• Walmart sees a bonkers improvement when it automates a warehouse

    Walmart trucks sit parked in front of a Walmart store in Richmond, California
    An automated distribution center delivers twice the throughput with half the staff, Walmart's CFO said.

    • Walmart's 4,600 US stores are supported by a network of 42 regional distribution centers.
    • Of those 42, there's "some level of automation" at 15 of them, CFO John David Rainey said.
    • When a DC is automated, Rainey said it sees as much as a 4X leap in efficiency.

    Walmart's store fleet is staggeringly huge, and the operation to support it is similarly massive.

    The retailer's 4,600 stores are supported by a network of 42 regional distribution centers — sprawling warehouses of up to 1.5 million square feet that typically employ around 1,000 workers, according to logistics consultancy MWPVL.

    Of those 42 DCs, Walmart CFO John David Rainey said the company has 15 that now have "some level of automation," serving about 1,700 stores.

    Speaking at the Evercore ISI Consumer and Retail Conference on Wednesday, Rainey revealed an utterly bonkers statistic when one of these facilities is fully dialed up.

    "When we automate one of these DCs, we see roughly twice the throughput with half the head count. And so, the math on this is very, very compelling," he said.

    Twice as much stuff with half as many staff is a fourfold increase in efficiency — compelling math indeed.

    And more revenue per employee translates to higher profit margins.

    "They're planning to add $130 billion of sales over the next five years on a flat head count," Jefferies analyst Corey Tarlowe told Business Insider. "AI and automation are going to be absolutely critical to their evolution."

    As Walmart's distribution center and fulfillment center capacity increases, it's starting to exceed the inventory Walmart actually owns, Rainey said.

    "It gives us the opportunity to use that space for our third-party providers," the CFO said. "A very exciting part of what's changed in our business over the recent quarters is the number of 3P sellers that are availing themselves of Walmart fulfillment services."

    A day earlier, at Oppenheimer's e-commerce conference, Walmart US CEO John Furner indicated how these lower costs feed into an e-commerce flywheel that is gaining momentum for the company.

    "The cost of picking is coming down, the density of last-mile delivery has improved, so therefore, the cost per unit continues to fall," Furner said. "You put all that together, and we see a much better path than what we saw a few years ago."

    Read the original article on Business Insider
  • Some student-loan borrowers will soon get cheaper monthly payments through Biden’s new repayment plan — but their accounts might be paused in the meantime

    College graduation
    College graduation

    • Some student-loan borrowers enrolled in the SAVE plan will get lower payments in July.
    • In the meantime, some of them are being placed on forbearance as the Education Department calculates new payments.
    • Payments will be paused and interest will not accrue for impacted borrowers during this period.

    Some student-loan borrowers are set to get cheaper bills next month — but the Education Department is still working on those new calculations.

    Last summer, President Joe Biden's Education Department launched the SAVE plan — a new student-loan repayment plan intended to make payments more affordable for borrowers with a shorter timeline to loan forgiveness than prior income-driven repayment plans.

    The department already started rolling out some of SAVE's provisions ahead of schedule, including loan forgiveness for borrowers with original balances of $12,000 or less who made as few as 10 years of qualifying payments. Beginning in July, a host of new provisions are expected to be implemented.

    One of those provisions will allow borrowers with undergraduate student loans to have their payments capped at 5% of their discretionary income, which is down from the current 10% cap.

    However, as The New York Times first reported, the Education Department is still working through those new calculations and is placing impacted borrowers on administrative forbearance — during which they are not required to make payments and interest will not accrue — as it works toward implementing this new part of SAVE.

    Education Department spokesperson Vanessa Harmoush confirmed the forbearances, telling Business Insider that as the department finalizes the new SAVE payments, "some borrowers may be placed in a brief processing forbearance to ensure they can access the full benefits of the SAVE Plan and that their new payment amounts are accurate."

    "While borrowers are in this specific forbearance, no payment is required, their interest rate will be set to 0%, and they will receive credit toward IDR forgiveness and Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF)," she said.

    A department spokesperson added that the department "has already sent servicers the information they need for hundreds of thousands of borrowers, some of which should see updated billing statements for July," and that 4.6 million borrowers who have $0 payments under SAVE will not need to enter forbearance.

    Given that borrowers typically receive bills for their student-loan payments a few weeks before the due date, this forbearance period will ensure that borrowers do not make a larger payment than necessary before the Education Department has time to calculate the new amounts.

    Aside from SAVE's implementation, the student-loan servicing industry is undergoing a series of changes that are impacting borrowers' user experience. For example, the Education Department is transitioning the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program away from servicer MOHELA and is instead splitting up PSLF accounts among other servicers to be overseen by Federal Student Aid.

    The Education Department is also working toward implementing its new student-loan forgiveness plan after the Supreme Court struck the first one down last summer, and it is continuing to carry out its one-time account adjustments for borrowers on PSLF and income-driven repayment plans, expected to be completed in September.

    Read the original article on Business Insider
  • How a the ‘classiest’ A-list celebrity ended up voicing a sexy octopus on ‘The Boys’ season 4

    Nathan Mitchell as Black Noir and Chace Crawford as The Deep on season four, episode two of "The Boys."
    Chace Crawford as The Deep on season four, episode two of "The Boys."

    • Season four of "The Boys" features the return of the octopus named Ambrosius, voiced by an A-lister.
    • Star Chace Crawford told Business Insider that he had "no idea" who would be voicing the sea creature. 
    • Showrunner Eric Kripke said he specifically wanted "the most British, Oscar-winningest, classiest actor."

    Warning: Major spoilers ahead for season four of "The Boys."

    "The Boys" star Chace Crawford never knows what kinds of antics his character, The Deep, will be involved in — but having an octopus lover voiced by Tilda Swinton certainly wasn't on his bingo card for season four.

    "I kind of take it as I open the scripts, right?" Crawford told Business Insider in a recent interview ahead of the season four premiere on Thursday. "I had no idea that it was going to be Tilda Swinton."

    Last season, The Deep encountered a female octopus named Ambrosius while attending Herogasm. The supe, who can breathe underwater and communicate with sea creatures, ended up taking the octopus home with him and continuing to have sexual relations with her — to the disgust of his wife, Cassandra (Katy Breier).

    Chace Crawford as The Deep in the season three finale of "The Boys."
    Chace Crawford as The Deep in the season three finale of "The Boys."

    The season four premiere of "The Boys," released Thursday on Prime Video, reveals that The Deep is now divorced and dealing with allegations from Cassandra's biography, "In 2 Deep: My Journey 2 Freedom."

    In an interview, The Deep denies having sexual relations with an octopus, and he later tells Vought employee Ashley Barrett (Colby Minifie) that the sea creature has been "taken care of."

    But instead of getting rid of Ambrosius, The Deep stashes her away in a tank in his closet, carrying out a secret relationship with her.

    Ambrosius (voiced by Tilda Swinton) and The Deep (Chace Crawford) on season four of "The Boys."
    Ambrosius (voiced by Tilda Swinton) and The Deep (Chace Crawford) on season four of "The Boys."

    "Once we decided that The Deep and Ambrosius were going to have this intense affair and we were going to be able to hear her, we just were like, we need the most British, Oscar-winningest, classiest actor we can possibly find for that part," showrunner Eric Kripke told BI. "There's four of them in the world, and Tilda Swinton is one of them."

    "The Boys" team didn't have a personal connection to the Academy Award winner but reached out to her reps, and she was game to voice the eight-armed sea creature.

    "She came into the booth for one long session, and I was there, and it was really a pinch-me moment watching this world-class, highest caliber actress say the most ridiculous shit as Ambrosius," Kripke said.

    Tilda Swinton in November 2023.
    Tilda Swinton at the 20th Marrakech International Film Festival in Morocco on November 27, 2023.

    After four seasons of playing The Deep, Crawford said that he's still impressed by the creativity and attention to detail the show's VFX team puts into crafting its creatures.

    "I'm always doing little things like in the air, pushing off tentacles and stuff, and then to see them add that in and make it come to life…" Crawford said as Kripke chimed in to point out that Ambrosius also has a tiny figurine of The Deep in her tank to keep her entertained.

    "The guys are brilliant. And even the Timothy thing, I had no idea what that was going to be and they make it look so good," Crawford said, referencing The Deep's other octopus companion from season three. "So, it's always fun for me to see what's next."

    The first three episodes of season four of "The Boys" are now streaming on Prime Video, followed by a new episode each week, ending with the season finale on July 18.

