• Meet the world’s 5th-richest person: Oracle founder Larry Ellison’s net worth hit massive highs and lows in 2025

    Larry Ellison
    Larry Ellison is now the second-wealthiest man in the world, with a net worth of $383 billion.

    • Larry Ellison is the 81-year-old cofounder of Oracle.
    • A surge in Oracle stock briefly made him the world's richest man in September 2025.
    • As of December 2025, his net worth is $238 billion, ranking him among the top 5 richest people.

    Larry Ellison is the founder and chief technology officer of the software giant Oracle.

    Now, he's also the world's fifth-wealthiest man, with a net worth of $238 billion, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index.

    Ellison's 2025 was marked by big financial gains and losses. Ellison briefly claimed the title of the world's richest person when his net worth soared to $393 billion that September. Oracle shares surged after the company reported quarterly results and delivered a blockbuster outlook for its AI-powered cloud business. Later that month, his wealth had nearly doubled during the year.

    However, his fortune took a $25 billion hit toward the end of 2025 after Oracle's shares fell by more than 11% based on weaker-than-expected earnings results. December 12 marked one of the largest single-day drops in net worth this year. Tesla chief Elon Musk then resumed his place as the world's wealthiest man.

    Oracle, like other tech giants, is betting big on artificial intelligence, and Ellison is leading the charge at the company. His latest focus is on building data centers for companies such as OpenAI.

    Ellison started Oracle in 1977. Decades later, despite living in Hawaii, he's still one of the top dogs in Silicon Valley.

    Here's a look at Ellison's life and career so far.

    Early life

    Ellison was born in the Bronx on August 17, 1944, to a single mother, Florence Spellman. Raised in Chicago's South Side, he attended the University of Illinois but dropped out after his adoptive mother died. He later attended the University of Chicago for a semester, but also dropped out.

    In 1966, at the age of 22, he moved to Berkeley, California, near the emerging tech hub of Silicon Valley. He worked a series of jobs, including at Wells Fargo and mainframe maker Amdahl, where he picked up programming skills.

    The birth of Oracle

    Larry Ellison in 1990
    Larry Ellison in 1990.

    Oracle was founded in 1977 with $2,000, inspired by IBM scientist Edgar F. Codd's revolutionary idea of relational databases. Its first product was dubbed Version 2. After briefly rebranding as Relational Software Inc., the company became Oracle Systems in 1982 and went public in 1986 with $55 million in revenue.

    Growth was rapid, but in 1990, Oracle nearly went bankrupt after revenue miscalculations led to losses and layoffs. By 1992, the launch of Oracle7 put the company back on track. Throughout the '90s, Oracle sparred with rivals like Informix and benefited from the dot-com boom, supplying databases to countless startups.

    Flush with cash, Oracle went on an acquisition spree, buying PeopleSoft for $10.3 billion in 2005 and Sun Microsystems in 2010, gaining control of key technologies like MySQL. That same year, Ellison recruited Mark Hurd alongside Safra Catz, who later became co-CEOs.

    Ellison stepped down as CEO in 2014, assuming the roles of chairman and chief technology officer.

    His fortune and how he spends it

    Larry Ellison Lanai
    He has millions of dollars worth of real estate on the Hawaiian Islands.

    Ellison, Oracle's largest shareholder, has used his fortune to fuel a life of high-profile investments, philanthropy, and headline-making purchases.

    He races yachts, sails, and partially financed the BMW Oracle USA team that won the 2010 America's Cup.

    He has also built a collection of Richard Mille watches worth hundreds of thousands to millions of dollars each. In 2009, he purchased the Indian Wells tennis tournament for $100 million.

    In 2012, he bought 98% of the Hawaiian island of Lanai, where he later moved full-time, developing real estate and a wellness retreat, and backing a farming startup. His real estate portfolio also includes mansions in Malibu, Palm Beach, and Rhode Island.

    He has been an active investor for a long time. An early backer of Salesforce, he also invested in Leapfrog and the ill-fated Theranos.

    One of his most lucrative bets was NetSuite: A $125 million stake in 1998 turned into a $3.5 billion windfall when Oracle acquired the company in 2016.

    Ellison also served on Apple's board in the late 1990s and joined Tesla's board in 2018 before stepping down in 2022.

    Family

    David and Meagan Ellison
    Ellison has two children: David and Megan.

    Ellison's daughter, Megan, is an Oscar-nominated film producer and the founder of Annapurna Pictures. The company has produced films like "Zero Dark Thirty" and "American Hustle."

    Ellison's son, David, is also in the film business. His company, Skydance Media, has produced movies like "Terminator: Dark Fate" and films in the "Mission: Impossible" franchise.

    After months of discussions in 2024, Skydance Media and Paramount agreed to a deal, which created Paramount Skydance. David is the CEO. Ellison and David, who own a controlling stake in Paramount and were outbid by Netflix for Warner Bros. Discovery, launched a hostile $30-per-share offer for all of WBD in December 2025.

    Paramount Skydance oversees Paramount Pictures, the streaming services Paramount+ and Pluto TV, as well as CBS and cable networks, including Comedy Central and MTV.

    Philanthropy

    Larry Ellison
    He spoke with Trump on the phone about COVID and TikTok.

    Ellison signed the Giving Pledge in 2010, vowing to give away 95% of his fortune.

    He has donated millions, including $200 million to a USC cancer center in 2016, which was eventually renamed the Ellison Institute of Technology. The EIT announced an Oxford campus in 2023.

    He's also been visible during Donald Trump's second term as president.

    Ellison appeared alongside Sam Altman of OpenAI and Masayoshi Son of SoftBank at Trump's press conference the day after the president's inauguration in January 2024 to announce Project Stargate, a joint venture that would see up to $500 billion investment in AI infrastructure in the US.

    "He's sort of CEO of everything. He's an amazing man," Trump said as he introduced Ellison, who is seen as his longtime ally.

    Read the original article on Business Insider
  • Satellite images show Russia fortified a port against Ukrainian drone boats. One broke through underwater and exploded.

    Barriers at the entrance to the Novorossiysk naval base in Russia on December 11.
    Barriers at the entrance to the Novorossiysk port on December 11.

    • Ukraine said Monday that it carried out an underwater drone attack on a Russian submarine in port.
    • New satellite imagery shows damage at the Novorossiysk port following an explosion.
    • The imagery also shows that Russia had tried to fortify the port against Ukrainian attacks ahead of time.

    Newly captured satellite imagery shows the aftermath of a Ukrainian drone attack that targeted a Russian submarine at a naval base on the Black Sea.

    The new imagery, captured on Tuesday by the US spatial intelligence firm Vantor and obtained by Business Insider, shows damage to a section of a quay at the port of Novorossiysk next to a Kilo-class submarine.

    Ukraine's internal security agency said on Monday that it used underwater drones to strike a Russian submarine at the port in a first-of-its-kind attack. Kyiv published footage of the operation, which caused a large blast in the port, and said it damaged and disabled the boat.

    Kilo-class submarines at the port in Novorossiysk in Russia on December 11.
    Kilo-class submarines at the port in Novorossiysk on December 11.

    The aftermath of a Ukrainian attack at Novorossiysk in Russia on December 16.
    Damage to part of the port is visible on December 16.

    Russian state media, citing the Black Sea Fleet, said later on Monday that the attack failed to damage a submarine.

    The satellite imagery does not appear to reveal any visible damage to a submarine; however, there could be some beneath the surface, making it difficult to determine the success of the operation.

    Russia's Kilo-class submarines — diesel-electric boats that have been in service since the 1980s — are used to carry out Kalibr cruise missile strikes against Ukraine, making them a high-value target for Kyiv.

    The new imagery also reveals floating barriers at the entrance of the port, a tactic that Russia has used to protect its warships and infrastructure from Ukrainian naval drone attacks. However, this kind of defense is primarily aimed at surface threats, as the underwater drone was still able to enter the port and cause an explosion.

    Ukraine has used its fleet of explosive-packed naval drones and long-range missiles to damage and destroy dozens of Russian warships and vessels since the start of the full-scale invasion.

    Barriers at Novorossiysk in Russia on December 16.
    The barriers at the port entrance on December 16.

    This asymmetric campaign has forced Russia to relocate its Black Sea Fleet away from its long-held headquarters in the occupied Crimean peninsula to Novorossiysk, on the other side of the region. However, Ukraine continues to demonstrate that it can also target this port.

    The attack, the latest against the Black Sea Fleet, appears to signal a new chapter in drone warfare. Ukraine has mainly relied on surface naval drones to target Russian warships.

    The use of an underwater drone, compared to a slow-moving mine or torpedo, suggests a significant expansion of Ukraine's capabilities that could pose a new threat to the Black Sea Fleet.

    Conflict analysts at the Institute for the Study of War, a US think tank, wrote in a battlefield assessment on Monday that Russia had docked its Kilo-class submarines in Crimea but moved them to Novorossiysk several years ago because of Ukraine's strike campaign.

    The recent underwater drone attack "shows that Ukrainian forces continue to modernize and optimize their unmanned capabilities such that Ukraine can strike Russian military targets at a range that Russian forces previously thought safe," the analysts said.

    Read the original article on Business Insider
  • Down 17% from recent highs, is Nvidia stock a buy?

    AI written in blue on a digital chip.

    This article was originally published on Fool.com. All figures quoted in US dollars unless otherwise stated.

    Nvidia (NASDAQ: NVDA) stock has cooled off recently. After hitting a 52-week high of $212.19 in late October, shares closed out last week at $175.02 — a decline of about 17%. This comes as sentiment around AI (artificial intelligence) has become less forgiving as investors demand clearer returns on the spending and look for evidence that the current AI boom can keep chugging along for the foreseeable future.

    Nvidia, which sells the market-leading graphics processing units (GPUs) that power the data centers used to train and run AI models, has been a major beneficiary of the AI boom. But this also means that the stock could suffer if demand for AI computing slows.

    Where to invest $1,000 right now? Our analyst team just revealed what they believe are the 10 best stocks to buy right now, when you join Stock Advisor. See the stocks »

    However, despite sentiment toward AI turning more negative recently, demand for AI chips remains extremely robust. So, is the stock’s recent sell-off a buying opportunity?

    Demand is still rising

    A glance at Nvidia’s fiscal third-quarter results certainly doesn’t indicate that the AI boom is cooling off.

    “Blackwell sales are off the charts, and cloud GPUs are sold out,” Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang said in the company’s fiscal third-quarter earnings release.

