Author: openjargon

• Microsoft's AI chief, Mustafa Suleyman, has laid out his main goals for the company.
• The DeepMind cofounder is overseeing key teams, including Bing, Edge, and Copilot.
• In a podcast chat with Seth Rosenberg, Suleyman said he wanted to "uplevel" Copilot's quality.

Microsoft's newly installed AI chief, Mustafa Suleyman, is keen to ensure that the Big Tech company is not underestimated.

On a recent podcast with Seth Rosenberg, Suleyman explained his new responsibilities at the company. He said he oversaw key teams, including Bing and Edge, and Copilot, Microsoft's flagship AI product.

Suleyman added that he'd been impressed with Microsoft's scale and reach since joining the company in March.

"The quality of products and their scale and reach is sort of much greater than you might think as a kind of default Silicon Valley person who had grown up in Google," he said.

He said the company's reputation in Silicon Valley needed a "rethink." Despite being one of the most valuable companies in the world, Microsoft has somewhat existed in the shadow of its old rival, Google, for the last decade.

Suleyman cofounded DeepMind before Google acquired it. After the acquisition, he spent two years at Google as a vice president of AI product management and AI policy.

After parting ways with the company in 2022, Suleyman cofounded Inflection AI, which Microsoft later acquired. He was then installed as CEO of Microsoft AI to lead the company's AI efforts.

Suleyman said his main goal at the company was to "uplevel the quality of Copilot."

"We're rapidly building some of the best models in the world, partnering very closely with OpenAI, building on top of all of OpenAI models and infrastructure, fine-tuning their models," he said, adding the next phase of AI assistants Microsft was eyeing focused on memory and personalization.

"Your AI should remember everything about you, all your context, all your personal data, everything that you've said and be there to support you and be your aid and your sidekick you know throughout your life. That's what we're going to be focused on," he said.

Microsoft's Copilot has proved relatively popular with users. The company benefited from being quick to market with the product, beating Google's rival effort by several months.

However, Business Insider previously reported that one of the top complaints from Microsoft's customers is that Copilot doesn't perform as well as OpenAI's ChatGPT.

Microsoft has said customers aren't using the new tools properly and is paying a partner to produce videos to teach customers how to write better prompts.

Representatives for Microsoft did not immediately respond to a request for comment from BI made outside normal working hours.

• Singapore is the most expensive city for high-net-worth individuals, according to a new report.
• The Asian city-state is followed by Hong Kong and London in Julius Baer's Lifestyle Index.
• The ranking takes into account the costs of housing, jewelry, whiskey, and hotel suites.

If you've got millions in the bank and you want to spend them slowly, don't move to Singapore.

The Asian city-state is the most expensive major global city for high-net-worth individuals (HNWIs) to live in, according to a new report.

Singapore tops Julius Baer's Lifestyle Index, released annually by the Swiss bank. It's followed by Hong Kong and London.

Shanghai has dropped down the rankings from last year, falling from second to fourth place.

Julius Baer says the index analyzes the cost of goods and services representative of "living extremely well" in 25 major global cities. These include the costs of prime real estate, jewelry, whiskey, boarding school, business-class flights, luxury hotel suites, laser-eye surgery, and MBAs.

"This provides an overview of the relative cost of maintaining a high-net-worth lifestyle in various major urban centres," the bank said.

Julius Baer described Singapore as a "highly desirable" place to live and work in, referring to its politics, healthcare, crime rate, public transport, and currency. "The Singaporean government works hard to make the country attractive to global business and wealthy people, and the currency remains strong," the bank said.

This has helped push up prices. Of the 25 cities on Julius Baer's list, Singapore had the most expensive vehicle prices, second-highest childbirth costs, and third-priciest residential property.

As of June 2023, just under six million people lived in the city-state, which has an aging population. It has a life expectancy of 83 years — 5.5 years higher than that of the US — and a low fertility rate of less than 1.0.

Singapore has the fourth-highest number of millionaires in the world, according to a ranking of cities by investment-migration consultancy Henley & Partners that used data from December 2023. Singapore had nearly 250,000 millionaires as well as more than 300 people worth at least $100 million, per the report, which calculated that the city's millionaire population had grown by 64% in a decade.

