Vanessa Trump and Tiger Woods are officially dating. Meet the former model and ex-wife of Donald Trump Jr.

Tiger Woods and Vanessa Trump have confirmed they are in a relationship.

Michael Owens/Getty Images

• Tiger Woods confirmed his relationship with Vanessa Trump in a social media post on Sunday.
• She was married to Donald Trump Jr. from 2005 to 2018.
• The divorced couple have five children together, including Kai Trump.

Tiger Woods and Vanessa Trump have confirmed that they're dating.

On Sunday, Woods announced their relationship in a post on X, writing, "Love is in the air and life is better with you by my side! We look forward to our journey through life together."

Woods shared two photos in the post — one of the couple standing side by side and another of them laying on what looks like a hammock.

"At this time we would appreciate privacy for all those close to our hearts," Woods, 49, wrote.

Trump, 47, followed up by posting one of the photos on her Instagram Stories.

Love is in the air and life is better with you by my side! We look forward to our journey through life together. At this time we would appreciate privacy for all those close to our hearts. pic.twitter.com/ETONf1pUmI

— Tiger Woods (@TigerWoods) March 23, 2025

Vanessa Trump — born Vanessa Kay Pergolizzi — was a model in her teens and early 20s. Now-President Donald Trump introduced her to his son in 2003 and they were engaged two years later.

She was married to Donald Trump Jr. from 2005 until 2018. They have five children together, including the president's eldest granddaughter, Kai Trump.

Woods and the former model both live in Palm Beach, Florida, where Vanessa is raising her and Trump Jr.'s children.

Vanessa Trump, Woods, and Trump Jr. did not immediately respond to requests for comment from Business Insider.

Here's everything you need to know about Vanessa Trump.

Born in 1977, Vanessa Kay Pergolizzi grew up in Manhattan's Upper East Side.

She attended The Dwight School, a private preparatory school in the Upper West Side.

Antonio Gravante/Shutterstock

Her mother, Bonnie Kay Haydon, ran the modeling agency Kay Models, and her stepfather, Charles Haydon, worked as a lawyer.

Vanessa attended The Dwight School, a private preparatory school in Manhattan, where she was a tennis star, The New York Times reported. She then studied psychology at Marymount College in Manhattan.

Schoolmates and fellow members of the Manhattan scene described her as a "hard-rock in leather and baggy jeans" and "total gangster" in a 1998 New York Magazine story.

While at school, she became involved with Valentin Rivera, a gang member who later served 16 months in prison for assault, as reported by Page Six. They went to her senior prom together, per Page Six.

She was voted Most Likely to Wind Up on Ricki Lake in her high school yearbook.

As Vanessa Haydon, she modeled in her teens and early 20s.

She walked Australian Fashion Week for designer Charlie Brown in 1998.

WILLIAM WEST/AFP via Getty Images

Haydon started modeling in the 1990s before signing with modeling agency Wilhelmina. She later worked with Next Model Management.

She also had a small role in the 2003 film "Something's Gotta Give."

In the 1990s, Vanessa was linked to Leonardo DiCaprio and dated a Saudi prince.

A rising heartthrob at the time, DiCaprio's relationship with the model drew media attention.

Ron Galella/Ron Galella Collection via Getty Images

New York Magazine reported the model "was seen nuzzling" DiCaprio at a premiere party for James Toback's "Two Girls and a Guy" in May 1998.

From 1998 to 2001, she dated the Saudi prince Khalid bin Bandar bin Sultan Al Saud, the son of then-Saudi Arabia's ambassador to the US, Bandar bin Sultan Al Saud, People reported.

Donald Trump introduced the model to his son Donald Trump Jr. at a fashion show in 2003.

The couple first became involved in 2003.

Gregory Pace/FilmMagic

Vanessa was introduced to Donald Trump Jr. by his father in 2003. The real-estate magnate introduced the couple twice in the span of five minutes, Vanessa recalled for The New York Times.

Six weeks later, they were introduced again by a mutual friend at a birthday party.

"We talked for an hour," she told the Times. Eventually they realized they'd met weeks earlier.

Vanessa and her sister, Veronika, opened a nightclub in the early 2000s.

The sisters, pictured here with their mother, Bonnie (far right), opened Sessa in 2003.

Brian Ach/WireImage for Niche Media, LLC

Born 11 months apart, the model sisters grew up on Manhattan's club scene, and the siblings became club owners themselves with the opening of Sessa, Women's Wear Daily reported in January 2003.

The Polynesian-themed club aimed to be a place where people could "hang out without having to shout over the music," WWD wrote.

In January 2004, the club was forced to close, The New York Times reported.

In 2004, the model and Trump Jr. got engaged.

The couple got engaged with a $100,000 ring (equivalent to $168,915 today).

Mychal Watts/WireImage

In November 2004, Trump Jr. proposed to the model with a complimentary $100,000 ring from a New Jersey jeweler in exchange for popping the question in front of the jeweler's mall storefront with paparazzi present.

The couple married a year later on November 12, 2005, at Trump's Palm Beach resort, Mar-a-Lago.

During their marriage, the couple had five children.

Their eldest, Kai (right), is the eldest grandchild of the current president.

Bobby Bank/Getty Images

The couple had five children together: Kai, Donald John III, Tristan, Spencer, and Chloe.

Their eldest daughter, Kai Trump, 17, is an avid golfer and, in 2024, committed to playing for the University of Miami. She spoke at the Republican National Convention in 2024 and appeared at her grandfather's inauguration in January 2025 alongside other family members.

Vanessa Trump briefly had a handbag collection.

The model had a short-lived handbag line.

Andrew H. Walker/Getty Images

From 2010 to 2013, the model released a line of handbags called La Poshett, although she eventually settled into the stay-at-home mom lifestyle, homeschooling her children over the COVID-19 pandemic.

In March 2018, Donald Jr. and Vanessa divorced.

The couple had an amicable divorce and remain in good terms.

Alec Tabak for New York Daily News

After 12 years of marriage, Vanessa filed for a no-contest divorce in 2018.

The couple separated nine months before filing for a divorce, and Trump Jr. began dating Kimberly Guilfoyle, then a Fox News anchor, in 2018.

Donald Jr. and Vanessa have maintained an amicable relationship, spending time together at Mar-a-Lago and various official events.

Vanessa Trump goes public with Tiger Woods

Tiger Woods announces relationship with Vanessa Trump on Instagram.

Tiger Woods/Instagram

Tiger Woods made a notable return to the White House on May, marking his first visit since publicly revealing his relationship with Vanessa Trump.

