• The world's largest hedge fund is crowdsourcing ideas about the new global economic order.
• Bridgewater and Global Citizen are launching a contest to predict the impact of protectionist policies.
• Five winners will receive $25,000 and a chance to work at Bridgewater, which manages roughly $92 billion.

Bridgewater is turning to the crowd for ideas on how to trade and position itself in a new global economic regime.

The world's largest hedge fund, known for its macro bets and its billionaire founder Ray Dalio, is hosting a competition with Australian nonprofit Global Citizen, which aims to end extreme poverty globally, titled "Forecasting the Future: A Modern Economics Challenge."

The contest is open to anyone who wants "to tackle one of the most significant global economic transformations of our time," according to a press release, and submit their analysis and forecast on what the protectionist policies of leaders around the world, led by tariffs proposed by President Donald Trump's administration, will do to the world economy.

Five winners will receive $25,000 and a chance at a job at the $92 billion hedge fund. The application opened on Tuesday.

"We are looking for the brightest minds across the world to contribute their understanding of the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead and to join us as we navigate the future of this new world order," said Nir Bar Dea, the CEO of Bridgewater, which was founded in 1975 and calls itself a "a community of independent thinkers" in the release. The manager's polarizing workplace culture, termed "radical transparency" by its founder, has also set the firm apart over the decades.

One hundred applications will be selected from the initial pool, and then senior leaders at Bridgewater will decide on the five winners from that group.

The release says the five winners will be offered a job or internship opportunity with Bridgewater "pending successful completion of its interview requirements." A person close to the competition told Business Insider that the asset manager's "standard interview requirements" still apply, without specifying what those were.

The role offered to the winners is dependent on where the firm believes they would fit best within the organization, but even an internship can be a lucrative opportunity. A job posting for a 2026 investment internship states that the eight-week gig would pay $51,000 plus a signing bonus.

Bridgewater is not the only hedge fund to source talent through a contest. Systematic trading shop WorldQuant has an annual championship where students and academics from around the world submit math models predicting market moves. Last year, the prize pool was $400,000. $25 billion hedge fund Balyasny runs a stock-picking contest that serves as an early application pool for the firm's internship program.

The new economic world order

Bridgewater's top investment leaders have been public about how radical the Trump administration's economic policies have been and the substantial impact they will have on portfolios and institutions around the world. One of the firm's co-chief investment officers, Greg Jensen, wrote at the end of 2024 that the "previous global consensus around free trade and limited government intervention is hanging by a thread."

The firm has dubbed the new economic world order "modern mercantilism," a system the manager says relies more on state power than free trade.

Despite the world becoming less interconnected, the macro investment manager is still searching for international opportunities, especially in Asia. The firm's other co-chief investment officer, Karen Karniol-Tambour, recommended investing in China at the Milken conference earlier this month.

The firm's flagship fund, Pure Alpha, was up close to 9% through the first quarter of 2025, Reuters previously reported.

• Omada Health filed its S-1 to go public at the beginning of May.
• Now, the chronic care startup is launching new AI agent tools for nutrition.
• Omada is cashing in on a surging "food as medicine" market amid the Ozempic-fueled weight loss boom.

Omada Health just filed its S-1 to go public. Now, the diabetes care startup is bolstering its business with new tech for AI-powered nutrition.

The startup is releasing an AI agent to provide nutrition education and guide patients through goal-setting sessions about their food habits, Business Insider has learned exclusively.

The agent, called OmadaSpark, is part of a new suite of "nutritional intelligence" tools that Omada hopes will help its patients make more thoughtful and informed choices about their nutrition and drive behavior change.

Omada is tapping into a booming nutrition care market. "Food as medicine" pushes are picking up steam, especially as US Department of Health and Human Services secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. touts his agenda to "Make America Healthy Again", while more and more patients take GLP-1 drugs such as Ozempic for weight loss.

That's leading investors to back nutrition startups like Nourish and Fay Nutrition with big funding rounds — and bringing fresh business to late-stage virtual care businesses seizing on the moment like Omada.

The release comes less than two weeks after Omada filed to go public. The startup is one of two digital health companies to have publicly announced IPO plans this year, alongside physical therapy startup Hinge Health, which launched its road show last week.

Omada Health has been caring for patients with chronic conditions, with a focus on diabetes, since 2011. It's making most of its new AI nutrition tools available to all of its patients across conditions from diabetes to hypertension to obesity. That includes a "food hub" in Omada's app where patients can ask the AI agent nutrition-related questions and track their meals, with new capabilities to track patients' water intake and log meals based on food barcodes or photos of the food uploaded to the app.

OmadaSpark is Omada's first patient-facing AI tech. Dr. Justin Wu, Omada Health's vice president of clinical innovation and quality, said the startup now feels ready to allow patients to interact with AI directly after significant improvements in the underlying models. He said Omada has fine-tuned its nutrition AI with the startup's own clinical input, as well as guidelines from the United States Department of Agriculture and other organizations.

Anti-diet tech in the age of Ozempic

Omada Health CEO Sean Duffy told BI in October that metabolic health is the company's most popular entry point for new customers, which Wu said remains true today.

While Omada doesn't prescribe GLP-1s like Ozempic or Wegovy, many of its members take the drugs, and employers and insurers often contract with Omada seeking wraparound care for those patients, Duffy said in October.

Despite the recent Ozempic-fueled weight loss craze, Omada says its new nutrition tools are distinctly anti-diet.

Omada's meal-tracking feature aims to provide feedback encouraging nutrient-dense foods rather than focusing on caloric intake. Its app further tailors nutrition recommendations based on a range of factors, including users' demographics, chronic conditions, dietary preferences, and whether they're taking a GLP-1.

"At Omada, we've always had a nutrition philosophy that's moved away from a restrictive mindset to one of abundance," Wu said. "We don't want to make people feel bad about their choices — we really want to give them freedom in how they approach their nutrition. Now with AI, we're able to uplevel those tools."

Omada's approach arrives at a complicated moment for the weight loss market. Longtime player WW International, formerly WeightWatchers, filed for bankruptcy earlier this month after struggling with its strategic pivot away from calorie counting and toward wellness. Weight-loss startup Noom, on the other hand, has faced criticism over the years for marketing itself as an anti-diet app while promoting dieting mainstays like significant calorie deficits.

Omada is treading especially carefully knowing its patients may have histories of disordered eating. Wu said Omada's new AI agent's goal-setting tools will only be available at first to patients who have indicated emotional eating as a concern, to ensure the tool can support those patients' needs. The information from those sessions will also be fed to the members' care teams, Wu said, to help coaches carry the conversation forward at a deeper level.

Omada's IPO prospects

While the public markets dipped in April due to President Donald Trump's tariff proposals, key policy rollbacks have cooled market volatility and prompted plenty of companies, including Omada Health, to barrel ahead with their IPO ambitions.

While Omada's financial profile isn't quite as strong as Hinge Health's, the chronic care startup has been making progress toward profitability and high margins.

Omada banked nearly $170 million in revenue last year, up 38% from its 2023 revenue, with a 60% gross margin.

Its losses have been narrowing, but the company is not profitable yet, recording a $47 million net loss in 2024. Bankers and investors have generally pushed digital health startups to reach profitability before trying to go public, after the sector's last IPO cycle produced several company collapses.

Omada last raised $192 million in a Series E funding round led by Fidelity Management in 2022 that boosted its valuation to over $1 billion.

The startup plans to list on the Nasdaq under the ticker "OMDA".

• Sweep secured a $22.5 million Series B to enhance its agentic AI platform for businesses.
• Sweep's platform automates workflows in Salesforce and Hubspot for go-to-market teams.
• It gave BI the 14-slide pitch deck used to secure the fresh funding.

A New York startup that's developed an agentic AI to help companies carry out their go-to-market operations has just raised $22.5 million in a Series B round led by Insight Partners.

Sweep's AI automates go-to-market workflows that employees would otherwise do manually on customer relationship management platforms Salesforce and Hubspot.

The startup embeds its AI platform directly into Salesforce and Hubspot. Its AI can update Salesforce records, offer project pipeline updates by creating real-time alerts on Slack, and monitor and gather data across documents.

The startup, which launched in 2021, offered a tiered subscription model, with tiers based on the level of intelligence and automation that its customers need. Clients include Wix, HR startup HiBob, and NBC Sports.

