• Netflix has released the finale of "Perfect Match" season two.
• Five couples make it to the final vote, and the winners are a surprising pair.
• Here's an update on the status of the current couples and other contestants.

Warning: Spoilers ahead for "Perfect Match" season two.

Christine Obanor and Nigel Jones may have won the second season of "Perfect Match," but it looks like none of the show's couples are still dating.

In the series, Netflix brings contestants together from across its reality slate, giving them a second chance to find a perfect partner.

It is a savvy way for Netflix to promote its reality shows while giving the stars another shot at fame.

Netflix has not confirmed when the series was filmed, but "Perfect Match" stars Harry Jowsey and Micah Lussier have said it was a year ago.

In the season finale, there are five couples: Elys Hutchinson and Bryton Constantin, Tolú Ekundare and Chris Hahn, Micah Lussier and Kaz Bishop, Christine Obanor and Nigel Jones, and Stevan Ditter and Alara Taneri.

Stevan and Alara were the fan-favorite couple, but the contestants voted for Christine and Nigel to win.

In a clip shared on Netflix's social media accounts, the cast revealed that they have all broken up since filming the show.

Here's an update on their love lives since the show ended.

Harry Jowsey and Jessica Vestal

In episode three, Harry Jowsey goes on a date with "Love is Blind" season 6 star Jessica Vestal and immediately falls for her. He couples up with her later that episode and they stick together until episode six, despite facing criticism from the other contestants.

But they break up in the season finale after Harry is caught in a cheating scandal. In episode eight, Melinda Berry accuses Harry of kissing her off-camera, leading to an argument between Melinda, Harry, and Jessica.

Jessica doesn't know what to believe, so she breaks up with him and leaves the competition. A post-credit scene in the finale showed that Harry and Jessica dated again a month after filming the series, but they broke up again.

In the new clip shared on Netflix's social media, Harry said he still has an "amazing" relationship with Jessica, but she said their relationship is "nonexistent."

"There's no bad blood," Jessica said. "We haven't kept in contact."

Both stars told Entertainment Tonight in June that they are single now.

In the fall of 2023, "Dancing With The Stars" fans began speculating that Harry was dating Rylee Arnold, his dancing partner for season 32.

In April, Harry said on his podcast, "Boyfriend Material with Harry Jowsey," that the rumors harmed an undisclosed relationship he had at the time.

"I was actually in a secret relationship at the start of 'Dancing With the Stars,' and all those edits brought me and my girlfriend at the time apart," Harry said, referring to TikTok videos that spread the dating rumors between him and Rylee.

Harry said he loved the ex-girlfriend, who he didn't name in the podcast episode. Harry added that after they broke up, he "spiraled so fucking hard" that he almost proposed to another woman before they went on a first date. He said this woman ghosted him.

As for Jessica, she said she wasn't in a relationship in a TikTok post shared in March.

She also shared a video earlier this month where she called Harry the "largest red flag."

Jessica Vestal and Izzy Zapata

"Love Is Blind" alum Izzy Zapata was among the first contestants to enter the house in season two but was forced to exit for the first time in episode two after Tolú matches with Dom Gabriel over him. Izzy returns in episode eight for the girls' day out and matches with Micah.

But in the season finale, Izzy goes on a date with Jessica.

Izzy wants more than friendship, but Jessica is still reeling from her relationship with Harry. They initially couple up in a friendship match but decide to leave the competition the next morning.

Izzy seems to have moved on.

In October 2023, Izzy revealed he was dating someone new during the reunion episode for "Love Is Blind" season five. Today reported in October that Izzy shared a picture of his new girlfriend, Shelby Webb, on Instagram but later deleted it. This was likely filmed after "Perfect Match" was filmed.

Tolú Ekundare and Chris Hahn

In episode five, Tolú pairs up with Chris after he reveals his crush on her.

Their relationship slowly progresses over the season, even after a few arguments over Chris' loyalty.

At the end of the season, they are still together and say in the finale that they want to continue their relationship despite living in different states.

Chris and Tolu said in the new social media clip that their relationship fell apart after filming.

Tolú told Entertainment Tonight in June that she's single.

Elys Hutchinson and Justin Assada

Elys, the winner of "Too Hot To Handle" season five, initially dates Harry on "Perfect Match." But he dumps her for Jessica in episode three.

After the rejection, she stays in the villa by pairing up with her friend, Chris, before finding romance with Justin Assada, a contestant from "Surviving Paradise."

Unfortunately, Justin and Elys do not make it to the end. In episode nine, Elys abruptly dumps Justin for "Squid Game: The Challenge" season one contestant Bryton.

Justin immediately leaves the house and doesn't show up at the final reunion to vote for a winner.

There is no information online about Justin's current relationship status.

Elys Hutchinson and Bryton Constantin

Elys and Bryton are among the first contestants to enter the "Perfect Match" house, but they don't start talking until episode eight, when Bryton returns for the girls' party.

In the episode, Bryton chats to Elys and Micah and seeds conflict in their relationships so he can worm his way back into the "Perfect Match" house. He succeeds, and Elys asks to couple up with him in episode nine.

At the end of the season finale, Bryton and Elys are still together, and they say they are their perfect match. But they are no longer together.

In the new social media clip, Bryton said the relationship got "rocky" after the show because he "started to see a personality that I didn't get to see on screen." Elys said Bryton ghosted her.

Bryton appears to be dating Jade Gentile, a WWE wrestler whose ring name is Jazmyn Nyx. Since January, the pair have posted pictures of their dates on their Instagrams.

Elys appears to be dating "Too Hot To Handle" season three star Nathan Soan Mngomezulu.

Since October 2023, Elys and Nathan have posted videos on TikTok about their relationship.

Stevan Ditter and Alara Taneri

In episode three, Stevan is sent on a date with Alara. They immediately click and match up together in the next episode, becoming the strongest couple in the series.