The 15-time major golf champion, now 49, was photographed with Indiana Senator Jim Banks, who shared an image of their meeting on X.

Woods' visit comes just two months after going Instagram official with Vanessa Trump.

While the reason for the visit in May remains unclear, President Trump did confirm that he met with Woods, according to Golf Monthly.

Both Wood's and Vanessa's respective children are competitive junior golfers.

Read the original article on Business Insider

from Business Insider https://ift.tt/HYx8J1M

How to get Governors Ball Music Festival tickets: Date, lineup, and prices

When you buy through our links, Business Insider may earn an affiliate commission. Learn more

Governors Ball NYC

The Governor’s Ball has some of the biggest names in 2025 ready to hit their New York stage, and passes for the annual event are in high demand. With artists like Tyler, the Creator, Olivia Rodrigo, and Hozier on the lineup, it’s sure to be an exciting event to remember. Although several original passes have already sold out, we’ve broken down below several options for those looking to still purchase tickets for the event.

Originating in 2011, the Governor’s Ball has been held annually in New York with the exception of 2020, when it was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Having changed between a few different New York City venues over the years, the event has taken place at Flushing Meadows-Corona Park in Queens since 2023.

The festival, which calls itself “New York’s biggest party,” is also set to feature food vendor options from a multitude of New York City’s trendiest restaurants and other activities throughout the weekend.

If you want to grab passes to the 2025 Governors Ball, we’ve got you covered. Here's our breakdown of the 2025 festival, including the festival schedule, purchasing details, and price comparisons between original and verified resale tickets. You can also view concert details and specifics on StubHub and Vivid Seats at your convenience.

• See also: Tyler, the Creator tickets | Olivia Rodrigo tickets | Welcome to Rockville tickets | Bottlerock Napa Valley tickets | EDC tickets | Lollapalooza tickets

Governors Ball 2025 music festival schedule

The 2025 Governors Ball music festival will be held in Corona, New York, from June 6 to June 8.

Date	City	StubHub prices	Vivid Seats prices
June 6-8, 2025	Corona, NY	$304	$294
June 6-7, 2025	Corona, NY	$254	$277
June 6+8, 2025	Corona, NY	$251	$493
June 6, 2025	Corona, NY	$142	$122
June 7-8, 2025	Corona, NY	$269	$378
June 7, 2025	Corona, NY	$146	$149
June 8, 2025	Corona, NY	$121	$109

• Join our WhatsApp channel for more deals and buying guides

---

How to buy tickets for Governor’s Ball 2025 festival

Original passes were available for purchase on Ticketmaster, however, several have already sold out. For the sold-out passes, waiting lists are available to join if you are searching specifically for an original pass.

Passes can also be purchased from verified resale vendors such as StubHub and Vivid Seats. Given the limited availability and high demand for passes to the 2025 Governors Ball, you may have better luck with these sites to get the pass type you are looking for at the best deal possible.

How much are Governors Ball tickets?

Original passes range from $179 to $899, depending on the pass type (general admission, general admission+, or VIP) and whether it is a one-day or full-weekend pass. As several types of original are already sold out, please check Ticketmaster directly to view the remaining availability.

Passes from resale vendors StubHub and Vivid Seats, when you account for additional fees, are currently priced similarly, if not slightly cheaper than original passes. The most affordable option from StubHub is for a Sunday single-day ticket at $121, totaling $156 after taxes and fees. Vivid Seats also has Sunday passes for $109, and with additional fees, it will total $152. This is slightly more affordable than original passes, which start at $179 for one-day tickets.

The most affordable full-weekend pass on StubHub is $304, totaling $390 after taxes and fees. This is slightly more than original full-weekend passes, which were priced at $359. However, as original full-weekend passes have already sold out, this could be a reasonable option for those who are still interested in picking one up. Vivid Seats is priced slightly higher at $294, totaling $412 after additional fees are calculated. As prices fluctuate frequently, you can check each vendor’s page for the most updated price options.

Tier 2 VIP tickets are still available on Ticketmaster for Friday and Sunday one-day passes or three-day weekend passes. As of this writing, Saturday VIP passes are sold out.

Tier 2 VIP (Tier 1 was sold previously and the purchase period has since ended) are available for $429 for single-day passes and $899 for weekend passes. The VIP package includes access to on-field viewing areas behind the pit at all three stages, comfort amenities such as unlimited access to VIP lounges, access to upgraded, air-conditioned restrooms, private bar access with drinks for purchase as well as a complimentary water-refill station, access to dedicated food vendors, on-site VIP hospitality staff, as well as access to lockers, mobile charging ports, and a dedicated merch store in the VIP lounge. VIP passes also include access to all general admission amenities.

Who is in the Governors Ball lineup?

The 2025 Governors Ball music festival is set to feature many popular acts at the New York event. Here’s how each day looks for the full lineup:

Friday, June 6

• Tyler, the Creator, Benson Boone, MK.Gee, The Backseat Lovers, T-Pain, Tyla, Role Model, Jpegmafia, Bigxthaplug, Mannequin Pussy, The Beaches, Matt Champion, Wasia Project, Isabel Larosa, Jean Dawson, Black Party, Stolen Gin, Dogpark, Strawberry Launch, School of Rock Queens

Saturday, June 7

• Olivia Rodrigo, Feid, Conan Gray, Young Miko, Wallows, Marina, Mariah The Scientist, Car Seat Headrest, Artemas, Wave to Earth, The Garden, Orion Sun, The Lemon Twigs, Yaya Bev, The Backfires, Lexa Gates, Die Spitz, Monobloc, Glasshouse, School of Rock New York

Sunday, June 8

• Hozier, Glass Animals, Mt. Joy, Clairo, Raye, Rovel Otis, The Japanese House, Amaarae, Kev Glock, Berlioz, Montell Fish, Mark Ambor, Joey Valence & Brae, Frost Children, Nourished by Time, Militarie Gun, Kyle Dion, Snow Wife, Olivia Lunny, Kids Rock for Kids

Read the original article on Business Insider

from Business Insider https://ift.tt/1ah7JTg

Ken Griffin says foreign students should get a visa when they graduate from an American university

"It should literally be if you graduate from one of America's great universities, great graduate schools, you just get a visa stamp to your degree," Ken Griffin said of foreign students in the US.

Kayla Bartkowski via Getty Images

• Ken Griffin said foreign students should be given visas when they graduate from US colleges.
• "The key is they need to stay here," Griffin said.
• President Donald Trump said in June that foreign graduates should get green cards automatically.

Citadel founder and CEO Ken Griffin said foreign students in the US should be handed visas when they graduate from universities.

