• Some veteran holiday-makers are ditching Airbnb and hotels for long-term travel with home exchanges.
• Boomers and Gen-Xers swapping luxury homes say it's cheap, safe, and people are more respectful.
• Like in "The Holiday," some have also forged friendships with their home swap counterparts.

Denise Godreau knew next to nothing about Eswatini before 2022.

To be fair, the tiny southern African country formerly known as Swaziland is not exactly around the corner from her hometown of Orlando.

Godreau, a 60-year-old executive at private equity firm KSL Capital Partners, loves to travel. After moving from Puerto Rico to Florida in the 1990s, she worked in hospitality, theme parks, and hotel development, which took her around the world.

Still, Eswatini wasn't a destination she ever gave much thought to.

But when she got a message on her Home Exchange account from Jenni Hammond, 54, inquiring about a 12-day simultaneous home swap, her curiosity peaked.

"I told my husband, OK, we have this request from a family in Swaziland," Godreau told Business Insider. "He looked at the home, the location, and everything, and he was like, 'Yeah, that's a nice home.'"

Situated on a mountain on a roughly 64,500-square-foot property within a lush green nature reserve, Godreau wouldn't just have access to Hammond's house and its infinity pool but also the help of her staff, including a housekeeper and driver.

"Everybody was saying, 'You are crazy,'" Godreau said. "Nobody goes to Africa without a tour, without security, without someone telling you where to go and where not to go."

Cost-effective for long holidays

Godreau and Hammond were drawn to home exchanges during the pandemic, as they were searching for alternatives to booking long-term stays through Airbnb or at hotels.

There are several home swap platforms, but Godreau and Hammond are fans of Home Exchange, which offers several tiers of membership starting at $220 a year.

Within the platform there are different types of house swaps; users can book stays in people's homes using GuestPoints that they accrue from the location, size, and amenities of their homes. They can get more GuestPoints by hosting.

Hammond, for example, told BI she has 30,000 GuestPoints, or enough to book a "three-month holiday.

There are non-simultaneous swaps in which users swap homes on different dates. The third type is reciprocal swaps, à la "The Holiday," which are the hardest to arrange.

"It takes a lot of back and forth," Godreau said. "You're asking a complete stranger, like, 'Plan your getaway the same dates I want to plan mine'."

Users can charge cleaning fees in addition to the membership, but it's not mandatory, and some don't bother. Hammond, for example, doesn't charge a cleaning fee because she has staff, which means the only travel costs Godreau incurred going to Africa were flights, food, and activities.

Hammond, who has completed more than 70 exchanges, said the way she travels has helped her save thousands in travel costs when visiting the US.

In 2018, she took a 10-day road trip from Chicago to New Orleans that cost $7,900, most of which went toward hotel expenses. "You can get a rental for $400 in Africa," Hammond said.

More recently, she and her husband Brent wrapped a two-month trip to the US, vacationing in Arizona, Hawaii, and New York. Using home swaps for almost all their accommodation, spending just $7,000.

Not only have they found it significantly more cost-effective, but Godreau and Hammond aren't sacrificing comfort.

"When you do a home exchange, the place that you stay in is a far more luxurious accommodation than you would in any form of five-star hotel," Hammond said. "I tend to also book in places that are a certain caliber."

Forging friendships

Unlike Airbnb, which is predominantly used by millennials and Gen Zers, Home Exchangers skew older. According to data shared with BI, Gen Xers and boomers make up the majority of the platform's users.

Dorine Olive, a neighbor of Godreau's who has completed more than 40 stays through Home Exchange, told BI she rarely comes across "profiles of anybody in their early 20s."

There's a bigger sense of "respect and trust" than Airbnb, Godreau said, which Hammond echoed.

"The difference between home exchange and Airbnb and Booking.com is with home exchange, the people care about your home," she said. "They take cognizance that this is a home and this is a gift because there's been no monetary exchange."

But it's not everyone's cup of tea.

"Most of our friends think we're crazy for doing this," said Olive, 60.

She herself was wary during her first swaps and took care to lock up all her valuables. But after the first few experiences, Olive said she realized, "Nobody's looking at anybody's business."

"My only regret is that I didn't discover this 10 to 15 years ago," she added.

Trust aside, the home swappers said there's something a little bit more human about the process. Not only can they fully step into the shoes of a local, but they can also make real friendships.

Godreau, a recreational triathlete, was training for an Iron Man when she visited Eswatini. Knowing that, Hammond went out of her way to connect her with her own local running group so Godreau could keep up her training.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the world, Hammond got to know Godreau's neighbors at a potluck they invited her and her husband to.

"I got to know each of her friends and also learned quite a bit about Denise, what she's like," Hammond said. "It was actually very precious."

• Vitus Stenhøj Schiøtz moved to Japan on a working holiday visa.
• He found Tokyo hectic so he ended up living in a small ski town north of the capital.
• He's making $8 an hour as a chef but has found the cost of living low enough to save money.

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Vitus Stenhøj Schiøtz, 23, a Danish traveler who got a working holiday visa to live in Japan. He moved to Japan in late 2024 and works as a chef in a restaurant in Nozawaonsen, a small town northwest of Tokyo. It's been edited for length and clarity.

I'd always dreamed of seeing different places. Last summer, I came across a surf camp in Portugal and fell in love with traveling while you work.

Knowing the surf season would end, I started looking for somewhere else to go. I visited Japan and traveled for three weeks.

Kyoto was my favorite, and I felt very welcome there, but Tokyo felt a bit overwhelming. I tried to visit areas I thought would be less busy, but it's jam-packed everywhere. Areas like the crossing in Shibuya were too much for me. I got almost panicky.

It's not necessarily the locals' fault, but I felt out of place. People would say "Welcome," but not in the sense that they actually wanted to have anything to do with me.

As a foreigner solo traveling, I felt separated, and in a sense, I felt I was wrong for being there.

Still, I enjoyed Japan. I really love the culture, the people, and the way of life. In September, I started researching how a Danish guy like me could stay longer, and that's when I came across a working holiday visa.

I'd heard Japan has some of the best snow in the world, and I also wanted to work a ski season, so I researched smaller towns that get a lot of snow. Hokkaido was in the running, but then I heard about Nozawaonsen from TikTok.

I spoke to people who had been, and they said it was the most lovely town ever. I was sold.

Feeling at home in a tiny snow-capped town north of Tokyo

I came back to Japan in November after getting a job as a chef at Tanuki, a restaurant in Nozawaonsen. It's owned by a big corporation that has multiple restaurants and lodges. There are some Japanese workers but it's mostly foreigners.

My girlfriend came with me and found a job as a housekeeper.

Nozawaonsen is about 3.5 hours from Tokyo. You travel north by train and then take a bus into the mountains.

Going out of this huge city, all of a sudden, you see mountains around you and these valleys with autumn colors and leaves.

It's a little traditional village with two supermarkets and a convenience store. It's a very close-knit community.

Ski culture is also different in places like Switzerland, France, or Austria, where you have those huge parties that start in the middle of the day.

Here, it's a little more controlled. You ski in the day, have lunch, and then go to the "onsen," or public bath, in the evening.

I'm still very much a tourist, but I feel very welcome. People are very nice and greet me and say "Ohayou gozaimasu" when I walk by.

Life is cheaper than in Denmark

There's a misconception that travel has to be expensive, and I don't think it has to be.

My girlfriend and I live in the corporation's accommodation for workers with about 25 other people. It's 1100 yen (about $7) a night.

The thing I was scared about coming to Japan was I wouldn't necessarily be able to experience some of the restaurant scenes and buy the things that I wanted.

But before traveling, I heard that the yen was weak. It wasn't the reason I came, but it made me think Japan might not be as bad for traveling while you're young and on a budget.

When you go out in Denmark, you expect to pay about 6,000 yen ($38) just for one person for a meal with drinks. Here, you might pay 1,500 yen or 2,000 yen (between $9.50 and $12).

I make around 1,300 yen ($8) an hour. But with the living standards down here and how the company provides lunches and dinners, it's enough to actually save up money while working.

I don't see as much of the country while I'm working, but I do get off days where I get to experience the different areas.

My girlfriend and I are saving most of our money as we're planning to travel around Asia in April.

Coming from a background of office work, I really recommend finding a way to travel and work so you can stay in a place for months, make connections with people, learn, and grow.

• Major airlines are integrating an Apple AirTag location feature into their bag tracing services.
• Lufthansa and Virgin Atlantic are some of the first to use the feature Apple announced in November.
• Lufthansa, which briefly banned AirTags in 2022, said it's part of ongoing "digital innovations."

A number of major airlines are rolling out a new baggage service that will come in handy for anyone using AirTags.

Virgin Atlantic and Lufthansa announced this week that passengers can now share the location of their AirTags with customer service teams to help find and retrieve their lost luggage.

Lufthansa said in a press release that passengers can now "privately and securely" share the location of an AirTag with their baggage tracing service.

"The group's airlines integrate this information into their systems accordingly and can therefore digitally support baggage tracking," said the German carrier, which also owns Austrian, Swiss, Brussels Airlines and ITA Airways.

Corneel Koster, COO at Virgin Atlantic, said the innovation would give customers peace of mind on progress to locate a mislaid bag.

In November, Apple announced it was working with more than 15 airlines, including United, British Airways, Vueling, and Qantas on incorporating a new "Find My" software feature of iOS 18.2 into their "customer service process for locating mishandled or delayed bags."

Aviation news site Paddle Your Own Kanoo reports that the AirTag location-sharing feature also has additional security measures. Passengers can stop sharing the AirTag's location with the airline at any point, and location-sharing ends as soon as bags are returned.

"We have been able to achieve significant improvements in the last few months in the area of baggage tracing," said Lufthansa's Oliver Schmitt. "The integration of our customers' AirTag data opens up additional possibilities for us to act even more efficiently and quickly."

Lufthansa's integration of AirTags into its baggage tracing service comes after the airline briefly banned active AirTags in 2022.

As BI previously reported, the ban was scrapped a few days later after the airline decided the tracking devices did "not pose a safety risk."

• Before he entered politics, JD Vance was best known as the author of the memoir "Hillbilly Elegy."
• The former Ohio senator grew up in the Rust Belt and still has a house in Cincinnati.
• Take a look at all the homes linked to the Yale graduate, former Marine, and current vice president.

Inauguration Day is also moving day.

Donald Trump returned to the White House, and JD Vance headed to the vice president's residence.

Before politics, the 40-year-old Republican was best known as the author of "Hillbilly Elegy," a memoir of his childhood in the Rust Belt. Vance made thousands in royalties after it became a New York Times bestseller in 2016. It was adapted into a 2020 film of the same name starring Amy Adams and Glenn Close.

Vance attended Yale Law School after a four-year stint in the Marines and getting his bachelor's degree at Ohio State.

His rise to fame also cast a spotlight on his wife, Usha Vance, whom he met at Yale and married in 2014. Since tying the knot, the couple has welcomed three children and relocated several times.

