• Having as many as 10 people working on an unproven idea can backfire fast, said Windsurf's CEO.
• Varun Mohan said on a podcast that it's "very hard" for big teams to "get alignment."
• Early-stage product teams should ideally have three to four people, he added.

When it comes to building new products, a bigger team isn't always better. It might be what kills the idea altogether, said Windsurf's CEO, Varun Mohan.

Mohan said on an episode of the "Twenty Minute VC" podcast published Monday that having as many as 10 people working on an unproven idea can backfire fast.

"Everyone has opinions. Everyone has ideas. And nobody's ideas are wrong — because no one has proven anything," he said.

"It's very hard to get alignment. It's very hard for people to work in one direction without causing communication issues," he added.

Windsurf, founded in 2021 as Codeium, created an AI-powered coding development tool and has been riding the vibe coding wave. According to PitchBook, it has raised $243 million in VC funding.

Mohan recommends keeping early-stage product teams lean — ideally just three to four people.

It could be a couple of engineers and a designer — or if it's a pure systems problem, just engineers, he added.

A small, "opinionated" group moving fast to prove an idea is "actually really good," he said.

Even a "crappy" version of a great idea is "already amazing," he said.

"Once you've proven the crappy version has legs, you can then go and resource more people on the project to actually go out and and pursue it more deeply."

Windsurf isn't the only startup espousing small teams. Some of AI's biggest names have built upon tiny teams, such as Anysphere, the maker of coding copilot Cursor.

The advent of AI has also enabled startups to do more with less, prompting some founders to maintain extremely lean teams.

"We're going to see 10-person companies with billion-dollar valuations pretty soon," OpenAI's CEO, Sam Altman, said in February 2024.

No budgets set for new ideas

Mohan also said that Windsurf doesn't set specific budgets for these early-stage projects.

"We're in an unconstrained market," he said. Technology that could accelerate software development "is so valuable" to customers that the company doesn't approach new ideas with fixed budget constraints, he added.

Instead, Windsurf evaluates progress over time and decides whether to keep going, hit pause, or shift resources elsewhere.

"That's not a democratic process," Mohan added. "It's a little bit of a top-down process."

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

• Saab CEO Micael Johansson is worried that the European process will drag its defense build-up.
• He told BI that, as an example, Sweden's spending hike could take years to become contract orders.
• European leaders have been warning that they only have four years to deter a serious Russian threat.

Saab's CEO Micael Johansson said that while Europe's leaders have announced huge defense spending hikes, the continent's current processes are slowing it down too much.

"Now, we want to spend like 3.5% to 5% of GDP on defense. But then, when you start getting into the normal processes in terms of, okay, defense forces have to decide what to spend the money on, and then it has to be acquired by someone," Johansson told Business Insider on the sidelines of the Shangri-La Dialogue.

"The process is much too long still. It takes a long time before it gets into industry," he said, adding that he was worried about the gap.

As an example, Johansson said any recent boosts in Sweden's defense spending would take military authorities "six months roughly" to decide what to spend the funds on. And that's before acquisition and matériel officials come into the mix, he said.

Stockholm aims to increase defense spending from 2.4% of its GDP this year to 3.5% by 2030.

"And so we're still looking at a couple of years before you actually get going, which is not good enough, I think, in times of war. Which is tragic," Johansson said, who was elected president of the Aerospace, Security and Defence Industries Association of Europe last month.

At the same time, the CEO raised concerns about Russia's war footing manufacturing capability, estimating that Moscow was making up about five times as many artillery shells as all of Europe yearly.

"Europe has to take its own responsibility, so we need to have integrated our missile defense systems, the collaborative combat aircraft, we need to have space technology, we need to have hubs where we can do ammunition manufacturing," he said.

At the Dialogue, which ran from Friday to Sunday, Germany's defense chief, Gen. Carsten Breuer, raised a similar issue for his country.

"I think in Germany we are facing a situation, or at least we faced a situation, where we had processes over processes and processes, and all those processes were developed not to spend any money," Breuer said at a panel on Saturday. "Because we had enough time, but we did not have the money."

Breuer said that if German officials deemed a process was moving too quickly, they would "then develop an additional process to slow it down."

European military officials have warned that their nations must be ready for a possible conflict with Russia by 2029, when they estimate that Moscow would be strong enough to launch an attack on the Baltic states.

Anxieties on the continent have been compounded by the second Trump administration's signaled reluctance to continue supporting regional defense in areas where European states are falling short.

President Donald Trump has called for NATO's European members to hike defense spending to 5% of their GDP. Some, such as Germany, have signaled an openness to such an eventual arrangement.

Saab, which manufactures the Gripen fighter jet that's geared toward fighting Russian threats, has seen a rapid surge in demand since the war in Ukraine began in 2022. The Nordics' biggest defense manufacturer reported 2024 annual sales of 63.75 billion Swedish krona, or about $6.6 billion. By comparison, annual revenue in 2021 was 39.15 billion krona.

• Jamie Dimon said people are getting complacent about the market.
• Dimon said the "odds of that are lower than other people think" and they could be in for a surprise.
• "Big Short" investor Steve Eisman said the market was underestimating the impact of Trump's tariffs.

JPMorgan CEO Jamie Dimon said people could be in for a surprise when they realize that the market is not doing as well as they think.

Dimon was speaking to Fox Business' Maria Bartiromo for an interview filmed on Friday, which aired on Monday. During the sit-down, Bartiromo asked him about his thoughts on how the markets are doing.

"Complacent. Prices are high. Things are going okay. Prices are kind of working to a soft landing. I hope that's true. I just think the odds of that are lower than other people think, and that they are gonna surprise," Dimon told Bartiromo.

"There's so many things moving out there, from deficits to geopolitics, to trade. It's complex, and something can go wrong. And when things do, you usually get surprised," he continued.

A representative for Dimon did not respond to a request for comment from Business Insider.

Dimon had made a similar warning when he spoke at the Reagan National Economic Forum on Friday. Dimon said the US is headed for a "crack in the bond market" because it "massively overdid" spending and quantitative easing during the COVID-19 pandemic.

"It is going to happen," Dimon told forum attendees.

"I just don't know if it's going to be a crisis in six months or six years, and I'm hoping that we change both the trajectory of the debt and the ability of market makers to make markets," he added.

But Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent disagreed with Dimon.

"I've known Jamie a long time and for his entire career he's made predictions like this. Fortunately, none of them have come true," Bessent said in an interview on CBS' "Face the Nation" on Sunday.

"That's why he's a banker, a great banker. He tries to look around the corner," Bessent continued.

House Republicans passed President Donald Trump's "big beautiful bill" on May 22. GOP lawmakers hope the bill, which is now with the Senate, will be reach Trump's desk on July 4.

The Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget said the bill, in its current form, will increase the deficit by $2.5 trillion over the next 10 years.

Bessent, however, said the Trump administration plans to reduce the deficit and "leave the country in great shape in 2028."

"So the deficit this year is going to be lower than the deficit last year, and in two years it will be lower again. We are going to bring the deficit down slowly. We didn't get here in one year, and this has been a long process," he told CBS on Sunday.

To be sure, Dimon isn't the only one who thinks the market has grown complacent.

On Monday, "Big Short" investor Steve Eisman told CNBC's "Fast Money" that the market has "gotten pretty complacent" about tariffs.

"I have one concern, and that's tariffs. That's it," Eisman said, adding that trade negotiations with Europe will be "incredibly complicated."

"And I don't know what's going to happen with China. I just don't know how to handicap this because it's just too many balls in the air," he continued.

• Brooklyn and Nicola Peltz Beckham say honesty is the key to a strong marriage.
• The eldest son of the Beckham family, 26, and the billionaire heiress, 30, married in 2022.
• Their absence from David Beckham's 50th birthday party photos fueled rumors of a family feud.

Brooklyn and Nicola Peltz Beckham are sharing the one rule that keeps their marriage strong.

In an interview with Glamour published on Monday, the celebrity couple spoke about their relationship and agreed that honesty is the most important thing that young couples need to build mutual trust.

"Always be honest. There's nothing worse than keeping things from each other," Brooklyn, 26, told Glamour. Brooklyn is the oldest child of David and Victoria Beckham.

Nicola, 30, added that honesty was a value that her parents had instilled in her from a young age. Her father is Nelson Peltz, the billionaire founder of investment firm Trian Fund Management.

"My parents always told me, 'Tell us the truth, and we'll help you.' That mindset has stayed with me. Whether it's with friends, family, or in a relationship — honesty builds trust, closeness, growth. Real connection only happens when you're brave enough to be honest," Nicola told Glamour.

The couple first met at the Coachella music festival in 2017, but only started dating in 2019. In 2022, they got married at the Peltz family estate in Palm Beach, Florida.

During the interview, the pair recalled being told to make space for a quiet moment together during their wedding day — something they now recommend to others.

"Step away, breathe, be together. Those were my favorite moments. Weddings can be intense, especially when you're busy making sure everyone else is having fun. That little break reminded us what it's really about: us," Nicola said.

Brooklyn added that they managed to sneak away after the wedding to share a private moment.

"We took a quick drive, just the two of us. It was perfect. Also: love each other, be honest, and always protect one another," he said.

Over the past weeks, speculation about a Beckham family feud has grown after the couple was missing from Instagram photos posted by his parents from multiple events celebrating David Beckham's 50th birthday.

So far, neither the couple nor any members of the Beckham family have addressed the speculation publicly.

Brooklyn and Nicola are also not the only celebrities who have spoken about the habits they practice that help keep their marriage strong.

Rob Lowe says he and his wife go to couples therapy regularly because "it's like taking your car in and making sure the engine's running great."

"Frasier" actor Kelsey Grammer says thinking of love as a "contact sport" helps keep the flame alive in his 14-year marriage.

Jay Shetty says he avoids talking about work over dinner with his wife, even though they have a joint business venture.

Representatives for the couple did not immediately respond to requests for comment sent by Business Insider outside regular hours.