Sweep's cofounder and CEO, Ido Gaver, told Business Insider the round followed "strong revenue and customer growth."

"In VC land, everyone's talking about agentic AI, but under the surface, there's growing skepticism. Investors are asking: Is this real? Is it hype? Does it actually deliver value? Most companies claim to be agentic, but very few can show it makes a difference for customers," he said in an interview.

The Series B was led by software investment giant Insight Partners. Bessemer Venture Partners also participated.

"Agentic AI is the next foundational shift in enterprise software, and Sweep is helping define what that looks like," said Jeff Horing, managing director at Insight Partners, in a statement accompanying the announcement of the fundraise.

The startup will use the money to expand its go-to-market team and grow its agentic layer across platforms like Marketo, Gaver told BI.

Check out the 14-slide pitch deck used to secure the fresh funding.

• Putin has appointed Andrei Mordvichev as the new commander in chief of Russia's ground forces, multiple outlets reported.
• Experts reacted, saying Mordvichev was a proponent of Russia's brutal "meat grinder" assaults.
• The attacks involve wave after wave of infantry assaults to grind down defenders.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has appointed a new commander in chief of Russia's ground forces who has been involved in some of the war's most brutal fighting, according to multiple reports.

Colonel General Andrei Mordvichev replaced General Oleg Salyukov in the role on Thursday, state-controlled Russian outlet Izvestia reported.

Deutsche Welle and several Russian outlets, including the government-published Rossiyskaya Gazeta, also reported the move. A list of official presidential decrees announced Salyukov's departure, but has not yet confirmed that Mordvichev is the replacement.

The Institute for the Study of War said Friday that Mordvichev's reported appointment represented an endorsement of his preference for "grinding, highly attritional, infantry-led assaults," and said this suggested the Kremlin "aims to institutionalize these tactics."

Military analyst Yan Matveyev credited him as one of the main initiators of the approach, in a post to Telegram after the appointment was reported.

Mordvichev has previously said that Russia's invasion of Ukraine is "only the beginning." In an interview with Russian state media in 2023, Mordvichev said that the war "will not stop here," Newsweek reported at the time.

As deputy commander of the Central Military District, Mordvichev also presided over Russia's capture of the coastal city of Mariupol in 2022, one of the war's most brutal sieges.

That battle, which is estimated to have killed more than 8,000 people, ended with Russian forces taking the Azovstal steel plant, where Ukrainian forces had held out for two months.

Mordvichev is also credited with the capture of the strategically important city of Avdiivka in February 2024.

Ukrainian officials said that Russia lost more than 30,000 troops killed or wounded taking the city, using its infamous "meat grinder" approach of grinding down resistance with wave after wave of infantry attacks.

Mordvichev's reputation has grown steadily, and he was embraced by Ramzan Kadyrov, the leader of the Chechen Republic, as "the best commander" during his promotion to head up the Central Military District last year, The Times of London reported.

In 2022, Ukraine claimed to have killed Mordvichev in an airstrike near Kherson, but he was later seen meeting with Kadyrov.

He is under multiple European sanctions, according to the sanctions database OpenSanctions.

Salyukov, who became the ground forces commander in 2014, is a few days away from his 70th birthday, when he will age out of military service.

He's being moved to a senior post on the Russian Security Council, per a presidential decree.

A provocative appointment during peace talks

The reported appointment came as the two sides met in Istanbul for peace talks.

The talks, which began Friday, were left to lower-level officials after Putin declined to attend in person. The Russian officials included many of those who carried out fruitless negotiations in Istanbul in 2022, according to ISW.

Some of Ukraine's European allies criticized Putin for his no-show, with Estonia's Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna describing it as a "slap in the face."

• Home Depot's CFO said it would maintain pricing levels despite the impact of tariffs.
• Richard McPhail cited strong supplier ties and productivity.
• The retailer posted a rise in first-quarter sales, while earnings dipped.

Home Depot said it had no plans to pass on the cost of tariffs to consumers despite their financial impact.

"We intend to generally maintain our current pricing levels across our portfolio," CFO Richard McPhail told CNBC on Tuesday. He cited the retailer's scale, "great" partnerships with suppliers, and productivity as key factors enabling it to absorb rising costs.

Home Depot had diversified its supplier base and no country outside the US would account for more than a tenth of its purchasing within 12 months, McPhail added.

The comments follow Walmart's announcement that it would raise prices in the coming weeks in response to the financial impact of President Donald Trump's tariffs.

Retail analysts told Business Insider that Walmart's move gave other retailers air cover to follow suit.

McPhail's comments come as Home Depot posted a 9.4% rise in first-quarter sales to $39.9 billion, although comparable sales fell by 0.6% due to the impact of foreign exchange rates.

Net earnings fell $200 million to $3.4 billion compared with the same period last year.

CEO Ted Decker said in a statement that the first-quarter results were in line with our expectations.

"We feel great about our store readiness and product assortment as spring continues to break across the country," he said.

Home Depot maintained its full-year guidance of a 2.8% rise in total sales and an approximately 1% increase for comparable sales.

The stock rose 2.5% in premarket trading.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates.

• Air fryers, which require less oil and energy than standard ovens to cook food, are hugely popular.
• The best-selling recipe developer Nathan Anthony said air fryers aren't just for cooking frozen food.
• His favorite high-protein recipes include hunter's chicken.

Air fryers have become a household staple for many people in recent years — and the food writer Nathan Anthony is one of them.

"I absolutely love my air fryer," Anthony, the founder of recipe brand "Bored of Lunch," told Business Insider. "It cooks food faster, uses less oil, and helps cut down on energy bills. With the cost of living the way it is, I'm all about making tasty, affordable meals, which is exactly why I started sharing my recipes online."

Anthony, who is based in Belfast, UK, has 2.7 million followers on Instagram and is the author of five Sunday Times bestselling books including "The Healthy Air Fryer Book" and "Air Fryer 30 Minute Meals," having started off posting his recipes online for fun.

"I love that air fryers are now everywhere — they're making cooking easier and more accessible for everyone," Anthony said. "My goal with the cookbooks is to show that they're not just for frozen food. You can make everything from a full Sunday roast, to soups or even takeaway-inspired chicken fried rice — the possibilities are endless."

He shared three of his favorite high-protein air fryer recipes with BI.

Hunter's chicken

"This no-fuss, sticky bacon and BBQ-coated chicken and potatoes is the one you need, all in one tray. Prep to plate in 25 minutes," Anthony said.

Serves 2

602 Calories per serving

Ingredients:

• 2 chicken breasts
• Packet of streaky bacon
• 700 grams baby potatoes, halved
• Low-calorie oil spray
• 4 tablespoons barbecue sauce
• 2 handfuls of cheddar
• 1 tablespoon paprika
• Salt and pepper
• 1-2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

Method:

1. Rinse the baby potatoes and pat them dry. Cut them into halves or quarters for quicker cooking.
2. Coat the potato pieces in low-calorie oil spray, then sprinkle with paprika, salt, and pepper for flavour. Place them in the air fryer basket and cook at 200°C (392°F) for five minutes until they're crispy on the outside.
3. While the potatoes are cooking, prepare the bacon-wrapped chicken. Wrap each chicken breast with bacon slices and place them in the air fryer basket with the partially cooked potatoes. Cook for an additional 15 minutes at 200°C (392°F) until the chicken is cooked through and the bacon is crispy.
4. Once the chicken and potatoes are cooked, brush the chicken breasts with barbecue sauce and sprinkle grated cheese over them. Add a dash of Worcestershire sauce for extra flavor. Return the chicken and potatoes to the air fryer and cook for another two to three minutes until the cheese is melted and bubbly.
5. Once everything is cooked, plate up the air fryer hunter's chicken and crispy potatoes. Serve hot and enjoy this satisfying and hassle-free meal!

Sticky lime and honey burrito bowls

"This is a recipe I make over and over again. It's perfect coming into the summer months. Be sure to pick up some tortilla chips for dipping," Anthony said.