    The tech company’s fiscal third-quarter revenue rose 62% year over year to $57.0 billion. That was faster than the 56% year-over-year increase Nvidia reported in fiscal Q2. This marked a return to accelerating growth after fiscal Q2’s top-line growth rate decelerated.

    The data center segment, where most AI hardware demand sits, told a similarly bullish story in fiscal Q3. The segment’s revenue grew 66% year over year in the third quarter to $51.2 billion — up from 56% growth in the prior quarter.

    Further, Nvidia’s profitability continued to impress. Fiscal third-quarter operating income rose 65% year over year to $36.0 billion, and earnings per share climbed 67% to $1.30.

    Looking ahead, Nvidia guided for fourth-quarter fiscal 2026 revenue of $65.0 billion, plus or minus 2%. At the midpoint, that implies about 14% sequential growth and roughly 65% year-over-year growth.

    A great business, but a risky stock

    For investors looking to get in on this growth story, the pullback in the stock price certainly helps. But the setback may not be significant enough to fully price in some of the stock’s biggest risks.

    Shares currently trade at about 43 times earnings. A valuation multiple like this makes sense if Nvidia can sustain its rapid growth and maintain its high gross margin in the 70s. But if investors start to see signs that either of these important factors behind Nvidia’s valuation is at risk, the stock could take an even bigger hit.

    The risk is not that Nvidia suddenly stumbles in execution. This is unlikely. The bigger risk is that the AI buildout takes a breather. After all, the semiconductor industry has been cyclical for years — and it’s unlikely that this will ever change.

    Competition is also intensifying. Some customers, including deep-pocketed tech giants Alphabet and Amazon, are designing their own chips. If they come up with reasonable alternatives to Nvidia’s GPUs, investors could get spooked.

    And export rules remain another wild card. Nvidia has shown it can grow rapidly while even when China’s demand fades in importance. But because of regulatory and geopolitical concerns about sales of AI chips to China, there’s ultimately less visibility about Nvidia’s potential in the important market than there is in the U.S.

    Sure, the stock’s pullback makes Nvidia shares more interesting than they were a few months ago. And it’s difficult to critique the business; not only did Nvidia’s sales accelerate in Q3, but management guided for a massive fourth quarter.

    Even so, the stock’s high valuation means investors likely won’t be very forgiving if the AI boom shows signs of slowing. To be clear, there’s no clear evidence it is fizzling out yet. But since the market is forward-looking, all it will take is one or two material signs of a cooling market for AI chips to send the stock sharply lower. While there’s no guarantee this happens, it is a risk that demands a margin of safety when buying the stock — and I do not believe the stock’s margin of safety at the moment is sufficient.

    This article was originally published on Fool.com. All figures quoted in US dollars unless otherwise stated.

    The post Down 17% from recent highs, is Nvidia stock a buy? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

    This article was originally published on Fool.com. All figures quoted in US dollars unless otherwise stated.

    Should you invest $1,000 in Nvidia right now?

    Before you buy Nvidia shares, consider this:

    Motley Fool investing expert Scott Phillips just revealed what he believes are the 5 best stocks for investors to buy right now… and Nvidia wasn’t one of them.

    The online investing service he’s run for over a decade, Motley Fool Share Advisor, has provided thousands of paying members with stock picks that have doubled, tripled or even more.*

    And right now, Scott thinks there are 5 stocks that may be better buys…

    * Returns as of 18 November 2025

    .custom-cta-button p { margin-bottom: 0 !important; }

    This article was originally published on Fool.com. All figures quoted in US dollars unless otherwise stated.

    More reading

    Daniel Sparks and his clients have no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has positions in and has recommended Alphabet, Amazon, and Nvidia. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended Alphabet, Amazon, and Nvidia. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.

  • The list of major companies laying off staff this year includes Verizon, IBM, Amazon, Starbucks, American Airlines, and more

    Verizon store
    Verizon is one of the latest companies to cut jobs in 2025.

    • Companies such as Verizon, Starbucks, Meta, Microsoft, and UPS have trimmed staff this year.
    • Amazon joined the fray in October, announcing that it would cut roughly 14,000 staff.
    • See the list of companies letting workers go in 2025.

    The list of companies laying off employees this year is growing.

    Layoffs and other workforce reductions have continued in 2025, following two years of significant job cuts in the tech, media, finance, manufacturing, retail, and energy sectors.

    While the reasons for slimming staff vary, the cost-cutting measures are coming amid technological change. A World Economic Forum survey found that some 41% of companies worldwide expect to reduce their workforces over the next five years because of the rise of artificial intelligence.

    Companies such as Oracle, CNN, Dropbox, and Block have previously announced job cuts related to AI. In October, Amazon joined its tech peers in laying off staff, citing the rapid pace of technological change as it expands its use of generative AI and agents.

    Meanwhile, tech jobs in big data, fintech, and AI are expected to double by 2030, according to the WEF.

    Here are the companies with job cuts planned or already underway in 2025, listed in alphabetical order.

    Adidas plans to cut up to 500 jobs in Germany
    Adidas shoes are seen in the store in Hoofddorp, Netherlands.
    Despite a strong year, Adidas is planning job cuts.

    Adidas said in January that it would reduce the size of its workforce at its headquarters in Herzogenaurach, Germany, affecting up to 500 jobs, CNBC reported.

    If fully executed, it amounts to a reduction of nearly 9% at the company headquarters, which employs about 5,800 employees, according to the Adidas website.

    The news came shortly after the company announced it had outperformed its profit expectations at the end of 2024, touting "better-than-expected" results in the fourth quarter.

    An Adidas spokesperson said the company had grown "too complex because of our current operating model."

    "To set adidas up for long-term success, we are now starting to look at how we align our operating model with the reality of how we work. This may have an impact on the organizational structure and number of roles based at our HQ in Herzogenaurach."

    The company said it is not a cost-cutting measure and could not confirm concrete numbers.

    Ally is cutting less than 5% of workers
    Hands typing on a laptop with the Ally website on its screen.

    The digital-financial-services company Ally is laying off roughly 500 of its 11,000 employees, a spokesperson confirmed to BI.

    "As we continue to right-size our company, we made the difficult decision to selectively reduce our workforce in some areas, while continuing to hire in our other areas of our business," the spokesperson said.

    The spokesperson also said the company was offering severance, outplacement support, and the opportunity to apply for openings at Ally.

    Ally made a similar level of cuts in October 2023, the Charlotte Observer reported.

    Amazon will cut 14,000 corporate jobs
    Amazon logo on the front of the building in Edison, New Jersey, on October 23, 2023.
    Amazon will lay off 14,000 of its employees.

    Amazon said in late October it plans to eliminate 14,000 corporate roles, one of the biggest layoffs in its history.

    The move is part of CEO Andy Jassy's push to run the company "like the world's largest startup," according to a blog post from Beth Galetti, SVP of People Experience & Technology.

    Galetti said rapid advances in AI are changing how Amazon works and enabling faster innovation, prompting the company to get leaner with fewer management layers.

    The cuts follow years of belt-tightening since the pandemic.

    Amazon's Luxembourg-based employees were informed in a December 12 memo that around 370 roles would be impacted as part of the wider cuts.

    American Airlines is cutting management and support staff
    An American Airlines plane flies overhead.
    American Airlines is cutting some management and support jobs.

    American Airlines said in November that it is cutting management and support roles to optimize performance and become more efficient.

    "We're making a small reduction to our management and support staff team to right-size for the work we do today," American Airlines said in a statement shared with Business Insider.

    The job cuts mainly affect positions at the airline's headquarters in Fort Worth, Texas. Bloomberg first reported the cuts.

    "We remain focused on continuing to invest in areas that support American's long-term business objectives, and these targeted investments will be made thoughtfully to position our airline for continued success," the statement said.

    Applied Materials says it will cut 4% of its workforce
    An employee walks past an Applied Materials machine in a clean room.
    Applied Materials said it expects to "incur charges of approximately $160 million to $180 million" due to the layoffs.

    Semiconductor company Applied Materials said in an exchange filing on October 23 that it would be cutting 4% of its global workforce.

    Applied Materials has around 36,100 full-time employees, per its earnings release in August, meaning the cuts will affect about 1,444 employees.

    The company said it expects to "incur charges of approximately $160 million to $180 million consisting primarily of severance and other one-time employment termination benefits to be paid in cash, and other non-cash related charges."

    It added that the cuts would help position it "for continued growth as a more competitive and productive organization."

    Automattic, Tumblr's parent, cuts 16% of staff
    Logo of Tumblr.

    Automattic, the parent company of Tumblr and WordPress, said in April it is cutting 16% of its staff globally. The company's website said it has nearly 1,500 employees.

    Automattic's CEO, Matt Mullenweg, said in a note to employees posted online that the company has reached an "important crossroads."

    "While our revenue continues to grow, Automattic operates in a highly competitive market, and technology is evolving at unprecedented levels," the note read.

    The company is restructuring to improve its "productivity, profitability, and capacity to invest," it added.

    The company said it was offering severance and job placement resources to affected employees.

    Best Buy is cutting more Geek Squad staff
    A Geek Squad by Best Buy truck with in California.

    Best Buy is cutting a small number of workers in the customer care and in-home field teams, with affected workers to receive severance, a spokesperson told Bloomberg in September.

    The reductions follow a round of layoffs in the Geek Squad division last year as the company looks to improve efficiency and invest in newer areas of the business.

    BlackRock is cutting 1% of its workforce.
    A black-and-white photo of the BlackRock logo on a building, viewed from below.

    BlackRock told employees it was planning to cut about 200 people of its 21,000-strong workforce, Bloomberg reported in January.

    The reductions were more than offset by some 3,750 workers who were added last year and another 2,000 expected to be added in 2025.

    BlackRock's president, Rob Kapito, and its chief operating officer, Rob Goldstein, said the cuts would help realign the firm's resources with its strategy, Bloomberg reported.

    Block to lay off nearly 1,000 workers
    Smartphone with Square logo is seen in front of displayed Afterpay logo

    Jack Dorsey's fintech company, Block, is laying off nearly 1,000 employees, according to TechCrunch and The Guardian, in its second major workforce reduction in just over a year.

    The company, which operates Square, Afterpay, CashApp, and Tidal, is transitioning nearly 200 managers into non-management roles and closing almost 800 open positions, according to an email obtained by TechCrunch.

    Dorsey, who co-founded Block in 2009 after previously leading Twitter, announced the layoffs in March in an internal email titled "smaller block."

    The restructuring is part of a broader effort to streamline operations, though Block maintains the changes are not driven by financial targets or AI replacements.