• OpenAI CEO predicts AI will soon be able to "discover new knowledge" and solve business problems.
• A study shows that AI is already replacing human workers.
• Companies like Shopify and Duolingo are shifting away from human workers in favor of AI.

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman is betting that AI could soon help "discover new knowledge" and said it is already beginning to act like your junior-level coworkers.

"You hear people that talk about their job now is to assign work to a bunch of agents, look at the quality, figure out how it fits together, give feedback, and it sounds a lot like how they work with a team of still relatively junior employees," Altman said of AI agents on Monday during the Snowflake Summit 2025, in a conversation with Snowflake Computing CEO Sridhar Ramaswamy.

"I would bet next year that in some limited cases, at least in some small ways, we start to see agents that can help us discover new knowledge, or can figure out solutions to business problems that are kind of very non-trivial," Altman added.

The keynote conversation at Snowflake Summit — which explored how organizations can drive immediate impact with the power of AI — comes as new data show that AI is already replacing human workers.

Zanele Munyikwa, an economist at Revelio Labs, spoke to Business Insider's Aki Ito about her analysis of online job postings and the impact of AI since ChatGPT's release at the end of 2022. As Ito wrote, "She found that over the past three years, the share of AI-doable tasks in online job postings has declined by 19%." In roles Munyikwa pinpointed as more vulnerable to AI, such as database administrators and IT specialists, the hiring downturn has been as steep as 31%.

Over the past quarter, Shopify said that its managers need to explain why a job couldn't be handled by AI before asking for new hires, and Duolingo, the language learning app, said it would replace contract workers with AI.

In February, OpenAI launched GPT-4.5, which Altman called "the first model that feels like talking to a thoughtful person." He also described the model as "giant" and "expensive." The rollout is limited to Pro subscribers until the shortage of GPUs is solved.

OpenAI also recently launched Codex, a new AI agent aimed at streamlining coding tasks for developers by writing code, fixing bugs, and running tests. Altman said it was already in use by OpenAI's own engineers. Unlike traditional chatbots, the multitasking AI agent can also interact with external software to complete tasks like making a dinner reservation.

• Marc Maron says he plans to end his "WTF" podcast later this year.
• Maron cited burnout and said, "It's OK to end things."
• "WTF" launched in 2009 and featured guests like former President Barack Obama and David Letterman.

One of the original podcasters is hanging up his mic.

Marc Maron, host of the podcast "WTF with Marc Maron," announced on his Monday episode that he and his longtime producer, Brendan McDonald, plan to end the comedy and interview podcast later this year.

"We have put up a new show every Monday and Thursday for almost 16 years, and we're tired. We're burnt out. And we are utterly satisfied with the work we've done," he said.

Maron, an actor and comedian, said he and McDonald mutually agreed it was time to end the show.

"We both realized together that we were done," he said, adding, "It's OK to end things. It's OK to try to start some other chapter in your life."

The final episode of the podcast would be sometime in the fall, Maron said.

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

"WTF with Marc Maron" launched in 2009, when podcasts were largely unheard of, and has hosted guests ranging from former President Barack Obama to David Letterman over its more than 1,600 episodes. The episode that aired on Monday featured comedian John Mulaney.

The podcast industry is growing and was worth more than $30 billion in 2025, according to the market research firm Mordor Intelligence.

• "Sex and the City," which aired from 1998 to 2004, completely changed TV.
• This week marks the 27th anniversary of the first-ever episode.
• The third season of the revival, "And Just Like That...," premiered on May 29.

It's been 27 years since the first episode of "Sex and the City" aired, changing television forever with its frank discussions about dating and relationships from the female perspective.

After six seasons, two hugely successful (if flawed) feature films, and now three seasons of the revival "And Just Like That," the show and its four main characters have been cemented in pop-culture history.

For example, if you're sitting with a group of four people (usually women), it's only a matter of time before the question comes up: Are you a Carrie, Samantha, Charlotte, or Miranda? The show also brought the phrase "He's just not that into you" into the cultural lexicon, and for that, we'll always be grateful.

As the iconic TV show, which starred Sarah Jessica Parker, Kim Cattrall, Kristin Davis, and Cynthia Nixon, celebrates another anniversary, let's take a look at where its actors are now.

Sarah Jessica Parker returned to the role of Carrie Bradshaw in the reboot, "And Just Like That."

After leaving Carrie Bradshaw behind (the first time), Parker focused on her movie career, starring in films such as "The Family Stone" and "Failure to Launch." She also returned to the stage (where she got her start), starring in "How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying" alongside her future husband, Matthew Broderick.

Parker, 60, also capitalized on her status as a fashion icon by creating a clothing line named BITTEN for Steve & Barry's, and a shoe collection for Nordstrom's called the SJP Collection. SJP was shut down in 2024.

Even though she told The New York Times that she'd never do a television show again, she returned to TV for a guest spot on the fourth season of "Glee" in 2012. Five years later, Parker announced that she was starring in a new HBO comedy called "Divorce." The show ended in 2019 after three seasons.

Parker and Broderick are one of Hollywood's longest-lasting marriages, and co-starred in the Neil Simon play "Plaza Suite" on Broadway until the show closed during the summer of 2022. The couple has three children: their son, James, and twins Marion and Tabitha.

Kim Cattrall was poised to be the breakout star of "Sex and the City," but hasn't been able to replicate that level of success with recent projects.

Cattrall's sexually confident Samantha Jones was the show's breakout character — the role won her a Golden Globe and five Emmy nominations. But since the show ended, Cattrall, 68, has distanced herself from the spotlight.

She's starred in multiple Canadian TV shows and BBC shows, but nothing has come close to the success she had with "Sex and the City." Ironically, she was considered the most famous cast member going into season one.

In 2020, Cattrall starred on the Fox series "Filthy Rich," which she also executive-produced. It was canceled after one season.

She also played the narrator of "How I Met Your Father," aka the future version of Hilary Duff's character, which was canceled after two seasons.

Her feud with former costar Parker has put her in the headlines, along with the tragic death of her brother Christopher.

In the first season of the revival, Samantha was written off by having her character move to London — Carrie and Samantha reunited off-screen in Paris during the season finale.

In the second season of "And Just Like That," Cattrall made a brief cameo, reprising her role as Samantha. According to Variety, she filmed the single scene for the show's season without interacting with her three former co-stars or the showrunner. She is not in the third season.

Kristin Davis took a step back from acting after her time on the show and concentrated on activism.

Davis, 60, also won critical acclaim for her portrayal as Charlotte York, the most old-fashioned member of the bunch. She was nominated for an Emmy, a Golden Globe, and a SAG Award.

While "Sex and the City" was airing, Davis appeared on two other extremely popular TV shows at the time: "Friends" and "Will and Grace." But after that, she didn't appear on another show until 2014's "Bad Teacher." She did, however, appear in a few feature films, including "Deck the Halls" alongside costar Parker's husband, Matthew Broderick.

In 2019, she starred in a Netflix rom-com opposite Rob Lowe, "Holiday in the Wild." She hosted the reality dating series "Labor of Love" in 2020. In March 2021, she once again starred in a Netflix film — this time, a psychological thriller called "Deadly Illusions."

And, of course, she's been playing Charlotte once again on "And Just Like That."

She's also an Oxfam ambassador (Oxfam is a collection of international charities focused on ending global poverty), won the Humane Society's 2010 Wyler Award (an award given to a celebrity who has made news on behalf of animals), and is a patron of the David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust.

Personally, Davis adopted a baby girl, Gemma, in 2011, and a boy, Wilson, in 2018.

Cynthia Nixon moved away from acting and toward politics for years before making a return to Hollywood.

The role of Miranda Hobbes was hugely popular during the original series, but many fans were disappointed by the beloved character's storyline in "And Just Like That." By season three, though, the writers have turned it around.

In real life, Nixon is an outspoken figure regarding LGBTQ+ rights (she came out as bisexual and has been married to her wife, Christine Marinoni, since 2012) and breast cancer (she beat the disease in 2006, per ABC). She was named an ambassador for Susan G. Komen for the Cure in 2008.

Nixon, 59, announced her candidacy for governor of New York in 2018. Though she lost the Democratic primary, she earned a respectable 35% of the vote.

Besides her political life, Nixon has starred in Broadway shows, indie films, and long-running classic shows like "Law and Order." She won an Emmy for her guest-starring role in a 2008 episode of "Law and Order: Special Victims Unit" in which she played a woman pretending to have dissociative identity disorder.

In 2020, she appeared in the Netflix series "Ratched" and is currently starring in "The Gilded Age," an HBO series created by Downton Abbey creator Julian Fellowes.

Nixon shares two children, Charles and Seph, with her ex-husband, Danny Mozes. She and Marinoni welcomed son Max in 2011.

David Eigenberg joined "Chicago Fire" in 2012.

Since his time as Steve Brady, Miranda's main love interest, first ended, Eigenberg, 61, has been working steadily in the world of TV.

He has appeared in multiple one-off episodes of popular shows such as "Without a Trace," "Everwood," "NCIS," and "Castle," among others.

He joined the cast of "Chicago Fire" in 2012 and has appeared on its sister shows, "Chicago PD," "Chicago Med," and "Chicago Justice," as well. He welcomed his first son in 2009 with his wife, Chrysti. They had a daughter in 2014.

Fans are still hoping for a redemption of Steve in the show's third season, as many felt his character was done dirty in the revival.

Evan Handler is as well known for his time on "Sex and the City" as he is for his role on "Californication."

Harry, who was played by Handler, and Charlotte's relationship was probably the most heartwarming one on the entire show. It taught Charlotte to look past appearances, and even led to her conversion to Judaism. The two also dealt with realistic fertility issues, a departure from the show's generally more comedic tone.

After "Sex and the City" ended, Handler joined the cast of "Californication," playing the main character's best friend, Charlie.

After "Californication" ended, Handler stayed on TV, most recently appearing in "The Astronaut Wives Club," "American Crime Story," and "The Breaks." He starred in the sixth and final season of "Power."

Handler, 64, has reprised his role as Harry in the revival.

Handler and his wife Elisa's daughter, Sofia, was born in 2007.