"The key is they need to stay here," Griffin said at the Milken Institute Global Conference on Wednesday. "Right, that's the key, and we are not doing enough to make access to staying in America either easy or preferred for so many of these students."

"It should literally be if you graduate from one of America's great universities, great graduate schools, you should just get a visa stamp to your degree," Griffin added.

Griffin's suggestion is similar to what President Donald Trump had proposed while he was out on the campaign trail last year. Trump said foreign students should be given permanent residency after they graduate from US colleges.

"What I want to do and what I will do is, you graduate from a college, I think you should get automatically as part of your diploma a green card to be able to stay in this country, and that includes junior colleges too," Trump said in an episode of the "All-In" podcast which aired in June.

This isn't the first time Griffin has called on the Trump administration to keep the US open to the best and brightest worldwide.

In November, Griffin spoke at the Economic Club of New York, where he said that while America's southern borders needed to be secured, the country also needed to have a "thoughtful" immigration policy.

"I'd like to see Washington now execute an immigration policy that is thoughtful, that protects this nation's great stature in the world of being the country you come to pursue your dreams," Griffin said.

During his first term, Trump targeted the H-1B visa program, which is granted to skilled foreign workers in the US. In June 2020, amid the COVID-19 pandemic, the president ordered a freeze on several visa programs, including the H-1B.

The H-1B visa program is popular with tech companies like Amazon, Microsoft, and Meta. In the US, up to 85,000 foreign workers are hired annually under the H-1B program.

But in December, Trump told the New York Post that he supports the H-1B visa program, adding that he "always liked the visas."

"I have many H-1B visas on my properties. I have been a believer in H-1B. I have used it many times. It's a great program," Trump said.

Representatives for Griffin at Citadel did not respond to a request for comment from Business Insider.

Read the original article on Business Insider

from Business Insider https://ift.tt/9tHENOs

He opened a restaurant with a college friend. It redefined Chinese fine dining.

Malcolm Wood, the cofounder of Mott 32, sets a tough personal challenge for himself every year.

Malcolm Wood

• Malcolm Wood, now 43, co-founded Maximal Concepts, the group behind Mott 32, a modern spin on high-end Cantonese cuisine.
• After launching in Hong Kong, Mott 32 has expanded globally to cities including Las Vegas, Singapore, Dubai, and Vancouver.
• Wood says that extreme sports have helped fuel his success.

For some, clarity comes in moments of stillness. For Malcolm Wood, it's usually the opposite.

"A casual morning for me would include going up 1,000 meters into the mountains, speed flying back to the field in front of my house, and hopping on a phone call by 9 a.m.," Wood told Business Insider.

Wood is best known for his work with Mott 32, a Chinese fine-dining brand recognized for its striking design and modern spin on traditional dishes. The first location opened in Hong Kong in 2014 and has since expanded to cities like Las Vegas, Singapore, and Vancouver — earning global buzz both for the food and the decor.

These days, the British-Chinese entrepreneur splits his time between Hong Kong, where he co-founded Maximal Concepts, the restaurant group behind Mott 32, and France, where he enjoys extreme sports near his home in the French Alps.

Wood, 43, says that adventure and extreme sports have taught him about risk management.

"They demand an intense level of focus, almost like entering a flow state, where distractions disappear, and precision takes over," he said. In some ways, it's a form of active meditation. "I'm constantly pushing limits while staying fully present."

Mott 32, a restaurant that serves high-end Cantonese cuisine, first opened in Hong Kong.

Mott 32

East, West, East

Born in Taipei to a Taiwanese mom and an English dad, Wood spent the early '80s in Hong Kong. Because his stepfather was in the airline industry, the family frequently moved to new countries. By the time he started university, he had lived in eight countries.

At 18, as an art history student at the University of Bristol in England, Wood met Matt Reid. In their first year of school, the two launched Liquid Promotions, an events company.

Wood said they hosted parties for up to 5,000 people while they were in college. "The money was very good for a student and helped to shape how I approached entrepreneurship," he said.

They have been business partners ever since.

Reid has compared Wood's business acumen to his passion for extreme sports. "You map out your plan, your teammates, your resources, your skills, and then execute this plan," Reid told BI.

Wood and Matt Reid started an events company while they were still in university.

John Anthony

The great expansion

After getting a master's in finance at the University of London, Wood moved to Hong Kong, where he and Reid started Maximal Concepts. After a few failed attempts, the hospitality group opened the first Mott 32.

Now, Maximal Concepts has a team of about 700 people.

The Hong Kong food writer Gloria Chung told BI that the restaurant stood out from the beginning, adding that a decade back, there was nothing like it: "Mott 32 was one of the first fine-dining modern Chinese restaurants that embraced a more Westernized setting, offering a refreshing take on Cantonese cuisine."

From the start, Mott 32 stood out by bridging the gap between luxurious fine dining, often associated with Western cuisines, and the no-frills dim sum parlors that dominated the streets of Hong Kong.

Over the last 10 years, the Cantonese restaurant has expanded to nine locations and nine more are scheduled to open in the coming years, including in London, Melbourne, and Los Angeles.

These days, Mott 32 has become synonymous with upscale Chinese dining — a go-to spot where execs take clients to impress. The Hong Kong flagship is tucked in the basement of a historic bank building.

The restaurant has a dramatic interior — plush leather, moody lighting, and a Shanghai-industrial flair. Popular dishes include the applewood-roasted Peking duck and pork and black truffle dumplings, along with blinged-out cocktails.

Mott 32 has expanded to cities including Las Vegas, Vancouver, and Singapore (pictured).

Alexandra Karplus

In 2018, the first US restaurant opened in Las Vegas.

Prices at the Vegas venue now range from $13 for spring rolls to around $15 for four pieces of dim sum. They can also go up to $268 for A5 Japanese Miyazaki wagyu with black bean paste and $598 for braised dried abalone.

Maximal Concepts also opened The Aubrey — an izakaya at the Mandarin Oriental, Hong Kong. It was ranked 10th on the 2024 Asia's 50 Best Bars list.

Last year, Sunset Hospitality Group, a Dubai-based lifestyle hospitality company, acquired a majority stake in Maximal Concepts.

Wood says this will help to accelerate the company's growth and infrastructure. "The idea is that we join Sunset's IPO in a few years where we have a significant contribution to the offering."

Antonio Gonzalez, the CEO and Group Chairman of Sunset Hospitality Group, told BI that Maximal Concepts' hospitality approach fits well with SHG's values and growth goals. "This investment provides us with additional operating and creative firepower," he said in a statement.

The first Mott 32 in the US opened in Las Vegas (pictured).

