• Wall Street banks stand to gain $225 million from Warner Bros. Discovery's sale process.
• WBD weighed offers and chose Netflix over Paramount.
• Media and telecom mergers are surging, with investment banks seeing robust deal activity.

There's one clear winner in the fight for Warner Bros. Discovery: Wall Street banks.

Some big names in finance could clean up. WBD is set to pay Allen & Co., J.P. Morgan, and Evercore a total of $225 million in connection with its sale to Netflix or David Ellison's Paramount Skydance, if a deal goes through, according to a new SEC filing.

WBD has been weighing dueling offers from Netflix, which wants to buy its studio and streaming business, and Paramount, which bid for the whole company (including its cable TV channels). WBD's board reiterated its support for Netflix's offer on Wednesday, following Paramount's hostile offer last week.

WBD's advisors appeared extensively throughout the bid process, participating in board meetings, negotiations, feedback sessions, and bid evaluations. They reviewed and provided feedback on the offers.

Here's how WBD outlined the pay structure:

• Allen & Co.: $85 million, $45 million of which is contingent on a deal being done
• J.P. Morgan: $85 million, $50 million of which is contingent on a deal being done
• Evercore: $55 million contingent on a deal being done

WBD also retained Innisfree, a shareholder communications firm, to assist with investor communications, and Joelle Frank, a financial PR firm, to aid in public relations during the bid process. Its law firms, Debevoise & Plimpton, Wachtell Lipton, and Covington & Burling, also participated throughout the process.

Paramount, meanwhile, was advised by Centerview Partners, RedBird (which is backing its bid), BofA, Citi, and M. Klein & Company.

Moelis & Co advised Netflix.

Investment banks typically earn a mix of retainers and fees at closing, with the percentages decreasing as deals become larger.

Bankers have been having a banner year as media and telecoms M&A has heated up, according to a PwC deals outlook this month. It reported an uptick in the second half of 2025, with deals like Electronic Arts being taken private and the Los Angeles Lakers sale, driven by favorable financing, companies realigning, and investor appetite for valuable IP. Excluding the announced WBD sale, PwC reported a 61% increase in deal value from the second half of 2024 to the second half of 2025.

PwC expects robust M&A activity to continue for the next several years, as investors continue to seek value in content libraries, video games, and sports assets that can be monetized in various ways.

• Paramount Skydance's David Ellison texted Warner Bros. Discovery's CEO as the bidding war heated up.
• WBD just shared why its top executive never responded to Ellison's text.
• Although Paramount's offer for WBD was rejected, it can appeal to shareholders or raise its bid.

Paramount CEO David Ellison was left on read during a key part of the negotiations to buy Warner Bros. Discovery — and now we know why.

Ellison's text message to WBD CEO David Zaslav on December 4, which said that Paramount's offer was not its "best and final," went unanswered in the hours leading up to WBD's decision to accept Netflix's offer.

In a new SEC filing, WBD said Zaslav didn't respond to Ellison's text since it "did not present any actionable improved proposal for consideration and it would not have been appropriate to do so in the midst of the WBD Board's deliberations."

Here was the text (typos and all) that Ellison sent Zaslav, per a Paramount filing:

"Daivd, I appreciate you're underwater today so I wanted to send you a quick text. Please note when you next meet as a board we wanted to offer you a package that addressed all of the issues you discussed we [sic] me. Those were 1 we wanted to offer complete certainty 2 strong cash value 3 speed to close. Please note importantly we did not include "best and final" in our bid. Also please know despite the noise of the last 24 hours I have nothing but respect and admiration for you and the company. It would be the honor of a lifetime to be your partner and to be the owner of these iconic assets. If we have the privilege to work together you will see that my father and I are the people you had dinner with. We are always loyal and honorable to our partners and hope we have the opportunity to prove that to you. Best, David".

A similar text was sent by an employee of Centerview Partners, an investment bank advising Paramount, to an employee at Evercore, a bank advising WBD in its deal, WBD said in its filing.

Paramount said in its filing that WBD didn't "engage in a 'real time' back-and-forth negotiation with Paramount or its advisors," mark up documents, or go through its proposal page-by-page. It also said that a Paramount representative called WBD's leadership to ask about the status of the bid.