    Bloomberg is making cuts in an overhaul of its newsroom
    Bloomberg LP NYC office exterior

    Bloomberg is cutting some editorial staff as the company reorganizes its newsroom, according to a memo viewed by BI. The larger strategy aims to have a larger headcount by the end of this year, however.

    The newsroom currently employs around 2,700 people, and the changes will merge some smaller teams into larger units, the memo said.

    Blue Origin is laying off one-tenth of its workforce
    Blue Origin

    Jeff Bezos's rocket company, Blue Origin, is laying off about 10% of its workforce, a move that could affect more than 1,000 employees.

    In a memo sent to staff in February and obtained by Business Insider, David Limp, the CEO of Blue Origin, said the company's priority going forward was "to scale our manufacturing output and launch cadence with speed, decisiveness and efficiency for our customers."

    Limp specifically identified roles in engineering, research and development, and management as targets.

    "We grew and hired incredibly fast in the last few years, and with that growth came more bureaucracy and less focus than we needed," Limp wrote. "It also became clear that the makeup of our organization must change to ensure our roles are best aligned with executing these priorities."

    The news comes after January's debut launch of the company's partially reusable rocket — New Glenn.

    Boeing cut 400 roles from its moon rocket program
    Boeing Employees Renton Washington

    Boeing announced on February 8 that it plans to cut 400 roles from its moon rocket program amid delays and rising costs related to NASA's Artemis moon exploration missions.

    Artemis 2, a crewed flight to orbit the moon on Boeing's space launch system, has been rescheduled from late 2024 to September 2025. Artemis 3, intended to be the first astronaut moon landing in the program, was delayed from late 2025 and is now planned for September 2026.

    "To align with revisions to the Artemis program and cost expectations, we informed our Space Launch Systems team of the potential for approximately 400 fewer positions by April 2025," a Boeing spokesperson told Business Insider. "We are working with our customer and seeking opportunities to redeploy employees across our company to minimize job losses and retain our talented teammates."

    The company will issue 60-day notices of involuntary layoff to impacted employees "in coming weeks," the spokesperson said.

    Boeing cut 10% of its workforce last year.

    BP slashed 7,700 staff and contractor positions worldwide
    A BP logo on a gas station sign.

    BP told Business Insider in January that it planned to cut 4,700 staff and 3,000 contractors, amounting to about 5% of its global workforce.

    The cuts were part of a program to "simplify and focus" BP that began last year.

    "We are strengthening our competitiveness and building in resilience as we lower our costs, drive performance improvement and play to our distinctive capabilities," the company said.

    Bridgewater cut about 90 staff
    An office in a forested area with a glass bridge connecting buildings.
    Outside Bridgewater Associates' Westport, Connecticut headquarters.

    Bridgewater Associates cut 7% of its staff in January in an effort to stay lean, a person familiar with the matter told Business Insider.

    The layoffs at the world's largest hedge fund bring its head count back to where it was in 2023, the person said.

    The company's founder, Ray Dalio, said in a 2019 interview that about 30% of new employees were leaving the firm within 18 months.

    Bumble said it intends to cut 30% of its workforce.
    whitney wolfe herd bumble ceo founder
    Founder and CEO of Bumble Whitney Wolfe attends Bumble Presents: Empowering Connections at Fair Market on March 9, 2018 in Austin, Texas.

    In a June 23 securities filing, Bumble said it plans to slash 240 roles, about 30% of its workforce. The dating app company said the cuts will result in charges between $13 million and $18 million in its third and fourth quarters.

    "We recently made some difficult decisions to adjust our team structure in order to align with our strategic priorities," a Bumble spokesperson said.

    They told BI that the decision to lay off over 200 employees wasn't "made lightly."

    Burberry says it plans on cutting 1,700 jobs
    Burberry logo and flag

    Burberry announced 1,700 job cuts in May, or about 18% of its global workforce, as part of plans to cut costs by about £100 million ($130 million) by 2027.

    It plans to end night shifts at its Yorkshire raincoat factory due to production over-capacity.

    The British company sunk to an operating loss of £3 million for the year to the end of March, compared with a £418 million profit for the previous 12 months.

    Carter's plans to reduce its office-based workforce by 15%
    Carter's display

    Carter's, a children's retailer, said it will cut about 300 office-based roles, or 15% of those positions, by the end of 2025. The reduction was announced October 27 alongside plans to close 150 stores over the next three years.

    The job cuts are expected to incur a $4 million to $5 million charge in the fourth quarter fiscal year 2025 from severance and outplacement services, the company said in October.

    "We are pursuing several initiatives, including closing low-margin retail stores, right-sizing our organization, and honing product choices," CEO Douglas Palladini said in a press release.

    Chegg says it will cut its workforce by about 45%
    The Chegg logo is displayed on the screen of a tablet.
    Online education company Chegg said on October 27 that it was cutting "388 roles globally," or about 45% of the workforce.

    Online education company Chegg said on October 27 that it would be reducing its workforce by 45%.

    Chegg said it was cutting "388 roles globally" and expects to incur "charges of approximately $15-19 million, representing mostly cash severance payments." Chegg had 1,271 employees as of December 31, 2024, per its annual report.

    "The new realities of AI and reduced traffic from Google to content publishers have led to a significant decline in Chegg's traffic and revenue," the company said, adding that the cuts would save it about $100 to $110 million in adjusted expenses for 2026.

    This is the fourth time Chegg has announced layoffs.

    Chegg said in June 2024 that it was cutting 441 roles, or about 23% of its workforce. Later in November, it said announced cuts for 319 roles, or about 21% of its workforce. Most recently, in May, Chegg said it was letting go of 248 employees, or about 22% of its workforce.

    Chegg's shares are down nearly 11% year to date.

    Chevron is slashing up to 20% of its global head count
    The Chevron logo is displayed at a Chevron gas station.
    The Chevron logo is displayed at a Chevron gas station.

    Oil giant Chevron plans to cull 15% to 20% of its global workforce by the end of 2026, the company said in a statement to Business Insider in February.

    Chevron employed 45,600 people as of December 2023, which means the layoff could cut 9,000 jobs.

    The move aims to reduce costs and simplify the company's business as it completes its acquisition of oil producer Hess, which is held up in legal limbo. It is expected to save the company $2 billion to $3 billion by the end of 2026, the company said.

    "Chevron is taking action to simplify our organizational structure, execute faster and more effectively, and position the company for stronger long-term competitiveness," a Chevron spokesperson said in a statement.

    The cuts follow a series of layoffs at other oil and gas companies, including BP and natural gas producer EQT.

    CNN plans to cut 200 jobs
    CNN's world headquarters in Atlanta.
    CNN is cutting staff in a bid to focus the business on its digital news services.

    Cable news giant CNN cut about 200 television-focused roles as part of a digital pivot. The cuts amounted to about 6% of the company's workforce.

    In a memo sent to staff on January 23, CNN's CEO Mark Thompson said he aimed to "shift CNN's gravity towards the platforms and products where the audience themselves are shifting and, by doing that, to secure CNN's future as one of the world's greatest news organizations."

    ConocoPhillips is cutting up to 25% of its workforce
    FILE PHOTO: The logo for ConocoPhillips is displayed on a screen on the floor at the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) in New York, U.S., January 13, 2020. REUTERS/Brendan McDermid
    FILE PHOTO: The logo for ConocoPhillips is displayed on a screen on the floor at the NYSE in New York

    The third-largest oil producer in the US, ConocoPhillips plans to cut 20-25% of its global workforce as part of a broad restructuring, a company spokesperson said in an emailed statement to Reuters on September 3.

    The company employed about 11,800 people at the end of 2024, per a regulatory filing, which means up to 2,950 jobs could be cut.

    ConocoPhillips' stock fell 4.4% the same day.

    Other oil giants, including Chevron and BP, have also slashed headcount this year because of falling oil prices.

    Coty is cutting about 700 jobs
    OTY logo is seen displayed on a smartphone and in the background.

    Coty, which sells cosmetics and fragrances under brands such as Kylie Cosmetics, Calvin Klein, and Burberry, is cutting about 700 jobs.

    The company said on April 24 it aimed to cut costs by $130 million a year. Sue Nabi, the CEO, said it aimed to build a "stronger, more resilient Coty that is well-positioned for sustainable growth."

    CrowdStrike is cutting about 500 jobs
    Crowdstrike logo on a phone screen
    The IT outage was triggered by a defect in an update issued by Crowdstrike.

    CrowdStrike, the Texas-headquartered cybersecurity firm, said in May that it would cut about 500 jobs, or 5% of its global workforce, as part of a strategic plan to "yield greater efficiencies."

    It expected the layoffs to cost between $36 million and $53 million.

    CrowdStrike is aiming to generate $10 billion in annual recurring revenue.

    The company reported worse-than-expected annual results in March, signaling that it was yet to fully recover from a widespread tech outage linked to CrowdStrike in July 2024.

    Disney says it's laying off several hundred employees
    Disney logo is seen on the store in Rome, Italy on May 10, 2025. (Photo by Jakub Porzycki/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
    Disney is carrying out its fourth layoff in the past year.

    Disney confirmed to BI on June 2 that it was laying off several hundred employees globally.

    Most of the cuts were to roles in marketing for films and TV under the Disney Entertainment division. Other roles affected included employees in publicity, casting, and development, as well as corporate finance.

    In March, the company also cut around 200 people from its ABC News Group and Disney Entertainment Networks. In 2024, the company also had several rounds of layoffs.

    Shortly after Bob Iger returned to the company as CEO in 2022, he said 7,000 jobs at Disney would be cut as part of a reorganization.

    Elanco announces cuts of roughly 300 workers
    Elanco CEO Jeff Simmons
    Elanco cuts hundreds of jobs

    Animal health firm Elanco announced plans to restructure the company at its investor day on December 9. The company said in a press release that about 600 roles will be impacted, "with 300 eliminated positions and 300 shifted to other areas or locations." The company said it expects a reorganization cost of roughly $175 million.

    The cuts are part of a restructuring effort to expand the company's margins, innovation capacity, and optimize its footprint, the company said. It projects the move will save roughly $25 million in 2026 and $60 million in 2027.

    Elanco's CEO, Jeff Simmons, told Business Insider that most of the affected workers are in Europe, with very few workers in the US impacted. Simmons said the company is shutting down an animal facility in Germany, and expanding research and development in the US.

    "We're hiring AI jobs while we're decreasing some rule-based jobs," Simmons said.

    Those "rule-based jobs" include positions like statisticians and technical writers. However, the company said it expects to expand its overall staff count over the next five years.

    Estée Lauder will cut as many as 7,000 jobs
    estee lauder
    American multinational skincare, and beauty products brand, Estée Lauder logo seen in Hong Kong.

