Tag: News

• Tariffs are an important factor when online shopping this holiday season.
• From Amazon to independent sellers, import fees are have to be paid when importing to the US.
• It's key to read closely and ask questions before buying a gift from abroad.

Americans may want to pay closer attention to where they're shopping online this holiday season.

With tariffs hitting foreign goods shipped to the US, consumers could end up with surprise bills tucked in their packages. Some customers have received unexpected charges when international deliveries arrive at their doorsteps, for example.

To avoid paying extra for your gifts this year — or at least figure out if you'll be on the hook for customs fees — you'll need to read the fine print on retailer websites.

Do your research before you purchase

First, take note of the retailer or seller's location. If it's shipping from outside the US — and you can't find a similar item from a US-based seller — you should check how the seller handles tariff fees.

Read the checkout page carefully to find those details; it may outline the fees for you. If it doesn't, try the seller's about page or the frequently asked questions on its website. Some retailers have a section dedicated to shipping expectations.

Online marketplace Etsy, for example, has a section in its FAQs about how to navigate tariffs for US shoppers. It advises customers to communicate with independent sellers to learn how they intend to handle tariffs and the associated costs. Since Etsy is a marketplace, each seller may approach tariffs differently.

And, while Amazon's tariff help page said it will charge you for customs-related costs at checkout, streetwear marketplace Grailed, and an Ireland-based small business Sonnet and Fable inform consumers that they'll have to worry about additional fees after checking out. Sonnet and Fable says that your package could be delayed or discarded if you miss the email about your extra charges.

If your seller is based outside the US and doesn't have a section with international shipping information, you may want to get in contact to clear up any confusion. Ultimately, the recipient of the package could be expected to pay the tariff charges if the seller hasn't paid the fees upfront.

Check your invoice and proceed with caution

Once you've made your purchase, shipping giant UPS recommends tracking your order closely. UPS says that if you pay the fees online before your package arrives, you can avoid a $12 surcharge that's applied if you pay the delivery worker upon arrival.

If you believe there's an error with your bill, you can dispute the taxes or duties fee by contacting the UPS Billing group using the number on your invoice.

FedEx, meanwhile, advises recipients to expect an invoice in the mail, which can be paid electronically, by phone, or by mail. Instructions for each option are included on the invoice.

Watch out for potential scams and avoid clicking on payment links too quickly.

To help guard against potential customs-related scams, FedEx recommends being cautious of any request for payment to receive a delivery, especially if it contains wording that appears inappropriate. FedEx says it won't ask you to verify or provide personal information in an email or text message, for example.

It's not impossible to shop internationally this holiday season, but it's important to remain vigilant.

• Zillow analyzed millions of listings to identify the features that people are searching for most.
• It identified seven design trends it predicts will be popular in 2026.
• Buyers are increasingly drawn to homes that are eco-friendly and feature vintage aesthetics.

Another year is on the way, and with it comes a fresh wave of home trends.

By analyzing hundreds of design styles and home features across millions of for-sale listings, Zillow has identified what homebuyers are most obsessed with right now.

"Listing descriptions are short, so every word counts," Amanda Pendleton, Zillow's home trends expert, said, explaining that a spike in certain features on Zillow listings can signal what's next in home design.

While some of 2025's hottest home trends will carry over into the new year — such as people wanting homes with solar panels or spa amenities like saunas and cold plunges — others, like kitchens with juice stations or marble sinks, are unlikely to remain as popular with buyers, according to Zillow.

Here are seven home trends to watch for in 2026, from pickleball courts to cozy reading nooks.

1. Say bye-bye to "millennial gray."

Millennial gray had a tight hold on interior design over the past few years, but its grip is loosening.

In 2026, more homebuyers will be interested in color. Zillow found that mentions of "color drenching" in home listings have increased by 149% year-over-year.

Color drenching isn't as intimidating as it sounds. It's when a single, typically vibrant hue — think fuchsia or red-orange — is the dominant color in a room, covering everything from the walls and floors to, yes, even the furniture.

2. People want homes that keep them safe during natural disasters

From the Palisades wildfires to the Texas Hill Country floods, natural disasters are happening more frequently — and are becoming more dangerous.

It's top of mind for many homebuyers. Zillow data shows that listings mentioning flood protection have increased by 64%, while mentions of elevation in relation to flooding have risen by 26%.

Fire risk is also a concern. Listings referencing defensible-space landscaping are up 36%, and those mentioning fire-protection systems are up 28%, according to the company.

3. Buyers want eco-friendly homes that save them money

Eco-friendly homes do more than help the planet. They can also help homeowners save hundreds or even thousands of dollars by cutting energy use and, in turn, lowering utility bills.

Zillow found that words like "sustainable" and "green" are appearing 21% more frequently in listings than they did last year.

Mentions of zero-energy-ready homes — which are built to minimize energy — are up 70%. Listings mentioning whole-home batteries, which store solar energy and provide backup power, are up 40%, while references to electric-vehicle charging have increased by 25%.

4. People don't want to leave home for self-care

In a culture built on convenience, we want everything within arm's reach — especially our self-care. It's a big reason more homes now incorporate health and wellness amenities.

Where basic at-home features like gyms and basketball courts were once considered sufficient for the average homeowner, today's buyers are seeking — and sometimes spending hundreds or even thousands of dollars on — luxury upgrades such as saunas and cold plunges.

Wellness will remain a dominant trend in home design in 2026. Zillow found that mentions of wellness features in listings have increased by 33%, and spa-inspired elements are appearing 22% more frequently on the site.

5. Reading nooks get some love

You've probably also seen the increase in chic reading nooks all over social media right now. Big or small, they tend to be cozy and highly Instagrammable.

Zillow found that more buyers now want reading nooks at home, with mentions in listings up 48% compared with last year.