"The member of Warner Bros. management responded that the Warner Bros. team had received Paramount's submission and would respond to Paramount in time. However, there was no further outreach whatsoever from Warner Bros. or its representatives," Paramount said in its filing.

On Wednesday, the WBD board reiterated its decision to spurn Paramount, advising shareholders to reject the hostile bid. The WBD board said in a letter to shareholders that Paramount's bid relies "on an unknown and opaque revocable trust" whose assets or liabilities are subject to change. Paramount has said its bid is fully backstopped by Larry Ellison, one of the richest people in the world and father to David Ellison.

Ellison's company can either hope WBD shareholders take their side or change its offer once again.

• Artificial intelligence is fueling a shift toward skills-based hiring in the workplace.
• Some employers are prioritizing data science, machine learning, and hands-on experience over degrees.
• This article is part of "How AI is Changing Talent", a series exploring how AI is reshaping hiring, development, and retention.

Artificial intelligence is driving a shift in what companies look for in new hires.

While experience has always been a key factor for job seekers, education level matters less and less compared to skill set, enabling companies to "expand their talent pipelines and keep pace with roles that evolve faster than traditional education can," says Lauren Winans, CEO at human resources consulting firm Next Level Benefits.

AI is accelerating the trend, as more organizations seek data science, machine learning, data analytics, and related skills — skills that you essentially learn through doing and repetition, not by going to class.

Indeed, several companies, including Google and IBM, have dropped their degree requirements for some roles in favor of skills-based hiring.

Plus, a quarter of employers said they planned to stop requiring bachelor's degrees this year, instead prioritizing relevant experience, according to a 2025 ResumeTemplates survey of 1,000 US hiring managers.

Skills-based hiring benefits both companies and job-seekers

Skills-based hiring is an "operational necessity," as organizations adopt AI initiatives and require staff to design, build, and manage AI systems and processes, says Anthony Donnarumma, CEO of the recruiting agency 24 Seven.

Plus, relying on skills over degrees reduces the time it takes to fill roles and improves productivity because applicants are "job-ready," he says.

It also helps organizations remain agile and adapt to changing demands, adds Lisa Highfield, principal director of research and advisory services at McLean & Company, an HR research and consulting firm.

A skills-based approach creates new opportunities for employees, too, Highfield says. It can increase workforce diversity and create paths for career advancement, Winans adds.

"Workers are able to compete on the value of their skills — not their resume format or educational history — which can lead to better job matches, higher engagement, and longer-term career growth," Donnarumma says.

How AI accelerates skills-based hiring

At the other end, AI-based screening and hiring tools are offering companies ways to automate skill-based hiring, says Kara Ayers, senior vice president of global talent acquisition for Xplor Technologies, a payment and commerce software company that's already made the shift, prioritizing skills, experience, and potential over college degrees in its new hires — and using AI to do it.

Xplor Technologies began using the AI-powered applicant tracking system SmartRecruiters in 2022 to help them organize and classify the skills needed for each role, Ayers says.

"These tools allow us to analyze resumes and profiles for competencies rather than filtering by degree, and we use AI-driven predictive analytics to match candidates based on skills alignment and potential," she explains.

Since adopting this approach, Ayers says the company has reduced its reliance on recruiting agencies, saving about $3 million. It also fills roles faster — often in under 30 days, compared to more than 60 days in the past — and has improved the quality of new hires, who are now better matched to a role's competencies.

That said, using AI to review applicants based on skills depends on organizations having "a clean, well-structured framework, consistent job architecture, reliable performance data, and HR systems that can integrate skills analytics into hiring workflows," Winans says.

They also need data showing the skills they already have and what they need for the future, Highfield says. And historical workforce data showing how people succeed within the company, Donnarumma adds.

There are some challenges, however

Transitioning to skills-based hiring can be time and resource-intensive, Highfield says. Leadership teams also may need to rethink their traditional hiring practices and beliefs about the value of degrees, Donnarumma says.

AI gives companies tools to build a process that's "more accurate, more inclusive, and far more aligned with the future of work," Donnarumma says.

However, AI bias remains a "real concern," he says. Organizations must incorporate governance into AI-driven hiring, including ensuring team members understand AI and can manage its use effectively and objectively.

