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Suchir Balaji, a former OpenAI researcher, died by suicide late last month.
After he left the company, Balaji raised questions about OpenAI possibly violating copyright law.
His name appears in a New York Times lawsuit against OpenAI that could have far-reaching implications.
Eight days before the former OpenAI researcher Suchir Balaji was found dead in a San Francisco apartment, the 26-year-old’s name appeared in a lawsuit against his former employer that could have significant implications for the future of AI and the internet.
The lawsuit — filed by The New York Times last December — accused OpenAI and Microsoft of using « millions » of articles published by the newspaper without permission to train the AI startup’s popular ChatGPT model. The companies have denied that they violated copyright law.
On November 18, the Times’ attorneys asked a judge to add Balaji as a « custodian » in the lawsuit, according to court documents viewed by Business Insider. The attorneys’ letter described Balaji as someone with « unique and relevant documents » that could support their copyright infringement case against OpenAI and Microsoft.
Other custodians proposed by the Times include former OpenAI employees such as cofounder Ilya Sutskever. Sutskever’s potential contribution to the lawsuit is redacted in the court documents.
The Times’ legal case is one of several copyright lawsuitsfiled against the AI startup after ChatGPT was released in 2022.
If the courts were to side with the Times or other news outlets and authors who have filed a lawsuit, the result could be costly for AI companies and limit the already finite data used to train models.
The Times’ lawsuit doesn’t demand an exact monetary figure but says OpenAI and Microsoft are responsible for « billions of dollars » in damages.
Spokespeople for OpenAI, Microsoft, and The New York Times did not respond to requests for comment.
Balaji raised concerns over OpenAI’s use of copyrighted data
Balaji joined OpenAI in 2020 and worked on training the ChatGPT and GPT-4 models, court documents and reporting from The New York Times show. The researcher, who said OpenAI’s work violated copyright law,left the company in August « because he no longer wanted to contribute to technologies that he believed would bring society more harm than benefit, » the Times reported.
On October 23, he published an essay on his personal website raising questions about whether OpenAI’s use of copyrighted data could be considered fair use.
« While generative models rarely produce outputs that are substantially similar to any of their training inputs, the process of training a generative model involves making copies of copyrighted data, » Balaji wrote. « If these copies are unauthorized, this could potentially be considered copyright infringement, depending on whether or not the specific use of the model qualifies as ‘fair use.’ Because fair use is determined on a case-by-case basis, no broad statement can be made about when generative AI qualifies for fair use. »
That same day, the Times published a profile of the former OpenAI researcher.
« If you believe what I believe, you have to just leave the company, » he told the Times.
On November 26, eight days after Balaji’s name appeared in the Times’ attorney’s letter, officers from the San Francisco Police Department responded to a welfare check at a Lower Haight-area apartment around 1:15 p.m.
« Officers and medics arrived on scene and located a deceased adult male from what appeared to be a suicide, » an SFPD spokesperson told BI. « No evidence of foul play was found during the initial investigation. »
The office of the city’s chief medical examiner later identified the deceased male as Balaji.
« The manner of death has been determined to be suicide, » David Serrano Sewell, executive director of the city’s office of the chief medical examiner, told BI. He did not provide further comment.
« We are devastated to learn of this incredibly sad news today and our hearts go out to Suchir’s loved ones during this difficult time, » an OpenAI spokesperson told BI when reached for comment on Friday.
HBO’s « Dune: Prophecy » explores the origins of the Bene Gesserit sisterhood.
The show is loosely based on a « Dune » prequel novel but expands past its scope.
Showrunner Alison Schapker spoke with BI about bringing the franchise to the small screen.
« Dune: Prophecy » goes way back, thousands of years into the history of the powerful women who shaped the history of the entire « Dune » universe.
« Any ‘Dune’ fan knows it’s just so endlessly deep in its lore, and its worldbuilding, and its specificity, » showrunner Alison Schapker told Business Insider. « But for new fans who are coming in, I feel like the best way to discover a world is always through your characters. »
The HBO prequel series focuses on the origins of the Bene Gesserit, the shadowy organization responsible for a breeding program meant to bring about a messiah known as the Kwisatz Haderach. In Frank Herbert’s original novel and Denis Villeneuve’s film adaptations, that messiah is Paul Atreides (played by Timothée Chalamet in the Villeneuve movies), a young man who shapes the history of the Imperium.