6. Buyers want homes with character

People don't want to live in generic, copy-and-paste homes. They want spaces with character that reflect their own personalities.

Zillow data shows that listings mentioning vintage accents, whimsical details, and artisan craftsmanship are up 17%, 15%, and 21%, respectively.

7. The "man cave" gets a makeover

The "man cave" just isn't cool anymore.

Zillow reports that mentions of "man cave" in listings are down 10% from last year. Instead of traditional rec rooms, buyers are gravitating toward amenities that allow them to actively engage with their favorite sports, rather than just watching them.

According to the company's data, golf simulators are appearing in listings 25% more frequently, mentions of pickleball courts are also up 25%, and even batting cages are on the rise, with references increasing by 18%.

• A version of this story originally appeared in the BI Tech Memo newsletter.
• Sign up for the weekly BI Tech Memo newsletter here.

The Barr family purchased a new couch recently, and we've been trying to sell the old one. My wife posted in a local email group and a potential buyer got in touch with a question.

"Do you happen to know the model? I would love to look it up online rather than asking you lots of questions. 🙂 Thanks!" she wrote.

This is an old couch, so all product codes dissolved in the sands of time years ago. So, I took two photos of the furniture, uploaded them to Gemini, and asked for help. The Google chatbot sent back its best guess in seconds:

"Tillary Sectional: This is a very popular, modular West Elm sofa that was available around that time.

Appearance Match: The low back and deep seat are very characteristic of the Tillary. The Tillary is known for having interchangeable backrests that can be moved or removed, and your sofa's armless chaise and backrests look like they might be loose cushions or pieces, which is a key Tillary feature.

Note: Search results show the Tillary was being reviewed and discussed around 2014, making it a strong possibility for a 2013 purchase."

Gemini also shared other useful tips on how to identify the product, such as "Some West Elm couches have a zippered compartment on the back or bottom where extra components (like legs or connectors) are stored, and a tag may be inside."

That was enough to find a product match and send all the details over to the buyer. We closed the deal, for $200, on Tuesday. That's enough for 10 months of a Gemini Pro subscription.

This holiday period, the Barr family plans to spend a lot of time slouching on our new, fancy couch. I call it the "AI bubble couch."

Sign up for BI's Tech Memo newsletter here. Reach out to me via email at abarr@businessinsider.com.

• A version of this story originally appeared in the BI Tech Memo newsletter.
• Sign up for the weekly BI Tech Memo newsletter here.

We just got a sobering picture of how often AI models get their facts straight. This week, Google DeepMind introduced the FACTS Benchmark Suite, which measures how reliably AI models produce factually accurate answers.

It tests models in four areas: answering factoid questions from internal knowledge, using web search effectively, grounding responses in long documents, and interpreting images. The best model, Google's Gemini 3 Pro, reached 69% accuracy, with other leading models falling well below that.

For context, if any of the reporters I manage filed stories that were 69% accurate, I would fire them.

Beyond journalism, this number should matter to businesses betting on AI. While models excel at speed and fluency, their factual reliability still lags far behind human expectations, especially in tasks involving niche knowledge, complex reasoning, or precise grounding in source material.

Even small factual errors can have outsized consequences in sectors such as finance, healthcare, and the law. This week, my talented colleague Melia Russell looked at how law firms are handling the rise of AI models as a source of legal truth. It's messy: She recounts how one firm fired an employee because they filed a document riddled with fake cases after using ChatGPT to draft it.

The FACTS benchmark is a warning but also a roadmap: by quantifying where and how models fail, Google hopes to accelerate progress. But for now, the takeaway is clear: AI is getting better, but it's still wrong about one-third of the time.

Sign up for BI's Tech Memo newsletter here. Reach out to me via email at abarr@businessinsider.com.

• Taylor Swift's net worth is $1.6 billion, according to Forbes.
• The pop star and prolific songwriter has amassed a significant fortune throughout her career.
• Here's how Swift earns and spends her money, from real estate to charitable donations.

Taylor Swift is one of the biggest names in both music and business.

At 15, she was the youngest songwriter to ever sign with Sony. Now in her 30s, Swift has 14 Grammys on her shelf — including four for album of the year, the most of any artist in history — several tours under her belt, a long list of chart-topping songs, and a beloved fan base who dub themselves "Swifties."

Such success makes Swift one of the world's highest-paid celebrities and one of the richest female singers. According to a Bloomberg News analysis published on the eve of her "1989" album rerelease, Swift has built a billion-dollar empire.

Forbes later confirmed her billion-plus net worth, citing in part her massive Eras Tour and its subsequent concert movie.

See how Swift earns and spends her money below.

Taylor Swift has an estimated net worth of $1.6 billion.

According to Forbes, which published a series of 2024 billionaire reports, Swift is the first musician to reach 10-figure status solely based on songwriting and performances rather than brand deals, makeup lines, or business ventures.

Swift's vast fortune is primarily thanks to her valuable discography and earnings from streaming deals, music sales, concert tickets, and merchandise.

Representatives for Swift did not respond to a request for comment from Business Insider regarding the 2024 Forbes report.

As of December 12, 2025, Forbes estimates Swift's net worth to be $1.6 billion.

The pop star's record-breaking Eras Tour, which began in March 2023, propelled the singer to billionaire status.

Swift's 21-month, five-continent Eras Tour was nothing short of a sensation. By the end of its first year, it had become the first tour to gross over $1 billion in revenue and was on track to become the highest-grossing tour of all time. 

In October 2023, after Swift toured 56 dates across the US and Mexico, the Eras Tour had already generated $780 million and added $4.3 billion to America's gross domestic product, according to Bloomberg Economics.