Ayers says it's crucial to highlight the benefits of AI while also emphasizing governance.

"It is important to be thoughtful about how AI is used and to thoroughly vet the tools in place," she says. "Both candidates and companies should maintain authenticity and find the right balance in how much they rely on AI."

• The US military needs to improve its weapons testing processes, according to a new watchdog report.
• Needed improvements include involving testers early, iterative testing, digital twinning, and user feedback.
• The Pentagon is prioritizing the rapid deployment of weapons to troops.

The Pentagon wants to get troops new weapons faster, but its testing isn't following best practices, according to a new government watchdog report.

Current policies have often focused on looking for problems after weapons are already developed, slowing down the process. Policy changes, the report concluded, would ultimately help the Department of Defense achieve the speed and modernization it is looking for.

The Government Accountability Office said the Pentagon needed to get testers involved early on, conduct iterative testing to find problems quickly and results in gradual changes, use digital twins to mirror actual physical systems, and seek regular user feedback.

These are key principles followed by companies for product development and they are applicable to the US military as it seeks to update its policies for faster, better weapons. Currently, GAO reporting indicates, the DoD implementation appears haphazard and sloppy.

For example, the development of the Air Force's new pilot training aircraft, the T-7A Red Hawk, didn't include allowing testers to access test data in a timely manner, and the contract didn't require a complete digital system model of system. And upgrades for the F-22 Raptor haven't considered how user feedback could be incorporated into an iterative testing process.

Without revising these development and design policies, "the Air Force is missing opportunities to ensure that testing proceeds expeditiously and that the systems under test are responsive and relevant to warfighter needs," the GAO said.

In the Army, the new MV-75 Future Long-Range Assault Aircraft, which will eventually replace the UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter, hasn't followed an iterative design approach. That could've resulted in tailoring testing to different changes in the aircraft's development, which could've gotten the system to pilots quicker, the watchdog office determined.

And then the Navy, the GAO report said, only followed an iterative design process on its Gerald R. Ford-class aircraft carriers for cybersecurity and didn't have a digital twin.

Reviews of the Department of Defense policies ultimately led the GAO to issue 13 recommendations, including that officials revise how they evaluate weapons and align their plans with better practices. The GAO said the Pentagon fully agreed with seven of those, partially agreed with five, and didn't concur with one.

The Pentagon did not respond to Business Insider's request for comment.

Broadly, the defense department faces a choice, the report concluded. "On the one hand, it could continue to treat test and evaluation as a means of identifying deficiencies in weapon systems already developed and, often, already produced," it said. That wouldn't require any changes to the status quo but wouldn't help the Pentagon get weapons to troops faster.

"On the other hand, DoD has an opportunity to embrace test and evaluation as a core foundation of every weapon systems acquisition program," the GAO report added, which would be a significant change in the short term but position the department to "ensure that warfighter needs are consistently understood, prioritized, and met" in the long term.

How the Pentagon builds weapons is undergoing a shift as department leadership under the Trump administration seeks to speed up the process and get new technologies to troops quickly. Last month, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth issued a memo directing the department to modernize its testing, reduce test oversight, and streamline requirements.

"Speed to capability delivery is now our organizing principle: the decisive factor in maintaining deterrence and warfighting advantage," Hegseth wrote.

Earlier this year, Hegseth gutted the Office of the Director of Operational Test and Evaluation, which independently supervises the performance of weapons before they're given to US military personnel, decreasing the number of programs it oversees.

Hegseth said the cuts reduced bureaucracy and allowed for more rapid deployment of new weapons. Oversight experts, however, raised concerns that the cuts to DOT&E could put troops in danger and mean problems aren't identified before they hit the field.

• Bernie Sanders is calling for a temporary pause on AI data center construction nationwide.
• He says a pause would "give democracy a chance to catch up" with the rapid buildout.
• He's concerned about potential AI-driven job losses and the tech's effect on human relationships.

Sen. Bernie Sanders wants to put a halt to the multi-trillion-dollar AI infrastructure buildout — at least for now.

In a video posted to social media on Tuesday, the Vermont senator and two-time presidential candidate said he would begin pushing for a national moratorium on the construction of AI data centers.

He argued that AI, which he called one of the most "transformative technologies in the history of humanity," is moving too rapidly for lawmakers and citizens to keep up.