« Prophecy » is loosely based on « Sisterhood of Dune, » a novel with the same premise co-authored by Herbert’s son Brian and Kevin J. Anderson. It follows Valya and Tula Harkonnen, sisters from a then-disgraced family — not the powerhouse the Harkonnens are in Villeneuve’s films — who shape the development of the Sisterhood 10,000 years before Paul’s birth.
The prequel novel served as a jumping-off point, but the creative team had free rein to build on the story, creating new characters and twists along the way. It was a challenge that Schapker, a sci-fi veteran known for her previous work on « Westworld » and « Altered Carbon, » enthusiastically approached.
Schapker spoke with BI about adapting the vastness of « Dune » for the small screen, which involved juggling interpersonal drama, science fiction scope, and multiple timelines to tell the Sisterhood’s story.
Members of the Sisterhood in « Dune: Prophecy. »
HBO
You were brought onto « Dune: Prophecy » after it had already been in development. How did you approach it?
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This was a corner of the « Dune » universe that I really dove into. I was much more familiar with Frank Herbert’s vision of « Dune. » Over the years I’ve always been on the lookout for « Dune. » But then obviously, Denis’ films come along, and I think unlocked it in a new way for fans and new people, and just is so elegant, so immersive, so artistically rich.
I approach every project the same way. I want to look at everything that’s there, everything I inherit, and build upon it, and deepen it, and prune it, and just continue the process of crafting story. We’re only six episodes — I would say these are very robust, full hours of television, and there’s a lot of discovery that goes on as you’re doing it, which is really just the best.
This show has to do a lot of exposition for « Dune » in a very short timeframe, especially for newcomers. What was top of mind for you when it came to setting things up in the first episode?
Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson in their novels were not just looking at the origins of the Bene Gesserit, but they put two Harkonnen sisters right in the middle of it all. I felt like that was so exciting as a « Dune » fan, as a writer to explore, « Okay, what does it mean that this organization that’s going to have such influence had a Harkonnen shepherding it? What does that tell us about the Harkonnens, and what does that tell us about the sisterhood? »
Olivia Williams and Emily Watson as Tula and Valya Harkonnen in « Dune: Prophecy. »
Attila Szvacsek/HBO
It was really fun to have this familial sisterhood between Valya Harkonnen and Tula Harkonnen at the center of a larger sisterhood with all the women at the school. That baked-in choice I thought was so strong, and the premise unfolded from there.
Telling the sisters’ story requires two different timelines in the show, with younger and older versions of both Valya and Tula. How did you manage that, and craft the throughline of their relationship in both eras?
I feel like we’re all a product of our past selves, and our history over time. The Bene Gesserit and the sisterhood, at this time period, they’re big on long-term plans, and eventually, they’re going to put into motion a plan that would last many thousands of years.
Part of it begins when Valya Harkonnen comes into control of the sisterhood, when she’s a young woman played by Jessica Barden. That is very much the time period of the books. So when we were doing a direct adaptation, a lot of that is this younger Valya Harkonnen and her rise to power in the sisterhood.
Jessica Barden and Emma Canning as Valya and Tula Harkonnen in « Dune: Prophecy. »
Attila Szvacsek/HBO
But we also wanted to have room to create a rich television series, and see an older Valya, played by Emily Watson, a little more in control — where she took the sisterhood, and then how she was tested as part of a larger exploration of how it went from the Sisterhood to the Bene Gesserit. We wanted to look at the organization over time.
That’s the new stuff we were extrapolating. We were doing it in conjunction with the Herbert Estate, but it allowed us some room to create and bring in some new events and characters.
In this show, you have that grounded familial relationship, but also the space opera scope of a « Dune » property. How do you balance that?
That is my joy. That’s everything I want.
Obviously, we’re never going to have an IMAX screen — but I do think « Dune » warrants an epic, but intimate juxtaposition, because it is asking you to think about time and worlds and politics and the impact of things like war, and power, and nature.
I think the epicness really helps those themes come through. It puts you in your place almost as a small piece of something larger. I feel like the humanity of it is woven into this bigger tapestry of the universe, and so I think some of the epicness really helps that feeling.
