Associate Justice Samuel Alito sits for a photo at the Supreme Court on April 23, 2021.
Erin Schaff/Getty Images
The Supreme Court threw out a ban on bump stock devices.
The devices allow rifles to fire bullets quickly and were used in the 2017 Las Vegas mass shooting.
Justice Samuel Alito wrote Congress would agree with a ban, but still struck the ban down.
There's "little doubt," Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito wrote, that Congress would have considered bump stocks akin to a machine gun.
The devices — which allow semi-automatic rifles to fire bullets at nearly the rate of machine guns — were banned by federal authorities in 2018 after the Las Vegas shooter used them to kill 60 people and wound over 400 more.
But Alito and the other conservative justices still ruled to throw out the ban, saying the text of Congress' definition of machine guns —which the ban was based on — wasn't explicit enough.
"The statutory text is clear, and we must follow it," the textualist justice wrote.
The Supreme Court on Friday struck down the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) rule that classified bump stocks as "machine guns."
The devices use a gun's recoil to reactivate the trigger faster, allowing weapons to be fired at upwards of 800 rounds per minute.
The ATF had previously allowed the devices but reclassified them during the Trump administration after the carnage of the October 1, 2017 shooting, in which the shooter fired down on concertgoers from a nearby hotel.
But Michael Cargill, a gun shop owner from Austin, Texas, sued the federal government. He argued it had been too broad in interpreting firearms law and that Congress never explicitly meant to ban bump stocks, challenging the law on statutory grounds, not Second Amendment protections.
In its decision Friday, the court's conservative justices agreed.
Writing for the majority opinion, Justice Clarence Thomas said that the bump stock couldn't be considered a machine gun because it doesn't fire more than one bullet per trigger pull — it accelerates how many times the trigger is pulled.
"A bump stock does not convert a semi-automatic rifle into a machinegun any more than a shooter with a lightning-fast trigger finger does," Thomas wrote.
Alito, in his concurrent opinion, said the "horrible shooting spree" in Las Vegas proved that a bump stock could cause the same kind of killing as a machine gun.
But Alito said Congress needs to be explicit that it wants to ban bump stocks, too, by amending the law or passing a new one.
"Now that the situation is clear, Congress can act," Alito said.
In a dissenting opinion joined by the other liberal members of the court, Justice Sonia Sotomayor trashed the decision as "artificially narrow" and warned it'll have "deadly consequences."
"When I see a bird that walks like a duck, swims like a duck, and quacks like a duck, I call that bird a duck," she wrote.
Guests watch the 2023 commencement at Harvard University.
Craig F. Walker/The Boston Globe/Getty Images
In June 2024, Forbes compiled a list of colleges with the most billionaire alumni.
Of the 12 universities represented, seven are Ivy Leagues.
University of Pennsylvania ranks No. 1, with 36 billionaires.
The US is home to over 700 billionaires, so unsurprisingly, many ultra-rich elites attended the same top universities.
In June 2024, Forbes released a list of the colleges with the most billionaires in their alumni network. Ivy Leagues dominated the list, as seven of the most prestigious institutions had upwards of 11 billionaire graduates. (Brown University was the only Ivy not included.)
The billionaires across the 12 colleges listed have a combined net worth of nearly $1.7 trillion. This number only includes the net worths of graduated alumni, so the contributions of college dropouts like Bill Gates and Mark Zuckerberg are not included in the calculations.
From Harvard to USC, here are the colleges with the most billionaire alums, per Forbes' report. (The net worths were accurate as of June 2024.)
The richest man in the world, Elon Musk, is just one of 36 billionaires to graduate from the University of Pennsylvania.
Elon Musk at the Milken Institute's Global Conference in May 2024.
Apu Gomes/Stringer/Getty Images
With a net worth of $211.1 billion, the Tesla and SpaceX founder is one of three dozen billionaires who graduated from the University of Pennsylvania, having studied economics and physics, Forbes and BI reported.
Other notable alumni include former president Donald Trump, designer Tory Burch, and Estée Lauder heirs Leonard, William, Aerin, and Ronald Lauder.
The billionaires who've graduated from this school have a net worth of $367 billion.
Located in Silicon Valley, Stanford University has produced 30 billionaires, including tech giant Evan Spiegel.
Forbes reported that Spiegel dropped out in 2012 to pursue the app's development full-time, but he returned in 2018 to finish his remaining credits and graduate with a degree in product design.
Spiegel is just one of many Stanford alums who have pursued careers in tech entrepreneurship. DoorDash founders Andy Fang and Stanley Tang also attended the university during undergrad.
Stanford's billionaire graduates have a total net worth of $90 billion.
One of Harvard University's 28 billionaires is Airbnb cofounder and CSO, Nathan Blecharczyk.
Airbnb cofounder and chief strategy officer, Nathan Blecharczyk, at the Tomorrow.Building World Congress in 2023.
David Zorrakino/Europa Press via Getty Images
Blecharczyk graduated from Harvard in 2005 with a degree in computer science.
The university's alumni page reported that during its 2015 Summer Camp program for students interning in Silicon Valley, Blecharczyk said he was drawn to the university because "there were people who were not just passionate about what I was interested in but about so many different topics."
Other billionaires who have graduated from Harvard include Tom Werner, cofounder and chairman of Fenway Sports Group, and Jim Koch, creator of Sam Adams.
While famous names like Bill Gates and Mark Zuckerberg also attended the prestigious Cambridge Ivy, both are dropouts, so their net worths are not included in the alumni total of $261 billion.
Yale University has produced 19 billionaires, who have a total net worth of $149 billion.
Anne T. & Robert M. Bass Library at Yale University.
Plexi Images/GHI/UCG/Universal Images Group via Getty Images
It includes members of the Mars family — the second-richest family in the US and best known for making iconic candy like M&M's, Snickers, and Twix — FedEx founder Fred Smith and Pinterest founders Ben Silbermann and Paul Sciarra.
Robert F. Smith, the richest Black man in America, is one of 13 billionaires who attended Cornell University.
Robert F. Smith at Invest Fest 2023.
Paras Griffin/Contributor/Getty Images
Robert F. Smith graduated from Cornell in 1985 with a degree in chemical engineering.
Although he accumulated wealth as the founder, chairman, and CEO of Vista Equity Partners, he credits Cornell and his engineering background with his success.
"I have had the privilege of being a Cornell graduate with a degree in engineering. I credit much to my career success to being an engineer by training. Engineers solve problems and fix things," Smith said after the university named the School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering after him in 2016, per the Cornell Chronicle.
Other ultra-rich alumni include fifth-generation members of the SC Johnson family, Moderna cofounder Robert Langer, and Workday and PeopleSoft cofounder David Duffield.
Cornell's billionaire alums have a total net worth of $60.4 billion.
The University of Southern California isn't just known for its athletics; the private university has produced 12 billionaires.
University of Southern California.
Allen J. Schaben/Contributor/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images
George Lucas, the renowned storyteller behind the "Star Wars" universe, graduated from USC's School of Cinematic Arts in 1967, per the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art.
The first "Star Wars" movie was released 10 years later, and now Lucas has a net worth of $5.3 billion.
Outside entertainment, the university has produced several real estate moguls, including Rick Caruso and Edward Roski Jr., and Salesforce chairman and CEO Marc Benioff.
USC's 12 billionaire alums have a total net worth of $72.5 billion.
