to be lots of unpleasant tasks in life that he will have to tackle, but doing his best not to hate every moment of his to-do's and even find the silver lining in them are two lessons I'm hoping he will learn from the experience.

• A couple said they had to share a row with a dead body after a passenger died on their flight.
• One former flight attendant told BI how crew are trained to deal with medical emergencies.
• An airline trade organization has guidelines for dealing with deaths in the air.

Mitchell Ring and Jennifer Colin were heading to Venice when another passenger died on their flight from Melbourne to Doha.

Ring told Australia's Nine News he spent the last four hours of the 14-hour Qatar Airways flight sharing a row with the woman's dead body.

After the passenger collapsed in the aisle near their row, Ring said, "They did everything they could, but unfortunately the lady couldn't be saved, which was pretty heartbreaking to watch."

"They tried to wheel her up toward business class, but she was quite a large lady and they couldn't get her through the aisle."

He added that the flight attendants saw there were two vacant seats in Ring and Colin's row of four. They then asked Ring to move over and placed the body in the seat where he had been sitting.

Ring said that the cabin crew didn't offer the couple different seats to move to.

While another passenger in the row behind offered one to his wife, Ring told Nine News he spent the rest of the flight in the same row as the dead body.

He added that he was told to stay seated after the plane landed, as medical crews boarded the plane and removed blankets covering the body.

"Our thoughts are with the family members of the passenger who sadly passed away on board a recent Qatar Airways flight from Melbourne, Australia," the airline said in a statement.

"The safety and comfort of all our passengers is of paramount importance to us."

Qatar said it had contacted the affected passengers to address their concerns.

Deaths on airplanes are not unheard of, though they are comparatively rare. A 2013 study found that medical emergencies happen once in every 604 flights. Deaths are even rarer, resulting from 0.3% of such incidents.

How crew are trained to deal with dead passengers

What actually happens when someone dies on a plane? Airlines have protocols in place, and staff are trained to deal with medical emergencies. The International Air Transport Association, an airline trade group, has guidelines for dealing with a death on board.

"We were told to be as compassionate and understanding as possible, especially if the passenger was traveling with people," Pierre-Yves Monnerville, who spent 17 years as a flight attendant at carriers including British Airways, told Business Insider.

Ideally, he said, there would be an empty row to place the body. In the Qatar Airways case, Monnerville said he suspected that the flight would've been very busy.

He said that he was trained to "find a way to make them as inconspicuous as possible." For example, not putting a blanket over their head and keeping them upright as much as possible.

While Monnerville didn't deal with a passenger's death during his time as a flight attendant, he said he used to do first aid with the French Red Cross — where he experienced how difficult it can be to move a body.

"Somebody unconscious already is quite hard to deal with in a regular house, but you can imagine in such a confined space [as a plane]," he told BI.

Monnerville added that it would be an extra challenge on newer planes as the aisles are narrower to fit in more seats.

Qatar Airways said in a Friday statement shared with BBC News that the crew's handling of the woman's death was "in line with training and industry standard practice."

In 2021, a flight attendant went viral on TikTok as she explained procedures if a passenger dies on a plane.

"If they have a heart attack and die, and there is nothing we can do about it, and we can't start CPR, we are just going to wait until we get to our final destination," Sheena Marie said.

She also said that, despite a myth of bodies being put in airplane bathrooms, this isn't possible as a body can't be safely strapped in.

In the past, some planes even had specific compartments reserved for bodies.

In 2004, Singapore Airlines began operating Airbus A340-500s with a locker that could store a body, which became known as a "corpse cupboard." The airline retired its A340-500s in 2013.

Under the IATA's more formal guidelines, the first thing flight crews should do is notify the captain, who should then inform authorities at the destination airport. The deceased should then be moved to a seat with few passengers around.

If the flight is full, the body should be put in its original seat or one that doesn't obstruct an aisle or exit. "Be aware of the difficulty of the situation for companions and onlookers," the guidelines say.