Julius Baer listed Hong Kong as the second-most expensive city for HNWIs of the 25 on the list, with the second-highest residential property costs. Hong Kong, which had 7.4 million residents as of its 2021 census, has nearly 150,000 millionaire residents, according to data from Henley & Partners.

Julius Baer said that, across the globe, the greatest price increases between 2023 and 2024 were for premium consumer items like fashion and jewelry, "where pricing has been rising steeply for several years." This is due to rising material, energy, and labor costs as well as strong currencies in Europe, where many luxury houses are based.

Every European city included in the ranking — Barcelona, Frankfurt, London, Milan, Monaco, Paris, and Zurich — moved up the list this year. Zurich, described by Julius Baer as "this year's runaway star performer," shot up eight places in the ranking to become the sixth most expensive city for HNWIs on its list, which the bank attributed to the strength of the Swiss franc.

The 25 global cities in Julius Baer's report, listed from most- to least-expensive for HNWIs

1. Singapore
2. Hong Kong
3. London
4. Shanghai
5. Monaco
6. Zurich
7. New York
8. Paris
9. São Paulo
10. Milan
11. Sydney
12. Dubai
13. Taipei
14. Jakarta
15. Miami
16. Mexico City
17. Bangkok
18. Barcelona
19. Frankfurt
20. Mumbai
21. Manila
22. Santiago de Chile
23. Tokyo
24. Vancouver
25. Johannesburg

• I'm a Sephora employee, so I know the best products to stock up on to prepare for the summer.
• The Sephora Collection Love the Lift curling-and-volumizing waterproof mascara doesn't flake on me.
• The Estée Lauder double-wear stay-in-place foundation keeps my skin looking flawless all season.

Sephora offers tons of great products, and as an employee, I'm always looking to find the best ones.

Over the nearly two years I've worked at Sephora, I've loved stocking up on the best makeup for each season. This summer, I'm focusing on products that will look good no matter how hot it gets.

Luckily, the store carries plenty of long-lasting, sweatproof beauty items that are sure to withstand the summertime heat. Here are five beauty products I'd recommend grabbing at Sephora to prepare for summer.

The Sephora Collection Love the Lift curling-and-volumizing waterproof mascara doesn't flake on me at all.

The Sephora Collection Love the Lift waterproof mascara is by far one of my favorite products for the summer. I like that it's waterproof, so I can wear it at the beach or to other summertime events without worrying about my mascara running.

I've worn it in the pool, and it's never flaked or left me with "raccoon eyes." I also love that the formula is made with wax, so it curls and lifts my lashes beautifully.

The Estée Lauder double-wear stay-in-place foundation lasts all day, even in the heat.

This liquid foundation has a beautiful matte finish and can last up to 24 hours on the skin, making it perfect for busy summer days. I find this oil-free foundation lasts in hot, humid weather while still feeling lightweight and comfortable.

I wear the shade 2N2 Buff, which is a light-medium color with subtle golden undertones.

I use the One/Size On 'Til Dawn mattifying waterproof setting spray when I need my makeup to stay in place all day.

This waterproof setting spray gives my skin a matte finish that lasts all day. It's made with green-tea extract and witch hazel, which help tighten pores and absorb oil, respectively.

It also has a transfer-proof formula, which means it won't easily rub off and will keep my makeup in place all day through the heat. Even if I'm sweating, I know my makeup isn't going anywhere as long as I'm wearing this setting spray. 

I love the formula of the Kosas Blush is Life dimensional-and-brightening blush.  

This talc-free powder blush is made with squalane and hyaluronic acid to keep skin hydrated and balanced. The silky smooth blush melts into my skin and seamlessly blends to create a radiant look.

The blushes come in buildable, dimensional pink, orange, and mauve hues for a long-wearing, healthy flush of color on the cheeks. I have the shade Blissed, which is a perfect combination of peach and pink.

The Fenty Skin Hydra Vizor Huez tinted moisturizer looks flawless on my skin.

This lightweight moisturizer with SPF protection makes my skin look glowy and plump each time I apply it. It can also help reduce the appearance of pores and dark spots.

This two-in-one moisturizer and sunscreen has SPF 30, so it's perfect for wearing at the beach or out in the sun. It gives me natural-looking coverage and comes in various tints — I wear shade four.