Throughout 2024, Swift also made stops in Tokyo, Australia, Singapore, Canada, and 11 European countries.

By the end of its run, the Eras Tour had grossed over $2 billion.

The morning of Swift's final performance in Vancouver, The New York Times reported that the Eras Tour had crossed the $2 billion threshold, making it the first concert tour in history to do so.

This figure was confirmed by Taylor Swift Touring, the singer's production company. All 149 stadium shows were sold out, and the company said over 10 million people attended the Eras Tour.

That means the average ticket sold for $204, well above the industry average for top concert tours, per The New York Times. Resale tickets were even pricier, often going for thousands in secondhand markets.

The movie version of the tour broke box-office records before it was even released. It grossed more than $261 million worldwide.

Worldwide ticket presales had already exceeded $100 million before "Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour" was released (a day early) on October 12, 2023, AMC Theatres reported.

According to ticketing service Fandango, the film set a record for the highest first-day ticket sales in 2023. It has also become the highest-grossing concert movie of all time, surpassing "Justin Bieber: Never Say Never."

Swift, who bypassed movie studios to personally fund the concert movie, received half of the film's box office earnings. It grossed $261 million worldwide.

Swift cashed in on her blockbuster Eras Tour movie again by selling the streaming rights to Disney for more than $75 million.

Once "Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour" had left theaters, Swift struck a deal with Disney+ to release the extended version on streaming.

According to Puck News, Disney paid upward of $75 million for the exclusive rights.

Citing anonymous sources, the outlet reported that Disney's Bob Iger outbid Netflix and Universal Pictures (which handled VOD distribution for the film in December) for the streaming rights by offering a huge sum, which the other two streamers couldn't match.

Disney+ released another version of the concert movie, dubbed "Taylor Swift | The Eras Tour | The Final Show," on December 12, 2025. It was filmed during the tour's last stop in Vancouver.

Swift also released an Eras Tour photo book, which sold over 800,000 copies in its first weekend.

Shortly before the Eras Tour concluded, Swift released a photo book for Black Friday.

As she did with the Eras Tour film, Swift circumvented traditional routes and opted to self-publish, ensuring she would receive a greater share of the book's revenue.

The book was exclusively available at Target and sold hundreds of thousands of copies in its first weekend, becoming the second-best-selling non-fiction title after Barack Obama's presidential memoir.

Swift has endorsement deals and partnerships with high-profile brands.

Throughout her career, Swift has partnered with notable brands such as Capital One, AT&T, Stella McCartney, Elizabeth Arden perfumes, American Express, Keds, Diet Coke, Walmart, and Apple.

But touring has long been Swift's biggest moneymaker. The 1989 World Tour grossed more than $250 million in 2015.

The 1989 World Tour was the year's highest-grossing concert tour by far, according to the Los Angeles Times.

She earned even more during her Reputation Stadium Tour in 2018.

Billboard reported that at the time, the Reputation Stadium Tour broke the record for the highest-grossing tour in US history. Swift earned an average of $7 million per show, more than double the US per-concert average during the "1989" tour.

But her tours don't only generate ticket sales. Swift also earns a substantial amount of money from merchandise.

In April 2023, Forbes estimated that Swift's coveted on-site merchandise — which she sells at an average price of $80 —could add an estimated $87 million in proceeds to her fortune.

Swift made over $50 million in 2021 by rerecording her earlier work.

Swift embarked on a mission to rerecord her first six albums after Scooter Braun, whom she accused of "incessant, manipulative bullying," purchased the legal rights to her back catalog in 2019. (He later sold the masters to Shamrock Capital, a private-equity company, in a reported $300 million sale.)

Swift released the first installment in the series, "Fearless (Taylor's Version)," in 2021. It debuted atop the Billboard 200 — indicating this would be a lucrative venture for Swift. Later that year, Swift's new version of "Red" became one of the year's top-selling albums.

The two rerecorded albums helped place Swift on Forbes' "The Highest-Paid Entertainers 2022" report.

She has since released "Speak Now (Taylor's Version)" and "1989 (Taylor's Version)." The latter sold over 1.6 million equivalent units in its first week, surpassing the original's total.

Swift amassed an estimated $230 million in record sales following the release of her 2022 album "Midnights."

The massive sales for Swift's 10th album, "Midnights," generated $230 million for her label UMG," The Guardian reported.

With more than 1.5 million equivalent album units earned in the US in its first week, "Midnights" landed the biggest week for an album in seven years (since Swift's own album "Reputation").

Swift's 2024 album, "The Tortured Poets Department," became her longest-running No. 1 album yet.

Swift's 11th studio album, "The Tortured Poets Department," was released on April 19, 2024. It debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 with 2.61 million equivalent album units sold in its first week.

This sum was thanks to high streaming numbers and physical album sales, especially vinyl sales, which Swift pushes more successfully than anyone else. According to a Billboard report from November 2023, one in every 15 vinyls sold in the US is one of Swift's.

Fans continued to buy and stream "Poets" throughout the year, sending it to No. 1 for 17 weeks, the most of any album in 2024 and one of the longest chart runs this century.

On September 30, 2025, "Poets" was certified 8x platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), meaning it sold at least 8 million copies in the US in less than two years.

Throughout the Eras Tour, Swift donated huge amounts to food banks along her route.

Throughout the first US leg of her Eras Tour, Swift habitually made large donations to local food pantries. She continued this tradition throughout the tour's European leg.

Swift also gave hundreds of millions in bonuses to the crew of the Eras Tour.

People reported that Swift distributed about $197 million in bonuses to crew members, including dancers, bandmates, backup singers, sound technicians, caterers, carpenters, security, and others, who made the Eras Tour possible.

"Bonus day is so important because setting a precedent with the Eras Tour is really important to me," Swift said in her Disney+ docuseries, "The End of an Era."