The IATA also recommends using a body bag, if available, and zipping it up to the neck or using a blanket. Close the eyes, and secure the body with a seatbelt, it adds.

Other passengers should be disembarked first, while any family members should stay with the body.

• Starbucks is retiring 13 of its less popular and more complicated drinks.
• This includes several of its famous Frappuccinos.
• Good riddance, I say!

First, let me say: If the Chocolate Cookie Crumble Crème Frappuccino was your favorite drink, I'm sorry. Accept my condolences that it's among the 13 beverages to be deaccessioned from Starbucks' menu —  never to crumble or frapp again.

I know the retirement of your favorite obscure-flavored, mass-market food or beverages can be painful. I still mourn Diet Vanilla Coke in a 20-ounce bottle. (2002-2005, RIP.)

But with a clear head, anyone can see that the list of drinks that Starbucks' new CEO is axing makes sense. Quite simply, things had gotten out of hand.

Here are the drinks headed off to sweet treat Valhalla:

1. Iced Matcha Lemonade
2. Espresso Frappuccino
3. Caffè Vanilla Frappuccino
4. White Chocolate Mocha Frappuccino
5. Java Chip Frappuccino
6. Chai Crème Frappuccino
7. Caramel Ribbon Crunch Crème Frappuccino
8. Double Chocolaty Chip Crème Frappuccino
9. Chocolate Cookie Crumble Crème Frappuccino
10. White Chocolate Crème Frappuccino
11. White Hot Chocolate
12. Royal English Breakfast Latte
13. Honey Almondmilk Flat White

Look, I'm sure the Caramel Ribbon Crunch Crème Frappuccino hits a certain sweet tooth. By no means am I yucking anyone's yum — but goodness gravy, these drinks are ridiculous.

Most of these drinks are probably higher in sugar and calories than people expect. (A 16-ounce Caramel Ribbon Crunch Crème Frappuccino has 420 calories and 22 grams of fat — or nearly 30% of your daily fat guideline.) I'm not proposing Starbucks shouldn't offer dessert-ish drinks, but I can understand why Starbucks doesn't want its drinks to be synonymous with unhealthy indulgences.

To be clear: No one, certainly not my primary-care physician, would ever accuse me of being a healthy eater — and I love a novelty sweet treat. I am not joking or saying this for effect, but I literally was ambiently snacking on a few of the new Post Malone novelty Oreos while writing this.

Starbucks menu cuts are supposed to improve service

A representative for Starbucks told Business Insider that the move to cut these whimsical sugar bombs will help make the rest of the service at Starbucks better. In an email to my colleague, Starbucks said it will "make way for innovation, help reduce wait times, improve quality and consistency, and align with our core identity as a coffee company."

I worked at Starbucks in the late 1990s, at the dawn of the Frappuccino era, and I can tell you from experience that making these drinks was slow, labor-intensive, and unpleasant. I'm sure that the methods have gotten more efficient in the last 20 years, but I'd wager that these are still some of the most annoying drinks to make — they take extra time and require the baristas to learn obscure ingredients and ratios, which can lead to more errors in drinks.

Starbucks' new CEO, Brian Niccol, has said that he wants the chain to get back to its origins as a place people want to hang out — and shift away from the mobile app ordering that exploded during the pandemic. Part of the rise of mobile ordering is that it allowed — even encouraged — people to add extra syrup pumps and toppings for increasingly elaborate customized drinks that would go viral on TikTok.

The drinks got wackier and wackier, and it's time to rein it back in.

A Frappuccino is a wonderful invention, and the addition of the Mocha Frappuccino was inspired and brilliant. But when we're getting down to the difference between the Double Chocolaty Chip Crème Frappuccino and a Chocolate Cookie Crumble Crème Frappuccino? Get real.

These nonsense drinks have been mercifully taken out behind the dumpster and murdered. And it's the right call. Bravo, Starbucks.

• I had no practical reason to move from San Francisco to Athens, Greece, just an undeniable feeling.
• Turns out, moving to Athens for no reason was exactly the right choice for my career.
• I quit my job in finance, published two books, and transformed my career where I now help others.