    Cosmetics giant Estée Lauder said in its second-quarter earnings release on February 4 that it will cut between 5,800 and 7,000 jobs as the company restructures over the next two years.

    The cuts will focus on "rightsizing" certain teams, and it will look to outsource certain services. The company says it expects annual gross benefits of between $0.8 billion and $1.0 billion before tax.

    Exxon is cutting 2,000 jobs globally
    An Exxon Mobil station is seen in Houston
    Exxon Mobil is cutting roughly 3 to 4% of its global workforce.

    Energy giant Exxon Mobil plans to cut 2,000 jobs as part of a global restructuring.

    CEO Darren Woods said in a memo to employees that roughly half of the cuts will occur in Europe. A spokesperson for Exxon confirmed the memo's existence, which was first reported by Bloomberg.

    The cuts represent roughly 3 to 4% of the company's total workforce. Exxon plans to cut roughly 1,200 positions across the European Union and Norway by the end of 2027, of which roughly half will be layoffs.

    "We've seen the value of bringing people together in the same location," the spokesperson said in a statement to Business Insider. "It drives innovation, strengthens execution, enhances career development, and improves teamwork. Our global office network was established decades ago under very different circumstances. To support the collaboration so critical to our success, we are aligning our global footprint with our operating model and bringing our teams together."

    FedEx is cutting over 850 jobs in Texas
    FedEx truck

    FedEx is shuttering a third-party supply chain logistics and electronics operation in Coppell, a suburb of Dallas, Texas. 856 jobs will be cut, according to a legally mandated WARN letter the company sent to the Texas Workforce Commission.

    The facility will be fully closed by the end of April, with the first phase of layoffs beginning in January and impacting 62 workers.

    "All impacted employees will be paid wages and benefits through their last day of employment," the letter stated.

    Fiverr cuts 30% of its workforce
    Micha Kaufman, Fiverr CEO & Founder posing in front of the company's logo.
    Fiverr CEO Micha Kaufman said in a letter to employees on Monday that the company will be cutting roughly 250 jobs across different departments.

    Micha Kaufman, the CEO and founder of the freelancing platform Fiverr, said on September 15 that the company was cutting about 30% of its workforce.

    Kaufman said in a letter to employees that the cuts would affect around 250 team members across different departments. Fiverr had 762 full-time employees as of 2024, per its SEC filing in February.

    He added that the cuts were needed to help turn Fiverr into a leaner and faster "AI-first company."

    Kaufman said in a staff memo in April that AI was "coming for your jobs" and was a "wake-up call." In May, he told Business Insider that Fiverr would only hire people who know how to use AI.

    "If you don't ensure that you sharpen your knives, you're going to be left behind. It's that simple," Kaufman said.

    Geico has axed tens of thousands of workers
    geico

    Berkshire Hathaway Vice Chair of Insurance Operations Ajit Jain says Geico has reduced its workforce from about 50,000 to about 20,000. Jain revealed the reductions during Berkshire Hathaway's annual meeting on May 3 but did not detail over what time frame they took place. Berkshire Hathaway is one of Geico's parent companies.

    Warren Buffett's company reported its 2025 first-quarter earnings on during the May 3 meeting, saying Geico earned nearly $2.2 billion in pre-tax underwriting.

    GrubHub announced 500 job cuts
    A Grubhub delivery person rides in Manhattan.
    GrubHub said it is focusing on aligning its business with Wonder after the takeover was completed last month.

    Grubhub CEO Howard Migdal announced 500 job cuts on February 28 after selling the company to Wonder Group for $650 million.

    With more than 2,200 full time employees, the number of cuts will affect more than 20% of Grubhub's previous workforce.

    According to Reuters, Just Eat Takeaway, an Amsterdam-listed company, sold Grubhub at a steep loss compared to the billions it paid a few years prior after grappling with slowing growth and high taxes.

    HPE is laying off 2,500 employees
    A man with grey hair wears a blue collared shirt and dark blue shirt. He gestures as he speaks while sitting on a stage in front of a large blue screen.
    US company Hewlett Packard Enterprise President and Chief Officer Executive Antonio Neri gives a conference at the Mobile World Congress (MWC), the telecom industry's biggest annual gathering, in Barcelona on February 27, 2024.

    Hewlett Packard Enterprise is cutting 2,500 jobs, or 5% of its employee base, CEO Antonio Neri said on an earnings call on March 6. The cuts are expected take to take place over the next 12 to 18 months.

    "Doing so will better align our cost structure to our business mix and long-term strategy," Neri said. The company expects to save $350 million by 2027 because of the reduction.

    HPE plummeted about 20% after hours on March 6 after it said business would be affected by recent tariffs, slow server and cloud sales, and "execution issues."

    IBM said it will cut thousands of jobs in the fourth quarter
    IBM logo

    IBM said in November that it would be reducing its global workforce by "a low single-digit percentage," an IBM spokesperson told Business Insider.

    "We routinely review our workforce through this lens and at times rebalance accordingly," the spokesperson said. "In the past, when we have had rebalancing, we have still met our headcount goals, and we expect to do so again in 2025."

    Intel to cut at least 15% of its factory workers
    The Intel headquarters in Santa Clara, California
    The Intel headquarters in Santa Clara, California

    Chipmaker Intel is laying off more than 5,000 employees across four US states, according to a July 16 government filing.

    Most of the cuts are happening in California and Oregon, while others are in Texas and Arizona, per updated Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification, or WARN, filings.

    Intel began laying off employees in July as part of planned job cuts, the company said in a regulatory filing.

    The company told staff on June 14 to expect 15% to 20% of employees in its Foundry division to be laid off this summer, according to a memo reported by The Oregonian. Intel confirmed the authenticity of the memo to BI but declined to comment on its contents.

    As of December 2024, Intel employed about 108,900 people. In its annual report, the company told investors that it would reduce its "core Intel workforce" by about 15% in early 2025.

    "Removing organizational complexity and empowering our engineers will enable us to better serve the needs of our customers and strengthen our execution," an Intel spokesperson told BI.

    Johns Hopkins University
    Johns Hopkins Hospital
    Johns Hopkins Hospital.

    Johns Hopkins University will cut over 2,000 jobs after losing $800 million in funding from USAID.

    "This is a difficult day for our entire community," a spokesperson told BI. "The termination of more than $800 million in USAID funding is now forcing us to wind down critical work here in Baltimore and internationally."

    The news comes after the Trump administration slashed USAID personnel down from over 10,000 to around 300. Secretary of State Marco Rubio recently confirmed that 83% of the agency's programs are now dead.

    "We can confirm that the elimination of foreign aid funding has led to the loss of 1,975 positions in 44 countries internationally and 247 in the United States in the affected programs," the Johns Hopkins spokesperson said. "An additional 29 international and 78 domestic employees will be furloughed with a reduced schedule."

    The layoffs at Johns Hopkins represent the "largest" in the university's history, CNN reported. They'll primarily affect the schools of medicine and public health, along with the Center for Communication Programs and Jhpiego, a nonprofit with a focus on preventing diseases and bolstering women's health, according to the report.

    Kohl's is reducing about 10% of its roles
    A Kohl's department store in Miami.
    A Kohl's department store in Miami.

    Department store Kohl's announced on January 28 that it reduced about 10% of its corporate roles to "increase efficiencies" and "improve profitability for the long-term health and benefit of the business," a spokesperson told BI.

    "Kohl's reduced approximately 10 percent of the roles that report into its corporate offices," the spokesperson said. "More than half of the total reduction will come from closing open positions while the remainder of the positions were currently held by our associates."

    Less than 200 existing employees of the company would be impacted, she added.

    This follows the company's announcement on January 9 that it would shutter 27 underperforming stores across 15 states by April.

    The retailer has been struggling with declining sales, reporting an 8.8% decline in net sales in the third quarter of 2024.

    Its previous CEO, Tom Kingsbury, stepped down on January 15. The company's board appointed Ashley Buchanan, a retail veteran who had held top jobs in The Michaels Companies, Macy's, and Walmart, as the new CEO.

    Kroger is cutting 1,000 corporate workers
    Illustration shows Kroger logo

    Kroger Co. is cutting nearly 1,000 corporate jobs as part of a cost-trimming effort following the collapse of its proposed merger with Albertsons, a spokesperson told BI.

    In an internal memo viewed by Business Insider, interim CEO Ron Sargent told employees on August 26 that "thoughtful, yet difficult, choices are necessary" for the organization to continue to succeed.

    The grocer also plans to reinvest savings into lowering prices, opening new stores, and creating jobs at the store level.

    The shake-up comes as Kroger navigates leadership changes after former CEO Rodney McMullen resigned earlier this year amid a board investigation into his conduct.

    As of February, Kroger employed more than 409,000 people, mostly in retail roles. The layoff would not affect workers in stores, manufacturing facilities, or distribution centers.

    Microsoft has made several rounds of cuts this year
    the Microsoft logo on a building.

    Microsoft cut an unspecified number of jobs in January based on employees' performance.

    Workers were told that they wouldn't receive severance and that their benefits, such as medical insurance, would stop immediately, BI reported.

    The company also laid off some employees in January at divisions including gaming and sales. A Microsoft spokesperson declined to say how many jobs were cut on the affected teams.

    In May, the company announced layoffs affecting about 6,000 workers.

    Another round of layoffs in July will affect less than 4% of its total workforce, or roughly 9,000 employees, based on its head count of around 220,000.

    Meta has had several rounds of layoffs
    Meta sign
    Meta slashed its DEI team in January.

    Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg told staff he "decided to raise the bar on performance management" and will act quickly to "move out low-performers," according to an internal memo seen by BI in January.

    Those cuts started in February, according to records obtained by BI. Teams overseeing Facebook, the Horizon virtual reality platform, as well as logistics, were among the hardest hit.

    In April, Meta also laid off an undisclosed number of employees on the Reality Labs virtual reality division.

    In October, the company said it was laying off more than 600 employees in its Meta Superintelligence Labs, its AI division.

    "By reducing the size of our team, fewer conversations will be required to make a decision, and each person will be more load-bearing and have more scope and impact," Meta's chief AI officer, Alexandr Wang, wrote in a memo.

    Previously, the company had laid off more than 21,000 workers since 2022.

    Microchip Technology is slashing 2,000 jobs
    Semiconductor manufacturing.
    Nvidia semiconductor manufacturing.

    Microchip Technology is cutting its head count across the company by around 2,000 employees, the semiconductor company said on March 3.

    The company estimated that it would incur between $30 million and $40 million in costs, including severance, severance benefits, and other restructuring costs.