"If the tour grosses more, they get more of a bonus. And these people just work so hard, and they are the best at what they do," she added. "It feels like Christmas morning when you finally get to say thank you."

Michael Scherkenbach, founder and CEO of the Colorado-based trucking company Shomotion — one of two transportation companies used by the tour — told CNN that each trucker received a $100,000 check from Swift. He described the amount of money as "life-changing."

"The typical amount is $5,000 to $10,000 each," Scherkenbach said. "So this large amount is unbelievable."

In 2025, Swift announced she had bought back her masters, which will likely increase her net worth over time.

On May 30, 2025, Swift announced she had bought back her masters from Shamrock Capital.

"All I've ever wanted was the opportunity to work hard enough to be able to one day purchase my music outright with no strings attached, no partnership, with full autonomy," Swift wrote in an open letter to fans. "I will be forever grateful to everyone at Shamrock Capital for being the first people to ever offer this to me."

The purchase gave Swift full ownership of her life's work — including her albums, music videos, and concert films — for the first time in her career.

Swift later said she'd been "actively saving up money" since she was a teenager, but the success of the Eras Tour finally made the purchase possible.

Swift has not disclosed the terms of the deal, but sources told Billboard that she paid about $360 million, meaning Shamrock "did not make much, if any, profit off the sale of the assets."

After Swift launched her rerecording venture, many devoted fans refused to listen to the original recordings of her first six albums, which they called the "stolen versions." The masters owned by Shamrock became systematically devalued with each "Taylor's Version" release, likely giving her leverage in their negotiations.

Now that the masters belong to Swift, fans will once again feel free to stream and buy those albums, making them more valuable in her hands. Swift will also be able to sell physical copies, use the photography and artwork for merchandise, and license the songs for commercial use. She will continue to earn royalties from the "Taylor's Version" releases as well as the originals.

"Ownership of the six masters will undoubtedly improve Taylor's take-home pay," Larry Miller, director of the Music Business Program at New York University, told Newsweek. "Under Braun's and Shamrock's ownership, Taylor declined requests to license the original masters for film and TV. Now they'll be licensed, and the old, much-loved masters will generate revenue for the rest of her life — and beyond."

Two of Swift's albums have been certified diamond.

Ahead of the release of her Eras Tour-inspired album, Swift submitted her catalog for updated certifications from the RIAA, which uses a third-party auditing firm to verify sales and streaming figures.

Swift's sophomore album, "Fearless," had already been certified diamond back in 2017, one of just a few albums by female artists to receive the award.

On September 30, 2025, Swift received her second diamond album award for her 2014 album, "1989," which the RIAA confirmed had sold at least 14 million copies in the US since its original release.

The RIAA also announced that Swift had become the first and only female artist to surpass 100 million certified album sales in the US.

Swift's newest album, "The Life of a Showgirl," broke the record for the biggest sales week in history.

If "The Life of a Showgirl" is proof of anything, it's that Swift's imperial phase is far from over.

Billboard reported that within 24 hours of release, Swift's 12th studio album had already moved 3.2 million equivalent units through a combination of physical sales, digital sales, and streams.

Citing data from Luminate, Billboard said 2.7 million of those units were pure sales.

"Showgirl" went on to move over 4 million units in its debut week, breaking the all-time record previously held by Adele's "25."

The album's lead single, "The Fate of Ophelia," also broke Spotify records for the most-streamed song in a day, previously held by Swift's own "Fortnight," and the most-streamed song in a week, previously held by Miley Cyrus' "Flowers."

Swift has amassed an impressive fortune since her debut — and she knows how to spend it. Her real-estate portfolio is worth a reported $110 million.

Swift's real-estate portfolio consists of eight properties in four different states.

In Nashville, she owns a 3,240-square-foot condo worth an estimated $3 million and a 5,600-square-foot Greek Revival estate worth an estimated $2.5 million. The latter is the cheapest property she owns.

In LA, Swift owns a 10,982-square-foot Beverly Hills mansion worth nearly $30 million.

In 2017, she helped get the home, originally owned by Samuel Goldwyn, designated as a historic landmark.

Across the coast, Swift owns an estate with seaside views in Watch Hill, Rhode Island, for which she reportedly paid $17.75 million.

With 12,000 square feet, it has plenty of room for parties and even inspired her song "The Last Great American Dynasty."

But that's nothing compared to the estimated $40 million worth of property Swift owns in New York City on the same block in Tribeca.

That includes an 8,309-square-foot duplex penthouse and a four-story townhouse.

She used to rent an apartment on Cornelia Street — the famous inspiration behind her "Lover" track "Cornelia Street" — which was listed in 2023 with a $17.9 million price tag.

Swift needs a way to travel among all these homes. She reportedly owns a Dassault private jet.

The Dassault 7X is registered to Island Jet Inc., a holding company listed under the same address as Taylor Swift Productions.

Swift used to have two private jets, but she quietly sold one amid criticism of her carbon footprint. ("Taylor's jet is loaned out regularly to other individuals," a rep for Swift said in a statement. "To attribute most or all of these trips to her is blatantly incorrect.")

There's no word on how much she paid for these vehicles, but a brand-new Dassault 900 has a list price of $44 million, according to Business Jet Traveler. Elon Musk owns a similar model that costs about $26 million.

She is famously generous with her real estate, letting friends and fellow celebrities crash at her homes.

"Game of Thrones" star Sophie Turner said Swift came to her rescue when she was in the throes of her divorce from Joe Jonas, with whom Turner shares two daughters.

Turner told British Vogue that she contacted Swift about good places to rent in New York City, where Turner filed a petition seeking an updated custody agreement. Instead, Swift offered her own apartment.