    Read the original article on Business Insider
  • Elon Musk’s payday drama comes to a head today

    tesla

    Hey there! It's always sunny at Business Insider when "Welcome to Wrexham" star Rob McElhenney is around. Check out our cover story on the actor-turned-entrepreneur.

    In today's big story, we're looking at the drama between Tesla shareholders over Elon Musk's bumper pay package that gets decided on today.

    What's on deck:

    But first, pay that man his money.


    If this was forwarded to you, sign up here.


    The big story

    Show Elon the money

    elon musk on dollar

    One of the world's richest men is fighting over how much he gets paid.

    As funny as that sounds, the battle over Elon Musk's pay package is no joke.

    Tesla's annual shareholder meeting this afternoon will announce the result of the investor vote on Musk's compensation plan (which was once valued at around $55 billion), but Musk is already claiming an early victory. Business Insider's Grace Kay has the full rundown on what's at stake and how it could play out.

    On one side sits large investment firms that feel the package is a tad too rich for their blood. They also point to Musk's chummy relationship with some Tesla board members (like his brother) for why the package shouldn't get approved.

    And they're not alone. A Delaware judge voided the plan in January, deeming it an "unfair price."

    On the other side are Musk fans, of which there are many. Retail investors hold roughly 44% of Tesla's shares, the highest mark among the 10 largest companies in the S&P 500.

    From their perspective, the pitch is simple: Trust in Musk. The billionaire is a lightning rod for controversy, but he's turned Tesla's stock into a rocket ship — 2024 aside — making them rich. And for many shareholders, that's all that matters.

    elon musk walking

    The lead-up to today's results hasn't been pretty.

    Earlier this year, Musk gave investors an ultimatum. Meet his comp demands, or he'll prefer to build AI and robotics products "outside of Tesla."

    Plenty scoffed at the idea he'd take his ball and go home, leaving Tesla high and dry. But Tesla's board chair hinted it's not an empty threat.

    To that point, Musk recently diverted a $500 million shipment of Nvidia chips from Tesla to X. Musk, for his part, said the chips were rerouted because Tesla didn't have space for them.

    The episode points to a common criticism of Musk: He has too many jobs. One longtime Tesla investor said the EV maker is "kind of the bottom of the pecking pole of Elon's companies."

    Musk has spun that to his advantage, suggesting his business empire is a "Muskonomy" that Tesla benefits from being a part of.

    But that empire came with some negative press this week. An extensive report from The Wall Street Journal made claims about Musk's interactions with female SpaceX employees, including an accusation of asking a direct report to have his babies.

    SpaceX's chief operating officer, Gwynne Shotwell, said in a statement to the Journal: "The untruths, mischaracterizations, and revisionist history in your email paint a completely misleading narrative."

    As for Tesla, plenty view Musk as too intertwined with the company not to meet his demands. Tesla's board chair said while the EV maker could exist without him, it needs him right now.

    But a billionaire investor who backs the pay package was more direct: Without Musk, there is "no Tesla."

    What do you think? Vote here on if you're for or against Musk's pay package.


    3 things in markets

    man with green background
    1. Still no interest rate cuts, but there are some signs of hope. The Federal Reserve continued its pause of interest-rate hikes. But despite a cool May inflation report, the central bank has only penciled in one rate cut this year.
    2. Blackstone stretches out in the Big Apple. The private-equity giant is finalizing a deal to expand its Manhattan headquarters by 30%. The extra space will be well used, as the firm has grown its headcount by roughly 50% in recent years.
    3. The race to be the world's most valuable company is back on. Apple briefly passed Microsoft in market valuation terms on Wednesday as investor reaction to its WWDC event powered its shares higher. The two tech giants and AI darling Nvidia are now competing to become the first-ever $4 trillion company, Wedbush analyst Dan Ives said in a research note.

    3 things in tech

    two people blue background with car
    1. Henrik Fisker's second automotive startup is on the brink of bankruptcy. Fisker was pitched as a Tesla rival, but workers say mismanagement and cutting corners led to compounding problems. BI spoke with 27 former and current staff who charted the startup's downfall.
    2. Some investors backing venture firms are reneging on their deals. An increasing number of LPs like pension funds and family offices are defaulting on their positions with VCs they pledged to fund. And that's created an opportunity for one VC to buy up their stakes.
    3. Meta's upper ranks are feeling the heat. The social media giant is looking to whittle down its hundreds of vice presidents, three people with knowledge of the company told BI, as CEO Mark Zuckerberg seeks to streamline reporting structures.

    3 things in business

    deck chair
    1. Travel agents are back. Gen Zers and millennials are traveling more than other generations, but they don't want to plan the trips themselves. Instead, they're turning to travel agents, and reviving the old-school industry.
    2. Game over for Netflix's video game boss. The streaming giant just can't figure out what to do with video games, which might be why its leader Mike Verdu is moving on after three years at the helm. Details around his departure are murky, and it's unclear who will succeed him.
    3. Adobe staff hit back. The software company upset many artists and designers recently by implying it would use their content to train AI models. While it sought to quell their concerns in a blog post, some of its workers have taken to Slack to complain about Adobe's poor response to the controversy and demand a better long-term communication plan.

    In other news


    What's happening today

    • Tesla is hosting its annual stockholder meeting.
    • Microsoft President Brad Smith will testify on the company's "cybersecurity shortfalls."

    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. George Glover, reporter, in London.

    Read the original article on Business Insider
  • Video emerges seemingly showing Israeli soldiers using a trebuchet to lob fiery weapons at Lebanon

    israel lebanon
    An Israeli soldier jumps off a Merkava tank during a military drill near the border with Lebanon in the upper Galilee region of northern Israel on October 24, 2023.

    • Israeli soldiers used a trebuchet to throw incendiaries near the Lebanese border, a video appears to show.
    • The Israeli military stated this was a local initiative, not a widespread tool, per local reporting.
    • The move could be aimed at clearing dense vegetation hiding enemies amid ongoing border hostilities.

    An unusual video apparently depicting Israeli soldiers launching fireballs near the Lebanese border using a trebuchet, a siege weapon used to attack castles and fortifications in ages past, began circulating on social media Thursday.

    The Israeli military said in a statement on KAN News that the trebuchet was used as part of a "local initiative" and that it is "not a tool that has come into widespread use."

    "The area on the Lebanese border is characterized by boulders, thickets, and dense thorn vegetation, which poses a challenge to the IDF forces deployed in defense," the statement said.

    https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js

    The trebuchet, a weapon used as early as the fourth century BC, is known for its use of a counterweight, unlike catapults that rely on tension, to fling heavy projectiles out to great distances, but since the invention of gunpowder, its use has become less common.

    Other posts show a soldier firing a flaming arrow with a bow near the border with Lebanon. Business Insider has been unable to independently confirm the details of the footage, including when the videos were filmed.

    Media outlets have speculated that the trebuchet's fiery ammunition was meant to burn down heavy foliage covering parts of Lebanon near the border as a way of exposing threats from Hezbollah, an Iran-backed militia group.

    Since hostilities were reignited at the border of Israel and Lebanon in October 2023, the Israeli military has also used drones and white phosphorus munitions in southern Lebanon. Hezbollah, on the other hand, has been firing continuous barrages of rockets and other munitions toward northern Israel.

    There are concerns that both Israel and Lebanon are at risk of experiencing wildfires due to the exchange of fire at the border and the use of incendiary weapons.

    Read the original article on Business Insider
  • HBO renews ‘House of the Dragon’ for season 3 ahead of season 2 premiere

    House of the Dragon Matt Smith and Emma D'arcy
    Daemon (Smith) and adult Rhaenyra (Emma D'Arcy) in "House of the Dragon."

    HBO is betting on "House of the Dragon" season two's success. The network just renewed the "Game of Thrones" prequel for another season ahead of Sunday's premiere.

    Francesca Orsi, HBO's head of drama, praised the team behind the hit fantasy series in the renewal announcement.

    "George, Ryan, and the rest of our incredible executive producers, cast, and crew, have reached new heights with the phenomenal second season of 'House of the Dragon,'" Orsi said in a press release. "We are in awe of the dragon-sized effort the entire team has put into the creation of a spectacular season two, with a scope and scale that is only rivaled by its heart."

    "We could not be more thrilled to continue the story of House Targaryen and watch this team burn bright again for season three," she added.

    This is a developing story. Check back for additional details.

    Read the original article on Business Insider
  • I ate all 29 Blizzards at Dairy Queen and ranked the flavors from worst to best

    blizzard reviews
    I tried all of the Blizzards at Dairy Queen to see which was the best.