Princeton University in New Jersey has produced 12 billionaires, including Amazon founder Jeff Bezos.
Jeff Bezos.
Reuters
Princeton's 12 billionaire alum have the second-highest combined net worth of $292 billion thanks to Bezos, the second-richest man in the world with a $203.6 billion fortune.
Other notable Princeton alumni who have achieved billionaire status include investor Carl Icahn, former Google CEO Eric Schmidt, and former eBay CEO Meg Whitman.
The Massachusetts Institute of Technology's list of prestigious graduates includes 11 billionaires.
The Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
Sergi Reboredo/VW Pics/Universal Images Group via Getty Images
With a total net worth of $88.3 billion, MIT's alumni network features prominent entrepreneurs in tech and engineering.
MIT's nanoscience research building on the Cambridge campus is named after billionaire Lisa Su, the CEO of Advanced Micro Devices, who graduated in 1994. Dropbox founders Drew Houston and Arash Ferdowsi also met as students at MIT.
Two of Dartmouth College's 11 billionaire alumni have served on its board of trustees.
Dartmouth College.
Jay Yuan/Shutterstock
Lone Pine Capital hedge fund founder Stephen Mandel Jr., a third-generation Dartmouth graduate, chaired the board of trustees from 2010 to 2014, per Forbes.
Apollo Global Management cofounder Leon Black also served as a trustee of Dartmouth and donated $48 million to build the Black Family Visual Arts Center on campus in Hanover, New Hampshire, Forbes reported.
Dartmouth's wealthiest alumni have a net worth of $48.5 billion.
Among Columbia University's 11 billionaires is New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft.
Robert Kraft.
Charlie Neibergall/AP
Kraft, worth an estimated $11.1 billion, has donated $8 million to Columbia since graduating in 1963. Those funds contributed to the construction of Columbia and Barnard's Kraft Center for Jewish Student Life in New York City.
HIG Capital CEO Sami Mnaymneh, Mediacom founder Rocco Commisso, and Third Point hedge fund founder Daniel Loeb are also Columbia graduates.
The net worth of Columbia's billionaire alumni is $49.5 billion.
Ten graduates of the University of Michigan went on to become billionaires.
Google cofounder and former CEO Larry Page.
Justin Sullivan/Getty Images
Google cofounder Larry Page remains the University of Michigan's wealthiest graduate with a net worth of $146.1 billion, according to Forbes.
Other billionaire alumni, including Related Companies founder Stephen Ross and Groupon cofounder Eric Lefkofsky, bring the total net worth of the University of Michigan's richest graduates to $181 billion.
The University of California, Berkeley has also produced 10 billionaires.
The University of California, Berkeley campus.
Eric Risberg/AP
The net worth of all 10 billionaire graduates of UC Berkeley totals $30.4 billion. Charles Simonyi, one of the Microsoft developers behind Word and Excel, is the university's richest graduate, with a net worth of $7.7 billion.
Death Valley in California, home of the record for hottest air temperature ever recorded.
Getty Images
Global temperatures continue to increase, with 2023 recording the warmest numbers on record.
In 2021, Oregon, Utah, and Washington broke heat records.
The hottest temperature recorded in US history was 134 degrees Fahrenheit in California in 1913.
The hottest temperatures recorded in the US were in the summer of 2023, but many of the highest recorded temperatures in each state happened decades ago.
According to the official climate government website, Earth's temperature has risen by an average of 0.11 degrees Fahrenheit per decade, and 2023 was the warmest year since global records began in 1850.
But global temperature rise doesn't mean it just gets hotter everywhere at the same rate. In fact, according to data released by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), some states in the US reached their all-time toastiest temperatures hundreds of years ago.
Here's a list of every state and its hottest day on record, from the high 90s to above 130 degrees Fahrenheit, according to NOAA.
ALABAMA: 112 degrees Fahrenheit
Montgomery, Alabama. Centreville is located about an hour outside the capital.
Julie Bennett/Stringer/Getty Images
Date: September 6, 1925
Location: Centreville
ALASKA: 100 degrees Fahrenheit
View from Alaska Highway ALCAN.
Benz Travel Photography/Shutterstock
Date: June 27, 1915
Location: Fort Yukon
ARIZONA: 128 degrees Fahrenheit
Lake Havasu City, Arizona.
Pamela Au/Shutterstock
Date: June 29, 1994
Location: Lake Havasu City
ARKANSAS: 120 degrees Fahrenheit
Ozark National Forest.
Robert Harding Video/Shutterstock
Date: August 10, 1936
Location: Ozark
CALIFORNIA: 134 degrees Fahrenheit
Furnace Creek Visitor Center, which is in Death Valley.
Noah Sauve/Shutterstock
Date: July 10, 1913
Location: Furnace Creek (formerly Greenland Ranch)
COLORADO: 115 degrees Fahrenheit
John Martin Dam in Colorado in 1977.
UPI/Bettmann Archive/Contributor/Getty Images
Date: July 10, 2019
Location: John Martin Dam
CONNECTICUT: 106 degrees Fahrenheit
Danbury, Connecticut.
Rosemarie Mosteller/Shutterstock
Date: July 15, 1995
Location: Danbury
Torrington, Connecticut, also reached 106 degrees Fahrenheit on August 23, 1916.
DELAWARE: 110 degrees Fahrenheit
Dock near Millsboro, Delaware.
Khairil Azhar Junos/Shutterstock
Date: July 21, 1930
Location: Millsboro
FLORIDA: 109 degrees Fahrenheit
Tallahassee, Florida. Monticello is less than an hour away from the capital city.
Sean Pavone/Shutterstock
Date: June 29, 1931
Location: Monticello
GEORGIA: 112 degrees Fahrenheit
Meriweather County Courthouse in Greenville, Georgia.
JNix/Shutterstock
Date: August 20, 1983
Location: Greenville
Louisville, Georgia, also reached 112 degrees Fahrenheit on July 24, 1952.
HAWAII: 100 degrees Fahrenheit
Coffee farm in Pahala, Hawaii.
Chris Allan/Shutterstock
Date: April 27, 1931
Location: Pahala
IDAHO: 118 degrees Fahrenheit
Dworshak Dam near Orofino, Idaho.
Don & Melinda Crawford/Education Images/Universal Images Group via Getty Images
Date: July 28, 1934
Location: Orofino
ILLINOIS: 117 degrees Fahrenheit
East St. Louis, Illinois.
Wspin/Shutterstock
Date: July 14, 1954
Location: East St. Louis
INDIANA: 116 degrees Fahrenheit
Indianapolis, Indiana. Collegeville is an hour and a half away from the capital.
Sean Pavone/Shutterstock
Date: July 14, 1936
Location: Collegeville
IOWA: 118 degrees Fahrenheit
Des Moines, Iowa. Keokuk is located three hours outside the capital.
Jacob Boomsma/Shutterstock
Date: July 20, 1934
Location: Keokuk
KANSAS: 121 degrees Fahrenheit
Topeka, Kansas. Alton is located about three hours outside the capital.
Jacob Boomsma/Shutterstock
Date: July 24, 1936
Location: Alton
Fredonia, Kansas, also reached 121 degrees Fahrenheit on July 18, 1936.
KENTUCKY: 114 degrees Fahrenheit
Frankfort, Kentucky. Greensburg is located about two hours outside the capital.
