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• NY took Trump and his bond underwriters to court Monday, three buildings south of his criminal trial.
• The parties agreed to limit Trump's access to $175M collateralizing his civil fraud appeal bond.
• The NY Attorney General's Office had been concerned that Trump maintained some control of the cash.

Lawyers for Donald Trump and the New York Attorney General's Office struck a deal Monday that will now keep the GOP frontrunner from having any access to the cash collateral for his $175 million civil-fraud bond.

The agreement reached in civil court in Manhattan essentially moves the all-cash collateral to a Trump-proof lockbox. Only the bond underwriter, Knight Specialty Insurance Company, has the key.

Previously, Trump and Knight shared control of the cash, a sticking point for the AG's office.

Monday's agreement was reached during a 20-minute huddle among the lawyers, Law360 reported.

The hearing revealed that the cash, held in a Charles Schwab account pledged to KSIC, has already earned Trump $700,000 in interest, the outlet reported.

The 10 a.m. bond hearing overlapped with the start of opening statements in Trump's criminal hush-money trial, held on the same Lower Manhattan street, two courthouses to the north.

The bond keeps AG Letitia James from potentially seizing Trump's assets to satisfy the more than $454 million he owes the state after losing last year's civil fraud trial.

Trump is appealing the penalty, which continues to accrue interest at a rate of $1 million every nine days. On Monday, his debt to New York totaled $460 million.

The monetary judgment and other penalties — including a ban on Trump running a New York business for three years, currently on hold due to the appeal — were imposed in February.

State Supreme Court Justice Arthur Engoron, who presided over the nearly 11-week fraud trial, found that for a decade, Trump, his eldest sons, and the Trump Organization exaggerated his net worth in financial statements used to secure more than $400 million in loans.

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• A new version of a "TikTok ban" just passed the House bundled with a foreign-aid bill.
• TikTok having to sell to a US buyer or shut down would be a win for Instagram and YouTube.
• Mark Zuckerberg is probably verrrrrry happy right now.

Everything's coming up Zuck — again. Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg will very likely end up the ultimate winner in the most recent push to force a sale or ban of Chinese-owned TikTok.

The House passed a TikTok "ban" or forced sale as part of a bill on military aid for Ukraine and Israel. Even if President Joe Biden signs the bill, it'll likely face a court battle, so you probably don't need to worry about TikTok disappearing from your phone anytime soon.

But almost any outcome here is good news for Instagram's Reels, owned by Zuckerberg's Meta, and YouTube's Shorts, owned by Alphabet — TikTok's main competitors.

We know that Meta has been pushing to amplify concerns over TikTok since at least 2022 when it paid a Republican consulting firm to create an influence campaign to play up fears that TikTok is bad for children and teens. A year ago, BI's Grace Kay wrote that TikTok legislation would be like "an early Christmas present" for Zuckerberg.

If TikTok, for some reason, couldn't operate in the US any longer, it'd leave a lot of eyeballs up for grabs — and people would just shift their habits to watching videos on another app. (And to some degree, they already have — Reels has actually become good and popular lately, after being a crummy backwater initially. Instagram had more growth and downloads last year than TikTok, and after Instagram faced an existential crisis, it's having a surprising comeback.)

Creators, many of whom are already posting on those other platforms, will also adjust. In that way, YouTube may come out a winner — YouTube's way of paying creators by a straight ad revenue split is more creator-friendly than Instagram, where the algorithm and payments are more mercurial. (Just look at how much time Instagram head Adam Mosseri spends on Threads running customer service for disgruntled creators.)

If ByteDance ends up selling TikTok to a US company, it's hard to imagine it will be a smooth transition. For one thing, it's unclear if ByteDance will allow TikTok's algorithm — the thing that makes it so good in the first place — to be included in the sale.

That means you might end up in a situation like former US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin trying to build his own algorithm for a US-owned TikTok, which … good luck, buddy! I imagine that Zuck would be thrilled with this outcome.

Perhaps Hot Zuck Summer is heating up again!

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• Bill Gates has amassed an extensive — and high value — real estate portfolio.
• His many houses come with a multi-million dollar tax bill each year.
• Here's how much Gates paid in property taxes last year.

As the old saying goes, nothing can be said to be certain except death and taxes.

And even though the very wealthy have been criticized for not paying their fair share, there's one area where it's pretty hard to avoid the taxman: property.

Every year, billionaires must take out their checkbooks and send off thousands to their local governments. While the amount they pay is typically pennies compared to their overall net worth, some billionaires who have amassed large real estate portfolios pay tax sums that would make the jaws of mere mortals drop.

Bill Gates is one of them. Last year, the homes owned by Gates and his former wife, Melinda French Gates, racked up a $2.7 million property tax bill last year. That's more than 700 times as much as the average American pays in property taxes each year.

The former richest man in the world, Gates has amassed 275,000 acres of land, making him the country's 42nd biggest landowner, according to the Land Report. While most of that is farmland and tied to investments, 245 acres are for personal use.

He and French Gates spent more than $150 million over three decades buying up their current real estate portfolio. Following their 2021 divorce, a number of the properties were transferred from one trust to another. It's nearly impossible to discern who owns what, as all their trusts are linked to the same Seattle bank.

Gates' highest property tax bill is in Washington state, where he has a 10.5-acre property in the tony Seattle suburb of Medina along Lake Washington. He spent $34 million buying the 12 parcels of and around his mansion, known as Xanadu 2.0, and together, they have an assessed value of $183.5 million. Last year, the property taxes on the properties added up to $1.3 million. The taxes on the largest of the parcels — 5.15 acres on the water — will exceed $1 million this year.