    • Dairy Queen's Blizzard is made with thick, soft serve and a range of customizable mix-ins
    • As of June, I've had 29 Blizzards from the menu, including seasonal and limited-edition flavors.
    • I've ranked the Blizzards from worst to best, and the best is still the seasonal s'mores.

    Dairy Queen is one of Warren Buffett's most famous businesses — he bought it in 1997 — and it's worth millions

    The chain hit record sales in 2021 and is still considered one of the leading dessert and snack chains in the US. But at the core of its success might be one of its signature desserts: The Blizzard, a frozen treat blended with all sorts of mix-ins.

    Blizzard flavors come and go, and I'm always hunting for the best one. So, since August 2020, I've been eating and ranking every Dairy Queen Blizzard I could get my hands on. 

    Here's how the Blizzards I've tried so far stack up, ranked from my least favorite to my favorite. 

    Editor's Note: This list includes limited-edition and seasonal flavors that don't always return. Check the menu at your nearest location before trying to order any of the options below.

    Cotton-candy Blizzard
    cotton candy blizzard
    Cotton-candy Blizzard.

    The first problem with this seasonal Blizzard was the texture. It had these chewy, colorful bits of sugar that felt a bit off — like they weren't supposed to be in there, and a child added them in at the last minute. 

    But the unbearable sweetness of this Blizzard is what earned it a spot at the bottom of my list. This dessert just tasted like pure sugar and my teeth still hurt thinking about it.

    I could picture younger kids absolutely loving this, but I can't see myself ordering this one again.

    M&M Blizzard
    m&M
    M&M Blizzard.

    Many people picture M&Ms when they think of a classic ice-cream mix-in. That symphony of crunchy, chocolaty bits with smooth, creamy ice cream is a kid's kryptonite on a summer afternoon.

    My M&M Blizzard came exactly as expected — with the bite-sized candies slightly crushed and evenly dispersed throughout the vanilla. It was a simple yet satisfying option.

    But this Blizzard was pretty underwhelming, especially when compared to the other ones on the menu. I think it could've benefited from the addition of a brownie to make the chocolate flavor of the candies stand out more. 

    Royal Rocky Road Trip Blizzard
    rocky road blizzard
    Royal Rocky Road Trip Blizzard.

    Full disclosure: I don't care much for rocky-road ice cream, so I knew I wasn't going to be wild about this one from the start. 

    Like rocky-road ice cream, this Blizzard contains all of the essential flavors: chocolate, peanuts, and marshmallow. This dessert has a single marshmallow core in the center of the cup with the ice cream around it and it comes with brownie chunks to offset the strong vanilla flavors.

    I can see this being a dream for anyone who loves marshmallows, but I felt that the core overpowered the rest of the Blizzard. At one point, I thought the peanuts were missing, but they'd really just collected at the very bottom of the cup, which made every bite pretty inconsistent.

    Very Cherry Chip Blizzard
    Very Cherry Chip Blizzard  from dairy queen
    Very Cherry Chip Blizzard.

    This Blizzard absolutely lives up to its name. To me, it tasted exactly like a cherry slushie.

    It's very, very sweet, but I didn't find that totally offputting. The bits of cherry in this offered a nice pop of tart flavor that made my lips pucker. My order also contained plenty of tasty chocolate chunks, which cut through some of that intense fruity sweetness.

    I believe this Blizzard will appeal to a lot of people (Shirley Temple fans, looking at you), but it was too sweet for me to find it enjoyable beyond a few bites.

    If I wanted a fruit-forward Blizzard, I'd go with the Raspberry Fudge Bliss.

    Peanut Butter Cookie Dough Party Blizzard
    Peanut butter cookie blizzard
    Peanut Butter Cookie Dough Party Blizzard.

    I'm still so confused about what the Peanut Butter Cookie Dough Party was supposed to be.

    I thought it would have chunks of peanut-butter cookie dough, but it actually contained chocolate-chip cookie dough. Peanut-butter topping was swirled into DQ's signature vanilla soft serve and — even more confusing — it had a crunchy peanut-brittle topping and sprinkles, which, for me, just added an awkward crunchiness.

    Still, it wasn't bad. The sauce was blended so seamlessly into the vanilla soft serve that it tasted like peanut-butter ice cream. However, DQ would have more luck pairing peanut butter with something that would contrast its nutty flavor, like dark-chocolate brownies.

    The one-note quality of this makes it seem like it was made for kids

    Wonder Woman Cookie Collision Blizzard
    Wonder Woman Cookie Collision 2
    Wonder Woman Cookie Collision Blizzard.

    With such a fun name, I had high hopes for this limited-edition Blizzard. Unfortunately, it underwhelmed me. 

    Essentially, It's a hodgepodge of chocolatey flavors, but instead of using brownies as the dessert mix-in of choice, it's chocolate chip and chocolate-chocolate cookie dough, which are pretty much indistinguishable from each other.

    This had potential, but the similar toppings didn't add much in terms of flavor. If you were to blind taste-test me, I'd probably have a difficult time distinguishing between this one and the regular cookie dough Blizzard, which is disappointing.

    Heath Blizzard
    Heath Blizzard Dairy Queen
    Heath Blizzard.

    I was eager to try the Blizzard because I think Heath is an excellent, underrated candy bar.

    The Heath candy bits were finely chopped and distributed well throughout the ice cream. This gave the entire Blizzard a strong toffee taste, which I personally loved.

    However, the biggest issue with this one was the texture. Toffee is notoriously sticky and hard, especially when paired with a cold substance like ice cream. As I ate my Blizzard, I noticed the small bits of the candy were getting stuck to parts of my teeth, which made me unwilling to finish it.

    Oreo Dirt Pie Blizzard
    Oreo Dirt Pie  Blizzard with gummy worms

    Although I personally never attended summer camp myself, I have many fond childhood memories of eating Oreo dirt pies at birthday parties.

    Normally, the dessert is made using pudding as a base, but here, DQ is putting its own spin on this with its soft serve.

    I appreciate the sentiment DQ was trying to convey here, and I'm sure kids will go nuts for this, but I'm not sold on the gummy worms being mixed into the ice cream.

    As a topping? Fine. But I didn't care for getting random bites of chewy candy in my ice cream. There's already enough texture going on with the cookie pieces and fudge. Plus, it's not like they add that much flavor.

    On a more positive note, I loved how the added extra fudge crumbles really doubled down on the chocolate flavor.

    This costs the same as the regular Oreo Blizzard, so you're not necessarily out any extra money if you order this over the other. But for my money, I'd much rather get the regular Oreo Blizzard.

    Nestle Drumstick with Peanuts Blizzard
    dairy queen blizzard
    Nestle Drumstick with Peanuts Blizzard.

    This Blizzard brought me back to childhood days at my Grandma's house.

    I'd often dig in the back of the freezer looking for chocolaty Drumstick treats, only to devour an entire cone within a couple of minutes. And every time, my fingers (and the floor) would end up covered in a melted mess.

    Years later, I'm still a fan of Drumsticks, but I rarely eat them to avoid dealing with that mess.
    Thankfully, DQ has solved that problem by creating a Blizzard with Drumstick bits blended right in that I can enjoy with the convenience of a spoon.

    And let me tell you, it did not disappoint. As is the case with most of its blizzards, the vanilla ice cream made for the perfect base, accentuating the peanut-waffle-cone-Nestle chocolate flavor in the mix-ins. Peanut was definitely the predominant flavor, but it wasn't so overpowering that I didn't taste the chocolate.

    I wish the peanut bits were larger, though, since they kept getting stuck in my teeth. I understand the peanuts on a drumstick are tiny as is, so there was no changing this.

    Still, if you're looking for a peanut-butter dessert that's not too chocolaty or sweet, try this Blizzard. 

    Picnic Peach Cobbler Blizzard
    Picnic Peach Cobbler Blizzard
    Picnic Peach Cobbler Blizzard.

    In my mind, peach cobbler brings to mind a dessert served warm, and topped with ice cream, so I was curious about this deconstructed Blizzard version.

    Overall, this was so-so. The tiny chunks of cold cobbler were easily the star of the show, offering a buttery flavor that was delicious against DQ's basic vanilla soft serve and a shortbread-like texture that was pleasantly crumbly.

    That said, I don't know if the peach-topping swirls worked for me. It could have been how my Blizzard was mixed, but I found the distribution of flavor wildly inconsistent; I had to dig around before I got any peach flavor. 

    Oreo cookie Blizzard
    oreo cookie blizzard dairy queen
    Oreo cookie Blizzard.

    Although I enjoyed this Blizzard, it was essentially the same thing as cookies-and-cream ice cream.