Sean Pavone/Shutterstock
Date: July 28, 1930
Location: Greensburg
LOUISIANA: 114 degrees Fahrenheit
Shreveport, Louisiana. Plain Dealings is located about one hour outside the city.
Sean Pavone/Shutterstock
Date: August 10, 1936
Location: Plain Dealing
MAINE: 105 degrees Fahrenheit
Augusta, Maine. North Bridgton is located about an hour away from the capital.
Panas Wiwatpanachat/Shutterstock
Date: July 10, 1911
Location: North Bridgton
North Bridgton, Maine, also reached 105 degrees Fahrenheit on July 4, 1911.
MARYLAND: 109 degrees Fahrenheit
Cumberland, Maryland.
Kosoff/Shutterstock
Dates: July 10, 1936
Location: Cumberland
Frederick, Maryland, also reached 109 degrees Fahrenheit on July 10, 1936. Cumberland, Maryland, reached 109 degrees Fahrenheit on August 7, 1918, and August 6, 1918. Keedysville, Maryland, reached 109 degrees Fahrenheit on August 6, 1918. Boettcherville, Maryland, reached 109 degrees Fahrenheit on July 3, 1898.
MASSACHUSETTS: 107 degrees Fahrenheit
New Bedford, Massachusetts.
Wangkun Jia/Shutterstock
Date: August 2, 1975
Location: New Bedford
Chester, Massachusetts, also reached 107 degrees Fahrenheit on August 2, 1975.
MICHIGAN: 112 degrees Fahrenheit
The Oscoda County Government Center in Mio, Michigan.
Roberto Galan/Shutterstock
Date: July 13, 1936
Location: Mio
Stanwood, Michigan, also reached 112 degrees Fahrenheit on July 13, 1936.
MINNESOTA: 115 degrees Fahrenheit
Saint Paul, Minnesota. Beardsley is located about three and a half hours outside the capital.
Paul Brady Photography/Shutterstock
Date: July 29, 1917
Location: Beardsley
MISSISSIPPI: 115 degrees Fahrenheit
Holly Springs, Mississippi.
David7/Shutterstock
Date: July 29, 1930
Location: Holly Springs
MISSOURI: 118 degrees Fahrenheit
Jefferson City, Missouri. Union is located about an hour and a half outside the capital.
Sean Pavone/Shutterstock
Date: July 14, 1954
Location: Union
Warsaw, Missouri, also hit 118 degrees Fahrenheit on July 14, 1954.
MONTANA: 117 degrees Fahrenheit
Medicine Lake, Montana.
Silent O/Shutterstock
Date: July 5, 1937
Location: Medicine Lake
Glendive, Montana, also reached 117 degrees Fahrenheit on July 20, 1893.
NEBRASKA: 118 degrees Fahrenheit
Lincoln, Nebraska.
Jacob Boomsma/Shutterstock
Date: July 24, 1936
Location: Minden
Hartington, Nebraska, also reached 118 degrees Fahrenheit on July 17, 1936. Geneva, Nebraska, reached 118 degrees Fahrenheit on July 15, 1934.
NEVADA: 125 degrees Fahrenheit
Laughlin, Nevada.
Jacob Boomsma/Shutterstock
Date: June 29, 1994
Location: Laughlin
NEW HAMPSHIRE: 106 degrees Fahrenheit
Nashua, New Hampshire.
Wangkun Jia/Shutterstock
Date: July 4, 1911
Location: Nashua
NEW JERSEY: 110 degrees Fahrenheit
Sayreville, New Jersey.
ungvar/Shutterstock
Date: July 10, 1936
Location: Runyon (near Sayreville)
NEW MEXICO: 122 degrees Fahrenheit
Waste Isolation Pilot Plant in New Mexico.
Joe Raedle/Getty Images
Date: June 27, 1994
Location: Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (near Loving)
NEW YORK: 108 degrees Fahrenheit
Troy, New York.
Real Window Creative/Shutterstock
Date: July 22, 1926
Location: Troy
NORTH CAROLINA: 110 degrees Fahrenheit
Fayetteville, North Carolina.
Basil Hasapis/Shutterstock
Date: August 21, 1983
Location: Fayetteville
NORTH DAKOTA: 121 degrees Fahrenheit
Bismarck, North Dakota.
Andrew Burton/Getty Images
Date: July 6, 1936
Location: Steele
OHIO: 113 degrees Fahrenheit
Gallipolis, Ohio.
Rosemarie Mosteller/Shutterstock
Date: July 21, 1934
Location: Gallipolis
OKLAHOMA: 120 degrees Fahrenheit
Altus, Oklahoma.
AMFPhotography/Shutterstock
Date: August 12, 1936
Location: Altus
Altus, Oklahoma, first hit the record on July 19, 1936. Poteau, Oklahoma, also reached 120 degrees Fahrenheit on August 10, 1936. Alva, Oklahoma, reached 120 degrees Fahrenheit on July 18, 1936.
OREGON: 119 degrees Fahrenheit
Pelton Dam, Oregon.
Victoria Ditkovsky/Shutterstock
Date: June 29, 2021
Location: Pelton Dam
Moody Farms Agrimet, Oregon, also reached 120 degrees Fahrenheit on June 29, 2021. Pendleton, Oregon, reached 120 degrees Fahrenheit on August 10, 1898.
PENNSYLVANIA: 111 degrees Fahrenheit
Phoenixville, Pennsylvania.
Bastiaan Slabbers/NurPhoto/Getty Images
Date: July 10, 1936
Location: Phoenixville
Phoenixville, Pennsylvania, also hit 111 degrees Fahrenheit on July 9, 1936.
RHODE ISLAND: 104 degrees Fahrenheit
Providence, Rhode Island.
Mihai_Andritoiu/Shutterstock
Date: August 2, 1975
Location: Providence
SOUTH CAROLINA: 113 degrees Fahrenheit
Columbia, South Carolina.
Mihai_Andritoiu/Shutterstock
Date: June 29, 2012
Location: Columbia
SOUTH DAKOTA: 120 degrees Fahrenheit
Fort Pierre National Grasslands in South Dakota.
aitcheyedigital/Getty Images
Date: July 15, 2006
Location: Fort Pierre
Gann Valley, South Dakota, also hit 120 degrees Fahrenheit on July 5, 1936.
TENNESSEE: 113 degrees Fahrenheit
Perryville, Tennessee in 1940.
U.S. National Archives and Records Administration
Date: August 9, 1930
Location: Perryville
Perryville, Tennessee, also hit 113 degrees Fahrenheit on July 29, 1930.
TEXAS: 120 degrees Fahrenheit
Monahans, Texas.
Brandon Bell/Getty Images
Date: June 28, 1994
Location: Monahans
Seymour, Texas, also hit 120 degrees Fahrenheit on August 12, 1936.
UTAH: 117 degrees Fahrenheit
St George, Utah.
Ezra Shaw/Getty Images
Date: July 10, 2021
Location: St. George
St. George, Utah, also hit 117 degrees Fahrenheit on July 5, 1985.
VERMONT: 107 degrees Fahrenheit
Windham County, Vermont.
Mike Hardiman/Shutterstock
Date: July 7, 1912
Location: Vernon
VIRGINIA: 110 degrees Fahrenheit
Glasgow, Virginia.
Jon Bilous/Shutterstock
Date: July 15, 1954
Location: Balcony Falls
Columbia, Virginia, also hit 110 degrees Fahrenheit on July 7, 1900, and July 5, 1900.