Travis Fimmel as Desmond Hart in « Dune: Prophecy. »
Attila Szvacsek/HBO
Early on in the development of this series, there was a push to bring in a female showrunner. I’m curious about how you’ve reckoned with that side of the discourse, and how any of it plays into this being a show functionally driven by women on the page and behind the camera.
It’s incredibly rewarding. First of all, I think we have to start with « Dune » and the fact that women are players in such a pivotal and real way. Right in the narrative, you’re brought on board as an equal in terms of who’s pulling the strings, and the Imperium. That’s just exciting. As a creator, of course I want my women characters to be having an impact on story as much as anyone else.
But yes, there’s nothing better than feeling all your characters have a specificity and a voice. It was really fun to center the Bene Gesserit, and the sisterhood, and the Harkonnen sisters.
At the same time, it’s certainly not out to be a treatise on gender. I had a lot of discussions with the Herbert estate. Just that idea that he’s always thinking about how social structures and social forces might change, but be familiar even while utterly different.
« Dune: Prophecy » airs on Sundays at 9 p.m. ET on HBO and streams on Max.
Rick Steves, 69, says he has some regrets about his career choice because of how it impacted his personal life.
« It has not been great for relationships with loved ones, » Steves told The New York Times.
In August, the travel writer revealed on social media that he was diagnosed with prostate cancer.
Travel writer Rick Steves, who was diagnosed with cancer in August, says he has some « regrets » over his choice of career.
« It has not been good for my family. I got divorced. It has not been great for relationships with loved ones, » Steves, 69, told The New York Times in an interview published on Saturday.
Looking back on all his time on the road, Steves says he would have enjoyed leading a quiet life like before.
« You know, I would love to be the person I was before I was a travel writer. I would have had a very, very beautiful life being a piano teacher and coming home every night for dinner and mowing the lawn and joining clubs and being regular and reliable, » he said. « But I’ve chosen a different path. It’s a mission for me. »
While he is sad about how some things in his personal life have turned out, his priorities « are the way they are. »
« It’s almost a calling from a pastoral sense or something. This is why God put me here. It gives me energy. It’s like breathing straight oxygen. And I wouldn’t wish it on anybody, but it fits me, » he added.
In August, Steves shared on social media that he had been diagnosed with prostate cancer and would be undergoing prostate surgery.
In light of his diagnosis, Steves also shared that he has thought about what his life would be like when the day he can no longer travel — either because of age or sickness — comes.
« I would welcome the day, strangely, when I could not travel anymore, because it would open a gate of things that I’ve not done because of my love for travel, » Steves said. « I’ve got a great piano sitting here. I don’t play it enough. I’ve got a cabin in the mountains. I’ve got an amazing girlfriend. I’ve got a wonderful son and daughter and a grandson. »
Even if he couldn’t do his work anymore, he says he doesn’t think he’ll « miss a beat. »
« This world is such a beautiful place to experience, and there are dimensions of experiencing this world that I have yet to try, » he added.
A representative for Steves told Business Insider that the writer has no further comments.
Well-being experts Clare Davenport and Elizabeth Koehler shared in an essay that « juggling work, family, and distractions is like a circus act with no intermission. »
But instead of dividing work time and personal time « into neat, equal slices, » it may be more beneficial to think of it as finding the right « work-life rhythm, » psychologist Veronica West told Business Insider previously. This work-life rhythm mindset is not based on counting hours but a « feeling that both work and life energize rather than drain you, » she said.
Work psychologists Tina Armasu and Eleni Giannakoudi told BI previously that to avoid burnout at work, it’s important to minimize talking about work outside the office and dedicate some free time to doing things for fun instead of only completing what you feel obligated to.
« Once you become very aware of the different areas of your life and their priority, then it’s easier to use this as a compass, basically, to plan your week, plan your days, and make decisions, » Giannakoudi said.
In an extended interview with CBS posted on Sunday, the « Babygirl » actor reflected on moments when she thought of leaving her career.
« When I gave birth to Sunday, I was like, well, I think I’m pretty much done now, » said Kidman, 57, who gave birth in 2008. At that time, she had moved to Nashville and was living on a farm.
But it was her mom who encouraged her to reconsider. « My mom actually said, ‘I wouldn’t give up completely. Keep a finger sort of, in it,’ and I said, ‘No, no, no, I’m done now.' »
Her mom had responded, « Just listen to me. I think, keep moving forward. Not saying that you have to do it to the level you’ve been doing it, but I wouldn’t give it up completely, » she recalled.