When I boarded my Lufthansa flight for the 16-hour journey from San Francisco to Greece, I didn't know a single person in the country I was about to call my new home.

I had no practical reason for making the move. In San Francisco, where I had been living for the last 15 years, I had stable employment, a circle of long-term friends, and an apartment I loved.

Moving to Greece was stepping into the unknown. There was no new job waiting, no friends, no apartment — I didn't even speak the language. Yet, I had this undeniable feeling that Athens was where I should be.

Moving to Athens was the right choice for my career

As I settled into my seat, I felt an overwhelming sense of happiness and excitement. What should have been a moment of anxiety was the opposite. At the age of 41, I felt like my life was about to begin.

I became a Certified Public Accountant at the age of 24, not because I loved accounting and finance, but because it was a solid, practical career choice. In some ways, it was a good calculation, my job in finance offered me a stable income and a comfortable lifestyle. On a deeper level, though, my days of reporting financial results felt stagnant and uninspiring.

I had no way of knowing at the time, but moving to Athens for no reason besides following my intuition was exactly the right choice for my career.

Since moving, I've traded my career in finance to become an author and business trainer

At first, I continued working remotely as the CFO of an interactive agency in California, but concurrently, I pursued a certification in the Enneagram, a personality system that deepens self-awareness and enhances understanding of others.

The Enneagram is a system I'd been passionate about for years, but I'd never imagined turning it into a career.

After living in Greece for three years, the finance work had begun to feel less and less congruent with my Greek life. So, I quit and turned my attention more fully towards the Enneagram.

I didn't know exactly what I would do next, but with more free time, I began to write. I published my first book in 2016, called "Headstart for Happiness," which combines the Enneagram personality system with yoga exercises. Then I wrote a second one, "The Nine Keys," focused on the Enneagram in romantic relationships.

While promoting "The Nine Keys" at a conference in Portugal, an audience member approached me to ask if I would be interested in helping him in his corporate training business. Before long, I was training business teams in Europe and the United States, helping them unlock their full potential.

I also began offering business and personal retreats in Greece, letting me share the love of my adopted country with others.

This redesigned life has transformed the way I view everything

Before moving, I imagined I would retire at some point in my 60s.

Now, I don't think about retirement at all because there's nothing I want to retire from — this is exactly how I want to spend my time for the rest of my days by helping people improve their lives.

Back home, my friends and family have all been supportive of my decision to move, and with technology and frequent visits, it wasn't hard to stay in touch.

Admittedly, starting my social life over wasn't easy. I rented an apartment in the Acropolis neighborhood and, before long, formed a friendship with the family who owned the souvenir shop next door.

Their 25-year-old daughter welcomed me into her social circle, inviting me everywhere from urban bike rides with a group called "Free Day" to bouzoukia — traditional Greek live music shows where I was advised that arriving before midnight would be far too early.

The bond grew so strong she even asked me to be the godmother of her first child, which led to yet another adventure when I was baptized Greek Orthodox in order to fulfill my role as "nona."

Aside from this connection, platforms like MeetUp and expat groups became the foundation of my early social life in Greece.

The main difference between my new and old life is how alive I feel

I feel energized and excited when I wake up in the morning because I feel like I am doing my life's work.

I focus a lot on my health because I want to be able to keep sharing my work with others for years to come.

If you want to change your life, my message is simple: you can. I did. Your path doesn't have to be as dramatic as mine. Like Martin Luther King, Jr. said, "You don't need to see the whole staircase, just take the first step."

• I was the 'fun aunt' who cared for my seven nieces and nephews for many years.
• I thought my extensive experience with kids had prepared me for motherhood, but I was wrong.
• Babysitting let me love and nurture these children without the weight of long-term responsibility.

I have three nephews and four nieces, and I babysat them from the time they were newborns until they started school. My sisters dropped them off at our home every morning, and my mother and I cared for them until their mothers returned from work. It may have looked like we were running a daycare, but to me, it was pure joy. I was in my late teens at the time and I adored those kids, had endless fun with them, and still think of them as my own, even though they're all in their late teens now.