WASHINGTON: 118 degrees Fahrenheit
Hanford, Washington.
BEST-BACKGROUNDS/Shutterstock
Date: June 29, 2021
Location: Hanford
WEST VIRGINIA: 112 degrees Fahrenheit
West Virginia state flag.
Ianm35/Getty Images
Date: July 10, 1936
Location: Martinsburg
Moorefield, West Virginia, also hit 112 degrees Fahrenheit on August 4, 1930.
WISCONSIN: 114 degrees Fahrenheit
Witches Gulch in Wisconsin Dells, Wisconsin.
Jacob Boomsma/Getty Images
Date: July 13, 1936
Location: Wisconsin Dells
WYOMING: 115 degrees Fahrenheit
Diversion Dam.
Bob Pool/Shutterstock
Date: July 15, 1988
Location: Diversion Dam
Basin, Wyoming, also hit 115 degrees Fahrenheit on August 8, 1983.
Sara Kiley Watson contributed to an earlier version of this article.
Some famous LGBTQ figures are worth billions after inheriting empires or building companies.
In 2020, Apple CEO Tim Cook officially became a billionaire.
Giorgio Armani is worth $12.3 billion, while DreamWorks founder David Geffen is worth $8.1 billion.
Each June, Pride Month recognizes the historic struggles, accomplishments, and contributions of members of the LGBTQ+ community.
Among these achievements is reaching millionaire or billionaire status. Many high-profile professionals who just so happen to be LGBTQ+ have amassed huge fortunes thanks to their success across various industries.
Here are 11 of the richest LGBTQ+ people in the world.
Elton John has been in the music industry for decades, earning a fortune worth $81 million, according to Forbes.
Elton John.
Associated Press/Julie Jacobson
John began his music career in England and became known for his flamboyant and outrageous costumes. Quickly, he became a cultural phenomenon, launching his decade-spanning career.
John's five-year-long Farewell Yellow Brick Road Tour, which concluded in 2013,had more than 6 million people in attendance and grossed $939 million, Billboard reported. It remained the highest-grossing tour ever until Taylor Swift took the top spot with The Eras Tour, which kicked off in March 2023 and is still ongoing as of June 2024. So far, it's grossed over $1 billion.
Plus, John has been with his partner, David Furnish, for nearly three decades.
Ellen DeGeneres' net worth is estimated at $450 million, according to Forbes.
Ellen DeGeneres.
Brooks Kraft/Getty Images
DeGeneres began her career as a standup comedian and eventually landed a successful sitcom, "Ellen," in the late '90s.
In 1997, the sitcom aired "The Puppy Episode," in which DeGeneres' character, Ellen Morgan, tells Laura Dern's character, Susan, that she's gay. The episode ran the same year that DeGeneres publicly came out as a lesbian on the cover of Time Magazine and "The Oprah Winfrey Show."
In April 2022, DeGeneres reflected on the episode's impact on her daytime talk show, "The Ellen DeGeneres Show," in honor of its 25th anniversary.
"When I came out, people warned me that it was going to ruin my career. They were right for awhile. For exactly three years, I lost my career. But look at me now," DeGeneres told the studio audience.
"The Ellen DeGeneres Show" ended that year after a 19-season run following a series of "toxic workplace allegations" made by her staff and guests. DeGeneres apologized on the show in 2020, and in 2024, told Rolling Stone what happened was "devastating."
"I just hated the way the show ended. I love that show so much and I just hated that the last time people would see me is that way," she added.
In 2020, Apple CEO Tim Cook officially became a billionaire. He is now worth $2.2 billion.
Tim Cook.
Richard Drew/AP
Cook became CEO of Apple in 2011 after the death of its founder, Steve Jobs. A decade later, the company is nearing a market value of nearly $2 trillion, making Cook a billionaire. His net worth is $2.2 billion, according to Forbes.
Despite his billionaire status, he lives in a relatively modest home in Palo Alto, per Square Yards.
He came out as gay in 2014, becoming the first out CEO of a Fortune 500 company.
"There's been a lot of people that came before me that made it possible for me to sit here today, and I needed to do something to help those people that were in a younger generation," Cook told People en Español in 2019 of his decision to come out.
Jennifer Pritzker, a hotel heiress, is the only openly transgender billionaire in the world with a net worth of $2.2 billion.
Jennifer Pritzker.
Vince Talotta/Getty Images
A former lieutenant in the Army, Pritzker inherited part of the Hyatt hotel fortune, giving her a net worth of $2.2 billion, Forbes reported.
She came out as transgender in 2013 without much fanfare, but she made headlines in 2017 when President Trump announced a ban on transgender people serving in the military.
Before this, Vanity Fair reported Pritzker supported Trump and donated large sums to his campaign, but the ban prompted her to support Biden in his bid for the presidency.
Norwegian businessman Stein Erik Hagen is worth $2.3 billion, according to Forbes.
Stein Erik Hagen.
Astrid Stawiarz/Getty Images for Dior
Per Forbes, Hagen founded the supermarket chain Rimi with his father in the 1970s, Forbes reports, and is a major shareholder of the consumer goods conglomerate Orkla. He was Norway's ninth wealthiest person in 2023, according to Norwegian business magazine Kapital.
Hagen, who is bisexual, publicly came out on one of Norway's biggest talk shows, "Skavaln," in 2015, saying he only came to understand his sexuality "well into adulthood," The Local, an English language Norway website, reported.
Fashion designer Domenico Dolce is worth $2.3 billion, per Forbes.
Domenico Dolce.
NurPhoto / Getty
After meeting in a club, Dolce and Stefano Gabbana started a fashion brand together in 1985. The company's signature animal print made waves at fashion events, eventually solidifying Dolce & Gabbana's place in fashion history.
In a 2017 interview with Italian outlet Corriere della Sera, Dolce said that he was tired of being called "gay," The Guardian reported.
"The word 'gay' was invented by those who need to label people, and I don't want to be identified by my sexual choices," he said.
Dolce's business partner, Stefano Gabbana, is also worth $2.3 billion.
Stefano Gabbana.
Victor VIRGILE/Gamma-Rapho via Getty Images
Gabbana told the Chicago Tribune that he and Dolce ended their romantic relationship three years before news of their split became public in 2003. The former couple still own the company and design together.
"It's another style of love," Gabbana said. "The love story continues, but it's different."
Jon Stryker is an heir to a medical equipment company. Forbes reports his net worth at $5.3 billion.
Jon Stryker.
Credit: Bennett Raglin / Getty
Stryker's grandfather founded Stryker Corp., a medical supply company that sold $18.4 billion in equipment in 2022, Forbes reported.
One of the heirs to the family fortune, Stryker is a philanthropist who donates large sums of his money to charities and scholarships. So far, Forbes reports that he has given away upwards of $700 million.
Stryker also founded the Arcus Foundation, which fights for LGBTQ+ rights and ape conservation.
PayPal's cofounder Peter Thiel is worth $7.2 billion, according to Forbes.
Peter Thiel.
J. Scott Applewhite/AP
In 1999, Thiel co-founded PayPal, which was meant to be a simple way to exchange money via devices. He was CEO of the company up until eBay acquired PayPal, and his stake in the company was said to be worth $55 million. Thiel was also an early investor in Facebook, and he founded a data analytics company, Palantir, which is valued at $20 billion, according to Forbes.