Serves 4

624 Calories

Ingredients:

• 600 grams boneless chicken thighs

• 1 tablespoon oil
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 1 teaspoon Cajun seasoning
• 1 teaspoon garlic granules

For the lime honey marinade:

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 tablespoons honey
• Coriander
• Fresh red chile
• Juice of 1 lime
• Juice of 1 lemon

Serve with:

• Basmati rice (mixed with lime juice and coriander)
• 100 grams sweetcorn salsa
• 100 grams red peppers
• 4 tablespoons sour cream
• Guacamole
• Tortilla chips (optional)

Method:

1. Season your chicken thighs with oil, paprika, cumin, Cajun seasoning, and garlic granules.

1. Pop the seasoned chicken thigh in the air fryer for 12 to 15 minutes at 200°C (392°F).
2. While the chicken is cooking, prepare your marinade by mixing honey, oil, coriander, fresh chile, lime, and lemon juice together. When the chicken has five minutes left, be sure to baste it in some of the marinade.
3. Begin assembling your burrito bowl by preparing some rice (I used microwave basmati and added a squeeze of lime and some chopped coriander) along with guacamole, sweetcorn salsa, sour cream, peppers, and tortilla chips.
4. Once the chicken is cooked, add it to your burrito bowl and get stuck in.

Pesto and egg Bagel

"Just beautiful, it's probably not normal how many times I've had this recently. Pesto and eggs are a dream combo but with crispy cheese and a bagel, magnificent," Anthony said.

Serves 1

547 Calories

Ingredients:

• 1 bagel, cut in half
• 2 eggs
• 30 grams reduced-fat cheddar
• 1 heaped tablespoon reduced-fat green pesto
• Salt and pepper
• Chile flakes (optional)

Method:

1. Line your air fryer with baking parchment.
2. Add two swirls of pesto (roughly the size of the bagel) directly to the baking parchment, then top with half the bagel each (cut side down), followed by an egg in the centre of each bagel half.
3. Sprinkle with chiles, salt, and pepper, and top with cheese.
4. Air-fry for six to seven minutes at 180°C (356°F).

• I spent three nights in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, in May.
• The Canadian city in the Pacific Northwest looked and felt vastly different from my home, NYC.
• I was surprised by Vancouver's forest hikes, luxury estates, and floating gas station.

When I need a break from my life in New York City, I tend to avoid other urban metropolises. I usually prefer to divert my attention from the loud, crowded streets at home to national parks and small towns to refresh my state of mind.

However, this May, I decided to try something different. I visited a major city I'd never been to on the other side of the continent — Vancouver, British Columbia, in Canada's Pacific Northwest.

I spent three spring nights in Vancouver. With mountain ranges, quiet forests, and sprawling estates, it looked and felt nothing like NYC. I was fascinated by the unique aspects of the city that gave me a break from mine.

I didn't expect to start my trip with a unique experience in the airport, and it made me excited for the coming days.

When I landed in Vancouver after a six-hour flight, I followed fellow passengers through the international terminal to customs. On the way, we walked through a room that made me stop in my tracks. It looked like a museum exhibit.

Known as the Pacific Passage, this room was designed by Aldrich Pears Associates to immerse visitors in the natural wonders of British Columbia upon arrival.

As I entered, I was entranced by the soundtracks of waves crashing and birds chirping through the overhead speaker. The room had a forest scene on the left, a body of water on the right, and sculptures by indigenous artists on display — a canoe in the water and a gigantic thunderbird suspended in the air, among others.

The city was far more lush than I was expecting.

I've grown accustomed to a lifestyle with limited access to nature in New York. We have plenty of parks, but the skyscrapers and bustling streets dominate the landscape. I long for more natural escapes within my city, but I always assumed the lack of them was the price you pay for a convenient, urban lifestyle.

That's not the case in Vancouver. From the downtown area to the quieter surrounding neighborhoods, various tree types stood as tall as the buildings, if not taller. There was no shortage of shade, and looking over the city from hilltops and hotel balconies, I could see how forests were embedded throughout the skyline.

I was blown away by the city's quiet hiking trails that felt miles away from the bustling streets.

After seeing Vancouver's forests from a distance, I wanted a closer look. So I wandered Stanley Park and Jericho Beach Park. From the trails, it was easy to forget I was in the middle of a major city.

Hiking from one neighborhood to the next rather than walking through the developed streets was a scenic route I never expected to find.

I was stunned by the castle-like hotel that stood out among skyscrapers downtown.

I spent my first night at the Fairmont Hotel Vancouver, a historic hotel that looks like a castle.

I had stayed in a similar Fairmont in the past, Fairmont Le Château Frontenac in Quebec City, where the castle-like structure matched the old-world European-style town. But I was surprised by the Vancouver hotel's location in the middle of the downtown area in a busy city.

The Fairmont Hotel Vancouver looked like a medieval relic next to modern skyscrapers.

From the balcony of a hotel room, I spotted something I'd never seen before — a floating gas station.

I spent my second night in Vancouver at the Fairmont Pacific Rim, which overlooks Coal Harbour. From my balcony room on the 21st floor, I was astonished to spot a Chevron gas station in the water.

Installed in 2010, the Chevron Legacy is the only gas station for boats in the harbor. Its placement made sense, since I saw a marina full of yachts nearby, but I'd never previously thought about how boats fuel up.

I was in awe of the mansions along Billionaires' Row with striking architecture and regal landscaping.

NYC's Billionaires' Row is world-famous for its ultra-luxury residential buildings with glass facades that tower over Central Park. Vancouver's Billionaires' Row looks vastly different.

The elite Belmont Avenue in the West Point Grey neighborhood is home to some of the most expensive real estate in the city, including a 10-bedroom, 16-bathroom mansion valued at roughly $72 million, according to Coast Reporter.

A 20-minute drive from downtown, Belmont Avenue is lined with mansions with large lots and ocean views. During my visit, I spotted a range of architectural styles, from Victorian to modern.

The most surprising part of these properties was the landscaping. Perfectly trimmed trees, bushes, and hedges stood above vibrant flower beds. They looked like grounds you'd find at a European palace.

I didn't expect to leave with dreams of moving in.

I love living in New York, but don't plan to stay here forever. I've always thought that whenever I decided to leave the city for a place with more space and nature, I'd end up somewhere that left me longing for the urban lifestyle.

But visiting Vancouver made me realize I can have it all — the mountains, the hikes, and the bustling city streets. On the day of my departure, I daydreamed about what my life would be like if I moved there. And one day, I just might.

• Jasmine "JB" Badie is a choreographer and creative director for pop stars, including Beyoncé and Sabrina Carpenter.
• She helps train the artists to sing and dance at the same time for their big performances.
• "Cardio is major," Badie told BI. "You train hard because you want the show to be great."

Have you ever wondered how pop stars such as Beyoncé and Sabrina Carpenter can sing for hours at a time while performing to massive audiences? No, they're not superhuman, but they do have a secret weapon: choreographer Jasmine "JB" Badie.

The 36-year-old Atlanta native helps singers get fit enough to sing their hearts out while dancing onstage — a feat requiring impressively high cardiovascular fitness. She shared how she gets clients fit enough for a big show in just two to three months and how you can replicate it in your own (offstage) life.

Badie was the co-choreographer for Beyoncé's 2018 Homecoming Coachella Performance, which ran for an hour and 45 minutes. She's also the choreographer on Carpenter's Short n' Sweet tour, which kicked off in September 2024. The tour, which runs through November, includes 19 songs and lasts roughly 90 minutes.

Badie told Business Insider that to achieve this level of sustained fitness, her clients' weekly workout schedule involves lots of rehearsals, cardio, and Pilates.

"Cardio is major," she said. "You train hard because you want the show to be great."

Daily workouts, rehearsal, and stretching

Badie likes her clients to wake up early, eat breakfast, and do a morning workout before they move on to 30 to 45 minutes of stretching.

For the morning workout, she recommends different types of exercise throughout the week, as some help strengthen while others are good for mobility, flexibility, or fitness. For example, Badie likes Pilates for stretching and working deep, stabilizing muscles.

"Pilates strengthens muscles that we may not know we have sometimes," she said, adding that barre classes help with posture, standing up straight, and opening up the hips.

Meanwhile, hiking or jogging on a hilly trail is good for breath control, which enables singers to belt out long notes, maintain the correct pitch, and not breathe too loudly when singing. "Running on the different intervals is great instead of just straight because you can feel where your breath is and where it's not," she added.