When Vance worked at a venture capital firm connected to former PayPal CEO Peter Thiel, they lived in San Francisco. In 2022, Vance was elected to the Senate in 2022 as the representative of Ohio. Trump tapped him as his running mate in 2024.

From the house that inspired "Hillbilly Elegy" to his new home in the vice president's official residence, here's a closer look at Vance's real-estate journey. Representatives for Vance did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Vance's childhood home is a two-story detached property with a porch in Middletown, Ohio.

The steelworks town of Middletown, Ohio, was thrust into the spotlight thanks to "Hillbilly Elegy."

It's a relatively small city, less than an hour's drive from Cincinnati, with an estimated population of around 51,000. Vance was born and raised in Middletown but has roots in Kentucky, where his family still owns a small cemetery on the side of a mountain.

Vance lived at a light blue house on McKinley Street with his mom, whose struggle with addiction was documented in his memoir.

According to Realtor.com, the 2,000-square-foot house with three bedrooms and two bathrooms underwent an extensive renovation in 2017. The real-estate website also said that the property, which it estimates has a current value of $223,400, was considered "middle class" when Vance grew up there.

Zillow, however, reported that a house with the same square footage — that appears to match Vance's childhood home based on recent photographs — has four bedrooms, not three, and is currently valued at $219,300.

Vance and his wife purchased a historic home in a fairly liberal neighborhood of Cincinnati in 2018.

In 2017, Vance sold his rights to his memoir to Imagine Entertainment, an entertainment production company.

The move laid the foundation for the Ron Howard-directed film adaptation. While it wasn't considered a box-office hit, "Hillbilly Elegy" has seen a spike in interest following Vance's VP nomination.

Shortly after his deal with Imagine Entertainment, Vance and his wife bought a historic home on William Howard Taft Road in East Walnut Hills, Cincinnati.

The neighborhood is left-leaning. The New York Times reported that 85% of voters in the area voted for President Joe Biden during the 2020 election.

Before the sale, a local historian told local TV station WCPO that the house was a "rustic" blend of "mid-century Gothic Revival" and "High Victorian Gothic" design.

The five-bedroom property is described on the real-estate website Redfin as over 6,000 square feet set on 2.29 acres overlooking the Ohio River. Vance bought it in 2018 for just under $1.4 million.

In 2014, the Vances purchased a townhouse in Washington DC's Capitol Hill neighborhood, which they now rent to a tenant — who said they were good landlords.

As many senators and politicians do, Vance owns a home in Washington, DC's Capitol Hill neighborhood — about a mile from the US Capitol.

Property records show that Vance and his wife purchased the white-brick rowhouse in 2014 for $590,000. The two were recently married. Around that time, Usha was a clerk for Brett Kavanaugh, then on the DC Circuit Court of Appeals.

The house is located on a quiet, tree-lined street. Before the 2024 election, when a BI reporter paid a visit, many of the homes' small yards were adorned with red, white, and blue for the Olympics as well as tiny rainbow Pride flags — including one in Vance's yard.

The couple currently does not occupy the home and rented it out as recently as 2024. According to Redfin, the house was listed for rent in October 2023 for $3,700 a month.

The current tenant told the Washington Post in July of 2024 that she plans to stay there for a while and that her landlords are nice and responsive.

"I love this house. I love this block. I want to be here for a long time," she said. "So I want to be a good tenant. And I have great landlords — Usha's great."

After Vance became a senator, he bought a $1.64 million house in a DC suburb.

According to Politico and local publication the Washingtonian, Vance purchased another DC-area home in February 2023.

The house in Alexandria, Virginia — a city across the Potomac River from DC — sold for $1.64 million to an LLC, property records show.

Del Ray, the Alexandria neighborhood where Vance reportedly bought a home, is a fairly left-leaning neighborhood with Pride flags and other rainbow decorations in many local businesses on the main road. During the 2020 election, Biden captured 81% of the vote in Alexandria.

The more than 2,500-square-foot, five-bedroom house is near a small park.

Residents of the liberal neighborhood are mostly indifferent about the Vances' presence, according to the Washingtonian, but a local artist did "yarn-bomb" an area outside the home, hanging crocheted Pride, bi flags, trans flags, and a pink sign that read "Respect our Rights."

"I'm not the only person who was sort of baffled and, to be honest, a bit dismayed that someone who had so vocally expressed contempt for the kinds of people who live here and the kind of values that we hold had decided to be our neighbor," the yarn artist told the Washingtonian. "Knowing that this person has been really publicly antagonistic to LGBTQ people, to immigrants, to women's rights—it felt appropriate to publicly declare what we stand for in this community."

The Vances moved out of their Alexandria home in January, to move into the Vice President's mansion. The home is not yet on the market.

Now that the Trump-Vance ticket is in office, the Vances are occupying the Vice President's official residence.

In January, Vance moved his family into the Vice President's residence in Washington DC.

Located in Northwest Washington, DC, on the grounds of the US Naval Observatory, the Vice President's residence has been occupied by the second in command since Walter Mondale lived there in 1977.

The home, at 1 Observatory Circle, was originally built in 1893 and has been through several renovations since — the most recent renovations took place in 2021. Former Vice President Kamala Harris waited over two months before moving in as interior designer Sheila Bridges outfitted the first-floor public spaces with furniture, fixtures, and art made by American craftsmen. (After each administration, the furniture is boxed up and the art is returned to the people or museums that loaned it out, according to the Washington Post.)

The 9,000-square-foot house, with 33 rooms, sits on a 72-acre plot of land and is not open to the public.

• Super-wealthy homeowners are giving panic rooms the quiet luxury treatment.
• Dreary basement bunkers are being replaced by lavish "serenity zones" and "treasure rooms."
• High-end security suppliers say the revamped panic rooms offer security without sacrificing style.

Judging by what we see in the movies, panic rooms are bunkers devoid of natural light, lined with concrete, and bolted shut with a hulking slab of door that only opens from the inside.

Those sorts of "panic rooms are so yesterday" in some super-luxury residences, said Matthias Fitzthum, CEO of Bespoke Home & Yacht Security, a company designing security systems for the super-wealthy.

Clients want customized safe rooms that not only "look nice" but are fully "integrated into the living space," said Jon Harris, chief security officer of Fortified Estate, a high-end security supplier.

He likens the quiet luxury upgrade for panic rooms to a "performance watch — it's both beautiful but also, or equally more important, functional."

Hello 'serenity zones'

At Fitzthum's company traditional panic rooms have almost entirely been replaced by what he calls "serenity zones."

Instead of a dreary basement bunker that makes you feel like you "are locking yourself up in your grave," serenity zones are installed in areas that are regularly used — typically a bedroom — so that clients don't have to scramble too far in the event of a threat or intruder, Fitzthum said.

"You are feeling super comfortable because this is a section of the building you really love and it's reducing your stress level," he said. "A panic room was increasing your stress level."

Serenity zones can be customized with features like bulletproof windows, walls, and doors, satellite phones, emergency oxygen, and first aid, but are always designed to blend into the existing interiors, he added.

"Our security in the serenity zones is something you cannot see," he said.

Italian security company Agresti began offering a product it calls the "Treasure room" in 2015, said Gabriele Garrè, chief commercial officer of the bespoke safe specialist.

Treasure rooms can be customized and use premium Italian materials to and "mix the security with the beauty," he told BI.

"Now the client is not just asking for having a bunker in their home — they want to have a space that can be used every day."

Security is more important in luxury real-estate than ever

The new iteration of the panic room cost a pretty penny.

Agresti products range from about $3,000 to $1 million, while Bespoke Home & Yacht Security clients can spend anywhere between $500,000 and $5 million.

Those price tags don't seem to be deterring the super-wealthy. By contrast, over the last two years, Fitzthum said demand has soared.

"In the past, we had maybe 2 inquiries per working day on average," he said. "Today, we are closer to 10."

What may be driving growth is an accumulation of events and incidents, such as the fatal shooting of United Healthcare CEO Brian Thompson in December, Harris said.

"Different events certainly stoke interest," he said. "Over the last few years, there's been so many events. When you get to build your next house, those things have accumulated in your mind."

In Los Angeles, Coldwell Banker's real-estate agent Jade Mills says security has become a priority, particularly for women.

"Women are looking No. 1 to feel safe in their home," Mills told BI, adding that affluent people in general are "taking the security room to the next level."

The same can be said abroad. For example, one of the biggest projects Garrè recently took on was for a client in India who requested a tailor-made safe for their watches. To accommodate the collection, the safe ended up the size of a "small loft," he said.

Garrè's clients, the likes of international royals, business moguls, and politicians, "always want to have something unique," he said.

And for the right price, high-end security suppliers are more than happy to oblige.

"We can do whatever clients want," Fitzthum said. "It's just a question of money and time."

• Henk Rogers is a video game designer who helped make Tetris a global gaming phenomenon.
• After experiencing a near-fatal heart attack, he stopped "chasing the almighty dollar."
• Now, Rogers' big concerns are the climate crisis and building human settlements on the moon.

Henk Rogers may be the man behind Tetris, but gaming is no longer top of his agenda.

Along with the Tetris creator, Alexey Pajitnov, Rogers is best known for bringing the best-selling video game out of the Soviet Union to the masses in the 1980s.

The Tetris origin story is one filled with twists and turns, enough to inspire a 2023 Apple TV thriller starring Taron Egerton.

But reality is a different story, and the game of sliding colorful blocks into place is just one chapter in the life of the Dutch-born game designer.

Rogers met with Business Insider at Outernet, an installation in central London that hosted a huge multiplayer Tetris game to mark its 40th anniversary.

He was awestruck to see the game played across 23,000 square feet of high-definition screens: "I came here not really knowing what it was going to be, and it was way better than I imagined."

As much as Rogers played a pivotal role in making Tetris a global phenomenon, his own story took a left turn after a near-fatal heart attack in 2005.

"In that ambulance on the way to the hospital, I said, 'No, I'm not going,'" Rogers said. "'I still have stuff to do.'"

New mission: Solve the climate crisis

After his brush with death, Rogers stopped "chasing the almighty dollar" and refocused his attention on several new missions.

One of the most pressing agenda items is the climate crisis, which Rogers wants to help tackle through initiatives like the Blue Planet Alliance and Blue Planet Energy, organizations he founded to help governments and communities achieve a fossil fuel-free future.

"We are all living in what I would consider a lifeboat, and the lifeboat has holes in it," he said. "There are people who have the jobs to make to drill more holes in the lifeboat. That's insane. That is not a job. That's a crime. A crime against humanity, a crime against nature, and we have to recognize it as such."

That might sound gloomy, but Rogers is optimistic: "I don't have hope — I have determination."

Still, the climate crisis is just one item on Rogers' to-do list. Others include discovering "how the universe ends," finding a means to end wars — a goal Rogers admits he hasn't "gotten anywhere" with yet — and last, but not least, bringing people to space.

Carving a niche in the new space race

It's no secret that there's a "billionaire space race" going on — there's Elon Musk with Space X, Jeff Bezos with Blue Origin, and Richard Branson with Virgin Galactic, to name a few heavyweights.