He now lives with his husband, Matt Danzeisen, in Los Angeles.
David Geffen, the cofounder of DreamWorks, is worth $8.1 billion, according to Forbes.
David Geffen.
Stephen Lovekin/Getty
Starting as a Hollywood talent agent, Geffen made the foundation of his fortune when he created record labels Asylum Records, Geffen Records, and DGC Records, Forbes reported.
In 1994, he created the DreamWorks film studio with Steven Spielberg and Jeffrey Katzenberg, Bloomberg reported. Geffen also has a large real estate portfolio and a $2 billion art collection.
In 2007, Out magazine called Geffen the most powerful gay man in the country.
Fashion designer Giorgio Armani's fortune is worth about $12.3 billion.
Giorgio Armani.
Andreas Solaro/Contributor/Getty Images
Armani began his career in the military after leaving medical school, Forbes reported.
In the '70s, he started designing menswear clothing, but his career really took off when he started designing for Richard Gere in 1980. Since then, Armani's brand has expanded into an empire, which includes accessories, interior design, and hotels.
The famously private designer spoke about his sexuality in a 2000 interview with Vanity Fair, saying, "I have had women in my life. And sometimes men."
"House of the Dragon" season two continues to explore the "Game of Thrones" timeline before the likes of Jon Snow (Kit Harington) and Daenerys Targaryen (Emilia Clarke) were even born.
The latest chapter of the HBO franchise will pick up after the events of the season one finale, which saw Rhaenyra Targaryen (Emma D'Arcy) distraught after the death of her son, Lucerys Velaryon, at the hands of her half-brother, Aemond Targaryen.
Although the ending of "Game of Thrones" divided audiences, the franchise is still a lucrative property for HBO and Warner Bros., so it's unsurprising that they've expanded the universe with "House of the Dragon." Several other projects are also in development, including the Princess Nymeria series — titled "Ten Thousand Ships," and "A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms."
But until those prequel shows come to fruition, "House of the Dragon" season two (and the already-ordered season three) will continue to deliver all the political intrigue, raunchy romantic drama, and flame-spitting monsters that fans could wish for.
Here's a refresher on all the dragons in "House of the Dragon."
Vhagar is the largest dragon.
Vhagar perching on a cliff.
HBO
Vhagar is the largest dragon in the Targaryens' brood, and the show has made sure to show off how intimidating she is in the few aerial scenes she's had so far.
Vhagar is the oldest dragon of the ones owned by House Targaryen in "House of the Dragon," and was previously ridden by Visenya Targaryen during King Aegon I Targaryen's reign years before the series picks up.
Laena Velaryon rides Vhagar first.
Nanna Blondell as Laena Velaryon.
HBO
While Visenya Targaryen rode Vhagar in the past, Princess Laena Velaryon (Nanna Blondell) was first to own her in the "House of the Dragon" timeline. We even see her flying alongside her husband, Prince Daemon Targaryen (Matt Smith), as they head back to Pentos.
Unfortunately, Laena goes through a traumatic birth in episode six that puts both her and her child at risk, and she forces Vhagar to end her suffering by incinerating her with that all-important phrase: "Dracarys."
Aemond Targaryen rides Vhagar after Laena's death.
Leo Ashton as young Aemond Targaryen riding Vhagar.
HBO
After Laena's tragic death at the end of episode six, a young Aemond Targaryen (Leo Ashton) sneaks out in the middle of the night to try to tame her dragon, Vhagar. Surprisingly, instead of being incinerated or being turned into a dragon snack, the young boy manages to take control of the largest dragon in Westeros.
Aemond taking Vhagar for himself is also the reason he ends up losing an eye, as a fight breaks out between the Targaryen and Velaryon children, and Lucerys slashes his uncle with a dagger.
An eye for a very powerful dragon? That's one hell of a trade. The pair have another face off at the end of season one, but we'll get to that later.
Caraxes has a neck like a snake.
Caraxes.
HBO
Caraxes might not be the biggest dragon in the gang, but he's longer than most of the others thanks to his snakelike neck. He's also got bright red scales, which gives him a very distinct look.
He was originally owned by Aemon Targaryen, the son of King Jaehaerys I Targaryen, before the prince's death at the hands of Myrish pirates.
Daemon Targaryen commands Caraxes.
Matt Smith as Daemon Targaryen.
HBO
Caraxes is owned by the infamous Prince Daemon Targaryen, who constantly rebels against his brother in the series. He even takes Dragonstone (and a dragon egg) for himself alongside his consort, Mysaria (Sonoya Mizuno), and uses Caraxes to intimidate Ser Otto Hightower (Rhys Ifans) and his forces when they try to oust Daemon from the castle in episode two.
However, that doesn't go very well when another dragon shows up…
Syrax has yellow scales.
Syrax.
HBO
Thankfully, Otto and the soldiers get some dragon backup of their own with Syrax, a yellow dragon of a similar size to Caraxes. She's a much younger dragon compared to the likes of Vhagar and Caraxes, but she's no less vicious.
It's one of the reasons that Daemon backs down when he's confronted on the bridge to Dragonstone. Although that might also have to do with who was riding Syrax.
Rhaenyra Targaryen rides Syrax.
Emma D’Arcy as Rhaenyra Targaryen in "House of the Dragon."
HBO
Princess Rhaenyra Targaryen (played by Milly Alcock as a child) commands Syrax from the beginning. The series shows the formidable teenager riding the yellow dragon in the first two episodes.
Her willingness to face off against her uncle Daemon is probably one of the reasons he starts to be attracted to her in the first place.
The older Rhaenyra (Emma D'Arcy) later gives one of Syrax's eggs to Aemond, the son of Alicent Hightower (Olivia Cooke).
Vermax is a small dragon in the pit.
Dragonkeeper and Vermax.
HBO
Vermax is much younger than most of the other dragons in the series and doesn't tower over people like Vhagar, Caraxes, and Syrax. He first shows up in episode six, as the dragonkeepers lead him out to Rhaenyra and Alicent's children.
Vermax also has a distinct look, with green scales and a red spine, but he doesn't see any combat in season one.
Jacaerys Velaryon is learning how to control Vermax.
Leo Hart as Jacaerys Velaryon
HBO
Vermax belongs to Jacaerys Velaryon (Leo Hart), and he's still learning to control the young dragon as he takes lessons from the dragon keepers about how to use the "dreary" command. They're clearly paying off because Vermax responds by roasting a goat on command.
Poor goat.
Seasmoke takes part in the Stepstones conflict.
Seasmoke.
HBO
Seasmoke is another of the Targaryens' dragons, but he's given to the Velaryon family because Princess Rhaenys Targaryen (Eve Best) married Corlys Velaryon (Steve Toussaint), aka the Sea Snake.
Seasmoke is a silver and gray dragon, who proves to be a pivotal weapon in the War for the Stepstones.
Seasmoke is ridden by Laenor Velaryon.
Theo Nate as Laenor Targaryen.
HBO
Seasmoke belongs to Rhaenys and Corlys' son, Laenor (Theo Nate), and he's the one who saves Daemon in the War for the Stepstones when he goes up against the Crabfeeder and his forces.
Laenor eventually marries Rhaenyra and they have children after the time jump in season one, though their children are actually fathered by Ser Harwin Strong (Ryan Corr).
After Laenor's faked death, Seasmoke is currently riderless in Dragonstone. But according to the books, he'll eventually get an unexpected new rider.