Mott 32

Asian origins

When it comes to upscale Asian global dining empires, Mott 32 is in competitive company among the likes of Hakkasan, Zuma, and Nobu.

But while Hakkasan and Zuma opened in London, and Nobu started in New York City, Wood takes pride in Mott 32's Asian origins.

"Mott 32 is one of the few luxury Asian brands to have originated from Asia," he said. "We're really proud that it originated in Hong Kong."

The restaurant helped to give a different perspective on Chinese food, said Chung, the food writer: "Many people often think Chinese food doesn't deserve to be priced at a premium, yet Mott 32 played a pivotal role in changing that perception."

Wood chose to base his F&B business in Hong Kong largely because of the opportunities. "It really is an entrepreneurial city with influences from all around the world," he said. "The city just works — super efficient, based on UK law, and some of the best global tax in the world for corporations."

His roots play an important role, too. "My mom still lives there, so it's always felt like home," he said.

Challenges along the way

After 25 years in business, Wood says he has no regrets. "When you're younger, you trust everyone until they burn you. Then you start learning," he said.

During COVID-19 and the Hong Kong protests, he had to close down and sell multiple venues. "I wouldn't be the business person I am today without these lessons."

His advice to his younger self?

"Have a thick skin. Don't worry about what others think. The right partnership adds value; the wrong one drags you down — choose wisely."

Wood, pictured with his wife and two of his kids, has learned to plan ahead so that he can balance work and family.

Janelle Photography

The power of planning ahead

Balancing multiple ventures while prioritizing family — he and his wife, Sandra, have three kids, now 21, 10, and 5 — has taught Wood the power of planning ahead.

"I tell my managers: spend the first 20% of your week organizing the rest. Otherwise, that 80% turns into 200%."

Wood doesn't stick to set working hours but plans his week every Sunday at 5 a.m. "If you want to make time for your family, you can. It's all about optimizing your schedule," he said.

Wood says that extreme sports have taught him about risk management.

Malcolm Wood

Every year, he sets a goal to learn something, from obtaining his yacht master's certification in the Mediterranean to earning a private pilot's license in Spain and France.

This year, he's focusing on learning French. He also plans to complete specialized training so that he's qualified to land a plane in the Alps.

"If you let life slip away and keep a to-do list for retirement, that's the wrong approach entirely," he said. "Your life should enable you to do the things you love."

Read the original article on Business Insider

from Business Insider https://ift.tt/wa51qG0

LVMH's US CEO says he hopes quiet luxury is over: 'That was getting pretty annoying'

LVMH's US CEO said in California that quiet luxury looks to be on its way out, and that's good because the term was "getting pretty annoying."

Getty Images; Chelsea Jia Feng/BI

• LVMH's US CEO, Anish Melwani, said he thinks quiet luxury may be in the past.
• "I think, hopefully, we're past the term quiet luxury, that was getting pretty annoying," Melwani said.
• Quiet luxury has been the dominant trend in fashion recently, superseding logomania.

Quiet luxury might be its way out, and the CEO of LVMH US is pretty happy about it.

"I think, hopefully, we're past the term quiet luxury, that was getting pretty annoying," the CEO of LVMH US, Anish Melwani, said on a panel at the Milken conference in California on Tuesday.

Melwani went on to describe how quiet luxury has played out in two of LVMH's major maisons — Loro Piana and Fendi.

"If you ask Loro Piana, they would say, 'We've been doing quiet luxury for 50 years.' And, you know, and if you actually look at Fendi — Fendi has had its periods where it's been heavily logoed and monogrammed, and there's been periods where less than 2% of the product line had any logo on it at all," Melwani said.

Melwani said LVMH's chief, Bernard Arnault, has recognized that customers who purchase luxury goods "are not monolithic in what makes them feel accomplished."

He added that the maisons in LVMH's portfolio use their heritage to create a "feeling of desirability."

Representatives for LVMH declined to comment further when contacted.

Quiet luxury has been the dominant trend in fashion post-COVID-19. It involves purchasing well-made, exquisitely tailored clothes that lean into minimalism. The trend's popularity has also seen a boost from TV shows like "Succession," where its characters shun logos and opt for effortless luxe over "ludicrously capacious," logo-heavy bags.

More importantly, quiet luxury precipitated a push for clothes without flashy logo buckles or prints, which benefited brands like Loro Piana, Brunello Cucinelli, and Hermès over some of the big names in LVMH's stable of luxury houses, including Dior, Fendi, and Louis Vuitton.

Bank of America analysts said in January that the quiet luxury trend might just be killing big luxury brands. That's because logos not being part of the designs make it way easier for people to replicate high-end looks with low-cost dupes, the analysts said.

That analyst note followed a bad year for luxury. LVMH and its industry cohorts' earnings slumped in 2024 amid macroeconomic headwinds.

LVMH has had a rocky start to 2025. On April 14, the company reported first-quarter revenue of €20.3 billion, down 2% from a year earlier.

In its April 14 earnings statement, however, the company said it "showed good resilience and maintained its powerful innovative momentum despite a disrupted geopolitical and economic environment."

LVMH stock is down 23% so far this year in Paris.

Melwani has been the chairman and CEO of LVMH in North America since 2016. Prior to that, he was a senior partner at McKinsey.

Read the original article on Business Insider

from Business Insider https://ift.tt/8sxZXam

Verily CEO tells staff the sale of its insurance business is a 'strategic win' as the deal closes

Verily CEO Stephen Gillett.

Business Wire

• Elevance Health's acquisition of Verily's insurance business has closed.
• Verily's CEO told staff in a memo that the sale will strengthen the company's financial position.
• Verily has been on a mission to shed projects and pivot to AI as it eyes life beyond Google's walls.

Alphabet life sciences unit Verily has officially sold its insurance business to Elevance Health, its CEO told employees last week, as the company continues to shed projects and focus on AI.

In an April 30 memo to staff, which was seen by Business Insider, Verily CEO Stephen Gillett said Elevance's acquisition of its stop-loss insurance subsidiary, Granular, had officially closed.

"This acquisition represents a strategic win for Elevance Health, Granular, and Verily," Gillett wrote in a note to staff.

"On our end, this sale strengthens Verily's financial position and allows us to reinvest the proceeds towards Verily's strategic priorities," he later added.

BI first reported in February that Verily had entered an agreement to sell Granular to insurance provider Elevance Health. A Verily spokesperson referred BI to a previous statement confirming the company's agreement to sell Granular.

Companies sometimes take out top-loss insurance to pay their employees' medical bills and limit their financial exposure, potentially protecting them from sharp increases in spending. Granular launched in 2020 and used "proprietary technology" for its services, the company said.