But being a fun auntie is quite different from the 24/7 demands of motherhood. Something that surprised me as my own family grew.

The shock of constant responsibility

Fast forward a few years, and everything looked very, very different. Whether it was the chaos of first-time motherhood or the haze of postpartum exhaustion, I found myself wondering, "Wait, did I ever handle babies this small?"

I couldn't understand why it had felt so much easier to be the favorite aunt of multiple kids than to care for just one. For months, I convinced myself that my son was simply more demanding than all of them combined. But eventually, I realized he was just like any other baby, except I was his mother. And to him, that made all the difference.

I thought I understood tantrums. I had witnessed a few epic meltdowns while babysitting, so I assumed I was prepared. Turns out, those were just trailers. What my child has offered up in the subsequent years is the full feature presentation!

What I've since realized, is babysitting is like test-driving a car. You get to enjoy the shiny new features, maybe push the limits a little, and then hand the keys back. Parenting is owning the car. You're responsible for the maintenance, the insurance, and figuring out why there's a half-eaten granola bar stuck to the upholstery. I knew how to change a diaper. But nothing prepared me for the sheer volume of diapers a tiny human can produce in just one day.

The myth of control I had as an aunt busted when I became a mother

I used to laugh when people said sleep deprivation was torture. Now, I understand. I've negotiated with a 2-year-old over pajama colors at 3 a.m., and I've lost arguments with a 4-year-old about whether only ketchup on toast qualifies as breakfast. I've learned that "mommy brain" is real, my tolerance for noise is superhuman, and I can function on minimal sleep. None of which, I'll now admit, I ever had to endure as an aunt.

When I babysat my nieces and nephews, all I cared about was being the fun aunt. There was no pressure to parent the right way. I made their favorite snacks, curated their YouTube playlists, dressed them up in adorable outfits, and styled their hair. The stakes were low, and the joy was abundant.

So why, after babysitting for years, was I still unprepared for motherhood?

Babysitting let me love and nurture these children without the weight of long-term responsibility. I fed them, bathed them, and even had a hand in helping them learn to walk and talk. But I never had to worry about their education, doctor's appointments, or health concerns. I didn't have to make the big decisions. That, I've learned, is the difference between being a fun aunt and being a mother.

Sometimes, I feel guilty that I don't fulfill my kids' every little wish like I did for my nieces and nephews. But I've realized that motherhood isn't about always saying yes. It's about showing up in ways that matter. I may not have the time to make French toast every morning, but I am fighting battles for them that I never had to as an aunt. And in the beautiful balance of life, my kids now get their share of extra love from their grandmothers, aunts, uncles, and even their older cousins—the very ones I once babysat.

The other day, my niece was making pancakes for my kids, and I was hit with nostalgia, remembering the times I stood in that kitchen, just as she was.

Life comes full circle

Now I know that no amount of aunthood can ever truly prepare you for motherhood. I started this journey thinking I knew what it meant to care for a child. I was wrong. Being a mother isn't about being ready — it's about showing up day after day for your children. And that, I realize now, is the most important lesson of all.

• Business Insider asked successful men across industries what shoes they love to wear.
• Many shared that they prefer sneakers, typically from classic brands like Nike and New Balance.
• Others mentioned authentic cowboy boots and luxury loafers.

We'd all like to step into the shoes of the world's most successful people.

So, while speaking with businessmen across industries, Business Insider asked them to name their favorite fragrances, clothing brands, luxury home items, and, of course, footwear.

Sneakers reigned supreme, but you'll also find cowboy boots and designer loafers in their closets.

One real-estate agent likes to wear trendy sneakers with his professional ensembles.

"Man, I love shoes," Bryce Grandison, 28, told BI.

The Georgia-based real-estate agent, who formerly worked as a real-estate analyst and was named a BI rising star, rotates between various pairs of classic sneakers.