« And that came from a woman who obviously was from a generation that didn’t have the opportunities that I had, but she had helped create for her daughters, » she said. Her mom probably wished she had that advice when she was little, so she could give it to her and her sister, she added.
Kidman’s sister became a lawyer in her 40s and has six kids, she said.
« It’s fascinating to me that we both, and there are only two of us, just keep going. We’re inspired when we look around at other women in the world who, at a particular age, do keep going, » she said. « They are still raising their children, doing the things they love, but also have careers and not apologize for it. »
In a recent interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Kidman said she thought her career was over when she turned 40.
« Things are changing now, don’t you think? Doors are opening. People are living longer and there’s more to be said, and more stories to be told, » she said.
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Returning to work after having kids
Allison Venditti, the founder of Moms at Work, an organization for working moms, previously told Business Insider that work can give moms meaning and provide structure to their day.
« Work is a familiar space — and for many women who have worked hard and studied hard, they don’t want to not work, » she said.
The most important thing, however, is for women to have the choice, she said. « Choice in how they approach work and family, choice to go back to work early, choice to take more time off, » she added. In the US, paid parental leave is not guaranteed.
Katie Alexander previously wrote for BI that she felt judged when she chose to return to work eight months after giving birth. But doing so allowed her to be a better parent, she said.
« My daughter comes first, full stop. Shaming working mothers who have no other option — for whatever reason — helps no one, » she said.
A representative for Kidman did not immediately respond to a request for comment sent outside regular business hours.
The couple — from Brisbane, Australia — had long been interested in Japanese culture and its way of life, having visited the country multiple times over the years.
In 2023, they finally decided to take the plunge. With their four kids all grown up, they were soon-to-be empty nesters — it was now or never to follow their dreams.
The couple’s love affair with Japan started with Deborah, who studied Japanese at university in the ’90s.
« We knew that Japan had an issue with akiya, and because we really love the Japanese lifestyle, the people, the culture, and the old traditional houses, we thought, why not? » Jason, 51, told Business Insider. « Everyone else seemed to be following their dreams. Why can’t we? »
A lifelong connection to Japan
The couple’s love affair with Japan started with Deborah, who studied Japanese at university in the ’90s. After graduation, she moved to Tokyo for five years, where she worked as an English teacher. For three decades, she also practiced karate.
Her love for Japan eventually rubbed off on Jason.
However, it was during the pandemic that the couple first learned about akiya, or abandoned houses, in Japan.
In recent years, the Japanese government started offering incentives — such as renovation subsidies and even free properties — in an effort to lure residents to these « ghost towns. »
« I’d actually looked at foreclosed properties years and years ago, wanting to buy a property in Japan before the word ‘akiya’ had become popular. But I was in a position where I had young children, » Deborah, 52, told BI.
Now that their youngest is 18, it made sense for the couple to start planning for the next stage of their lives, including retirement. That’s where buying an akiya comes in.
« We wanted a project. Like the word ‘ikigai,’ we wanted to be able to get up and say, that’s our passion now. We’ve raised kids, we want to go there as much as we can and just tinker, » Deborah, a business analyst, said.
They were looking for a project to work on as they were transitioning into retirement.
However, since Japan’s borders were still closed at the time, the couple did most of their initial research online. They joined Facebook groups and spoke to like-minded people to learn more about the process.
They knew they wanted to be outside the city and close to nature. While browsing online listings, they put together a list of potential houses they wanted to see in person once travel resumed.
« We were sort of matching them against what we are looking for — something old, very traditional, » Jason, a construction workplace health and safety inspector, said.
In November 2022, after the borders opened, they jumped on a plane to Japan for a quick visit.
In April 2023, they returned to the country for a six-week trip, where they drove around and looked at all the houses on their list.
The idea was to restore the akiya to its former glory but with some modern amenities.
It was in Mitocho, a small town near Masuda city, where they found the perfect akiya — a traditional Japanese house constructed in 1868, during the Meiji era. Masuda city is about a two-hour drive from Hiroshima, and a 90-minute flight from Tokyo.
« We drove over there, and when we saw it, we just knew that was the one, and we didn’t look anymore after that, » Deborah said.
The property had been vacant for 12 years before they came along. The couple was told it had served as a sake brewery until the early 1900s.