In the season finale, they have a brief fight after Stevan acts too keen to participate in a kissing game. But they make up and end the series together.

Unfortunately, the popular couple broke up after the series.

Alara said in the social media clip that Stevan ghosted her after they went on vacation. Stevan blamed the relationship ending on geographical distance.

"I honestly just didn't have time to carry on a relationship, let alone one that was overseas," Stevan said. "I was going to bed. She would wake up. It is what it is."

Stevan told Entertainment Tonight in June that he is in a relationship.

Meanwhile, TikTok posts show Alara is living with Micah in LA.

Micah Lussier and Kaz Bishop

"Love Is Blind" alum Micah first pairs up with Kaz during a partner swap in episode two with Stevan and Xanthi Perdikomatis.

The couple starts strong, but cracks appear in episodes six to nine. Kaz keeps flirting with other contestants, making Micah doubt their relationship and causing fights.

In episode nine, Kaz gets angry after another contestant tells him Micah thinks they're the weakest couple. Kaz flirts with three other contestants and then kisses Holly Scarfone in front of Micah during a drinking game.

After this, Micah and Kaz have an argument and decide to break up. Kaz pairs up with Christine from "Too Hot To Handle" season five, and Micah pairs up with Izzy.

But in the season finale, Kaz has second thoughts about the relationship and rekindles the relationship with Micah.

They are still together at the end, but they have broken up since then.

In the social media clip, Kaz said his relationship with Micah was "nonexistent," while Micah said it was a short-lived "roller coaster," just like in the show.

In September 2023, Micah also posted a video on TikTok of a man she seemed to be dating.

Micah has posted other TikToks about going on dates, suggesting she is single.

Kaz told Entertainment Tonight in June that he's in a relationship with someone outside Netflix's reality show universe.

Christine Obanor and Nigel Jones

Christine joins the series in episode eight as one of the bombshells at the boy's day out. She immediately tries to win over Kaz, and she temporarily succeeds when Kaz picks her up in episode nine.

When Christine is sent on a date with Nigel, another "Too Hot To Handle" contestant, Kaz has second thoughts and speaks to his ex. This angers Christine, and the pair fight when she returns to the house.

Christine then matches with Nigel, who she has simple chemistry with. Though they are the newest couple, they are voted the winners of "Perfect Match" in the season two finale.

The finale shows that the pair on the vacation Netflix sends the winners on. But they are no longer together.

In the social media clip, Christine said she blocked him, and he only cared about how he looked on camera.

Nigel said: "She basically broke my trust with her, and it was so hard to get back with her. We tried to work on it, but I forgive but I can never forget. So we just called him off."

Melinda Berry

Melinda Berry, who previously appeared in "Too Hot To Handle" and hosted "Dated & Related," joins "Perfect Match" in episode six.

Melinda is not successful at convincing Chris to couple up with her and is sent out of the "Perfect Match" house on the same night she arrives. Melinda returns in episode eight, where she seems to flirt with Harry, but they never date for real.

Since then, Melinda seems to have started a new relationship with Christian Birkenberger of "Big Brother" season 23. Melinda appeared to befriend Christian after she appeared in the music video for his song "For You" in 2022.

Christian has said that Melinda is his girlfriend in multiple videos on TikTok in recent months.

Holly Scarfone

"Too Hot To Handle" alum Holly is unable to find a match on "Perfect Match" despite flirting with Kaz.

However, she seems to have found a new relationship after the show.

In December 2023, Holly spoke briefly about her current relationship on Dom Gabriel's podcast "Dom Meets World."

Though she didn't name the man, it doesn't appear to be Kaz.

"I met him out in London like a year ago and he was trying to get to me for so long. It wasn't until recently that I gave him a shot," Holly said. "I just came to a point, I was like, 'You know what? I'm going to give him a shot. I'm going to try something new.'"

Though Kaz is from London, it seems like they met for the first time on the show, which wouldn't fit Holly's description.

• Some student-loan borrowers have until June 30 to benefit from Biden's one-time account adjustments.
• Those who do not have qualifying federal loans need to consolidate by the deadline.
• The Education Department plans to complete the adjustments in September. 

Some student-loan borrowers are approaching the deadline to take advantage of a measure that could bring them closer to debt relief.

In May, President Joe Biden's Education Department announced that it was extending the deadline for borrowers on income-driven repayment plans and the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program to benefit from the one-time account adjustments.

The adjustments, expected to be fully implemented in September, are intended to evaluate borrowers' accounts and ensure their payments are up to date. They would bring them closer to the loan forgiveness promised through their repayment programs or push them over the threshold and automatically grant them debt relief.

To qualify for the adjustments, though, borrowers are only eligible if they have federal direct loans or federally held loans in the Federal Family Education Loan program. Borrowers who do not have qualifying loans have to consolidate into one of those programs by June 30 because the consolidation process could take at least 60 days.

Borrowers can apply for consolidation here, and according to Federal Student Aid, it typically takes less than 30 minutes to complete.

"The Department is working swiftly to ensure borrowers get credit for every month they've rightfully earned toward forgiveness," Under Secretary of Education James Kvaal previously said in a statement. "FFEL borrowers should consolidate as soon as possible in order to receive this benefit that has already provided forgiveness to nearly 1 million borrowers."

Most recently, the Education Department canceled $7.7 billion in student debt for 160,500 borrowers, some of which were a result of the one-time account adjustments. As of that May announcement, one of every 10 federal borrowers has now been approved for debt relief.

Beyond the adjustments, the Education Department is also enacting relief for borrowers on the new SAVE income-driven repayment plan — borrowers with original balances of $12,000 or less are getting relief with as few as 10 years of qualifying payments.

The department is also working on enacting its broader student-loan forgiveness plan, which is intended to benefit over 30 million borrowers. The plan concluded its public comment period, and the department is now working on finalizing the rules with a goal of implementation this fall.