Gates owns five properties in California, where property values are known to be high. Taxes are highest on the Del Mar beach house he purchased in 2020. The home, which cost $43 million and set a record at the time, came with a tax bill of about $480,000 last year.

In Florida, where Gates owns an equestrian compound in Wellington, he paid $280,000 in taxes last year, and in Montana, where he has a house in the exclusive Yellowstone Club, he paid $107,000.

While high by most standards, Gates' property tax bill represents less than 0.01% of his $148 billion net worth — and a fraction of his total tax bill.

While Gates pays a higher effective tax rate on his wealth growth than other billionaires, he has a lower effective tax rate on his income than most other billionaires and high-earning Americans. In 2022, ProPublica reported his annual average income from 2013 to 2018 was $2.85 billion, and his annual federal income tax rate was 18.4% — meaning he would have paid about $525 million in federal income tax each year, according to BI calculations.

He's not one to complain, though. Gates has said that the ultrawealthy should pay more in taxes.

"In terms of the very rich, I think they should pay a lot more in taxes, and they should give away their wealth over time," he said during a Reddit "Ask Me Anything" last year.

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Whether you're aware of it or not, 5G technology is shaping your world every day.

Like 4G before it, the fifth generation of cellular wireless technology powers high-speed internet on our phones. But because it can support many devices reliably with low lag times and fast download speeds, it's also powering things like long-distance synchronous music-making, faster electric-vehicle charging, and innovative mental-health care. It's also forward compatible — meaning it's built to support technologies that are still in development or don't even exist yet.

Business Insider's 5G and Connectivity Playbook is built for anyone who wants to know what's possible with this tech and other connectivity advancements — how they can take your business to new heights, expand your creativity, or enliven your world.

We're your one-stop resource for captivating profiles, informative how-tos, and exciting interactive features.

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There are two main types of foldable phones available, and we've concluded that the best foldable phones for most people are of the book-style, tablet-hybrid design rather than the clamshell-style flip phone.

Tablet-hybrid foldable phones are significantly more expensive but offer greater functionality, performance, and battery life in exchange. Clamshell foldables are, in effect, fashionable statement pieces with a secondary benefit of becoming compact when folded, and they're expensive for what they are; that said, there are worthwhile options for those who value the clamshell design. 

In our testing, the OnePlus Open is the best foldable phone overall thanks to its performance, premium design and build quality, large cover and tablet displays, solid battery life, and excellent cameras. If you want to spend as little as possible on a foldable phone, Motorola's Razr is your best option for a valuable and affordable foldable. 

Our top picks for the best foldable phones

Best overall: OnePlus Open – See at Amazon

Best overall alternative: Google Pixel Fold – See at Amazon

Best foldable flip phone: Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 – See at Samsung

Best budget foldable: Motorola Razr – See at Amazon

Best overall

The OnePlus Open provides the best overall experience of any foldable phone I've used and tested, including the Google Pixel Fold, Samsung's Galaxy Z Fold 5 and Galaxy Z Flip 5, and Motorola's Razr Plus.

In terms of performance, display, and camera quality, the $1,700 OnePlus Open excels as much as any other foldable phone in the $1,800 range. It runs on 2023's top Android processor, the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2, which provides an ultra-smooth, fast, premium experience. Its displays are also high-resolution OLEDs that run at high 120Hz refresh rates, and it takes gorgeous photos with its triple-lens camera system.  

What sets the OnePlus Open apart is its incredibly high build quality. It's also one of the most satisfying and smooth foldable phones to unfold and fold, and it's among the flattest foldables in tablet mode when some foldables don't appear or feel quite flat. 

We also love the OnePlus Open's 7.8-inch OLED 120Hz tablet display, which is larger than the 7.6-inch tablet displays on other book-style foldables available in the US. The apps we used during testing, including several Google apps, Reddit, Instagram, Apple Music, and LastPass, also display beautifully in tablet mode, whether they're optimized or not.

The OnePlus Open isn't perfect, however. It doesn't include wireless charging, a glaring omission on a $1,700 phone. And, while its cameras are excellent, they can deliver softer details on moving subjects, like pets or toddlers, than other top Android devices. It's rather reliant on sufficient lighting to capture tack-sharp photos.

When it comes to AI features, OnePlus is currently a lightweight compared to competition from Google and Samsung. However, we don't feel the Open is a lesser phone, as AI features are still somewhat novel at the moment. OnePlus is also rolling out its own AI Eraser tool, which uses AI to remove objects (or subjects) from a photo and replace them with contextually aware details. It's basically OnePlus' version of Google's Magic Eraser on Pixel phones.

For its first attempt at foldable phones, OnePlus truly knocked it out of the park and created one of the best Android phones on the market. The phone looks and feels like the company has been designing and manufacturing foldable phones for years.

Best overall alternative

We can't make a recommendation for the top foldable phone without including the Google Pixel Fold. It's only the "alternative" to the OnePlus Open based on a purely subjective trait: It doesn't quite look or feel as well-built and sleek thanks to the larger borders around the tablet display and a mushy sensation when unfolding the phone. 

Otherwise, the Pixel Fold comes every bit as recommended as the OnePlus Open. The Pixel Fold is also a smaller foldable phone with its 5.8-inch exterior display and 7.6-inch tablet display, which may better fit your preference. 

In every other way, the Pixel Fold offers a premium experience. Both its displays are high-end OLED panels with a silky smooth 120Hz refresh rate, and the tablet display has razor-sharp 1840p resolution. Paired with Google's Tensor G2 processor from 2023's flagship Pixel 7 generation, the Pixel Fold runs apps, games, and the Android operating system quickly, smoothly, and without a hitch. 