Mario Cantone has enjoyed a successful career in comedy and theater since his role on the show.

Cantone's character Anthony was a super flamboyant gay stereotype. He was happily single throughout the show's entire run, though he confusingly got married to Stanford in "Sex and the City 2." He has now essentially taken over Stanford's role in the group in "And Just Like That," after Willie Garson's death.

Cantone's one-man show was the first Broadway production to be recorded and aired on Showtime as a comedy special. He's also appeared on multiple Comedy Central roasts, and was on "The President Show" as former press secretary Anthony Scaramucci. He competed on "The Masked Singer" in 2022.

In 2011, Cantone, 65, married Jerry Dixon, a musical theater director, and his partner of 20 years.

John Corbett's role in "My Big Fat Greek Wedding" and its sequel made him a box-office success.

Aidan, as played by Corbett, was the only man who came close to actually being a lifelong partner for Carrie, besides Big. The debate still rages on as to which one was the best for her.

During the show, Corbett, 64, established himself as a box-office draw by starring in "My Big Fat Greek Wedding" in 2002. He also starred in heartwarming movies such as "Raising Helen" and "Raise Your Voice," and had recurring TV roles on "United States of Tara" and "Parenthood."

He's now known to a whole new generation as the hot dad in the "To All the Boys I've Loved Before" films. In 2021, he starred alongside Katey Sagal in "Rebel," an ABC series based on the life of Erin Brockovich. It was canceled in May 2021.

Corbett's a multi-talented man — he has also released two country albums.

Since 2002, he's been in a relationship with actress/model Bo Derek. They tied the knot in 2020.

Although Aidan's story seemed pretty tied up at the end of "Sex and the City 2," he returned in season two of "And Just Like That," and is now Carrie's … future boyfriend? They've agreed to reunite in five years when Aiden's sons are grown up (we know, this makes no sense to us, either).

Jason Lewis steadily acted for years after the show ended, but has since taken a break.

Though Smith was young, he was perfect for Samantha, and eventually became the most important relationship that she had in the show (and subsequent movies). He stood by her through her commitment issues, infidelity, and breast cancer.

On the show, Smith was a model-turned-actor: in real life, Lewis, 54, followed the same trajectory. Before his time on "Sex and the City," he was a successful model for brands like Guess and Hugo Boss, among others.

After the show ended, Lewis appeared on "Charmed" as the short-lived husband of Phoebe, an episode of "How I Met Your Mother," and most recently starred on "Midnight, Texas" as a fallen angel named Joe Strong from 2017 to 2018.

In 2022, he appeared on "Dancing With the Stars" as a contestant and finished in last place.

He did not reprise his role in the revival.

Kyle MacLachlan was already famous for his role as Agent Dale Cooper in "Twin Peaks" by the time he appeared on "Sex and the City."

Trey, played by MacLachlan, and Charlotte had a whirlwind romance, engagement, and wedding — which led Charlotte to overlook some red flags, like his vaguely unhealthy relationship with his mother. The two eventually got divorced, leading Charlotte to her next husband, Harry.

MacLachlan is particularly adept at playing sinister characters, like the obsessive Orson Hodge in "Desperate Housewives" and the mysterious Captain in "How I Met Your Mother." He reprised his role in "How I Met Your Father."

He even dabbled in the Marvel Universe by playing Calvin Zabo, aka The Doctor, in "Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D."

He also played Harold Baskin in the Peacock series "Joe vs. Carole" in 2021. He appeared in the 2022 "Fletch" reboot with Jon Hamm. Now, he can be seen on the Prime Video series "Fallout."

His most famous role, though, is Agent Dale Cooper in "Twin Peaks," which aired in the '90s. He reprised his role as Cooper in "Twin Peaks: The Return" in 2017.

MacLachlan, 66, also co-owns the wine label Pursued by Bear, based in Washington.

He married his wife, Desirée Gruber, in 2002, and the couple had son Callum in 2008.

James Remar has grown into an accomplished voice actor in the years since the show ended.

Remar's character Richard was one of the few relationships in Samantha's arc on the show that had a lasting impact. She was devastated when she caught him cheating on her, and he re-appeared later on in the show just to prove that Samantha was actually really into Smith.

Remar, 71, received a Saturn Award nomination for his role as Harry Morgan, Dexter's father in "Dexter." He also played the patriarch of the Salvatore family in "The Vampire Diaries." Most recently, he had a starring role in The CW superhero show "Black Lightning."

However, he's found the most success doing voiceover work. Remar has lent his voice to "Justice League Unlimited," "The Batman," "The Spectacular Spider-Man," "Ben 10: Alien Force," and "Young Justice," to name a few.

He also had a small role in the 2023 best picture winner, "Oppenheimer," as the Secretary of War, Henry L. Stimson.

In the future, he's set to appear in two high-profile shows: "Dexter: Resurrection" and "It: Welcome to Derry."

Ron Livingston has continued to work in the TV world.

"I'm sorry. I can't. Don't hate me."

Those seven words led Jack Berger (Livingston) to go down in history as the guy who used a Post-it note to break up with Carrie. He also delivered the line that might be the most lasting contribution to pop culture in all six seasons of "Sex and the City:" "He's just not that into you."

After writing the Post-it and disappearing into the night, Livingston has had continued success in Hollywood. He's appeared in huge movies such as "The Conjuring" and "The Time Traveler's Wife," as well as critically acclaimed indie comedy "Drinking Buddies."

Livingston, 57, replaced Billy Crudup as Henry Allen in "The Flash" in 2023.

However, he has mostly stuck to TV, with roles on "Boardwalk Empire," "Search Party," "Loudermilk," and "A Million Little Things."

Livingston married his costar Rosemarie DeWitt in 2009, and the couple adopted two daughters, Gracie and Esperanza.

Mikhail Baryshnikov was a professional ballet dancer before starring on "SATC" — he hasn't acted much since the show ended.

Carrie's friends disliked "the Russian," aka Aleksandr Petrovsky (Baryshnikov), so much that they supported Big in flying to Paris to win her back in the series finale (even though they never liked him very much either).

Before turning to acting, Baryshnikov, 77, was known as one of the best ballet dancers in history.

Since the show ended, he has appeared in just three things: a TV movie called "Place," an uncredited role in "Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit," and a recurring role as himself on "Doll & Em" in 2015.

Baryshnikov told Larry King in 2002 that he didn't believe in marriage, but he later married his longtime partner Lisa Rinehart (a fellow ballerina) in 2006. Their daughter, Anna, has followed in her father's (acting) footsteps and starred in Apple TV+'s "Dickinson," and is set to star in the upcoming comedy film "Idiotka."

Lynn Cohen didn't begin acting until the '90s, when she was in her 50s. She died in 2020 at age 86.

Some of the funniest moments of the show were the result of housekeeper Magda, as played by Cohen, butting heads with Miranda about sexuality, motherhood, and working women, like the time Magda bought Miranda a rolling pin, implying that a woman should stay home and bake, rather than pursue a career.

Cohen appeared in multiple films and shows after "Sex and the City" ended, but she gained mainstream exposure from her role as Mags in the second "Hunger Games" film, "Catching Fire." Her last role was in an episode of "God Friended Me."

She died in 2020.

Willie Garson moved from a small recurring role on "Sex and the City" to a starring one on "White Collar." He died in 2021.

Stanford, played by Garson, was the perennially single ride-or-die friend of Carrie's, supporting her through numerous relationships and other misadventures, until he finally found his own boyfriend, Marcus, who mysteriously disappeared in the movies. He ended up marrying Charlotte's friend Anthony in "Sex and the City 2."

Garson followed "Sex and the City" with a starring role in "White Collar," and guest spots on "Girl Meets World" and "Wizards of Waverly Place." He also had a recurring role on "Supergirl."

He adopted a 7-year-old boy in 2010.

Garson, 57, died while he was filming episodes of "And Just Like That," and his character was written off.

Frances Sternhagen appeared in many popular TV shows and theater roles before her death in 2023.

Bunny MacDougal (Sternhagen) was the passive-aggressive, overly involved mother of Charlotte's first husband, Trey. Her eerily close relationship with Trey played a part in the demise of his marriage to Charlotte. Sternhagen was nominated for an Emmy for her performance.

After her time on "Sex and the City" ended, Sternhagen appeared in three plays, "Steel Magnolias," "Seascape," and "The Madrid." She also had a recurring role on TNT's "The Closer," and guest-starred in an episode of "Parenthood."

She died in 2023 at the age of 93.

Chris Noth, aka Mr. Big in the show, is returning to the screen after he was accused of sexual assault in 2021.

Noth, 70, has a penchant for playing polarizing characters. Besides Mr. Big, who swung between being Carrie's perfect partner and being terrified of commitment, he also played Peter Florrick, a disgraced former state attorney, on "The Good Wife." He also played a cop on "Law and Order: Criminal Intent" from 1990 to 1995, and reprised his role from 2005 to 2008.

Noth starred on NBC's FBI procedural "Gone" until 2018, and he also appeared in the Discovery Channel's miniseries about the true story of the Unabomber, called "Manhunt: Unabomber." He most recently starred in "The Equalizer," a reimagining of the '80s show of the same name.

Spoiler: In the premiere of "And Just Like That," Big dies from a heart attack after riding a Peleton exercise bike. His death hit Carrie and fans of the show hard, and even inspired Peloton to create its own ad referencing the character's death.

In December 2021, Noth was accused of sexual assault by two women, as reported by The Hollywood Reporter. The women, who do not know each other, said they spoke up because promotions of the reboot had "stirred painful memories of incidents" for them, the THR article said. In a statement to Business Insider that month, Noth denied the allegations.

In December 2022, a year since the reports first emerged, Page Six reported that Noth had not been charged in connection with any of the allegations, and no civil actions had been brought.

Since then, Noth has been accused by three more women — he's called the accusations "categorically false" — and was written off "The Equalizer" and the first season finale of "And Just Like That," and dropped by his talent agency.

After a few years away from the industry, Noth is back. He's set to costar in a thriller called "The Block," per Deadline. He also found new representation.