"This moratorium will give democracy a chance to catch up with the transformative changes that we are witnessing and make sure that the benefits of these technologies work for all of us, not just the wealthiest people on Earth," Sanders said.

While Sanders is not the only AI critic on Capitol Hill, it sounds like his planned proposal would go further than most. He is likely the first national politician to call for a moratorium on the construction of data centers, which are the primary infrastructure needed to support the expansion of AI.

"This process is moving very, very quickly, and we need to slow it down," Sanders said. "We need all of our people, all of our people involved in determining the future of AI, and not just a handful of multi-billionaires."

The Democratic socialist senator listed three major reasons for slowing down the advancement of AI: the fact that it's being promoted by wealthy tech titans, the potential for AI-driven job losses, and the technology's impact on human interaction.

"Think for a moment about a future when human beings are not interacting with each other and are spending virtually all of their time with devices instead of people," Sanders said. "Is that the kind of future you want? Well, not me."

At this point, it's unlikely that Sanders's vision comes to fruition.

President Donald Trump's administration has taken the opposite path, encouraging the rapid construction of data centers in a bid to win the AI race with China.

But skepticism of AI is continuing to grow on Capitol Hill, with some lawmakers warning about a potential AI bubble and others aiming to limit minors' use of AI chatbots.

• Warner Bros. Discovery is telling shareholders to reject an offer from Paramount and to stick with Netflix.
• The fact that the Paramount proposal included $24 billion from Gulf states complicated the deal.
• But that's not why WBD rejected Paramount.

Larry and David Ellison, who own Paramount, want to use $24 billion in Middle Eastern money to finance their bid for Warner Bros. Discovery. Is that a problem for WBD?

You might think so — especially since $10 billion of that came from the Saudi government. That's the same government that US intelligence said killed a Washington Post journalist in 2018. The kind of partner you might think a major American media conglomerate would want to keep at arm's length.

But that's not a problem WBD raises in its newest communication to shareholders, where it urges them to take the deal offered by Netflix instead.

What actually worries WBD about the Ellisons' bid isn't the Ellisons' particular partners. It's that the Ellisons had partners.

In a regulatory filing that tells the backstory of the proposed WBD sale, WBD execs and their reps repeatedly told the Ellisons they wanted a firm commitment that Larry Ellison — currently the world's 5th-richest man, with an estimated net worth of $243 billion — would guarantee the deal himself.

Instead, WBD argues, the Ellisons never gave them the assurances they wanted.

The filing does bring up the fact that money from Middle Eastern sovereign wealth funds would likely complicate regulatory issues for a proposed Ellison/Paramount deal. (Ditto for a proposed $1 billion investment from China's Tencent, which the Ellisons later took out of their proposal.) But those are presented as technical hurdles. Not moral or patriotic dealbreakers.

And they're just part of a laundry list of complaints WBD makes about the Ellisons. Among them: A December 2 tweet from New York Post reporter Charlie Gasparino, which WBD said violated a confidentiality agreement Paramount had signed.

And when it comes to the main pitch WBD is making to investors, all of that stuff disappears. It just boils down to "we did our homework, and the Netflix deal is better."

That's not shocking: If you're a WBD investor, you are (supposedly) only interested in getting the maximum value for shares. And WBD's filing argues that Netflix is the one that can pay the most.

Now we're waiting to see what the Ellisons do next: Many observers believe they'll return with yet another, higher bid. Will this one have Gulf money, too?

• I was born and raised in Mexico, and have seen tourists make plenty of mistakes when visiting.
• There's more to the country than its resorts, so I suggest exploring other areas, like Chichén Itzá.
• During your trip, I also recommend trying local dishes, like mole and pozole.

I was born and raised in Mexico and have spent the last 15 years exploring the country as a travel journalist. So, I know it has lots to offer, from incredible biodiversity and beautiful resorts to world-class museums.

However, I've seen tourists make plenty of mistakes when visiting my country, from failing to learn any Spanish to missing opportunities to explore.

Here are five things tourists should avoid so that they can get the most out of their trip.

Assuming all of Mexico is the same

Mexico is a huge country. To put it into perspective, the largest state, Chihuahua, is slightly larger than the UK. So, to reduce Mexico to a single stereotype would be to erase its incredible diversity.