    The cuts would be communicated to employees in the March quarter and fully implemented by the end of the June quarter.

    Last year, Microchip announced it was closing its Tempe, Arizona, facility because of slower-than-anticipated orders. The closure begins in May 2025 and is expected to affect 500 jobs.

    Microchip's stock had fallen over 33% in the past year.

    Morgan Stanley plans cuts for the end of March
    Morgan Stanley

    Morgan Stanley is set to initiate a round of layoffs beginning at the end of March. The firm is eyeing cuts to about 2% to 3% of its global workforce, which would equate to between 1,600 to 2,400 jobs, according to a person familiar with the matter who confirmed the reductions to BI.

    The firm's cuts are driven by several imperatives, the person said, pointing to considerations like operational efficiency, evolving business priorities, and individual employees' performance. The person said the cuts are not related to broader market conditions, such as the recent slowdown in mergers and acquisitions that's arrested momentum on Wall Street.

    Some MS staffers will be excluded from the cuts, however — namely, the bank's battalion of financial advisors — though some who assist them, such as administrative personnel in its wealth-management unit, could be affected by the layoffs, the person added.

    Nestlé is axing 16,000 jobs
    The branding of Nestlé

    Nestlé, the Swiss parent company of KitKat and Nespresso, said on October 16 that it will cut 16,000 jobs over the next two years.

    The world's largest food and drink company announced that 12,000 white-collar positions across various functions and locations will be eliminated, along with 4,000 roles in manufacturing and supply. This is 6% of its global workforce.

    Its new CEO, Philipp Navratil, said the company would be "prioritizing the opportunities and businesses with the highest potential returns" and that it "needs to change faster."

    Nestlé estimates the job cuts will save it around 1 billion Swiss francs, or $1.26 billion, by the end of 2027.

    Nextdoor is slashing 12% of its staff
    Nextdoor app

    Neighborhood social networking company Nextdoor is cutting 12% of its staff, or 67 jobs, it said on August 7 in its second-quarter earnings report. The move is part of CEO Nirav Tolia's plan to achieve profitability and reorganize the struggling company.

    The layoffs are expected to reduce operating expenses by about $30 million, it said in the earnings report.

    The company reported a net loss of $15 million, compared to $43 million year-over-year.

    Nike is planning to lay off less than 1% of its corporate employees.
    Nike logo storefront

    Nike's turnaround plan is in full swing. It's reducing its corporate staff by 1% as part of its efforts, the company confirmed to Business Insider on August 28.

    It's unclear how many jobs will be affected, but CNBC reported that Nike sent employees a memo about the change in August.

    "As we shared in Q4 earnings, Nike, Inc. is in the midst of a realignment," the company said in a statement. "The moves we're making are about setting ourselves up to win and create the next great chapter for Nike."

    Nike said in June, when it reported fiscal fourth-quarter earnings, that it would "evaluate corporate cost reduction as appropriate."

    CEO Elliott Hill also told analysts at the time that the company would realign its teams as it shifts away from a men's, women's, and kids' structure.

    Nike also cut jobs in 2024 amid broader cost cutting.

    Nissan says it will cut 20,000 jobs by 2027
    Nissan

    Japanese car giant Nissan is cutting 20,000 jobs by 2027 and reducing the number of factories it operates from 17 to 10 as it struggles with a dire financial situation.

    The job losses include the 9,000 layoffs announced late last year, and come as the automaker faces headwinds from US tariffs on imported vehicles and collapsing sales in China.

    Nissan reported a net loss of 671 billion yen ($4.5 billion) for the 2024 financial year, and said it would not issue an operating profit forecast for 2025 because of tariff uncertainty.

    Novo Nordisk reduces workforce by 11%
    FILE PHOTO: A Novo Nordisk employee controls a machine at an insulin production line in a plant in Kalundborg, Denmark November 4, 2013. REUTERS/Fabian Bimmer//File Photo
    FILE PHOTO: A Novo Nordisk employee controls a machine at an insulin production line in a plant in Kalundborg

    Danish pharmaceutical giant Novo Nordisk said in a statement on September 10 that it was cutting 9,000 jobs, or about 11%, of its workforce. It added that around 5,000 of the cuts would take place in Denmark.

    Novo Nordisk's president and CEO, Mike Doustdar, said the cuts were needed because the market for obesity drugs was becoming "more competitive and consumer-driven." Novo Nordisk is the producer of the hit weight loss drugs, Ozempic and Wegovy.

    "Our company must evolve as well. This means instilling an increased performance-based culture, deploying our resources ever more effectively, and prioritising investment where it will have the most impact — behind our leading therapy areas," he added.

    Oracle is reportedly cutting jobs from its cloud division.
    Oracle office in Santa Monica, California
    Oracle office in Santa Monica, California

    Oracle is cutting jobs in its cloud unit, Bloomberg reported. The cuts come as the company works to curb costs amid spending on AI infrastructure.

    Sources familiar with the cuts told Bloomberg that some of the cuts were related to performance issues.

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

    Panasonic is cutting 10,000 jobs
    panasonic
    A man looks at television sets by Japanese firm Panasonic at an electronics retailer in Tokyo June 10, 2015.

    Panasonic, the Japanese-headquartered multinational electronics manufacturer, plans to cut 10,000 jobs this financial year, which ends in March 2026. The cuts will affect 5,000 roles in Japan and 5,000 overseas.

    In a statement on May 9, the company said it planned to "thoroughly review operational efficiency … mainly in sales and indirect departments, and reevaluate the numbers of organisations and personnel actually needed."

    "Through these measures, the company will optimize our personnel on a global scale," the statement added.

    Paramount is cutting 3.5% of its US workforce
    Paramount on building

    Paramount told employees it would be laying off 3.5% of US-based staff based in the US, per a memo reported by CNBC on June 10, citing industry-wide declines and a challenging macroeconomic environment.

    The move comes after the media company cut 15% of jobs last year to cut costs. Paramount had 18,600 employees at the end of 2024.

    It is awaiting regulatory approval of its merger with Skydance Media.

    Peloton is looking for $100 million in run-rate savings by next year
    FILE PHOTO: A Peloton exercise bike is seen after the ringing of the opening bell for the company's IPO at the Nasdaq Market site in New York City, New York, U.S., September 26, 2019. REUTERS/Shannon Stapleton
    A Peloton exercise bike is seen after the ringing of the opening bell for the company's IPO at the Nasdaq Market site in New York City

    Peloton said in its August earnings report that it would cut its global headcount as part of an effort to find $100 million in run-rate cost savings by the end of the next fiscal year.

    "As of today, we will have actioned about roughly half of the run rate savings through the reductions in our workforce and we expect to achieve the remainder throughout the balance of the year," CFO Elizabeth Coddington told investors on the earnings call.

    The company employed about 2,900 people last year, and approximately 6% of the workforce will be affected by the reductions, Reuters reported.

    Porsche is cutting 3,900 jobs over the next few years
    The Porsche logo on the front trunk lid of a gold 2025 Porsche Taycan GTS EV sedan.
    The Porsche logo on the front of a 2025 Porsche Taycan GTS EV.

    Porsche said on March 12 that it plans to cut 3,900 jobs in the coming years.

    About 2,000 of the reductions will come with the expiration of fixed-term contractor positions, the German automaker said. The company will make the other 1,900 reductions by 2029 through natural attrition and limiting hiring, it said.

    Porsche said it also plans to discuss more potential changes with labor leaders in the second half of the year. "This will also make Porsche even more efficient in the medium and long term," the company said.

    PwC is laying off approximately 2% of its US workforce
    PwC's logo on a window.
    PwC office in Washington D.C. in the United States of America, on July 11th, 2024. (Photo by Beata Zawrzel/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

    The Big Four accounting firm said it's cutting roughly 1,500 jobs in the US because its low attrition rates mean not enough people are leaving by choice.

    PwC's layoffs began on May 5 and mostly affect the firm's audit and tax lines, a person familiar with the matter told Business Insider.

    "This was a difficult decision, and we made it with care, thoughtfulness, and a deep awareness of its impact on our people, appreciating that historically low levels of attrition over consecutive years have made it necessary to take this step," a PwC spokesperson said.

    Rivian is laying off 600
    Rivian sign

    Rivian said in October it was laying off more than 600 employees, or around 4.5% of its workforce.

    "With the changing operating backdrop, we had to rethink how we are scaling our go-to-market functions," CEO RJ Scaringe said in a memo to employees, adding, "These changes are being made to ensure we can deliver on our potential by scaling efficiently towards building a healthy and profitable business."

    The electric-vehicle maker has conducted several rounds of layoffs over the past three years.

    Salesforce is cutting more than 1,000 jobs
    The outside of Salesforce Tower with the Salesforce logo, which is shaped like a cloud.

    Bloomberg reported in February that Salesforce, a cloud-based customer management software company, will slash more than 1,000 jobs from its nearly 73,000-strong workforce.

    Affected employees will be eligible to apply to open internal roles, the outlet reported. The company is hiring salespeople focused on the company's new AI-powered products.

    The cuts come despite Salesforce reporting a strong financial performance during its third-quarter earnings in December.

    Salesforce did not respond to a request for comment.

    Scale AI is cutting 14% of its workforce
    Scale AI office
    Scale AI is laying off 14% of its full time staff and hundreds of contractors.

    On July 16, Scale AI laid off about 200 full-time employees and 500 contractors, according to the company.

    The 200 full-time cuts make up 14% of the data labeling startup's 1,400-person workforce.

    The company is restructuring its generative AI group, according to an email from Scale's interim CEO, Jason Droege, obtained by Business Insider.

    The cuts follow Meta's $14 billion investment in Scale AI in June as part of a blockbuster deal. The deal included the hiring of Scale's ex-CEO, Alexandr Wang, and the purchase of equity in almost half of the startup.

    Sonos cuts about 200 jobs
    Sonos

    Sonos, a California-based audio equipment company, said in a February 5 release that it's cutting about 200 roles.

    The announcement came nearly a month after Sonos CEO Patrick Spence stepped down following a disastrous app rollout. Interim CEO Tom Conrad said in the statement that the layoffs were part of an effort to create a "simpler organization."

    Starbucks is laying off 2,000 corporate staff
    Starbucks company headquarters in Seattle, a red-brick building with a clocktower featuring the coffee chain's Siren mascot and the US flag flying above it, is seen on a cloudy day
    Starbucks headquarters in Seattle

    Starbucks said it would lay off 900 non-retail employees in September and close about 1% of company-operated stores in North America.

    The cuts come after the company notified 1,100 corporate employees that they had been laid off in February.