In order to inspect the property, they had to fill out a couple of forms for the local akiya bank. An akiya bank is a database maintained by the local municipalities for abandoned or vacant houses.
The akiya had been a sake brewery at some point in the past, and the couple found a sign — as well as other sake-brewing instruments — while cleaning up the property.
« They were very serious, » Deborah said. « It was all in Japanese. We had to fill out a form with all our details, our families, what we do for a job, all that stuff. And then another form about our intentions and what we want to do with the house. »
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A retirement project
The couple paid 3.5 million Japanese yen, or $23,000, for the akiya in August 2023.
It was a 7LDK, which in Japanese housing terminology means that the house has seven bedrooms, a living room, a dining area, and a kitchen.
There are about 300 houses in their village, and their akiya is situated along a street leading to the community center. There’s also a 7-11 across the rice field from their akiya.
So far, the couple has fixed up the front of the house by tidying up the garden, as well as adding a new gravel driveway and car park. They’ve also restored the kitchen, and gotten rid of the old toilet in favor of a modern bathroom.
The couple paid 3.5 million Japanese yen for the akiya.
« The intent is to bring the house back to its former glory with one or two modern touches, » Jason said.
While they were prepared for the challenges of fixing up the old house, they were surprised by the amount of wildlife they encountered, including both spiders and snakes.
« And we’ve got monkeys, we’ve got centipedes, we’ve got bears, and killer hornets too. I was chased by one inside the house, so that was really scary — even though it makes a funny story now, » Deborah said.
The language barrier was also a bit of a challenge for Jason, even though he’s taking Japanese classes now.
« I can’t really speak Japanese, whereas Deb can. So it puts a lot of pressure on her too, » Jason said. « It’s not like being in Tokyo or Kyoto where a lot of Japanese speak English. »
The couple splits their time between Australia and Japan.
The couple expects to spend the next few years chipping away at this project. They have also started documenting their restoration progress on their YouTube channel.
« We’ve got no urgent timeframe, and we’re not trying to make money out of the property. We don’t want to Airbnb it or anything like that. This is for us, » Deborah said.
The couple still lives primarily in Brisbane, where their jobs are based. They plan to continue splitting their time between Japan and Australia until they fully retire in « hopefully five to eight years, » Deborah said.
Integrating into the local community
When they’re back in Australia, the akiya sits empty, but Jason said they’ve installed cameras around the property so they can monitor the yard.
The couple has also become friends with the real-estate agent who handled their akiya transaction — so much so that he even drives by their property once a week just to check on it on their behalf.
The couple say it is their responsibility as akiya owners to be heavily involved in the local community.
It’s also why the local akiya bank was so invested in knowing why the couple wanted to buy the property, Jason said.
In recent years, foreigners have been snapping up these old, abandoned homes, in part due to the low price tags and the lack of restrictions on foreigners purchasing property in Japan. For many of them, it’s more affordable to own an akiya in Japan than to own real estate in their home countries.
« In most cases potential buyers are asked their intentions before attending a viewing or submitting an application, » Alex Shapiro, the cofounder of Blackship Realty, a Tokyo-based real-estate agency, told BI.
The local municipal governments may prioritize potential buyers who intend to live there, contribute to the local community, and pay local government taxes, he said.
However, each local government sets its own rules, Sami Senoussi, the cofounder of Akiya Heaven, which offers consulting services for akiya purchases, told BI.
« Some rural communities, especially those with aging populations, impose stricter guidelines in an effort to preserve the character and culture of their towns, » he said. In more urban areas, including Tokyo, it’s less common, he added.
Additionally, potential buyers may also be asked to demonstrate that they have the financial capacity to fund the renovations, especially if the akiya in question requires significant repairs, he said.
Indeed, while buying an akiya may be relatively affordable, the cost of fixing the house up can balloon quickly, Jason said.
« There’s a lot of time, effort, and money that needs to go into them. And commitment — you can’t just turn up in the community and play no part. You’ve got to put an equal amount of time into the house as much as you’ve got to put it into the community, and forge those relationships, » he added.
Have you recently relocated to a new country and found your dream home? If you have a story to share, contact this reporter at agoh@businessinsider.com.
During a global tech outage, our flight we delayed by hours.
My toddler bounced off the walls, and we all needed a break from the airport.
I booked a Minute Suite for us to decompress, which worked like magic.