• Big-name managers like Citadel, Point72, and Balyasny made money in May.
• Michael Gelband's ExodusPoint was also up and has been one of the top firms this year.
• May was a strong month for equities generally, as the S&P 500 had its biggest gain since 2023.

Multistrategy hedge funds protected their investors from the worst of 2025's stock market volatility in March and April. Now, after equity markets surged in May, the same managers also did not reach the same highs as indexes such as the S&P 500.

The flagship fund for $66 billion Citadel, Wellington, was up 0.2% in May pushing the fund's 2025 gains to 0.8%, a person close to the firm told Business Insider. Billionaire Steve Cohen's Point72, meanwhile, returned 0.9% last month, bringing the $37.7 billion firm's yearly gains to 3.9%, an individual close to the firm said.

Millennium, the $73 billion firm run by billionaire Izzy Englander, is now positive for the year at 0.4%, according to a person familiar.

Billionaire Ken Griffin's Citadel and Millennium uncharacteristically lost money in back-to-back months in February and March, as President Donald Trump's policies rattled global markets.

Stock markets have rebounded, with the S&P 500 in the black for 2025 now, thanks to the best May since 1990. The index returned 6.2% in May, the strongest individual monthly gain since November of 2023.

ExodusPoint, the multistrategy firm founded by former Millennium executive Michael Gelband, has been a standout performer so far this year. After a 1% gain in May, the fund is up 7.5% for the year, outpacing Gelband's former firm.

May's best performer among the multistrategy cohort is a $3 billion manager, Dymon Asia, which has teams based across different Asian and Middle East markets. It was up 3.3% for the month and 8% for the year, a person close to the manager said.

The firms mentioned in the story and the table below declined to comment. The table will be updated as additional performance figures are learned.

• Orphe Divounguy is a senior economist at Zillow and an expert on all things housing.
• Even he struggled to find a home in Raleigh-Durham, one of the fastest-growing metros in the US.
• Divounguy lost two bids on different homes before landing the house of his dreams in April.

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Orphe Divounguy, a senior economist at Zillow. In April, Divounguy purchased a home in Raleigh, North Carolina. The conversation has been edited for length and clarity.

I've been with Zillow for almost three years. As a senior economist, I provide internal and external insights about housing. So, I do a lot of TV and radio interviews, discussing its dynamics with various audiences.

While I am well-informed, I don't have a competitive advantage as a homebuyer: Zillow's housing data and metrics for buyer competition are publicly available on its website.

Right now, Zillow's data shows that buyers have more bargaining power for the first time in a long time. That's because nationally, housing inventory is above 20% from a year ago, meaning there are more homes for sale today than in August 2020.

When I started my homebuying journey last year, I expected it to be very easy and was hopeful that I could get my pick without trouble. Unfortunately, I learned there is no national housing market; instead, housing is very much local.

I witnessed it firsthand. The community I wanted to buy a home in, Raleigh, North Carolina, was extremely competitive, and two of my initial home offers were rejected. It was a reality check for me.

Raleigh is the perfect place for my family

I work in housing; I watch only housing and real estate TV shows. I'm also the kind of person who takes my kids to open houses on the weekends for fun — I just love it.

I'm always looking at homes. Last year, I bought a townhome in Tennessee and turned it into a rental property, and I was interested in doing something similar again.

I decided to look for an investment property in the Raleigh-Durham area because it's one of the fastest-growing metro areas in the country.

After visiting the area, I fell in love with the city and the community feel. I started contemplating whether I should just buy a home for my family and move there.

I connected with a real estate agent, flew in overnight on Friday, and spent the weekend exploring Raleigh's neighborhoods. I ended up falling in love with the Research Triangle Park area.

Research Triangle Park has a strong tech presence, similar to where I live in Seattle. You've got a growing tech industry, a good healthcare sector, and access to great schools like Duke University, North Carolina State University, and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

With all these opportunities, I'm hopeful my kids won't want to move away from home when they're older and will stay in the area.

There was more competition for homes than I expected

In April, I found my dream house: a 3,250-square-foot home in the Research Triangle Park area that was on the market for $730,000.

Our agent suggested we consider going a bit above the asking price, so I submitted an offer, but unfortunately, I lost the house. After only being on the market for six days, the home sold for about $50,000 over the asking price.

While buyers might have more power nationally, local data suggests that the Raleigh area remains a seller's market. According to Zillow's Market Heat Index, inventory is still low in many neighborhoods, so sellers continue to have a ton of bargaining power.

I tried again when a smaller 2,900-square-foot home with a giant tree swing for the kids popped up for $630,000.

We also fell in love with this house. It sits in a neighborhood filled with custom-built homes, golf courses, swimming and tennis clubs, and fantastic amenities. It also feels like the type of place where kids walk to school together in the morning and back home in the afternoon.

By this point, I realized I had previously underestimated Research Triangle Park's homebuying competitiveness the first time. The area is in high demand, so I came in strong, offering about $50,000 over asking.

Still, we ended up losing the house. It sold after just one open house. There were lines of parked cars around the block to see this house.

The ordeal made my family cry. I can laugh about it now, but the reality is, I look at this data all the time. According to Zillow's Consumer Housing Trends Report, more than half of buyers cry at least once during the homebuying journey.

I'm deeply familiar with everything we know at Zillow about the ups and downs of shopping for a home, but I still didn't think it would happen to me.

The third time was the charm

Eventually, I had to fly back to Seattle, so I began relying entirely on my agent, who was much more familiar with the area. I also had Zillow alerts set up for my preferred neighborhood and checked them daily.

Finally, my agent got a call from another agent who said she knew of a homeowner who may be willing to sell if we agreed to all their demands.

We saw photos of the house — it was perfect. It's a 3,000-square-foot home, located within the same community we had fallen in love with.

After a quick home inspection, we agreed to all their demands and closed in April. One of the sellers' conditions was to be able to live in the house for another 2 months after closing.

Our family is excited. We're counting down the days until we can move in in July.

Hindsight is 20/20 — but here's what I would have done differently

Looking back, I think the first thing I should have done when starting my homebuying search was pay attention to local market dynamics. It's not enough to look at the national headlines.

If I had, I would have been more prepared and taken my agent slightly more seriously when she told me Raleigh's market was somewhat competitive.

The housing market varies greatly across the country. In some places, supply is so constrained that every time a home comes on the market, it's available for maybe just seven days. In other worlds, inventory accumulates, and buyers have a lot more bargaining power, like in Texas and Florida.

Going forward, I'm paying more attention to local dynamics. I think it's important to dig into the details — to look at the specific district, the geographic distribution, and the price point. Analyzing this is incredibly informative in understanding where we are in the housing market today.

• Army drones are flying shorter distances with less power due to Pacific heat and weather, a US Army general said.
• A joint exercise with the Philippines is helping the Army address those challenges.
• Solutions include more drones, drone swarms, and 3D printing capabilities.

The hot and rainy weather in the Western Pacific is presenting some challenges for the US Army's drone arsenal, a top officer told Business Insider.

In training, American drone operators have been working with allies to find solutions and adapt their uncrewed aerial systems to the operating environment.

US troops are currently going through the Joint Pacific Multinational Readiness Center-Exportable exercise in the Philippines, where the Army and their Philippine counterparts are training for what a war in the Indo-Pacific could look like. About 2,000 personnel are participating in the exercise.

When it comes to drone activities in this area of operations, the primary issues, Army Maj. Gen. Marcus Evans, the commander of the 25th Infantry Division out of Hawaii, told BI, are the heat and local weather patterns.

A key aspect of the training is testing how technologies like drones, counter-drone systems, reconnaissance capabilities, infantry squad vehicles, and aircraft work in conditions specific to that environment.

In the Philippines, hot temperatures upward of 90 degrees Fahrenheit impact the function of drones, namely the battery power, meaning operators can't fly them as far or long. Cold climates, like those of the Arctic tundra in Alaska, have similar effects on battery technology.

Rain and winds, too, sometimes affect the vertical takeoff and landing capabilities of some UAVs. It's monsoon season in Southeast Asia, meaning heavy rainfall and humidity are incessant.

"Generally, we've seen a reduction in the distance they can fly and the endurance for which they can fly," Evans explained.

He said his troops are having to get "accustomed to what the endurances are on the unmanned aerial systems" in this region "so then we can integrate those into tactical plans."

Immediate solutions that US soldiers have been working on include finding new locations to launch drones, flying more of them, or swarming them. Different areas may experience different weather and temperatures while launching multiple drones or swarming them leaves operators less dependent on a single drone for executing a mission. This kind of adaptive work is happening across the division, not just in one formation or a brigade for these capabilities.

At a training in Hawaii last fall, the 25th Infantry Brigade was only using small drones with ranges of about three to five kilometers depending on the environment. Now, they're working with medium-range and long-range reconnaissance capabilities that help formations see out to roughly 30 kilometers.

The learn-in-the-moment approach is in line with the Army's Transformation in Contact initiative, a program that streamlines the process for soldiers to integrate, test, and improve on new weapons and then, in turn, implement the feedback into operational planning.

One of the newer elements being implemented in the ongoing training is 3D printing for first-person view drones. It's useful, Evans said, for making most of the components and then either building a new drone or repairing others.

Evans said conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East were also providing lessons on drone warfare and other technologies. There's much to be learned, too, from Philippine soldiers specifically with regard to fighting in the Pacific.

Earlier this year, Washington and Manila participated in their annual, three-week-long Balikatan exercise, testing anti-ship, anti-air, and coastal defense drills simulating real-world combat.

Evans said that the longer US soldiers are in this environment, "the more that we're going to understand about our ability to sustain a force and interoperate with a partner fore like the Philippine Army in this environment."

• "Mia" was the second sexual abuse accuser to testify against Sean "Diddy" Combs.
• During cross-examination Monday, she was asked about dozens of loving messages she sent to Combs.
• She said she only loved the version of "Puff" who "protected me from the other versions of himself."