Meleys is also called the "Red Queen."
Meleys flying.
HBO
Meleys is a very large red dragon and she's been seen a few times in "House of the Dragon," first showing up as she heads to King's Landing next to Seasmoke and Laenor Velaryon.
But Meleys is becoming a key weapon against Alicent Hightower (Olivia Cooke) and Aegon Targaryen (Tom Glynn-Carney). And her explosive entrance in episode nine's Dragonpit coronation scene is one for the ages.
Rhaenys Targaryen still flies Meleys.
Eve Best as Rhaenys Targaryen.
HBO
Meleys is ridden by Laenor's mother, Rhaenys, who is King Viserys I Targaryen's cousin. She and Corlys are quick to suggest that the king marries Laena when she's 12 years old. Thankfully, he declined and married Alicent instead.
It's worth remembering that Rhaenys is also the one who warns Rhaenyra that she is in a dangerous position as successor to the Iron Throne because most men don't want a woman ruling Westeros.
Rhaenys proves that she's just as dangerous as anyone else in House Targaryen when she crashes Aegon's coronation with Meleys in episode nine.
Dreamfyre was meant for Baelon Targaryen.
Daemon Targaryen holding a dragon egg.
HBO
There's also Dreamfyre. Don't worry if this isn't instantly ringing any bells, because she's only mentioned briefly back in the small council meeting during episode two.
Dreamfyre gets name-dropped because Daemon steals one of her eggs that was intended for Rhaenyra's baby brother, Baelon Targaryen, who died briefly after Queen Aemma gave birth to him in episode one.
Princess Helaena will eventually ride Dreamfyre, according to the book.
Evie Allen as Helaena Targaryen.
HBO
Viserys and Alicent's daughter, Princess Helaena (played by Evie Allen), hasn't become a major part of "House of the Dragon" yet. But she will eventually be the one to ride Dreamfyre, as per the 2018 "Fire and Blood" book by "Game of Thrones" author George R.R. Martin.
No spoilers, but an older Helaena (played by Phia Saban later in season one and in season two) becomes a vital part of the civil war, dubbed the "Dance of Dragons" that tears apart House Targaryen.
Daemon finds Vermithor under Dragonstone.
Vermithor roaring at Daemon Targaryen, played by Matt Smith.
HBO
The finale introduces Vermithor, who is one of the riderless dragons living on Dragonstone. It's definitely helpful for Rhaenyra and Daemon to have several dragons that could be tamed in time for a coming civil war. Although Vermithor isn't as big as Vhagar, he's still a towering beast.
The finale introduces him when Daemon goes wandering into the caves underneath Dragonstone.
Fans who have read "Fire & Blood" will know that Vermithor will remain riderless for a little longer. No spoilers, but the person who ends up flying the dragon into battle is from the unlikeliest background. Expect to see a lot more of Vermithor as the Dance of Dragons really kicks off in future seasons.
Arrax clashes with Vhagar.
Arrax flying with Prince Lucerys Velaryon (Elliot Grihault).
HBO.
The finale also gives audiences another new dragon, Arrax, a much smaller dragon than many of the others ridden by House Targaryen. He has pearlescent scales with red spines and is a nimble flier — as seen in the finale when he dives through rocky terrain to escape Aemond Targaryen (Ewan Mitchell) and Vhagar.
Unfortunately, Arrax disobeys his rider by briefly attacking Vhagar, and the larger dragon also ignores Aemond and responds with brutal force. After chasing Arrax for a while, Vhagar kills the younger dragon and his rider with a single chomp with his massive jaws.
It's at that moment that Aemond knows he messed up because Vhagar's impulsive violence causes Rhaenyra to go to war.
Lucerys Velaryon rides Arrax.
Elliot Grihault as Lucerys Velaryon.
HBO
Arrax belongs to Prince Lucerys Velaryon (Elliot Grihault), and he was given the dragon by King Viserys as a way of dispelling the rumors about him being the son of Ser Harwin Strong (Ryan Corr). But the finale is the first time we see Lucerys and Arrax fly together because Rhaenyra sends them on a diplomatic mission to speak with Lord Borros Baratheon (Roger Evans).
Unfortunately, Aemond got there first, and he tried to get revenge on Lucerys for cutting his eye out when they were children. But Borros intervenes, which is why Aemond takes to the skies with Vhagar instead.
Their chase ultimately leads to Vhagar chomping Lucerys and Arrax, which was an accident. But obviously, Rhaenyra doesn't see it like that. Oh dear.
The G7 summit is exposing a crisis of Western authority, experts say.
Far-right parties are gaining ground in several countries, and leadership appears to be weakened.
Many leaders at the G7 summit face uncertain political futures.
The G7 summit has long been a showcase of global leadership and power.
The world's seven largest "advanced" economies — the US, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, and the UK — gather each year to discuss issues such as the economy, security, and trade.
But 2024's group of leaders appears to be one of the weakest that has attended the summit for some time.
As Politico noted, many of the attendees are distracted by domestic issues that are threatening their authority and grip on power.
This year's cohort shows that there is a "crisis of Western authority," according to Inderjeet Parmar, a professor of international politics at City University of London.
Among those facing challenges to his authority is France's president, Emmanuel Macron. He is just days away from a snap election, which many think could end his current coalition.
Macron called the election after a big win for his rival Marine Le Pen's National Rally party at the European parliamentary elections. Macron's centrist alliance secured a 14.6% vote compared to the far-right National Rally's staggering 31.4%.
Similarly, German chancellor Olaf Scholz's Social Democrats party recently suffered an embarrassing blow after the center-right party, Christian Democrats, rallied enough seats to sweep past the Social Democrats at the European elections.
Meanwhile, in the UK, the prime minister, Rishi Sunak, appears to be on course for a heavy election loss next month.
French President Emmanuel Macron, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, US President Joe Biden, and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida at the G7 summit.
Antonio Masiello/Getty Images
Andrew Payne, a City University of London lecturer in foreign policy, told Business Insider that it would be difficult for some leaders to make "credible commitments on trade, sanctions, or any other issue of international significance" at this year's summit.
"When you're not sure if the person across the table is still going to be in office next month, or next year, you might think twice about striking a long-term agreement," Payne said.
Meanwhile, the US' global reputation has suffered in recent months. Donald Trump and Hunter Biden's respective criminal convictions have undermined the country's brand, regardless of who wins the Oval Office in the upcoming election, according to Payne and Parmar.
"The USA, as the world's pivotal state, at the heart of the G7 and its liberal international order, has candidates for the White House in November who are unpopular, and one of them is a convicted felon leading what is a far-right political party that threatens to wreak vengeance on its political opponents," Parmar said.
'Brittle at best'
Payne argued that some of the G7 leaders aren't outright weak; rather, they face circumstances that threaten their authority.
"This is largely the same group of leaders that initiated or maintained an unprecedentedly strong response to Putin's invasion of Ukraine, for example," Payne said.
"But in a democracy, leaders are only as strong as their domestic foundations allow them to be, however bold their foreign policy visions may be. And right now, the domestic foundations of most of the G7 leaders are brittle at best," he added.
Harry Jowsey, Jessica Vestal, and Melinda Berry in "Perfect Match" season two.
Courtesy of Netflix
Warning: Major spoilers for "Perfect Match" season two, episodes eight and nine.
Harry Jowsey is in hot water with Jessica Vestal after being accused of kissing another contestant.