He wears Nike Air Max 1s ($140 - $180), Stan Smith tennis shoes from Adidas ($100 - $350), and kicks from Roger Federer's collaboration with On ($140 - $200).

"I love to keep it business casual always, anytime, anywhere I go," Grandison said. "Ideally, no matter what I have on, I want to come across as a business professional."

"Whether I have a sweatsuit on with my Nikes, or if I have Lululemon slacks on, a half-zip top, and my Roger Federer On running shoes, you can see that it's a multifaceted look that's put together very well," he added.

A venture capitalist is loyal to sneakers made from eucalyptus tree fiber.

Rob Beiderman, 38, founded Asymmetric Capital Partners in 2021 and is now the fund's managing partner.

Whether at work or on the go, the former BI rising star says he wears sneakers from Allbirds "almost every day."

He specifically loves the brand's Tree Runners, which are made from eucalyptus tree fiber and designed for walking. They retail between $98 and $120 a pair.

"I love traveling with them because you can exercise and wear them for meetings," Beiderman said.

Occasionally, however, he swaps them for canvas slides from Toms.

While working in the art world, cowboy boots are one professional's go-to shoe.

Paul Hill, 25, is the founder of the art-tech company Strada. He told BI that he wears brown cowboy boots from the Texas-based brand Justin most days in his office.

He described the boots, which retail between $134 and over $1,000 each, as extremely versatile.

"I bike to work every single day, and I love how, with cowboy boots, it's kind of like stirrups. They just lock into the bike pedals super easily," he said. "And they're so comfortable."

Hill said he became interested in the style in high school and bought his first pair during college. He's worn them ever since.

"I went to boarding school for high school in Asheville, North Carolina, and that's where I first got introduced to cowboy boots," he said. "So, for me, they're just a little piece I can carry with me from the time I've spent outside New York City."

A clothing entrepreneur pairs items from his own brand with classic kicks.

Robert Felder, 30, is the founder and CEO of the clothing company Bearbottom.

He told BI that he exclusively wears the brand's designs because he loves them and is always testing new products.

Shoes, however, are another story.

"I typically wear sneakers," he said. "I have some New Balances that I really like wearing, and Reebok. Those are the two sneaker brands that I've been wearing a lot."

Felder alternates between the $90 Club C 85 Vintage kicks from Reebok and the $110 BB550 shoes from New Balance.

He said he also occasionally wears classic $150 Birkenstock clogs but never to work.

A finance professional said Vince makes his favorite sneakers.

Reed Switzer, 24, founded the fintech company Hopscotch, which helps small businesses pay bills more easily.

He said he likes keeping his footwear "a little more basic" and subtle.

"I have plain white shoes from Vince that go with everything," he said. "You can't go wrong."

The Fulton sneakers he's talking about are made from leather and retail for $198.

A dermatologist and CEO sticks with dress shoes for workdays.

Reid Waldman, 30, spends his days working as a dermatologist and the CEO of his biopharmaceutical company, Veradermics.

He told BI that the shoes he wears largely depend on how dressy his outfit is.

"If I'm wearing a blazer and slacks, then I'll wear loafers, like a pair from Ferragamo," he said. "If it's suit, I wear Oxfords."

He also buys most of his designer wardrobe secondhand.

"I don't think I've bought any brand-new clothes in several years," he told BI. "I am an avid shopper of The RealReal."

• Tim Jordan, M.D., a counselor who supports young girls, also provides CEOs with parenting support.
• He said successful parents make the mistake of overscheduling their kids in extracurriculars.
• They also overindulge their child's requests for new things, feeling that they can't say no.

This as-told-to essay is based on a transcribed conversation with Tim Jordan, M.D., 70, a counselor for teenage girls from St. Louis. The following has been edited for length and clarity.

I've been a counselor for around 30 years. For the past 15 or so years, my practice has been exclusively for middle school, high school, and college-aged girls.

I've been married to my wife for 43 years. We both started out in medical careers but then developed our own business focusing on parenting classes, talks, and weekend retreats.

