Author: openjargon

• Meta plans to cut its budget by up to 30% in its Reality Labs metaverse division.
• It's considering job cuts as part of that move, leaving employees uncertain.
• The cuts may impact Horizon Worlds and follow a recent executive strategy meeting in Hawaii.

Meta is planning budget cuts and considering job cuts as part of that across its metaverse unit, according to a person familiar with the matter.

The company is considering budget cuts of up to 30% within its Reality Labs division, which could impact employees working on its virtual spaces platform, Horizon Worlds, according to the person Business Insider spoke to. The person requested anonymity because they're not authorized to speak to the press on these matters.

Bloomberg earlier reported on the potential cuts.

The news follows a meeting last month at Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg's Hawaii compound, where he discussed strategy and next year's plans with executives, the person familiar with the matter told Business Insider.

Internally, employees face uncertainty about whether the planned cost cuts will ultimately lead to layoffs. Directors are telling employees that most of the reductions will come from operating expenses, according to two other employees, who asked to remain anonymous because they're not authorized to speak to the press. In addition to salaries, these expenses include payments made by Meta to third-party studios to create games for Horizon.

Meta declined to comment.

The overhaul comes on the back of Reality Labs racking up losses of over $60 billion since 2020 and Meta ramping up its AI spending this year in an increasingly competitive — and expensive — AI race.

Meta's stock rose as much as 4% Thursday morning, adding $69 billion to its market cap and bringing its total value to $1.68 trillion.

Meta's metaverse metamorphosis

It's not the first time that Meta has reorganized its metaverse unit. In October, it tapped Gabriel Aul, who led products for Meta Horizon, and Ryan Cairns, previously in charge of virtual reality hardware, to co-lead its metaverse efforts, according to an internal memo Meta CTO Andrew Bosworth wrote, which was obtained by Business Insider.

Vishal Shah, who helped lead Meta's metaverse initiatives over the past four years, announced in a separate October memo that he is transitioning to Meta Superintelligence Labs. On Wednesday, Meta announced that it has hired Apple design leader Alan Dye to lead a new Reality Labs creative studio.

The company also cut an undisclosed number of Reality Labs employees in April as part of a broader restructuring effort. The cuts affected Oculus Studios, the company's in-house gaming division for Quest headsets, as well as the team behind Supernatural, the VR fitness app that Meta acquired for over $400 million.

Bosworth previously described this year as the "most critical" to proving whether the metaverse is either a visionary feat or a "legendary misadventure," he wrote in a November 2024 internal memo.

"We need to drive sales, retention, and engagement across the board but especially in MR," he wrote at the time, referring to mixed reality. "And Horizon Worlds on mobile absolutely has to break out for our long-term plans to have a chance. If you don't feel the weight of history on you, then you aren't paying attention."

The losses racked up by Reality Labs have drawn investor scrutiny. In Meta's first-quarter earnings call, Evercore analyst Mark Mahaney asked whether Reality Labs losses would ever come down, and if so, why and when. Zuckerberg pointed to the rising momentum behind Meta's Ray-Ban smart glasses, saying they've "really taken off" and just "tripled in sales" in the last year.

Have a tip? Contact this reporter via email at jmann@businessinsider.com or Signal at jyotimann.11. Contact Pranav Dixit via email at pranavdixit@protonmail.com or Signal at 1-408-905-9124. Use a personal email address and a nonwork device; here's our guide to sharing information securely.

• Meta Chief AI Scientist Yann LeCun is leaving to launch an AI startup.
• LeCun said he plans to develop advanced machine intelligence beyond Meta's current research scope.
• LeCun said Meta will partner with the startup but will not provide direct financial backing.

Meta Chief AI Scientist Yann LeCun is leaving Big Tech for a new, riskier bet. And while his soon-to-be former company will be a partner, it won't be an investor.

Last Month, LeCun announced on LinkedIn that he was leaving Meta after 12 years. He spent five of those years as the founding director of Fundamental AI Research, or FAIR, which was once Meta's primary AI research lab, and seven years as the company's chief AI scientist.

Meta, however, this year reorganized its AI department around what it calls its Superintelligence Lab, headed by the Scale AI founder Alexandr Wang.

"I am creating a startup company to continue the Advanced Machine Intelligence research program (AMI) I have been pursuing over the last several years with colleagues at FAIR, at NYU, and beyond," LeCun wrote on LinkedIn in November. "The goal of the startup is to bring about the next big revolution in AI: systems that understand the physical world, have persistent memory, can reason, and can plan complex action sequences."