Here's what we know about the kissing scandal involving Melinda Berry.
The strongest couple in "Perfect Match" season two is under threat in the latest episodes after Harry Jowsey was accused of kissing another contestant.
Since episode three, Harry has been obsessed with Jessica Vestal, and the pair has become one of the more consistent couples of the season. Harry has said on multiple occasions that he wants to marry Jessica.
But in episode eight, Harry seems to return to his playboy ways when the male contestants are gifted with a boys only party. When they get to their destination, they are joined by a group of female contestants who are trying to tempt men away from their original partners.
This is a new addition to "Perfect Match" and could be an attempt by the producers to replicate the Casa Amor format from "Love Island." It tests contestants' loyalty and adds more drama to reality dating series.
It's a success, immediately creating tension in four of the five original couples.
Harry and Melinda Berry, who was eliminated in episode 7, begin flirting with each other, and Harry offers to carry her twice. The second time is when Harry allegedly kisses Melinda.
The "kiss" apparently happens off-camera, turning the incident into an argument between Melinda, who is adamant that the kiss happened, and Harry, who says it didn't.
The next day, Melinda tells Jessica that she and Harry kissed, causing a big fight between the three contestants.
Here's what we know so far about the kissing scandal between Melinda and Harry.
'Perfect Match' season two, episode eight: Melinda and Holly say the kiss happened off-screen
In "Perfect Match" season two, episode eight, Stevan Ditter, Harry Jowsey, Chris Hahn, Kaz Bishop, Justin Assada are separated from their female partners.
Courtesy of Netflix
Frustratingly, "Perfect Match" never reveals if the kiss happens in the episodes released on June 14. Either it occurred off-camera or the producers have decided to withhold the footage.
But we do have some potential witnesses. In episode eight, Holly Scarfone and Justin Assada were talking to each other right next to where the kiss is thought to have happened.
Holly is actually the first person to claim they kissed.
Justin says: "Woah, what's going on there? huh"
Holly replies: "Boys' day. They kissed."
The camera also pivots to Stevan Ditter, who seems to be looking in the direction of Harry and Melinda.
Stevan and Justin both say they didn't see anything, though they could be trying to defend their friend.
Justin Assada says he didn't see anything but Holly Scarfone says she saw the kiss.
Netflix
The camera then goes back to Melinda and Harry, and Harry begins to talk about his great relationship with Jessica.
When Melinda mentions the kiss, Harry denies it, laughs without looking directly at her, and walks away.
Harry doubles down when they get to the rest of the group, saying that Melinda is making up the kiss to boost her fame.
"No one saw it," he tells the rest of the group. "That was fake news. I did not kiss her. Where's the video evidence?"
'Perfect Match' season two, episode eight: Harry doesn't mention the kiss when he first sees Jessica
Later in the episode, the original couples return to the house, and Jessica finds Harry crying in his bed.
Harry tells Jessica he hasn't been the best example for her or her daughter Autumn.
Harry says he was too playful during the boys' party and carried Melinda to the toilet at one point in the day. Harry never mentions a kiss and instead accuses Melinda of trying to lie about what happened earlier in the day.
Jessica and Harry have a brief argument, as she doesn't initially believe him but Jessica eventually forgives him.
'Perfect Match' season two, episode eight-nine: Jessica tells Melinda off for telling everyone about the alleged kiss
Harry Jowsey accidentally walks into the girls' chat about his kissing scandal.
Netflix
At the end of episode eight, the female contestants from the "boys' party" arrive in the house to give them an opportunity to steal any of the men.
All the women decide to congregate around a table to reveal if any of the men cheated during the boys' day out. Melinda immediately tells Jessica that she and Harry kissed three times the day before.
"He just kissed me," Melinda says. "And then does it again, so I kissed him back."
Harry and Dom Gabriel walk past, so Jessica asks Harry to comment on Melinda's story. Harry again denies kissing Melinda, saying that no one saw anything.
Melinda then turns to Brittan Byrd, who was nearby during the incident, to support her claim. Brittan says Melinda's makeup was on his nose.
Jessica begins questioning Melinda's motives for kissing Harry and not telling her this information privately.
The pair argue over this for a minute before Jessica says she will ask for both sides of the story before deciding whether to stay with Harry.
Meanwhile, Harry walks away and complains about the situation to Dom. Harry tells Dom that Melinda set up the conversation about the kiss and says Melinda was the one who tried to initiate a kiss, but he turned away.
'Perfect Match' season two, episode nine: Melinda says Harry also said he wanted to have sex with her
Melinda Berry in "The Perfect Match" season two.
Ana Blumenkron / Netflix
Jessica spends most of episode nine asking multiple contestants about what she should do about the Harry situation.
It is not the first time Harry's loyalty has been questioned. Harry has a poor dating track record, and multiple contestants have brought this up to Jessica.
Jessica speaks to Alara Taneri, Stevan, Dom, and Bryton Constantin, who all defend Harry. Jessica also speaks to Harry for his side of the story.
Harry denies the kiss but adds another element to the story.
"I did look at her stomach, and I said, 'It'd look good if you were pregnant.' But it was not in that sense," Harry says.
When Melinda speaks to Jessica privately later in the episode, Melinda says Harry wanted to have sex with her.
"He was like, 'I'm 30 years old. I'm ready for some babies.' He goes, 'You ready for some babies? I'll put a baby in you,'" Melinda says. "He goes, 'They'll come out handsome and tall and athletic.'"
'Perfect Match' season two, episode nine: Jessica confronts Harry
Jessica Vestal and Harry Jowsey competing in a "Perfect Match" couples challenge.
Courtesy of Netflix
Harry and Jessica sit down again at the end of the episode to discuss the kissing incident.
Harry says he has been vomiting all evening because of the stress of the situation and apologizes again for the incident. However, Jessica is still not convinced Harry is telling the whole truth.
The episode ends with Harry making another plea for Jessica to match with him.
"Perfect Match" fans will likely find out Jessica's decision when the season two finale premieres on Netflix on June 21.
Stay tuned for more information on whether Harry did kiss Melinda.
Coins from the US Mint and Canadian Mint see a slightly higher premium due to their popularity with collectors.
Costco
Costco has made headlines selling gold bars from Swiss and South African refineries.
Collectors are tracking a dozen or so other gold and silver products the company has sold.
The range of items costs anywhere from a few hundred dollars to more than $7,500.
By now most folks have heard that Costco sells a lot of gold.
But while the coverage has focused largely on gold bars from Swiss and South African refineries, the wholesale club's precious metals offering is much bigger.
Due to the speed at which these items sell out and the peculiarities of Costco.com's listings, it can be difficult to find details without knowing exactly what you're looking for. Members must log in to see prices for in-stock, members-only items.
As a workaround, collectors are tracking a dozen or so other gold and silver products the company has sold on a relatively new subreddit, where they bookmark online links and share tips about local warehouses with supply.
Based on spot prices and past comments, the items cost anywhere from a few hundred dollars (for a tube of silver coins) to more than $7,500 (for 100-gram bars of 24-karat gold) — a range of price points that is likely to appeal to experienced and novice investors alike.
Costco
While Costco tends to sell gold bars at a very low markup from the market's spot price, coins from the US Mint and Canadian Mint see a slightly higher premium due to their popularity with collectors.