    CEO Brian Niccol said in a February memo that the layoffs would make Starbucks "operate more efficiently, increase accountability, reduce complexity and drive better integration."

    The company is trying to improve results after sales slid last year.

    Southwest Airlines
    Southwest Airlines Boeing plane at an airport.
    A Southwest Airlines Boeing 737.

    Southwest Airlines CEO Bob Jordan announced in February that the company is laying off 15% of its corporate staff, or about 1,750 employees.

    He said affected workers will keep their pay, benefits, and bonuses through late April, when the separations will take effect.

    The company told investors the cuts would save about $210 million this year and $300 million in 2026.

    The move comes as Southwest tries to cut costs amid profitability problems. Jordan said this is the first significant layoff the company has had in its 53-year history.

    An activist hedge fund took a stake in Southwest in June and has since helped restructure its board and change its business model to keep up with a changing industry. For example, it plans to end its long-standing open-seating policy to generate more seating revenue.

    In recent months, the company has also reduced flight crew positions in Atlanta to cut costs.

    Stripe laid off 300 employees
    The logo for Stripe.
    Stripe.

    Payments platform Stripe laid off 300 employees, primarily in product, engineering, and operations, according to a January 20 memo obtained by BI.

    Chief people officer Rob McIntosh said in the memo that the company still planned on growing its head count to about 10,000 employees by the end of the year.

    Target cut 1,800 corporate roles
    Target store front
    Target said it was laying off around 1,000 corporate employees.

    Target said in October it was cutting 1,800 corporate jobs, including about 1,000 employees and 800 open roles.

    The company said the cuts accounted for 8% of the team at its global headquarters, and that leadership roles were affected at three times the rate of individual contributors.

    "The truth is, the complexity we've created over time has been holding us back," Michael Fiddelke, Target COO and incoming CEO, said in a memo to staff. "Too many layers and overlapping work have slowed decisions, making it harder to bring ideas to life."

    UPS is cutting 20,000 jobs
    A UPS Delivery Driver

    UPS announced on April 29 that it plans to cut 20,000 jobs this year — about 4% of its global workforce — as part of a shift toward automation and a strategic reduction in business with Amazon.

    "With our action, we will emerge as an even stronger, more nimble UPS," the company's CEO, Carol Tomé, said in a statement.

    The move follows a sharp 16% drop in Amazon package volume in Q4 and is part of a plan to halve its Amazon business by mid-2026. UPS will also close 73 US buildings by June and automate 400 facilities to reduce labor dependency.

    The Teamsters union have said they would fight any layoffs affecting its members.

    Verizon says it will lay off 13,000 employees
    Verizon store

    The telecommunications giant said on November 20 that it plans to lay off 13,000 employees in order to make Verizon "faster and more focused," new CEO Dan Schulman said in a message to employees. Verizon had about 100,000 employees at the beginning of 2025.

    The Washington Post cut 4% of its non-newsroom workforce
    The Washington Post building

    The Washington Post eliminated fewer than 100 employees in an effort to cut costs, Reuters reported in January.

    A spokesperson told the news agency that the cuts wouldn't affect the newsroom: "The Washington Post is continuing its transformation to meet the needs of the industry, build a more sustainable future and reach audiences where they are."

    Wayfair laid off 340 tech employees
    Wayfair logo on building
    Wayfair laid off about 340 tech employees.

    Wayfair announced in an SEC filing on March 7 that it would eliminate its Austin Technology Development Center and lay off around 340 tech workers.

    The reorg comes as the technology team has accomplished "significant modernization and replatforming milestones," the company said in the filing. Wayfair said it plans to refocus resources and streamline operations to promote its "next phase of growth."

    "With the foundation of this transformation now in place, our technology needs have shifted," the company said.

    Wayfair expects to take on $33 to $38 million in costs as a result of the reorganization, consisting of severance, cash employee-related costs, benefits, and transitional costs.

    Workday cut more than 8% of its workforce
    Workday logo
    Workday said it's cutting 8.5% of its workforce and focusing on AI.

    Workday, the human-resources software company, said in February that it is cutting 8.5% of its workforce, or around 1,750 employees. The layoffs came as the company focuses more on artificial intelligence.

    In a note to employees, CEO Carl Eschenbach said that Workday will focus on hiring in areas related to artificial intelligence and work to expand its global presence.

    "The environment we're operating in today demands a new approach, particularly given our size and scale," Eschenbach wrote. He said that affected employees will get at least 12 weeks of pay.

    Is your company conducting layoffs? Got a tip?
    A close-up of a person's hands holding and typing on a phone

    Have a tip? Contact Dominick Reuter via email or text/call/Signal at 646.768.4750. Use a personal email address, a nonwork WiFi network, and a nonwork device; here's our guide to sharing information securely.

    Read the original article on Business Insider
  • 4 mistakes you should never make when hosting for the holidays, according to etiquette experts

    A woman lighting candles on a table decorated for Christas.
    There are a few mistakes that should be avoided when hosting for the holidays.

    • Business Insider asked etiquette experts about the mistakes to avoid when hosting for the holidays.
    • It's important to make sure everyone feels welcomed — even unexpected guests.
    • Hosts should also ensure there is enough seating for everyone at the party.

    Although hosting friends and family for the holidays can be fun, there's no denying that doing so also comes with its fair share of stress. Without proper planning, things can even get chaotic.

    To avoid making etiquette mistakes in the process, Business Insider asked two experts to share the top mistakes they see people make when hosting. Here's what they said.

    Don't chastise guests for bringing an unexpected plus-one

    Diane Gottsman, a national etiquette expert and the owner of the Protocol School of Texas, told BI that hosts should never reprimand a guest for bringing an unexpected plus-one.

    If this happens, she said to address the issue later — not in front of others.

    "You don't want to reprimand the guest or the guest's guest in front of anyone. Later on, you can say, 'Sally, I wasn't expecting a plus one because it kind of put me in an awkward position with other people.' But you can say that privately at another time, not that night," Gottsman said.

    Make sure there is enough seating for all guests

    A dining table set with Christmas decorations in front of a tree and wreath.
    Use your head count to ensure everyone has a place to sit.

    When it comes to seating, it's important to double check your head count and ensure everyone has a place to sit. Gottsman said this should also be done for more casual events like cocktail or dinner parties.

    "You want to have enough seating for people," Gottsman said.

    Avoid creating a chaotic environment

    Etiquette and hosting expert Carla Shellis said another common mistake hosts make is not considering how they want their event or home to feel.

    By yelling and scrambling to get things done at the last second, the host can unintentionally leave the space feeling more chaotic than welcoming.

    Gottsman shared similar thoughts, telling BI, "When the doorbell rings with your first guest, you should not still be in your hair rollers, or lighting candles, or racing around talking about how busy you are."

    To combat a chaotic situation, Shellis likes to play music, light candles, and clean the space before her guests arrive. She also gives herself plenty of time to get everything done so she doesn't have to rush.

    Be cautious when serving alcohol

    A group of people toasting cheers with Champagne flutes.
    Alcohol can sometimes do more harm than good at a party.

    Shellis told BI that serving too much alcohol is an easy way to create unnecessary issues at a party. That's why it's important to ensure everyone is enjoying themselves in moderation.

    For instance, Shellis said when people ask her if she has any more wine, she'll say no and redirect them by offering other beverages like iced tea or soda.

    "For 30 years, I've been hosting parties, and I'm going to tell you there's nothing that will kill a beautiful environment quicker than somebody that's hammered and acting foolish," Shellis told BI.

    Read the original article on Business Insider
  • BlackRock names 5 engineers to its top circle of technologists shaping the future of the firm

    Kirsty Craig, David Woodhead, Michael Duncan
    Kirsty Craig, David Woodhead, and Michael Duncan are among this year's tech fellows.

    • BlackRock announced that 5 new technologists are joining its elite Tech Fellows program.
    • Tech Fellows help drive BlackRock's technology strategy and culture.
    • Meet the five newest fellows, who span operations and geographies.

    The holidays came early for five BlackRock employees, who joined an elite circle of some of the firm's most accomplished technologists on Tuesday.

    They became members of BlackRock's Tech Fellows program, a group of 24 senior technologists playing a crucial role in the $13.5 trillion firm's vision and operations.

    This year's members underwent a rigorous application process — from being nominated to completing written evaluations and interviews — before being voted into the program by current fellows, Nish Ajitsaria, BlackRock's co-head of Aladdin product engineering and executive sponsor of AI, and the co-executive sponsor of the program, said.

    "We think about the combination of technical expertise, domain expertise, commercial mindset, but really lifting the platform, the culture, the experience across the firm," said Ajitsaria, who has been involved with Tech Fellows since it launched in 2020. Many of this year's fellows are credited with mentoring other technologists, according to an internal announcement shared with Business Insider.

    Technologists are gaining more and more influence on Wall Street as firms race to adopt AI. BlackRock has long positioned itself as equal parts financial technology company and asset manager. Aladdin — the firm's sprawling risk and portfolio management platform — underpins its client relationships, and tech-related revenue is among its fastest-growing businesses. BlackRock's technology services and subscription revenue jumped 28% year-on-year over the last quarter, fueled by Aladdin and the integration of newly acquired Preqin's private-markets data business, the firm reported in its latest earnings.

    Four of this year's fellows work in Aladdin, though Ajitsaria said that the group has always represented a wide swath of the firm's businesses.

    "We are also really deliberate about leveraging and applying our tech fellows to the firm's most critical technology initiatives," Ajitsaria said. As of 2023, one in every third BlackRock employee was a software engineer or technologist, according to a document about the firm.

    Fellows meet internally at least once a month and are expected to foster the firm's engineering culture both internally and externally — they might, for example, contribute to BlackRock's engineering blog or attend conferences, Ajitsaria said.

    BlackRock has set high targets for the year 2030, when it aims to reach $35 billion in annual revenue and fundraising $400 billion in private markets. As Ajitsaria said, "the 2030 vision of BlackRock is very much underpinned by technology."

    These five new fellows have just become a more integral part of that vision.

    David Woodhead

    David Woodhead
    David Woodhead

    As the head of Aladdin Studio Engineering for Aladdin Data, David Woodhead has spearheaded the effort to "open Aladdin," giving stakeholders access to the platform's data and analytics models, among other tools. He's recognized for "championing modern data platforms, cloud-native technologies, and open-source adoption," according to the internal announcement. Woodhead has helped craft the very architecture of Aladdin.

    Beyond his role at Aladdin Studio, Woodhead also oversees services that give Aladdin and its clients reference, market, and other third-party data. He joined BlackRock in 2006 and is based in Virginia, serving as a managing director.