• Warning: Spoilers ahead for "Perfect Match" season two.
• In season two, "Love Is Blind" alum Micah Lussier couples up with "Dated & Related" star Kaz Bishop.
• Here's an update on their on their relationship. 

Micah Lussier said she broke up with Kaz Bishop after he kissed another contestant after "Perfect Match" season two finished filming.

Micah was a contestant on the latest season of "Perfect Match" after she tried and failed to find a husband on Netflix's most popular reality show, "Love Is Blind."

In episode two, Micah paired up with "Dated & Related" alum Kaz Bishop and the pair won two couples' challenges in the season.

But their relationship was a roller coaster in the second half of the season after Kaz continually flirted with new contestants and Micah questioned her partner's loyalty.

This came to a head in episode nine when the pair had a screaming match. Micah was angry with Kaz for talking to a third new contestant, Christine Obanor, and kissing Holly in a game. Kaz was annoyed that Micah told other contestants that they were the weakest couple.

They broke up, and Kaz matched up with Christine, and Micah paired up with Izzy Zapata.

In the following episode, Kaz had second thoughts and spoke to Micah about rebuilding their relationship. Micah didn't immediately give in but eventually decided to match with Kaz.

At the end of the season, they were still coupled up, but the relationship didn't last long.

In an article published by Netflix's Tudum on Monday, Micah said that they broke off the relationship before they left Mexico, where the series was filmed.

Kaz said Micah cut him off after hearing rumors that he kissed another cast member, who was not named, after the finale.

"Before we even made it off the show, she sent me a text message saying that she truly hates me," he said. "It escalated very quickly, but she was messaging other people."

During Wednesday's episode of "The Viall Files" podcast, Micah confirmed that the alleged kiss led to the breakup, saying it happened when she had left their hotel for a press day.

"I looked at him, and for a lack of a classier way, I was like, 'You're dead to me. Never speak to me again,'" Micah said. "And I never talked to him again."

Micah said that the only reason she stuck by Kaz in the show was because she wasn't interested in anyone else.

"In real life, I don't care. I don't have time for it. There's other options. Like, get the hell out of here. Pack your bags," Micah said.

Micah and Kaz do follow each other on social media, and Micah said they have spoken to each other again recently.

But, they both seem to have moved on from the relationship.

Kaz told Entertainment Tonight in June that he's in a relationship with another person, though he did not name them.

Meanwhile, Micah has posted several TikTok videos about going on dates with other people.

Micah also told Tudum that she was going to keep her love life private for now.

"There's going to be a hard launch when I have a ring on my finger and that will be the next time you guys hear from me," she said.

"Perfect Match" season two is available on Netflix.

Correction: June 17, 2024 — An earlier version of this story misstated the number of episodes in the spoiler warning. There were nine episodes, not six.

• North Korean soldiers sent to aid Russia in Ukraine would be "cannon fodder," the Pentagon said.
• The two nations signed a new security pact, and some Korean units look set to go to Ukraine.
• Russia is known for treating its soldiers as highly disposable and has suffered high death tolls.

North Korean troops that are sent to Ukraine to aid in Russia's war would become "cannon fodder," the Pentagon said.

Pentagon Press Secretary Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder said on Tuesday that "I think that if I were North Korean military personnel management, I would be questioning my choices on sending my forces to be cannon fodder in an illegal war against Ukraine."

Ryder was responding to a question about North Korea potentially dispatching army engineering units to Ukraine's eastern Donetsk region, which is occupied by Russia.

According to South Korea's TV Chosun, citing a South Korean government official and referenced by Reuters, North Korea is planning to send construction and engineering forces to occupied Ukraine as soon as next month for rebuilding work.

Earlier this month, Russia and North Korea signed a pact agreeing to give each other military assistance if the other is attacked.

Countries including the US and Japan condemned the move, with South Korea saying it was considering sending weapons to Ukraine as a result. South Korea's president described the pact as a threat to his nation's security.

Ryder described North Korea potentially sending military forces to Russia as "certainly something to keep an eye on," and hinted at the high number of Russian casualties throughout the war.

The UK Ministry of Defence said at the end of May that the total number of killed or wounded Russian soldiers since February 2022 was around 500,000.

It also said that the average daily number of Russian personnel casualties in May was over 1,200.

Russia is known for treating its own troops as highly disposable.

This includes through using "meat wave" tactics, where it sends waves of poorly trained and unsupported soldiers toward Ukrainian positions to try to overwhelm them.