As of Thursday, one-ounce gold American Eagle and American Buffalo coins were available for $2,399 each, while the gold spot price was $2,300.
In addition, a 20-pack of one-ounce silver US Eagle coins was available for $689, and a set of 25 one-ounce silver coins from the Canadian Mint was priced at $809, compared with a silver spot price of $29 per ounce.
Even though Costco doesn't make much profit from its gold business, the company is likely content to keep it up for a few reasons.
Pulling in hundreds of millions of dollars in sales through Costco.com is a relatively easy way for the company to show strong e-commerce revenue growth.
Plus, the items' exclusivity is yet another way to keep existing members happy and attract new sign-ups.
To fight inflation, I'm earning more money with side hustles and diversifying my investments.
Even though I'm making more money now, I'm not spending more money.
This article is part of "My Financial Life," a series helping people live and spend better.
As someone who grew up without financial stability, I've been motivated to create a safety net for myself. I have a deep understanding of how money problems can affect one's quality of life. Breaking the cycle of poverty and growing my nest egg have always been goals of mine.
I've found ways to stay ahead of inflation and build my wealth so that my net worth can grow and I don't have to worry when I have a financial setback. I've been able to leave toxic work environments, make decisions not based entirely on money, and even take a year off from work to travel through South America.
Most importantly, however, my approach to money has allowed me to feel safe and secure for the first time in my life.
1. I take on a variety of side hustles to grow my income
One way I've managed to stay ahead of inflation is by taking on side hustles. Diversifying my income has allowed me to continuously increase the amount I earn, which has provided extra money to save and invest each month.
I target this money toward specific goals — like paying off student loans or saving up an emergency fund — and I always have one or two side hustles I can focus on if something happens to my primary job.
2. I diversify my investments to beat inflation
When I started my financial journey, I kept my money in a high-yield savings account until I had enough for an emergency fund. These accounts typically accrue far more interest than traditional savings accounts, helping savings keep pace with inflation.
In addition to keeping money I'll need in the next year or two in an HYSA, I've diversified my assets to allow my money to work for me. The majority of my wealth is invested in index funds and exchange-traded funds. Because these funds tend to provide solid returns, this money has grown exponentially and provided the largest growth in my nest egg.
I've also invested in I bonds. Though their interest rates can vary and are sometimes below the rate of inflation, they can offer incredible value. In 2022, for example, the interest rate was 9.62%, which was a great time to buy $10,000 worth — the maximum amount allowed a year.
3. I don't spend more money even though I make more money
Finally, I've maintained frugal habits even as my salary and net worth have grown. While I went from making about $10,000 the first year I was working to about $100,000 during my last school year as an educator, I haven't experienced significant lifestyle inflation.
I've continued using credit-card rewards, couponing, and shopping sales, and I've avoided spending too much on a house or getting a car loan I don't need. It's easier to stay ahead of inflation when I'm not buying more than I need and when I'm using resources like coupons to my advantage.
I'm planning for early retirement and living my best life now
All these strategies have allowed me to continue to grow my wealth beyond what I thought was possible when I was a child. This has provided me with a safety net I can rely on when things go awry.
When I found myself in a toxic work environment a few years ago, for example, I was able to quit without knowing for sure what would come next. I had the flexibility to make the choice that was right for me without having to worry about how I'd make it work financially — the ultimate luxury, and one I had been working toward my entire life.
Setting my finances up in a way that has allowed me to have a sense of financial freedom has been liberating. I have enough money now that I can take time off from work and live on my savings and investments for a while if necessary, and I'm on track to retire early — hopefully by my mid-50s.
I've seen many people who were forced into early retirement or who stayed in their jobs longer than they wanted to increase their pension amount. These situations further proved to me how important it is to have a nest egg that allows me to make life choices without money being the primary factor.
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A detonation of ammunition caused by a fire at a military training field in the Kirovsky district of Crimea on July 19, 2023.
VIKTOR KOROTAYEV via Getty Images
Ukraine has intensified strikes on Russia's air defenses in Crimea, per reports.
The attacks could make Crimea untenable as a military staging ground, one US think tank said.
But they're not a silver bullet to end Russia's occupation of the region, experts said.
Ukraine's sustained attacks against Russia's air defenses could make occupied Crimea untenable as a military staging ground, war analysts said.
In an assessment on Thursday, the Institute for the Study of War think tank said that Ukraine's repeated strikes on military targets in the region were forcing Russia to commit new air defenses.
But further strikes, it said, could make it impossible for Russia to prepare or launch attacks from the annexed peninsula.
Ukraine hasrepeatedlyhit Russia's air defenses in Crimea over the last few months, with attacks intensifying this week.
According to reports, one Russian S-400 "Triumf" and two S-300 air-defense missile systems were targeted overnight on Sunday into Monday, with suggestions that Ukraine used US-supplied Army Tactical Missile Systems, known as ATACMS.
Two days later, Ukraine launched another missile strike, hitting an S-300 missile system and two S-400 missile systems in Crimea, the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine said.
It declined to say what type of missiles were used, but the Institute for the Study of War said they were "likely" ATACMS.
The strikes seemed to show that Ukraine's older, Western-supplied missiles can get around even Russia's most sophisticated air defense systems, experts told BI this week.
Forbes reached a similar conclusion on Wednesday, saying Russia's S-400 missile systems can't defend nearby Russian troops or even themselves.
The development could be a major problem for Russia, which has used Crimea as a supply route for bringing troops and gear to the front lines in Ukraine.
There are already signs that the country is looking to other routes.
Russia has also placed an S-500 missile system in Crimea to protect its air defenses, Kyrylo Budanov, the head of Ukraine's defense intelligence directorate, said this week, per a translation by the ISW.
But despite Ukraine's recent successes, its campaign of long-range air strikes won't be the silver bullet that ends Russia's occupation of Crimea, military experts told BI.
Keir Giles, a senior consulting fellow at Chatham House's Russia and Eurasia Programme, told BI that Ukraine's "slow-motion successes" with air and naval operations appear to be making the peninsula "less and less" tenable for Russian forces.
However, Giles said limited information from open sources makes it difficult to gauge Russia's air-defense capabilities and the extent to which Russian troops are exposed in the region.
"You get the impression that Russia is continuing to deliver new systems to Crimea, and they're being knocked down as swiftly as they're being set up," he said. "But it takes a much more detailed assessment of what's going on to actually establish the real picture."
Matthew Savill, director of military sciences at the UK-based Royal United Services Institute, said that Crimea is mostly out of range of Ukrainian artillery, and even rocket artillery like HIMARS.
He said Russia may have to make some tough decisions if it needs to replace lost air defenses, which might mean thinning out defenses elsewhere, but air strikes alone won't be enough to push Russian forces out of Crimea.
"It would take a significant Ukrainian ground push," he said, "to create the kind of pressure."
And given Crimea's tactical and political significance, Russian forces "aren't going to withdraw without a major fight," he added.
"The kind of casualties they would need to suffer to consider this can only really be inflicted on their ground forces by a Ukrainian ground assault and a large volume of artillery or close-in fire," he said.
James Black, assistant director of defense research at RAND Europe, made a similar point, saying Russian troops are unlikely to withdraw from Crimea unless their position is rendered untenable.
"Crimea is clearly a major strategic and political priority for the Kremlin, and any withdrawal of Russian forces from the peninsula would be a serious embarrassment for President Putin and his military leadership, both domestically and abroad," he said.