Then her clients start all-day rehearsals. "We'll run our cue points," she said, referring to specific points in the music. "We'll run all of our dance steps. We'll run our marks on the stage."

Pop stars focus on Zone 2 training. You should, too.

Although most of us aren't preparing to perform for thousands of fans night after night, we can still benefit from improving our aerobic fitness. It has many positive knock-on effects, such as better sleep and improved mood.

Being able to exercise and hold a conversation at the same time without being out of breath is a sign that you're training in Zone 2, a buzzy exercise term that some longevity experts believe can help ward off chronic disease as well as boost fitness.

In Zone 2, you're working at about 60-70% of your maximum heart rate, your body is mainly burning fat for energy, and your muscles have access to oxygen, making it an effective way to increase your aerobic endurance.

Once you enter Zone 3 or 70% to 80% of your max heart rate, you're moving at an intensity that's too much for the available oxygen supply, so your body starts using carbohydrates for energy.

We store carbs in limited amounts, so it wouldn't take long for your body to run out of energy. So, the more you train in Zone 2, the longer your body can last before needing to make that switch. That's important for a singer because once they're in Zone 3, they'll sound out of breath.

Zone 2 training causes your body to adapt at a cellular level by boosting mitochondria. Having more mitochondria is associated with increased athletic performance, better insulin resistance, and heart health. It's also the part of the cell responsible for making energy, which increases the power output of the muscle tissues, Dr. Morgan Busko, the sports medicine physician at NewYork-Presbyterian/Columbia University Irving Medical Center, previously told BI.

Singing while running or jumping rope

In addition to the daily workout and rehearsals, Badie asks her clients to practice their setlist and script while doing strenuous cardio for at least 30 minutes a day.

"It's doing everything you need to be doing on the stage, off the stage," she said.

The choreographer often starts her clients' workout with a jump rope that involves jumping for four minutes, taking a one-minute break, and repeating it three more times. During the break, they have to catch their breath and practice what they are going to say to the audience.

"We'll be like, 'How are you guys doing out there?" she said, mimicking how pop stars engage their audience onstage.

It also involves running on a treadmill while saying their script and singing aloud. "That's how you notice where your breaths are," Badie added.

As they get fitter, Badie shortens the break in between sets and gets them to practice wardrobe changes.

"You have to really work on it," she said.

• Hugh Morris made just over $250,000 at JP Morgan before he left in August 2024 after his divorce.
• The 31-year-old said a higher-up told him he was making a big mistake leaving to start his own firm.
• Morris initially regretted his decision and had panic attacks, but now has his dream practice.

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Hugh Morris, the president and senior wealth advisor at The Morris Group at LPL Financial. Morris's prior employment and financials have been verified with documents. It has been edited for length and clarity.

At 30 years old, I had been working as a financial advisor at JP Morgan Wealth Management for nearly three years, making just above $250,000.

I loved the company, the people I worked with, and my job, but after getting divorced in January 2024, I had a reset.

Since entering the workforce, I've always wanted my own business. As a young person with no partner, kids, or obligations, this was my opportunity to see if I could make it in the business world as a financial advisor.

Additionally, I wanted the freedom to set my own schedule so I could volunteer and get involved in my community.

I liked the idea of taking on the number and types of clients I wanted. With my own business, I could take on fewer clients than I managed at JP Morgan and make the same amount of money because I would take home all my fees.

I also thought in 30 years' time, if I were making $1 or $2 million in revenue I could sell the business at three to four times that amount to fund my retirement.

Preparing to quit my job

To prepare for my resignation, I created a monthly budget of my essential costs. I used this as a guide for my savings, so I could cover myself if the business failed.

My divorce was finalized in March 2024. We sold our house, ridding me of a $6,000 monthly house payment. I started renting, which cost less than $2,000 a month. I wanted to reduce my expenses, knowing that I would need to invest a lot of my own money into the business.

Each month, I tried to save between $5,000 and $6,000. I wouldn't have any income initially, and I knew I needed a fund to supplement my income and pay for my living expenses.

I also started networking with friends and family, thinking about where I would get my clients once I launched.

My goal was to get to $10 million in assets at a 1% fee, which is about $100,000 in revenue, in the first year.

I had panic attacks after I quit

After months of planning, saving, and networking, I resigned in August 2024. A higher up said to me, "This will be the biggest mistake of your life."

That comment stuck with me. For three months after resigning, I had panic attacks and woke in the middle of the night, sweating, my heart racing. I couldn't sleep or eat.

I thought about my old salary and the salary I could've been making had I stayed. Fears about bankruptcy crept in, and I thought about how I'd have to find a new career if this failed.

Until December 2024, I regretted leaving JP Morgan, thinking I had done what my higher-up had predicted — made a big mistake.

During the first two months of my business, I had zero income, living off the money I had saved in preparation. My first clients were family and friends, excited about my new venture, but it was difficult to grow my client list.

My grandfather's encouragement got me through those first months. Every day, he told me: "You can do this," and, "It's going to work."

I also didn't want to let down my new clients. They trusted me.

It hasn't been easy starting a business, but I have more freedom

Despite my fears, I stayed consistent. I didn't take a salary for the first two months, but by December, I was making an average of $1,500 a month from my assets under management fee.

I got referrals from existing clients and learned how to market myself to get new clients. In January, I started paying a company to do my marketing.

In March, I hired a business coach because I wanted to cut down my learning curve and grow my business faster. She helped me see that I had the skills to make my business successful.

I expect to generate $100,000 in revenue in 2025 with around 40 clients.

I still work between 40 and 60 hours a week, but set my own schedule and can volunteer in the middle of the day or leave early on a Friday.

I've also had the freedom to spend more time with my clients at dinners or golfing. I like getting to know my clients and building trust with them. I want to personalise their experience.

I occasionally feel lonely, working for myself, but I've built up a network of financial advisors in the same position as me. We talk or text often.

My income is tied to the stock market

My income is directly related to the stock market. I try to live as lean as possible and have a safety net to manage the current market volatility.

I have future clients in the pipeline, which could boost my income, but they don't want to move over right now because of the economy.

If the stock market is down 20%, my revenue will be down 20%. But it also works in reverse, when the market is up, I will get a bump in revenue.

Despite the current economy, I no longer regret my decision to start my business. I've had enough initial wins to feel like I'm going to make it work.

I have the practice I've dreamed about. There is no turning back.

Editor's note: JP Morgan declined to comment when approached by Business Insider.

• Honda plans to reduce EV investment by $20 billion to focus on hybrids amid a global sales slowdown.
• Its CEO cited regulatory changes and slowing EV growth as key reasons for a strategic shift.
• The abandoned merger with Nissan adds pressure on Honda to safeguard its future.

Honda is dialing back its ambitious EV push and doubling down on hybrids amid slowing demand.

On Tuesday, CEO Toshihiro Mibe said the automaker would cut its EV investment by 30% from $69 billion (10 trillion yen) to $48.4 billion (7 trillion yen) through the 2031 fiscal year. The move is aimed at stabilizing Honda's future in a slowing EV market.

The Japanese company will focus on ramping up its hybrid lineup, citing "changes in environmental regulations" and "a slowdown in EV market expansion" as key drivers.

"Due to the recent market slowdown, our EV sales ratio in 2030 is now expected to fall below the previously announced target of 30%," Mibe said.

The shift comes amid broader turbulence in the auto industry.

In the first four months of 2025, EV sales in North America — the US, China, and Mexico — rose by just 5% compared to 25% in Europe and 35% in China, according to data from EV research firm Rho Motion.

Meanwhile, the International Energy Agency said in its Global EV Outlook 2025 that higher tariffs could further raise EV prices and slow down sales growth.

In response, Honda plans to launch 13 new hybrid models globally starting in 2027, with the aim of selling 2.2 million hybrids annually by 2030. Despite the pivot, Honda said it remains committed to reaching 100% zero-emission vehicle sales by 2040.

The announcement follows the collapse of a proposed $50 billion merger with Nissan that would have created the world's third-largest automaker. Nissan rejected the deal over concerns about being treated as a subsidiary.

Honda is also ordering US employees back to the office at least 80% of the time by October, saying in-person work is key to "facing a rapidly changing business environment and increasingly competitive market conditions."

