Economics/Class Relations

Disney CEO takes no prisoners

April 8, 2023
Hello, Insiders. It’s the weekend! We’ve got a packed edition for you today, so we’ll get right to it. Here’s what we’re covering:
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THE BIG STORY

Bob Iger takes on foes

Disney CEO Bob Iger. RB/Bauer-Griffin/GC Images

 

Since parachuting back into the CEO chair at Disney in November, CEO Bob Iger has taken on a series of internal and external foes.

He’s defended the company against grenades from a potential presidential candidate while extinguishing a planned proxy fight. And those battles are just side hustles for Iger.

Priority No. 1 is to re-imagine, restructure, and reposition Disney for the decade ahead — and figure out how to replace himself.

READ THE FULL STORY HERE
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THIS WEEK’S TRENDS

‘Celibacy era,’ olive-oil coffee, & more

Tyler Le/Insider

 

  • Some Gen Z women are entering their “celibacy era.” The idea of a nonreligious “celibacy journey” is gaining steam on social media. Fed up with “dehumanizing” relationships, some Gen Z women are posting about taking sex off the table. Insider spoke with four women who’ve practiced the trend — read what they said here.
  • The immortality trend extends beyond humans. People are obsessed with reversing the effects of aging. And now, researchers are testing the drug rapamycin to see if it can help old dogs live longer. If it works, it could be an anti-aging fix for people, too. Read more.
  • Would you take olive oil in your coffee? It’s a common practice in the Mediterranean, and Starbucks is now rolling out olive oil-infused coffee drinks in the US. Our reporter is a fan, but TikTokers taste-testers are responding with disgust.
WHAT IT’S LIKE

How I make money

Lisa Steele, a fifth-generation chicken keeper. Courtesy of Lisa Steele

 

  • “I made $1 million in revenue from documenting my life with chickens.” Lisa Steele makes around $400,000 in profit annually from maintaining her backyard-chicken-keeping brand across social media. How she turned her blog into an empire.
  • “I bought a car wash.” BreAnna Nixon and her husband put down a $16,000 payment on a self-service car wash in 2017. They went full-time after two years and made $340,000 last year, working 20-hour weeks. How they did it.
  • “I wear pigtails to work because men give me way more money.” Hannah Pemberton, a server in Ohio, uses the viral “pigtail theory” to get more tips at work. She says it’s “gross,” but it works. Read her story.
WEEKEND QUICKLINKS

Mammoth meatballs & more

PIROSCHKA VAN DE WOUW/AMSTERDAM/Reuters

 

  • A company made volleyball-sized meatballs with mammoth DNA. But no one could taste them because humans might be allergic to the 5,000-year-old protein. See them for yourself.
  • A 43-year-old personal trainer shares the workout ‘cheat codes’ he wishes he knew at 23. How to hack your workout.
  • A Russian war fanatic was planning to buy military drones. Hackers made him buy $25,000 worth of sex toys instead. The full story.
  • Interior designers reveal 12 home purchases you’ll probably regret in a few years, from white appliances to sliding barn doors. Here’s what else to avoid.
  • An airline passenger said she was barred from boarding her flight after a baggage dispute. TikTok viewers are divided. Check it out.
  • Concrete reasons to be hopeful about the climate crisis. Eight sustainability experts share why they’re optimistic. What they said.
  • Putin built identical offices across Russia to conceal his location. A former Russian intelligence officer said the idea was to “confuse foreign intelligence.” More here.
THIS WEEKEND

Your entertainment planner

  • It’s the Masters. Augusta National Golf Club is hosting the most prestigious tournament in golf this weekend. A total of 88 players from the PGA Tour and LIV Tour are competing. Here’s how to watch.
  • Ben Affleck and Matt Damon reunite in “Air.” The real-life best friends share the screen once more in “Air,” which tells the story of how Nike signed Michael Jordan. It’s already getting rave reviews from critics and audiences alike. Learn more.
  • “Beef” is on the menu at Netflix. The new dark comedy from Hollywood indie darling A24 pairs Steven Yeun and Ali Wong as two people who become consumed by a road-rage incident. What to expect.
EVENT INVITE

For a Better Future

Join us April 18 at 12 p.m. ET: At Insider’s virtual event, “For a Better Future: Bridging Culture, Business, and Climate,” presented by Deloitte, you’ll learn how the concepts of empowerment and circularity inspire climate action in the world of business and the larger culture.

The speaker lineup will be a diverse set of cross-sector climate champions, such as climate justice advocates, circular fashion heroes, and business stakeholders. Sign up here.

WATCH THIS

Faithful feline

 

A cat joins a Ramadan prayer. A cat joined a nightly Ramadan prayer in Algeria, hopping onto an imam’s shoulder. He continued praying as Muslims break their prayer only in an emergency. Check it out.

CAN’T GET ENOUGH?

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This edition was edited by Lisa Ryan, Dave Smith, and Jensen Rubinstein. Get in touch: insidertoday@insider.com.

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