The field may be crowded, but Rogers isn't focused on competing.

"Everybody else is thinking about how to get there," he said. "I'm thinking about what do we do when we arrive."

The answer to that, Rogers said, is building settlements suitable to sustaining human life on the moon, Mars, and beyond. The goal is lofty, but he's actively working toward it through the International Moonbase Alliance, an organization he started in 2017 in Hawaii, where he spends a lot of time whenever he's not at home in New York.

"As far as we can tell, there's no other place in the universe that has our life as we know it," Rogers said. Therefore, it's "an unacceptable risk" not to have a "backup of life," he added.

Working with NASA, the alliance has completed five missions, during which people spend months at a time in a facility simulating environments on other planets.

Although Rogers is not particularly a fan of President Donald Trump, who has indicated that space exploration is a priority of his second term, he is open to funding from the current administration.

"A lot of the business leaders have said, 'You know what, we got to put up with this for four years. So let's figure out how we can move the ball forward instead of fighting,'" Rogers said.

Once a gamer, always a gamer

Rogers may be busy with other projects but hasn't totally abandoned the gaming world.

He remains the president of The Tetris Company, which he founded with Pajitnov, and keeps an eye on the changing video game industry.

Esports, for example, have become "a little too violent" for Rogers' taste. "I made a vow early in my career as a computer game designer that I would never work on a game that I didn't want my children to play."

While he no longer considers himself a gamer, he still scratches the gaming itch from time to time.

During his visit to Outernet's Tetris installation, Rogers said he was in awe seeing the game he helped become a cultural phenomenon played across 23,000 square feet of screens.

"I came here not really knowing what it was going to be, and it was way better than I imagined," he said.

But in his day-to-day, Rogers said racket sports have become his gaming go-to — table tennis when he's in New York and pickleball whenever he's in Hawaii.

Roger said racket sports are how he gets in his "cardio." He doesn't enjoy exercise without an element of competition and there's little chance you'll catch him at the gym: "If I had a trainer that was gamifying it, then I might."

• The richest Gen Zers are confident about being able to build up wealth.
• When it comes to flexing, young people are splashing on vacations and vintage luxury goods.
• At home, a well-stocked pantry is a top priority as they're hosting more supper clubs.

Gen Z may be "Generation Stay at Home," but some of them are rich — and more confident than other generations in their ability to build up wealth.

And, like generations before them, those who can afford it are doing luxury in their own way.

While their millennial elders are obsessed with kitting out laundry rooms, spoiling pets, and getting Botox, affluent Gen Zers are inclined to spend money on luxury brands and experiences that align with their values.

Here are six ways they're flexing their spending power.

Rich Gen Zers are booking lavish trips to flaunt on social media.

Gen Zers are either dictating their wealthy parents' travel itineraries or splurging on lavish trips for themselves.

Those who are still traveling with mom and dad are calling the shots on vacation, suggesting activities and destinations based on what's trending on social media.

Julia Carter, the founder of the luxury travel agency Craft Travel, previously told BI that Gen Zers care the most about accommodation.

"You can go to London or Paris," Carter said, "But unless you get these money shots, as they say, how do you show that you really did it in style? The hotel is the proof."

Gen Zers also have a penchant for luxury all-inclusive trips, BI previously reported.

"With social media being so big and being an integral part of their lives, many people are motivated by sharing highly curated content and ultra-luxury resorts," said Malley Goodwin, a luxury travel advisor at Embark Beyond.

They're splashing on brands and experiences that align with their values.

Rich Gen Zers are less inclined to be materialistic with their spending.

When it comes to travel, a press representative of Black Tomato, a UK-founded luxury tour operator offering curated private trips to places such as Mustique and Seychelles, said the company is finding that younger clients want "authentic, hands-on travel experiences" focusing on "sustainability, wellness, and cultural immersion."

Gen Z's value-led spending trend is picking up globally and across other spending categories, such as retail. In China, home to a large population of ultra-high-net-worth individuals, younger generations are eschewing flashy logo-heavy brands to splurge on items and experiences representing their values for bettering the environment and themselves.

Jien Goh, a trend forecaster at WGSN, previously told BI: "At the heart of this trend lies a desire for mindful, slower-paced living and a newly emerging mindset that sees wellness and longevity as the ultimate marker of luxury."

When they buy luxury clothes and accessories, they're often opting for secondhand.

Gen Z prefers the flashiest items in their wardrobe to be pre-loved.

Claudia D'Arpizio, senior partner and global head of Fashion and Luxury at Bain, told BI that, instead of purchasing designer goods new, most Gen Zers are sourcing them secondhand via resale platforms like The Real Real.

Their sustainable values are likely part of the equation. However, D'Arpizio said these platforms are a hit with Gen Zers because they're using them to buy vintage finds and sell them to generate extra cash.

"There is an element of gamification and entertainment that is also interesting for this generation," she said.

At home, Zoomers are prioritizing the pantry.

American Gen Zers are outpacing previous generations when it comes to home ownership, per a 2023 Redfin study that found 30% of 25-year-olds owned their home in 2022, compared to 28% of millennials and 27% of Gen X at that age.

At home, the pantry and what it's stocked with have become markers of social status. A McKinsey survey published in December found that groceries, tied with beauty and personal care, are one of the top three categories Gen Z consumers plan to treat themselves to, behind restaurants and apparel.

Gen Zers are stocking up on expensive snacks, beverages, and condiments, and some are flaunting their pricey grocery store hauls from hot spots like Erewhon, a celebrity favorite in Los Angeles, on social media.

It comes as Elizabeth Tan, a senior culture strategist for WGSN Insight, said food and dining have become a way for younger consumers to express "their values and cultural identity."

Smelling good is a marker of status.

A spritz of the right perfume has become a tell-tale sign of wealth and status among Gen Z.

While the luxury goods industry has suffered this past year, particularly from dwindling demand in China, Bain's D'Arpizio said fragrance was one of the few resilient categories.

Fragrances weathered the luxury downturn partly because the category is popular with younger generations, who have continued indulging themselves in smaller, more affordable luxuries while holding back on bigger purchases like handbags or coats.

Perfumes and colognes have also evolved into a medium for Gen Z to carve out their personal brand, as BI previously reported.

The generation is using certain fragrances to identify themselves with popular aesthetics. For example, Upton Clark reports that a Gen Zer hoping to exude a "Clean Girl" vibe might opt for Maison Margiela's Replica Bubble Bath, while one aspiring to give off an air of "Quiet Luxury" might don Maison Francis Kurkdjian's Baccarat Rouge 540.

They're splurging on skincare and treatments to stay young.

The oldest Gen Zers aren't yet 30. While that might be relatively young, they're just as concerned (if not more so) about aging.

In an article on the rise of "Collagen banking," a noninvasive skincare treatment that seeks to boost collagen production, Vogue Business reported that market research firm Circana found 70% of Gen Zers use antiaging serums daily.

As BI previously reported, Gen Z's skincare obsession might be linked to how they are the first generation to grow up with a wide array of social-media platforms and filters, fueling the rise of "prejuvenation" — a trend of mixing skincare with cosmetic treatments to stave off the effects of aging.

The younger generations' desire to maintain their youthful appearances is also changing the cosmetics industry, as Circana reports half of US consumers now look for makeup products that double as skincare, aligning with the attitude of over 60% of Gen Z and millennials.

• Global trend forecaster WGSN says Gen Z is bringing back supper clubs.
• It comes as young people are seeking social activities that don't involve alcohol.
• A Gen Z supper clubber said she and her peers are "graduating" from their clubbing phase.

When Ananya Sharma, a 25-year-old marketing manager, moved from India to London in 2023, she knew next to no one.

Having grown up in a tight-knit community where close friends or family were never too far, isolation dawned on her.

"I felt like, 'I'm pretty much the only person in London that doesn't have friends'," she told Business Insider.

While there's no shortage of events and apps geared toward in-person socializing in cities like London, Sharma wasn't a fan. They're "intimidating," she said, and often make you feel as if "you almost have to perform a little bit to appeal to people."

At the same time, like many Gen Zers, the idea of going to a bar or nightclub to meet new people had lost its charm. As Sharma puts it, she's "graduating" from her clubbing and drinking phase into enjoying "more wholesome activities."

Options limited, Sharma turned to supper clubs — a dining concept that commonly involves hosting friends and perfect strangers for a meal in your own home.

Although supper clubs date back to the 1900s, global trend forecaster WGSN says they're making a 21st-century comeback with an increasing number of young people "hosting their own supper clubs, themed parties, and unique dining experiences for their chosen families."

A connection you can only find at home

Sharma likes to call her version of a supper club an "at-home café."

When she started it last year, the first iterations were relatively low-stakes — the guest list comprised a couple of neighbors, her landlady, and her landlady's daughters, and the menu included coffee, matcha, and homemade cookies.

Things soon picked up. After posting about her supper club online, Sharma said hundreds of strangers started reaching out — some of whom have become friends.

"I recently did one with a bunch of my friends that I've made through TikTok," Sharma said. "It was a great way to sit down and have conversations in an intimate setting."

For Aidan Brooks, a professional chef who runs an established supper club called Eleven 98 from his home in east London, the young generations' fascination speaks to their changing values.

"Each subsequent generation is becoming more health conscious, more environmentally conscious," he said. "If people are looking for a more socially and health-conscious type of thing to do, supper clubs kind of pop up at the top of both of those lists."

In an era when prices are rising yet dining options seem endless, Punam Vaja, host of another east London supper club called Khao Suppers, told BI that supper clubs offer young people a chance to form connections over a more budget-friendly experience that you "probably won't find in a restaurant."

Unlike restaurant chefs who stick to certain menus, supper club hosts can easily take "creative liberties," Sharma, the Gen Z supper club host, said.

"I've seen so many other people who do regional cuisines or themed dinners or lunches," she said. "I heard someone do a 1980s Italian disco-themed supper club, which I thought was so cool."

Looking for friends, IRL

In the years since the pandemic, Gen Z has developed a reputation as "Generation Stay At Home." They care less about climbing the corporate ladder, are more health conscious, and very much enjoy spending weekends "bed rotting," aka tucked between the sheets with snacks, TV, and books on rotation, rather than at a bar.

That doesn't mean they aren't social. On the contrary, supper clubs may go to show that they are even more open to connecting with others than older generations.

Vaja said young people are more open to a supper club experience that requires entering a stranger's house than "older people" who "might be a bit hesitant" because they're used to restaurants.

To Ariel Pastore-Sebring, a supper club host based in Portland, Oregon, the supper club renaissance may be a symptom of how Gen Z missed years of socializing during the pandemic.

"It's so intimate, and I think that's what this next generation is craving, especially after COVID," she said. "I could see why the idea of cramming into some New York City apartment with strangers at a candlelit table sounds pretty cool."

As a night out on the town loses its cool, 2025 could be the year of the supper club.