    On a positive note, DQ's signature vanilla soft serve tasted mellower and had a more delicate finish than what you'd find at the grocery store. I also liked that I could taste the icing bits in the Oreos. 

    But I probably wouldn't order this one again unless I was on the go and craving something familiar. For the price, I would rather purchase a pint of high-quality cookies-and-cream ice cream from the grocery store.

    Ultimate Cookie Blizzard
    Ultimate Cookie Blizzard in cup
    Ultimate Cookie Blizzard.

    Introduced in 2024 as June's Blizzard of the Month, this Ultimate Cookie Blizzard is made for people who appreciate lots of texture.

    Featuring a blend of vanilla soft serve and Nabisco's finest — Chips Ahoy, Oreos, and Nutter Butters — every spoonful from start to finish contained some bit of cookie chunk. Yum!

    Sadly, The Chips Ahoy were barely detectable under the flavor from the Nutter Butter and rich cocoa notes coming from the Oreos. I'm not complaining because it's all tasty, but I wouldn't call this as memorable or impressive as the Oreo brookie Blizzard.

    Choco Brownie Extreme Blizzard
    Choco Brownie Extreme
    Choco Brownie Extreme Blizzard.

    As a chocolate lover, I was surprised that I didn't like this one as much as I'd hoped. This Blizzard is proof that there can be too much of a good thing.

    This comes with brownie pieces, chocolate fudge, and chocolate chunks. I enjoy all those things individually, but it's almost too much when they're all packed together in an 8-ounce cup.

    It was clear to me that the chewy brownie chunks were the star of the show, and the other two chocolaty components didn't add much. The brownies were so fudgy that they blended together with the fudge chunks, too. Part of me feels like the fudge chunks were thrown in just to give this Blizzard its "extreme" name. 

    The kicker of this dessert is that it came with vanilla ice cream — not chocolate — but I honestly couldn't taste it underneath all of the toppings. 

    Butterfinger Blizzard
    butterfinger blizzard
    Butterfinger Blizzard.

    This Blizzard consists of vanilla soft serve and a generous amount of nutty, scrumptious Butterfinger bits. I immediately noticed the little orange bits sticking out from the creamy soft serve, so everything looked like it had been mixed well. 

    Taste-wise, this blizzard was good but not incredible. The candy bar (or bars?). was ground incredibly fine, which allowed the nutty flavor to blend seamlessly into the soft serve.

    However, I felt the candy's chocolate coating got completely lost in the mixing process. That wasn't a dealbreaker, but I still wouldn't call this Blizzard my favorite.

    Snickers Blizzard
    snickers blizzard
    Snickers Blizzard.

    The symphony of textures makes Snickers one of the US's most beloved candy bars, and the same holds true when it's paired with delicious vanilla soft serve.

    Yummy chocolate, smooth caramel, and crunchy peanuts gave this one a pleasant blend of different flavors and without overpowering the ice cream itself.

    Of the candy-themed Blizzards I tried, this was one of the better ones.

    Brownie batter Blizzard
    brownie batter blizzard
    Brownie batter Blizzard.

    Don't ever try to tell me that brownie flavor and brownie-batter flavor are the same thing — they're not. This Blizzard is evidence of that, as it had an almost malted flavor to it, which made it slightly sweeter than other chocolate ones. I absolutely loved it.

    This tasted like someone froze a bowl of brownie batter. Even better, DQ was not skimpy about the brownie chunks. I got a bit of chewy, fudgy brownie in every single bite down to the bottom of the cup. They also didn't fall into the trap of having a weird grainy taste to them.

     

    Reese's peanut-butter cup Blizzard
    reeses blizzard
    Reese's peanut-butter cup Blizzard.

    As advertised, this Blizzard came with vanilla soft serve and noticeable chunks of Reese's peanut butter cups. This made me happy because it meant it contained actual chocolate, not Reese's Pieces, which taste like pure peanut butter to me. 

    As expected, everything tasted great. The Reese's chunks had that familiar melt-in-your-mouth flavor that I know and love. However, the further I got into my Blizzard, the fewer peanut butter cups there were, and the less enjoyable it became.

    Still, if I had to choose a candy-themed Blizzard, I'd probably order this one again over some of the others.

    Peanut-butter puppy chow Blizzard
    Dairy Queen peanut butter puppy chow bllizzard in a car with a red spoon in it holding creamy mixture and a chex cereal piece
    Peanut-butter puppy chow Blizzard

    Puppy chow — or "muddy buddies" depending on where you grew up — is a common snack at many a childhood sleepover, movie night, holiday party, or school event. It's a treat made using basic cereal like Chex, melted chocolate, peanut butter, and powdered sugar.

    I'm not surprised Dairy Queen turned it into a mix-in. Still, I wasn't blown away by this flavor. 

    It was tasty, and the peanut-butter flavor came through nicely on each bite. However, in my order, the few squares of puppy chow in the mix were clumped toward the bottom. Luckily, when I did eat a piece, it was delicious and nicely softened under the weight of the ice cream while still retaining a slight crispiness.

    The pieces also added a subtle bit of salt that's missing with the Reese's Blizzard.

    Oreo fudge brownie Blizzard
    oreo fudge brownie blizzard
    Oreo fudge brownie Blizzard.

    Like the chain's traditional Oreo Blizzard, this comes with vanilla soft serve and chewy bits of Oreo cookies. The only difference is that this takes it to the next level by adding globs of yummy, fudgy brownies to the mixture.

    This was good but it wasn't much of a standout to me because it seemed like the Oreos were reduced to the background.

    The brownies dominated the entire dessert, which wasn't a problem for me as a chocolate lover, but it made me question whether the Oreos needed to be there. 

    Turtle pecan cluster Blizzard
    tyrtle pecan dairy q
    Turtle pecan cluster Blizzard.

    The blend of buttery pecans, caramel, and vanilla on this Blizzard was absolutely divine. I also liked that my order contained pieces of whole pecans. 

    But I found the chocolate fudge shavings to be unnecessary because they weren't noticeable at all. If you didn't tell me they were in there, I would assume they weren't.

    That said, this Blizzard earns high marks for its uniqueness and great taste. 

    Caramel Drumstick with peanuts Blizzard
    Caramel Drumstick with Peanuts
    Caramel Drumstick Blizzard with peanuts.

    You may be thinking "Wait a second, Dairy Queen has always had a Drumstick Blizzard with peanuts." Correct. But this one is different. This one has all that and caramel.  

    The addition is very subtle — visually, it looks no different from the other Drumstick Blizzard. But as soon as I took that first bite, it was clear this was a huge step above the original.

    The caramel topping was blended seamlessly into the ice cream, offering a touch of yummy sweetness that paired incredibly well with the peanuts and chocolaty drumstick pieces.

    In all, it's a wonderful combination of slightly salty, sweet, and nutty flavors.

    People who are hoping to get huge globs of gooey caramel might be disappointed. But if you want something that's delicious and sweet but not quite as intense as some of the candy-flavored Blizzards, this will hit the spot.

    Oreo brookie Blizzard
    Oreo brookie blizzard with red spoon sticking out of it in a blue dairy queen cup in a car
    Oreo brookie Blizzard.

    Just when you think DQ hasn't done enough with Oreo, the chain adds tiny, dime-sized chunks of brownie-and-chocolate-chip-cookie hybrids. The more cookies, the better. 

    Upon the first spoonful, I thought this Blizzard tasted like a typical cookies-and-cream one. But once I got a piece of the brookie, I understood why this was so special. The brookie pieces brought a yummy, fudgy chewiness that was absolutely delightful in contrast to the slightly crunchy Oreos.

    The chocolate-chip-cookie component brought in a buttery sweetness that popped against the vanilla ice cream. It was kind of like eating chocolate-chip-cookie dough and cookies-and-cream ice cream with brownie chunks all at once. It was delicious.

    Even though the chocolate was the standout flavor here, I didn't find it as intensely cocoa-flavored as the Oreo brownie Blizzard. Since the chunks of brookie are smaller than a coin, they didn't really overpower the Oreo flavor.

    In all, this is a winner.

    Oreo cheesecake Blizzard
    dairy queen oreo cheesecake blizzard
    Oreo cheesecake Blizzard.

    Much like the cheesecake Blizzard, this came with a decent amount of cheesecake chunks. The only difference is that this one's also mixed with Oreo cookies.

    I accidentally ordered this with chocolate ice cream instead of vanilla but, even so, it tasted the same as the chain's vanilla soft serve but with a hint of chocolate syrup. 

    In my opinion, this is a great option for the cheesecake lover who also wants a little bit of chocolate. The ratio between the two ingredients was fairly even, which meant no one taste dominated the other. In fact, they enhanced each other. The cocoa in the Oreos popped each time I got a bite of them with the creamy cheesecake.