"Taylor was an absolute hero to me this year," Turner said. "I've never been more grateful to anyone than I am for her because she took my children and me, and provided us with a home and a safe space. She really has a heart of gold."

Back in the "1989" era, Swift revealed to Rolling Stone that her best friend at the time, Karlie Kloss, had her own dedicated bedroom in Swift's New York City apartment. According to the outlet, Swift had prepared a basket of the supermodel's favorite snacks to sit beside the bed.

More recently, Zoë Kravitz and her mother, Lisa Bonet, crashed at Swift's home in Los Angeles for two weeks after their own homes were threatened by wildfires.

Swift often spends money dining out with her loved ones, especially in New York City.

In the past, Swift has been spotted enjoying dinner at New York City restaurants like The Fat Radish, The Spotted Pig, Sarabeth's, L'Asso, Nobu, Lucali, and Vita Carota.

Swift's fiancé, Travis Kelce, has his own formidable net worth. The engagement ring he gave Swift could be worth upward of $1 million.

Swift began dating Kelce in the summer of 2023. Two years later, the three-time Super Bowl champion proposed to Swift with a diamond ring designed by Kindred Lubeck.

Ajay Anand, the CEO and founder of the diamond retailer Rare Carat, told Business Insider that the jewelry's value is likely around $1 million.

Forbes estimates Kelce's net worth to be $70 million, largely thanks to his 13-season NFL career. Kelce's most recent contract with the Kansas City Chiefs, a two-year extension signed in April 2024, is worth $34.25 million.

Kelce has also diversified his business ventures beyond football, including a three-year podcast deal worth over $100 million, a bespoke clothing brand, and partnerships with companies like Pepsi and Subway.

Swift has always been philanthropic with her money — supporting the arts, social causes, and people in need.

On her 24th birthday, she donated $100,000 to the Nashville Symphony, according to People.

Swift pledged $4 million to the Country Music Hall of Fame to fund an education center.

Her commitment to education doesn't stop with music; Swift also donated $50,000 to New York City public schools, People reported.

She has donated millions to support victims of natural disasters.

In 2010, Swift donated $500,000 to Nashville flood relief, and in 2016, she donated $1 million to the victims of the Louisiana floods.

Swift also raised $750,000 through a Speak Now Help Now benefit concert for victims of tornadoes in the southern US in 2011, according to People.

More recently, Swift made a $5 million donation to communities affected by Hurricane Helene and Hurricane Milton.

Swift has also been known to support victims of gun violence in recent years.

Swift has also donated tens of thousands to GoFundMe campaigns and struggling fans.

In 2020, Swift quietly donated $50,000 to a GoFundMe for a mother of five in Tennessee, whose husband died of COVID-19 days before Christmas. She also gifted $13,000 each to two moms struggling financially in the pandemic.

Earlier that year, Swift donated over $27,000 to a GoFundMe for a university student in the UK who said her immigrant status made her ineligible for maintenance loans or grants.

"Vitoria, I came across your story online and am so inspired by your drive and dedication to turning your dreams into reality," Swift wrote when she sent her donation, per USA Today. "I want to gift you the rest of your goal amount. Good luck with everything you do! Love, Taylor."

Swift has made these personalized donations a habit throughout her career. Over the years, she has gifted thousands of dollars to fans who could not afford their college tuition, medical bills, mortgage payments, and student loans.

Swift's longtime friend, Ruby Rose, said she has watched Swift scroll through GoFundMe "like a social media app, clicking 'reach their donation' like the 'like' button."

Swift is particularly passionate about backing LGBTQ+ organizations.

Swift has long been an advocate for the LGBTQ+ community, threading references to the fight for equal rights into songs like "Welcome to New York" and "You Need to Calm Down."

Back in 2016, Swift participated in a charity auction to help keep the historic Stonewall Inn operational. The New York City gay bar was the scene of a police raid in 1969, sparking a riot that helped launch the nationwide fight for LGBTQ+ rights.

More recently, Swift has made large donations to the Tennessee Equality Project and GLAAD, in addition to her vocal support for The Equality Act.

Swift even helps out her fellow pop stars. She gave Kesha $250,000 to help with legal fees during her lawsuit against Dr. Luke.

For several years, Kesha was embroiled in a defamation lawsuit after she accused the music producer Dr. Luke, her former mentor, of "unrelenting abuse" and rape. (Dr. Luke denied the allegations, and they reached a settlement in 2023.)

The "Rainbow" singer revealed Swift's donation during an interview with Rolling Stone in 2017.

Kesha described Swift as a "sweetheart. Very, very sweet, very, very genuine, extremely generous, picks up the phone every time I call her. My mom doesn't even always pick up the phone!"

Despite her deep pockets, Swift isn't one to squander her money. She has proven herself to be incredibly savvy with investments.

In 2022, Swift pulled out of a $100 million sponsorship deal with Sam Bankman-Fried's FTX after she questioned whether the company was selling "unregistered securities."

As Business Insider previously reported, many other celebrities, such as Tom Brady and Stephen Curry, failed to do so and were subsequently sued for endorsing the now-bankrupt crypto exchange.

Eve Crosbie, Hillary Hoffower, Libby Torres, and Taylor Nicole Rogers contributed to earlier versions of this story.

• The Air Force received its first T-7 Red Hawk, a new aircraft for training pilots.
• The T-7 Red Hawk will replace the 60-year-old T-38 Talon.
• The aircraft will be used to teach pilots to operate a variety of aircraft, from fighters to bombers.

US Air Force pilots have a new training aircraft, the T-7 Red Hawk, promising to prepare them to fly fifth-generation fighters, stealth bombers, and the US' planned sixth-generation fighter.