He isn't severing ties with Meta completely, however. During a talk at the AI-Pulse event in Paris on Thursday, LeCun said that Meta will be a partner of his new endeavor, though not an investor.

"This new architecture is a project that Mark Zuckerberg really likes. He thinks maybe that's the future," LeCun said of his ambition to build world models, advanced machine learning systems that help humans make decisions and predictions from abstract representations of the world. That's different than the LLMs that underpin the most prominent AI chatbots, which rely only on language.

These ambitions stretched beyond Meta's purview, he said.

"He and I both realized that the potential spectrum of applications of this was kind of beyond what Meta was interested in," he said, referring to Zuckerberg.

"The number of applications is so, so, so wide that it was better to do it as an independent entity."

Meta's AI ambitions have shifted more toward superintelligence, a still-theoretical form of AI that can reason as well as, or better than, humans.

The company established its Superintelligence Lab in June. Zuckerberg said he hopes it'll help the company build "personal superintelligence," a term he uses to describe AI systems that could eventually surpass human capabilities.

Neither Meta nor LeCun responded to requests for comment from Business Insider.

• The author shares strategies for HENRYs to maximize earnings and build wealth.
• Budgeting, automation, and regular investing help manage high incomes and rising costs.
• Maintaining lifestyle, avoiding upgrades, and seeking passive income support long-term goals.

From a sheer numbers standpoint, our family would qualify as high-earners. My husband earns a healthy salary and bonuses from his corporate job, while I bring in extra cash from my freelance business.

We're considered HENRYs — high earners, not rich yet. We're also millennials, with student loans, high interest rates, kids, and the rising cost of living to contend with. Here's how we make our money work for us.

We live on a budget

One of the earliest pieces of financial advice I ever received was to live on a budget, regardless of your income. Initially, I scoffed at the idea. Isn't one of the best parts of earning a lot to not worry about money?

Then we started earning more money, my husband at his corporate job, and me with my freelance business. And I realized that the advice was spot-on. The more money you earn, the more you spend, and the easier it is to lose track of things.

Today, even though we're earning the most we've ever earned, we live on a budget — for everything from investing for retirement to saving for our boys' college to paying bills, and even for our biweekly spending allowance.

We automate everything

I automate everything related to my finances. Every payday, our bills are automatically debited, our retirement and college savings contributions are deducted, and our spending money is sent to a separate account.

It's an easy way to stay on budget for someone who doesn't necessarily love checking a bank account every day; plus, it helps us stay on track with our medium and long-term financial goals even when life gets busy. And with two kids, it often is.

We invest regularly

We are still paying off the last of our student loans, but we make investing a priority each month. We contribute the full employer match to my husband's 401(k) and try to max out my SEP IRA each year, as well as both our kids' 529 college savings accounts.

Investing regularly and early is the key to building real wealth, since your money has more time to compound and grow. And while I wish I had started investing in earnest in my 20s, I'm doing what I can in my 30s to make up for lost time.

We don't upgrade if we don't need to

It's so easy to want to upgrade your life, especially when you start earning more. But we try to avoid that common pitfall. For example, we've lived in the same house for seven years, mostly because we have a great interest rate (3.5%). However, we've also realized that at 2,400 square feet, it's the perfect size for our family of four. Would I like a mud room? A bigger living room? Sure, but it's not worth blowing all our equity and savings.

We also have a family rule of sorts — if it works, we don't replace it with a newer, better model. Our phones are older models, and our dishwasher isn't the best, but they both work. So we make it work.

We are looking for a secondary income stream

The next step in our financial journey is building a passive income stream that we can also enjoy. For a year or so, we've been looking to purchase land in rural areas to build a vacation home for our family and eventually set it up as a rental property when we're not using it.

We aren't sure whether we will finance a new property or try to pay cash for land and build slowly; a lot depends on the interest rates at the time. But it's definitely on our radar.

Being a HENRY has its perks. I know that in today's economy, we're lucky to be growing our earnings and building wealth. And while it can be frustrating to still worry about money and live on a budget, even as our income grows, I know one day it will pay off. (Literally.)

• Meghan Markle has worn several stylish looks in 2025.
• Her California-cool style often includes monochromatic outfits with high-end accents.
• Meghan's most daring look of the year was a low-cut blazer.

Meghan Markle has had a busy year.