Its assortment of five cameras is among the best you can find on a foldable phone and only slightly behind other high-end Pixel cameras. And thanks to the Tensor G2 processor, the Pixel Fold includes Google's suite of AI photo editing features, like Magic Eraser, Photo Unblur, and Portrait Blur. 

Our Google Pixel Fold review found that battery life is excellent in both phone and tablet modes and will easily last you through the day. In fact, battery life is so good that you could use the Pixel Fold in tablet mode exclusively all day and still have leftover battery life. 

(You might be surprised that Samsung's Galaxy Z Fold 5 didn't make our list of the best foldable phones you can buy. That's almost entirely because of its narrow cover display, which delivers an awkward and uncomfortable experience when you're not using the tablet display. Otherwise, it's a very good book-style foldable phone.) 

Best foldable flip phone

Samsung's Galaxy Z Flip 5 is the most polished, feature-rich, and powerful clamshell foldable you can buy. It's safe to say that if you're looking for the best clamshell foldable, you should buy the Galaxy Z Flip 5.

First and foremost, the Galaxy Z Flip 5's large cover screen, or "Flex Window," is significantly more useful than the tiny cover displays that were common on clamshell foldables before.  

The larger cover screen lets you see more information at a glance and access basic settings like airplane mode or the flashlight. You can even write a text using a full-size keyboard without unfolding the phone. Some apps are supported to run on the cover screen without unfolding the phone, but Samsung could do better to get more apps to support it. 

The Galaxy Z Flip 5 runs on the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 processor, a "previous-generation" processor now that phones are coming out with the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 processor in 2024. It's still a supremely powerful and capable processor that proves it's more than enough to run anything you throw at is smoothly and quickly. 

Combine its stellar performance with a 6.7-inch foldable OLED panel running at 120Hz and supporting 1080p resolution, and you have an ultra-premium fluid experience while swiping around apps and the Android operating system. 

Our Galaxy Z Flip 5 review noted that photos taken with the 12MP main and ultrawide cameras are on par with Samsung's high-end phones in well-lit scenarios, but they're lacking in low-light situations. 

Samsung also updated the Galaxy Z Flip 5 in March with the Galaxy AI features it introduced in the Galaxy S24 series, including the most impressive and useful Circle to Search function, which lets you circle specific details in an image to perform a Google search. Among the better AI features are photo editing tools, like Photo Assist for manipulating images.

Best budget foldable

Motorola's base Razr wins the accolade for the best "budget" foldable phone, but it's also the only affordable foldable that's well under $1,000.

As you can imagine, the Razr's comparatively lower price means the phone isn't quite as fully kitted as more expensive clamshell foldables, like the Razr Plus or Galaxy Z Flip 5, and its camera quality is not on par with high-end foldable devices. 

The Razr runs on the mid-range Qualcomm Snapdragon 7 Gen 1 processor rather than a flagship processor, like the Snapdragon 8 series. Despite this, the Razr is surprisingly snappy and runs apps with no trouble at all. 

You'll also find the Razr's small external display is less useful than the larger external displays on flagship foldables. It's only good for showing you notifications and the time and doesn't let you do much else, which forces you to unfold the Razr to do anything meaningful or menial, like writing a quick response to a text. 

Still, the tiny external display can be used as a viewfinder for taking selfies with the main camera, which is a marquee feature of foldable phones. Once unfolded, the Razr offers a premium display experience with its 6.9-inch OLED folding panel that runs at a 144Hz refresh rate and a 1080p resolution.

Starting at $700 (and occasionally discounted to around $500), the Motorola Razr is a solid entry-level foldable phone that's a good option if you couldn't previously justify the $1,000-plus price tags of most foldables or if you want to experiment with the foldable clamshell design.

Best foldable phones compared

FAQs

Are foldable phones worth it?

Spec for spec, foldable phones are currently more expensive than their traditional flat counterparts. With that in mind, foldable phones need to offer a benefit to make up for their higher prices. If the benefit makes sense to you, a foldable phone is worth it. 

Book-style foldables are a hybrid of a traditional phone and a tablet. If you've ever wished you had both simultaneously, but it's not practical to carry around a separate tablet, especially one that needs a separate data plan, a book-style foldable could certainly be worth it.

Clamshell foldables offer compact portability when not in use, or they can be fashionable statement pieces. If you ask us, we find their benefits less worthy than those of a book-style foldable. Yet, if you like the idea of a sleek, stylish, compact clamshell that can be flipped open and folded shut, who are we to say it's not worth it?

Will Apple make a foldable phone?

Apple is undoubtedly exploring the foldable phone concept, but at the time of writing, a foldable iPhone is comfortably stuck in the rumorsphere, so far. There are only analyst predictions, mostly based on patents, to indicate that a foldable iPhone is in the works.

There's no telling when a foldable iPhone could be released, with projected release dates varying from last year (2023) to 2027. With that in mind, we wouldn't recommend waiting for one if you're putting off an upgrade, especially if your current phone is in dire straits.

Best overall

The OnePlus Open provides the best overall experience out of any foldable phone I've used and tested, including the Google Pixel Fold, Samsung's Galaxy Z Fold 5 and Galaxy Z Flip 5, and Motorola's Razr Plus.

In terms of performance, display, and camera quality, the $1,700 OnePlus Open excels as much as any other foldable phone in the $1,800 range. It runs on 2023's top Android processor, the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2, which provides an ultra-smooth, fast, premium experience. Its displays are also high-resolution OLEDs that run at high 120Hz refresh rates, and it takes gorgeous photos with its triple-lens camera system.  