• Southwest Airlines has started warning passengers about the use of power banks on flights.
• It's set to introduce a new safety policy next week.
• The change comes after an Air Busan plane caught fire when a power bank overheated in January.

Southwest Airlines is restricting the use of power banks due to the risk of them catching fire during flights.

A spokesperson told Business Insider that the airline will introduce a "first-in-industry safety policy" on May 28.

"Using portable charging devices while stored in a bag or overhead bin will no longer be permitted," they added. "Nothing is more important to Southwest than the safety of its customers and employees."

Since last week, passengers checking in for their flights on the Southwest app have received pop-up notifications that warn about portable charging devices.

A Reddit user shared a screenshot from the app, which read: "If you use a power bank during your flight, keep it out of your bag and in plain sight. Do not charge devices in the overhead bin."

The devices are powered by lithium batteries that can overheat and catch fire. In such rare cases, keeping the device in plain sight makes it easier for flight attendants to identify any smoke or fire and react quickly to extinguish it.

Last year, the Federal Aviation Administration recorded about three incidents every two weeks, compared to fewer than one a week in 2018.

The FAA has recorded nine confirmed incidents in the US this year.

There have been other suspected cases and disruptions caused just by the risk of overheating.

Last month, a Lufthansa Airbus A380 with 461 passengers had to divert to Boston when a passenger's tablet became stuck in a seat.

The most notable incident occurred in South Korea in January. An Air Busan plane was about to take off when a fire spread through the cabin, injuring seven people.

Investigators later said the fire was likely caused by a power bank, found in an overhead luggage bin.

The Korean government subsequently tightened its rules for airlines, which included prohibiting storing them in the overhead bins.

In the US, there are already many limits on power banks, which are banned from checked luggage. Southwest is going a step further in response to recent incidents.

• Qatar's prime minister said its offer to give the US a Jumbo jet was a "normal thing between allies."
• The Boeing 747-8 could be used as Air Force One for President Donald Trump's second term.
• Critics have questioned the legality, while Trump said that accepting the gift was sensible.

Qatar's prime minister doesn't understand the backlash over its offer of giving a Jumbo jet to the US.

Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani called the proposed gift of a Boeing 747-8 jet, worth about $400 million, as "a normal thing that happens between allies."

"I don't know why people consider it as bribery or Qatar trying to buy influence with this administration," he said at the Qatar Economic Forum in Doha on Tuesday. The comments were reported by Bloomberg, which is hosting the event.

President Donald Trump said last week that his administration was preparing to accept the gift from the Qatari royal family.

The aircraft would be used as the new Air Force One in Trump's second term and then added to his presidential library.

Democrats as well as some Trump supporters have criticized the deal, voicing worries about its legality.

Trump defended the move, saying he would be a "stupid person" if he didn't accept it.

Sheikh Mohammed described the proposed gift as a Qatar "Ministry of Defense to Department of Defense transaction, which is done in full transparency and very legally."

"Many nations have gifted things to the US," he said, naming the Statue of Liberty as one.

Sheikh Mohammed added that "we need to overcome" stereotypes of Qatar trying to buy influence in the US.

Trump has said the jet would be a gift to the Department of Defense, not him personally.

The DoD did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

• Prostate cancer treatment is advancing rapidly.
• New pills and hormone treatments are giving patients better odds and a more comfortable experience.
• Doctors say Biden's diagnosis is a reminder to get screened often with simple tools like blood tests.

When the news broke on Sunday that former President Joe Biden had been diagnosed with prostate cancer that had spread into his bones, Dr. Arpeet Shah was surprised.

Soon, his phone started blowing up with texts from other urologists, who were equally flummoxed as to how this could have happened to a man of Biden's stature.

"That was certainly a conversation amongst urologists yesterday, texting each other," Shah told Business Insider on Monday, the day after Biden's diagnosis was made public. "It is surprising that this wasn't caught, or it was caught at such an aggressive stage."

Shah, a board-certified urologist at Associated Urological Specialists in suburban Chicago says over the course of the decade he's been in practice, he's been alarmed at the number of new, minimally invasive, highly effective prostate cancer prevention and treatment options that have blossomed. This is especially true, he says, when it comes to metastatic cancer cases like Joe Biden's.

"Over the last 10 years, there's just been a robust increase in the number of treatment options," Shah said.

Other cancer experts BI spoke with agree that new therapies allow for longer lives, better outcomes, and many patients can keep on going about their normal life while doing them. Here are three major breakthroughs driving the trend:

1. Patients are taking more cancer-fighting pills at home, forgoing uncomfortable, gooey injections

Testosterone-lowering drugs and procedures have been the bedrock of modern prostate cancer treatment, in use for more than 80 years.

Prostate cancer grows by using testosterone as its fuel. This makes drugs that drive down testosterone levels (androgen receptor blockers) a great first-line treatment.

These treatments can be uncomfortable. Drugs like leuprolide acetate are injected under the skin or into a muscle every three to six months. Those injections are somewhat "gelatenous" Shah said, and they might leave a lump under the skin that lasts for weeks or months as the medication slowly releases in the body.

New pills, in particular the drug relugolix (approved by the FDA in late 2020), can work faster than those old injections — possibly helping a person's testosterone levels to normalize faster after treatment, too.

Patients spend less time weathering the uncomfortable, menopause-like side effects of prostate cancer treatment, like hot flashes, low energy, and bone density issues.

"We see a lot of patients who really enjoy taking the pill more," Shah says. These days, he says, many of his patients just do their own cancer treatment from home using pills.

"Most often, patients are taking multiple pills per day to treat their prostate cancer," he said. "They don't have to go to the hospital to get the medication. And these pills are generally very well tolerated to a point where people are able to do their daily living as they were before their diagnosis."

2. New treatments can outsmart cancer, even when it tries to evade hormone-suppressing drugs

Scientists have gotten better at outsmarting prostate cancer — not only lowering testosterone production.

New innovations prevent cancer cells from absorbing leftover testosterone in the body, meaning the disease can't get a good foothold to grow.

Pills in this category include darolutamide (FDA approved in 2019), apalutamide (2018), enzalutamide (2014), and abiraterone (2011).

"We can oftentimes get this disease to be almost like a chronic disease, like high blood pressure or diabetes, where patients know they have it, but they're getting treated and they can move on with the rest of their life," Shah said.

When that's not enough, other techniques are at hand. These include targeted liquid forms of radiation, as well as gene therapies that target specific mutations.

Dr. Alicia Morgans, a genitourinary medical oncologist at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and board member of ZERO Prostate Cancer, says patients today can live with metastatic prostate cancer for years, or even decades, thanks to these kinds of treatments.

The five-year relative survival rate for prostate cancer in the US is near 98% — and getting better year over year.

"Every year we're seeing new approvals in prostate cancer," Morgans said.

3. New types of blood tests and MRIs

Shah said there's also been a ton of advancement in prostate cancer detection and early screening, going beyond the traditional rectal exam and blood tests.

Newer blood tests like the IsoPSA blood test zero in on prostate cancer better than their predecessors. There are also more sophisticated imaging scans doctors can do, like the multiparametric MRI, that can zoom in on suspicious lesions in the prostate.

For Shah, Biden's diagnosis is a "sobering reminder" to screen early and often.

He encourages most men over 50 years old, and some as young as 40 (depending on risk factors) to speak to their doctor and get screened, "because this is such a treatable and most often curable disease when caught early."

• Geoffrey Hinton, often called the "godfather of AI," said arriving at good ideas is easier if you're a contrarian.
• In an interview with CBS, he suggested looking for things you believe are being done wrong.
• Hinton has previously told BI that humans should be "very concerned" about AI's rate of progress.

To hit on ideas that could eventually develop into breakthroughs, the "Godfather of AI," Geoffrey Hinton, says you have to be "contrarian."

"You have to have a deep belief that everybody else could be doing things wrong, and you could figure out how to do them right," Hinton said in a recent interview with CBS. "And most people don't believe that about themselves."

Hinton was awarded the 2024 Nobel Prize in Physics for his work in machine learning and has previously warned of the possible existential risks of AI.

When asked about advice he'd give to the forthcoming generation of AI researchers, Hinton suggested searching for inefficiencies. Though ideas in this vein often lead to dead ends, if they pan out, he said, there's a chance you're hitting on something big.