While there are ongoing legal challenges to block the SAVE plan — and legal threats brewing to block the broader debt relief plan — the Education Department has maintained that its efforts are in accordance with the law and the Supreme Court decision to strike down Biden's first plan for relief last summer.

• Amazon has many little-known nooks and crannies, including an overstock outlet.
• Amazon Outlet offers limited-time deals in categories, like clothes, electronics, and toys.
• I often see limited-time discounts of more than 50% off retail prices.

As someone with two small children and an aversion to driving, I've had an Amazon delivery save the day more than once. But my favorite part of Amazon is its outlet, which has saved me hundreds of dollars.

Amazon Outlet offers bargains on overstock and clearance items, from power tools to pet supplies. On an average day, prices are often up to 50% off retail, and lightning deals can feature even bigger discounts.

With Prime Day set to occur next month, now's the time to get ahead and learn what you should look for to get the best discounts possible.

Here's how I use Amazon Outlet to get the most bang for my buck.

I maximize my savings with limited-time deals

One of my biggest tips is to monitor the limited-time, limited-quantity offers in Amazon Outlet — they change often. Although they're available throughout the year, they proliferate during Prime Day and other special shopping events.

To locate the best limited-time deals, I scroll to the Shop by Category section of Amazon Outlet's homepage, click Overstock Deals, and filter the results by department to make the list manageable.

Then, I use the list's sorting tool to place the items with the steepest discounts at the top.

By applying this method to the health and household department, I quickly found two items I've been seeking: throw-pillow covers (two for $8.99, originally $17.99) and 6-inch ceramic plant pots with hand-painted designs (two for $12.49, originally $24.99).

While shopping, I also came across a coupon that reduced a discounted bench cushion's price even further from $36.99 to $16.64.

The outlet has a little bit of everything, including big-name brands

In addition to helping me furnish an empty house on a small budget, Amazon Outlet has become my go-to place for buying gifts.

I've often seen deals on OXO and Rachael Ray kitchen gadgets, as well as toys from popular brands such as Hot Wheels and Squishmallows.

In the toys section, I recently spotted a Little Tikes ride-on garbage truck marked down from $49.99 to $26.53, a three-pack of Melissa & Doug Created by Me craft kits discounted from $29.99 to $15.49, and Mattel's "Jurassic World" plush dinosaurs slashed from $21.99 to $6.35.

Grown-up interests are also well represented in the product selection. I've found deals on things from Coleman tents and Fjallraven backpacks to Smashbox cosmetics and Fabletics leggings.

I've also been tempted to buy footwear from Amazon Outlet after seeing discounted boots from Frye and Dr. Martens.

Ultimately, the thrill of the bargain hunt is what brings me back to Amazon Outlet. Brimming with surprises and dollar-stretching possibilities, the New Arrivals section is my first stop, and the Last-Chance Savings area is often my final one.

• Support for same-sex marriage is continuing to fall among Republicans, new Gallup polling shows.
• Overall support for same-sex marriage has seemingly plateaued around 70%.
• The polling comes amid a years-long conservative backlash against LGBTQ+ rights

Support for same-sex marriage among Republicans is continuing to slide.

According to new polling from Gallup, just 46% of Republicans say that marriages between same-sex couples should be recognized as legally valid.

That's down from 49% last year. Support for same-sex marriage peaked at 55% among Republicans in 2021 and 2022.

Just 40% of Republicans said that same-sex marriage is morally acceptable. That's a minor change from last year, but represents a steep drop from 2022, when 56% of Republicans answered in the affirmative.

Overall support for the legality of same-sex marriage in America has hovered around 70%, largely plateauing after years of steady increase.

In many ways, 2022 was a high watermark for GOP support of same-sex marriage.

That year, 12 Republican senators and 39 House Republicans voted for the Respect for Marriage Act, a bill to protect same-sex marriage amid concerns about the practice's standing after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade. Justice Clarence Thomas had written in a concurring opinion that he believed the precedent should be revisited.

Since then, Republicans have waged an ongoing culture war against portions of the LGBTQ movement, focusing in particular on access to gender-affirming care for transgender people.

At times, that movement has spilled over into broader attacks on Pride Month and gay people in general.

"I think people are conflating same-sex rights with transgender rights, and they are very different issues," Sen. Cynthia Lummis of Wyoming, one of the Republicans who voted for the same-sex marriage bill, told Business Insider last year.

Mike Johnson, who has a history of opposition to LGBTQ+ rights — was elected speaker by House Republicans last fall. One of the three speaker candidates who failed to win before him — Rep. Tom Emmer of Minnesota — lost in part due to his support for same-sex marriage.

Yet Johnson hasn't taken aim at same-sex marriage in his new position, and over the weekend, he campaigned for a gay Republican candidate in a New York swing seat.

• Ukrainian sea drones are laying mines to damage Russian ships in the Black Sea, the WSJ reported.
• Four ships, including missile corvette Samum and patrol ship Pavel Derzhavin, have been hit.
• Laying mines by naval drone is part of Ukraine's unconventional warfare program.

Ukrainian uncrewed surface vessels are laying undersea mines that have already damaged several Russian warships in the Black Sea, The Wall Street Journal reported.

Brig Gen Ivan Lukashevych, of Ukraine's SBU security service, described to the Journal the development of a specialized Sea Baby drone capable of laying Western-supplied bottom mines — small, 400-pound mines that sit under the sea bed.

According to Lukashevych, once in place the mines can detect a ship's sounds and electromagnetic signals and explode when one is nearby.

The paper reported that the mines have damaged four Russian warships to date, including the missile corvette Samum and the patrol ship Pavel Derzhavin.

While successful attacks on Russian ships using sea drones packed with explosives have been well documented, the use of drones to lay mines has not received the same attention.

But after Russia boosted its defenses at the Crimean port of Sevastopol, making explosive naval drone attacks much more difficult, mines came into play, the Journal reported.