What sets the OnePlus Open apart is its incredibly high build quality. It's also one of the most satisfying and smooth foldable phones to unfold and fold, and it's among the flattest foldables in tablet mode when some foldables don't appear or feel quite flat. 

We also love the OnePlus Open's 7.8-inch OLED 120Hz tablet display, which is larger than the 7.6-inch tablet displays on other book-style foldables available in the US. The apps we used during testing, including several Google apps, Reddit, Instagram, Apple Music, and LastPass, also display beautifully in tablet mode, whether they're optimized or not.

The OnePlus Open isn't perfect, however. It doesn't include wireless charging, which is a glaring omission on a $1,700 phone. And, while its cameras are excellent, they can deliver softer details on moving subjects, like pets or toddlers, than other top Android devices. It's rather reliant on sufficient lighting to capture tack-sharp photos.

For its first attempt at foldable phones, OnePlus truly knocked it out of the park. The phone looks and feels as if the company has been designing and manufacturing foldable phones for years.

Best overall alternative

We can't make a recommendation for the top foldable phone without including the Google Pixel Fold. It's only the "alternative" to the OnePlus Open based on a purely subjective trait — it doesn't quite look and feel as well-built and sleek thanks to the larger borders around the tablet display, and a mushy sensation when unfolding the phone. 

Otherwise, the Pixel Fold comes every bit as recommended as the OnePlus Open. The Pixel Fold is also a smaller foldable phone with its 5.8-inch exterior display and 7.6-inch tablet display, which may better fit your preference. 

In every other way, the Pixel Fold offers a premium experience. Both its displays are high-end OLED panels with a silky smooth 120Hz refresh rate, and the tablet display has razor-sharp 1840p resolution. Paired with Google's Tensor G2 processor from 2023's flagship Pixel 7 generation, the Pixel Fold runs apps, games, and the Android operating system quickly, smoothly, and without a hitch. 

Its assortment of five cameras is among the best you can find on a foldable phone and only slightly behind other high-end Pixel cameras. And thanks to the Tensor G2 processor, the Pixel Fold includes Google's suite of AI photo editing features, like Magic Eraser, Photo Unblur, and Portrait Blur. 

Battery life is also excellent in both phone and tablet modes, and it'll easily last you through the day. In fact, battery life is so good that you could use the Pixel Fold in tablet mode exclusively all day and still have leftover battery life. 

(You might be surprised that Samsung's Galaxy Z Fold 5 didn't make our list of the best foldable phones you can buy. That's almost entirely because of its narrow cover display, which delivers an awkward and uncomfortable experience when you're not using the tablet display. Otherwise, it's a very good book-style foldable phone.) 

Best foldable flip phone

Samsung's Galaxy Z Flip 5 is the most polished, feature-rich, and powerful clamshell foldable you can buy. It's safe to say that if you're looking for the best clamshell foldable, you should buy the Galaxy Z Flip 5. 

First and foremost, the Galaxy Z Flip 5's large cover screen, or "Flex Window," is significantly more useful than the tiny cover displays that were common on clamshell foldables before.  

The larger cover screen lets you see more information at a glance and access basic settings like airplane mode or the flashlight. You can even write a text using a full-size keyboard without unfolding the phone. Some apps are supported to run on the cover screen without unfolding the phone, but Samsung could do better to get more apps to support it. 

The Galaxy Z Flip 5 runs on the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 processor, a "previous-generation" processor now that phones are coming out with the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 processor. It's still a supremely powerful and capable processor that proves it's more than enough to run anything you throw at is smoothly and quickly. 

Combine its stellar performance with a 6.7-inch foldable OLED panel running at 120Hz and supporting 1080p resolution, and you have an ultra-premium fluid experience while swiping around apps and the Android operating system. 

Photos taken with the 12MP main and ultrawide cameras are on par with Samsung's high-end phones in well-lit scenarios, but they're lacking in low-light situations. 

Best budget foldable

Motorola's base Razr wins the accolade for the best "budget" foldable phone, but it's also the only affordable foldable that's well under $1,000.

As you can imagine, the Razr's comparatively lower price means the phone isn't quite as fully kitted as more expensive clamshell foldables, like the Razr Plus or Galaxy Z Flip 5, and its camera quality is not on par with high-end foldable devices. 

The Razr runs on the mid-range Qualcomm Snapdragon 7 Gen 1 processor rather than a flagship processor, like the Snapdragon 8 series. Despite this, the Razr is surprisingly snappy and runs apps with no trouble at all. 

You'll also find the Razr's small external display is less useful than the larger external displays on flagship foldables. It's only good for showing you notifications and the time and doesn't let you do much else, which forces you to unfold the Razr to do anything meaningful or menial, like writing a quick response to a text. 

Still, the tiny external display can be used as a viewfinder for taking selfies with the main camera, which is a marquee feature of foldable phones. Once unfolded, the Razr offers a premium display experience with its 6.9-inch OLED folding panel that runs at a 144Hz refresh rate and a 1080p resolution.

Starting at $700 (and occasionally discounted to around $500), the Motorola Razr is a solid entry-level foldable phone that's a good option if you couldn't previously justify the $1,000-plus price tags of most foldables or if you want to experiment with the foldable clamshell design.