    Kirsty Craig

    Kirsty Craig
    tktk

    Kirsty Craig has been at BlackRock for 15 years and now serves as the head of research, data, and AI strategy for portfolio management tech. She's shaped how the firm uses AI and data science in investment research. While Craig is this year's only fellow who doesn't work within the Aladdin program, she has forged collaboration between the investment and technology teams.

    Craig has worked in offices in Edinburgh, San Francisco, and now Philadelphia, and is currently a managing director.

    Infant Vasanth

    Infant Vasanth
    Instant Vasanth runs a data and AI acceleration team.

    New York-based director Infant Vasanth is known for his work pushing BlackRock's internal research and automation platform forward. He joined the firm in 2011 and is now a senior director of engineering, running the team behind an analytics and automation platform.

    Vasanth, an advocate for open-source, often speaks at tech conferences and is the brain behind multiple patent filings. He also leads a team focused on Aladdin Studio's AI abilities.

    "Drawing on deep expertise in neural networks and pattern-recognition algorithms, he applies research rigor to building enterprise-scale AI systems," the announcement said.

    Michael Duncan

    Michael Duncan
    Michael Duncan

    Michael Duncan, a director and engineering lead on Aladdin's Trading Engineering team, is the architect behind a collection of tools dubbed BlackRock's Xceler Ecosystem, which is now integral across Aladdin and has helped raise engineering standards. His team is in charge of "delivering multi-asset trading solutions and technology across global markets," and Duncan has improved its abilities.

    Beyond that, Duncan is the global engineering lead for part of Aladdin and leads a client support and performance engineering program.

    Duncan joined BlackRock in 2020 and is based in Chicago.

    Charlie Johnston

    New York-based Charlie Johnston joined BlackRock as a summer intern in 2013 and has worked his way up to being a director. A software engineer, he has improved the quality of the asset management giant's code and development processes.

    "Charlie's technical contributions and collaborative approach have strengthened the engineering community across Aladdin," the internal announcement reads.

    Read the original article on Business Insider
  • I stayed at a Ritz-Carlton resort for the first time during a trip to Naples, Florida, and 7 things surprised me

    The exterior of the Ritz-Carlton Tiburón with palm trees and trimmed bushes in front
    The author stayed at the Ritz-Carlton Naples, Tiburón in Naples, Florida.

    • I recently spent two nights at the Ritz-Carlton Naples, Tiburón in Florida.
    • It was my first time staying in a Ritz-Carlton hotel, and a few things surprised me about the chain.
    • I wasn't expecting to have access to two locations. I was also surprised by some of the amenities.

    I didn't anticipate developing an appreciation for golf. I didn't think I'd find myself in a lazy river. And I definitely didn't expect to have access to two resorts.

    But my first-ever stay at a Ritz-Carlton hotel was full of surprises.

    This was in October 2025, when I spent two nights at the Ritz-Carlton Naples, Tiburón in Naples, Florida. My stay would have been about $800 a night, but Business Insider received a media rate.

    I'm not typically one for hotel chains, but the Ritz-Carlton is an iconic luxury brand, so I decided to give it a try.

    When I was planning my trip, I didn't realize that there were two Ritz-Carlton resorts less than five miles apart.
    A map of Naples shows the locations of Ritz-Carlton, Naples and Ritz-Carlton Naples, Tiburón
    The Ritz-Carlton has two locations in Naples.

    When I arrived at the Ritz-Carlton, Naples, my reservation was nowhere to be found. I was riddled with anxiety until an employee informed me that I was at the wrong location.

    My stay was about five miles east at the Ritz-Carlton Naples, Tiburón. I didn't realize the city had two locations, and I was surprised to find out they were so close to each other.

    I didn't expect to have access to both locations.
    The Ritz-Carlton Naples is seen behind beach sand, foliage, and a small building
    The Ritz-Carlton Naples is a beach resort.

    Guests of each Ritz-Carlton have access to all amenities at both locations, and a shuttle service runs between them. I was stoked because I'd never stayed at a hotel with this perk.

    I was surprised that the hotels were completely different.
    A composite image of a golf course and palm trees and beach chairs on the sand in front of the ocean

    After spending some time at each, I found that the resorts offered completely different experiences.

    While both were extremely luxurious, the Ritz-Carlton Naples, Tiburón was centered on golf, while the Ritz-Carlton, Naples was on the beach. The former was quieter and seemed to cater to an older crowd, while the latter felt busier with a wide range of ages.

    I appreciated being able to spend the day at the bustling beach resort and retiring to the calmer Ritz-Carlton Naples, Tiburón.

    At the Ritz-Carlton Naples, Tiburón, I didn't expect to find golf courses where the pros play.
    A golf course dotted with paths and trees with a body of water in the background

    I've never held a putter outside mini golf, so I wasn't expecting to be at all interested in the hotel's two courses. Then I learned that they host three pro tournaments every year, according to the company's website.

    Even though golf isn't my thing, I instantly got excited for guests who love it. As a baseball fan, I thought about how elated I'd be by the opportunity to play at a major league stadium. So I ended up really appreciating the golf courses at the Ritz-Carlton Naples, Tiburón.

    I'd never stayed at a hotel with a lazy river before.
    Rails lead down to a lazy river surrounded by palm trees and other greenery

    The Ritz-Carlton Naples, Tiburón isn't just for golfers. The hotel has a small water park next to the pool area with tall, winding slides and a lazy river.

    I'd stayed at hotels that had water slides before, but I'd never even heard of one with a lazy river. I'm not much of a thrill seeker, so I was excited to partake in a leisurely water activity. I hopped into an inflatable tube and looked up at the palm trees swaying in the breeze as I floated around the shady loop.

    I was in awe of the lobby bar at the Ritz-Carlton, Naples.
    An aerial view of an empty, oval-shaped, marble bar with light's dangling from the ceiling and floor-to-ceiling windows behind

    On my second day in Naples, I took the shuttle to the hotel chain's other location on the beach. When I stepped inside, I was stunned by the most beautiful bar I'd ever seen in a hotel lobby.

    Renovated in 2023, RITZ Lobby Bar was designed to feel celebratory, according to the hotel's website. And I think they nailed it.

    Dainty light fixtures dangled from the ceiling above, arched windows flooded the room with light, and gold accents brought the room together.

    The biggest surprise was that I'd book the hotel chain again.
    A patio surrounded by palm trees with the hotel on the left and a golf course on the right at a Ritz-Carlton in Naples, Florida

    As a lover of boutique hotels and unique stays, I didn't expect to be blown away by the Ritz-Carlton. But since two locations in the same city offered completely different experiences, I'm intrigued to see what other Ritz-Carlton resorts are like.

    Read the original article on Business Insider
  • Trump’s chief of staff dishes on Elon Musk’s time at DOGE

    Elon Musk and Susie Wiles
    "He's an odd, odd duck, as I think geniuses are," White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles said of Musk. "You know, it's not helpful, but he is his own person."

    • White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles opened up about Elon Musk's time leading DOGE.
    • In interviews with Vanity Fair, she called Musk an "odd duck" and an "avowed ketamine" user.
    • She also said she was "aghast" at the Musk-led dismantling of USAID.

    One of President Donald Trump's top aides has some thoughts on Elon Musk.

    In a series of interviews with Vanity Fair published on Tuesday, White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles weighed in on Musk's time as the de facto leader of DOGE, her thoughts on the Musk-led shuttering of USAID, and Musk's personality quirks.

    "The challenge with Elon is keeping up with him," Wiles told the outlet, calling Musk an "avowed ketamine" user who "sleeps in a sleeping bag" in an office building adjacent to the White House during the daytime. "He's an odd, odd duck, as I think geniuses are. You know, it's not helpful, but he is his own person."

    Asked about a meme Musk had reposted and later unshared about public sector workers murdering people under the dictatorships of Adolf Hitler, Joseph Stalin, and Mao Zedong, Wiles said: "I think that's when he's microdosing."

    In June, Musk denied being a current ketamine user, writing on X that he was "NOT taking drugs." He said he'd had a prescription for the drug "a few years ago" but hadn't taken it since then.

    Reached for further comment on Tuesday, a spokesperson for Musk's xAI told Business Insider: "Legacy Media Lies."

    In a separate interview on Monday with the New York Times, Wiles denied commenting on Musk's drug use, saying she "wouldn't have said it and I wouldn't know." But the Times reported that the journalist Chris Whipple, who interviewed Wiles for Vanity Fair, played a tape for the Times in which she could be heard making the comments.

    One of the most notable features of Musk's White House tenure was the sudden dismantling of the United States Agency for International Development, or USAID.

    "I was initially aghast," Wiles told Vanity Fair. "Because I think anybody that pays attention to government and has ever paid attention to USAID believed, as I did, that they do very good work."

    Wiles said the dismantling of USAID was "not the way" she would do it, and that she told Musk that he "can't just lock people out of their offices."

    "Elon's attitude is you have to get it done fast. If you're an incrementalist, you just won't get your rocket to the moon," Wiles said. "And so with that attitude, you're going to break some china. But no rational person could think the USAID process was a good one. Nobody."

    Musk left the White House in the spring and had a falling-out with Trump over the "Big Beautiful Bill," though the two men appear to have mended their relationship in recent months.

    Wiles wrote on X on Tuesday morning that the Vanity Story was a "disingenuously framed hit piece," and that "significant context was disregarded" in order to "paint an overwhelmingly chaotic and negative narrative about the President and our team."

    Asked about Wiles's comments, the White House sent Business Insider a supportive statement from Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt.

    "Chief of Staff Susie Wiles has helped President Trump achieve the most successful first 11 months in office of any President in American history," Leavitt said. "President Trump has no greater or more loyal advisor than Susie. The entire Administration is grateful for her steady leadership and united fully behind her."

    Read the original article on Business Insider
  • I made Ina Garten’s ravioli en brodo soup, an Italian twist on chicken noodle. It’s one of my favorite Barefoot Contessa recipes.

    Ina Garten's ravioli en brodo
    Ina Garten's ravioli en brodo soup is perfect for winter.

    • I made Ina Garten's ravioli en brodo soup, an Italian twist on chicken noodle. 
    • The soup features cheese ravioli, plus carrots, celery, and Parmesan cheese. 
    • I've made over 40 of Garten's recipes, and the ravioli en brodo is one of my absolute favorites.

    After making my way through Ina Garten's delicious pastas and desserts, I decided to try some of her comforting soups. 