• Liang Wenfeng is the founder of AI lab DeepSeek, whose AI chatbot shook tech stocks this week.
• In a rare interview in 2023, he gave insight into his hiring strategy.
• "Experience is not that important" when aiming for long-term success, he said.

Liang Wenfeng, the founder of the Chinese AI lab DeepSeek, has an unusual take on hiring: favoring creativity over experience.

Liang rarely gives interviews, but he has come into the spotlight since DeepSeek startled the tech world with its cost-efficient AI models that appear to match the capabilities of US rivals despite using less advanced chips.

In 2023, the year he launched DeepSeek as an offshoot of his hedge fund, he gave an interview to 36KR, a Chinese tech publication, where he shared insight into his hiring strategy and why he doesn't think "experience" guarantees long-term success.

Liang was asked whether he'd consider recruiting talent from overseas and possibly within the pool of employees at US AI giants like OpenAI and Facebook's AI Research.

"If you are pursuing short-term goals, it is right to find people with ready experience, "he said. "But if you look at the long-term, experience is not that important. Basic skills, creativity, and passion are much more important. From this perspective, there are many suitable candidates in China."

When asked why he didn't think experience was so important, he said, "Having done a similar job before doesn't mean you can do this job."

"Our core technical positions are mainly filled by fresh graduates or those who have graduated one or two years ago," he said.

He continued, "When doing something, experienced people will tell you without hesitation that you should do it one way. But inexperienced people will repeatedly explore and think seriously about how to do it, and then find a solution that suits the current actual situation."

"We will not deliberately avoid experienced people, but we look more at their ability," he added.

In a separate interview with Chinese media in July last year, Liang said his company's selection criteria "have always been passion and curiosity."

"So many people have some unique experiences, which are very interesting," he added. "And a lot of people thirst for the opportunity to do research — and that desire far exceeds their need for money."

Since the market's DeepSeek-induced sell-off on Monday, AI stocks such as Nvidia have steadied. DeepSeek has been a hot topic on earnings calls as tech companies, including Meta and Microsoft, face questions over their huge AI infrastructure investments in the face of DeepSeek's more efficient approach.

Sam Altman, the CEO of ChatGPT maker OpenAI, said that his company would accelerate the release of "better models" in response to DeepSeek. On Wednesday, the company said it was reviewing whether DeepSeek "inappropriately" replicated "advanced US models."

• Bernard Arnault said he spoke about Meta job cuts with Mark Zuckerberg.
• The CEO of LVMH referenced layoffs at Meta when discussing job cuts at Tiffany on an earnings call.
• Arnault described laid-off Meta workers as being "promoted outwards."

Bernard Arnault drew parallels between layoffs at Tiffany & Co. and job cuts at Meta on an earnings call Tuesday.

The CEO of the luxury conglomerate LVMH said he talked with Mark Zuckerberg last week about letting low-performing Meta staff go. Arnault said those workers were being "promoted outwards, so to speak."

The pair, who are worth a combined $445 billion, might have had a moment to chat about layoffs at President Donald Trump's inauguration, which they both attended last week.

Arnault added on the call: "We didn't have a choice. At Tiffany, we had to let go of some people."

He described the luxury jewelry brand as a "sleeping beauty" that was awakened in 2021 after being acquired by LVMH.

"When you're used to sleeping for 10 years, and you're all of a sudden asked to become fierce, and when you're expected to achieve high objectives, some people can't," he said. "Unfortunately, we were not able to keep everyone."

His comments came shortly after Meta announced a new round of layoffs.

Business Insider reported last week that Hillary Champion, Meta's director of people development growth programs, described the jobs in an internal memo as "non-regrettable attrition."

Meta isn't the only company using linguistic somersaults when it comes to job cuts — possibly to make them sound more positive or attempt to maintain the morale of remaining employees.

Amazon often describes layoffs as "unregretted attrition," while TechCrunch recently told BI that job cuts were necessary to meet the company's "evolving needs."

• A home on an island with links to the Magna Carta was taken off the market after failing to find a buyer.
• The River Thames island has a house that's available on Airbnb for more than $1,000 a night.
• Its owner couldn't find a buyer for the house and guests who have stayed there can see why.

A rustic home on a UK private island with ties to British history that was priced at £4.5 million (about $5.6 million) was taken off the market after struggling to find a buyer.

Nestled on the banks of the River Thames in the village of Wraysbury, roughly an hour's drive from London, Magna Carta Island is named for the 800-year-old charter signed by King John that crystallized the idea that British monarchs and the government were not above the law.

The Magna Carta, which influenced the Bill of Rights in the US, is said to have been sealed on a stone slab that is now kept in a special room within the six-bedroom, three-bathroom house on the 3.73-acre private island.

Listing agent Soren Ravaux of Waterview was running the sale before the house was withdrawn from sale last year. He told Business Insider the owner is a Chinese businessman who bought the property for its "heritage" in 2013 for about £3 million.

Ravaux said the owner never used the private island as a permanent residence, instead letting it as an Airbnb to cover the running costs.

Per the Airbnb listing, bookings start from about $1,449 a night, and the property can accommodate up to 15 guests. The owner did not respond to requests for comment.

As grand as the home appears when you drive over the small bridge and catch a glimpse of it surrounded by lush greenery, Ravaux said it's "what you might call rustic" and in need of repair.

So does a guest who stayed there in the past — take a look.

The two-story house was built in 1834 and is dotted with quirky features.

From the stained-glass windows to the open fireplace, circular chimneys, and wooden beam ceilings, the 4,708-square-foot house is oozing with history.

It's Grade II-listed, meaning it's legally protected in the UK for its historical significance, but the house can and should be partially renovated, Ravaux said.

"While you have a lot of the original woodwork and original features, you've probably got to rewire the whole place," he said. "The bathrooms probably haven't been touched since the late 1980s."

An Airbnb guest who hosted a 30th birthday party there says the house is beautiful but somewhat neglected.

Shay Khan, 31, told BI he booked a one-stay night at the Magna Carta house in November 2023 to celebrate his 30th with friends and family.

The night's theme was a murder mystery, so Khan said the building's "gothic" style and "old architecture" were well-suited.

He said the state of the interior was disappointing. "Some rooms were absolutely fine, but some of them had massive black stains on the carpets in the bedrooms, and the quality of the infrastructure of the beds wasn't that great."

Khan said the Airbnb cost £1,400 ($1,766) and had separate cleaning and service fees, which he said he was "slightly disheartened" to pay.

"Perhaps it was overpriced for the experience that we got," he said.

His experience was echoed by a colleague of his partner, who he said had booked the venue a few months prior.

"They had some great memories as well," but also faulted the "cleanliness and general upkeep," Khan said.

The main house has a banquet-style dining room, and there's a guest cottage — but it needs repairs.

According to Ravaux, the two-bedroom guest house also needs renovation after a falling tree damaged it a few years back.

Khan said he noticed it when he arrived on the property for his birthday. The roof was caved into the point where he didn't know what the purpose of the building was as he said it wasn't mentioned in the Airbnb listing.

On the bright side, the dilapidated structure "went with the theme of the murder mystery," Khan said.

The Magna Carta House has ties to modern royal history.

"When Queen Elizabeth was alive, she was doing a national tour of the country, and she planted a commemorative tree on the grounds," Ravaux said.

The island is a rare piece of real estate but may need a revamp to be worth the asking price.

Ravoux's agency deals with several private island sales in the area, but he said Magna Carta Island is unique as "very few of them have just one house."

History is one of its major draws and Ravoux can see it becoming a boutique hotel.

"Even if you take the heritage out, it's just a beautiful old building on this entire private island surrounded by water with these incredible views," he said.

But to be worth the price tag it had before being pulled from the market, Khan said it would benefit from some TLC.

"It's a beautiful venue, just slightly neglected," he said.

• Bad Bunny's new album, "Debir Tirar Mas Fotos," dropped earlier this month.
• It features traditional folk music from Puerto Rico, where the artist is from.
• The lyrics touch on the gentrification of Puerto Rico and draw a stark parallel with Hawaii.

Pristine sandy beaches, lush green rainforests, and azure waters that stretch as far as the eye can see.

To some, Hawaii is a paradise — but Bad Bunny has a different view.

His new album "Debir Tirar Mas Fotos," or "I Should've Taken More Photos," notched up more than 150 million streams in its first week of release this month, overtaking Taylor Swift on Billboard's Top 200. He's been one of the most-streamed artists on platforms such as Spotify for several years.

Infused with traditional Puerto Rican folk music like plena, salsa, and bomba and featuring independent artists from the island like Los Pleneros de la Cresta and Chuwi, "Debir Tirar Mas Fotos" is an homage to Puerto Rico. It shows that Bunny no longer has to "lean on reggaeton" to dominate the charts, Nuria Net, a Latin music and culture journalist, told Business Insider.

But aside from the catchy rhythms and Bunny's viral moments promoting the album on TV chat shows, "concern pervades this entire record," Petra Rivera-Rideau, associate professor of American studies and co-creator of the Bad Bunny Syllabus, told BI.

It's most obvious on track 14, "Lo Que Pasó a Hawaii," which translates to "What happened to Hawaii" — a song reflecting growing concern among some Puerto Ricans that their island is in danger of suffering the same overdevelopment as Hawaii.

A symbol of displacement

Those who grew up in Puerto Rico say it wasn't uncommon to hear Hawaii mentioned in debates around statehood — a question the island has wrestled with for more than a century.

Like Hawaii, Puerto Rico was annexed to the US in the late 19th century. While the former went on to become a fully-fledged state, the latter remains a territory with limited voting privileges.

"There was a tendency of comparing," said Daniel Nevárez Araújo, a professor at the University of Puerto Rico in Rio Piedras and coauthor of "The Bad Bunny Enigma: Culture, Resistance, and Uncertainty," recalling his childhood.

For those in favor of statehood, Hawaii was often held up as a "model example of what Puerto Rico should be — progress and fully American," Net said.

But the comparison has become more complicated in recent years, Illeana Rodriquez-Silva, an associate professor of Latin American and Caribbean history at the University of Washington-Seattle, told BI.

She said a wave of affluent settlers from the US mainland came in the aftermath of Hurricane Maria, which destroyed tens of thousands of homes in 2017 and forced about 130,000 people to relocate.

Lured by tax breaks that sought to help Puerto Rico bring in investment and entrepreneurship, they bought up property and land, Rodriguez-Silva said.

"That's when I started hearing, 'we're going be like Hawaii,'" she said. "And what they are referring to is this moment in the late 19th century where US white elites were able to come in and actually start taking land" in Hawaii, she added.

Just as some Hawaiians lament tourists treating their islands like theme parks and increasing the cost of living, Puerto Ricans started feeling the impact of gentrification, Nevárez Araújo said.

"If you look at Rincon, Aguada, even Mayagüez, Aguadilla, there's a massive exodus of expats coming here buying properties," he said. "Everyone else can't afford to go to the grocery store."

Nevárez Araújo said Bad Bunny is vocalizing concerns that the island is "slowly being emptied out" and becoming a place that's "not for Puerto Ricans."