It has everything from tropical beaches and historical cities to snow-capped mountains and deserts.

Getting from one city to another can require long bus rides or flights, so if you hope to travel throughout the country, I recommend trying not to plan too much for one trip.

Not exploring beyond your resort

Although Mexico is home to incredible resorts in cities like Cancún and Cabo San Lucas, the country has so much more to offer.

For example, about two and a half hours outside downtown Cancún lies Chichén Itzá, an archeological site of Mayan ruins and one of the "New 7 Wonders of the World."

One of the main attractions is El Castillo, also known as the Pyramid of Kukulkán, which stands nearly 100 feet tall and has impressive features. For example, if visitors clap at the base of the pyramid, they'll hear the sound of a quetzal, a sacred bird associated with the god Kukulkán.

Meanwhile, about 30 minutes outside Cabo San Lucas lies San José del Cabo, a charming town with a laid-back vibe full of art galleries and colonial architecture.

If you're willing to venture a bit further from Cabo San Lucas, I also recommend visiting Todos Santos, home of Hotel California, or Cabo Pulmo, a national marine park perfect for snorkeling and diving among coral reefs.

Being afraid to try local food

During your visit, I highly recommend trying one of the more than 50 types of mole, a traditional Mexican sauce that's very different from the spicy salsa you might be used to.

It's made with a wide range of ingredients, such as chiles, chocolate, nuts, seeds, spices, vegetables, and sometimes fruits like raisins or apples. It's usually served with meat or as the base for popular dishes, such as enchiladas de mole.

Another must-try dish is pozole. Almost every state has its own version of this comforting, flavorful soup.

It's made with cacahuazintle (a special type of corn), broth, and meat, and comes in various styles, including white pozole (without chile), red pozole (with red chile), and green pozole (with ground pumpkin seeds).

The spiciness is real, so I recommend starting slow and only trying what locals say is just a little spicy.

Skipping museums

Mexico City is home to the greatest concentration of museums in the country.

One unmissable stop is the spectacular National Museum of Anthropology in Chapultepec Park. With more than 20 galleries showcasing pre-Hispanic artifacts and ethnographic treasures, it's worth setting aside several hours — or even an entire day — to truly take it all in.

A short walk away, Chapultepec Castle houses the National History Museum, which showcases Mexico's story from pre-Columbian times to the modern era. As a bonus, you'll also find epic murals by David Alfaro Siqueiros and Juan O'Gorman, two of the most acclaimed Mexican visual artists of the 20th century — plus stunning views of the city.

And for fine art lovers, head downtown to MUNAL (the National Museum of Art), located in Plaza Manuel Tolsá. Its collection spans from the colonial period to the mid-20th century and includes works by Diego Rivera, Rufino Tamayo, and María Izquierdo.

Not learning even a few basic phrases in Spanish

At upscale hotels and restaurants, you'll probably get by just fine in English, but you shouldn't expect to do the same when wandering local streets, exploring markets, or trying street food.

I encourage learning a few Spanish phrases, such as thank you (gracias), good morning (buenos días), and please (por favor). It'll open doors and hearts.

• Kat Milner, 58, moved from the USA to Australia to be with her now husband.
• Their first phone call lasted 2.5 hours, and their first date lasted 7.5 hours.
• She says her story gives hope to those looking for love after their mid-40s.

This story is based on a conversation with Kat Milner, 58. It has been edited for length and clarity.

I first met Paul when I was living in Massachusetts; I'd been touring as a technical producer with a theater show. I'd been living with a friend, and I popped to the local fishery to buy salmon so I could cook us dinner.

Paul looked at me across the fish counter with these big, brown, beautiful eyes. He smiled his beautiful smile, and as I heard that Australian accent, I knew I was screwed.

We discussed how long he'd been in the US. He responded: "Oh, that'd take an entire evening and a large bottle of wine." I said, "OK, I've got time."

I was then 45 years old and divorced. I thought, why not?

He lost my number, but the connection was instant

Our epic date almost never happened. I'd given him my card with my number on it, then never heard from him. It turns out that he'd immediately lost my card.