     

     

    Chocolate chip cookie dough Blizzard
    cookie dough
    Chocolate chip cookie dough Blizzard.

    Cookie dough is one of the most popular ice-cream flavors in the US, and I totally get why. 

    The dough bits in this Blizzard were just the right size and, best of all, there were so many of them. This Blizzard was heaven with a great ratio of ice cream to cookie dough. 

    The chocolate fudge really made this Blizzard standout from standard, store-bought cookie dough ice cream from the grocery store. The fudge made the ice cream chocolaty, which brought out the sweetness of the doughy bits. It was a nice change from the chocolate-chip ice cream cookie dough's usually paired with. 

    Girl Scout Thin Mints Blizzard
    Girl Scout Thin Mints Blizzard
    Girl Scout Thin Mints Blizzard.

    Frozen Thin Mints are a thing for a reason, and I'm glad DQ found a way to harness that perfectly cool, chocolaty deliciousness into a Blizzard.

    Here, the ice cream had a nice, delicate minty flavor that tasted like a dead ringer for the iconic cookie. The use of vanilla soft serve with mint swirled into it lends to a pleasant, refreshing sweetness that prevents this from tasting like a cup of toothpaste.

    The bits of Thin Mint cookies were basically the cherry on top here: perfectly chewy, with their smooth chocolate flavor dancing on the creamy, cool vanilla-mint swirl.

    This ended up being one of my favorite Blizzards. The addition of a fudgy chocolate swirl is the only thing that could make this even better. 

    Raspberry Fudge Bliss Blizzard
    Raspberry Fudge Bliss blizzard
    Raspberry Fudge Bliss Blizzard.

    My initial thought on seeing this Blizzard was that it seemed the most "adult" to me because it's the only one with actual fruit in it. 

    By far, the best part of this Blizzard was the fresh raspberries. They added a layer of tartness that counteracted the intensity of the chocolate-fudge chunks.

    I just wish there were more of them in the Blizzard because once I got a quarter of the way in, all that I tasted was vanilla and chocolate.

     

    Frosted animal cookie Blizzard
    frosted animal cookie blizzard dairy queen
    Frosted animal cookie Blizzard.

    This Blizzard has the perfect level of sweetness. The small amount of frosting on the animal cookies gave it just a hint of that sugary taste without being too much. 

    The cookies also had a nice chewiness to them and they stood up well to the ice cream without getting soggy. 

    Best of all, after a few bites, the colorful icing and sprinkles on the cookies melted into the soft serve, which made the entire thing taste like a delicious confetti cake.

    Royal New York Cheesecake Blizzard
    Royal New York Cheesecake blizzard dairy queen
    Royal New York Cheesecake Blizzard.

    I'm always a fan of a good dessert within a dessert when it's executed well — fortunately, this Blizzard was a hit. 

    The creamy cheesecake chunks made for a superb mix-in for Dairy Queen's soft serve: They had a slightly chewy yet smooth texture that stood up well to the ice cream. I also found that they had a pleasant, sweet flavor that didn't taste artificial or overly sugary.

    But it was the strawberry mixture in the center that seriously elevated this Blizzard. As soon as I got to the core, strawberry flavor began to seep into every corner of the cup, giving every subsequent bite a burst of berry flavor.

    S'mores Blizzard
    s'mores blizzard
    S'mores Blizzard.

    When two classics come together, you're bound to end up with something delicious. That's exactly what happened with the s'mores Blizzard, which is why it was my absolute favorite.

    Unlike the Royal Rocky Road, which was overpowered by marshmallow, and Chocolate Brownie Extreme, which was too chocolaty, the s'mores Blizzard had just the right amount of everything. 

    Instead of mini marshmallows, which can easily turn rubbery when cold, it has chocolate chunks that contain marshmallow filling. It also has graham-cracker pieces and graham-cracker dust that courses throughout the entire Blizzard, causing the ice cream to adopt that irresistible, toasty flavor.

    Because of the graham-cracker dust, every bite tastes like a s'more. In other words, this Blizzard is the perfect summer treat, and I can't wait to order it again soon.

    This story was originally published on August 17, 2020, and most recently updated on June 13, 2024.

    Read the original article on Business Insider
  • The career rise of Bob Iger — and how the Disney CEO spends his fortune

    bob iger
    Iger is believed to be richer than the Disney heir, Abigail Disney.

    • Bob Iger has been heading one of the world's largest entertainment companies for nearly two decades.
    • The House of Mouse boss stepped down as Disney CEO in February 2020 only to return in 2022.
    • Here's a look at his wealth, spending, and career, from a lowly position at ABC to Disney CEO.

    Bob Iger now has something money can't buy: the title of Honorary Knight.

    He was given the title Knight Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire in a ceremony led by Prince William last week, following an announcement in 2022 that Iger would receive the honorary knighthood.

    Perhaps most important on his résumé, though, is his tenure as the CEO of Disney.

    Iger started his entertainment career in 1974 as a studio supervisor at ABC and climbed up the show business ranks to lead one of the most powerful businesses in the world.

    Though he retired as CEO in 2020, Bob Iger returned to the role in a shocking shakeup two years later. Iger had stepped down as CEO in February 2020 but stayed on as executive chairman until December 2021, when he retired, albeit ultimately briefly.

    Iger has amassed a sizeable personal fortune across his 15 years and counting as CEO.

    Forbes reported in 2019 that Iger had a net worth of $690 million, which is thought to be higher than that of Disney heiress Abigail Disney, who said that year that she's worth about $120 million. Iger, meanwhile, received $31.6 million in total compensation in 2023, or 595 times what the median Disney employee makes.

    Here's what we know about Iger's life and career rise, including how he makes and spends his multimillion-dollar fortune:

    Iger was born Robert Allen Iger in Brooklyn, New York, and raised in the small town of Oceanside, New York.
    Bob Iger high school yearbook
    Circled is Bob Iger, who graduated from Oceanside High School in 1969.

    "I am very lucky," Iger told Laurene Powell Jobs at The Atlantic Festival in Washington in 2019. "I was a lower middle class kid or middle class. My father had manic depression so he had trouble holding a job. I started as a $150-a-week employee at ABC 45 years ago and rose up to be CEO of this company. It is a great story, but it is not necessarily because I was extraordinary."

    He attended Ithaca College where he graduated magna cum lade in 1973 with a degree in Television and Radio.
    bob iger walt disney company
    Iger is an alum of Ithaca College.

    At Ithaca College, Iger hosted a campus television show called "Campus Probe." He graduated originally wanting to be a news anchor and briefly worked as a local weatherman in Ithaca, New York.

    In 1974, Iger joined ABC, working in New York City. He wrote in his memoir "The Ride of a Lifetime" that he did "menial labor" for basically every show ABC produced out of Manhattan at the time.
    Bob Iger
    Iger got started at ABC through an unlikely connection.

    Iger wrote in his book that he got his first job at ABC because of his uncle, who was in the hospital for eye surgery. His uncle was in the room next to someone who claimed to be a top executive at ABC, who said he would give the younger Iger a job.

    Iger took the "top executive" up on his offer, though he quickly realized that the person was not a "top executive" but instead a lower-level one. Still, the person ran a small department at ABC known as Production Services and was able to secure Iger an interview with the department.

    At age 23, Iger was brought on as a "studio supervisor."

    But after a confrontation with his boss, Iger was almost fired and forced to look for a new job. Soon after, he moved over to a position at ABC Sports.
    ABC Walt Disney
    Iger moved to ABC Sports after a confrontation with a boss.

    Iger has said that one of his bosses accused Iger of spreading rumors about him, causing the young Iger to almost be fired.

    "He told me I wasn't promotable and I had two weeks to find another job somewhere in the company or I was gone," Iger recalled at the UCLA Awards Gala in 2013. "Fortunately, I was able to find another job in the company. They didn't think I wasn't promotable, I guess."

    He worked his way up the ABC Sports ladder, working closely with Roone Arledge, "a relentless perfectionist," who was the head of ABC Sports at the time.
    Bob Iger Roone Arledge
    Iger, right, credits Roone Arledge, left, with teaching him a mantra of "Innovate or die."

    Iger wrote in his book that Arledge was the person who taught him the mantra which would follow Iger for the rest of his life: "Innovate or die."

    Iger went on to become the vice president of ABC Sports.
    Bob Iger
    Iger climbed the ladder at ABC Sports to become vice president.

    ABC was later sold to Capital Cities Communications for $3.5 billion in a deal finalized in 1986.