For many years, we've worked with YPO, a membership community for chief executives, creating family events to support members with parenting and giving talks in their various chapters around the world.

I've noticed executives are very hungry for information about parenting. Although their business lives are set, and they're pretty successful, they're still open to learning more about raising their kids.

Across my experience meeting chief executives and helping families through my counseling practice, I've spotted some key mistakes successful parents make when raising their kids.

1. Overscheduling kids in extracurricular activities

Successful parents want their kids to be successful. They want them to be at the top of their class or on the best soccer team.

Everything is about their children's future, as opposed to what their kids like to do.

I once saw a high schooler in my counseling practice who was so burned out. She was on the cheer team, so had to go to practices and games, but she also did competitive dance, which was what she really loved. She wanted to quit cheerleading but said her parents wouldn't let her because they were concerned about how dropping out would impact her college prospects.

Parents are coming from a place of fear that their kids will get left behind. They want their kid to have a leg up. It's a rampant fear in our culture.

I think it's important for kids to pick their activities but also have some free time.

I recently spoke to another family with a daughter in sixth grade. She does volleyball and gymnastics, among other things. I told her dad there was something missing in her list of activities: play and downtime. Time to do things she enjoys, like reading or doing artwork — not because it's going to be in her portfolio, but because she likes to draw.

Unsupervised play is a great way for kids to learn, but they have little time for it these days.

2. Trying to be the driving force behind your child's motivation

When parents push their kids, they'll ask me, "How do I motivate my daughter?"

I tell them they're asking the wrong question. It's not your job to motivate your kids. A better question would be, "How do I support my child's intrinsic motivation?"

A good way to support a child's motivation is to ask them questions to make them think about why they want A's at school or why they like soccer.

Once, my wife and I were speaking to a girl who was a gymnast. We asked what she liked about gymnastics. She started talking, but her dad interjected and told her to show us her trophies.

We could tell her awards weren't what drove her, so we repeated the question. She said her favorite thing was the floor routine. She liked it when all eyes were on her, and she entertained people. That was her intrinsic motivation for loving gymnastics. We derive more satisfaction from things if we're doing them for our reasons instead of to please others.

Listen to why your kid enjoys something and use that understanding to encourage them. You're not always going to be there to push and micromanage your kids. They need to learn to push themselves by focusing on why they want to do things and how it's meaningful to them.

3. Overindulging your child's requests for new things

I've found that the executives I work with are very worried about whether their kids will be spoiled or if they'll have ambition. Many of these parents worked hard but are conscious that their kids don't have to do that because they're born into affluence.

Some have even said they're worried flying first class could spoil their child.

My wife and I tell them it's amazing their child can receive education through wonderful trips. That won't spoil them, but what will is if you immediately comply every time your child asks for something new.

Affluent parents sometimes think they should grant requests because they can afford it, but I encourage the attitude that the money parents have created is theirs, not their children's. Kids aren't entitled to one cent of it unless the parents gift it to them.

Get your kids to earn things and put some sweat equity into it. It will allow them to develop a work ethic.

Once when we were out with my son, he wanted a new Lego pirate ship. We told him we weren't willing to buy it and he could use his allowance money. However, it was around $75, which shocked him. We encouraged him to rake some leaves and do jobs in the neighborhood if he really wanted it.

4. Not sharing your stories

Kids look up to their moms and dads and see the finished product. They see a successful business or happy marriage, but they haven't seen the parent as an awkward 12-year-old struggling with self-doubt or when a parent didn't make the basketball team.

Every entrepreneur I've talked to has had at least one business failure, if not many. Successful parents can show their children that things aren't always smooth by sharing stories of failure.

I think parents don't tend to think about sharing their stories with their children. But when a child makes a mistake and is really bummed out, sharing a relatable story shows you know how they feel. Kids love hearing stories and it connects them on a deeper level with their parents. It makes them feel safe to share things in return.

Do you have a story to share about parenting as a chief executive? Contact this reporter at [email protected]