A few days later, a friend who played in a band stopped by the fishery to invite me. He couldn't come — he had his son that night — but he apologized and begged me for another card. Before I left the building, he'd texted me. It said: "See, I now have your number in my phone!"

Sure enough, that weekend, in September 2012, we set up a phone call for Saturday. It actually lasted 2.5 hours. We set our first in-person date for the following Monday, when we were both available for coffee during the day.

That coffee date lasted for 7.5 hours. The only reason it didn't last longer is that he had to go to his shift at the fishmonger's. He was working very hard with two jobs. His other job was overnight at a gas station. It's hard to live on minimum wage in the US.

We both arrived at the Starbucks at the same time. I went to hug him, and he actually kissed me, but it felt natural rather than creepy. There was this amazing chemistry happening.

After four months of dating, we knew we were meant to be together. Paul said his 9-year-old son, whom he hadn't yet told about me, asked his dad: "What's going on? Why are you so happy lately?" That's when he said he knew.

He proposed 16 months after we met

There were bumps in the road. In February 2013, I took a contract job on a cruise ship for almost eight months as part of the theatre production crew for their shows. I really needed the work, and had agreed to it before we met. It was a long separation right during our honeymoon period as a couple. I really hoped, and believed, we would last. But I didn't see him for the whole eight months. I was on cruises around the Caribbean, Mexico, Europe, Canada, and Alaska. I'd go from one ship to another.

The day after I got off the cruise ship and came home to him, in October 2013, he took me back to that same Starbucks where we had our first date. In front of everyone in the Starbucks, he proposed to me. I, of course, said yes. It was 16 months to the day we met; we got married in November 2013.

The small ceremony was mostly my friends, because Paul didn't know many people in the US. They commented that you could've gotten high from the feeling of love in the room.

I moved to Australia

Further bumps lay ahead. Ten days after the wedding, Paul had to return to his native Australia, while I remained in the US and worked on getting my visa. I didn't know it then, but I wouldn't see him again for another year. I'd hoped my visa would arrive sooner, and I was desperate not to miss our first wedding anniversary. As it turned out, I arrived in Australia 10 days before the anniversary.

When I arrived in 2014, it was an experience of getting used to each other again. I was settling into a new country where they drive on the left, and I had to make a whole new group of friends.

Now I wake up grateful every day. I haven't been back to the US since I moved here 11 years ago. I haven't wanted to.

This month, we celebrated our 12th wedding anniversary.

After I moved to another city for my first marriage, I vowed I wouldn't do it again. But if your heart truly feels this is your person, trust that. Sometimes it works out, sometimes it doesn't. I've been on both sides of that. The risk is always worth taking.

• Elon Musk's wealth hit a record $648 billion, extending his lead as the world's richest person.
• His fortune jumped thanks to Tesla's record stock rally and SpaceX's soaring valuation.
• Musk has gained an unrivaled $216 billion this year, more than Bernard Arnault's net worth.

Elon Musk's net worth has surged to a record $648 billion — and his wealth gain this year exceeds LVMH CEO Bernard Arnault's entire $205 billion fortune, the Bloomberg Billionaires Index shows.

The Tesla and SpaceX CEO's wealth has jumped by $178 billion in just two days, boosting his year-to-date gain to an unmatched $216 billion.

If that figure were his entire fortune, he would rank sixth on the rich list — ahead of not just Arnault but also former Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer and Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang.

Musk's record wealth partly reflects Tesla stock closing at an all-time high of $490 on Tuesday, as investors cheered news that the EV maker is testing driverless robotoxis on Austin, Texas streets. Musk holds a roughly 12% stake in Tesla, valued at around $200 billion.

But the bigger driver of his wealth surge this week has been SpaceX's valuation reportedly doubling since the summer to $800 billion, based on a secondary share sale by the aerospace company ahead of a potential IPO next year.

Musk, the CEO of Tesla and SpaceX, is now more than twice as wealthy as number two on the rich list, Alphabet cofounder Larry Page, who's worth $264 billion after a year-to-date wealth gain of $96 billion — second only to Musk.

He's also more than four times as rich as Warren Buffett, the outgoing CEO of Berkshire Hathaway, who's worth $150 billion after giving more than half of his fortune to good causes.