    Shortly after, Tom Murphy and Dan Burke — the heads of Capital Cities/ABC — tapped Iger to become the head of ABC Entertainment, and Iger moved to Los Angeles.
    ABC Walt Disney
    Dan Burke (left) and Tom Murphy (right) wanted Iger to lead ABC Entertainment.

    Iger wrote in his memoir that the constant traveling put strain on his first marriage, to Kathleen Susan. Eventually, the two divorced. They have two daughters.

    While at the helm of ABC Entertainment, Iger was the one who took a chance and put David Lynch's "Twin Peaks" on air.
    Twin Peaks David Lynch
    Though "Twin Peaks" was cancelled after two seasons, Iger said taking a chance on it paid off in different ways.

    The critically-acclaimed series was cancelled after two seasons, but Iger wrote in his book that the risk he took putting it on television caught the attention of other famed directors such as Steven Spielberg and George Lucas. 

    Iger and Lucas then developed a show based on the Indiana Jones franchise, which was cancelled after two seasons. But, Iger wrote in his book, Lucas never forgot the risk Iger took on his show, and he remembered it years later when he decided to sell Lucasfilm to Disney.

    In 1993, Iger became president of ABC Network's Television Group.
    Bob Iger
    Iger succeeded Dan Burke as president.

     When Burke retired, Iger was tapped to replace him as president and COO of Capital Cities/ABC.

     

    In 1995, Iger married journalist Willow Bay who, at the time, was a stand-in weekend news anchor on Good Morning America, and was poised to take over for then-full time host Joan Lunden.
    Bob Iger Willow Bay
    Iger and Willow Bay married in 1995.

    Iger and Bay became engaged in 1995. But after Disney agreed to buy Capital Cities/ABC that same year, Iger had quick decisions to make.

    At that time, he wrote in his memoir, he had been commuting weekly to Los Angeles to meet his new Disney colleagues. He knew that after the acquisition was approved, he and Bay would not have much time to honeymoon. So, they quickly married later that same year.

    "Willow and I also knew we'd have no chance for a honeymoon once the deal closed," he wrote. "We radically shortened our engagement and got married in early October 1995."

    They are still married and have two children together.

    In 1996, The Walt Disney Company bought Capital Cities/ABC for $19 billion, and renamed it ABC, Inc.
    Michael Eisner ABC Disney Merger
    Then-chairman and CEO of Disney Michael Eisner (left) and then-chairman and CEO of Capital Cities/ABC Tom Murphy (right) shake hands after a joint news conference where the two announced the $19 billion merger of their entertainment and media companies.

    Iger wrote in his memoir that he heavily considered walking away from Disney at this point. But as part of the Disney-ABC merger, Iger agreed to run a media division at Disney for five years.

    In 1999, Iger became the president of Disney International, the business division overseeing Disney's global operations. A year later, he was tapped to become the COO of Disney, working directly under then-CEO Michael Eisner.
    Michael Eisner Bob Iger
    Eisner, right, was CEO from 1984 to 2005.

    Forbes reported that between 1994 and 1999, Eisner made $631 million. In the year 1997 alone, Eisner reportedly made more than $550 million. Over the years, Eisner invested his Disney money and became a billionaire by 2008 — perhaps predicting a financial path Iger may follow.

    In the early 2000s, tensions began to brew between Eisner and Disney heir Roy E. Disney. After Eisner stepped down, Iger became the CEO of the Walt Disney Company in 2005.
    Bob Iger
    Iger became CEO in 2005.

    Iger wrote in his book that, despite being the COO and thereby second in command behind Eisner, his promotion to CEO was not a guarantee. If anything, he wrote, many had associated him with the turbulence of Eisner's era and wanted an outsider for the job. Iger said he campaigned for months until he was officially named CEO in 2005

    Forbes reported in 2019 that in his first year as CEO, Iger made $22 million, a salary which did not include the stock options worth $2.9 million.

    One of Iger's first major moves as CEO was to rebuild Disney's relationship with Pixar. At the time, the relationship between Disney and Pixar was strained, and Iger felt the future of Disney Animation relied on repairing it.
    Bob Iger Edwin Catmull
    Edwin Catmull (left), former president of Walt Disney Animation Studios and Pixar Animation Studios, with Iger (right).

    Before he officially became the CEO of Disney, he called to inform Steve Jobs — who was the majority shareholder in Pixar — that he was being appointed CEO and shared his hope they could discuss working together in the future. From there, the two began to slowly work on repairing the fraught relationship between the two companies. 

    Iger wrote in his memoir that he felt Disney needed Pixar to help enter the future of animation. Pixar at the time was using technologies to produce content that had never been seen before, Iger wrote in his book.

    Iger wanted Disney to be in on it — not just as a distributor for the films, as their previous agreement had stated, but to actually own what Pixar was bringing to the table.

    In 2006, Disney announced that it would acquire Pixar for $7.4 billion, making Jobs, the majority shareholder in Pixar at the time, the majority shareholder in Disney.
    Steve Jobs Bob Iger
    Iger and Steve Jobs, right, were friends before Jobs passed in 2011.

    Iger wrote in his book that the two companies were able to come together after he reached out to Jobs to forge a friendship and address any issues between the two companies. 

    Iger and Jobs would go on to have a long friendship until Jobs passed away in 2011. A month after Jobs died, Iger joined the Apple board, where he remained until he stepped down in 2019 ahead of launching Disney+.

    In 2009, Iger led Disney's acquisition of Marvel for $4 billion. This gave Disney access to the Marvel comic book library, which was the beginning of the now multibillion-dollar, box office record-breaking Marvel Cinematic Universe.
    Bob Iger Lupita Nyong'o
    Iger and actress Lupita Nyong'o attend the premiere of Disney and Marvel's "Black Panther."

    Iger wrote that part of the reason Marvel CEO Isaac "Ike" Perlmutter was willing to sell the company was because Jobs called Perlmutter to "vouch for" Iger and praised how Iger had handled the Disney-Pixar merger.

    Still looking to help Disney expand into the future, in 2012, Iger led Disney's acquisition of Lucasfilm for $4.05 billion. This gave Disney control of not just the Star Wars franchise, but also the Indiana Jones franchise.
    George Lucas Bob Iger
    Iger said George Lucas, left, was initially hesitant on the deal.

    Iger said that he knew Lucas was nervous to sell Lucasfim to Disney — mostly because the "Star Wars" creator knew he would be selling his legacy along with it. But eventually, Lucas warmed up to the idea.

    Lucas enlisted Kathleen Kennedy to lead Lucasfilm right before the company was sold to Disney. The first Star Wars film made without Lucas was released a few years later, in 2015 — "The Force Awakens," directed by J.J. Abrams.

    The company's acquisition spree continued in 2018, when Disney agreed to buy 21st Century Fox. At the time, Fox was owned by billionaire Rupert Murdoch who, after the sale, became one of the largest shareholders in Disney.
    Murdoch family
    Rupert Murdoch with his sons Lachlan Murdoch (left) and James Murdoch (right).

    Forbes reported in 2019 that, if Murdoch were to cash in all stock available to him from the Disney deal, he'd own about $10.5 billion worth of Disney stock. In addition, Variety reported that collectively, the Murdoch family members were "the largest individual shareholders in Disney."

    Iger wrote in his memoir that Murdoch selling the company he had built from scratch was an indicator that the "disruption" threatening the entertainment industry was now inevitable. 

    "As [Rupert Murdoch] pondered the future of his company in such a disrupted world, he concluded the smartest thing to do was to sell and give his shareholders and his family a chance to convert its 21st Century Fox stock into Disney stock, believing we were better positioned to withstand the change and, combined, we'd be even stronger," Iger wrote in his book. 

    In March 2019, the merger between 21st Century Fox and Disney was completed, with a price tag of $71.3 billion.
    Bob Iger Peter Rice
    Peter Rice (L), former president of 21st Century Fox, and Iger (R).

    This move made Disney the second-largest media company in the world at the time, Forbes reported.

    That year, Iger was also named Time's businessperson of the year.
    Bob Iger
    Time in 2019 called Iger "unassailable."

    "In a year when the tide has shifted against Big Business, Big Media and Big Tech, Iger has transformed his enormous media company into a gargantuan media and tech business while ensuring that the Walt Disney Co.'s products remain widely beloved," Belinda Luscombe wrote in Time's profile of him. "But for now, for just this moment, Iger is unassailable. He's transformed his company from a stuffy media doyen into a sexy cultural force."