From starring in her Netflix series and launching As Ever to attending her first-ever Paris Fashion Week show, the Duchess of Sussex has been expanding her post-royal footprint — and having fun with her fashion while doing it.

Meghan has worn an array of stylish looks in 2025, including monochromatic sets and statement suits.

Take a look at some of Meghan's best style moments of the year.

Meghan elevated a casual look with a blazer at the 2025 Invictus Games in February.

When Meghan supported Prince Harry at the Invictus Games, she wore a series of casual ensembles.

One of her standout looks from the week paired a blue La Ligne sweater with flared jeans from Veronica Beard. She added a double-breasted Dôen blazer to the ensemble, giving the look a professional edge.

Stuart Weitzman boots completed the ensemble.

She wore several relaxed looks during the first season of her Netflix show, "With Love, Meghan," including a floral-printed dress.

Meghan's series, "With Love, Meghan," premiered in March, showcasing the duchess cooking and crafting with famous guests. In season one, Meghan leaned into her California-cool style with breezy blouses and printed dresses.

One of her best looks from season one was a linen dress from Ralph Lauren.

The cream, collared dress featured a pattern of florals in muted pastels, with buttons lining the front. Meghan cinched the dress at the waist with a brown belt. Gold accessories and a ponytail added to the relaxed feel of the look.

She showed off the professional side of her style at the Time100 Summit in April.

Meghan spoke at the Tim100 Summit in April, following the launch of her lifestyle brand, As Ever. She wore a linen Ralph Lauren suit for the occasion.

The taupe set included an oversize blazer and wide-legged trousers. Meghan paired the suit with a white blouse and a brown belt, and she wore her hair down.

She completed the look with brown Manolo Blahnik pumps for a high-fashion edge. The outfit felt both beachy and professional, perfectly encapsulating her As Ever brand.

One of her casual looks on season two of "With Love, Meghan" was her best of the bunch.

Meghan kept up her chic and simple style in season two of "With Love, Meghan," which premiered on Netflix in August.

One of her best looks came in episode one. She wore a blue, striped button-down — which she wore with the collar popped and sleeves rolled up — and AYR jeans.

She styled the look with a pearl necklace and a low ponytail, creating an outfit that was both approachable and expertly curated.

The Duchess of Sussex made her debut at Paris Fashion Week in a chic white suit.

Meghan attended Pierpaolo Piccioli's first Balenciaga presentation at Paris Fashion Week on October 4. The event marked the Duchess of Sussex's first-ever attendance at a runway show in Paris, and she came dressed in an all-white look from Balenciaga for the occasion.

Meghan paired her silky, loose blouse with coordinating trousers. A white cape sat on her shoulders and swept dramatically behind her, adding an elegant touch. Black pumps and a black clutch contrasted with the rest of the white ensemble.

The duchess wore her hair in a sleek bun, letting her ensemble be the focus of her look.

The black dress she wore after the Balenciaga show was just as chic as her white ensemble.

Meghan had a wardrobe change after the Balenciaga show, trading her white set for a black dress.

The dress fell to her ankles, and, like her first look, it included a cape. It sat diagonally on her bodice, covering one of her arms before flowing out behind her.

She wore the same pumps and kept her hair up, transforming the accessories from elegant to moody in her new look.

Meghan wore her most daring look of 2025 to a gala in October.

Harry and Meghan attended Project Healthy Minds' annual gala on October 9 in coordinating Giorgio Armani suits.

Meghan gave her black suit a sexy edge by wearing no shirt under her blazer, which plunged to her midriff.

She wore her hair in an updo, drawing the eye to the statement gold choker from Anine Bing around her neck, and she carried Armani's La Prima clutch.

The Duchess of Sussex embodied stylish winter wear with an all-brown look on "With Love, Meghan: Holiday Celebration."

Meghan's Netflix holiday special began streaming on December 3, and the Duchess of Sussex wore a series of wintry ensembles fit for California in the special.

The standout look of the bunch was a monochromatic brown look she wore to make Christmas crackers with Will Guidara.

For the outfit, Meghan paired a knit Gabriela Hearst sweater vest with wool trousers. She added gold jewelry to the outfit, including a watch and a bangle, for elevated touches, while her relaxed ponytail kept the look from feeling too formal. The ensemble was effortless and stylish.

• CNBC is partnering with prediction site Kalshi to integrate its data, starting in 2026.
• Kalshi and Polymarket have become popular by letting users make money by trading futures contracts.
• Some state regulators are pushing back against the prediction sites.