Best foldable phones compared

Specification	OnePlus Open	Google Pixel Fold	Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5	Motorola Razr (2023)
Starting price	$1,700	$1,799	$1,000	$700
Processor	Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2	Google Tensor G2	Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2	Qualcomm Snapdragon 7 Gen 1
Battery	4805mAh	4821mAh	3700mAh	4,200mAh
Unfolded display	7.82 inches, 2268p, AMOLED, 1-120Hz	7.6 inches, 1840p, OLED, 120Hz	6.7 inches, 1080p, AMOLED, 120Hz	6.9 inches, 1080p, pOLED, 1-144Hz
Cover display	6.31 inches, 1116p, AMOLED, 10-120Hz	5.8 inches, OLED, 1080p, 120Hz	3.4 inches, 720p, AMOLED, 120Hz	1.5 inches, 194p, OLED, 60Hz
Rear cameras	48MP main, 64MP 3x zoom, 48MP ultrawide	48MP main, 10.8MP 5x zoom, 10.8MP ultrawide	12MP main, 12MP ultrawide	64MP main, 13MP ultrawide
Front / tablet cameras	32MP (front), 20MP (tablet)	9.5MP (front), 8MP (tablet)	10MP	32MP
RAM / Storage	16GB / 512GB	12GB / 256GB, 512GB	8GB / 256GB, 512GB	8GB / 128GB
Release date	October 2023	June 2023	August 2023	October 2023

FAQs

Are foldable phones worth it?

Spec for spec, foldable phones are currently more expensive than their traditional flat counterparts. With that in mind, foldable phones need to offer a benefit to make up for their higher prices. If the benefit makes sense to you, a foldable phone is worth it. 

Book-style foldables are a hybrid of a traditional phone and a tablet. If you've ever wished you had both simultaneously, but it's not practical to carry around a separate tablet, especially one that needs a separate data plan, a book-style foldable could certainly be worth it.

Clamshell foldables offer compact portability when not in use, or they can be fashionable statement pieces. If you ask us, we find their benefits less worthy than those of a book-style foldable. Yet, if you like the idea of a sleek, stylish, compact clamshell that can be flipped open and folded shut, who are we to say it's not worth it?

Will Apple make a foldable phone?

Apple is undoubtedly exploring the foldable phone concept, but at the time of writing, a foldable iPhone is comfortably stuck in the rumorsphere, so far. There are only analyst predictions, mostly based on patents, to indicate that a foldable iPhone is in the works.

There's no telling when a foldable iPhone could be released, with projected release dates varying from last year (2023) to 2027. With that in mind, we wouldn't recommend waiting for one if you're putting off an upgrade, especially if your current phone is in dire straits.

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• Conventional wisdom suggests that RFK Jr.'s presidential campaign could stop Biden from reelection.
• A recent poll, however, shows the long shot campaign may have the opposite effect.
• Biden leads Trump in an NBC News survey when third-party candidates are in the mix.

Former President Donald Trump's allies may end up regretting Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s long shot presidential campaign.

A new poll by NBC News shows that while some conventional wisdom labels Kennedy as more of a threat to President Joe Biden's reelection, that may not actually be the case.

In the survey, NBC found that a greater share of Trump voters flock to the noted vaccine skeptic's campaign when their presidential choices are expanded beyond just Trump and Biden. Trump leads Biden by 2 points (within the margin of error) in a two-on-two rematch, but the advantage flips to Biden by the same margin when the field is expanded to Biden, Trump, Kennedy, Jill Stein, and Cornel West.

On the one hand, it makes sense why such a coalition would exist. Kennedy has even claimed that Trump's allies approached him to be the former president's running mate.

A Politico analysis also found that a greater share of small donors to Kennedy's campaign previously gave similar amounts to Trump than Kennedy-Biden donors. On a much larger scale, GOP megadonor Timothy Mellon gave a pro-Kennedy super PAC $5 million. A New York activist who had worked for Kennedy's campaign also talked up a potential alliance between the former president and the candidate whose name is synonymous with the Democratic Party.

Trump has never styled himself as a traditional conservative like his former vice president, Mike Pence. The former president has also expressed uneasiness about the COVID-19 vaccines, even though the Trump administration was instrumental in creating "Operation Warp Speed," which accelerated vaccine development.

It looks like Trump's allies are already aware of the potentially perilous position he's in: The New York Times reported earlier in April that the former president's associates are going to try to paint Kennedy as a "champion for choice" in an attempt to siphon votes from abortion-access advocates away from Biden.

In July 2023 — back when Kennedy was still running as a Democrat — he had a higher disapproval rating than approval when polling Democratic voters. At the same time, his Republican backing appeared to skyrocket, jumping to 50% of GOP respondents saying they viewed him favorably compared to 27% unfavorably.

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• The House has passed legislation that could ban TikTok in the US unless ByteDance sells it to a US-based entity.
• It now heads to the Senate for a vote. If it passes there, it'd reach President Biden's desk.
• Here's a look at some people and companies that could buy the app.

Buyers are beginning to raise their hands for what might be one the biggest — and most geopolitically tense — sales in recent history.

The US House of Representatives voted 360-58 on Saturday to advance legislation that would essentially ban TikTok in the United States unless its parent company, China-based ByteDance, can find a US-based buyer within nine months of the bill becoming law, with a possible extension of an additional three months if a deal is in the works.

While the legislation still needs to pass the Senate, President Joe Biden has said he would sign it into law if it reaches his desk. With the House bundling the ban into a larger foreign aid bill, that's looking like a stronger possibility.

The wildly popular social media platform's US business is worth somewhere between $35 to $40 billion, which means that finding a buyer whose pockets are deep enough isn't going to be easy.

And with over 170 million users in the United States alone, any tech giant that foots the bill — since companies like Meta, Google, and Microsoft might be the only ones with the funds — will likely run into antitrust concerns.

