Author: The Business Outlook

Darren DeMatoff, 57, had an interesting realization a few years ago: Many of his close friends were up to 30 years younger. It then became clear to him why: They had met through a running group.“Running is a great equalizer. It’s a space where people find common ground, face similar challenges, overcome obstacles, and achieve personal milestones,” says DeMatoff, owner of a Chicago interior accent design and manufacturing company, in an interview with Fortune. “When you meet and run together, age doesn’t even factor in.”This valuable lesson came through his involvement in the Chicago Area Runners Association (CARA), which he…

A handful of bankers were dismissed by Wells Fargo after the financial giant discovered they were “simulating keyboard activity” rather than actually working.More than a dozen employees, all part of the firm’s wealth and investment management team, were “discharged following a review of allegations involving the simulation of keyboard activity to create the impression of active work.”This issue was disclosed in a filing to the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, as reported by Bloomberg.“Wells Fargo holds employees to the highest standards and does not tolerate unethical behavior,” a company spokesman told Reuters. Wells Fargo did not immediately respond to Fortune’s request…

Social media platform X is now concealing users’ likes.In an update posted earlier this week on the platform formerly known as Twitter, X’s engineering team announced that it would be “making Likes private for everyone to better protect your privacy.” Users will still be able to see their own likes, but others will not—ending a long-standing feature.The change took effect on Wednesday. By the afternoon, the “Likes” tab was only visible on users’ own profile pages. When viewing other accounts, this tab was no longer available.Users also received a pop-up notification suggesting that the change would lead to more user…

The semiconductor industry is still in a “transition year,” according to the CEO of the West’s sole producer of silicon wafers, as manufacturers navigate through the tail end of a prolonged slump in demand.During the pandemic, chipmakers experienced significant profits due to a surge in consumer electronics purchases and supply shortages. However, the end of the pandemic brought a downturn, with manufacturers and retailers facing increased inventories and a decrease in consumer purchases as people returned to outdoor activities.While chip companies hope the AI boom will boost demand, the CEO of a major German semiconductor firm believes the industry must…

Tegus, an AI research startup valued at $3 billion in 2021, is nearing a deal to sell itself to AlphaSense, according to five banking and venture capital executives. Although the financial terms have not been disclosed, the combined valuation of the companies will be approximately $4 billion, one VC executive noted.Tegus has been on the market since last fall after hiring advisors, one banker stated. Based on the combined company valuation, Tegus’s sale price is estimated to be around $1 billion, though this figure is unconfirmed.It is unclear whether the negotiations began before or after AlphaSense filed a patent infringement…

Krista Phillips is the EVP, head of consumer credit cards and consumer lending marketing at Wells Fargo.We’ve all heard the term “girl talk,” right? It typically refers to women discussing stereotypically “girly” topics. However, one crucial topic often missing from these conversations is money.Talking about money can be challenging. Throughout our lives, we’ve been taught that it’s impolite to discuss finances, and this stigma and shame persist even as we age.It’s important to remember that just a few generations ago, women couldn’t manage their own finances. Only 50 years ago, women in the U.S. lacked the right to control their…

Jensen Huang of Nvidia Corp. has steadily risen among the world’s wealthiest individuals, as his computer-chip maker’s market value approaches $3 trillion.On Friday, Huang achieved another milestone, surpassing Michael Dell to become the 13th-richest person globally with a net worth of $106.1 billion, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index. His wealth has increased by over $62 billion this year, driven by the insatiable demand for Nvidia chips used in artificial intelligence tasks.At 61, Huang is leading a new generation of tech billionaires, with AI-driven “Jensanity,” as one analyst described it, sweeping through Silicon Valley. Other beneficiaries include Lisa Su, CEO…

Last year, Ashley Suarez discovered that someone had reposted her images on Instagram, showcasing dresses and hairstyles, but with her face replaced. This impersonator, using the name Elizabeth Reid, built a large social media following and profited by accepting gifts from fans and through pornography.”I received many of these videos because people recognized the background as my own. I made most of my TikToks at my parents’ home,” says Suarez, who earns her living from modeling and promoting products online to her nearly 500,000 followers on Instagram and TikTok. “They were like, ‘This looks just like your video, but it’s…

YouTube is updating its policies regarding firearm videos to prevent potentially dangerous content from reaching underage users.The Google-owned video-sharing platform announced on Wednesday that it will ban videos demonstrating how to disable firearm safety devices. Additionally, videos featuring homemade guns, automatic weapons, and certain firearm accessories like silencers will be restricted to users aged 18 and older.These changes, effective June 18, follow repeated calls from gun safety advocates for the platform to take stronger measures to prevent gun videos from reaching its youngest users, potentially traumatizing them or exposing them to extremism and violence.Katie Paul, director of the Tech Transparency…

There are probably a million places you’d rather be than stuck in meetings—and Zoom’s founder and CEO, Eric Yuan, understands this. He’s working on an AI avatar, or “digital twin,” to handle your tedious tasks while you enjoy life.“We are looking at your entire schedule and figuring out how to use Zoom Workplace to help you,” Yuan told The Verge. “You can essentially leave Zoom Workplace, and it will handle most of your work. That’s our pitch.”A key part of this plan is creating a digital clone that can make business decisions on your behalf during meetings.“I can send a…