"You should look for something where you figure out everybody's doing it wrong and you think there's a different way of doing it," Hinton said. "And you should pursue that until you understand why you're wrong. But just occasionally, that's how you get good new ideas."

"Intellectual self-confidence" can be inherent or acquired — in Hinton's case, he said it was part nature, part nurture.

"My father was like that," he said. "So that was a role model for being contrarian."

Hinton said he spent years thinking up ways that existing systems could be challenged — and that he got it wrong far more often than he got it right.

"I spent decades having lots and lots of ideas about how to do things differently," he said. "Nearly all of which were wrong, but just occasionally, they were right."

Hinton did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Business Insider prior to publication.

Even now, Hinton still views himself as operating beyond the norm. He said that attitude is essential — if you're not attached to existing methods of doing things, you'll find it easier to challenge them.

"It requires you to think of yourself as an outsider," he said. "I've always thought of myself as an outsider. I'm rather unhappy with the situation now where I'm a kind of insider. I'd rather be an outsider."

Hinton, who told CBS he uses OpenAI's GPT-4 and trusts it more than he should, has previously warned of the potential dangers of AI.

In a 2023 email to Business Insider, Hinton said humans should be "very concerned" about the rate of progress in AI development.

Hinton at the time estimated that it could be between five and 20 years before AI becomes a real threat, and even longer for the technology to become a threat to humanity — if it ever does.

"It is still possible that the threat will not materialize," he previously told BI.

• Mark Cuban said the value of the "brocast" shouldn't be underestimated.
• "Brocasts aren't republican. They are for young guys," Cuban wrote in a post on Bluesky.
• Cuban has been a podcast fixture for months, and recently talked about his business, Cost Plus Drugs, on one.

Mark Cuban said on Monday that politicians should start paying more attention to podcast bros if they want to connect with young people.

"Brocasts aren't republican. They are for young guys. If you want to connect you have to speak to them. If you want to lose by 248k votes in 7 swing states, ignore them," Cuban wrote in a post on Bluesky.

Cuban is no stranger to the world of politics and podcasts.

The "Shark Tank" star endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris in last year's presidential election. Cuban also hit the podcast circuit to campaign for Harris, appearing on shows like Theo Von's "This Past Weekend" and the "All-In" podcast.

While Cuban made the comment in relation to elections, the power of the "brocast" is on clear display when it comes to businesses as well.

Besides chatting about politics, Cuban has also gone on podcasts to talk about his business ventures.

Last week, Cuban made an appearance on the "Hims House" podcast, where he discussed the origins of his low-cost online pharmacy, Cost Plus Drugs.

"Going back to 2018 or 2017, being here in Texas, I had some Republican friends who were asking me questions like, 'Do you have any ideas how the Republicans can replace the ACA, Obamacare?'" Cuban said.

"I'm like: 'No, but it's an interesting question. Let me see if I can come up with some ideas.' So that got me into healthcare. The ideas, you know, never got that far, but it really got me, turned me into a healthcare geek," he added.

To be sure, Cuban isn't the only one who has recognized the value of podcasts in connecting with a wider audience. Business leaders like Elon Musk, Mark Zuckerberg, and Sundar Pichai have been making their rounds on the podcast circuit to talk about their companies or share their views on work and life.

Last month, Zuckerberg appeared on Theo Von's podcast, where he shared his take on the value of attending college.

"I'm not sure that college is preparing people for, like, the jobs that they need to have today," Zuckerberg said on the podcast. "I think there's a big issue on that, and like all the student debt issues are like really big issues."

And in April, too, Melinda French Gates appeared in a podcast episode with Scott Galloway, where she talked about the criticism she's faced for her philanthropic efforts.

"I'm not sitting on the sidelines. To me, it's so easy to sit on the sidelines and, as Roosevelt used to say, criticize from the sidelines. I'm in the arena doing the work," French Gates said.

Cuban did not respond to a request for comment from Business Insider.

• Shortly after we learned I was pregnant in 2014, we decided to get married.
• With the help of my mom and sister, our wedding was planned in just a few months.
• For $16,000, we had a wedding with 66 guests, and it was perfect for us.

Sam proposed in November 2014 on a stormy afternoon overlooking Port Phillip Bay in Melbourne, Australia. We'd been together for eight years and had unexpectedly found out I was pregnant just a few months before. Marriage had never been on my bucket list, but we knew we loved each other, and it seemed like the next logical step.

With the help of our loved ones, we organized a small wedding for only $16,000 in just a few months. It was perfect for us.

My mom and sister helped plan our wedding

I didn't want to look heavily pregnant in the wedding photos, so we set the date for January 3, 2015. At the time, I was working full-time as a journalist and navigating the first trimester of pregnancy, so my mom and sister (who was also my maid of honor) offered to organize the wedding for me. I was so grateful to have someone else take over.

They scouted out wedding venues on the Gold Coast, where I grew up and Sam and I met, and narrowed it down to three. I chose a beautiful vineyard with a chapel and wedding reception venue on-site.

We had a 66-person wedding for $16,000

My parents and my parents-in-law very kindly offered to split the wedding reception. My husband and I wanted to keep the cost down and make it more intimate, so we limited the guest list to 66 people. The reception cost $7,500.

I bought my own wedding dress, which I found in a boutique store in Melbourne for $1600. It was an A-line ivory dress with a sweetheart neckline, a long train, lace, and diamantes. On the big day, I felt a million dollars.

My parents and my husband paid for everything else, including the flowers, a carriage to the chapel (which made me feel like a princess), a photographer, a DJ, the cake, and wedding favors for the guests. All in all, the whole day cost $16,000.

A few things in particular made our wedding so much fun

One of the things that helped make our wedding such a success was that we ate dinner quite early, around 6 p.m., and kept the speeches short during mealtime. Neither my husband nor I particularly like being the center of attention, and I didn't want the evening to drag on with too much chatter about us.

For me, the most important thing was to be present and enjoy the big day. I didn't want to get bogged down in the details. I couldn't care less whether each Champagne glass had a bow on it or even what color the decorations were; I just wanted to enjoy the occasion.

I also pre-selected the music. We'd been to several weddings where the music didn't work, either because the DJ was playing obscure artists that only the bride and groom liked, or old-school tunes like the Time Warp that don't really resonate with our generation.

So, I gave our DJ a list of all the songs we wanted him to play, in order. People were carving up the dancefloor straight after the main meal and didn't stop until the venue kicked us out. It was a blast.

Overall, having a smaller wedding worked well for us, as it meant that we were surrounded by our nearest and dearest — mainly family, and a few close friends. The people who were there were the ones who mattered to us, and because it was a smaller crowd, we could really mingle with our guests. Many told us afterward that it was one of their favorite weddings, and though we may be biased, we couldn't agree more.

• Cruise lines are increasingly focusing their itineraries on their own private islands and resorts.
• By 2027, 90% of Royal Caribbean's Caribbean cruises will sail to one of its in-house properties.
• Almost every major cruise line is expanding its land-based portfolio.

Cruises have always been a vessel for exploration — a way for travelers to see the world. But over the last few years, these floating resorts have increasingly narrowed their focus to just one type of destination: theme parks in the middle of the ocean.

Cruise ships touch virtually every corner of the earth, from Antarctica to Albania, Madagascar to the Mediterranean. They're often the most convenient and affordable way to see several countries in one trip, which is why bookings have remained buoyant despite uncertain economic tides foundering the rest of the travel industry.

However, these exploratory roots are quickly becoming overshadowed by more lucrative, purpose-built beach resorts that not all travel traditionalists may be happy about.

Cruise lines want you at their private resorts

In recent years, commercial cruise lines have increasingly shifted attention, investments, and itineraries toward in-house land-based buildouts. Think branded private islands with waterparks and resorts with the same up-charges as their ships.

Industry titans like MSC Cruises, Carnival Corp, and Royal Caribbean Group collectively operate about 20 Caribbean ports, a number that seems to grow every day. Royal Caribbean expects to launch four more destinations (in addition to the two it currently has) by early 2027: two in Mexico, one in the Bahamas, and one in the South Pacific on Lelepa, Vanuatu.

By the time they open, the cruise line said earlier in May, 90% of its Caribbean voyages will sail to one of these in-house retreats. In some itineraries, they'll be the only ports of call.