With its insurance business sold, Verily has shed another project as it aims to further streamline itself and refocus its strategy around AI.

Verily sits among the "other bets" owned by Alphabet but live outside Google.

It started out in Google's moonshot lab in 2015 and focused on an array of projects, including wearables and surgical robots. It has been criticized for entertaining too many bets and lacking a clear focus. The unit completely pivoted to COVID-19 screening and testing during the pandemic. Last year, Verily announced a new AI-powered chronic care product named Lightpath, designed to help patients living with conditions such as diabetes and obesity.

Verily is also eyeing a future beyond Alphabet's walls. In January, the life sciences group separated some of its internal systems from Google's, such as certain employee benefit systems. Last year, Verily issued employees new laptops, office badges, and email addresses that are no longer aliases of the Google email domain, multiple people familiar with the matter told BI.

Verily is also looking to raise another round of capital in the next few months, BI previously reported.

Have something to share? Contact this reporter via email at hlangley@businessinsider.com or Signal at 628-228-1836. Use a personal email address and a nonwork device; here's our guide to sharing information securely.

Read the original article on Business Insider

from Business Insider https://ift.tt/UDbBK6F

Nicki Minaj wore a deconstructed 'dandy pinstripe suit' to her 8th Met Gala. Here are all of her gala ensembles.

Nicki Minaj has attended the Met Gala eight times since 2013.

Rabbani and Solimene Photography/Neilson Barnard/WWD/Getty Images

• Nicki Minaj has now attended the Met Gala eight times. 
• Minaj attended her first Met Gala in 2013 wearing a Tommy Hilfiger gown.
• Here are all her Met Gala looks between 2013 and 2025. 

Nicki Minaj has become a Met Gala veteran.

The "Pink Friday 2" rapper attended the 2025 Met Gala at the Metropolitan Museum of Art on Monday in New York City. This year's theme was "Superfine: Tailoring Black Style," which drew inspiration from Monica L. Miller's 2009 book "Slaves to Fashion: Black Dandyism and the Styling of Black Diasporic Identity, according to Vogue. The dress code was "Tailored for You."

Minaj, 42, has attended the Met Gala eight times since 2013. Here are all her looks.

May 2013: Minaj attended her first Met Gala in a Tommy Hilfiger gown

Nicki Minaj at the 2013 Met Gala.

Larry Busacca/Getty

The 2013 Met Gala theme was "Punk: Chaos to Couture," but Minaj kept things simple in a dark blue gown featuring cut-outs along the midriff and a square neckline. Tommy Hilfiger designed the gown and gifted Minaj a $32,000 Rolex for being his guest at the event.

"Oh gee, thx Tommy," she wrote on X, known as Twitter at the time.

May 2016: She wore a Moschino gown and walked with designer Jeremy Scott on the red carpet

Jeremy Scott and Nicki Minaj at the 2016 Met Gala.

Kevin Mazur/Getty Images

Minaj waited three years to attend her next Met Gala, which had the "Manus x Machina: Fashion in an Age of Technology" theme. She posed with designer Jeremy Scott, wearing a Moschino creation on the red carpet. Scott announced in March 2023 that he intended to step down from his role with the luxury fashion brand.

The sheer black dress featured a plunging necklace and black belts with bejeweled buckles. Minaj also wore black sheer opera gloves.

May 2017: Minaj's third Met Gala look was designed by fashion retailer H&M

Nicki Minaj at the 2017 Met Gala.

Neilson Barnard/Getty Images

The "Pink Friday 2" rapper arrived at her third Met Gala wearing a black and red outfit. That year's theme was "Rei Kawakubo/Comme des Garçons: Art of the In-Between."

Vogue reported that Minaj's ensemble — designed in collaboration with H&M — included a duchess satin kimono top, an obi belt with designer Rei Kawakubo's face, and intricate details like a strip of red Swarovski crystals.

May 2018: Oscar de la Renta designed Minaj's gown for that year's Met Gala

Nicki Minaj attends the 2018 Met Gala.

Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images

Minaj wore another black and red ensemble to the Met Gala in 2018 when the theme was "Heavenly Bodies: Fashion and the Catholic Imagination."

She arrived in an ombré Oscar de la Renta gown with black fabric at the top that gradually turned a bold red. She topped the gown with a matching robe featuring a long train and a detailed headpiece.

May 2019: Prabal Gurung designed Minaj's ensemble for her fifth Met Gala

Nicki Minaj at the Met Gala in 2019.

Karwai Tang/Getty Images

Minaj attended the 2019 Met Gala — with the "Camp: Notes on Fashion" theme — in an all-pink halter minidress designed by Prabal Gurung. It included a plunging sweetheart neckline, an extravagant train, and silver jewels strung across the fabric.

During a red carpet interview with Entertainment Tonight that May, Minaj admitted that she didn't understand the event's "camp" theme.

"Up until today, I had no idea what 'camp' was," she told the outlet. "So, I don't even know if this is camp, to be honest."

May 2022: Minaj arrived to her sixth Met Gala in a gown designed by Burberry

Nicki Minaj attends the 2022 Met Gala.

Kevin Mazur/MG22/Getty Images for The Met Museum/Vogue

The COVID-19 pandemic prompted Met Gala organizers to cancel the event in 2020, and Minaj didn't attend the 2021 ceremony due to vaccine protocols. However, she returned to the Met Gala red carpet in 2022 wearing a dramatic black gown by Burberry.

Harper's Bazaar reported that the all-black ensemble featured a strapless leather jumpsuit adorned with a large belt buckle and a long feathered train. Minaj's outfit was paired with a matching black cap, and she accessorized with black jewels across her skin.

May 2024: Minaj wore a gold minidress designed by Marni

Nicki Minaj attended the 2024 Met Gala.

Angela WEISS / AFP

Minaj attended the 2024 Met Gala in a gold Marni minidress after skipping the previous year. She paired the dress with a matching handbag and heels.

The dress is covered in hand-painted 3D metal flowers, according to Vogue.

Minaj thanked Marni and its creative director, Francesco Risso, on Instagram, writing, "This was the most wonderful experience & I'm so grateful for @marni & Francesco who were the most exquisite, most classy gang a girl like me could ask for."

May 2025: Minaj wore a Thom Browne suit dress to her eighth Met Gala

Nicki Minaj at the 2025 Met Gala.

Mario Anzuoni/REUTERS

The theme for the 2025 Met Gala was "Superfine: Tailoring Black Style," and the dress code was "Tailored for You."