    In 2020, Iger — along with Seth MacFarlane and Cicely Tyson, among several others — was inducted into the Television Academy Hall of Fame.
    bob iger disney
    Iger is an honoree of the Television Academy Hall of Fame.

    Other inductees that year included the likes of Seth MacFarlane and Cicely Tyson.

    In February 2020, Disney announced that Iger would step down as CEO and assume the role of executive chairman until his contract expired on December 31, 2021.
    Bob Iger
    Iger stayed on as executive chairman after departing the CEO role.

    Iger was replaced by Bob Chapek, former chairman of Disney Parks, Experiences and Product. Iger would forgo his entire salary for the year, and Chapek would similarly take a 50% salary cut amid potential multibillion-dollar revenue losses due to the coronavirus pandemic, Business Insider's Ashley Rodriguez reported.

    After a short-lived retirement, Bob Iger returned to Disney.
    bob iger star wars d23
    Iger returned to the CEO role in 2022.

    In November 2022, Disney made the shocking announcement that Iger was back to lead the company for two years, during which he'd work with the board to find a successor.

    However, Disney's board in 2023 voted to extend his contract to the end of 2026.

    In 2019, he had a net worth of $690 million, per Forbes' estimates.
    bob iger
    Iger is believed to have a greater net worth than Abigail Disney, grand-niece of Walt Disney.

    Forbes reported at the time that Iger's net worth was actually higher than that of Abigail Disney, the Disney heiress, who said in 2019 that she was worth about $120 million.

    In March 2020, it was announced that Iger would forgo his salary for the year, as Disney dealt with presumed multibillion-dollar losses due to the coronavirus pandemic and subsequent shutdowns. His base salary was $3 million in the previous fiscal year and he made $47.5 million in total compensation.

    Iger is known among peers for being a very kind leader and has been praised by his contemporaries for the way he has handled the mergers of Pixar, Marvel, and Lucasfilm.
    bob iger mickey mouse
    Iger is well-liked by many peers.

    During his first stint as CEO, Iger grew Disney's profits 335% to $260 billion, Business Insider reported.

    Forbes also reports that under Iger, Disney created more than 70,000 new jobs. 

    "Literally, I have never heard one person say a bad thing about him and I have never seen him be mean," billionaire David Geffen told The New York Times in a profile on Iger. "To be honorable, decent, smart, successful, and a terrific guy is unusual anywhere. But it is most unusual in the entertainment business. He's in a category of one."

    Iger's own increasing fortune has paralleled the rise in Disney's value over the years he's been at the helm.
    Bob Iger Mickey Drew Angerer Getty final
    Disney heiress Abigail Disney has criticized Iger's high compensation before.

    Forbes reported that that Iger's fortune is split between his Disney shares "and cash or other investment from sales of Disney shares over the decades."

    According to Forbes, Iger was compensated $65.6 million in 2018, which was 1,424 times the average Disney employee's salary. He had been given another $26.3 million in stock after he successfully closed the Disney-Fox merger and for agreeing to extend his contract until 2021. His initial compensation in 2018 was $39.3 million (not including stock rewards).

    In April 2019, Abigail Disney publicly criticized Iger's high pay on Twitter and later wrote an op-ed in the Washington Post elaborating on her thoughts

    "I'm not arguing that Iger and others do not deserve bonuses. They do," Disney wrote. "They have led the company brilliantly. I am saying that the people who contribute to its success also deserve a share of the profits they have helped make happen."

    Most recently, Iger received $31.6 million in total compensation in 2023, or 595 times what the median Disney employee makes.

    As Iger is a very private person, not much is known about his spending.
    Bob Iger Willow Bay
    Iger and Bay purchased a home from actress Michelle Pfeiffer.

    He and his wife bought a home in Brentwood, California, in 2006 from actress Michelle Pfeiffer for about $19 million, the Orlando Sentinel reported that year.

    The home reportedly was 7,500 square feet and had five bedrooms, nine bathrooms, a guest house, a tennis court, and a pool. As of a 2018 interview with Vogue, Iger was still living in Brentwood with his wife and their two children.

    The Igers also previously owned an apartment on the Upper East Side of New York City. The property sold in 2018 for $18.75 million, Business Insider reported.
    Bob Iger apartment
    An interior shot of Iger's one-time Manhattan digs.

    The Igers' former home has a library, living room views of the Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis Reservoir in Central Park, and four bedrooms, including one master suite with two bathrooms and a walk-in closet.

    Iger spends time — and likely money — maintaining his mental and physical health, about which he's notoriously rigorous. He told The New York Times that he wakes up at 4:15 every morning and doesn't touch his phone until he's finished with his morning exercise routine.
    Bob Iger
    Iger follows a strict workout regimen.

    Iger has also said that he doesn't eat carbs unless it's pizza, recalling that during his high school years, he worked at his local Pizza Hut.

    Iger reportedly has multiple yachts.
    Disney CEO Bob Iger
    Iger is also into yachting.

    He has a 180-foot superyacht called Aquarius, which he wrote about in Vanity Fair in 2014.

    He's also having another built, expected to be 30 feet longer, according to The Wall Street Journal.

    When he's "off the clock," he travels. Iger is a regular attendee at the Allen & Company Sun Valley Conference in Sun Valley, Idaho. The media conference is a hub for entertainment and tech moguls.
    Willow Bay Bob Iger
    Iger and Bay at the 2014 Allen & Co. Sun Valley Conference.

    Variety reports that in 2019, Iger attended the conference along with Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, Shari Redstone, Airbnb CEO Brian Chesky, and even former Democratic presidential candidate John Hickenlooper.

    In 2019, Iger and his wife committed $1 million to launch the Iger-Bay Endowed Scholarship at Iger's alma mater, Ithaca College. The scholarship aims to boost diversity in the media industry.
    Bob Iger Willow Bay
    Iger and Bay created a scholarship in their names at his alma mater, Ithaca College.

    The scholarship was funded through the proceeds from Iger's memoir.

    Iger also spends some of his fortune on vacations. Beyond their business dealings related to Disney and Pixar, Iger was also close personal friends with Jobs and has said the two would vacation together in nearby resorts in Hawaii.
    steve jobs bob iger 2006
    Iger and Jobs were also friends outside of business.

    "We vacationed at adjacent Hawaiian hotels a few times and would meet and take long walks on the beach, talking about our wives and kids, about music, about Apple and Disney and the things we might still do together," he wrote in his book. "You don't expect to develop such close friendships late in life, but when I think back on my time as CEO — at the things I'm most grateful for and surprised by — my relationship with Steve is one of them."

    According to The Hollywood Reporter, Iger has been seen on billionaire David Geffen's yacht. In August 2017, Iger was seen on the yacht with Oprah Winfrey, Diane von Furstenberg, and Diane Sawyer.
    Bob Iger David Geffen
    Iger (left) with David Geffen (right).

    Geffen owns a megayacht, known to be a common hang-out spot for celebrities and fellow billionaires, including Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, during the summer months, as seen on his Instagram page.

    The yacht is worth $590 million, as previously reported by Business Insider.

    In his personal life, Iger has a set of A-list friends who have been known to rave about him. One of those friends is Winfrey, who has said that if Iger were to run for president, she would not just vote for him but eagerly campaign on his behalf.
    Bob Iger Oprah
    Oprah Winfrey has said Iger should run for president.

    "I'll tell you the truth, this is not really where I intended to be tonight," Winfrey said at the Centennial Awards, where Iger was being honored, in 2019. "I was hoping that by this time in early fall, I would be knocking on doors in Des Moines, wearing an 'Iger 2020' T-shirt. Because I really do believe that Bob Iger's guidance and decency is exactly what the country needs right now."

    Iger is also close to Jeffrey Katzenberg, cofounder of Dreamworks and former chairman of Walt Disney Studios.
    Bob Iger Jeffrey katzenberg
    Dreamworks cofounder Jeffrey Katzenberg, right, also tried to convince Iger to run for president.

    After Comcast bought Dreamworks in 2016 for $3.8 billion, Katzenberg's net worth rose to $900 million

    Iger and Katzenberg have been friends for years, and Katzenberg is among the group of people who tried to encourage the Disney CEO to run for president.

    "No matter how much I begged Bob," Katzenberg said while presenting the Simon Wiesenthal Center Humanitarian Award to Iger in 2019. "He just wasn't willing to run for president of the United States."

    In his memoir, Iger admitted that he once considered running for president, but ultimately decided against it.
    Bob Iger
    Iger considered but ultimately wasn't interested in pursuing the presidency.

    "I think the Democratic Party would brand me as just another rich guy who's out of touch with America who doesn't have any sense for what's good for the plight of the people," he told The New York Times in a 2019 profile.