Rape accuser and former employee "Mia" spent a second day under cross-examination at Sean "Diddy" Combs' sex-trafficking trial, explaining for two hours why she repeatedly told the rap tycoon that she loved and admired him.

There were many times that "Puff," as she called him, "used to be my protector," she told a federal jury in Manhattan.

"I did love that dude," she testified Monday.

"He protected me from the other versions of himself," she said, referring to the versions of Combs she'd previously described flinging her into walls and sexually assaulting her.

Mia, a key prosecution witness who is testifying under a pseudonym, was asked on Monday to read aloud from dozens of heart-emoji-dotted texts and Instagram posts she had sent Combs during and after her eight years working as his personal assistant and film company executive.

In one text exchange from January 2019, she told Combs she'd dreamed she was trapped in an elevator with R&B star and sex-trafficking convict R. Kelly. Combs came to her in the dream, she told him in the text, to save her, as her "protector."

Defense attorney Brian Steel asked Mia how she could use the words "protector" and "love" to describe the man she'd also testified had sexually and physically "terrified you."

As she has more than a dozen times since taking the stand Thursday, Mia described the two "Puffs" that she said she knew.

There was the one who indeed terrified her — the volatile, often violent millionaire who she has described in testimony repeatedly slamming her arm in a door, flinging computers and bowls of spaghetti at her, and raping her as she slept in the staff bedroom of his Los Angeles mansion.

And there was the one she shared "trillions of stories" with, as she said in a text to Combs from 2020, which described a series of treasured escapades.

In that text, she remembered drinking together with Combs at dawn under the Eiffel Tower, and Leonardo DiCaprio grabbing her pink, bedazzled cellphone during a Bacarat game, and "Mick Jagger trying to take me home but I ran away."

"I love love you!" she signed another text, from July 2022.

Jurors were also shown a happy birthday video Mia sent Combs in 2013 while she was still working for him.

Prosecutors had unsuccessfully fought to keep jurors from seeing the birthday greeting, saying the dozens of texts already shown to jurors were "cumulative" — legalese for overkill.

Defense lawyers are trying to discredit a half-dozen women who have accused Combs of physical and sexual brutality — by suggesting they are disgruntled former staffers and girlfriends who have tried to cash in through what Steel called on Monday "a 'Me-too money grab."

Mia's birthday video to Combs was admitted into evidence, and screened for jurors, after defense lawyer Alexandra Shapiro argued it shows that Mia has been displaying a "false persona" during the three days on the witness stand.

Mia spoke in a clear but quiet voice. She sat hunched forward with her head almost continually bowed.

In the 2013 birthday video, her head was confidently held up and her voice was cheerful.

"I'm so blessed to call you my friend," she tells him in the video, which also featured a product placement — she drinks from a bottle of Aqua Hydrate water, a beverage Combs had invested in.

"To another 44 years of brilliance! Let's fuck things up! Love you!!!" she says in the video, blowing him kisses.

But there have been two Mias as well, her testimony has suggested.

"I didn't understand what had happened to me until recently," after therapy and speaking to prosecutors, Mia told the jury.

Mia, who wrapped up her testimony on Monday afternoon, told the jury she only decided last year to come forward with her story of sexual assault.

"I was still deeply ashamed and wanted to die with this," she testified.

"I knew his power and his wrath," Mia said when prosecutors questioned her once again in the afternoon.

"When he was happy, I was safe," she added.

Mia worked as a personal assistant to fashion designer Georgina Chapman and actor Mike Myers before she started working for Combs in 2009, at the age of about 25, she has said.

While on the witness stand, Mia told the jury that Combs had sexually attacked her four times between 2009 and 2017, including at his 40th birthday party at New York's Plaza Hotel and on his private jet.

She described working for Combs as "chaotic," "toxic," yet "exciting" at times. Mia also detailed grueling job hours in her testimony, telling the jury she once worked five days without sleep.

"The highs were really high and the lows were really low," Mia testified.

Combs has vehemently denied the criminal charges against him and has argued through his defense team that his sexual encounters have been consensual.

If convicted of the sex trafficking and racketeering charges against him, Combs, a onetime near-billionaire, could face up to life behind bars.

• Sixteen US presidents were educated at colleges and universities in the Ivy League.
• Joe Biden was the first US president since Ronald Reagan to not attend an Ivy League school.
• Donald Trump has recently taken on Harvard University, the alma mater of eight US presidents.

Long before President Donald Trump engaged in a war against Harvard University, the Ivy League has been a breeding ground for world leaders, including many US presidents.

Among the eight Ivy League schools, Harvard has educated the most US presidents — eight — followed by Yale, at five.

On the other hand, a few of the Ivies have not yet seen one of their students go on to become US president: Brown University, Cornell University, and Dartmouth College.

Most presidents in recent US history, including President Trump, graduated from an Ivy League school. In fact, from the end of Ronald Reagan's term in 1989 until the beginning of Joe Biden's in 2021, the presidency was occupied by Ivy League alums.

Trump has had a fraught relationship with some universities since he signed an executive order during his first term prompting higher education institutions to take tougher action in combating antisemitism.

Since October 7, 2023, US colleges and universities have been at the center of controversies regarding student protests against the war in Gaza, with Columbia University gaining national attention in April 2024 when students formed on-campus encampments demanding the school divest from Israel.

Since January, the Trump administration has made attempts to block Harvard University from receiving federal funds and enrolling international students, citing the university's failure to meet "both the intellectual and civil rights conditions that justify federal investment," as members of the administration wrote in an April 11 letter addressed to the university's leadership. It came after the university refused the administration's demands to change hiring and admissions policies, among others.

Harvard's president, Alan Garber, wrote in a letter to students and staff in April, "No government — regardless of which party is in power — should dictate what private universities can teach, whom they can admit and hire, and which areas of study and inquiry they can pursue."

Here's which presidents were Ivy-League educated, and where they attended university.

Princeton University

The Ivy League's ties with the US presidency go back to the nation's founding. In 1771, founding father and fourth US president James Madison, who was president between 1809 and 1817, graduated with a Bachelor of Arts from Princeton University, then called the College of New Jersey.

Woodrow Wilson, who was president between 1913 and 1921, also graduated from the College of New Jersey in 1879.

University of Pennsylvania

The ninth US president, William Henry Harrison, who served the shortest presidency in US history in 1841, attended the University of Pennsylvania, where he studied medicine, but he withdrew before his expected graduation date of 1793.

In 1968, Donald J. Trump graduated with a Bachelor of Science in economics from Penn's Wharton School, which he had transferred to from Fordham University two years prior.

Columbia University

After graduating from Harvard College — Harvard University's undergraduate school — in 1876, 26th US president Theodore Roosevelt attended Columbia University's Law School, from which he eventually withdrew.

His fifth cousin and the 32nd US president, Franklin D. Roosevelt, attended Columbia's Law School in 1904 after graduating from Harvard College a year prior, but also withdrew from the program.

In 1981, Barack Obama, then a junior at Occidental College, transferred to Columbia University, where he graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in political science in 1983.

Yale University

The 27th US president, William Howard Taft, graduated from Yale University in 1978. His father, Alphonso Taft, who graduated from Yale in 1833, had founded the Skull and Bones secret society during his time at the school — his son, as well as two other US presidents, would become members of that society.

In 1941, 38th US president Gerald Ford graduated from Yale Law School. In 1973, Bill Clinton, who was the president between 1993 and 2001, graduated from the same program.

George H. W. Bush, who was president between 1989 and 1993, graduated from Yale with a Bachelor of Arts degree in economics in 1948. His son and 43rd US president, George W. Bush, graduated from the school with a Bachelor of Arts in History in 1968.

Both of the Bush presidents were members of the Skull and Bones secret society founded by William Howard Taft's father.

Harvard University

Harvard University also has ties to the US presidency dating back to the nation's founding. The first US vice president and second US president, John Adams, attended Harvard University, from which he graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in 1755 and a Master of Arts in 1758. His son and sixth US president, John Quincy Adams, graduated from Harvard College in 1787.

In 1845, Rutherford B. Hayes, who was president from 1877 to 1881, graduated from Harvard Law School.

The 26th US president, Theodore Roosevelt, graduated from Harvard College with a Bachelor of Arts in 1880, as did the 32nd US president, Franklin D. Roosevelt, in 1903.

In 1940, the 35th US president, John F. Kennedy, graduated from Harvard with a Bachelor of Arts in International Affairs. In his college essay, he famously expressed his desire to attend the school from which his father, Joseph P. Kennedy, graduated in 1912: "To be a 'Harvard man' is an enviable distinction, and one that I sincerely hope I shall attain."

In 1975, George W. Bush graduated from the school with an MBA, the only US president to have earned this degree.

In 1991, Barack Obama graduated from Harvard Law School, the most recent US president to attend the school.

• Ukraine's latest attack on Russian airfields has written a new chapter for drone tactics.
• Operatives snuck the drones into Russia and remotely launched them near bases, Ukraine says.
• These tactics highlight vulnerabilities for the world's most advanced militaries.

The new tactics deployed by Ukraine in striking a claimed 41 Russian warplanes have devastating implications — not only for Russia's air power but for all advanced militaries, defense experts told Business Insider.

"This attack is a window to future war," James Patton Rogers, a drone expert and executive director of the Cornell Brooks Tech Policy Institute, told BI.

Ukraine has attacked Russia with drones many times before. But on Sunday, its Security Service, or SBU, targeted four Russian airfields simultaneously with a wildly creative gambit it dubbed "Operation Spiderweb."

According to the SBU, operatives smuggled the military quadcopters into Russia, later packing them into wooden house-like structures. These were then mounted on trucks, which were driven close to the airfields, where the drones were launched, causing a claimed $7 billion in damage. The proximity and number of small attack drones appear to have given air defense crews little, if any, chance to respond.

While details of the attack need to be independently confirmed, initial visual information suggests that this is "a stunning success for Ukraine's special services," said Justin Bronk, an influential air power expert at the Royal United Services Institute.

Here's what it could mean for Russia and the Ukraine war — and the rest of the world.