The first T-7 Red Hawk trainer, made by Boeing, arrived at Joint Base San Antonio-Randolph in Texas this month. The new training aircraft will replace Northrop Grumman's T-38 Talon, which pilots have been training on for six decades. The Air Force no longer deems the trainer sufficient for preparing the service's pilots for future warfare. That's why replacing the outdated Talon has been on the Air Force's to-do list for years.

"The T-38 has been life-extended multiple times," said Brig. Gen. Matthew Leard, director of plans, program, requirements, and international Affairs for Air Education and Training Command, in a statement. "There's an escalating cost of retaining the airplane and keeping it flyable," he said, adding that the plane "is no longer aligned with current or future aircraft."

In 2023, the Government Accountability Office, a government watchdog agency, reported the Air Force was relying on the aging T-38 as a new flight simulator was delayed by a decade and new training aircraft were being developed. The aircraft, the GAO said, "is increasingly expensive to maintain and is no longer reflective of modern combat aircraft."

The Air Force sees the transition to the new T-7 Red Hawk as a fundamental shift in how pilots are trained for high-stress, modern air combat.

"From day one, students won't just be learning to fly," Maj. Gen. Gregory Kreuder, the 19th Air Force commander, said in a statement. They'll be learning to manage information, interpret data from advanced sensors, and make critical decisions in a complex environment, all from within the trainer."

"This aircraft," he said, "enables us to close the gap between basic pilot training and the realities of fifth generation plus warfare, producing more capable, intuitive warfighters right out of the gate."

The new T-7 Red Hawk will teach pilots how to fly some of the most advanced aircraft the US has, like the Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor and F-35 Lightning II stealth aircraft.

And under the hood of the sleek, red-tailed trainer is a flexible open design that can be updated with new features as they arrive. The trainer will also prepare pilots to fly aircraft still in development and testing, such as the new B-21 Raider stealth bomber and the upcoming sixth-gen F-47, which is being built by Boeing.

Along with the T-7 Red Hawk, new ground and maintenance training systems will help pilots build skills and keep aircraft mission-ready. A live-virtual-constructive setup — which links real flights and simulators into the same scenarios — will let the Air Force update training with new threats, platforms, and weapons without needing a new aircraft.

The Air Force still has several steps to take before the T-7 Red Hawk becomes operational.

The jet is still in development, and both pilots and maintenance personnel will need training on the systems. Instructor pilots will fly it first, with students following after. The T-7 is expected to reach initial operational capability in August 2027, with 14 aircraft expected at the 99th Flying Training Squadron at Randolph Air Force Base later that year. Until then, pilots will train on the T-6 Texan II.

Other Air Force bases, like Columbus in Mississippi, Laughlin in Texas, Vance in Oklahoma, and Sheppard in Texas, will get more T-7 Red Hawks in the following years.

"The aircraft delivery is the first physical representation of progress within the program," Leard said.

• Taylor Swift's "The End of an Era" docuseries features behind-the-scenes footage from the Eras Tour.
• In episode two, Swift is shown handing out bonuses to her dancers, musicians, and crew members.
• Swift reportedly distributed $197 million in bonuses throughout the tour.

Taylor Swift may be the biggest name in show business, but she's never one to miss a chance to thank the people who helped her succeed.

Swift's new Disney+ docuseries, "The End of an Era," features behind-the-scenes footage from the Eras Tour, which spanned 149 concerts in 21 countries. By the final show in December 2024, it had become the first tour in history to gross over $2 billion.

In the second episode of the docuseries, "Magic in the Eras," Swift opens up about distributing bonuses to her dancers, musicians, and crew members as each leg of the tour comes to a close.

"Bonus day is so important because setting a precedent with the Eras Tour is really important to me. Because people who work on the road, if the tour grosses more, they get more of a bonus," Swift tells the camera. "And these people just work so hard, and they are the best at what they do."

Swift also says she hand-wrote notes to deliver with each bonus, all part of her effort to make the tour's grueling two-year schedule "worthwhile."

"It took me a couple weeks, but it's fun to write them notes. It's fun to think about everybody's lives that they're going to go back to, and the time off they're going to have, and the kids they haven't seen because they've been away for months," Swift says. "It feels like Christmas morning when you finally get to say thank you."

The next scene shows Swift personally handing out bonuses to her dancers, who'd recently been tasked with overhauling the three-and-a-half-hour show — reordering the set list and learning new choreography — to perform additional songs from "The Tortured Poets Department," Swift's 11th album, which was released between the tour's stops in Singapore and France.

"This leg of this tour has been harder than anything I've ever done in a live setting. And you guys have taken this on with such excitement and such curiosity," Swift tells her dancers. "The endurance you've shown, but the spirit you've shown, how much you've given to these crowds — that gives to me every single night. The tour has done really well, thanks to all of our hard work."

One of Swift's dancers, Kameron Saunders, reads the bonus amount out loud to the group. Although the number itself is censored in the footage, the dancers react with visible shock.

People previously reported that Swift gave $197 million in bonuses to the crew of the Eras Tour, including caterers, lighting technicians, audio technicians, riggers, carpenters, choreographers, and more. A shot of envelopes in the docuseries reveals a stack labeled "wardrobe/makeup/hair," and another labeled "venue security."

Michael Scherkenbach, founder and CEO of the Colorado-based trucking company Shomotion — one of two transportation companies used by the tour — has also said that each trucker received a $100,000 check and handwritten letter from Swift. He described the amount of money as "life-changing."

"The typical amount is $5,000 to $10,000 each," Scherkenbach told CNN. "So this large amount is unbelievable."

The success of the Eras Tour propelled Swift's net worth into the billions, according to Forbes. The publication's estimates are largely based on the value of Swift's musical catalog.

Earlier this year, Swift bought the rights to her back catalog in a reported $360 million sale.