After carefully mapping routes used by both civilian and military vessels last summer, Lukashevych's team sent drones out to lay mines, according to the outlet.

The Samum triggered one of the mines in September, the paper reported. At the time, intelligence sources briefed Reuters and Ukrainan media that it had been struck by a Sea Baby drone.

A month later, the Pavel Derzhavin was damaged by an explosion, attributed to a Sea Baby by unnamed SBU sources.

Two days later, the vessel headed out of Sevastopol for repairs — only to be struck again, this time by one of Lukashevych's mines, the Journal reported.

The tugboat that was sent to rescue it also hit a mine, according to the outlet.

Lukashevych also told the Journal that Ukraine's naval drone operators are now being trained to work in small squads of 10-20 drones, which collectively could replicate the role of a warship.

Despite having no conventional navy, Ukraine continues to punch above its weight in the Black Sea.

Ukraine claims to have damaged or destroyed at least a third of Russia's Black Sea Fleet since the start of the full-scale invasion, a feat that has seen Russia relocate much of its naval operations from its headquarters at Sevastopol to Novorossiysk.

• This post originally appeared in the Insider Today newsletter.
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Welcome back! If you're like me, you might not eat the healthiest on weekends. But a dietitian highlighted some healthy snacks you can substitute for ultra-processed foods.

In today's big story, we're looking at how AI could completely upend venture capitalism amid a wider shakeup for the industry.

What's on deck:

• Markets: Bobby Jain's highly anticipated hedge fund is finally ready for primetime.
• Tech: OpenAI's GPT Store developers are finding creative ways to get paid for their work.
• Business: Jeff Bezos' plan for The Washington Post is imploding.

But first, how the tables have turned.

If this was forwarded to you, sign up here.

The big story

AI comes for VCs

Like turkeys setting the table for Thanksgiving dinner, VCs are backing tech that might lead to their demise.

The generative AI boom was a welcome change for a venture industry looking for a new trend to back (and hopefully profit from).

But the transformative technology could greatly impact the people bankrolling it. The result could be a reduction of roles and changes to how the job is done, writes Business Insider's Ben Bergman.

Some of the adjustments aren't novel to the VC industry. Back-office roles everywhere are ripe for automation from AI, and venture capital is no different.

But things get really interesting when it comes to actual investing. Finding and assessing new startups — often key responsibilities of junior employees — is the type of work large-language models could do more efficiently at a large scale.

VCs won't get entirely automated away by AI — after all, how could they still justify all those fees if they only relied on AI? But a human-AI hybrid approach seems like the future, according to some insiders Ben spoke to.

However, balancing between man and machine for investment decisions isn't easy. Just ask hedge funds.

Long before the generative AI boom, funds dreamed of combining the best of machine-based quantitative strategies and human-led fundamental approaches. The concept — known as "quantamental" — struggled to find success as the two cultures often clashed.

Now consider venture investing, where ultimately, a singular decision needs to be made: invest or don't. When push comes to shove, does man or machine reign supreme?

The VC industry might be doomed with or without AI.

Scott Stanford, a cofounder and partner at early-stage VC firm ACME Capital, told BI's Blake Dodge that half of today's VC firms will shutter in the next decade.

Stanford's theory is pretty simple: There are too many VCs and not enough exit opportunities. And this isn't a knee-jerk reaction to how chilly the IPO market has been the past few years.

VCs' explosive growth over the past few decades created an "overcrowded, overcapitalized, and overvalued market," Stanford and ACME's cofounder Hany Nada told investors in a recent letter shared with BI.

The writing is already on the wall. Look no further than the rise of "zombie" VCs, or investors running out of money.

But if anyone can fix things, maybe it's… VCs? After all, venture investors tout themselves as disruptors who pride themselves on finding and helping to grow solutions for big problems.

Now, VCs might have their toughest task yet: Saving themselves.

News Brief

Your Monday headline catchup

A quick recap of the top news from over the weekend:

• Ukraine needs to stop fighting the war Russia wants.
• Prosecutors recommend DOJ file criminal charges against Boeing: report.
• Elon Musk starts new beef with Lucasfilm chief Kathleen Kennedy.
• Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang shouts out OpenAI cofounder Ilya Sutskever for sparking 'the big bang of deep learning'.

3 things in markets

1. A top Jain Global executive explains how the firm will stand out on the eve of its massive launch. Bobby Jain's hedge fund launch has been the talk of Wall Street. Jonathan Barton, Jain Global's chief operating officer, spoke to BI about how the fund is built to quickly grow once it starts trading on July 1.
2. The end of a US-Saudi deal could dent dollar dominance. Saudi Arabia chose not to renew the landmark "petrodollar" deal that ensured the use of US dollars in the oil trade. That's bad news for the dollar's supremacy. The move is part of the kingdom's grand plan to diversify trade and expand beyond US and European partners.
3. There is a light at the end of the interest-rate tunnel. A July rate cut, while still a longshot, could be on the table, according to one economist. Jobless claims and housing data show an economic slowdown, which could lead the Fed to finally offer some relief next month.

3 things in tech

1. Chinese EV makers are slowly taking over the world. Despite efforts from the US and Europe to shut them out, Chinese EV firms are expanding rapidly in developing markets like Brazil and Southeast Asia. This poses a major problem for legacy automakers like Ford, who risk being left behind.
2. OpenAI's GPT Store developers are finding new ways to get paid. OpenAI has yet to widely roll out plans to pay developers making applications for its GPT Store — so some are getting creative. They're turning to ads, affiliate links, and "freemium" models to get paid.
3. Apple accused of breaching EU rules. The European Commission has accused Apple of stifling competition with its App Store. Regulators said the company breached new tech rules by preventing app developers from steering customers to alternatives.