A Russian soldier who plans offensives said this month that he has to send men forward knowing they will likely die, but doesn't tell them how low their chances of survival are.

"I can't tell the men, otherwise they wouldn't fight with the hope of winning," he said.

• Elon Musk's ire this year has extended from Mark Zuckerberg to MacKenzie Scott.
• The mercurial billionaire has often fired insults and traded barbs at his contemporaries on X.
• "I have fun sparring with Elon. He likes to troll and so do I," Mark Cuban told BI.

Elon Musk runs half a dozen companies, but the work involved in keeping the Muskonomy humming hasn't stopped him from beefing with his fellow billionaires this year.

His platform of choice for trading barbs, firing insults, and sharing generally unfiltered thoughts is X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, which he bought in late 2022.

"Have I shot myself in the foot multiple times? Yes," Musk said of his posting habits in an April 2023 interview with BBC's James Clayton.

"I think I should not tweet after 3:00 a.m. If you're gonna tweet something that maybe is controversial, save it as a draft, then look at it the next day and see if you still want to tweet it," he added.

To be sure, Musk's history of fights stretches way further back than 2024, and not everyone he trades barbs with takes it personally.

"I have fun sparring with Elon. He likes to troll and so do I," Mark Cuban told BI on Monday. "I have no issues with him."

Here's a non-exhaustive list of the billionaires Musk has fought with in 2024.

Representatives for Musk didn't respond to a request for comment from BI for this story.

Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg

Cage match, anyone?

In June 2023, Musk challenged Mark Zuckerberg to a fight following reports that said Meta was building a rival to X.

"I'm up for a cage match if he is lol," Musk said in an X post on June 20, 2023.

"Send Me Location," Zuckerberg responded via an Instagram story the next day.

Zuckerberg launched his text-based social media platform, Threads, a month later. The fight with Musk didn't see as much progress, with both parties publicly cooling on the idea in one way or another.

Musk appeared to backtrack on the fight, saying in August that he would need to undergo "minor surgery" for some older injuries. This was after he'd claimed that the fight would be live-streamed and would take place at an "epic location" in ancient Rome.

Zuckerberg brushed aside Musk's proposed cage match last year, but Musk hasn't forgotten about the fight. In fact, he's brought it into 2024.

"If only Zuckerberg were as tough (sigh). I've offered to fight him any place, any time, any rules, but all I hear is crickets," Musk said in an X post on May 15, a day after Zuckerberg celebrated his 40th birthday.

Representatives for Zuckerberg didn't respond to a request for comment from BI for this story.

OpenAI chief Sam Altman

Sam Altman isn't your typical Musk rival. Altman cofounded OpenAI with Musk in 2015 and interviewed Musk a year later when he was still the president of Y Combinator.

But differences in thought over how OpenAI should be run have driven a wedge between the men.

In February, Musk filed a lawsuit against OpenAI and Altman, accusing the company of violating its nonprofit mission by partnering with Microsoft. Musk withdrew his lawsuit against Altman in June, just a day before a judge was set to consider OpenAI's request to dismiss it.

"More on this later," Musk said of the lawsuit's withdrawal on June 12.

Musk has been a vocal critic of Altman's leadership of OpenAI after the company found success with its AI chatbot ChatGPT.

"OpenAI was created as an open source (which is why I named it 'Open' AI), non-profit company to serve as a counterweight to Google, but now it has become a closed source, maximum-profit company effectively controlled by Microsoft," Musk wrote on X in February 2023.

Altman has remained civil when publicly responding to Musk's barbs.

In March, the OpenAI chief told podcaster Lex Fridman that he found Musk's lawsuit bewildering and expected Musk to have "more empathy" for OpenAI's ambitions.

"It wasn't that long ago Elon was crazily talking about launching rockets when people were laughing at that thought, so I think he'd have more empathy for this," Altman told Fridman.

Representatives for Altman didn't respond to a request for comment from BI.

"Shark Tank" star Mark Cuban

Billionaire Mark Cuban is no stranger when it comes to getting caught in Musk's crosshairs.

Cuban has feuded with Musk on multiple topics, ranging from their differing views on corporate diversity, equity, and inclusion to their opinions on President Joe Biden.