A post on Thom Browne's Instagram said Minaj's ensemble was "a deconstructed take on the dandy pinstripe suit."

"The look is grounded by a pencil skirt with mermaid train in navy and white pinstripe wool crepe and a corset in white silk moiré with binding in tonal silk duchess satin," the post said.

Read the original article on Business Insider

from Business Insider https://ift.tt/6Mr7cu4

Chechen warlord Ramzan Kadyrov says he wants to quit his job but needs Putin's permission

Ramzan Kadyrov, seen here meeting Vladimir Putin in Chechnya, said he wants to step down.

Sputnik/Vyacheslav Prokofyev/Pool via Reuters

• Ramzan Kadyrov said he's asked Putin to be allowed to step aside as Chechen leader.
• Kadyrov has previously hinted at the move, citing his long rule.
• Possible successors include Muslim Khuchiev and Apti Alaudinov, a general active in Ukraine.

Chechen warlord Ramzan Kadyrov said he has appealed to Russian President Vladimir Putin to be allowed to step down from his position as leader of the Chechen Republic.

"I am asking to be dismissed from my post," Kadyrov told state-controlled Chechnya Today on Monday, per The Kyiv Independent's translation.

"I hope that my request will be supported," he added.

Kadyrov followed up his remarks on Tuesday with a post on Telegram saying that the decision on whether he would step down is Putin's, not his, and framing himself as a loyalist who responds only to the president's command.

Kadyrov has nurtured a reputation as a strongman since taking power in 2007, heading up a militia known as the Kadyrovites, who have been deployed to Ukraine and in the defence of the Russian region of Kursk.

He secured a fourth term as Chechnya's president in 2021, taking 99.73% of the vote in a bid that was all but guaranteed by Putin's endorsement, Human Rights Watch said at the time.

Kadyrov took over the presidency from his father, who was assassinated in 2004, and last month named his 17-year-old son Adam as state head of internal affairs, overseeing the republic's police and internal security.

Kadyrov said the decision on whether he steps down rests with Putin.

Sputnik/Mikhail Metzel/Pool via Reuters

Kadyrov has floated the idea of stepping down in the past. In 2022, he posted on Telegram saying he had been in office too long and deserved a vacation. He made similar remarks as his second term approached its end in 2016, Russian media reported.

The latest move comes amid reports of ongoing ill-health that Kadyrov has denied several times, and that stand in contrast to his image as a strongman and fighter.

According to independent investigative outlet Novaya Gazeta Europa, Kadyrov was diagnosed with pancreatic necrosis in 2019, which was then complicated by a bout of COVID-19.

Should Putin give Kadyrov the nod to step down, possible successors include Muslim Khuchiev, the republic's former prime minister, and high-ranking general Apti Alaudinov, who has been on active duty in Ukraine.

Kadyrov maintains an iron grip on power in Chechnya in an arrangement widely understood to have been secured by promising Putin to keep it within the Russian Federation and to suppress a separatist movement.

The Chechen Ministry of Internal Affairs did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Read the original article on Business Insider

from Business Insider https://ift.tt/38k1SsX

195,000 student-loan borrowers in default have only 30 days before a portion of their federal benefits might be seized, Trump's Education Department says

President Donald Trump restarted involuntary collections on defaulted student loans.

Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images

• Trump restarted collections on defaulted student loans on May 5.
• The Education Department said 195,000 student-loan borrowers have 30 days before their federal benefits might be seized.
• Later in the summer, over 5 million defaulted student loan borrowers could face wage garnishment.

Thousands of student-loan borrowers in default could begin losing some of their federal benefits this summer.

On Monday, President Donald Trump's administration officially restarted involuntary collections on defaulted student-loan borrowers' debt.

After a five-year pause that began during the early COVID-19 pandemic in Trump's first term and continued under former President Joe Biden, borrowers in default are once again subject to the harshest consequences of failing to make their payments, which include a seizure of federal benefits like tax refunds and Social Security checks, and eventual wage garnishment.

The Department of Education said that starting on Monday, 195,000 defaulted student-loan borrowers began receiving 30-day notices from the Treasury Department that their federal benefits are subject to withholding through the Treasury Offset Program.

"The first monthly benefit checks subject to offset are those scheduled for early June," the department said. "Later this summer, all 5.3 million defaulted borrowers will receive a notice from Treasury that their earnings will be subject to administrative wage garnishment."

Most federal student-loan borrowers enter default when they have not made a payment in over 270 days. The Education Department recommended that borrowers in default contact the Default Resolution Group to make a payment plan or sign up for loan rehabilitation: a lengthy process that requires nine consecutive monthly payments at an amount determined by the servicer.

Preston Cooper, a senior fellow at the conservative think tank American Enterprise Institute, previously told Business Insider that some borrowers might not see the consequences of defaulting right off the bat because the government has to locate them first, which could take time.

"For a lot of those 5 million borrowers, even though the collection system is technically turning back on, they might not see any consequences immediately because the government has to find them first, and it also has to find some income or wages to garnish," Cooper said.

Some student-loan borrowers in default told BI that they cannot afford the payment restart. James Southern, a 63-year-old borrower, is in default on his student loans and said the projected $1,500 monthly payment is not feasible.

"If they are steadfast on this $1,500 a month, then again, there's no way I can pay that," Southern said. "So they're going to have to come and take it from me, and then I've got to figure out somehow how to live past that point."

The Department of Education also sent a letter to universities on Monday, asking them to help student-loan borrowers and remind students of their resources to pay off debt and avoid default.

"As we begin to help defaulted borrowers back into repayment, we must also fix a broken higher education finance system that has put upward pressure on tuition rates without ensuring that colleges and universities are delivering a high-value degree to students," Education Secretary Linda McMahon said in a statement.

Are you a student-loan borrower in default or concerned about falling behind? Contact this reporter via email at asheffey@businessinsider.com or Signal at asheffey.97. Use a personal email address and a nonwork device; here's our guide to sharing information securely.

Read the original article on Business Insider

from Business Insider https://ift.tt/MhapKX6

Oil prices have crashed to 4-year lows. That means cheaper gas for Americans hitting the roads this summer.

Beata Zawrzel/NurPhoto via Getty Images

• Oil prices dropped 2% on Monday to their lowest level since February 2021.
• The decline was sparked by OPEC's plans to increase oil supply by 411,000 barrels per day in June.
• Americans can expect gas prices to drop below $3 a gallon this summer, an analyst said.

Oil prices are in free-fall, just in time for the busy summer driving season.

US Crude prices dropped 2% on Monday to $57.10 a barrel, hitting the lowest level since February 2021, when the economy was still in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic.