I’ve been going to my friend’s lake house for more than two decades. Every year, my three closest friends from high school and I meet at the lake house for a long weekend, and when we started having children, we brought them along, too. It’s really meaningful to induct the next generation into something that has become so special.
Now, our families are complete, and the weekend involves 10 adults and six children under 6 living in the same house for four days. It’s loud and chaotic, and someone is always asking for a snack.
This year’s long weekend coincided with a global tech outage that caused more than 1,000 flights to be canceled and more than 9,000 flights to be delayed. Our return flight was one of them.
Traveling with a toddler is already hard
We were initially delayed by about an hour, and we were able to leave for the airport a little later. As soon as we arrived and checked our bags, however, it was announced that our delay would be two more hours longer.
Everyone at the airport was in disarray, I was sleep-deprived, and my toddler was bouncing off the walls. After grabbing a pretzel, I called an audible: Let’s see what Minute Suites is about.
Minute Suites offer small rooms that you can book by the hour — or overnight — to nap, work, or just rest. The pristinely clean room included a daybed sofa, a desk and chair, a television, and WiFi.
For us, it critically became an enclosed space where my toddler could watch a movie without headphones and move around without running away or being in someone else’s way. There’s enough space to unpack your bag to work on a craft together, play a game, build a tower of blocks, or create a whole world for the dolls to live in.
Some locations offer a bathroom and shower, as well.
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It helped us decompress
When we stepped into the room, I immediately felt the cortisol racing through my body lower. It was a quiet space where we could set our bags down, relax on the couch, and mindlessly scroll Instagram for a few minutes while we made a plan for what to do about the delays.
The soundproof room was exactly what I needed at the moment to combat the intense overstimulation I was feeling.
Standard rooms offer space for two people to sleep and up to four to relax. It was a nice size for my family of two adults and one child. There are some larger rooms at a few of the locations. The rooms lock from the inside, so they offer privacy and safety.
We paid $58.99 for one hour, and we got the last room available. Reservations are encouraged, but there’s always the possibility that there will be availability on a whim. Nursing parents can book a room for free for 30 minutes to pump or breastfeed.
Minute Suites are available in Atlanta, Baltimore, Charlotte, Dallas, Houston, New York, Nashville, Philadelphia, and Salt Lake City.
I would definitely book another room at Minute Suites, and I’m glad to have the option in my toolbox, especially when traveling with a toddler.
My teenage daughter needed logistical and emotional support to thrive in her first job.
We tried to be purposeful about helping her save some of her earnings.
She’s also learning the importance of work-life balance.
When my daughter got her first real job at 14, I was excited for her.
I had hoped getting a job at a young age would improve her self-esteem, time management, and money management skills.
While she did earn all those skills, she required a gentle push from me. Little did I know that my teen’s first job would be a learning experience for me, too.
Here’s what I discovered in supporting her.
She needed help with startup costs and rides
The adage, « You must spend money to make money, » held true for my teenager. Before she saw her first paycheck as a server for a local catering company, our daughter needed to purchase work attire, including dress pants, a button-down shirt, and shoes. My husband and I decided to fund these startup costs, considering them an investment in her burgeoning job skills.
We also invested time in shuttling her to and from events — and soon found ourselves spending more hours in the car than we’d expected. Though most events were nearby, some were located almost an hour away. We realized our family schedule wouldn’t always mesh with our teen’s enthusiasm for working, which meant she had to turn down some opportunities.
Still, we tried to make the stars align whenever possible, taking turns as her Uber drivers and coordinating carpools because we saw how much our daughter enjoyed her job. She loved working a party with a tray of fancy appetizers in hand, seeing beautiful brides at weddings, and chatting with coworkers in the lull between serving and clearing dishes.
But there were stressful times, too. After one wedding during which drinks were spilled at the head table and guests were served the wrong entrées, our teen came home frazzled and upset.
« Some of those mistakes were my fault, » she told us. The pride we usually saw in her face after she’d worked an event was gone, replaced by sadness and worry.
We shared some of our own embarrassing work mishaps to normalize that no one — including adults — performs their job perfectly all the time. We reminded her that mistakes happen, but what matters is how she learns from them.
We helped her establish a plan to save some of her earnings
Our daughter was excited to earn her own money and even more excited to spend it. Though we had talked with her about the importance of saving, we quickly discovered that Target, DoorDash, and Starbucks were kryptonite for our teen girl’s wallet. Her first hard-earned paycheck disappeared in a flash.