Kalshi is ramping up its media partnerships with a new CNBC deal.

The popular prediction site has a new multi-year partnership with the business news giant that will put Kalshi's real-time prediction data across CNBC's channel, site, and app, starting in 2026.

Kalshi reached a similar data integration deal with CNN on Tuesday. That day, Kalshi also announced that it had raised $1 billion from investors at an $11 billion valuation.

The terms of the two partnerships weren't disclosed, but a person familiar with the deals said that money is changing hands in both. Kalshi CEO Tarek Mansour told Axios that CNN isn't paying to license Kalshi's data.

Prediction markets like Kalshi and rival Polymarket let users trade contracts about the outcomes of events — from elections to sports games, or even whether it will rain in a city before a certain date.

CNBC viewers will be able to see what Kalshi users believe are the probabilities of different market and economic outcomes, such as whether the Federal Reserve will cut interest rates at its next meeting, based on the way those users are trading contracts. The financial news outlet will also feature a Kalshi-branded ticker during select TV segments on shows such as "Squawk Box" and "Fast Money." Kalshi will have a CNBC-branded page on its website.

Mansour said in a statement that the CNBC partnership is "the next evolution: moving from data about what's happening now, to real-time forecasts about what's happening next."

CNBC President KC Sullivan said in a statement that "prediction markets are rapidly shaping how investors and business leaders think about important events."

"Kalshi's data will serve as a powerful complement to CNBC's reporting and help people stay better informed about the world around them," he added.

Real-time markets data — like stock prices — have been a staple of CNBC for decades. The business news network is now turning to predictions data to help keep users engaged.

News organizations like CNBC could see engagement rise if viewers and readers connect to prediction data as way to gamify news. Prediction sites "can be highly engaging" since they can "create a feeling of being connected to real events as they unfold," said Daniel Umfleet, the CEO of telehealth service Kindbridge Behavioral Health, which works with gamblers.

Prediction sites could also turn into a new revenue stream for media companies, similar to how sports betting ads are now ubiquitous across sports networks and podcasts.

Kalshi isn't the only prediction site striking deals. Rival Polymarket reached a prediction data integration deal with Yahoo Finance in mid-November, and earlier this year became the official prediction market service for X, formerly known as Twitter. Polymarket and Kalshi also reached prediction data deals with Google in November.

Partnerships with major news organizations are beneficial for Kalshi since they're "a form of brand building," Morningstar gaming analyst Dan Wasiolek told Business Insider.

Prediction markets are popular but getting pushback

Prediction sites are increasingly popular. Kalshi announced in early December that its trading volume had risen eightfold since July.

Prediction markets have also drawn controversy, particularly around their similarities to gambling.

Kalshi and Polymarket are similar to online sportsbooks in the sense that they allow users to profit from predictions on the outcomes of events like games. However, they are classified as exchange markets for futures contracts that are regulated by the US Commodity Futures Trading Commission. Instead of setting odds, these prediction markets price contracts and facilitate trades between their users.

Since Kalshi and Polymarket aren't sportsbooks, the platforms argue that they shouldn't be regulated at the state level. That said, some state regulators have targeted them.

In late November, a US District Court judge in Nevada ruled against Kalshi, saying "Kalshi is not licensed to conduct gaming in Nevada or any other state" and that the company was trying to "evade state regulation." Kalshi disputed this characterization and has appealed the ruling.

On Wednesday, the gaming division of Connecticut's Department of Consumer Protection issued a cease and desist order for Kalshi and investment platforms Robinhood and Crypto.com, calling their prediction markets "unlicensed online gambling" and saying they were "operating outside a regulatory environment."

"As other courts have recognized, Kalshi is a regulated, nationwide exchange for real-world events, and it is subject to exclusive federal jurisdiction," Mansour, Kalshi's CEO, said in a statement. "It's very different from what state-regulated sportsbooks and casinos offer their customers. We are confident in our legal arguments and have filed suit in federal court."

A class action lawsuit filed late last month similarly claimed Kalshi had violated state gambling laws. Kalshi disputes the claim. The case is ongoing.

If similar legal cases continue, the Supreme Court may eventually have to rule whether prediction markets like Kalshi should be legal in all 50 states.

Prediction markets are upsetting sportsbooks

Sportsbooks like FanDuel and DraftKings have responded to the success of Kalshi and Polymarket by announcing plans to launch their own competing prediction sites. Robinhood is also extending its prediction markets, which it said last week were its fastest-growing product line by revenue.