Tempered optimism

On "Lo Que Pasó a Hawaii," Bunny calls on Puerto Ricans to retain their flag and not forget their roots.

It's a stark warning, but in "subverting the narrative" that the island should aspire to be like Hawaii, Net said it offers hope and pride to Puerto Ricans who have grappled with a "nagging feeling that nothing we do is ever good enough."

Rivera-Rideau said the song also captures the political spirit of a new generation of Puerto Ricans, who, like Bunny, grew up seeing the island's problems mount and now want change.

"His concerns about electricity and infrastructure, gentrification, tourism, the economy, opportunities, growth for the future — those are concerns that many Puerto Ricans have," she said.

In recent years, events like the ousting of the island's former governor Ricardo Rosselló after widespread protests have shown that "young adults are really energized," Rivera-Rideau said.

In "Marketing Puerto Rico," Bunny runs a risk of attracting more mainlanders, people who listen to the music simply because they find it "exotic" and catchy, Nevárez Araújo cautioned.

Still, for many young Puerto Ricans, "Debir Tirar Mas Fotos" is "the closest they will get to voicing those fears and those anxieties" about the island's future, he said.

Some TikTok users have taken to posting photos and videos of people and places they've lost, set to the album's title track, indicating that Bunny's music is resonating on the island and further afield.

"Many of these songs are pointing out the story of displacement," Rodriquez-Silva said. "That is something that is so real to many of us today."

• CNN said it would cut about 200 roles focused on its TV operations.
• The news organization also plans to hire about the same number in digital-focused positions.
• CEO Mark Thompson said last year that he wanted to "future-proof" CNN.

CNN, the cable-news giant owned by Warner Bros. Discovery, said it would cut about 200 TV-focused roles as part of a digital pivot.

The company also said it would hire about the same number of staffers in digital-focused roles and aim to fill 100 of them in the coming months.

The cuts would affect about 6% of CNN's workforce, though the new roles mean total head count is unlikely to be significantly affected.

WBD is providing $70 million in funding as part of a drive to reach $1 billion in digital revenue by 2030.

Mark Thompson, the CEO of CNN, told staff in a memo on Thursday that he aimed to "shift CNN's gravity towards the platforms and products where the audience themselves are shifting and, by doing that, to secure CNN's future as one of the world's greatest news organizations."

CNN also said it planned to introduce a streaming-news product accessible on devices in the US and elsewhere.

In October, CNN brought in a paywall, charging some of its most loyal readers $4 a month for access to digital content.

Thompson, a former CEO of The New York Times Company and director-general of the BBC, took over at CNN in 2023. He cut about 100 jobs in July as part of what he called a drive to "future-proof" the company against cable news' decline.

Read the memo Thompson sent to CNN staff.

Dear All,

Two weeks ago, at our first town hall of 2025, I told you that I knew there was plenty of anxiety at CNN about future organizational change and that, as soon as we were able to go into detail about the changes, we'd do it right away. That moment has arrived and today you'll be hearing not just from me but from several of my senior colleagues about the next phase of change at CNN.

The changes we're announcing today are part of an ongoing response by this great news organization to profound and irreversible shifts in the way audiences in America and around the world consume news. From linear to digital, fixed to mobile, traditional long-form broadcast to any number of different formats and use-cases. It isn't and can't be a single set of changes but a process of investment, experimentation and adaptation that will last years. Our objective is a simple one: to shift CNN's gravity towards the platforms and products where the audience themselves are shifting and, by doing that, to secure CNN's future as one of the world's greatest news organizations. America and the world need high quality, fair-minded, trustworthy sources of news more than ever. This difficult and sometimes painful process of change is the only way to make sure we can still provide it.

Today's news is first and foremost about investing in that future. Yes, there are job-losses — around 6% of the current CNN workforce will be impacted — but we don't expect total headcount to fall much this year, if at all. That's because of the $70 million we're investing in our digital plans and the many new jobs it will pay for. Some of that money's going in product and tech, but a lot is also going into new high-quality journalism and storytelling. It's what we stand for. It's also the heart of every successful digital news strategy. At the same time, I know that whatever the total number of job losses, the impact on the individuals involved can be immense. The process of change is essential if we're to thrive in the future, but I both acknowledge and regret its very real human consequences.

My colleagues will go into more detail about the changes, but here is a summary of key headlines:

STREAMING

CNN Max has been a tremendous resource for us. We have been able to get our journalism and storytelling content in front of Max's 110 million global subscribers and test and learn to see what programming a mass streaming audience engages with, spends time with, and returns time and time again to the service to consume. We'll continue to have a strong presence on Max, but we also believe it is not a complete answer to the future of the great linear CNN experience.

Today, I can announce that we plan to develop a new way for digital subscribers at home and abroad to stream news programming from us on any device they choose. It's early days but we've already established that there's immense demand for it not just in America but across much of the world. We'll have more to say about this new digital product in the coming months, including content plans and how we will work with our existing and future distribution partners to bring this to market.

DIGITAL

The new Digital Products & Services organization has accomplished a great deal in the short nine months since Alex MacCallum joined CNN to lead it, including establishing our first direct-to-consumer subscription product, launching vertical video carousels on all of our digital platforms, refreshing the whole CNN.com site, launching the Digital Magic Wall and the live commentary module, creating new innovation teams and building new data analytics and digital business support capabilities, and much else besides.

Now, in addition to the work of developing that new streaming product, Alex will announce a set of further initiatives, including a further major pivot to digital video, the development and launch of CNN's first lifestyle-oriented digital product, working with News to innovate in our multimedia storytelling capabilities, and creating new premium digital ad experiences to drive sustainable and scalable advertising revenue.

She will also detail a restructure of her leadership team, to include the creation of new Content and Transformation, Audience and Features teams to round out her direct reports. With this, we are also posting many new roles at all levels of the organization as part of Warner Bros. Discovery's investment in this strategic work and CNN's path forward. Recruiting the right people will take some time, but we hope to open up and fill at least 100 new posts in the coming months to help execute the new plans.

A FRESH NEW TV SCHEDULE

Innovation also touches our traditional TV experience. For many years ahead and, notwithstanding our streaming plans, the most economically significant expressions of the CNN TV experience will be our two great television services: CNN, the historic US cable channel that enters its 45th year in 2025, and CNN International. Today, we are announcing refreshed schedules for the weekday domestic lineup that bring energy and competitive edge to our delivery. A revised international schedule will follow in a few days' time.

These changes are intended to strengthen our domestic schedule throughout the day and deliver international programming to a wider audience around the world. We're able to achieve that with this new schedule, which will be shared and distributed broadly later today, while also placing our production costs on sustainable footing to match the changing economics of linear television platforms. Like the rest of our industry, we have to respond to these economics if we're to maintain high quality services for our loyal existing audiences.

We're also streamlining and adjusting some important aspects of how we produce our TV programming going forward. The changes we made in morning programming a year ago both improved performance and reduced costs. Building on that successful experiment and with similar objectives in mind, we now plan to change the way we deliver programming elsewhere in the schedule. Starting today, Eric Sherling and John Davies will walk colleagues through these changes.

FURTHER MODERNIZING OUR NEWSROOM

In 2024, our newsroom took on the complex and challenging task of merging into a single integrated organization, breaking down silos between separate digital, TV and international newsrooms. After just a few months of the new structure, we've seen measurable progress and clear signs that our new Follow the Sun structure is working. We've seen it help us capture global breaking news as it happens and deliver the resulting content simultaneously across multiple formats and platforms. The newsroom has also risen to the challenge of providing outstanding distinctive subscriber-only content to support our new digital subscription business as well as playing a key role alongside Digital Product & Services in developing our plans for verticals and features.

Today, we're making further announcements in the Global News organization. We're creating a new Video News Editorial organization as the next stage in our effort to coordinate and strengthen our video capabilities across all platforms, including linear TV. We're transforming our DC bureau to align it with our new multiplatform model, which we introduced elsewhere last summer. We're integrating CNN en Español more closely into CNN's main Global News operation. We're opening an important new senior role in the news organization and welcoming some outstanding new leaders — including Phil Rucker from the Washington Post as SVP Editorial Strategy and News and a new London Bureau chief you'll hear about shortly.

JOB IMPACTS

As I noted at the top, some of today's announcements mean significant new job opportunities at CNN, but others will lead to the loss of some valued colleagues. That too is an unwelcome but inevitable part of the change process. We will aim to contact every colleague who will be impacted by these changes as soon as we possibly can — and will of course help and support them in any way we can thereafter. In the year and a quarter since I arrived at CNN, we've had an incredible period of news and have already made significant progress on our transition to the future. I am grateful to every one of these colleagues for everything they've done for this company in my time and the years before.

MOVING FORWARD

2025 has only just begun and yet we've already seen more than enough news at home and abroad to be reminded just how important it is that this great news organization succeeds. Given our brand and reputation, given the incredible talent at our disposal, given that spirit of innovation and commitment that has always been a hallmark of CNN, I truly believe that we can do just that.

Thank you for everything you do for CNN and for the audiences across America and around the world that depend on us.

Mark

• The cost of a permit to climb Mount Everest will soon jump by 36%.
• A permit for the spring season will cost $15,000, up from $11,000.
• A veteran mountaineer says new prices will have little impact on people's desire to climb Everest.

Conquering Mount Everest is no easy feat for the body, mind — and the bank account.

Nepal plans to increase the price of Everest climbing permits by about 36% in the first rise for almost a decade.

Narayan Prasad Regmi, the director-general of Nepal's tourism department, told Reuters the fees "had not been reviewed for a long time. We have updated them now."

From September 1, foreigners must pay $15,000 for a climbing permit for the spring season, up from $11,00.

Permits for the less popular autumn and winter seasons will rise from $5,500 to $7,500 and $2,750 to $3,750 respectively.

The increases may be aimed at boosting Nepal's revenues, but if the intention is also to reduce the number of climbers on Everest, veteran mountaineers like Jake Meyer say it will have little impact.

Business Insider previously reported on the growing discontent in Nepal about the volume of climbers on Everest and all the trash they leave behind.

In 2024, officials began requiring climbers to carry poop bags while scaling the mountain.

"Chances are that the price increases are extremely unlikely to reduce numbers on the mountain," Meyer, who has climbed Everest twice, told Business Insider via email. "There remains an ever-increasing interest by 'climbers' from across the globe to attempt to summit the highest mountain in the world."

Meyer, who compares the costs of climbing Everest to "buying a new car," also said the price hikes may seem significant but only represent "an equivalent average increase of 3.5% a year over the last 10 years."

As the full cost of Everest expeditions can range from $40,000 to $150,000, he said new permit prices might only raise the total price of the cheapest expeditions by 10%.

Meyer added: "What is still very clear is that the 'cheaper' your ticket to climb, the higher the likelihood of death." That's a reference to the number of deaths over the past two years involving climbers or guides on relatively cheaper expeditions.