3 things in business

1. Jeff Bezos' plan to revamp The Washington Post is imploding. Incoming newsroom editor Robert Winnett pulled out of the job Friday morning after a slew of revelations about his past as a writer in London. Meanwhile, Will Lewis, the Washington Post's publisher, has also come under fire. That's bad news for Bezos, who needed the two men to breathe new life into the newsroom.
2. The American dream of home ownership is becoming an American fantasy. A recent Harvard study found monthly payments for a median-priced home after taxes and insurance have hit about $3,100. That's the highest level it's been in more than three decades. That payment requires a household income of at least $120,000 a year, which only 6% of renters have.
3. The silver lining of sports betting scandals. The series of high-profile gambling scandals that recently rocked the sports world thrust the long-overlooked issue into the spotlight. Leagues are now focusing on educating athletes who may be betting-prone, and the industry's gotten a lot better at catching bad actors.

In other news

• Elon Musk confirms 3rd child with his Neuralink executive Shivon Zilis.
• Kevin Costner is leaving 'Yellowstone' before the final season is over. Here's a complete timeline of the behind-the-scenes drama.
• Perplexity CEO explains why you need to understand your 'dopamine system' if you want to start your own company.
• Jensen Huang's Nvidia sure hopes the AI bubble doesn't burst anytime soon.
• The reclusive billionaire who's spent $75 million on Trump and $25 million on RFK Jr.
• This exclusive CEO training program doesn't care about your 4.0 GPA.
• Companies that give money to Democrats are beating Republican donors in the stock market.

What's happening today

• Paris Fashion Week begins.

The Insider Today team: Dan DeFrancesco, deputy editor and anchor, in New York. Jordan Parker Erb, editor, in New York. Hallam Bullock, senior editor, in London. Annie Smith, associate producer, in London. Grace Lett, associate editor, in Chicago. Amanda Yen, fellow, in New York.

• A California millennial began secretly working multiple remote jobs to save for retirement.
• He earned over $100,000 in 2023 and said he might be able to retire by age 50. 
• He shared why he decided to not look for a new job when his second role came to an end this year. 

Adrian, a California-based data analyst in his 30s, began secretly working multiple remote jobs in July 2023. For a while, it was well worth it.

Last year, he earned about $110,000 across his two jobs, according to documents viewed by Business Insider. Thanks to this overemployment, he believes he'll be in a financial position to retire in the next five to 10 years and move somewhere abroad with a lower cost of living than the US.

But by the time Adrian's contract for his second job came to an end in March, a big part of him was relieved, he said. He has little desire to be overemployed again.

"I did make a lot more money than I've ever made before, I think it was a smart idea, and it was kind of fun to tell friends about — but life is better now," said Adrian. His identity is known to BI, but he asked to use a pseudonym because of his fear of professional repercussions.

Adrian is among the Americans who have worked multiple jobs — often in secret — to boost their incomes. BI has interviewed roughly 20 of these job jugglers, many of whom work in the IT and tech industries and use the extra money to pay off student debt, save for retirement, and afford vacations and weight-loss drugs. While some companies may be OK with their workers having a second job, doing so without approval could have negative repercussions.

Recently, however, intense competition for remote roles, return-to-office mandates, and burnout have made the overemployment lifestyle unsustainable.

Adrian shared how and why he first became overemployed, his top advice for making it work, and why he's happy to be back to only one job.

Retirement fears led to overemployment

While some Americans are struggling to save for retirement, Adrian is among those who have taken unique earnings and savings measures to retire early.

Last year, when a recruiter messaged him on LinkedIn about a remote, full-time, contract role, he decided to hear them out.

As he went through the interview process, Adrian realized he might be able to balance both roles. He asked for the highest end of the new job's pay range: $70 an hour.

"If I was going to take something on the side I wanted to be sure it would be worth it," he said.

A few years ago, Adrian would never have made a career decision that was so focused on maximizing his income.

He always believed, "If you love your job, you'll never work a day in your life." He never worried much about his financial future or how much money he was making. It's this philosophy that led him to pursue an "amazingly enjoyable" job — one in an entirely different industry than his current role — that he said paid less than $40,000 a year.

"I didn't really care about making money because I never really thought about retirement," he said. "I just kind of assumed that you work until you're old, then you retire, and it somehow just works out."

But a few years ago, Adrian said he experienced a personal "transformation" that led him to begin prioritizing his financial health and future.

"I would never actually be able to retire by working my old job," he said. "But I never really thought about that, and I did love the life I was living."

He started by looking for a different career path. He went to graduate school, and after a roughly yearlong job search that nearly exhausted his savings, he landed the job he still has now.

Next, he started saving whatever money he could. He and his wife took up house and pet-sitting for a year, which he said allowed him to avoid paying rent as they bounced from home to home every month or so. He also began maxing out his 401(k) and Roth IRA, investing in low-cost index funds, and trying to live in low-cost-of-living areas while keeping his "high-cost-of-living area salaries."

When the opportunity to work multiple jobs came last year, it was just another way he could improve his finances.

What to look for in a second job — and why he's happy to no longer be overemployed

Adrian said that his second employer knew he had a primary job but "didn't care," in part because they were happy with the quality of his work. He never told his primary employer that he took on a second gig, but he doesn't think they would have cared either because he was a "top performer."

Adrian said that before taking on a second job, one should be "very comfortable" with one's main role.

"You need to be comfortable enough with your first job that you feel like you actually have extra time to accomplish other work," he said. He added that it's helpful if both jobs are flexible, independent, and don't have many meetings.

It's also important to make sure you're prepared to have your personal life impacted by your extra workload, he said. This is perhaps the biggest part of job juggling he wasn't fully prepared for — and why he hasn't looked to replace his second job ever since his contract came to an end in March.

While his workload varied, Adrian said he often worked more than 40 hours a week across the two jobs, including on some evenings and weekends. It was manageable, but it began to take a toll.