"Mark Cuban is desperately trying to signal his 'virtue', but his hypocrisy convinces no one," Musk said on X in January after Cuban voiced his support for corporate DEI initiatives.

At one point, Musk called Cuban a "racist" in an X post for backing DEI. He later deleted the post.

In March, Musk threw a jibe at Cuban after the "Shark Tank" star said he'd vote for Biden even if the president "was being given last rites."

"'If Biden were a flesh-eating zombie with 5 seconds to live where, upon being re-elected, Earth would plunge into a 1000 years of darkness, I would still vote for him.' — Mark Cuban," Musk wrote in an X post.

Cuban, however, doesn't seem too bothered by Musk's jabs.

"I have fun sparring with Elon. He likes to troll and so do I," Cuban told BI. "I have no issues with him."

While I have your attention. Wanted to say thank you!

Your consultants for @tesla followed up today about using @costplusdrugs drugs to save the company money. Truly appreciate it.

(And my limit is 300 years of darkness) https://t.co/MpaJp8Ocde

— Mark Cuban (@mcuban) March 5, 2024

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Jeff Bezos' ex-wife, MacKenzie Scott

Musk has also gone after the former spouses of billionaires this year.

In March, Musk slammed Jeff Bezos' ex-wife, MacKenzie Scott, for her charitable giving.

"'Super rich ex-wives who hate their former spouse' should filed be listed among 'Reasons that Western Civilization died,'" Musk wrote in an X post on March 6. He later deleted the post.

Scott's philanthropy has been a long-running bugbear for Musk, who claimed in May 2022 that his companies were being sidelined by the Democratic Party partly because Scott had donated to "PACs posing as charities."

Scott was married to Bezos for 25 years. The pair finalized their divorce in 2019. As part of the settlement terms, Scott received $38 billion worth of Amazon shares.

Scott did not publicly respond to Musk's post in March, though she did ramp up her donations in the wake of his remarks.

On March 19, Scott announced she would donate $640 million to 361 organizations. That sum was more than double the $250 million she had initially pledged to give away last year.

Representatives for Scott didn't respond to a request for comment from BI.

Melinda French Gates, the former wife of Microsoft founder Bill Gates

In June, Musk ripped into Melinda French Gates after she gave her first presidential endorsement to Joe Biden.

"Might be the downfall of western civilization," Musk said in an X post on June 20.

Musk isn't exactly a fan of French Gates' ex-husband, Bill Gates, either. The Tesla CEO was furious when he learned that Gates had shorted Tesla's stock, as detailed in Walter Isaacson's biography of Musk.

"How can someone say they are passionate about fighting climate change and then do something that reduced the overall investment in the company doing the most? It's pure hypocrisy," Musk told Isaacson.

Shortly after he'd turned down a philanthropic opportunity with Gates, Musk took to X to share a meme that compared the Microsoft founder to the pregnant man emoji.

"In case you need to lose a boner fast," Musk said on April 22, 2023.

in case u need to lose a boner fast pic.twitter.com/fcHiaXKCJi

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) April 23, 2022

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Representatives for Gates and French Gates didn't respond to requests for comment from BI.

OpenAI investor Vinod Khosla

Unlike most of the billionaires on this list, venture capitalist Vinod Khosla fired salvos at Musk first.

"With @elonmusk, feels like a bit of sour grapes in suing @OpenAI, not getting in early enough, not staying committed and now a rival effort," Khosla, an OpenAI investor, said on X in March, while referencing Musk's AI startup xAI.

"Like they say if you can't innovate, litigate and that's what we have here. Elon of old would be building with us to hit the same goal," Khosla added.

"Vinod doesn't know what he is talking about here," Musk replied.

But Khosla wasn't done. Days later, he gave Musk — a frequent poster and reposter of memes — a taste of his own medicine when he posted a meme ridiculing xAI.

https://t.co/wa6MUngFYp pic.twitter.com/uBu2bQhfpB

— Vinod Khosla (@vkhosla) March 7, 2024

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Representatives for Khosla didn't respond to a request for comment from BI.

• After a breakup, I decided that having two children under 2 wouldn't deter me from graduate school.
• While my kids slept, I studied, and they helped inspire me throughout the years. 
• Now that I have my Master's, I am able to celebrate all the milestones we reached together.