Limiting conventional air defences

Ukraine's previous drone attacks have frequently been countered by Russia's advanced air defense systems, like its S-300 and S-400 missile launchers. But, it seems, these latest drones didn't need to run the S-400 gauntlet.

Rather than flying larger, long-range drones through Russian airspace from Ukraine, the SBU said they trucked the containers out to the airfields, activating the smuggled drones after remotely retracting the roofs to release them.

With a much-shortened and simplified journey to their target, the drones struck warplanes at the airfields of Belaya, Diaghilev, Olenya, and Ivanovo, per the SBU.

A powerful statement of Ukraine going it alone

Lithuania's former foreign minister, Gabrelius Landsbergis, said on Monday that the attack shows Ukraine's ability to innovate and surprise the world.

"Its scale and ingenuity — carried out without visible Western intelligence or logistical support — suggests Ukraine is now less reliant on outside help," he wrote.

(Ukraine's Western backers, like the US, have resisted providing the weaponry and intelligence Ukraine has sought for retaliation against Russian bases, from which it launches regular attacks on Ukrainian civilian infrastructure and defensive lines.)

Powered largely by domestically-produced armaments, Ukraine once again innovated "while the world talks, hosts meetings, and forms yet another 'coalition of the willing,'" Landsbergis wrote.

"Ukraine is preparing to fight on its own terms," he added. "If you ever wondered what strategic autonomy looks like — this might be it."

Ukraine showed that its fleet of $150 million bombers on a runway can be made prey to the kind of cheap drones modified slightly from racing and wedding photos.

It enables Ukraine to hit deeper into Russia

Prior to these coordinated strikes, Ukraine's drone attacks on Russia have reached as far as 1,100 miles from their shared border.

That distance is dwarfed by the reach of Sunday's attack, where the farthest airfield, at Belaya in the eastern-central Irkutsk region, was more than 2,500 miles from Ukraine.

Russia likely viewed bases far from Ukraine as being at less risk of attack.

Bronk said that even if only half of the claimed 41 planes were damaged or destroyed, it would have a "significant impact" on Russia's ability to launch long-range cruise missile attacks on Ukraine's civilian infrastructure.

Bronk estimates that Russia had around 60 active Tu-95 "Bear" bombers and around 20 Tu-160 "Blackjack" bombers involved in this aerial campaign, and said replacing damaged planes will be a huge challenge, as production on both models has either slowed or halted completely in recent decades.

No hard shelter for planes

Videos and images from the attack show that the planes were parked in the open air, outside of any shelter. This may have made them an easy target.

Satellite images have suggested that this is a point of some anxiety for Russia, which appears to have tried to pile tires onto the wings of its bombers to try to trick visual guidance systems. An aircraft on the ground is highly vulnerable to attack and is wholly dependent on airborne aircraft and nearby air defenses.

Russia is not the only country with this issue.

While China reportedly has enough hardened air shelters to house the majority of its combat aircraft, the US has invested far less in this capability.

'Sleeper' drones

Ukraine didn't detail how it successfully smuggled the drones past Russian authorities. But the fact it did so "highlights the vulnerability of Russian transport and logistics system," Patton Rogers told BI.

"The question for Russia must be, how many more are lying in wait?" he said.

Meanwhile, Russia has shown itself quick to learn throughout the war, which could worry the West.

The attack is a "stark reminder" of a new phase in war, Karl Rosander, CEO and cofounder of Swedish defence tech startup Nordic Air Defence, said in emailed comments. "One where drones can be covertly deployed and lie dormant behind enemy lines, waiting to strike."

It's "only a matter of time" before the tactic is taken up by Russia and other hostile state actors, he added.

The implications of this are wide-ranging. An air base needs a combination of armored shelters for aircraft, electronic jammers to disrupt drone guidance systems, and enough missiles or guns to shoot them down.

All are costs measured in billions of dollars — and Ukraine has just devised a new threat costing in the mere thousands.

Patton Rogers questioned how vulnerable NATO air bases are to such attacks, while pointing out how the tactic could be adopted elsewhere.

"Drones won't be confined to a set battlefield," he told BI.

While long-range drones will continue to strike, weaponized short-range drones will be "hidden and waiting for launch" to attack deep inside adversary territory, he said. "The question is, are NATO allies ready for this new reality?"

Ukrainian forces carried out a massive drone attack on Russia that took over a year and a half to plan and execute.

• Investor Laurene Powell Jobs is privy to Jony Ive and Sam Altman's secretive AI device.
• The ideation process has been a "wondrous thing to behold," she said in a recent FT interview.
• With rumors that the device will be screenless, Ive and Powell Jobs agree that today's tech has had unintended harmful effects.

Jony Ive is hoping to change the tech world again after pioneering some of Apple's most popular products, including the iPhone — and he has the full support of Steve Jobs' widow.

Investor and philanthropist Laurene Powell Jobs is a longtime friend of Ive and a financial backer of his design collective, LoveFrom, which he formed after departing Apple in 2019. Ive is now embarking on another technology journey with one of the most recognizable men in Silicon Valley, OpenAI's Sam Altman.

Ive and Altman announced May 21 that OpenAI would acquire Ive's hardware startup, IO, to collaborate on an unknown AI tech gadget. Official details are scarce, but a video of Altman and the former Apple design chief said their plan is to create a "family of AI products."

One of the perks of knowing Ive and being an investor in both LoveFrom and IO is that Powell Jobs has been one of the first to get an early glimpse at the design and prototyping process of the secretive device.

In a recent interview with the Financial Times, Powell Jobs confirmed that she's been able to observe their progress up close.

"Just watching something brand new be manifested, it's a wondrous thing to behold," Powell Jobs told FT.

She described the evolution of ideas, from design talks that manifest into a tangible prototype that is then improved upon to become "even better." During the same interview, Ive was more tight-lipped about the mystery product that is not a smartphone.

The FT interview also sees the two reflecting on their front-row seat — and in Ive's case, his direct contribution to — some of the most transformative technology in the past 30 years, namely the iPhone.

While Ive led the design team for the iPhone, Powell Jobs was married to the man Ive once called his "spiritual partner at Apple."

Today and in other recent interviews, Ive has expressed a sense of responsibility for some of the less-than-positive side effects made possible by his creations, unpacking his complicated relationship with the iPhone.

"If you make something new, if you innovate, there will be consequences unforeseen, and some will be wonderful and some will be harmful," he said.

It's clear that there are "dark uses for certain types of technology," Powell Jobs said.

"You can only look at the studies being done on teenage girls and on anxiety in young people, and the rise of mental health needs, to understand that we've gone sideways," Powell Jobs told FT. "Certainly, technology wasn't designed to have that result. But that is the sideways result."

A spokesperson for Powell Jobs declined to comment further. OpenAI and Ive did not immediately respond to requests for comment from Business Insider.

With recent reports indicating that Ive and Altman are exploring a potentially screenless AI device, the former Apple design chief is striking an optimistic note, suggesting it will improve upon the smartphone. He told the publication that the design of his next device is being created with the idea in mind that "humanity deserves better."

• "Pitch Perfect" hit theaters almost 13 years ago, shedding light on collegiate a cappella.
• Anna Kendrick went on to star in movies like "A Simple Favor" and "Woman of the Hour."
• Most of the supporting cast, like Rebel Wilson and Brittany Snow, still work in Hollywood.

"Pitch Perfect" was first released in September 2012 and has since become a modern classic.

The movie — which follows an all-female college a cappella group — not only led to two sequels and a spin-off but also helped solidify several of its stars' careers.

Here's a look at how the "Pitch Perfect" cast has evolved since the movie was released.

Anna Kendrick starred as Beca, the cool music lover and reluctant a capella member.

Before "Pitch Perfect," Kendrick rose to fame through her supporting role in the hit teen phenomenon "Twilight" (2008).

From there, she starred alongside George Clooney in "Up in the Air" (2009), which earned her an Oscar nomination. 

She went on to appear in the "Twilight" sequels, "Scott Pilgrim vs. the World" (2010), "50/50" (2011), and "End of Watch" (2012) before "Pitch Perfect."

Kendrick has been busy working on shows and films since "Pitch Perfect."

Kendrick led the "Pitch Perfect" franchise for two sequels in 2015 and 2017.

In between, she appeared in "Into the Woods" (2014) and "Trolls" (2016).

After the "Pitch Perfect" trilogy wrapped, she worked on "A Simple Favor" (2018), "Noelle" (2019), and "Stowaway" (2021). She also starred in the first season of HBO Max's "Love Life."

Later, Kendrick executive-produced, directed, and starred in "Woman of the Hour" (2023). Most recently, she reprised her role in "Another Simple Favor" (2025).

Brittany Snow played Chloe, an optimistic member of the a capella team.

Snow worked for over a decade in Hollywood before starring in "Pitch Perfect," appearing on series such as CBS' "Guiding Light," NBC's "American Dreams," and FX's "Nip/Tuck."

She then starred in several popular films, like "The Pacifier" (2005), "John Tucker Must Die" (2006), "Hairspray" (2007), and "Prom Night" (2008) before landing a spot in the movie.

Snow continues to work in Hollywood today.

In addition to the two "Pitch Perfect" sequels, Snow went on to appear in films like "Someone Great" (2019) and "X" (2022).

She also worked on TV shows, including Comedy Central's "Workaholics," The CW's "Crazy Ex-Girlfriend," and Netflix's "The Night Agent."

Rebel Wilson worked steadily on Australian TV before making the jump to American films and TV.

Before playing "Fat Amy" in "Pitch Perfect," Wilson starred on a few Australian TV shows like SBS' "Pizza," Network 10's "The Wedge," and SBS' "Bogan Pride."

She also worked on films like "Bridesmaids" (2011), "Bachelorette" (2012), and "Ice Age: Continental Drift" (2012).

Wilson has continued to star in films since "Pitch Perfect," and she also wrote a memoir.

Following her comedic success in "Pitch Perfect," Wilson starred in the short-lived ABC comedy "Super Fun Night." 