"Too stressful, too much time away from my partner, can't get outside or go to yoga — not worth it," he said of his overemployment. "I made a bunch of money this past year, but my goals for 2024 are not to maximize my income."

Instead, Adrian said he wants to prioritize his health, social ties, his partner, and "having fun." While he's still much more focused on his finances than he used to be, he said working a second job eventually proved to be a bridge too far.

Even without the extra income coming in, Adrian said he's still in the position to potentially retire before age 50. While he wouldn't rule out pursuing a second job again someday, he said the workload would have to be quite low. For now, he's happy to just have one job again.

"The reduction in stress and time commitments is well worth it," he said.

Are you working multiple remote jobs at the same time and willing to provide details about your pay and schedule? Are you a manager who has experience with overemployed employees? If so, reach out to this reporter at jzinkula@businessinsider.com.

• Mark Zuckerberg isn't style icon by any means, but he's working on it.
• After spending years wearing the same thing, the billionaire is changing up his fashion.
• The internet is clearly loving Zuckerberg's new expression of himself through clothes.

Meta founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg is known more for his accomplishments in the tech industry than his personal style, but it looks like the billionaire is finally taking steps (albeit small ones) toward becoming a fashion icon.

Zuckerberg — who's now worth $177 billion, per Forbes — burst onto the tech scene as a young coding prodigy responsible for the popular social media platform Facebook. All eyes were on him even in his early 20s, and the public quickly noted his laid-back style that consisted mostly of gray t-shirts.

Today, as a 40-year-old father and the head of a tech company that has expanded far beyond friend requests and pokes, Zuckerberg's look is again a topic of conversation.

In April, he debuted a chain necklace with his outfits, and the internet ate it up. Zuckerberg got the meme treatment and comments from his nearly 14 million followers complimenting him on his "drip," or style.

From lavish weddings and a big birthday bash in May to sitting ringside at UFC fights, his Instagram photos seem a little like those of an influencer.

Here's a look at Zuckerberg's style over the years.

Zuckerberg's style as Facebook took off was pretty normal for a twenty-something in the early aughts.

He dropped out of Harvard University to work on Facebook full-time in 2005, and his look at the time was that of a college student heading to class.

In the picture above, he paired his quarter-zip pullover with a pair of blue jeans — jeans which would become a recurring theme in Zuckerberg's life as a public figure.

The subdued outfit didn't really match the feisty attitude Zuckerberg had during the early days of Facebook. He infamously carried business cards that read, "I'm CEO, Bitch."

He's one of the tech execs who influenced the casual dress code of the industry.

Eventually, Zuckerberg became known for his gray t-shirts and hoodies.

The jeans might have ranged from light to dark washes, but he almost always paired them with a hoodie and a comfortable pair of sneakers—he's wearing Brooks tennis shoes in the photo above.

"I really want to clear my life to make it so that I have to make as few decisions as possible about anything except how to best serve this community," Zuckerberg said in a 2014 Q&A. "I feel like I'm not doing my job if I spend any of my energy on things that are silly or frivolous about my life."

Zuckerberg spent years wearing essentially the same outfit everyday.

The photos above were taken four years apart, but it might not be easy to tell. For over a decade, Zuckerberg wore the same thing over and over.

Adam Mosseri, the head of Instagram, said during an appearance on "The Colin and Samir Show" that Zuckerberg spent many years "not wasting any energy on deciding what to wear."

Instead, he just wore "the same thing every day for a long time as a lot of tech execs have done," according to Mosseri.

"First day back after paternity leave. What should I wear?" he captioned a Facebook post that showed a rack full of the same gray shirts and dark gray hoodies in 2016.

As the years passed, Zuck found ways to elevate the "tech bro" uniform.

Around 2018, Zuckerberg's style shifted, perhaps with his fashion meant to reflect his increasing wealth. According to Forbes, he was worth about $71 billion that year.

Instead of a basic shirt and hoodie, the Meta CEO started wearing expensive-looking cashmere sweaters and paired them with better-fitting jeans.

More recently, it appears he's gotten more comfortable with switching up his clothing choices.

The pandemic blurred the lines of what exactly makes an outfit appropriate for work.

Returning to the office post-lockdown has spurred a new conversation about dress code, but when you're the boss, those rules are likely a bit looser.

Zuckerberg is pictured above with Facebook's then-chief operating officer, Sheryl Sandberg, and the former White House Office of National Drug Control Policy advisor Kevin Sabet in 2021.

The trio had just left a session at the Sun Valley Conference, but Zuck looked especially casual next to his peers. He ditched the blue jeans for shorts and completed the outfit with slip-on sandals.

He appears to take more style risks when he's traveling abroad.

Zuckerberg and Chan took a trip to Japan in February, and his vacation attire made major waves.

Months before his chain went viral, the shearling jacket he wore while in Japan caught the public's attention. When he was out and about, his Instagram followers saw more of his off-duty style.

Again, it included a neutral top, fitted jeans, and a pair of sneakers — this time white Nike shoes.

The new jacket, a departure from his old hoodies, made for an iconic "jersey swap" picture, with Zuckerberg trading tops with another iconic figure in tech, Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang.

Occasionally, he swaps his casual clothes for a classic suit.

Some events call for more formal dress, and Zuckerberg isn't too proud to push back on that.

For court appearances, luxurious weddings, and fancy ceremonies, he typically pulls out a classic black suit.

But for the March pre-wedding celebrations for members of India's richest family, the Ambanis, Zuckerberg and his wife Priscilla Chan wore all black, embellished with gold accents. He had a dragonfly on his lapel.

In 2024, Zuckerberg is going viral every few weeks for his new look.

The outfit he wore to his 40th birthday party in May cemented Zuckerberg's new era in fashion. He wore a gold chain and a black T-shirt, but unlike his past shirt choices, it had a message.

The top reads "Carthago delenda est," which translates to "Carthage must be destroyed," a phrase famously attributed to Roman historian Cato the Elder. As Business Insider previously reported, it was a rallying cry within Facebook in 2016 when it was competing with Google.