The prediction market landscape is "even more 'Wild West' than sports betting" because of the lack of clarity around regulation, said Rachel Volberg, a gambling researcher and professor at the University of Massachusetts Amherst.

Morningstar's Wasiolek said he thought prediction markets would have a positive impact on sportsbooks, and that they would "expand the market more than cannibalize it." But he added that the sportsbooks' shift into prediction markets could raise their costs in what's "an increasingly uncertain and competitive landscape."

• A CEO who invented a light therapy wearable said he trained himself to wake up without an alarm clock.
• Circadian rhythm is the body's internal clock. It shifts based on when you see light, eat. and sleep.
• You can become a morning person and boost your energy all day with simple changes over time.

Branislav Nikolic wakes up every morning at 7 a.m., energized and ready to greet the day, no alarm clock required.

At night, instead of doom-scrolling until 2 a.m., he's peacefully asleep by 11:30 p.m.

It's been his routine for the past decade, thanks to his fascination with circadian rhythm, the body's internal clocks that regulate energy and appetite.

"If you have good circadian health, ultimately you'll have a healthier, happier, and longer life," Nikolic, an entrepreneur and CEO of wearable health tech brand AYO, told Business Insider.

Science backs this up, suggesting that good circadian health helps to boost longevity, improve mood, and potentially fend off chronic illnesses like heart disease and cognitive decline as you age.

To become a morning person and stop hitting the snooze button, he made a few simple changes to his routine, from getting more sunlight to cutting back on nighttime snacking.

Get 30 minutes of natural light during the day

Nikolic wasn't always a morning person. As a graduate student, he struggled with low energy and difficulty waking up. That's in part because the climate in the Netherlands, where he was studying, is cloudy compared to his hometown in sunny Belgrade, Serbia.

He said that using light therapy devices helped his body adjust to the lack of sun and stay on schedule. But you don't need to go high-tech or spend hours outside to hack your health with light.

Opening your curtains and sitting near a window to get morning sunshine can be a big help without disrupting your normal routine, Nikolic said. If you can walk the dog in the morning or stroll in the sun while you sip your coffee, that's a big plus.

And if you're hitting an afternoon slump, try to head outside for a quick walk. Aim for about half an hour of natural light daily at least.

"You'd be surprised that many times people don't even get 30 minutes a day," he said.

Know your chronotype

Understanding your chronotype — the default setting on your internal clock — can make it easier to optimize your routine.

When your body is on a different schedule than your workday, you can end up hitting an afternoon slump or struggling to keep your eyes open during morning meetings, research suggests.

The trick, experts say, is to make sure your internal clock gets the memo about your daily routine, so you're alert when you need to be and relaxed when it's time to sleep.

"It is really about having your circadian rhythm and your lifestyle in sync," Nikolic said.

For instance, if you're a night person who needs to work in the morning, energy-boosting sunlight or early morning walks can help reset your internal clock, Nikolic said.

Keep a consistent bedtime with less light

It might seem like obvious advice, but training your body to wind down around the same time every night is crucial for a healthy circadian rhythm. Some studies suggest that having a consistent sleep schedule is just as important as getting enough hours of sleep.

The challenge is that blue light from screens can prompt your brain to stay alert, even if you're relaxing with "The Great British Baking Show" instead of checking emails.

If you can't banish all electronics from your bedtime routine, Nikolic recommends at least turning down the light or using dark mode whenever possible.

"Try to have a very different light environment two hours before sleep than you had for the rest of the day. So that would be dim in comparison," he said.

Avoid late-night snacking

If your evening routine involves raiding the fridge, you might find it harder to sleep well and feel rested. Eating a late meal cues your body that it's time to digest, instead of preparing you for rest with processes like releasing the sleep hormone melatonin.

Nikolic closes his kitchen about two hours prior to falling asleep, which aligns with evidence-backed studies on circadian health and metabolism.

Use the weekend to check your internal clock

To start breaking up with your alarm clock, wait for a day you don't have a 9 a.m. meeting.

That makes weekends a perfect opportunity to sleep in (for science!) and assess what time your internal clock gets you out of bed.

"Ditch the alarm clock and let your body wake up naturally," Nikolic said.

The caveat is that for best results, you shouldn't change the rest of your routine — no late-night TV or partying just because it's the weekend.

Over time, as you dial in your circadian rhythm, try to get your natural weekend wake-up time closer and closer to your typical weekday schedule.