    I've whipped up the Barefoot Contessa's savory chicken chili and soothing minestrone, but the soup I've been most excited to try was her ravioli en brodo — an Italian spin on chicken noodle. 

    I also decided to challenge myself and make Garten's homemade chicken stock for this dish, and it was definitely worth the extra effort. Here's how it went.

    A day before I made Ina Garten's ravioli en brodo, I whipped up her homemade chicken stock.
    Ina Garten's homemade chicken stock

    Ravioli en brodo appears in Garten's most recent cookbook, "Go-To Dinners." She said the key to its flavor is "rich homemade chicken stock."

    I usually take the quicker option because, as the Barefoot Contessa herself says, "store-bought is fine!" But since the broth is clearly the star of this dish, I decided to try her homemade chicken stock instead.

    To make Garten's homemade chicken stock, you'll need:

    • 3 (5-pound) roasting chickens
    • 3 large yellow onions, unpeeled and quartered
    • 6 carrots, unpeeled and halved
    • 4 celery stalks with leaves, cut into thirds
    • 4 parsnips, unpeeled and halved
    • 20 sprigs of fresh flat-leaf parsley
    • 20 sprigs of fresh dill
    • 15 sprigs of fresh thyme
    • 1 head of garlic, unpeeled and cut in half
    • 1 tablespoon of kosher salt
    • 2 teaspoons of whole black peppercorns (not ground)

    Place all the ingredients in a 16- to 20-quart stockpot, add 7 quarts of water, and bring to a boil. Then, lower the heat and simmer your stock uncovered, skimming off any foam that comes to the top, for at least four hours. (I let it simmer for about six.)

    Let the stock cool, then strain through a colander and discard the solids.

    Garten's ravioli en brodo features the homemade stock, plus plenty of veggies.
    Ingredients for Ina Garten's ravioli en brodo

    To make Garten's ravioli en brodo for a serving of 4-6, you'll need:

    • 8 cups of chicken stock, preferably homemade
    • 2 cups of chopped yellow onions (about 2 onions)
    • 2 cups of (½-inch thick) diagonally sliced carrots (about 3-5 carrots)
    • 1 ½ cups of (½-inch) diced celery (3 ribs)
    • 1 ½ cups of (½-inch) diced fennel, top and core removed
    • 1 Italian Parmesan cheese rind (about 2 x 3 inches)
    • 1 pound of cheese ravioli, fresh or frozen
    • Freshly grated Italian Parmesan cheese, for serving
    • Minced fresh dill or parsley, for serving
    • Freshly squeezed lemon juice, for serving
    I began by prepping my vegetables.
    Chopped veggies for Ina Garten's ravioli en brodo

    I chopped the onions, peeled and sliced the carrots, and diced the celery and fennel.

    I threw my veggies in a pot and sautéed them for 15 minutes.
    Cooking vegetables for Ina Garten's ravioli en brodo

    I added ¼ cup of olive oil to a pot placed over medium heat. Then, I threw in the onions, celery, carrots, and fennel and cooked them for 15 minutes, making sure to stir occasionally until they had softened.

    Then, I added the homemade chicken stock.
    Adding stock to Ina Garten's ravioli en brodo

    I also threw in 2 cups of water, per Garten's instructions.

    I threw in the Parmesan rind and seasoned the broth with 1 tablespoon of salt and 1 teaspoon of pepper.
    Adding parmesan rind to stock for Ina Garten's ravioli en brodo

    One thing I've learned in my soup-making season is that a Parmesan rind can add so much extra flavor to your broth.

    As explained by Food & Wine, the Parmesan rind — which is completely edible — releases a "savory and nutty" depth as it begins to melt and also helps give soups a "silky consistency."

    You can store Parmesan rinds in a Ziploc bag in your freezer for up to a year, so it's always on hand whenever you need to add a little more umami to your dinner.

    I brought my soup to a boil, then lowered the heat and let it simmer for 20 minutes.
    Simmering Ina Garten's ravioli en brodo

    Garten says you should let the soup simmer partially uncovered.

    While the soup was simmering, I prepped the ingredients I needed for serving.
    Grating cheese for Ina Garten's ravioli en brodo

    I grated my Parmesan cheese and minced some dill for the soup toppings.

    I also began to cook the ravioli.
    Cooking pasta for Ina Garten's ravioli en brodo

    I cooked my ravioli in a pot of boiling water with two tablespoons of salt for about four minutes.

    Every pasta is different, so make sure to follow the specific directions on the package of your ravioli.

    I drained the ravioli and spread them out on two plates.
    Laying out pasta for Ina Garten's ravioli en brodo

    Garten says doing this step will ensure the ravioli squares don't stick together.

    Once my soup was done simmering, I removed the Parmesan rind.
    Ina Garten's ravioli en brodo in pot

    It was time for dinner!

    Per Garten's instructions, I placed the ravioli in a bowl before adding the soup.
    Pasta on plate for Ina Garten's ravioli en brodo

    I started with four raviolis but quickly realized I wanted more.

    I poured the broth over my ravioli, then sprinkled Parmesan and dill on top — along with a squeeze of lemon juice.
    Ina Garten's ravioli en brodo

    There's something about this soup that just looks so elegant and impressive. The broth has such a lovely golden hue, and the pops of color from the carrots and dill give it a rustic charm.

    And did I mention it smelled phenomenal?

    Garten's ravioli en brodo is one of my all-time favorite recipes by the Barefoot Contessa.
    Ina Garten's ravioli en brodo

    I've made nearly 50 Barefoot Contessa dishes over the past few years, and her ravioli en brodo soup is one of the best. The broth is so rich and full-bodied that it really blew me away. I made this for my fiancé for dinner one night, and he couldn't resist getting seconds (and thirds).

    "A lot of broths are kind of bland or lacking, but this broth alone was just exploding with flavor," he told me.

    The dill and lemon also add some lovely brightness to the soup, which pairs perfectly with the cheesy pasta. I opted for a cacio e pepe ravioli and would highly recommend it, as I loved that extra kick of pepper.

    My only complaint about Garten's ravioli en brodo is that it has forever ruined store-bought chicken stock for me. However, an extra day of work is absolutely worth it for this soup, which I know I'll be making again and again.

    Read the original article on Business Insider
  • iRobot filed for bankruptcy: How the Roomba maker got here

    iRobot's Roomba vacuums.
    iRobot, the parent company of Roomba, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection.

    • iRobot, the maker of the Roomba, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy after financial struggles.
    • A failed $1.4 billion Amazon acquisition contributed to iRobot's financial woes.
    • Here's how the pioneering robotics company ended up here.

    iRobot, the maker of the Roomba robot vacuum cleaner, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection this week after years of mounting financial struggles and a failed $1.4 billion acquisition deal with Amazon.

    The 35-year-old company once reigned supreme in the world of robotic vacuums, but its dominance waned amid rising competition from lower-cost rivals and weakening consumer demand.

    Here's a look back at how this once mighty, pioneering robotics company arrived at this moment.

    iRobot was founded by MIT roboticists
    iRobot cofounder Colin Angle next to a Roomba.
    iRobot cofounder Colin Angle next to a Roomba.

    iRobot was founded in 1990 by three roboticists from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology — Colin Angle, Helen Greiner, and Rodney Brooks — who had a "vision of making practical robots a reality," the company says on its website.

    Before the Roomba, iRobot made robots for military use
    A soldier with an iRobot robot.
    iRobot used to make robots for military use.

    iRobot focused on designing robots for space-related research and military use in its early years.

    In 1998, the Massachusetts-based company won a contract from the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, known as DARPA, to build a tactical mobile robot. This led to the development of iRobot's PackBot, which was later used in search operations at Manhattan's Ground Zero following the 9/11 terrorist attacks.

    The launch of the Roomba
    An early model Roomba.
    An early model of the Roomba.

    In 2002, iRobot had its consumer breakthrough with its debut of the Roomba, its iconic self-cleaning disc-shaped vacuum.

    Over the next two decades, the company went on to release dozens of Roomba models. It has sold over 50 million models globally since.

    iRobot goes public
    Nasdaq stock exchange circa 2005
    The Nasdaq stock exchange circa 2005

    iRobot went public in November 2005 with its IPO priced at $24 per share. It began trading its shares on the Nasdaq under the ticker symbol IRBT.

    By then, the company was well known for its robot vacuums, and by 2013, iRobot had sold over 10 million home cleaning robots.

    The company hit its highest annual revenue in 2021
    CEO Colin Angle poses in the iRobot Bedford, MA office on January 22, 2020.
    CEO Colin Angle poses in the iRobot Bedford, MA office on January 22, 2020.

    iRobot saw its annual revenue peak in 2021 at $1.56 billion, but sales have been falling ever since.

    Sales dropped, in part, thanks to stiffer competition from Chinese rivals like Dreame, Roborock, and Ecovacs, as well as other brands such as Shark and Samsung.

    The failed Amazon-iRobot deal
    The Amazon logo on the façade of an office building
    The Amazon logo on the façade of Amazon Germany's headquarters in Parkstadt Schwabing in Munich.

    Amazon agreed to buy iRobot in 2022 for $61 per share in an all-cash transaction, but the deal collapsed two years later with the companies saying there was "no path to regulatory approval in the European Union."

    The same day the companies announced that the proposed merger was scrapped in January 2024, iRobot cut 31% of its staff, and Angle, iRobot's cofounder and longtime CEO, also stepped down.

    iRobot sounded the alarm about its business
    Roombas in boxes on shelves
    Roombas in boxes on shelves

    In a March 2025 earnings report, iRobot said there was "substantial doubt" about the company's ability to continue.

    The company struggles to find a new buyer
    iRobot's Bedford Mass office
    Inside iRobot's Bedford, Mass., office

    iRobot attempted to find a new buyer after its deal with Amazon collapsed. In an October 2025 regulatory filing, it said the last remaining potential acquirer pulled out "following a lengthy period of exclusive negotiations."

    The company warned that without fresh funding, it "may be forced to significantly curtail or cease operations and would likely seek bankruptcy protection."

    iRobot files for bankruptcy
    A picture of a bankruptcy petition next to a judge's gavel
    A bankruptcy petition next to a judge's gavel

    iRobot filed for Chapter 11 on December 14 and said the company would be acquired by its China-based primary contract manufacturer and lender, Picea Robotics, through a court-supervised process. Under the deal, iRobot would be taken private.

    The company said it expects to continue to operate as normal and does not anticipate any disruption to its core operations, including its app and ongoing product support.

    "The transaction will strengthen our financial position and will help deliver continuity for our consumers, customers, and partners," said iRobot CEO Gary Cohen.

    Read the original article on Business Insider