He also previously explained that the new chains are a part of his "process" of designing a "long-term" chain engraved with a prayer he reads to his daughters.

His motive is endearing, and the internet's obsession with the necklaces makes for a lot of viral content and positive attention.

"I love it so much," Mosseri said in June.

Zuckerberg was recently spotted wearing this $1,150 shirt while vacationing in Ibiza.

Zuckerberg continued his exploration into designer shirts going during his and Chan's vacation in Ibiza, Spain, People reported. He was spotted wearing this white knit Balmain shirt with the brand's logo highlighted on the chest.

In spite of the hefty price tag, the Meta CEO surprisingly manages to keep this hypebeast shirt in line with his usual simple style. He accessorized with a pair of reflective glasses but kept the luxurious outfit casual with white sneakers and blue shorts.

• China's tech bosses are pushing their workers as competition intensifies, the FT reported.
• They are following a playbook from Silicon Valley, where bosses cranked up the pressure and laid people off.
• Don't expect the pressure to lessen as China's economy struggles.

Silicon Valley bosses responded to times of crisis by turning the screw on workers. Now, China's tech bosses seem ready to do the same.

Mark Zuckerberg, Andy Jassy, and other CEOs have resorted to layoffs, return-to-office mandates, and other policies prioritizing "efficiency" in the past two years to combat a sell-off among investors who grew concerned that tech companies became over-bloated and distracted with "fake work" during the pandemic. They planned to show the market that their companies could still deliver out-sized returns and form a central part of the economy — with leaner operations.

With around 363,000 workers laid off since January 2023, many staff were left feeling burned out as they took on more work. But bosses were rewarded.

Meta's Mark Zuckerberg said layoffs were part of an "efficiency" era. The company's market capitalization has climbed from around $300 billion to $1.26 trillion since it announced it was laying off 13% off its workforce in November 2022. Other Silicon Valley companies have witnessed a similar turnaround.

China is pushing tech workers even harder

Chinese tech companies seem willing to take Silicon Valley's efficiency mantra even further.

That's according to a new report from the Financial Times, which notes that bosses in China are upping the pressure on workers after the country's top five tech companies lost around $1.3 trillion in market value since 2021.

For instance, Richard Liu, the veteran business leader at the helm of Chinese e-commerce giant JD.com, recently told staff over a video call that employees who "prefer to enjoy life" are "not our brother" and that "we should not be working together," the Financial Times reported Monday.

It's not the first time Liu, whose company's share price fell by roughly half in 2023, has talked tough to employees about the company's direction. In an internal memo in December, the tech boss told employees that "we need to change, or there's no way out for our company," Bloomberg reported.

A key reason this tone has emerged is competition.

Big names on China's tech scene, like JD.com and Jack Ma's Alibaba, have faced a threat from fast-growing newcomers like Pinduoduo, the sister company of online marketplace Temu. Pinduoduo has also been called out for a culture of "extreme overtime" by the likes of the China Labor Watch, a nonprofit organization focused on labor rights in China.

As the FT report noted, workers are increasingly using the term "neijuan," which translates roughly to "involution," to describe extreme pressure to outdo competitors, while having smaller and smaller teams to work with. Ma's Alibaba, for instance, cut around 20,000 workers last year.

Chinese tech workers have been no strangers to aggressive work policies over the years.

During their growth in the 2010s, several tech companies in China adopted a so-called "996" working system that demanded 12-hour days from 9 a.m., six days a week.

This policy was once advocated by Chinese business titans such as Ma. Though this brutal working pattern has faced a regulatory crackdown from Beijing, business leaders aren't giving up in their bid to find new ways to pressure workers during a new period of crisis.

Last month, videos posted to Chinese social media showed Qu Jing, public relations lead at internet giant Baidu, setting out expectations of workers, such as being prepared to travel for 50 straight days on business.

"I only care about results," she said in one video.

Qu left Baidu after her comments were made public, but the ferocity of what China's tech workers are hearing isn't abating.

As long as China's economy continues to stutter and competitors claw for consumers, those who want to work in its tech sector may have to keep bending to their bosses' diktats.

• Scottsdale and Paradise Valley, Arizona, offer luxury travel experiences. 
• The vast majority of hotel rooms in both Phoenix suburbs are upscale. 
• I stayed in the area's top-rated hotels, the Phoenician and the Hermosa Inn. They epitomized luxury.

Secret exits, private outdoor spaces, high-tech golf carts, dramatic chandeliers, award-winning restaurants, and cowboy artifacts — I saw them all during my trip to Scottsdale without leaving my hotel.

Tourists travel to Arizona for luxury resorts, spas, and golf clubs, Condé Nast Traveler reported in 2023.

Scottsdale, in particular, draws affluent travelers with its health and wellness scene, upscale dining experiences, and top-tier golf courses. So, it's no wonder the area caters to high-end travel.

Scottsdale has more luxurious hotel rooms than standard ones — 80% of the city's 12,500 rooms are classified as luxury level or higher (upscale and upper upscale), according to a Scottsdale tourism report published in 2022 in partnership with Experience Scottsdale, a travel company that has helped establish the city's luxe tourism reputation.

The only place in the area with a higher concentration of luxury accommodations than Scottsdale — 90% of rooms — is Paradise Valley, the wealthier suburb between Phoenix and Scottsdale.

But tourists see Paradise Valley as a part of Scottsdale, according to the report — probably because the towns are close together and offer comparable pampering experiences and jaw-dropping views.

I recently spent two nights in Arizona and booked one night in each suburb's top luxury hotel.

I spent my first night at the Phoenician in Scottsdale, a luxury Marriott Hotel dubbed "Arizona's leading resort" in the 2023 World Travel Awards.

On day two, I headed to Paradise Valley to stay at the boutique Hermosa Inn, which Travel + Leisure called the best hotel in Arizona in 2023.