I would have never guessed that being single, juggling my career, graduate school, and parenting two toddlers would be stamped on my bingo card. But here I am, thriving despite it all.

As a single mom of two, every achievement feels even sweeter. Every achievement reminds me and shows my children that no dream is too distant. Graduating with a Master's of Social Work from the University of Texas at Arlington with two toddlers feels more than a personal achievement. It's a testament to perseverance and the unwavering support of my incredible village.

It all began three years ago. After the relationship with their dad ended due to his infidelity, I decided to prioritize myself. Though I hoped we'd co-parent well, it didn't turn out that way. So, I became laser-focused on being the best mom I could be. As a first-generation high school and college graduate, I knew obtaining another degree would be challenging. However I didn't realize how different those challenges would be in my present reality.

In fact, as I started to discuss my plans to continue my graduate studies with others, some saw it as courageous, while others thought balancing deadlines with diapers was outright crazy. Many suggested waiting until my children were school-aged. While I welcomed their feedback, I knew it could be done. I just had to figure out how.

I had to redefine motherhood while pursuing my dreams

I dared to disrupt the idea that single motherhood had to be synonymous with struggle or that my dreams should be placed on the back burner to be a good mother. Above all, I wanted to model perseverance and the value of education for my kids. So, when my eldest was 15 months old, and my youngest was just 3 months old, our journey began.

Balancing my career in political organizing with late-night assignments, mandatory practicums for my MSW, and early mornings of Pixar's "Finding Dory" was challenging. Still, those precious moments of mimicking the whale sounds made by Dory with my children fueled my determination.

While I never found quite the right work-life balance people rave about, our trio cultivated systems and routines that worked for us.

Our days were long, and my nights were longer. During different stages of my graduate program, I adapted our routine. When my children napped, I scheduled work blocks to focus on work calls and client updates. The boys knew that Tuesdays were laundry days, and they loved helping with loading the washer and unloading the dryer. Online grocery orders saved us time, and the boys enjoyed bringing in groceries and stocking drinks in the refrigerator. Picking up their own toys and putting them away when not in use became habitual. At bedtime, we sang nursery rhymes together until they fell asleep, and then I'd read for my courses and write to stay on track.

Involving them in our routine kept them busy and engaged. With their love and constant support, we not only survived but thrived.

I learned to celebrate all achievements and milestones as a family

Being recognized as one of 17 outstanding students out of a graduating class of over 200 is an honor. It recognizes the nights of hard work and determination. But more than that, I'm proud that my sons are polite and mannerable. At ages 2 and 3, they can identify most of the alphabet, count and identify numbers beyond 20, recognize primary colors and shapes, know the careers of people in their neighborhood, their names, my name, our address, and more.

For us, this degree represents countless nights balancing deadlines with their growth and development milestones — from first steps to first assessments, from my endless chapters of reading to their bedtime stories, from practicum hours to scheduled playdates. We made it work.

I set a goal to finish what I started for them. In the end, we did this together.

• Silent layoffs and quiet firing appear to be on the rise.
• The trend aims to minimize negative company traction but risks breaking employee trust.
• Experts warn quietly getting rid of employees can create PR disasters and harm company morale.

"Quiet quitting" came and went. Then there was "grumpy staying."

But the latest workplace trends — "silent layoffs" and "quiet firing" — could be the most harmful to date.

Silent layoffs occur when a company provides staff with severance packages but asks them to keep quiet about the details of their exit.

Quiet firing or quiet quitting, meanwhile, is a subtle move by bosses to make a role less appealing, motivating workers to quit rather than forcing them out through layoffs.

Experts warn that both can create PR disasters and harm company morale.

A cautionary tale

The most recent high-profile example of silent layoffs is PwC, a UK-based accounting firm that launched a voluntary severance program earlier this year.

According to the Financial Times, PwC asked employees not to disclose that they had received a settlement and advised them what to write in their goodbye emails to colleagues.

A spokesperson for PwC told FT that the voluntary lay-offs were implemented to "respond to changing client demand, attrition rates, and new opportunities."

"Through limited targeted voluntary severance, we can continue to recruit at entry level and where different skills are needed," the statement said.

PwC declined to comment when contacted by Business Insider.

Amit Rawal, a management lecturer at City University of London's Bayes Business School, told BI that silent layoffs have become "increasingly popular across larger corporations."