"The sad reality is that it's often the most inexperienced climbers who sign up for lowest-cost services, which are the ones which essentially require the most self-sufficiency."

• Some athletes who took podium spots at the Paris Olympics say their medals are deteriorating.
• Chaumet, a fine jewelry brand owned by LVMH, designed the medals.
• The International Olympic Committee said it will replace all "defective" medals.

All that glitters is not gold — and, as some athletes who competed in the Paris Olympics are finding out, even gold can lose its luster.

Since the 2024 Olympic Games last August, some Olympians who took home bronze, silver, and gold have taken to social media to complain that their medals are already showing signs of wear and tear.

They include French swimmers Clément Secchi and Yohann Ndoye Brouard, who posted photos on X of their gold medals in less-than-ideal shape in December.

"Paris 1924," Brouard wrote alongside crying face emojis in a post with images of his deteriorating gold medal.

The complaints mirror those of Team USA skateboarder Nyjah Huston. Shortly after the Games, he took to social media to show that his medal was already "looking rough."

"Olympic medals, we've got to step up the quality a little bit," Huston said in an Instagram story.

The medals were produced by the Monnaie de Paris, the French Mint, in partnership with the International Olympic Committee (IOC). Last week, the IOC said in a statement to France 24 that it was reviewing complaints and replacing "defective" medals.

In a statement to Business Insider, the Monnaie de Paris said it first received medal complaints in August, after which it "modified the varnish" used and "optimized its manufacturing process" to make them "more resistant to certain uses by athletes."

It also said it would replace and identically engrave "all damaged medals."

While the French Mint did not reveal the number of medals replaced, The New York Times reported on Tuesday that more than 100 athletes have issued complaints since the games.

Questions have also arisen for LVMH, the luxury conglomerate that partnered with the Olympics in 2024.

Ahead of the games, LVMH said that its fine jewelry brand Chaumet would design each medal — a task that the Maison embarked on with "creativity and passion," according to the LVMH website.

The Olympics marked one of the few highlights of 2024 for LVMH, a year in which its brands reported disappointing sales amid a widespread downturn in the luxury industry.

At the time, the Olympic partnership was a major marketing boost for LVMH, which — in light of the unfortunate medal situation — may no longer be the case.

This year is shaping up to be more promising for the French company. Its stock has risen sharply and and CEO Bernard Arnault's net worth is up almost $18 billion since January 1 to $194 billion, putting him in fifth place on the Bloomberg Billionaires Index.

LVMH and the IOC did not respond to requests for comment from Business Insider.

• TikTok returned for US users less than 24 hours after it went dark over the weekend.
• Some creators who thought the app was gone for good used the ban to expose their own secrets.
• DuoLingo revealed the face of its mascot, while TikToker Charli D'Amelio confessed to an old rumor.

Ahead of what looked like a TikTok apocalypse in the US, some of the app's most popular creators made last-ditch confessions and exposed their own trade secrets.

They might be regretting those decisions now.

Less than 24 hours after the Chinese-owned app went dark for US users on Sunday in compliance with a divest-or-ban law, TikTok announced it would restore service after President-elect Donald Trump said he'd issue an executive order to "extend the period of time before the law's prohibitions take effect."

But before the U-turn, some creators used a catchy sound from "Family Guy" to expose their long-running bits, confess to fake content, and debunk internet lore surrounding them.

DuoLingo, the language-learning app with over 14 million TikTok followers, revealed the face of its giant owl mascot: a staffer named Mark.

"Well this is awkward," DuoLingo wrote in the comments of its face-reveal video on Sunday after the app began making a comeback in the US.

Charli D'Amelio, a TikToker who rose to fame on the app in 2020, also took part in the trend. She confessed that a device she was caught using as a teenager wasn't actually an "anxiety pen," leading those who suspected it was a vape to say they'd been vindicated.

In the since-deleted clip, D'Amelio said: "While we're admitting things, if TikTok's going away, it wasn't an anxiety pen. I still, to this day, don't know who came up with that, but I'm sorry."

Other popular TikTokers used the trend to confess to faking parts of their content, such as Kaeli Mae, a TikToker with 14.5 million followers known for posting content of elaborate ice cubes with fruit.

Mae's confession? She's never used the ice cubes herself.

Mae's comment section was soon filled with questions and comments criticizing her for wasting food.

"Just sitting here thinking about all of the creators who made videos admitting their content was fake," one user wrote in a video referencing Mae's admission. "The ice cub girl? I cannot. I wanted to be like her so bad."

Mae later clarified that her friends and family enjoy the cubes because she prefers drinks at room temperature.

While TikTokers might have some explaining to do, others who said they'd face "devastating" income losses without it are likely breathing a sigh of relief.

Ahead of the TikTok ban, some US creator criticized the move as infringing upon their rights to freedom of speech and said they wouldn't file taxes in protest.

• Tatiana Smith spent five years teaching English as a second language in China.
• She lived in Beijing mostly, which was much bigger and busier than her hometown in Illinois.
• Smith said the cost of living is more affordable, but she experienced racism as a Black expat.

This as-told-to essay is based on conversations and emails with Tatiana Smith, 36, who spent five years teaching English as a second language (ESL) in China. The following has been edited for length and clarity.

For the vast majority of my life, I've lived in Illinois.

I grew up in a very impoverished environment, so I didn't believe that I would ever see the world. When I was 29, I joined the Peace Corps. I traveled to Liberia, an African country full of people who look just like me, which is cool but also impacted how I related to the country.

I could blend in, but I was very curious to know what it would be like to go someplace where they did not think I was native.

In 2018, I visited China and explored Zhengzhou, in the Henan Province on a tourist visa. In 2019, I officially moved to Beijing on the Z-visa, or the worker's visa. To get it, you need a job that will write you a letter, a physical, and a clean background check.

I came back to America in August 2024 to spend time with my family. By that time, many of my friends, other expats, had also left.

I've noticed big misconceptions between the US and China since I've returned.

China is surprisingly capitalistic

The unspoken rule of talking about politics when you are in China is that you do not talk about Chinese politics. That was made very clear to me.

I've heard a lot about how China's communist regime, but in terms of what I experienced it felt just as, if not more, capitalist than America.

Luxury is big in China. There is a whole section of Beijing where all the luxury stores and expensive places are.

In China, they promote entrepreneurship. There's a lot of opportunity to open a business and the threshold to do so is very low if you're Chinese.

There's also a lot of business turnover. If a business left an area, something else entered very quickly. In Beijing, if I'd walk by a closed shopfront that used to be a grocery store, a month later, it was like a hair salon.

As a teacher, life is more affordable

When I came back to the US and explained my lifestyle to people, there was a real cognitive dissonance around life in China.

For example, a teacher in America does not make a whole lot. As an expat teacher in China, my starting salary was 28,000 RMB, roughly a bit over $4,000 a month now.

In China, they have their version of Uber called DiDi. I could take a DiDi to and from work for less than $10 a day. Taking a US Uber for 15 minutes now costs me $20.

I made enough that I was able to eat out almost every day. Cooking was something that I did so rarely that it was an event, and I would invite my friends over.

I could finally pay off all my bills back home and have money to travel. It was much harder to escape a scarcity mindset in the US.

Chinese food in America is nothing like Chinese food in China

When I had Chinese food in China, it was dramatically different. At an American Chinese food restaurant, it's basically American cuisine coated in sugar.

But I'd say the bigger differences were in the style of eating.

As an American, we eat from our own plates, but in a lot of Asian countries, particularly China, you have a shared eating situation.

It wasn't like Thanksgiving, where you're served your portion on your plate. You order multiple plates and actively eat out of the same plate that everybody else was eating out of.

That took some getting used to, but hot pot, for example, became one of my favorite things. You can do individual hot pot, but the group ones were always the most fun.

Racism and discrimination arise differently

For the most part, I felt very welcomed in China. But I don't want to paint China as a glorious, perfect place because it's not.

The Uygurs and other minority groups are being persecuted in China.

As a Black expat, I dealt with some racism. Part of Chinese culture is the idea that being white is a sign of wealth and privilege, so the lighter you are, the more beautiful you are.

One time, one of my co-teachers said to me: "Oh my god, Black is so ugly. I can't get darker." She didn't recognize how I would take it.

It was an intense experience with COVID.

When America started reacting with anti-Chinese sentiment, there was a strong anti-American sentiment in China as a response.

One time, I went to the bank to transfer money, and one of the tellers threw my passport back at me, and they were just like, "We won't serve you."

In the US, people have been killed in racist attacks. Whereas in China, racism is prevalent, but felt less dangerous.

The pandemic wasn't scary, but I will say uncomfortable. The pro side was that the expat community bonded. We were more open and tried to build friendships because it was necessary for our mental health.

• Supper clubs — dinner parties hosted at someone's home — are trending among Gen Z, a forecaster told BI.
• Professional hosts and chefs shared their best practices for pulling one off.
• Their tips include putting your personality on the menu to joining guests at the table.

Gen Zers are increasingly ditching late nights out for cozy nights at home.

They're also seeking out supper clubs — dinner parties hosted in people's homes, often by professionals — as an "affordable alternative to traditional bars in a trendy setting," Elizabeth Tan, WGSN Insight senior culture strategist, told BI.

BI spoke to three professional supper club hosts about their tips for hosting your own.

Accept you can control what comes out of the kitchen but not the conversation at the table

Aidan Brooks worked as a chef at the Chiltern Firehouse, a luxury hotel and restaurant in London, before he founded his supper club, Eleven 98. He's been hosting paying customers in his home in London for six years.

He keeps lists and documents on his laptop to plan the menus and asks guests about their dietary requirements, but he said one of his biggest tips was to let the dynamic and conversation at the table flow.

"I'm a bit of a control freak, as most fine dining chefs are," Brooks said.

"I can ensure that I execute the food on point but the one thing that's out of my control is the unique dynamic that's created at the table. I have to allow that to flow organically," he added.

Share personal stories and anecdotes about what you're serving

Punam Vaja, a self-trained chef who has run a supper club since 2018, said that personal stories can help people connect with cuisines they aren't familiar with.

She told BI that, when hosting, she takes time to introduce herself and share anecdotes or stories that inspired her dishes throughout the evening.

"People can really tell when somebody is being authentic," she said.

"If someone's sharing something or even being a little bit vulnerable, it's really easy to kind of be like, 'Ok, I've never had this food, but I'm really open to trying it because that story or that moment or the experience they're sharing reminds me of my own,'" she added.

Vaja said she liked her dishes to reflect her feeling of being "very British" and her Indian Gujarati heritage. She also aims to reflect influences from East Africa, where her father was born, and Mumbai, where her mother grew up, she told BI.

Take a seat at the table

Ariel Pastore-Sebring, a supper club host in Portland, Oregon, swears by several rules. These include setting a definite end time so she's not up until the early hours, cleaning for hours, and never serving "family-style," where food is placed on platters for diners to serve themselves.

But she said her main rule was hosts should sit at the table.

Pastore-Sebring said that the host's presence can make people feel more comfortable when they are strangers to each other.