Even if the bill goes through, TikTok appears to be gearing up for a legal battle. It is already mobilizing users to call their local representatives to express their opposition.

It's also possible that the Chinese government will intervene.

When lawmakers in Washington called for a sale of TikTok back in 2020, China's commerce ministry said the government would need to sign off, according to The New York Times. China's then foreign minister, Wang Wenbin, also said the United States was "resorting to hegemonic moves when one could not succeed in fair competition."

So, it's not certain that TikTok will be sold off soon. But that hasn't stopped a handful of people from publicly expressing their interest in buying the platform.

Here's a rundown of what people and companies could be TikTok's next owner.

Former Activision CEO Bobby Kotick

The former CEO of gaming giant Activision has reportedly floated the idea of buying TikTok to ByteDance cofounder Zhang Yiming and OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, The Wall Street Journal reports, citing sources familiar with the conversations.

Former Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin

The former treasury secretary said in March that he was assembling a group of investors to buy TikTok.

"I think the legislation should pass — I think it should be sold," Mnuchin told CNBC, diverging with his former boss, former president Donald Trump, who has said he opposes the bill.

"I understand the technology. It's a great business. And I'm going to put together a group to buy TikTok,'" Mnuchin said. He did not offer specific names but said the group would be organized such that "no one investor controls this."

Entrepreneur and investor Kevin O’Leary

The Shark Tank investor has said he'd buy the platform or join a syndicate that plans on buying it, in an interview on Fox News in March.

"Not going to get banned because I'm gonna buy it," O'Leary said. "Somebody's going to buy it. It won't be Meta, and it won't be Google because a regulator will stop that."

O'Leary also proposed launching a bipartisan group to overhaul the company and place it under US control.

"This is worth billions. It's one of the most successful advertising platforms in social media today," O'Leary said. "All my companies use it. I'll buy it."

Oracle cofounder Larry Ellison and Walmart

Back in 2020, after former president Donald Trump issued two executive orders demanding that TikTok divest its US operations to a US company, Oracle and Walmart came together in an attempt to take a stake in the US spinoff. TikTok defeated Trump's order in court. But it also partnered with Oracle on Project Texas, an initiative that routed American user data to Oracle-owned servers.

Since the House passed the bill, neither company has yet said publicly whether they would make another offer.

Microsoft

Microsoft could try for the second time to buy TikTok after its failed deal to buy the platform a few years ago.

"The likely buyers for TikTok strategically for this asset would be Microsoft, Oracle (e.g. Project Texas) in our view given past interest and strategically would make a logical fit," Wedbush analyst Dan Ives wrote in a note Monday.

At Vox's Code Conference in 2021, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella said he was "pretty intrigued" about a possible deal and that the app was "a great property."

"It was an interesting product, and also the way it was engineered, quite frankly, appealed a lot more to me and Microsoft. The way it's about design and AI, I like that," he said at the time.

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• Justin Peterson moved to Alaska to pursue mining a little over 20 years ago.
• The industry has similarities to Australia's FIFO work, but the conditions can be rough.
• The hours are long, but the money is good, and some projects will partially compensate you in gold. 

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Justin Peterson, a 41-year-old gold miner in Alaska who has built a TikTok following of more than 20,000 users. This essay has been edited for length and clarity. Insider verified his identity, employment, and salary.

I moved to Alaska from Oregon to find work opportunities in the mining industry about 20 years ago.

I focus on gold mining, but we also have one of the world's largest zinc and lead mines, as well as silver and platinum here in Alaska.

There's a growing TikTok community that documents the perks of working in the mining industry. Although many of these workers live in Australia, I've also built a following on the app by sharing my experience in the field.

But it isn't always glamorous. Working as a miner for over 20 years in Alaska has shown me the challenges of this career path long term.

The perks and downsides to rotational work

Rotational work in Alaska is the same as "fly-in-fly-out" in Australia. It's when companies fly employees to the mining site to work for about two or three weeks straight. Then, the companies fly employees back home for two or three weeks of rest and relaxation, referred to as R&R.

In Alaska, rotational work cycles can last up to six weeks with no break. Mining companies here fly workers from Anchorage or Fairbanks to multiple sites across the state. One of the most common sites is the oilfield of the North Slope.

Construction campsites, like the ones I've worked at, are nice but simple. Operations camps have full-time workers who run the facilities. Some offer amenities like basketball courts or saunas. But most camps have a recreational hang-out area and a gym. They also provide food and housing.

During R&R periods, people can travel or spend their time relaxing.

As someone living in Wasilla, Alaska, with a wife and an 18-year-old son, my travel opportunities are more limited because the cost of living here in Alaska is expensive. But if you live in a cheaper state or you're independent, the lifestyle may pay off more because you can spend more money on travel.

A lot of people who live in Alaska go riding, hunting, and fishing during their "rest and relaxation week." I like to relax or check out the northern lights.

I liked rotational work because I could do my own mining during my time off. It was tough for my family in the beginning, but soon they saw that I was able to make more money and stack up my days off. When we were together, we were able to enjoy our time more.

The mining industry in Alaska is rough

The physical conditions of mining in Alaska are rough.

Winter is especially difficult. The temperature is extreme and can dip down to below -40 degrees. Companies don't usually pause work, and we're expected to work in these conditions.

In some mining roles, you have to dive dredge, which is a form of plaster mining. It requires workers to plunge into freezing water and use a suction hose to vacuum up the gravel on the riverbed. It's one of the preferred ways of mining because it's easy to set up. The best gold is often found sitting on solid bedrock.