The goal of silent layoffs is likely to minimize the amount of negative traction the company receives. Eloise Skinner, a psychotherapist who focuses on workplace well-being, told BI that this strategy can be successful for a business if it's kept under the radar.

"Theoretically, by keeping layoffs relatively low-profile, trust in the business — from stakeholders and existing employees — can be retained, and restructurings can happen without excessive external analysis," Skinner said.

But if the news is leaked, like in PwC's case, the trust is broken — both for current employees and the general public.

Quiet firing

Silent layoffs were made illegal across the US in February 2023 as part of the National Labor Relations Act. According to CNN, the ruling was enforced by the National Labor Relations Board, an independent federal agency that sets out regulations most businesses — with the exception of railroads and airlines — must abide by.

Lucas Botzen, an HR expert and CEO at Rivermate, told BI that the ruling stops businesses from creating nondisclosure agreements or any other kind of agreements that would prevent an "employee or employer from enjoying certain rights that are bestowed on them by law, such as speaking out against unlawful practices or discrimination."

But companies in the US are still finding ways to quietly cut employees by making their roles less appealing.

As BI previously reported, technology firm Dell in February ordered hybrid employees to return to the office three days a week regardless of where they live. Workers who choose to be fully remote will face limited career progression, an anonymous source told The Register.

In November, Amazon decided that employees may have their promotions blocked if they didn't come into the office for three days a week.

"Subtly encouraging someone to leave is seen as the easier option," Suzanne Horne, a partner in employment law at legal firm Paul Hasting, told the BBC in 2022. "If the employee eventually resigns, it's the 'no-fault approach': severance doesn't need to be paid, conflict is avoided and both parties are ultimately happy."

'A PR disaster waiting to happen'

Experts told BI that quietly getting rid of employees could easily backfire when employees opt to fight back and speak out.

These tactics "breed mistrust, tarnish a company's reputation, and can lead to uncontrolled leaks of sensitive information," said Evan Nierman, founder of PR firm Red Banyan and author of "The Cancel Culture Curse."

"When transparency is sacrificed, the rumor mill takes over, creating a narrative of fear and instability," he said.

Dan Buckley is an HR expert and CEO of Cognexo, an AI-led platform that helps boost the employee experience. Speaking to BI over email, Buckley said silent lay-offs are "usually a futile attempt to maintain morale among remaining employees and manage their brand."

"Open communication is crucial, and anything less invites suspicion and erodes brand integrity," Nierman said.

"Ultimately, the cost of trying to silence your former employees will outweigh the short-term benefits of secrecy."

When it comes to quiet firing, Horne told the BBC that it can create an "us versus them" mentality. "You have the engaged employees, and then those just quietly left there, sometimes without their knowledge," she said. "It doesn't create an inclusive or high-performance workplace culture."

• Elon Musk is firing shots at Boeing, accusing the company of losing touch with its engineering roots.
• The aviation giant has had a bad few months, and is facing questions over its safety standards.
• Musk's SpaceX is competing with Boeing to transport astronauts to the International Space Station.

Elon Musk is no stranger to picking fights with rivals — and now he's turning his fire on Boeing.

The SpaceX founder attacked outgoing Boeing CEO David Calhoun on Tuesday, accusing the beleaguered aircraft company of losing touch with its engineering roots in a post on X.

"The CEO of an aircraft company should know how to design aircraft, not spreadsheets," Musk wrote in response to a post about Calhoun's accountancy degree.

Calhoun, who does not have an engineering background and instead has a bachelor's degree in accounting from Virginia Tech University, announced in March that he would step down at the end of the year, amid the ongoing fallout from a Boeing 737 Max 9 plane losing a door plug in midair.

Since Calhoun announced his resignation, the aviation industry has debated whether Boeing should appoint someone with an engineering background rather than a finance background as its next boss.

For instance, Tim Clark, the president of Middle Eastern airline Emirates, said in March that Boeing needs to appoint an engineer as its new CEO.

The aviation giant has reportedly struggled to find a replacement as it faces a string of whistleblower allegations criticizing its safety practices.

Boeing may soon face criminal charges after the Department of Justice accused it of violating a settlement agreement over two 737 Max 8 crashes that killed 346 people in 2018 and 2019. The company faces a separate criminal investigation into the Alaska Airlines blowout.