"That's how I spent that Eras Tour money," Swift told Stephen Colbert. "My fans are why I was able to get my music back."

• The Waldorf Astoria in New York City reopened in July after an eight-year, $2 billion restoration.
• Residents of its new luxury condominiums gain access to exclusive amenities such as the Empire Club.
• The business center and lounge features private offices, curated artwork, and 24-hour room service.

At the Empire Club, a luxe business center and lounge open only to Waldorf Astoria residents, the hotel's 24/7 room service means you never have to label your lunch in the office fridge.

After an eight-year, $2 billion restoration, the iconic New York landmark hotel now features 372 condominium residences in addition to its 375 hotel rooms. Buyers gain access to 50,000 square feet of amenities reserved exclusively for residents, including the Empire Club, in addition to all of the Waldorf Astoria's guest offerings. Prices range from $1.8 million for studio apartments to $18.75 million for four-bedroom units.

The Empire Club resembles a private members-only space, such as Ned's Club, furnished with curated art pieces and private offices available for reservation.

The Waldorf Astoria granted Business Insider exclusive access to the Empire Club. Take a look inside.

The Waldorf Astoria is located at 301 Park Avenue in New York City, spanning an entire city block in both length and width.

The Waldorf Astoria opened its current 47-story location in 1931, but the hotel dates back to the Gilded Age.

To access the Empire Club, I entered through one of the doors reserved for residents of the Waldorf Astoria.

Residents enter and exit through separate doors from hotel guests.

The private residents' lobby featured marble columns that appeared elongated by a mirrored ceiling.

The decor in the lobby remained true to the hotel's Art Deco heritage with bold geometric patterns and clean lines.

I proceeded up to the 19th floor, where residents can swipe into the Empire Club with a keycard.

The Empire Club is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Spanning 3,100 square feet, the exclusive club provides a luxurious space for condominium owners to work, hold meetings, and lounge.

The interiors were designed by Jean-Louis Deniot, who also designed the Waldorf Astoria Residences. Pops of color from the furniture and artwork added dimension to the Empire Club's sleek grayscale color scheme.

The art throughout was curated by Simon de Pury, who highlighted sculptures, paintings, and other works by emerging artists.

"The Waldorf Astoria will have one of the largest private art collections for a condominium in New York City," Loretta Shanahan, the Waldorf Astoria's senior director of sales, told Business Insider.

When I visited on a December morning, sunlight streamed into the conference rooms, many of which were already in use by residents.

The Empire Club offers complimentary high-speed internet with a unique IP address, coworking spaces, and a range of boardrooms and conference rooms available for reservation.

The rooms are named after significant figures from the hotel's history.

The Schultze room, for example, is named after Schultze & Weaver, the architectural firm that designed the Waldorf Astoria building in its signature Art Deco style in 1931.

Interior designer Jean-Louis Deniot furnished the walls and ceiling of the club's largest coworking space with a high-gloss black Macassar ebony.

"In order not to break that wall and ceiling square grid, I used LED lighting strips between each square to emphasize the geometry, giving the space an active and elevated atmosphere," Deniot said in a statement to Business Insider.

The club also has smaller rooms with private office layouts.

"A lot of buyers don't live in New York full-time, but they're here two, three, four days a week, and they need to take meetings," Shanahan said. "This is a perfect option."

The club includes a pantry and kitchen for catering or small dining events, though members also enjoy free room service at all hours.

The Waldorf Astoria is widely recognized as the inventor of room service, introducing the offering in 1931.

To end my tour, I was led through a residents-only passageway back into the hotel's famous lobby and Peacock Alley.

I was struck by how easy it was to get from the Empire Club to the rest of the hotel, offering condominium owners the shortest possible commute.

• Disney just struck a partnership with OpenAI that includes a billion-dollar investment.
• Internally, the company has provided employees with a set of AI tools, including a "DisneyGPT" chatbot that uses Walt Disney quotes.
• A chatbot codenamed "Jarvis" is also in the works, four staffers said.

Disney's billion-dollar OpenAI deal isn't the only way the company is embracing AI. In recent months, the Mouse House has been quietly adding new AI tools to its arsenal and encouraging staff to use them.

"They clearly see where things are headed," a longtime software engineer at Disney said. This marked a shift from this summer, when Disney had seemed "hesitant to rely on AI tools," they said.

Disney has given its employees access to several AI tools, including Microsoft Copilot and Amazon's Q Developer. Thanks to Disney's OpenAI deal, employees will also soon have access to the enterprise version of ChatGPT, the company said.

Then there's a "DisneyGPT" chatbot that four staffers said helps with internal requests, such as creating IT support tickets, viewing the company roster, or analyzing a project's financials.

In an email sent to staff on October 2, Disney introduced the beta version of the chatbot, describing it as a "new partner in productivity" designed to help "unlock the magic of your imagination." A December update enabled employees to upload Excel and PowerPoint files to the bot.

DisneyGPT draws on signature Disney themes, with a prompt asking users if they're "ready for an enchanting adventure" and "a verified collection of Walt Disney quotes" that are "tagged by themes like imagination, perseverance, and leadership," according to the chatbot's December update log. Otherwise, employees said DisneyGPT is mostly a standard AI chatbot.

There's also an AI chatbot in the works codenamed "Jarvis," four employees said. Jarvis, named for the personal assistant "J.A.R.V.I.S." from "Iron Man," would be an agentic AI tool — more advanced than DisneyGPT — that completes tasks on an employee's behalf, a high-level staffer with direct knowledge of the company's AI efforts said. This person said Jarvis is in its early stages and is "not fully baked."

"It's definitely something they want to push for everyone to lean into more," a Disney manager said of AI.