While that's not great news for oil producers, drivers are bound to get some relief from the plunge in crude prices in 2025.

What falling oil prices mean for your wallet

Data from GasBuddy shows the median US gas price per gallon is $2.99, up three cents from last week, while the average is $3.12, up two cents from last week.

Falling oil prices typically translate into lower prices at the gas pump, and that's likely to happen with crude's latest plunge, but with a lag, Patrick De Haan, head of petroleum analysis at GasBuddy, said.

"While gasoline inventories have been tightening due to ongoing refinery maintenance — which has limited how much gas prices have fallen in response to lower oil — refinery output is expected to rise soon," De Haan said in a note on Monday.

Refinery maintenance is set to wrap up in the near term, De Haan said. This should increase the gasoline supply and cause the national average gasoline price to dip below $3.

Falling prices at the gas pump would be welcome news for American drivers as they head into the summer vacation season—and what's good news for the consumer is good news for the economy.

JPMorgan estimates that roughly 80% of consumer savings from lower gas prices are spent elsewhere, and that a dollar swing in gas prices can translate into tens of billions of dollars of consumer firepower a year.

OPEC to unleash supply

Monday's price decline came after a weekend OPEC+ meeting, in which the group of 8 oil-producing countries said they would increase the supply of oil for the month of June by 411,000 barrels per day.

The increasing supply of oil set to hit the market comes at a time when demand is expected to weaken due to a slowing global economy, suggesting that oil prices can keep falling.

"The solution to low prices is low prices," Rob Thummel, senior portfolio manager at Tortoise Capital, told BI.

Thummel said he expects oil prices could fall to the low $50s per barrel in the short term, before stabilizing in the $60 to $80 per barrel range.

That's because pumping oil when prices are below $60 is unprofitable for most countries.

"The IMF estimates the breakeven oil prices needed for OPEC members to balance their budgets is higher than $80 per barrel for most countries except for United Arab Emirates," Thummel said.

Low oil prices could wash out producers and ultimately lead to a decline in supply, which would help spark a rebound in prices.

Read the original article on Business Insider

from Business Insider https://ift.tt/6Jt5Zbj

10 vintage photos show how the Black Monday stock market crash unfolded

The crash's impact was felt inside the Paris Stock Exchange in France.

San Francisco Chronicle/Hearst Newspapers/Hearst Newspapers via Getty Images

• President Trump's tariff announcements have unsettled the financial markets.
• This instability recalls past crises, like the Black Monday 1987 stock market crash.
• Black Monday saw a 20.5% S&P 500 drop, the most drastic in financial history.

President Donald Trump's tariff announcements have shaken up financial markets in recent weeks.

For some, this economic instability has brought to mind past financial crises, like the Great Recession, the Great Depression, and the October 19, 1987, crisis known as Black Monday.

On Black Monday, the S&P 500 saw a historic 20.5% downturn, and the Dow Jones plummeted by 22.6%. This was the biggest plunge the markets had taken since October 28, 1929, the start of the Great Depression, which lasted until 1932.

These 10 pictures show how Black Monday impacted markets worldwide and explain the factors that contributed to the financial crash.

The crash came at the end of an extended bear market.

Chaos ensued on the New York Stock Exchange floor as the markets crashed.

New York Daily News Archive/NY Daily News via Getty Images

Following a few years of economic strength, stock prices climbed up 44% in the first half of 1987, creating an asset bubble that began imploding on October 16, when reports of a growing trade deficit started spreading.

By the time the markets closed on Friday, October 16, 1987, economic uncertainty signaled what would come at the beginning of the week as the Dow Jones began to decline, seeing a 4.6% downturn by the end of the day.

That Saturday, Treasury Secretary James Baker's proposal to devalue the US dollar to minimize the growing trade deficit escalated anxieties, heightening financial panic.

Automatic transactions heightened the crash as investors transitioned to computerized trading.

Investors rushed to sell their stocks when news of the financial crash began spreading.

New York Daily News Archive/NY Daily News via Getty Images

By 1987, investors had begun using computerized trading programs designed to send sell or buy orders whenever stock prices behaved a certain way.

The Black Monday crash showed how these early technologies affected the market during a drastic downturn.

Computerized portfolio insurance programs contributed to the free fall.

Computerized trading systems contributed to the acceleration of the market downturn.

Lennox McLendon/AP

New automated portfolio insurance tools used software to automatically sell stocks whenever they dropped below a certain price. These programs automatically sold a large number of stocks, overwhelming the market and further contributing to the accelerated financial downturn.

Widespread panic led to chaotic markets.

Panic caused many to rush to sell their stocks, creating a domino effect in the markets.

New York Daily News Archive/NY Daily News via Getty Images

As news of the crash spread through Wall Street and beyond, investors rushed to sell in frantic efforts to save their funds. The panic only made more and more traders sell their stocks, pushing the markets further down.

The effects of the crash were felt across the globe, with Asian markets getting an early hit.

People gathered to watch stock updates on the streets of Hong Kong on Black Monday.

Peter Charlesworth/LightRocket via Getty Images

Hours before Wall Street even opened, stock markets in Asia felt the shockwaves of the financial downturn, which quickly became a global concern.

London saw a significant downturn, with the Financial Times Stock Exchange 100 index dropping over 10%, as reported by The Guardian. Meanwhile, in Hong Kong, the panic caused the stock exchange to close for days.

The Federal Reserve aimed to reduce the financial disaster by lowering interest rates.

The crash's impact was felt inside the Paris Stock Exchange in France.

San Francisco Chronicle/Hearst Newspapers/Hearst Newspapers via Getty Images

In response to the market panic, the Federal Reserve lowered interest rates by half a percentage point. Chairman Alan Greenspan also released a public statement declaring the institution's commitment to providing liquidity.

These actions helped slow the market downturn and prevent the panic from accelerating further.

Average people also felt the effects of the market plunge in their wallets.

Many feared what the market crash meant for their saving and retirement funds.

New York Daily News Archive/NY Daily News via Getty Images

The sudden market crash put people's retirement and savings funds at risk.

As people panicked, media outlets rushed to spread information about the markets.

News of the financial crash and its repercussions also hit the Royal Exchange in London.

Georges De Keerle/Getty Images

As the global markets plunged, newscasts turned their focus to the economy. However, the technologies mass media relied on at the time — mostly newspapers and TV news — failed to update consumers quickly enough about the market movements as they progressed by the minute, adding to the existing panic and heightening the misinformation experienced in and outside Wall Street.

The crash led to a wave of market reforms to prevent future panics.