Aside from the conditions specific to Alaska, the nature of this lifestyle is also tough. It requires a lot of physical labor which means getting an injury or getting sick could compromise your ability to keep a job.

After my first six weeks of rotational work in 2006, I lost a finger during my R&R week. It was before my first 90 days on the new job so I had to cover the medical expenses alone. Since I wasn't able to fly back out on time because of the accident, I ended up losing my job.

The money can be good, but it depends on the project

I did rotational work for a while, but I'm currently working in the support structure for various mines and oilfield development. In this role as a welder, I work six or seven days a week, but my current job has no "rest and relaxation" time built in the way FIFO or rotational work usually does.

At my current job as a welder, I make $34 an hour, which is decent. I work around 12 and a half hours a day either 72 or 84 hours a week. In a week that I work 72 hours, I make about $3,500 before taxes. That comes to about $175,000 annually, assuming I work 52 weeks without taxes factored in.

I plan on taking about seven or 10 days off in August to see "The Strongest Man on Earth" competition with my son in Colorado. Those are the only days I plan to take off this year because I have to make up for a slow year.

I've made more and less than my current rate during my years as a miner. Jobs with a government contractor typically pay higher.

In other jobs, I made significantly less than I do now, but I was partially compensated with gold. It was an under-the-table sort of verbal agreement with my employer. During that time, I made just over $1,800 a week working nearly 82 hours a week.

Even though I wasn't getting a lot of money on my paychecks, I was able to keep a portion of the gold I found, up to 60 or 100 ounces depending on how the company did.

Gold is easy to sell in Alaska, and nowadays, you can get about $2,400 per ounce. I liked to sell it in small increments of less than $600, so I didn't have to include it in a tax write-off, but you can make more on a sale if you sell it in larger quantities.

My work opportunities are now limited

I've worked 12-and-a-half-hour days, six or seven days a week, for the last year, with only about 10 days off a year. I plan to do this for two more years to save money after a slow year in mining. Then, I want to return to rotational work to have more time to enjoy life.

I don't necessarily want to be working this much in these conditions, but this is the industry I entered and these are the opportunities available to me right now.

My dream would be to work at a remote mining operation camp, like Skookum Gold Camp and Chicken Gold Camp in Alaska, where people outside the industry can find gold and take it home. Then, I could travel during the winter to other mining locations around the world, like Australia.

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• Donald Trump has a Boeing 757 private jet outfitted with gold-plated seatbelts and a bedroom.
• The ex-president has used the $100 million plane to fly to rallies and criminal indictments.
• Trump has owned the jet since 2011 and has held onto it despite his expensive legal battles.

Although he's facing four criminal indictments, former US president Donald Trump is still flying in style.

According to data from the aircraft-tracking website JetSpy, Trump's prized Boeing 757 private jet arrived at New York's LaGuardia Airport late Saturday evening ahead of his hush-money trial that started on Monday.

Trump paid $100 million for the jet, registered N757AF, in 2011 and has since decked it out with luxuries like a private bedroom and gold-plated seatbelts.

The ex-president, who is now the Republican nominee for the 2024 election, has managed to hold onto his VIP airplane despite the steep $454 million civil penalty he owed New York after losing a recent fraud case, the Associated Press reported in March.

Trump agreed to pay a lower amount than initially asked while he appeals the ruling, per the AP. However, he could have lost key assets — including his aircraft — had he failed to come up with the cash.

Considering the 757 has not only become a staple of Trump's wealth but also acts as a grandiose backdrop at his presidential rallies, it's unlikely he'll easily part with the VIP plane.

Here's a closer look at "Trump Force One."

During his time as president, Donald Trump flew around the world in Air Force One, a specially-modified Boeing 747 used for presidential transport.

Source: The White House

The flying Oval Office is luxurious, with several staterooms and meeting rooms.

31 photos that show how Air Force One has changed through the years

But, as a multi-billionaire and business tycoon, Air Force One was not Trump's first time using a private aircraft.

Over the years, the former president has owned several personal aircraft, like a Cessna Citation X…

Here's how the Trump family spends their billions, from a $15 million beachfront estate in St. Martin to a $32 million fleet of private helicopters and airplanes

…a Boeing 727 tri-jet…

Source: CNN

…a Sikorsky S76 helicopter…

Trump is selling his iconic $7 million helicopter that was a frequent guest on 'The Apprentice' and the campaign trail — see inside

…and his prized Boeing 757 narrowbody aircraft, which he named "Trump Force One." JetSpy data shows the ex-president still has the Cessna Citation X.

Source: JetSpy, Trump's beloved Boeing 757 private jet is finally flying again after a year of maintenance work and a new paint job

The 757 first flew in 1991 and was previously operated by defunct carriers Sterling Airways of Denmark and TAESA Airlines of Mexico.

It also spent time as a corporate aircraft for Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen before being sold to Trump.

Trump bought the more than three-decade-old plane in 2011 for a reported $100 million, and it became an icon at his campaign rallies all over the US.

Source: CNN

And, it was no secret whose plane was flying overhead as it sported a giant "T" on the tail and "TRUMP" written in large letters on the fuselage.

However, when Trump won the presidency in 2016, he was required to use the government transport fleet while in office.

He traded in his beloved 757 for the presidential aircraft, but the plane was still used by members of the Trump Organization from 2017 to 2019.

The gold-plated Boeing 757 owned by former President Trump is sitting empty at a New York airport, amid reports that the plane requires costly repairs

In 2019, the plane was parked at Stewart International Airport in New York where it sat for two years before flying to Louisiana in November 2021 for refurbishment.