Companies in every industry are racing to adopt AI tools to boost productivity. Disney is going further than many, however. The OpenAI deal makes Disney the first major entertainment company to invest in the AI juggernaut, and allows its beloved characters to be used in the video generator Sora.

This reflects Disney's long tradition of merging innovation and entertainment, dating back to its founder, Walt.

Three of the eight Disney employees who spoke with Business Insider expressed concerns about using AI, specifically that it could replace humans and threaten job security.

The high-level employee with direct knowledge of Disney's AI strategy said that while AI is a "top priority," it isn't a cure-all. It can make mistakes and lacks a "personalized touch" that people provide, they said.

"If you use AI everywhere, it's going to be counterproductive," this person said, adding that tasks still need human creativity.

Disney spokespeople didn't respond to several requests for comment on its internal AI efforts.

On an internal Disney website explaining its AI policy and tools, the company said it employs a "responsible and human-centric approach to using AI."

"That means humans are, and will remain, the creative engine of the company," Disney said on the site. "We believe, fundamentally, that human creativity and curiosity are immense and unique — and are at the heart of Disney."

"Simultaneously, our consistent embrace of new technologies has been a key part of empowering our creators and maintaining our leadership in creativity and innovation," the company continued in its "Responsible AI Use" section.

How Disney employees use and see AI

Seven of the eight Disney staffers Business Insider interviewed have tried or regularly use DisneyGPT or Copilot, which is integrated into employees' email accounts and documents. Many use those AI tools for simple, routine tasks, like writing emails.

Disney has a portal on its website that outlines its AI policy and lists Disney-approved AI tools. Two employees said the company has pointed staffers to AI education or compliance training courses.

Some unsanctioned AI tools like Anthropic's Claude can be more effective than Disney-approved AI tools, three staffers said.

One employee at Disney-owned ESPN said their manager told them they could use personal accounts on non-approved AI chatbots for work.

"I'm just using a personal account because Disney isn't allowing us to use these tools yet," the ESPN employee said.

The staffer with direct knowledge of Disney's AI efforts said leadership had tried to make communications about AI "clear across the board," but acknowledged that workers might not "understand the implications" of data security risks that could arise from using unsanctioned AI tools. Some staffers told Business Insider it was hard for them to keep up with the availability and restrictions on various AI tools.

While some Disney employees expressed mixed feelings about AI, the more bullish among them said Disney was wise to strike a deal with OpenAI.

"This type of a partnership at least establishes the precedent for getting paid," the ESPN employee said.

A Disney ads employee said they believed Disney's deal with OpenAI would "pay off" and "be massive" in five to 10 years, even if there are growing pains.

"Disney is smart to push into this," this staffer said. "They are setting the rules of the game, or at least trying."

• Apple's App Store is a huge and increasingly important money maker
• Lawsuits and regulatory challenges have tried to change the way the store works for years
• Now that might — might — finally be happening. If it does, it's a big deal.

When you spend a dollar at Apple's App Store, up to 30 cents of that goes to Apple.

Now, a US court ruling may change that radically — opening up a future where Apple collects almost none of the money users spend on apps.

Emphasis on may: Developers and regulators have been complaining about Apple's App Store fees for years. And while they've won some battles, Apple has been able to keep its business more or less intact — which is a big reason Apple's services business, a core part of the company's financial machinery, has kept growing even as iPhone sales sputtered.

Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney, Apple's most committed opponent on this front, says this time is different. Sweeney, whose company makes the (still) popular Fortnite game, intentionally broke Apple's App Store rules in 2020, which got Fortnite kicked off iPhones and started a legal brawl that's still working its way through the courts.

He thinks a new ruling from a federal appeals court is the one that will fundamentally change the way Apple's App Store works. The big takeaway: While Apple was previously forced to let developers like Sweeney tell Apple users they could buy things (like game credits) directly from a developer instead of using Apple's App store, Apple was still charging a 27% fee on those transactions — meaning there was little practical reason for anyone to do it, since the fee was nearly the same on Apple's seamless iOS platform. Now the court is saying that fee is a "prohibitive commission," and says it should be scrapped.

What replaces it? We don't know: The court ruling suggests that Apple and Epic try to work something out. And failing that, a court will do it.

But in Sweeney's eyes, the ruling makes it clear that Apple will only be able to charge a truly minimal fee if someone wants to buy something outside of its App Store, given that it's not likely to incur any meaningful costs when people buy something off-site.

On a press call Thursday night, I pushed Sweeney to try to guesstimate what that fee might be. He ended up with something like this math: An app that generated $1 million in annual revenue might generate costs of up to "several thousand dollars" for Apple; passing along those costs to consumers would mean something like less than 1%.

So: If Apple's fees on transactions that happen outside its App Store are truly capped at a tiny number and lots of developers and users start to take advantage of that — meaning lots of users start spending money on iPhone apps outside of Apple's iOS ecosystem — then this could be a very big deal for Apple, developers, and users. It would deprive Apple of a crucial revenue stream, and either give developers more money or users lower prices (or some combination of both).

So far, Wall Street seems unfazed: Apple stock is more or less unchanged since the court's ruling was released late Thursday afternoon, presumably because investors expect the fight to keep going via an Apple appeal. (I've asked Apple for comment.)

There's also a question of whether normal people who buy things for apps — mainly games — on iPhones want to spend time and energy buying things for those apps on other platforms, even if they can save money.

On his press call Thursday night, Sweeney acknowledged that so far most developers haven't followed Epic's lead and aggressively pushed the idea of off-platform purchases, which he says is due to "fear that Apple will retaliate against them."

Entirely possible. But it's also possible that a meaningful number of developers and users just don't want to deal with extra hassle, and are willing to eat costs for convenience.

If this really is a turning point, you'll see it when the stuff you buy in apps gets cheaper or comes with better rewards. We're not there yet.