Norwegian is expanding its private island and building a pier to accommodate thousands more travelers daily. Carnival and MSC are doing the same, in addition to each building a new getaway in the Bahamas.

Almost all Carnival ships have voyages scheduled for the company's upcoming Celebration Key resort, which will open in July. Similarly, most of Norwegian and MSC's future Caribbean cruises also include stops at their private islands.

If you're lucky, your voyage could visit other nearby, non-cruise-owned ports.

If not, you could spend every day of your cruise vacation at a themed beachfront park.

Take Royal Caribbean's Utopia of the Seas, for example. It's currently scheduled for 96 four-night "Bahamas and Perfect Day Cruise" voyages through April 2027. The itinerary only includes two ports: the cruise line's Perfect Day at CocoCay private island and Nassau, Bahamas, the soon-to-be home for its pay-to-enter Royal Beach Club Paradise Island.

Islands planted with money trees

The shifting focus toward company-created destinations is a no-brainer for the industry.

These ports are often close to the ships' home ports, allowing cruise lines to save on fuel costs. Plus, they don't require third-party operators, which means the companies can pocket all food, beverage, and excursion profits.

And there are plenty of big-ticket activities to entice visitors, be it $100 to enter CocoCay's waterpark or $1,000 for a villa on Norwegian's Great Stirrup Cay island.

If you're traveling with your multi-generational family, it could be a worthy vacation option.

Many of these resorts are accessible only by ship or walled off from the rest of the country (such as Royal Caribbean's Labadee, Haiti beach). They're also relatively small, consistent, and convenient, filled with kid-friendly amenities like kayaks and snorkel gear.

But if your goal is to tick off countries from your bucket list, consider another form of travel — or at least not a voyage to a remote amusement park.

Ziplining around a manicured beach or napping in an air-conditioned beachfront villa might not be the cultural immersion you want.

• SkinCeuticals' pricey vitamin C serum patent expired, leading many to hope for cheaper alternatives.
• C E Ferulic dupes could be on the way, but that doesn't mean they'll work, industry experts said.
• Some industry experts say dupe culture could be hindering innovation in skincare.

Does it sound crazy to spend $182 on a 30 mL bottle of face serum that famously smells like hot dog water?

Tell that to the diehard fans of SkinCeuticals' C E Ferulic.

Despite its high price point, the L'Oreal-owned brand's vitamin C serum has developed a cult following of devoted users over the past 20 years, thanks in part to a closely guarded, patent-protected formula that the company says can protect skin and improve signs of aging.

Months ahead of the patent's expiration date in March, skincare addicts flooded Reddit with hopes of cheaper "dupes" — a comparable product at a more affordable price point.

But the expiration date of that patent has come and gone, leaving many wondering: Where are the dupes?

Skincare industry experts who spoke to Business Insider said lookalike products could be on the way, but they don't expect the patent expiring to immediately result in any major disruptions to the industry, the vitamin C market, or the SkinCeuticals brand itself.

A bigger issue, they say, is the effect of dupe culture on skincare industry innovation — the kind that led to the existence of C E Ferulic in the first place.

The patent factor

SkinCeuticals' C E Ferulic is beloved by celebrities like Hailey Bieber and embraced by many skincare fans as the holy grail of vitamin C serums — sometimes a little begrudgingly, due to the high price.

Niki DeMartinis, an ER doctor who lives in New York, said she has tried various vitamin C serums over the years, but that she always comes back to C E Ferulic.

"I feel like my skin looks and feels the best with it," she told BI, adding it makes her skin look more even and less dull. She said it's the priciest skincare product she uses regularly, but she thinks it's worth the cost.

C E Ferulic, which hit the market in 2005, is 15% L-Ascorbic Acid, or pure vitamin C, with vitamin E and ferulic acid. Dr. John Carroll Murray, a dermatologist at Duke University who authored a 2008 study showing the formula provided UV photoprotection for skin, said the reason C E Ferulic was such a big deal was the way it was put together.

"It's easy to put vitamin C into a product. It's quite common, quite cheap, and quite safe, but it has to be properly formulated so that it'll be active and effective at removing reactive oxygen species," he said, referring to molecules that can damage skin.

Lina Twaian, a skincare industry expert and brand consultant, told BI that the ability to tout the patent has been a useful marketing tool for SkinCeuticals.

L'Oreal, the largest beauty company in the world, clocked $47 billion in sales last year, according to its annual financial report published in February. The report said its dermatological beauty division grew nearly 10% in 2024 and that the SkinCeuticals brand grew by double digits.

SkinCeuticals' patent for C E Ferulic officially expired in March, the standard 20 years after it was issued. Since then, the company has removed several references to the patent from its product page, according to a review of internet archives. They're now touting the previously "Patented Formula with 15% Vitamin C" as a "Superior Formula."

When reached for comment on the patent expiring, SkinCeuticals told BI the brand is introducing a new, patent-pending "antioxidant protection and performance" formula in 2026.

The brand said in a statement that "SkinCeuticals remains the only brand with exclusive expertise in the precise formulation and production of C E Ferulic."

Experts are divided on whether more dupes are on the way

As dupe culture exploded on social media over the past five years, there's been an even greater appetite for cheaper alternatives to C E Ferulic.

"It's been such a popular and efficacious product, it's pretty clear that brands are going to try to duplicate that," Kelly Dobos, a cosmetic chemist and professor at the University of Cincinnati, told BI of the patent's expiration.

She and the other industry experts said brands have already released their own versions of vitamin C serums, including some that appear similar to SkinCeuticals'. That's because even changing a product slightly can make it safe from a potential patent infringement, according to Larissa Jensen, a senior vice president and global beauty industry advisor at Circana.

"If you have something that's close but not exact, it can still be used in the market, so I don't necessarily know if the patent expiring is going to all of a sudden expose a floodgate of brands with this formula," Jensen told BI.

Still, L'Oreal has fought to protect the formula.

In 2018, L'Oreal sued Drunk Elephant, alleging the skincare brand's vitamin C serum had infringed on its patent. The case was settled out of court, and the terms of the settlement were not made public.

Drunk Elephant, which is owned by the Japanese beauty company Shiseido, sells its C-Firma Fresh Serum for $79, less than half the price of C E Ferulic. The product has 15% vitamin C, 1% vitamin E, and 0.5% ferulic — the same quantities promoted by SkinCeuticals. However, unlike C E Ferulic, the product is designed to be mixed by the consumer before use.

Shiseido told BI it does not comment on company settlements or litigation as a matter of company policy.

Since the patent has expired, Dobos said she expects brands to try to replicate the formula, now without the risk of patent infringement. But she said there's no guarantee that those companies will get it right or that, even if they do, they'll be able to do it at a significantly lower price point.

Not all dupes are created equal

Replicating C E Ferulic won't necessarily be easy, Dobos said. In part, that's because it's unlikely the patent told the full story of how the serum is formulated and made.

There are also many other factors that could impact the effectiveness of a product: the quality of ingredients, the manufacturing process, quality control and assurance, and packaging, which needs to be compatible with and protective of the formula.

Producing effective skincare can also be very finicky, so every aspect matters, Dobos said, adding that without clinical trials on a specific product, it's unclear if it will have the same effect as a product it appears similar to.

Elf Cosmetics announced a new vitamin C serum earlier this month that Dobos said appeared to be positioned as a direct competitor to C E Ferulic, for 91% cheaper. The $16 Bright Icon Vitamin C + E + Ferulic Serum has a similar trio of main ingredients, but at a fraction of the cost, and is being marketed as an alternative to "spendy serums."

But Dobos said it uses a different version of vitamin C, 3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid, which she said was a "more stable version, but it's less substantiated in terms of effectiveness." Other factors that could impact the difference in price include where it's made (Elf produces most of its products in China), regulatory and labor costs, the cost of ingredients and packaging, and research and development, like clinical studies, Dobos said.

Clinical studies would be needed on the Elf product to really compare it to C E Ferulic, she said.

Elf did not respond to a request for comment.

Taking the shine out of dupe culture

Several industry experts have said that dupe culture itself could actually be hurting skincare innovation. Charlotte Palermino, the cofounder of Dieux Skin, recently wrote in a Substack post that dupes have "diluted" the beauty industry. She said innovation is expensive to produce as well as protect.