It's not the first time Musk has picked a fight with Boeing. The billionaire previously claimed the US aviation giant had "too many non-technical managers" ahead of the much-delayed first crewed launch of Boeing's Starliner spacecraft this month.

Both Boeing and SpaceX won NASA contracts to transport astronauts to the International Space Station in 2014.

Despite being awarded only $2.6 billion compared to Boeing's $4.2 billion, SpaceX managed to beat the aircraft manufacturer, launching its first crewed spaceflight to the ISS in 2020.

Boeing is attempting to catch up, but continues to run into problems with Starliner. The $1.5 billion spacecraft's return home from the ISS has been delayed indefinitely after five helium leaks were detected.

Boeing did not immediately respond to a request for comment made outside normal working hours.

• Emma Roberts says nepo babies in Hollywood don't always have it easy.
• People who criticize nepo babies "don't see all the rejection along the way," Roberts said on a podcast.
• The rich and famous aren't the only ones who leverage connections to get a leg up in their professional lives.

Emma Roberts says even Hollywood's nepo babies don't always have an easy path to stardom.

On an episode of the "Table for Two" podcast released on June 25, Roberts spoke to host Bruce Bozzi about the public perception of nepo babies, or "nepotism babies."

"I think there's two sides of the coin. People like to say, 'Oh, you know, you have a leg up because your family's in the industry.' But then the other side to that is you have to prove yourself more," Roberts, 33, said. "Also, if people don't have good experiences, maybe with other people in your family, then you'll never get a chance."

Roberts is a Hollywood nepo baby. Her aunt is Julia Roberts, and her dad is Eric Roberts, an actor best known for his role in the '80s action film "Runaway Train," for which he received an Academy Award nomination.

Roberts started her acting career in 2001 in the movie "Blow," where she played the daughter of Johnny Depp's character. Her big break came in 2004 when she was cast — at age 13 — in the lead role in the Nickelodeon sitcom "Unfabulous." More recently, she has starred in several seasons of "American Horror Story."

During the podcast episode, Roberts said it's not always true that nepo babies get everything handed to them on a silver platter.

"That's the thing that I always talk about — people kind of only see your wins because they only see when you're on the poster of a movie. They don't see all the rejection along the way," Roberts said.

She said she tries to be open about the roles she never landed so people will understand that not everything has been "so great and linear and easy" for her as it seems from the outside.

She also said female actors have it harder than their male counterparts when it comes to nepo baby criticism.

"And I always joke, 'Why is no one calling out George Clooney for being a nepo baby?'" Roberts said. Clooney's father is TV host Nick Clooney. His aunt is singer Rosemary Clooney.

The topic of nepo babies has been a major part of the public discourse since New York Magazine published a story about famous offspring of famous people in December 2022.

Many nepo babies and even their parents — particularly those in Hollywood — have pushed back against the title and its accompanying critiques.

In December, Meg Ryan defended her son, actor Jack Quaid, against "nepo baby" claims during an interview with Glamour. She said the label was "dismissive of his work ethic, his gifts, and how sensitive he is to the idea of his privilege."

In May, British singer Lily Allen called out the unfair use of the "nepo baby" label, saying it's almost always used against women.

On her podcast, Allen said she gets called a nepo baby "all the time" while her brother, "Game of Thrones" star Alfie Allen, rarely gets labeled the same way. Their father is British actor Keith Allen.

The business and tech worlds have their share of nepo babies, too.

Consider LVMH chairman and billionaire Bernard Arnault, who is currently No. 3 on Bloomberg's Billionaires Index: All five of his children work at the company and its brands.

Mukesh Ambani, the owner and chairman of Reliance Industries, has three children holding different roles across his empire.

And then there's the Drapers, Silicon Valley's premier VC family. Billionaire Tim Draper's grandfather founded the VC firm Draper, Gaither, and Anderson, and three of his children are venture capitalists themselves.

Of course, the rich and famous aren't the only ones who leverage connections to get a leg up in their professional lives.

A 2023 survey of 2,000 workers conducted by Applied, a recruitment company, showed that 68% of Gen Z workers have used nepotism to land a job offer. Even if they think nepotism is unfair, three-quarters of surveyed Gen Z workers said they would still use it to further their careers.

A representative for Roberts did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Business Insider sent outside regular business hours.