Although we sometimes cringed at our daughter’s impulse buys, we also recognized how hard she had worked to afford them. We wanted her to enjoy her newfound purchasing power, but without spending every last dime she’d earned.
After discussing options with our daughter, we made a deal: She got to keep most of her earnings, but a small percentage of each paycheck would be funneled into a savings account. The arrangement gave her enough money for everyday purchases using her debit card while ensuring she could build up savings over time.
She had to learn the importance of work-life balance
My teenagers will confirm that I nag them about getting enough sleep, but my well-meaning words don’t always resonate. When my daughter wanted to work a last-minute shift on the same weekend she had a soccer tournament, I considered saying no but ultimately let her sign up.
After a whirlwind of soccer games, outfit changes, and lengthy car commutes, my daughter was clearly exhausted.
Now, she’s more intentional about prioritizing her activities — whether she’s studying for an exam, working at her new restaurant job, playing soccer, or spending time with friends — because she realized trying to do it all wasn’t sustainable. Allowing her the freedom to manage her work, school, and extracurricular hours taught her more about work-life balance than my most passionate lectures ever could.
Whatever career our daughter pursues, I know that someday, she’ll no longer need close support from her parents to thrive in her job. When that day comes, we’ll continue cheering her on from a distance.
TikTok Shop is now a more popular online retailer than Shein and Sephora among Americans.
TikTok Shop first launched in September 2023.
A new consumer trends report found that 45% of surveyed Americans have bought something on TikTok.
TikTok Shop has surpassed retail giants Shein and Sephora in the online battle for US shoppers.
A 2025 consumer trends report by Coefficient Capital and The New Consumer’s Dan Frommeranalyzed how Americans’ spending habits could affect certain brands. The research included 11 surveys of over 3,000 US consumers. The company conducted its most recent survey this month.
TikTok Shop launched in September 2023, making it a relatively new online retailer compared to its peers. However, the consumer trends report said 80% of surveyed Americans who use TikTok at least once a month are aware of TikTok Shop, signaling the retailer’s growing reach.
That reach has helped TikTok overtake retailers like Sephora, Shein, and Qurate in US consumerspending for the third financial quarter, according to the trends report.
Sephora and Shein are two popular online retailers in the United States, especially with younger generations like Gen Alpha. Qurate Retail Group owns and operates six retail brands, including QVC. The company sells items online through its brands.
Sephora helped its parent company, LVMH, achieve record-breaking sales in 2023, reaching $10 billion in revenue across North America. Shein made $2 billion in profits that year. Although Qurate’s third-quarter earnings report said revenue decreased by 5%, it generated $152 million in operating income.
A March Financial Times report cited three sources who said TikTok had reached $16 billion in sales in the United States. It’s unclear how much the TikTok Shop has made since its 2023 launch, but the company said in its 2024 economic report that the app drove $15 billion in revenue for small businesses in the United States.
The consumer trends report said 45% of surveyed Americans purchased « fashion, clothing, and accessories » from TikTok Shop. Beauty and personal care items came second at 44%. Surveyed TikTok users also indicated purchasing electronics, home goods, food, toys, books, and more from the online shop.
TikTok has led the growth of social media shopping apps in the United States in recent years. TikTok’s Chinese parent company, ByteDance, likely wants to replicate the success of its sister app in China, Douyin, which drives hundreds of billions in sales annually, often through influencer livestreams.
Despite its rising popularity with content creators and shoppers alike, TikTok faces a potential federal ban in the United States next month.
In April, Congress passed the Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act. The law gives ByteDance until January 19 to divest from TikTok or face a ban in the United States. On December 6, a federal appeals court upheld the ban as constitutional.
Lawmakers worry that the Chinese government could compel the app’s Chinese ownership to manipulate content for propaganda or leverage the personal data of millions of Americans.
Ahead of the potential ban, TikTok launched a « limited-time offer » promotion this week, allowing users to earn $50 in TikTok Shop credits to recruit a new user. Users can earn up to $350 in shop credits in total.
Representatives for TikTok, Shein, Sephora, and Qurate did not respond to a request for comment from Business Insider.
To find deals, Dion McNeeley focuses on how many days a property has been on the market.