These similar superlatives made me think the Phoenician and the Hermosa Inn would provide comparable luxury experiences. In reality, the two hotels were completely different.

Still, both showed me why these Phoenix suburbs are hot spots for wealthy travelers.

In Scottsdale, I stayed at the Phoenician — an upscale mega-resort.

The multimillion-dollar luxury Marriott Hotel opened in 1988 and has been renovated several times to amp up its upscale offerings — most recently in 2018.

The Phoenician has 645 rooms on its 600-acre property at the base of Camelback Mountain. The gated hotel grounds are full of activities ranging from sports to relaxation. It's the kind of hotel with so much to do that guests could spend their whole vacation on the property.

In Paradise Valley, I stayed at the Hermosa Inn, a boutique hotel with a completely different vibe.

The vast majority of Scottsdale and Paradise Valley hotels have more than 50 rooms, making the wealthier suburb's 43-room Hermosa Inn a unique option for those seeking seclusion.

The Hermosa Inn isn't luxurious in a glitzy sense. Instead, it marvels guests by making them feel like they traveled to the 20th-century Western era.

Its roots as a 1930s cowboy's home and studio are evident upon arrival with adobe bricks, beehive fireplaces, historic artwork from paintings to silk, and artifacts like worn saddles and Stetson hats.

I thought the Hermosa Inn was ideal for travelers craving privacy and a personal touch.

The Hermosa Inn's 43 stand-alone casitas are secluded accommodations situated next to discrete exits. Guest service agent Tami Norton told Business Insider that the hotel often hosts celebrities and executives in the public eye, and its small size allows it to accommodate special, personalized requests.

For example, Norton noted a recent guest in town to perform.

"The hours they keep are quite different; they arrive back on the property late at night and need to sleep in during the day," she said of performers. "So that particular guest needed the room totally blacked out before they came. We blacked out everything from the skylight down to the glow of the thermostat."

AZ Central reported that Clark Gable, Whitney Houston, David Spade, and Tyrese Gibson have dined and stayed at the Hermosa Inn.

Norton told BI that actors often have strict dietary restrictions that the kitchen accommodates by ordering special ingredients and portioning them out with a scale. She added that guests can also request small appliances in their rooms for protein shakes and other quick meals.

Both hotels had upscale rooms with king-sized beds, large bathrooms, and private outdoor spaces.

My deluxe room at the Phoenician was filled with modern furniture with Southwestern accents. From the comfy bed and oversized tub to the balcony, the room epitomized 21st-century luxury.

While the Phoenician room was modern, the Hermosa Inn casita had a more traditional luxury brand.

At the Hermosa Inn, I slept in what was essentially a small house. It was easily the biggest hotel room I've stayed in.

Unlike the Phoenician, the Hermosa Inn's room didn't feel modern at all. The Southwestern vibe was all-encompassing, from the furniture to the decor. It felt more unique than the room at the Phoenician while boasting the same amenities, including a large tub and bed.

The Hermosa Inn room also had a beehive fireplace and a skylight. Rather than a balcony, the one-story accommodation had a private patio.

Both hotels housed renowned dining hot spots.

The high-quality dining at each hotel attracts more than just hotel guests with buzzy, award-winning restaurants.

Three of the Phoenician's eight dining venues and bars — Mowry & Cotton, J&G Steakhouse, and Thirsty Camel — have received kudos from Forbes Travel Guide, Open Table, and Trip Advisor, according to the hotel's website.

LON's, the Hermosa Inn's only restaurant and bar, is known by Food & Wine for its romantic vibe. It offers outdoor seating surrounded by vibrant gardens and beehive fireplaces. Open Table has included LON's in its roundup of the best brunch menus in the country for four years running.

The Hermosa Inn's restaurant added a wine cellar 20 years ago for ultra-VIP dining.

In its 2003 renovations, LON's upgraded its VIP offerings, adding a small dining room in an underground wine cellar and an exclusive tasting menu.

The Phoenician has also gotten several upgrades, including an award-winning, three-story spa with two pools.

With the most spas per capita in the US, according to Go Banking Rates, Scottsdale is a hot spot for health and wellness tourism.

The Phoenician is ideal for a rejuvenating trip thanks to its award-winning, three-story spa renovated in 2018.

The dramatic entryway greets patrons with an artistic chandelier and golden details throughout the spa. In addition to massage and facial treatment rooms, a sauna, and a meditation room, the facility has two pools — one on the rooftop — a nail salon, and a dry bar for hair styling.

There's also a fitness room where guests can work with a personal trainer.

The same hotel has five more outdoor pools, including one made of pearl tiles imported from Italy.

The massive Phoenician pool complex includes a splash pad and an adults-only pool.

But the most luxurious of the five is the serenity pool made of Italian Mother-of-Pearl tiles that cost $1 million, according to the company's website. The hand-placed tiles give the pool an iridescent shine similar to the inside of a sea shell.

The Phoenician Golf Club takes the upscale sport to another level.

I'm no golfer, but it's easy to see why those who play would stay at the Phoenician.

The 18-hole course and club, renovated in 2018, wowed me with views and high-tech features. Players rode around the pristine course lined with gardens and fountains against a mountain backdrop in golf carts with GPS screens that stream news and entertainment.

Whether you're looking for a private vacation or one where you don't have to leave the hotel, Scottsdale has it all.

After staying at both resorts, there was undoubtedly more to do at the Phoenician. I could see why travelers craving a mega-resort vacation where they don't have to navigate the city to have a good time would pick the Phoenician for their luxury vacation.

But the Hermosa Inn is a better choice for those desiring a unique and exclusive stay with large, private accommodations and plenty of personal attention.

If you stay at both, as I did, luxury travelers can have it all in Scottsdale and Paradise Valley. That's why I think so many wealthy vacationers choose the Arizona hot spot for their getaways.