Source: Insider, Insider

Trump announced on his website in May 2021 that the plane, which needed a new paint job and maintenance work, would be "fully restored and updated" in Louisiana and "used at upcoming rallies."

Source: Donald J Trump, Trump plans to restore his 'beautiful' Boeing 757 with Rolls-Royce engines and new paint job for future rallies

Although Trump initially said the plane would re-enter service at the end of 2021, it is finally back as of July 2022.

Eric Trump, at the time, posted a time-lapse video on Twitter of the 757's new paint job, which was completed by aircraft refinishing company Landlocked Aviation.

Source: Eric Trump, 7News

Company president Tyson Grenzebach told local outlet 7News in July that the job took 40 people and about a month to complete.

Source:  7News

The fresh livery sports a black fuselage and an American flag on the tail…

…and the signature gold "Trump" lettering.

"Excellence requested, excellence delivered!" Grenzebach told Business Insider in 2022. "The great men and women of Landlocked Aviation are proud to always deliver superior aircraft refinishing work while providing exceptional customer service."

Although it has a fresh paint job, the interior was outfitted in 2011 when Trump acquired the jet. A video of Amanda Miller, the Trump Organization's SVP of marketing & corporate communications, giving a tour was posted to YouTube in 2011.

Entering from the back of the jet, you'll first see inside the galley, complete with glassware, a sink, and coffee makers, creating a small kitchen.

Source: The Trump Organization

The 43-seater jet can accommodate gourmet meals, but Trump has been seen eating Big Macs and french fries onboard.

Trump reportedly loves McDonald's because he has a 'longtime fear' of being poisoned

Beyond the galley are a first-class cabin and a dining area with loungers and a couch…

…and a table with four chairs, which Trump regularly conducted interviews from.

According to Miller, the seatbelts and other finishes are 24K gold-plated…

Source: The Trump Organization

…and the headrests and pillows have been etched with the Trump family crest.

Moving through the jet, passengers will find the main lounge, which features seats, a couch, and the SkyTheater with a 57" TV and sound system that replicates a "Hollywood screening room," Miller said.

Source: The Trump Organization

There is also a touchscreen system that controls the theater and has a special "T" list that shows Trump's favorite movies and CDs.

The plane would not be complete without a few bedrooms, including a guest room with wood finishings, a theater system, and two couches that convert into a double bed.

Meanwhile, Trump has his own private bedroom with a custom headboard, pillows, and comforter, as well as a theater system and work desk.

The former president also has a master bathroom with a green countertop and gold-plated sink…

…as well as a toilet that doubles as a seat, which is common on many private jets.

Toward the front of the jet is a VIP area with a couch and loungers, which is where the pilots or other important people can relax.

Source: The Trump Organization

Although the plane is decked out, it's not much use without pilots. Longtime aviators John Dunkin and Jay Galpin head the controls in the 757's glass display cockpit in 2014.

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• Russia's economy could begin to see major challenges in the next year-and-a-half, think tank researchers write. 
• Putin is facing a policy "trilemma" as the nation wades through the third year of war in Ukraine. 
• "Russia's economy is now stable both in spite of and as a result of Western sanctions."

Russia's economic strength could last another year-and-a-half before it starts to fade, according to the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.

The Washington DC-based think tank pointed to the nation's show of defiance amid its invasion of Ukraine, with the Russian economy still strong despite rising military costs and Western trade restrictions. The International Monetary Fund has predicted that the country will grow faster than all other developed economies, including the US, this year. 

That's partly because Russia has been able to find ways around sanctions, researchers from the Carnegie Endowment said, like selling its oil to its allies while importing Western goods through third-party countries.

"A paradoxical situation has emerged: Russia's economy is now stable both in spite of and as a result of Western sanctions," Alexandra Prokopenko, a fellow at the Carnegie Russia Eurasia Center, wrote in a report. "But this hard-won stability is not eternal. In a best-case scenario, the current arrangement will likely begin to come apart within eighteen months owing to growing imbalances and possible social problems," Prokopenko warned.

Russia is dealing with a policy "trilemma," with three big issues facing the nation as it goes through its third year of war in Ukraine. For Putin, the problem boils down to funding Russia's military, maintaining living standards for Russian citizens, and keeping the economy stable — three goals that are becoming harder for Russia to achieve, according to Prokopenko.

Signs of weakness have already started to bubble to the surface. The Kremlin plans to spend a record amount on its military this year. That could be drag on the nation's economy, as defense spending is "generally unproductive," and it isn't clear if the Russia-Ukraine war is coming to an end anytime soon, Prokopenko said.

Living conditions could also start to deteriorate. While economists say Russians are living mostly normal lives for now, inflation has soared, prompting the central bank to raise interest rates to a whopping 16%. If the central bank succeeds in lowering inflation, that will eat into workers' incomes as the economy starts to contract.

Falling incomes could also impact the ability of Russians to pay off their loans, raising the risk of debt distress, the think-tank said.

"This increases the risk of social discontent: no one will be happy to take a pay cut," Prokopenko added.

And while Russia has the tools to keep its economy stable and avoid a recession for now, economists have warned of a grim future ahead, given the nation's shortage of workers, declining productivity, and increasing isolation from the rest of the world.

"In an economy subordinate to political imperatives, there are few incentives for sustainable development. Sooner or later, this will hurt the well-being of ordinary Russians. In other words, temporary fixes and a decline in living standards will add to the political and economic headwinds facing the Kremlin," Prokopenko said.

Experts have warned of near-term social unrest in Russia, particularly as living standards continue to deteriorate. The nation could see massive unrest by the end of the year, three economists told Business Insider, especially if the West continues to tighten sanctions on Moscow.

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