Musk's personal fortune exceeds the market values of Oracle, Mastercard, and Johnson & Johnson — three of the 20 most valuable US public companies with market capitalizations exceeding $500 billion. His recent gains have narrowed the gap with Visa, which has a market value of $660 billion.

Musk's epic wealth rally

The serial entrepreneur has had a striking wealth recovery in recent months. Tesla stock roughly halved between mid-January and mid-March as his Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) sparked public backlash and worried shareholders that he was getting distracted.

Musk even briefly lost his top spot on the rich list to Oracle cofounder Larry Ellison in September, before Tesla shares rallied to fresh highs.

Tesla and other huge US tech companies have seen their stock prices soar this year, fueled by immense buzz around AI. In Musk's case, he's excited investors by spending big on AI to develop Tesla's autonomous vehicles and humanoid robots.

By contrast, skeptics such as Michael Burry of "The Big Short" fame have warned that AI companies are overspending on microchips and data centers, and diagnosed a stock-market bubble that's bound to burst.

The AI boom has translated into huge wealth gains for key shareholders such as Musk, Page and his cofounder Sergey Brin, Amazon's Jeff Bezos, Ellison, Meta's Mark Zuckerberg, and Nvidia's Jensen Huang.

Musk could become the world's first trillionaire after Tesla shareholders approved his pay package in November, which promises to roughly double his stake in Tesla over the next decade if he hits milestones such as selling 1 million Optimus robots and raising adjusted profits from around $17 billion last year to $400 billion.

• I love Ina Garten, so I baked my way through four of her cookie recipes to see how they stacked up.
• The giant crinkled chocolate chip cookies were delicious, but a bit tedious to make.
• I thought the salty oatmeal chocolate-chunk cookies were crispy, flavorful, and perfectly chewy.

When it comes to cooking and baking, there's rarely an Ina Garten recipe I don't like.

Her recipes are reliable, and there's something for everyone to enjoy. So, I decided to bake my way through four of her cookie recipes to see how they compare.

For a mix of classic, chocolate, and fruity flavors, I went with her giant crinkled chocolate chip cookies, raspberry jam thumbprints, white-chocolate chunk cookies, and salty oatmeal chocolate-chunk cookies.

Here's how they stacked up, from worst to best.

Garten's giant crinkled chocolate chip cookies are made with vanilla, bittersweet chocolate, and sea salt.

To make 12 of Garten's giant crinkled chocolate chip cookies, I gathered:

• Two sticks of unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1 ½ cups of granulated sugar
• ¼ cup of light-brown sugar, lightly packed
• One extra-large egg, at room temperature
• 1 ½ teaspoons of pure vanilla extract
• 2 cups of all-purpose flour
• ½ teaspoon of baking soda
• 1 teaspoon of kosher salt
• 8 ounces of bittersweet chocolate, chopped
• Sea salt for sprinkling

The dough was simple enough to make.

Making the dough was a pretty straightforward process. I mixed everything in an electric mixer, folded in the chocolate chunks, and let it chill for 30 minutes. Then, I was ready to bake.

The process to make these cookies was a bit tedious.

Although these have the word "giant" in the name of the recipe, I didn't expect the cookies to be as massive as they were. Each one used a whopping ⅓ cup of dough, and they spread a lot, so I needed to cook them in batches.

After baking for 10 minutes, the instructions said to pull the tray out and bang it on the counter. This was repeated every three minutes until the cookies were done baking to create the crinkle effect. However, this method became a little tedious after baking multiple trays.

For a smoother process, I also recommend baking on parchment paper. I didn't do this with the first batch, and even with cooking spray, mine stuck to the tray pretty badly since they had thinned out so much.

The giant crinkled cookies were good, but not the best I've tasted.

These cookies were good, but I wanted to like them more. They came out thin, buttery, and crispy, but were not the best chocolate chip cookies I've ever had.

However, I do prefer a more chewy cookie, so it's all up to personal preference. They look rather impressive, but these are the kind of treat I would need to fully commit time and dedication to making. For that reason, they landed in fourth place.

Garten's raspberry jam thumbprints call for vanilla, coconut, and your choice of jam.