"If I'm in the kitchen the whole time, they'd be like, what are we doing here?" she added.

Pastore-Sebring, who started her supper club in 2023, carefully plans meals and limits the number of guests to 10 to ensure she can be at the table.

"I've gone up to 13, and it was too much," she added. "I want to be able to sit at the table and have us all be in the same conversation. More than 10 people and it really starts to get broken up and lost."

• Kate Middleton revealed she was undergoing chemotherapy for cancer in March 2024.
• She made her first public appearance in nearly six months in June 2024.
• On Tuesday, she announced she was in remission.

Kate Middleton said she is officially in remission.

In March 2024, the Princess of Wales revealed she was undergoing preventative chemotherapy for an unspecified type of cancer after months of speculation.

Kensington Palace previously said that Kate had a "planned abdominal surgery" in January 2024 and likely wouldn't return to public duty until after last Easter.

As time passed, her absence led to conspiracy theories about the princess running rampant online, some of which were bolstered after Kensington Palace released an edited photo of Kate and her children.

But Kate spoke directly to the public about her health to announce her illness, revealing her diagnosis and reiterating a request for privacy in a video shared on the Prince and Princess of Wales' social-media accounts.

And after announcing she finished her chemotherapy treatment in September 2024, Kate shared on Tuesday that she was officially in remission.

Here's everything to know about the Princess of Wales' experience with cancer.

Kate Middleton made a public appearance on Christmas Day 2023.

Kate joined the royal family for their annual walk from Sandringham in Norfolk, England, to attend a church service on Christmas Day.

The Princess of Wales walked with her children and husband to the Church of St. Mary Magdalene in one of her signature coatdresses, much like she did in years past.

On January 17, 2024, Kensington Palace announced Kate was in the hospital for "a planned abdominal surgery."

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A post shared by The Prince and Princess of Wales (@princeandprincessofwales)

Kensington Palace said in its statement that Kate would remain in the hospital, The London Clinic, for up to two weeks following the procedure.

"Her Royal Highness The Princess of Wales was admitted to hospital yesterday for planned abdominal surgery," the statement read. "The surgery was successful, and it is expected that she will remain in hospital for ten to fourteen days, before returning home to continue her recovery. Based on the current medical advice, she is unlikely to return to public duties until after Easter."

Kensington Palace provided no additional information about what procedure Kate underwent, though the palace told the Associated Press the princess didn't have cancer.

The statement also said Kate hoped "her personal medical information remains private" to help provide her children with "normality."

"Kensington Palace will, therefore, only provide updates on Her Royal Highness' progress when there is significant new information to share," the statement went on to say.

Prince William was photographed visiting Kate at the hospital the following day.

On January 29, 2024, Kensington Palace said that Kate had returned to Windsor Castle.

"The Princess of Wales has returned home to Windsor to continue her recovery from surgery," the statement shared on Instagram said. "She is making good progress."

William and Kate went on to thank the staff at The London Clinic in the statement, as well as those who sent them well wishes.

The same day, Buckingham Palace announced King Charles was returning home after having a procedure for a benign prostate enlargement.

Buckingham Palace announced on February 5, 2024, that King Charles had cancer.

Buckingham Palace said in a statement that "a separate issue of concern was noted" during the king's prostate procedure, and additional testing disclosed he had cancer. The palace didn't disclose what form of cancer he was diagnosed with, though they said it wasn't prostate cancer.

The statement also said that the king "commenced a schedule of regular treatments" and that although he would still be working from home, he would "postpone public-facing duties" per medical advice.

The palace didn't specify how long the king would forgo public-facing work at the time.

"His Majesty has chosen to share his diagnosis to prevent speculation and in the hope it may assist public understanding for all those around the world who are affected by cancer," the statement also said.

Prince William returned to public duty on February 7, 2024.

William paused his royal engagements amid Kate's surgery and recovery, returning to work on February 7, 2024, for an investiture ceremony at Windsor Castle.

The same day, he attended a gala raising money for the London Air Ambulance, and he thanked the public for their messages of support for Kate, Town & Country reported.

"I'd like to take this opportunity to say thank you, also, for the kind messages of support for Catherine and for my father, especially in recent days," he said, adding that "it means a great deal to us all."

He has attended a handful of public events since. The public was predicted to look to William in Charles and Kate's absences, as he represents the monarchy's future as heir to the throne.

"It's an opportunity for him to communicate on behalf of the royal family," Eric Schiffer, the chairman of Reputation Management Consultants, said.

In addition, the public generally responds more favorably to younger royals. Without Kate, Prince Harry, and Meghan Markle, William's youth could be a boon for the monarchy, as Kristen Meizner, a royal watcher, told BI.

"They are most focused on the royals when they are of courtship age, getting married, having babies, that kind of thing," she said. "They're not necessarily considered as dazzling or as exciting to the public when they're 60 or 70 or whatnot."

Kate was reported on February 9, 2024, to have traveled to Norfolk to continue her recovery.

On February 9, 2024, the Daily Mail reported that Kate had joined her family at their home in Sandringham, Anmer Hall, for her children's half-term holiday.

The outlet also reported that her recovery was going well at the time.

Kate wasn't photographed during her trip from Windsor to Sandringham.

King Charles was photographed a few times throughout February, while Kate remained unseen.

Although he wasn't taking on public-facing duties, King Charles was still photographed a few times following his cancer diagnosis and the beginning of his treatment.

On February 11, 2024, he and Queen Camilla were spotted going to church in Sandringham, and he was photographed meeting with then-Prime Minister Rishi Sunak on February 21 at Buckingham Palace.

On the other hand, Kate remained absent, as Kensington Palace released no photos or videos of her.

William released a rare solo statement on February 20, 2024.

A statement from The Prince of Wales pic.twitter.com/LV2jMx75DC

— The Prince and Princess of Wales (@KensingtonRoyal) February 20, 2024

Typically, William and Kate have released statements as a pair since they got married.

But on February 20, 2024, Kensington Palace released a statement on only William's behalf regarding the conflict in Gaza, in which he said he remained "deeply concerned about the human cost of the conflict in the Middle East since the Hamas terrorist attack on 7 October."

"I, like so many others, want to see an end to the fighting as soon as possible," the statement said. "There is a desperate need for increased humanitarian support to Gaza."

William also said he continued "to cling to the hope that a brighter future can be found, and I refuse to give up on that."

In addition to speaking for only William, the statement had a "W" seal at the top rather than the crown featured on messages from the Prince and Princess of Wales as a unit.

William missed a service of thanksgiving on February 27, 2024, because of an unnamed personal matter.

On February 27, 2024, members of the royal family attended a service of thanksgiving for King Constantine of Greece, King Charles' second cousin and close companion. He was one of William's godfathers.

William was set to attend the event alongside Queen Camilla and other family members but missed the service because of a personal matter, Kensington Palace told Business Insider.

A palace representative also told BI that Kate was doing well, but they didn't elaborate on what caused William to miss the event.

Following his absence, chatter about Kate's prolonged absence from the public eye erupted on social media, with users speculating about why she hadn't been seen in months. The princess was trending on X, and thousands posted about her on TikTok. "Kate Middleton" was also sixth on Google's list of trending search terms on February 27, highlighting how high public interest got in her absence.

Kensington Palace reiterated that Kate was "doing well" as William returned to public duty on February 29, 2024.

On February 29, 2024, Prince William resumed public duty, visiting the Western Marble Arch Synagogue to learn about the Holocaust Educational Trust, as Kensington Palace shared on Instagram.

He sat down with a Holocaust survivor, Renee Salt. Rebecca English, a royal editor for the Daily Mail, reported on X that during the conversation, he spoke on behalf of himself and Kate.

"Both Catherine and I are extremely concerned about the rise in antisemitism," English quoted the prince as saying to Salt. "That's why I'm here today to reassure you all that people do care and people do listen, and we can't let that go."

Kensington Palace also reiterated that Kate was "doing well" in a statement sent to BI on February 29.

"We gave guidance two days ago that The Princess of Wales continues to be doing well," the statement said. "As we have been clear since our initial statement in January, we shall not be providing a running commentary or providing daily updates."

Kate was spotted for the first time in 2024 on March 4.

On March 4, 2024, a sunglasses-clad Princess of Wales was seen riding in a car with her mother, Carole Middleton, in photos obtained by Backgrid and shared by TMZ.

According to TMZ, the pair were driving near Windsor Castle when they were photographed, and no other royals or security appeared to accompany them on the drive.

The sighting came as Queen Camilla announced she was taking a break from filling in for her husband at royal engagements until March 11.

After initially indicating she would attend, the British army removed references to Kate from online tickets for a June event shared on March 5, 2024.

On March 5, 2024, outlets like BBC News reported that Kate's name was included on tickets released online to The Colonel's Review, an event the British army hosts amid Trooping the Colour, on June 8. Kate was named the Colonel of The Irish Guards in December 2022, and the Colonel typically participates in the Review.

Many took her inclusion on the tickets as a sign she was on track to return to work in the summer. But then, the army quickly removed all references to Kate after the tickets were released because Kensington Palace had not confirmed she would attend.

A source close to the situation told Business Insider's Mikhaila Friel the army didn't get approval from Kensington Palace to include references to the princess in the tickets, leading to the confusion.

The palace didn't respond to a request for comment from BI on the matter.

Kensington Palace released a photo of Kate with her children for Mother's Day — but the photo was immediately met with suspicion.

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A post shared by The Prince and Princess of Wales (@princeandprincessofwales)

March 10, 2024, was Mother's Day in the UK, and to commemorate the occasion, Kensington Palace released the first official portrait of Kate since Christmas.

In the photo, Kate sits in a chair surrounded by her children, who are all giggling. According to the caption they shared on social media alongside the image, William took the picture of his family in 2024, and the photo appeared to come directly from Kate, as she signed the caption, "C," which stands for Catherine.

"Thank you for your kind wishes and continued support over the last two months," she wrote. "Wishing everyone a Happy Mother's Day."

But shortly after it was released, people began to speculate the photo had been edited. Photo editor Patrick Witty told BI's Shubhangi Goel it was "astonishing" the palace released the photo at all because of issues in the image, pointing to areas where the picture is blurred and things that seemed to be added to the shot during the editing process, like a zipper on Kate's jacket.

Later that day, multiple photo agencies removed the picture from their platforms.

On March 10, 2024, Reuters, the Associated Press, and the French organization Agence France-Presse sent kill notices for the picture, which means it is no longer available for distribution through their platforms.

Reuters said it removed the picture after a "post-publication review," while the AP said explicitly in its kill notice that it wouldn't distribute the photo because "it appears the source has manipulated the image. No replacement photo will be sent."

Kensington Palace has been accused of editing photos of the royals before, as was the case with the Waleses' 2023 Christmas card, but the photo released on March 10 was the first to be killed by photo agencies.

The palace did not respond to a request for comment on the editing controversy.

Kate personally apologized for "any confusion" the picture caused on March 11, 2024.