    Despite many people — including some major Hollywood players — urging him to run for president in late 2019, Iger publicly remained firm that he had no plans to pursue a presidential campaign.

    Iger has also spent his free time involved in politics in the past. Shortly after Donald Trump was elected president, Iger joined Trump's Strategic and Policy Forum.
    Bob Iger
    Iger was a member of Trump's Strategic and Policy Forum.

    Trump's Strategic and Policy Forum was a business council created to hear the perspectives of different leaders on how to improve job growth in the US. 

    But Iger stepped down from the role in 2017 after Trump announced the US would withdraw from the Paris Climate Agreement, Variety reported.
    Bob Iger
    Iger resigned from the council after Trump withdrew the US from the Paris Agreement.

    Iger announced his resignation from the council in a tweet stating: "As a matter of principle, I've resigned from the President's Council over the #Paris Agreement withdrawal." 

    The council, which ultimately disbanded, also included JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon, and Stephen A. Schwarzman, the cofounder of private equity firm Blackstone.

    In September 2019, however, Iger did outline what would have been the central themes of his campaign, had he decided to run.
    Bob Iger
    Iger has spoken about what he would've focused on in a hypothetical campaign for president.

    "America is gravely in need of optimism, of looking at the future and believing that so many things are going to be all right, or that we as a nation can attack some of the most critical problems of our day," Iger said at The Atlantic Festival in Washington in 2019. "And that could be the environment, that could be income disparity, that could be the technology's impact on the world from a disruption perspective. It could be the cost of education, availability of affordable housing, healthcare. You name it."

    Read the original article on Business Insider
  • Martin Shkreli is accused of making copies of his one-of-a-kind Wu-Tang Clan album before he sold it for $4.75 million

    Former pharmaceutical executive Martin Shkreli, right, is seen smiling in a black short sleeved shirt with attorney Benjamin Brafman's hand on his shoulder after leaving court in New York on a sunny day August 4, 2017.
    Martin Shkreli with attorney Benjamin Brafman in August 2017.

    • Martin Shkreli is being sued over claims he made and shared copies of a unique Wu-Tang Clan album.
    • Shkreli is accused of copying the album despite a purchase agreement banning its reproduction.
    • PleasrDAO is seeking damages and for Shkreli to surrender all copies and profits from the album.

    "Pharma bro" Martin Shkreli has been accused in a lawsuit of making and sharing copies of a supposedly one-of-a-kind Wu-Tang Clan album before he sold it for $4.75 million.

    According to court documents filed on Monday and seen by Business Insider, Shkreli boasted multiple times online about making copies of the album, claiming during one interview that he "burned the album and sent it to like, 50 different chicks."

    "Do you know how many blowjobs that album got me?" he reportedly told the interviewer.

    As a result, the album's current owner, the crypto collective PleasrDAO, says the famously unique cultural artifact is anything but that.

    Shkreli, notorious for price-gouging the life-saving drug Daraprim in 2015, bought "Once Upon a Time in Shaolin" from the Wu-Tang Clan for $2 million in 2015.

    Only one copy of the landmark album — both its physical form and digital assets — was ever produced.

    The artists said that the project was intended to make a comment about the impact of streaming and piracy on the value of music, The Guardian reported.

    When Shkreli was convicted of securities fraud in 2017, a government forfeiture order forced him to give up the album, which PleasrDAO then bought for $4.75 million, along with its copyright and the rights to exploit it, the group says.

    "The Album was supposed to constitute the sole existing copy of the record, music, data and files, and packaging," the group said in its lawsuit.

    The Wu-Tang Clan album that Martin Shkreli forfeited. An elaborately carved light gold box bears the Wu-Tang Clan's stylized 'W' logo.
    The Wu-Tang Clan album that was forfeited by Martin Shkreli, in a handout photo dated July 2021.

    But it went on to describe multiple alleged examples of Shkreli either playing the album on livestreams or bragging about how many copies he has.

    Shkreli did not immediately respond to multiple attempts to contact him for comment.

    During one livestream, during which he is alleged to have played the album, Shkreli said, per the lawsuit: "Of course I made MP3 copies, they're like hidden in safes all around the world."

    He reportedly added: "I'm not stupid. I don't buy something for two million dollars just so I can keep one copy."

    In other comments cited in the lawsuit, Shkreli suggested he'd "sold" copies and that more than 5,000 people had copies.

    According to the lawsuit, the album's original purchase agreement included an 88-year ban on "duplicating, replicating, or exploiting the Album for any reason other than for "exhibition or playing," in "spaces not customarily used as venues for large musical concerts."

    The group argues that in playing and sharing the album, Shkreli breached the terms of the forfeiture order under which it was sold, which required him not to do anything that would diminish its value.

    PleasrDAO is seeking unspecified damages exceeding $75,000, and wants Shkreli to declare and give up all copies he's kept, as well as disclosing any profits he's made in the process.

    "Imagine thinking you can bind those "rights" on third parties," Shkreli wrote on X, in response to the lawsuit, mocking the notion that the group can "hunt down everyone who made copies of copies."

    Read the original article on Business Insider
  • A Russian warship that just sailed into Cuba can carry Putin’s new prized hypersonic missiles

    People look at the class frigate Admiral Gorshkov, part of the Russian naval detachment visiting Cuba, arriving at Havana's harbour, June 12, 2024.
    People look at the class frigate Admiral Gorshkov, part of the Russian naval detachment visiting Cuba, arriving at Havana's harbour, June 12, 2024.

    • One of the Russian warships docked in Cuba can carry Putin's prized hypersonic missiles.
    • Russian leadership has touted the Zircon as a fast, highly maneuverable, and unbeatable weapon.
    • The missile's actual capabilities are questionable, but Russian hypersonic missiles are a concern. 

    A Russian warship docked off the coast of Cuba can carry advanced strike capabilities, specifically new hypersonic missiles.

    The Zircon scramjet-powered hypersonic cruise missiles, relatively new weapons in Moscow's arsenal, have been touted by the Kremlin as being unbeatable and unrivaled by any other system, though questions remain about their actual capabilities.

    The Russian frigate Admiral Gorshkov arrived in Cuba on Wednesday ahead of a Caribbean air and maritime exercise after conducting drills in the Atlantic earlier in the week. The ship — along with two other vessels and a stealthy, nuclear-powered submarine that's especially concerning to the US and NATO — will remain in Cuba for a five-day official visit.

    Russian navy frigate Admiral Gorshkov and a Zircon hypersonic missile in White Sea
    Russian navy frigate Admiral Gorshkov launching a Zircon hypersonic missile in White Sea, Russia, on July 19, 2021.

    The visit and training are quite routine for Russia and Cuba. US officials have noted that they're monitoring the situation and don't anticipate any threat.

    But the arrival of the Admiral Gorshkov, a first-in-class vessel commissioned in 2018 and the first ship to carry the Zircon, and the Kasan make the visit nonetheless notable. It is currently unclear if the frigate is carrying the missiles, as it also carries Kalibr cruise missiles.

    The Zircon, sometimes spelled Tsirkon, was first tested on the Admiral Goshkov in October 2020. At the time, Russia's Defense Ministry said it flew at speeds of Mach 8 before hitting a target nearly 300 miles away. Subsequent testing has also occurred, and last year, the ship sailed into the Atlantic with the weapons on board.

    The new weapon is capable of being used against targets on land and at sea.

    https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js

    Hypersonic missiles are fast, highly maneuverable, and fly unpredictable flight paths and patterns that can make intercepting them extremely difficult. The missiles fly low and can change direction in an instant, and their direction and altitude make them harder to track and kill than, for example, a ballistic missile on a parabolic flight path.

    But while Putin has touted the Zircon's capabilities as unbeatable, unrivaled, and unlike any other weapon in the arsenals of the world's militaries, it remains to be seen if it can actually live up to those grand claims. Other Russian weapons haven't.

    Experts have said that although the missile shouldn't be underestimated, its ability to travel at blinding speeds and hit moving targets, as Putin has claimed, may not be entirely true.

    Russian navy frigate Admiral Gorshkov in South Africa
    Russian navy frigate Admiral Gorshkov docked in the port in Richards Bay, South Africa on February 22, 2023.

    Along with Russia, China has also developed a hypersonic missile, designated the DF-ZF, which it claims can travel five times the speed of sound and hit targets at a distance of 3,400 miles.

    The US is working on its own hypersonic missiles, but there are notable concerns that the development and fielding of these weapons continue to trail behind America's rivals. The US is also working with Japan on new air defense systems that can intercept hypersonics.

    Read the original article on Business Insider