The investor targets properties that have been listed for at least three times the average.
The ‘days on market’ strategy helped him negotiate a seller down by $100,000.
Real-estate investor Dion McNeeley used to prioritize speed when making an offer.
« The first 10 years of investing, I wanted to be fast. I wanted to get an offer in within a day or two of a property hitting the MLS, » the veteran investor told Business Insider, referring to the multiple listing service.
Now, with a 16-unit portfolio that generates enough cash flow to more than cover his lifestyle, McNeeley is less focused on acquiring properties quickly and more concerned with finding the best deal. To do so, he’s paying attention to one specific metric: the number of days a property has been on the market.
Generally speaking, the longer a home has been on the market, the more motivated the seller will be. « Long » is relative to the average time a home sits on the market, which varies by location. In some areas, the average could be 10; in others, it could be 30.
McNeeley, who studies his market in Tacoma, Washington by looking at listings daily, knows that the average home sits for six to nine days, at least in December of 2024.
His rule of thumb is to take the average and triple it. That’s the number you’re looking for when looking at listings. In his case, he rounded up the average to 10 and is looking specifically for homes that have been listed for at least 30 days.
When he comes across a property he likes that meets his days-on-market criteria, he makes an offer that will get him the return he’s looking for.
For example, the latest property he purchased— a duplex that needed a lot of work done — had been on the market for over 100 days. It was listed for $500,000, but based on the renovations McNeeley would need to complete, he calculated that the deal would only work if he could buy it for significantly less. BI verified all of his property ownership claims.
« I offered 400,000 because that’s the number that made sense for me, » McNeeley said. His offer initiated a two-month negotiation. « I never moved from 400. It went from 500 to 477 to 444 to 422. When I got another offer accepted somewhere else, I contacted them to say I was pulling my offer. They said, ‘We’ll take your 400.' »
If you’re going after a home that’s been on the market for longer than average, there may be something wrong with it, and it’s important to do your due diligence. Or, it could simply be listed poorly.
« Maybe the agent was lazy and took bad pictures or doesn’t have it listed correctly, » said McNeeley.
In his case, it was a bit of both: The property, which he purchased in July 2023, ended up needing $62,000 worth of renovations, which he was prepared for, and it wasn’t what it appeared on the listing. It was listed as a single-family home but was actually a duplex, which he found out by calling the gas and utility companies and asking how many meters there were.
« It had two meters for electric and two meters for gas. Everything about this was duplex, but the picture looked like a house, and the realtor listed it as a house, » he said.
Talking to the gas company, he learned that the gas hadn’t been paid in months and had been shut off, further indicating that he could be working with a motivated seller.
« That’s one of the reasons when I offered 400,000, I didn’t raise the number, » he said, figuring, « If the seller has to sell, they’ll take my number. If they don’t have to sell, they’ll just leave it listed, or they’ll take it down and not sell. So, you’re not always guaranteed to get a low offer accepted. Sometimes people don’t have to sell — they are just willing to for a higher amount. »
Isak Andic, the founder of the fashion brand Mango, has died in an accident, the company said.
Andic fell into a ravine while hiking in caves near Barcelona, according to reports.
Andic and his family have an estimated net worth of $4.5 billion, according to Forbes.
Isak Andic, the billionaire founder of the European fashion company Mango, died on Saturday. He was 71.
Andic, who served as the company’s non-executive chairman, died after an accident, Mango CEO Toni Ruiz said in a press release.
« Isak has been an example for all of us. He dedicated his life to Mango, leaving an indelible mark thanks to his strategic vision, his inspiring leadership and his unwavering commitment to values that he himself imbued in our company, » Ruiz said in the press release.
Ruiz praised Andic’s « care and affection that he always had » for the company.
Pedro Sánchez, the prime minister of Spain, said in a post on X that Andic died in an accident in the caves of Salnitre in Collbató, which is just outside of Barcelona.
According to multiple reports, Andic fell into a ravine while hiking through caves with his family. The ravine was over 320 feet deep, CNN reported, citing local police.
On Sunday, Mango’s website featured a tribute to Andic on its home page, and photos show the flags at the company’s headquarters in Barcelona flying at half-mast.
Andic started the company in Barcelona in 1984. According to Mango’s website, it’s now in over 120 markets and has a thriving online presence. Forbes reported that Andic and his family are worth $4.5 billion.