In addition to the "Pitch Perfect" sequels, Wilson also appeared in "Isn't It Romantic" (2019), "The Hustle" (2019), "Jojo Rabbit" (2019), and "Senior Year" (2022), which she also produced.

In 2024, she published her first memoir, "Rebel Rising," detailing her journey to Hollywood success.

Anna Camp worked steadily in TV and film prior to "Pitch Perfect."

Camp portrayed Aubrey, the ambitious leader of the Barden Bellas, in "Pitch Perfect."

Before the movie, Camp appeared on NBC's "The Office," on AMC's "Mad Men," and in "The Help" (2011).

Camp has worked on shows and in movies since the films wrapped.

Camp went on to play recurring roles on Fox-Hulu's "The Mindy Project," HBO's "True Blood," CBS' "The Good Wife," and Netflix's "Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt."

She also played identical twins in the fifth season of Netflix's "You."

After the "Pitch Perfect" sequels, some of her latest films include "Desperados" (2020), "Jerry and Marge Go Large" (2022), and "Murder at Yellowstone City" (2022).

Skylar Astin starred as Jesse, Beca's love interest.

Before "Pitch Perfect," Astin appeared on series like HBO's "Girls" and Fox's "House."

He also worked on a couple of TV movies. But he was perhaps best known for originating the role of Georg in "Spring Awakening" on Broadway in 2006.

Astin has mostly stuck with TV since the "Pitch Perfect" films.

Astin appeared on several series after "Pitch Perfect," including AMC's "Halt and Catch Fire," Epix's "Graves," NBC's "Zoe's Extraordinary Playlist," and ABC's "Grey's Anatomy."

The actor only returned for the first "Pitch Perfect" sequel in 2015. But like Kendrick, Astin also joined the "Trolls" franchise for the Netflix series, "Trolls: The Beat Goes On."

From 2022 to 2024, he played the title role in CBS' "So Help Me Todd."

Ben Platt began his film career with "Pitch Perfect."

Platt only had one film credit, "Red Riding Hood" (2006), under his belt before "Pitch Perfect."

But his stage career was blossoming before then. In 2011, he played Elder Cunningham in "Book of Mormon" on Broadway. 

Platt has focused more on music and Broadway since the "Pitch Perfect" series.

Platt appeared in "Pitch Perfect 2," "Ricki and the Flash" (2015), and "Drunk Parents" (2019). The actor also starred on Netflix's "The Politician." 

In addition to film and TV, he gained recognition for his original music and role in the hit Broadway show "Dear Evan Hansen," which earned him a Tony.

Platt then reprised the role of Evan Hansen in the 2021 film adaptation and also starred, cowrote, and produced 2023's "Theater Camp."

Adam DeVine played Bumper, the obnoxious leader of the rival male a capella team.

DeVine worked on several comedy projects before joining the ensemble cast.

He guest-starred on ABC's "Samantha Who?" and Disney XD's "TRON: Uprising," but he's perhaps best known for his leading role on Comedy Central's "Workaholics," which debuted in 2011.

DeVine continues to work on series and films today.

DeVine went on to play roles in movies like "Neighbors" (2014), "Pitch Perfect 2," "Mike and Dave Need Wedding Dates" (2016), "The Lego Batman Movie" (2017), and "Isn't It Romantic."

He also continued his role on "Workaholics" and appeared on Cartoon Network's "Uncle Grandpa," ABC's "Modern Family," HBO's "The Righteous Gemstone," and Netflix's "Green Eggs and Ham."

In 2022, he starred in a one-season "Pitch Perfect" spin-off called "Pitch Perfect: Bumper in Berlin."

He's also done some voice acting for shows and movies, including "Captain Fall" (2023) and the coming "Fixed" (2025).

Ester Dean played Bellas member Cynthia Rose.

Dean lent her voice to the animated films "Rio" (2011) and "Ice Age: Continental Drift" (2012) before joining the comedy.

Before joining the franchise, she was also busy writing and releasing her own music, as well as writing for global superstars like Rihanna, Katy Perry, and Nicki Minaj.

Dean went on to star in both sequels and is still working as a musician.

In addition to the sequels, Dean appeared on Fox's "Crazy Ex-Girlfriend" and in "Trolls 2: World Tour" (2020), alongside Kendrick. She also lent her voice to AppleTV+'s "Central Park."

Dean has continued to write and compose music for major artists like Selena Gomez, John Legend, Ciara, and Fifth Harmony.  

Hana Mae Lee starred as Lilly, the ultra-quiet member of the Bellas.

Lee appeared on a few shows, like CBS's "Mike and Molly" and Comedy Central's "Workaholics," before joining the cast of the film. 

Lee continues to work in Hollywood, mostly on TV.

Lee has appeared in more TV movies and series between and after the "Pitch Perfect" films, like Showtime's "Californication," truTV's "Those Who Can't," and Epix's "Perpetual Grace, LTD."

More recently, the actor appeared in "Phobias" (2021) and "Habit" (2021). She also voiced a role in the horror film "Abruptio" (2023).

Elizabeth Banks had a lengthy résumé before appearing in "Pitch Perfect."

Banks was well known for appearing on shows like HBO's "Sex and the City," NBC's "30 Rock," and NBC-ABC's "Scrubs" before "Pitch Perfect."

She was also in popular movies including "Wet Hot American Summer" (2001), "Spider-Man" (2002), "Catch Me If You Can" (2002), "Definitely, Maybe" (2008), and "The Hunger Games" (2012).

Banks continues to star in and direct movies today.

Banks starred in all of the subsequent "Pitch Perfect" and "Hunger Games" movies and went on to films like "The Lego Movie" (2014), "Walk of Shame" (2014), "Magic Mike XXL" (2015), and "Power Rangers" (2017). 

She also appeared in two "Wet Hot American Summer" spin-off series on Netflix in 2015 and 2017. Up next, she'll star in the psychological thriller "DreamQuil."

Behind the camera, Banks directed the third "Pitch Perfect" movie and "Charlie's Angels" (2019). She also produced recent films, including "Bottoms" (2023) and "Cocaine Bear" (2023).

John Michael Higgins has been working continuously since the 1980s.

With over 140 acting credits to his name, Higgins has been everywhere in TV and film.

Prior to "Pitch Perfect," he worked on several shows, including NBC's "Seinfeld," Fox's "Ally McBeal," and Cartoon Network's "Harvey Birdman: Attorney at Law."

He also starred in movies like "Blade: Trinity" (2004), "The Break-Up" (2006), "Fired Up" (2009), and "We Bought a Zoo" (2011).

Higgins continues to lend his talent to series and movies today.

Higgins went on to series like TV Land's "Happily Divorced," NBC's "Great News," and Peacock's "Saved by the Bell" reboot. He also hosted GSN's "America Says" from 2018 to 2022.

In addition to both "Pitch Perfect" sequels, he appeared in movies like "A Million Ways to Die in the West," "Licorice Pizza" (2021), and "Prom Dates" (2024).

This story was originally published on September 28, 2022, and most recently updated on June 2, 2025.

• Mercy Corps launched an AI tool to help aid workers speed up decision-making in the field.
• The tool uses generative AI to sift through research and past projects to identify proven solutions.
• This article is part of "CXO AI Playbook" — straight talk from business leaders on how they're testing and using AI.

For "CXO AI Playbook," Business Insider takes a look at mini case studies about AI adoption across industries, company sizes, and technology DNA. We've asked each of the featured companies to tell us about the problems they're trying to solve with AI, who's making these decisions internally, and their vision for using AI in the future.

Founded in 1979, Mercy Corps is a global humanitarian aid organization based in Portland, Oregon. It operates in more than 40 countries, and has roughly 4,000 employees supporting communities affected by poverty, disaster, conflict, and the climate crisis. The majority of its staff members are from the countries where they work.

Situation analysis: What problem was the organization trying to solve?

In the developing world, agricultural crises like droughts, crop failures, and loss of livestock can rapidly escalate into humanitarian crises. Mercy Corps has experience anticipating these emergencies and reducing their impact. But a lack of timely, reliable data often prevents that knowledge from reaching the right people at the right time.

Alicia Morrison, the director of data science at Mercy Corps, saw potential in generative AI for getting relevant information into the hands of decision-makers more quickly.

The goal was to build a tool that could provide aid workers with quick, reliable answers to the day-to-day questions they face in the field. The answers would be based on past projects, research, and proven approaches, and include links to sources and citations so workers can know where the information comes from.

"Making that tool available to the people doing the work helps them learn from what's been done and imagine new possibilities," she told Business Insider. "That's when we get the most creative ideas and uses of information."

Key staff and partners

Mercy Corps took part in Tech To the Rescue's AI for Changemakers program, a global accelerator that helps nonprofits experiment with AI. Through intensive, short-term training programs, Tech To the Rescue gives organizations a chance to pitch AI ideas and connect with private sector partners who can help bring them to life.

Mercy Corps matched with Cloudera, a software company focused on data management, analytics, and AI. "They had the idea and we believed we could contribute our time, resources, and skills and add value," said Rob Dickens, a solutions architect at Cloudera.

Cloudera donated engineering time and platform credits to develop the product, which is called the AI Methods Matcher. Dickens said development took about seven weeks, and the tool runs on Cloudera's AI Inference service, which uses Nvidia technology.

AI in action

Methods Matcher uses a type of generative AI called retrieval-augmented generation. It draws on an archive of successful projects to search for relevant information, summarize it, and offer recommendations. Now, decisions that aid workers make on the ground — from calculating vegetation health to tracking fertilizer distribution — can be guided by data.

Morrison said the tool speeds up decision-making by reducing the time and manual research required to analyze large volumes of information. With Methods Matcher, Mercy Corps' teams can identify actions that have worked elsewhere and get evidence-based suggestions in real time.

For example, in countries facing severe inflation, Mercy Corps often provides multipurpose cash assistance. But the organization needs to know the purchasing power of that cash to make an impact. In this case, an aid worker in the field might ask the tool, "How do I determine how much cash aid to give people in a region with rising inflation?"