To make 32 of Garten's raspberry jam thumbprint cookies, I grabbed:

• Three sticks of unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1 cup of sugar
• 1 teaspoon of pure vanilla extract
• 3 ½ cups of all-purpose flour
• ¼ teaspoon of kosher salt
• One egg beaten with 1 tablespoon of water, for egg wash
• 7 ounces of sweetened flaked coconut
• Raspberry or apricot jam

I made the dough with the help of an electric mixer.

I started by making the dough in an electric mixer, using the butter, sugar, vanilla, flour, and salt.

Then, I dumped it out onto a clean surface and kneaded it lightly to incorporate some of the looser bits. The texture reminded me of a shortbread cookie.

More steps were involved in making these.

After wrapping the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerating it for 30 minutes, I began forming the cookies.

I shaped each ball, dipped it in egg wash, and rolled it in shredded coconut. Then, I pressed a thumbprint into the dough, filled it with jam, and baked.

The extra work to make the raspberry jam thumbprints was well worth it.

These cookies came out delicious. The coconut got nice and toasty, and the raspberry jam was the perfect sweet flavor to balance out the buttery, crumbly shortbread.

I used raspberry jam for this batch, but I could see myself making them again and experimenting with different flavors, like apricot, strawberry, and even cherry. Overall, these were a solid third-place choice.

Garten's chocolate white-chocolate chunk cookies require mostly pantry staples.

To make 40 of Garten's chocolate white-chocolate chunk cookies, I gathered:

• ½ pound of unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1 cup of light-brown sugar, packed
• 1 cup of granulated sugar
• 2 teaspoons of pure vanilla extract
• Two extra-large eggs, at room temperature
• ⅔ cup of unsweetened cocoa
• 2 cups of flour
• 1 teaspoon of baking powder
• 1 teaspoon of baking soda
• 1 teaspoon of kosher salt
• 1 ½ pounds of white chocolate, chopped

The dough came together quickly.

The dough for these cookies — which was made with butter, both sugars, vanilla, eggs, cocoa, flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and white chocolate — came together easily in the mixer in under 10 minutes.

These cookies baked for exactly 15 minutes.

In her recipe, Garten emphasizes the importance of a precise 15-minute bake time. The recipe states that the cookies may seem underdone when they come out, but that's what helps perfect the chewy texture.

I let them cool for a few minutes to firm up before moving them to a separate plate.

I loved the combination of the chocolate cookie and white-chocolate chunks.

I'm not usually one to reach for a chocolate cookie, but this recipe changed that. These came out soft, rich, and chewy, with a brownie-like fudginess.

The combination of rich chocolate dough and chunks of white chocolate was so good that I would reach for these cookies over and over again. So, they came in second place.

Garten's salty oatmeal chocolate-chunk cookies are made with cranberries instead of raisins.

To make 30 of Garten's salty oatmeal chocolate chunk cookies, I grabbed:

• Two sticks of unsalted butter, at room temperature
• ¾ cup of light-brown sugar, lightly packed
• ¾ cup of granulated sugar
• 2 teaspoons of pure vanilla extract
• Two extra-large eggs, at room temperature
• 1 ¾ cups of all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon of baking soda
• 1 teaspoon of kosher salt
• 1 ¼ cups of old-fashioned oats
• ¾ pound of bittersweet chocolate, chopped
• ¾ cup of dried cranberries
• Sea salt for sprinkling

I appreciated how easy it was to make these cookies.

The recipe for these cookies was straightforward to follow.

I creamed the butter and sugars and added the dry ingredients. Then, I folded in the dried cranberries and chocolate chunks and baked for 10 minutes.

I appreciated that there were no complicated steps and the dough didn't need to be refrigerated.

The salty oatmeal chocolate-chunk cookies were chewy inside, but had perfectly crisp edges.

These cookies were insanely delicious, with a simple yet balanced flavor. The oatmeal cookie was buttery, the chocolate chunks were melty, and I ended up favoring the dried cranberries over the traditional oatmeal-raisin combination.

The salt was definitely noticeable, but it worked well. If I made them again, I'd add cinnamon. It feels like the only thing missing here, but otherwise, they're perfect as is.

Overall, these cookies were chewy, crispy, flavorful, and the kind I could eat all of in one sitting. For that reason, they were easily the best recipe I tried.

This story was originally published on November 25, 2025, and most recently updated on December 17, 2025.