On March 11, 2024, Kate released a statement on social media addressing the controversy surrounding the photo, seemingly taking responsibility for the manipulated image.

"Like many amateur photographers, I do occasionally experiment with editing," she wrote on X. "I wanted to express my apologies for any confusion the family photograph we shared yesterday caused. I hope everyone celebrating had a very happy Mother's Day. C."

Notably, Kate signed the statement alone. Kensington Palace typically speaks on behalf of the couple as a unit, and the royals said in their initial post that William took the shot.

The statement didn't appear to convince royal watchers online. Kate was trending on X, and the edited image had been viewed over 72 million times on the platform.

William and Kate were photographed together on March 11, 2024, before he attended a Commonwealth Day service.

A few hours after the princess posted on X, the Daily Mail released a photo of William and what appeared to be Kate in a car together leaving Windsor Castle.

In the shot, Kate is looking out of the window, so only her profile is visible. According to the outlet, Kate was going to "a private appointment," and William was en route to a Commonwealth Day service at Westminster Abbey.

William was photographed alongside Queen Camilla at the Commonwealth Day service after the photo of him and Kate was published.

Multiple tabloids released a video of what appeared to be Kate and William shopping in Windsor on March 18, 2024.

#KateMiddleton seemed to be in good spirits while out and about with #PrinceWilliam Saturday. https://t.co/kLUsfvt3b2 (🎥: TMZ/The Sun) pic.twitter.com/EqbtVojBcw

— TMZ (@TMZ) March 18, 2024

On March 17, 2024, The Sun reported that William and Kate were spotted shopping at a "farm shop" near Adelaide Cottage, their home on the grounds of Windsor Castle. But The Sun's coverage didn't include any images of the prince and princess.

Then, on March 18, TMZ and The Sun released a video of what appeared to be William and Kate walking through the market, holding shopping bags.

The video was grainy, and Kensington Palace did not respond to a request for comment from Business Insider on the matter.

On March 22, 2024, Kate announced she was undergoing preventative chemotherapy in a video, speaking directly to the public.

On March 22, 2024, Kensington Palace uploaded a video of Kate speaking directly to a camera on its social media.

In the video, Kate said that her abdominal surgery in January was successful, but "tests after the operation found cancer had been present."

Her medical team recommended she "undergo a course of preventative chemotherapy" after reviewing the tests, as Kate said in the video. She began treatment in late February, according to a press release shared with BI.

The princess said that the diagnosis was a "shock" and that she and William "have been doing everything we can to process and manage this privately for the sake of our young family," adding that determining how to share the news with their children was difficult.

"As I have said to them, I am well and getting stronger every day by focusing on the things that will help me heal in my mind, body, and spirits," Kate said.

In the press release shared with BI, Kensington Palace said it would not be revealing what kind of cancer Kate had, nor what stage her cancer was.

The release also said Kate would return to work "when she is cleared to do so by her medical team."

In the video, Kate reiterated Kensington Palace's previous requests for privacy.

"We hope that you will understand that, as a family, we now need some time, space, and privacy while I complete my treatment," she said.

The Prince and Princess of Wales marked their anniversary with a private photo of their wedding in April 2024.

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A post shared by The Prince and Princess of Wales (@princeandprincessofwales)

To celebrate their 13th anniversary, Kate and William shared a never-before-seen photo from their wedding on Instagram on April 28, 2024.

The caption on the post was simple, reading, "13 years ago today!"

William said Kate was "doing well" during a royal engagement in May 2024.

Kensington Palace had not released any official updates, but on May 10, 2024, William said Kate was "doing well" when asked about her health in a video recorded by Sky News.

Kate apologized for missing a rehearsal for Trooping the Colour in June 2024.

Kate became Colonel of the Irish Guards in 2022, inheriting the title from Prince William. As the Colonel, she's meant to oversee the Colonel's Review, a rehearsal for Trooping the Colour, the king's official birthday celebration. However, Kate was unable to attend this year.

The Irish Guards shared a letter from Kate on X, in which she apologized for missing the rehearsal, on June 8, 2024.

"Being your Colonel remains a great honour, and I am very sorry that I am unable to take the salute at this year's Colonel's Review," she wrote. "Please pass my whole apologies to the Regiment, however I do hope that I am able to represent you all once again very soon."

In June 2024, Kate announced she would attend Trooping the Colour, her first royal event of the year.

I have been blown away by all the kind messages of support and encouragement over the last couple of months. It really has made the world of difference to William and me and has helped us both through some of the harder times.

I am making good progress, but as anyone going… pic.twitter.com/J1jTlgwRU8

— The Prince and Princess of Wales (@KensingtonRoyal) June 14, 2024

On June 14, 2024, Kate announced in a post on Kensington Palace's official social-media accounts that she would attend Trooping the Colour. The event, which took place on June 15, marked Kate's first official appearance of the year and her first since publicly sharing her cancer diagnosis.

In the post, accompanied by a photograph of Kate taken at her home in Windsor, the princess wrote that she was making "good progress" with her chemotherapy treatment, adding that there were "good days and bad days."

"On those bad days you feel weak, tired and you have to give in to your body resting. But on the good days, when you feel stronger, you want to make the most of feeling well," she wrote.

Kate added that her treatment was ongoing but that she was starting to do "a little work from home" and hoped to be able to join other "public engagements over the summer."

"I am learning how to be patient, especially with uncertainty," she added. "Taking each day as it comes, listening to my body, and allowing myself to take this much needed time to heal."

"I'm looking forward to attending The King's Birthday Parade this weekend with my family," she wrote, adding that she is grateful for the public's "continued understanding" and support.

It was announced that King Charles would also attend his official birthday celebration, though he would ride in a carriage instead of on horseback.

Kate stuck close to her family throughout Trooping the Colour.

During the parade, Kate rode in a carriage with George, Charlotte, and Louis, smiling and waving to the crowd.

She later watched the RAF flyover from Buckingham Palace's balcony alongside William, her children, and other senior members of the royal family, including King Charles.

William and Kate shared photos from Trooping the Colour on their official social-media accounts.

"A memorable day at The King's Birthday Parade," the caption of their post read. "From the Irish Guards Trooping their colour to seeing so many faces on the Mall, thank you for making it a day to remember."

Kate made her first solo appearance after her diagnosis at Wimbledon in July 2024.

About a month after Trooping the Colour, Kate took another step toward returning to her royal work by attending the Wimbledon Championships men's singles final.

Kate brought her daughter Charlotte, and the pair were photographed watching the match together. She also presented the winner, Carlos Alcaraz, with his trophy.

She said it was "great to be back at Wimbledon" in an Instagram post about the event.

The Princess of Wales announced that she had completed chemotherapy in September 2024.

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Kate took to Instagram on September 9 to announce she was finished with chemotherapy in a video filmed by Will Warr.

The video showed clips of the Prince and Princess of Wales with their children and Kate's parents.

"As the summer comes to an end, I cannot tell you what a relief it is to have finally completed my chemotherapy treatment," Kate said in a voiceover that played in the video. "The last nine months have been incredibly tough for us as a family. Life as you know it can change in an instant and we have had to find a way to navigate the stormy waters and road unknown."

The Princess of Wales also shared a bit about her experience with cancer in her statement.

"The cancer journey is complex, scary and unpredictable for everyone, especially those closest to you," she said. "With humility, it also brings you face to face with your own vulnerabilities in a way you have never considered before, and with that, a new perspective on everything."

"This time has above all reminded William and me to reflect and be grateful for the simple yet important things in life, which so many of us often take for granted. Of simply loving and being loved," she added.

Although the princess said she was "looking forward to being back at work and undertaking a few more public engagements in the coming months when I can," she made clear that her health was still her priority.

"Doing what I can to stay cancer free is now my focus," she said. "Although I have finished chemotherapy, my path to healing and full recovery is long and I must continue to take each day as it comes."

Kate said she was in remission on Tuesday.

On Tuesday, Kate visited The Royal Marsden Hospital in Chelsea, where she received her chemotherapy treatments.

She connected with staff and patients during her visit, and in the caption of an Instagram post she shared after the engagement, Kate said she was in remission.

"It is a relief to now be in remission and I remain focussed on recovery," she said. "As anyone who has experienced a cancer diagnosis will know, it takes time to adjust to a new normal. I am however looking forward to a fulfilling year ahead. There is much to look forward to. Thank you to everyone for your continued support."

In the post, Kate also thanked the staff who took care of her.

"I wanted to take the opportunity to say thank you to The Royal Marsden for looking after me so well during the past year," she said. "My heartfelt thanks goes to all those who have quietly walked alongside William and me as we have navigated everything."

"We couldn't have asked for more," Kate said. "The care and advice we have received throughout my time as a patient has been exceptional."

William and Kate have become joint patrons of the hospital, and the Princess of Wales said in her post that she hoped to use her position to support "groundbreaking research and clinical excellence" and promote "patient and family well-being."

• Meghan Markle and Prince Harry urged Meta to reverse its fact-checking policy rollback in the US.
• The Duke and Duchess of Sussex said Meta's latest move should "deeply concern us all."
• The couple said that Mark Zuckerberg's company was allowed "ego or profit" to guide its decision-making.

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle criticized Meta's decision to cut third-party fact-checking in the US and said the move would allow the spread of "hate, lies, and division" on its platforms.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex, who have a record of speaking out about misinformation on social media and online bullying, published an open letter on Monday urging Mark Zuckerberg's company to reverse the policy change announced last week.

"It doesn't matter whether your views are left, right or somewhere in between," the Sussexes wrote. "The latest news from Meta about changes to their policies directly undermines free speech. This should deeply concern us all."

Meta and representatives for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex did not immediately respond to requests for comment from Business Insider.

The couple took aim at Meta's "talking points" about replacing its third-party fact-checking program with community notes — similar to X's approach. They also voiced disapproval of Meta's decision to roll back DEI initiatives.

Meta said loosening its fact-checking program would promote free speech by "lifting restrictions" on topics that are part of "mainstream discourse" and take a "more personalized approach to political content." The Sussexes argued it would ultimately "silence speech and expression, not foster it."

"This latest move from Meta is an example of a social media company— fully aware of their power to shape public discourse — disregarding any responsibility to ensure that power is not abused and instead allowing either ego or profit, likely both, to guide decisions that affect billions," the Sussexes said.

Meta's policy changes may increase the likelihood that users encounter controversial content and debates on Instagram, Facebook, and Threads around topics such as "immigration, gender identity, and gender," Business Insider previously reported.

Harry and Meghan also took aim at the apparent link between the company's policy change and President-elect Donald Trump's reelection, which said Meta had "come a long way" in a press conference following the announcement.

The same day, Meta CMO Alex Schultz told BI that Trump's victory directly influenced the decision, saying that "elections have consequences."

Meghan returned to Instagram earlier this month after an absence that began in 2020. The couple have previously spoken about how they met on the platform.

Her new Netflix documentary titled "With Love, Meghan" will now be released on March 4 rather than January 15 because of the "ongoing devastation" of the Los Angeles wildfires.