Methods Matcher responds with a tailored answer based on past Mercy Corps projects and research. Aid workers can ask follow-up questions in the same session, and because the tool "remembers" the conversation history, they can build on earlier questions without having to start over.

The tool helps teams in the field quickly access information without waiting for support from HQ. "They can see for themselves how valuable this kind of information can be," Morrison said.

Did it work, and how did leaders know?

Since the tool's launch in November 2024, Morrison said that while they have yet to report metrics on the tool's impact, there has been strong early adoption among field teams. Mercy Corps is now working with Cloudera to expand Methods Matcher, develop new AI tools, and build data literacy across the organization.

It's also gathering feedback on Methods Matcher from staff to understand what's working and what needs improvement.

"We're a nonprofit, so we don't have a big team of in-house AI experts," Morrison said. "We're learning as we go — figuring out how to maintain these tools, how to evaluate them, and how to get people across the organization on board for the long haul."

What's next?

Mercy Corps has experienced a significant shift in funding in recent months, but Morrison said Methods Matcher and other AI tools remain "a priority investment area." She added that the organization will continue to improve based on team feedback.

Dickens said Cloudera plans to bring agentic AI into the tool through its Agent Studio, automating tasks like gathering real-time data, analyzing trends, and generating reports or recommendations. This will allow Methods Matcher to surface relevant news and social media reports from affected areas, making it more responsive to events on the ground.

"Aid workers will get richer, real-time context instead of manually compiling daily or monthly reports," he said.

• Kara Perez bought her first home on her own in June 2024.
• Her partner of 11 years is her tenant, and they have a formal lease and equity agreement.
• Perez said the contracts give her legal protections because she and her partner aren't married.

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Kara Perez, the 37-year-old founder of the financial education company Bravely Go, who lives in Massachusetts. It has been edited for length and clarity.

My partner and I met in Texas 11 years ago. We have lived together for nine years, and we moved from North Carolina to Massachusetts in 2024.

My partner and I are also not married, and as a financial educator, money is paramount in my life. As part of my long-term financial health, I knew that I wanted to own a house in my own name.

I've been saving for 10 years to buy my house. My partner didn't really want to buy a house. I know the house-buying process really intimidated him, and it seemed like something he was not interested in, whereas I was excited by that.

Separate but transparent finances

I bought my house in June 2024. It's a 2-bedroom, 1-bath, 690-square-foot home. It is teensy tiny, but it cost $300,000, which is basically unheard of in Central Massachusetts.

My down payment was 10%, which is $30,000, and my closing costs were $10,000.

My partner and I communicate very well about money and always have. On our third date, we talked about how much student loan debt we had.

People are always shocked that we've been together for so long and we don't have any joint accounts. But it's 100% because I'm a control freak. I would probably be a nightmare to share accounts with, honestly, so we just keep things separate for everybody's sanity. But separate doesn't mean deception, and it doesn't mean lack of clarity.

We met when he was 24, and I was just about to turn 26. We each had student loan debt. Neither one of us had started investing yet, so we've been able to do some of these things at the same time, even though we're not doing that in the same accounts. We've really grown up financially together.

I'm my partner's landlord

We have a lease in which I am the landlord and he is my tenant. It outlines my responsibilities to him, his rent to me, and his responsibilities regarding the house.

Marriage fundamentally is a contract. That's why you need lawyers to get divorced, and that contract comes with certain legal protections. Being partnered but not married does not come with any of those protections.

Massachusetts has very strong tenant rights, which I'm all for, but I wanted to have a contract that clearly outlines our relationship so that if God forbid we ever break up and he takes me to court, he can't say, "Well, I was living there as her partner, not as her tenant," because now I have this lease that says, "No, you're here as my tenant."

We also have an equity agreement. An equity agreement is basically an agreement that any two people can make where a person is building equity in that house.

If we live here for 10 years, and he's paying me rent for 10 years, and we break up, does he walk away with nothing? That didn't seem fair.

We are also in an interesting position where my partner will likely never outearn me. He is in a fairly low-paying field. Even if we broke up tomorrow, we spent 11 years together. I care about this person, and I don't want him to be left in the dust, especially knowing that he'll probably never make six figures.

He will benefit from equity growth for the period of time he lives in the house and pays rent. That's really important. So if he has a month where he doesn't pay rent and the house grows at 1% in equity during that month, he's not entitled to that equity. That's all laid out in the agreement.

We have this lease. We have our equity agreement. It's sort of like a baby prenup.

How we split our bills

I pay more in rent every month than my partner does, but not very much.

The total mortgage, plus insurance and property taxes, is $2,300. I pay $1,200, and he pays $1,100.

I'm responsible for all major repairs. For instance, when I bought the house, I knew it would need a new roof.

When it comes to dividing the other costs, we don't do a 50/50 share because, again, I make more money than him.

I think people find our arrangement surprising for two reasons. One, historically, couples have bought property together, and it is very much something that you do when you're married.

But I also think it surprises people because I'm the woman in the relationship.

Be creative with your finances

I think it's important for people to be creative about how they approach their finances. As a financial educator, I'm always saying to my audience and to my clients, "Money is creative. Budgeting is creative, and I think we forget that we can, to some extent, write our own life rules."

I just always want to encourage people to explore avenues that are right for them, even if they're not something they see other people doing.

Predominantly for women, I think it's so important to put these kinds of agreements into place because traditionally in divorces women get financially screwed really, especially older women who have been out of the workforce for a while or they haven't been investing in their name.

Women are just left with less, and that is definitely a big fear of mine. While I'm happy to give a portion of the home equity, I am retaining the vast majority of the equity in my home. I know I'm always going to have a place to live.

It's important to understand and remember that you are responsible for creating the rules for your life and money.

• Airbnb CEO Brian Chesky said the startup mentality is key to thriving in the AI era.
• Chesky said "founder mode" embraces adaptability and lets companies remain nimble.
• Airbnb has introduced new services, which Chesky said partly fill the "void" left by AI.

Airbnb might be worth almost $80 billion, but CEO Brian Chesky wants it to act like a startup — especially now that we're firmly in the AI era.

On an episode of The Verge's "Decoder" podcast that aired on Monday, Chesky said that embracing "founder mode," a term that he helped popularize, is key to acting like a nimble startup.

"In the age of AI, my argument is you need to be founder oriented/founder mode, because you're going to need to be able to move like a startup to be able to adapt," he said. "I think these big, professionally managed companies aren't organized to be able to do that, so they don't bode well for this new world."

AI is likely the third big technological wave, Chesky said, after the personal computer and the internet. Embracing founder mode is key to hopping on the wave and remaining open to change, he said.

"All of us have to be moving as fast as we can," he said. "That has to do with culture. That's why, to me, so many roads lead back to the conversation we have with org charts and founder mode, because you don't want to miss the next wave."

Chesky talked about founder mode on the same podcast last year, saying people misunderstand the term. It's not about "swagger," he said, but instead about being focused on the details. The whole ethos is "that great leadership is presence, not absence," Chesky said last year.

The details — and larger vision — of Airbnb have changed recently, and Chesky said in the interview that it's partly to adapt to the new AI world. The company launched Airbnb Services, where people can book things like private chefs, photographers, and personal trainers.

As AI digitizes the world, Chesky said the launch is partly an attempt to fill the "void" that's being left, and that AI won't replace "jobs that are people-to-people oriented."

• Nintendo's new Switch 2 gaming device is giving US retailers a welcome shot of good news.
• Thursday's launch features good old-fashioned shopping enthusiasm, with lines and merch to boot.
• Analysts expect the sales and traffic impacts to likely lift Target and Best Buy.

Whether it's Black Friday, a limited-edition Stanley Quencher, or something new from Taylor Swift, there's nothing like a blockbuster sales event to get retailers' juices flowing.

And at a time when trade chaos and economic uncertainty have dimmed the financial results for companies like Target and Best Buy, Thursday's launch of Nintendo's new Switch 2 gaming device is a welcome shot of good news in the retail world.

Both big box brands touted the device in recent earnings calls, with plans to tap into good-old-fashioned shopping enthusiasm, complete with midnight lines and commemorative merch.

"There's a ton of excitement for this, and we plan to be the retail destination for all things Nintendo Switch," Target chief commercial officer Rick Gomez said during an investor call on April 21.

Last week, Best Buy CEO Corie Barry said some 70% of preorder customers are opting to pick their devices up in-store on launch day.

"Best Buy is uniquely positioned for the Switch 2 launch, being one of the only retailers opening their doors at midnight on June 5 for eager customers to pick up their consoles or grab another game," she said.

The companies have good reason to pull out the stops for Nintendo's hotly anticipated handheld device: Piper Sandler estimates that Best Buy's comparable sales will enjoy a 1% lift for each of the next four quarters due to Switch 2 sales.

Following a delay to asses the impact of President Donald Trump's tariffs, Nintendo resolved some shoppers' concerns when the company said it would not raise the price of the device itself. Some accessories will see price increases, though.

Nintendo president Shuntaro Furukawa said in an earnings call that products destined for the US market are primarily manufactured in Vietnam, which would be subject to the 10% baseline tariffs under Trump's plan.

The company said it now expects to sell 15 million Switch 2 devices this fiscal year. In Japan alone, the company saw a flood of 2.2 million applications in two weeks to preorder the game console.

Most retailers tracked by Business Insider have already sold out of their available pre-orders.

To manage demand, Target said it is implementing a ticketing system, whereby store employees will distribute physical or digital tickets to shoppers in line before stores open, and that there will be a one-console-per-customer limit.

Best Buy said "nearly all" US stores will open at midnight on the East Coast, which means West Coast shoppers can get their hands on a Switch 2 minutes after 9 p.m. on Wednesday. The electronics retailer is even issuing a limited-edition coin to mark the occasion.

The popularity of the original Switch offers retailers a lot to be optimistic about at a time when consumers have gotten increasingly guarded about their dollars and (as Best Buy's Barry pointed out) tech companies haven't really been bringing a lot of newness, in terms of hardware.

"I think you're going to see a lot of innovations," Barry said of the gaming device category during last week's earnings call. "We continue to remain pretty excited about that space as well."