"But the tragedy of dupe culture isn't just the heartbreak of 'they copied my homework.' It's the slow death of innovation," she wrote, adding, "If you want innovation, perhaps consider valuing it."

Dobos said dupe culture incentivizes companies to focus on putting out products that are in line with the latest trends rather than creating something truly groundbreaking.

"I do think the kind of dupe culture that we're in is hindering innovation in a way because it's taking time and resources away from it," she said. "True, disruptive innovation takes time."

• JPMorgan CEO Jamie Dimon turned 69 in March.
• Dimon was asked about his succession plan during the company's investor day event on Monday.
• Dimon did not give names but said the company's board was "thinking about succession."

JPMorgan CEO Jamie Dimon said on Monday that the company's board is thinking about succession, but he stopped short of saying who will take his place.

"We have built a very deep bench," Dimon said at the company's investor day event when asked about its succession plans.

"What we've told you is that the board has intent. It's not a promise. It's not a commitment. It's intent — to be, and prudent, to be thinking about succession. And we should be doing that," Dimon added.

Dimon instead emphasised the importance of maintaining JPMorgan's culture, no matter who helms it.

"If I'm here for four more years and maybe two more or three, executive chair or chairman, that's a long time," Dimon said.

"But to me, the most important thing, when it gets handed over, you have real teams, real cultures, and hopefully keep on building it. If you look at the best companies in the world, that's what they had. They continued going forward, regardless of, necessarily, who the CEO was," Dimon added.

This isn't the first time Dimon, who turned 69 in March, has been asked about his retirement plans.

During the company's earnings call in January, Dimon was asked who his successor could be. Dimon did not give any names, though he did mention that JPMorgan's board has been interviewing several candidates for the job.

"We have several exceptional people. You guys know most of them. Maybe one or two, you don't know," Dimon said in January. "The board reviews and meets with them all the time."

"And obviously, we're not going to tell the press, but it's not determined yet," Dimon said in the earnings call.

At last year's investor day event, Dimon joked that his retirement timetable was "not five years anymore."

"I have the energy that I've always had. That's important. I think when I can't put the jersey on and give it my fullest, then I should leave basically," Dimon said in May 2024.

Representatives for Dimon at JPMorgan did not respond to a request for comment from Business Insider.

• The Big Four dominate the professional services industry.
• AI may disrupt not just job roles, but their organizational structure, business models, and pricing structures.
• Meanwhile, some midsize firms say they are better placed to adapt quickly and benefit from AI.

The Big Four — Deloitte, PwC, EY, and KPMG — are a select and powerful few. They dominate the professional services industry and have done so for decades.

But all empires fall eventually. Large corporations tend to merge, transform, or get replaced by the latest wave of innovative upstarts.

It's hard to see that time coming for the Big Four. With huge revenues, international reach, vast workforces, and numerous service offerings, they're indispensable for many corporations.

Yet AI could be poised to disrupt their business models, organizational structure, and day-to-day roles, while driving opportunities for the mid-market.

Automation is coming

The Big Four advise companies on how to navigate change, but they could be among the most vulnerable to AI themselves, said Alan Paton, who until recently was a partner in PwC's financial services division, specializing in AI and the cloud.

Paton, now the CEO of Qodea, a Google Cloud solutions consultancy, told Business Insider he's a firm believer that AI-driven automation will bring major disruption to key service lines and drive "a huge reduction" in profits.

Most structured, data-heavy tasks in audit, tax, and strategic advisory will be automated within the next three to five years, eliminating about 50% of roles, Paton said. There are already examples of AI solutions capable of performing 90% of the audit process, he said.

Paton thinks automation means clients will increasingly question why they should pay consultants big money to "give me an answer I can get instantaneously from a tool."

Unless they become far more specialized, the Big Four will be in trouble, he said.

Others are less convinced AI will make consultants and accountants obsolete, arguing instead that AI will free up time and drive productivity.

"AI frees up consultants, but it will never replace them," said Casey Foss, chief commercial officer at midsize firm West Monroe.

Businesses will continue to require expertise as AI develops — it's not a "set it and forget it" solution, she said. There will always be a need for the human in the loop who can understand problems holistically and has the "expertise of the gut feel."

The Big Four's vulnerabilities

The debate over how AI will disrupt job roles affects all consulting firms, but some industry insiders say the Big Four's business model is also at risk.

"No one is more exposed to AI disruption than the Big Four," said Foss. AI is bringing price points down, which will hit revenues, and creating demand for outcomes-based pricing models over traditional billable hours that the Big Four have always used, she said.

Firms have to be nimble to adapt to these changes at scale while simultaneously upskilling their staff and rethinking services, Foss said. Pivoting a huge organization like EY, KPMG, PwC, or Deloitte is "definitely harder," she said.

Offshoring, a cornerstone of the Big Four's business model, could also be a handicap.

The Big Four have built their healthy revenue streams on junior-heavy pyramids, with an increasing degree of labor arbitrage, offshoring work to cheaper labor markets, often in Asia.

"If work can be done using AI, where you don't need to have an office in Indonesia, you can actually deliver it from the UK into those services, then I think these companies are going to be deeply challenged," said Paton.

If the way you deliver a service is based on the number of people you have, "you're really vulnerable," he said.

Amid tight market conditions and slow attrition rates, Big Four employees are already suffering. A number of UK and US branches have laid off workers and slowed hiring in the past year. This May, PwC laid off roughly 2% of its US workforce, largely from its audit and tax lines.

Rise of mid-market firms

As disruption heads for the Big Four's established order, AI is proving a boon to mid-market consulting firms.

"AI is a necessary enabler for these firms to proliferate and prosper," said Alibek Dostiyarov, a former McKinsey consultant who is now CEO of Perceptis, a startup that provides AI solutions to smaller firms to streamline "mind-numbing" consulting tasks.

Automation diminishes smaller firms' previous disadvantages, like lacking an army of talent or advanced internal tools, while empowering employees to be more productive, said Dostiyarov.

Perceptis' clients say the tool allows them to reply to about 10 or 12 project inquiries rather than prioritizing two or three, he said.

West Monroe's win rate is higher, and its pipeline is "bigger than it's ever been," Foss told BI. In the past six to 12 months, the firm, which has just over 2,000 employees, has also started to see a new talent set emerge in its recruiting pipeline — leadership candidates from the Big Four.

Foss said ex-Big Four candidates are "excited about how boutique firms can use this technology faster and more iteratively to serve clients differently."

Too big not to adapt

Others say the Big Four's size and expertise make it inevitable that they'll overcome AI disruption.

The four firms have invested billions in artificial intelligence, far more than smaller firms could ever afford.

In 2023, KPMG said its plan to invest $2 billion in artificial intelligence and cloud services over the next five years would generate more than $12 billion in revenue over that period.

Innovation leaders at EY and KPMG told BI the scale and breadth of their offerings were an advantage and helped them deliver integrated AI solutions for clients.

"While small firms may move quickly, we are uniquely positioned to deliver enterprise-grade AI solutions, manage risk, and integrate technology across global operations," said Cliff Justice, a key figure in KPMG's global AI program.

Justice said that while it's true AI is disrupting traditional business models, the assumption that it will break the dominance of the Big Four underestimates their structural advantages, strategic positioning, and ability to adapt at scale.

Raj Sharma, EY's global managing partner for growth and innovation, told BI that the firm's breadth of business made it the perfect "testbed for innovation."

"Our strength is in our ability to bring to clients more than 100 years of deep sector experience and quality data sets, human-centered and supported by the collective knowledge of 400,000 skilled professionals," Sharma said.

Both leaders also said their deep expertise was necessary for handling the increased ethical, security, and regulatory compliance challenges created by AI.

"Businesses need a partner that can do more than provide relevant tech capabilities," said Sharma.

PwC's chief technology officer, Umang Paw, said that his firm was "more than ready" for this "moment of reinvention."

"We're not coming at this cold — we've had an AI practice for more than 10 years and are working with our technology alliance partners to build AI-enabled solutions that embed our expertise and allow clients to access our support in new ways," he said.

"Every industrial revolution has reshaped professional services and AI is no exception," said Paw.

Deloitte did not respond to a request for comment.

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