At the Sydney Stock Exchange in Australia, the market crash was also observed.

TORSTEN BLACKWOOD/AFP via Getty Images

Following the crash, the US Securities and Exchange Commission began asking stock exchanges to employ circuit breakers to halt market activity during extreme volatility. This aimed to both prevent panic from spreading and incentivize traders to think through their decisions.

The circuit breakers have only been used a handful of times since their inception, including during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic and, most recently, following Trump's tariff announcements.

Black Monday remains the worst one-day percentage drop in the US stock market's history.

Black Monday pushed the SEC to implement safeguard mechanisms to prevent future crashes.

New York Daily News Archive/NY Daily News via Getty Images

On Black Monday, the New York Stock Exchange lost over $500 billion in market value, according to Goldman Sachs.

However, the markets were able to begin recovering in the following weeks, and by 1988, the markets had surpassed their pre-crash record high.

Although short-lived, the financial crash helped reform the stock exchanges and put mechanisms in place to prevent a drastic downturn and widespread panic from impacting US and global markets.

Read the original article on Business Insider

from Business Insider https://ift.tt/aU86Wun

For GenZers working in clean energy, DOGE's cuts mean finding creative career pivots

Aaron Yang, 22, took a voluntary buyout from the Energy Department.

Aarron Yang

• GenZers working in clean energy are facing multiple career roadblocks.
• The Trump administration slashed Biden's big energy investment and fired thousands of workers.
• Two laid-off federal workers said they are optimistic and open-minded, despite the setbacks.

In just four months, Aaron Yang's young career in renewable energy had hit the highs and lows you might expect of a more seasoned worker.

Yang, 22, graduated from New York University in December and landed a job at the Department of Energy in an office doling out grants to nascent clean technologies like hydrogen, advanced nuclear, and long-duration battery storage.

By April, he had been fired, rehired, and accepted a voluntary buyout under President Donald Trump and Elon Musk's efforts to shrink the federal government. Renewable energy programs were a top target, with Trump on January 20 signing an executive order freezing funding authorized by the Inflation Reduction Act, President Joe Biden's signature climate law. Since then, thousands of federal employees working on clean energy, environmental justice, and climate science have been terminated.

"Throughout college, I worked toward this career path," Yang told Business Insider in April at a career fair in Washington, DC. "Then I got into the DOE and felt that was a huge achievement. So to then immediately get laid off has been tough to reconcile."

Yang is among many Gen Zers entering a job market defined by hiring slumps in industries like tech, finance, and consulting. The upheaval in Washington has further clouded their career paths, particularly in the renewable energy industry, as tariffs and frozen federal funding have led companies to delay new projects or scrap them altogether.

White House spokesperson Taylor Rogers cited Friday's strong jobs report to say that Trump was bringing jobs back "and making America the world's manufacturing powerhouse once again." A DOE spokesperson told Business Insider that the department was still reviewing its organizational structure to align with the president's priorities.

"The American people provided President Trump with a mandate to govern and to unleash affordable, abundant, and secure American energy," they said, adding, "No final decisions have been made and multiple plans are still being considered."

Canceled clean energy factories

At a job fair during DC's inaugural Climate Week, more than 50 companies and trade associations met some 1,200 job seekers. They lined up to chat with firms including Amazon, the solar manufacturer Qcells, and Arcadia, an AI analytics platform for energy.

More than 1,200 people attended a job fair hosted by Clean Energy for America on April 30.

Clean Energy for America

Zainab Mirza organized the job fair for Clean Energy for America, a trade group that lobbies Congress and the administration on issues like protecting tax credits for renewable energy.

Mirza experienced similar career setbacks as Yang. She graduated from American University in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic, which thwarted her plans to pursue a career in international development overseas. In February, she was laid off from the DOE's Loan Program Office, where she had just become a full-time employee after being a contractor for two years.

The slashed investments go beyond the federal government. In the first three months of 2025, companies canceled, closed, or downsized projects totaling nearly $8 billion in investment. This affected 16 new factories for electric vehicles, batteries, and hydrogen — more than three times the cancellation rate over the previous 30 months, according to an analysis by E2, a business group that advocates for clean energy, and the think tank Atlas Public Policy.

"If this self-inflicted and unnecessary market uncertainty continues, we'll almost certainly see more projects paused, more construction halted, and more job opportunities disappear," Michael Timberlake, spokesperson for E2, said in a statement.

Between January 2024 and March 2025, the number of new job postings across renewable power — including solar, wind, nuclear, hydropower, and geothermal — dropped by more than 20%, indicating a slowdown in labor demand, an analysis Revelio Labs conducted for BI showed.

Some companies continue to invest in the energy transition. In March, 10 solar, EV, and transmission manufacturing plants were announced, which, if built, could create 5,000 permanent jobs. That includes Tesla's plans to build a battery factory near Houston.

Billions of dollars deployed

Despite the hurdles, Mirza was optimistic about the future. While the DOE is expected to be less active and shift away from wind and solar projects, it may help finance nuclear, geothermal, and power grid resilience.

Katie Mehnert, CEO of ALLY Energy, an online career and networking platform, said the energy industry is always changing. Mehnert lives in Texas, where layoffs are also hitting the oil and gas sector. The rise of artificial intelligence is ushering in another transformation of how businesses operate. But there will be jobs, Mehnert said. ALLY recently partnered with Parallell, an AI-driven jobs platform that aims to make job hunting more efficient and better match people's expertise to openings.

"We need more energy, we need sustainable energy, we need affordable energy," Mehnert said. "And there's plenty of money that's been deployed. Now we need to find the best talent and match them with opportunities quicker. That way, we can minimize the disruption in job marketing and people's personal lives."

Mirza, for her part, encouraged young people to be open-minded to positions they may not have considered.

"I'm not sure where I want to go next," Mirza said. "I've had a blast putting this event together. I think that people here can meet with employers they might not have heard of or thought about, or a skill that they haven't developed. There are upskilling opportunities. There are incubators. Maybe you've had an idea for so long, and now you can test it out."

Yang said he's open-minded, too. Although his time at DOE was focused on long-duration energy storage like batteries, he is open to other technologies. During his undergrad internships, Yang worked on transmission infrastructure, sales teams, and policy development.

For now, Yang decided to accelerate his pursuit of a master's in energy, policy, and climate at Johns Hopkins University while looking for a full time job. He's come close several times, but ultimately, someone with more experience was hired.

"That's no fault of my own," Yang said. "There are a ton of talented people out there right now, and I haven't worked full-time yet. So I'm cautiously optimistic. I don't know what my future holds."

Do you have a story to share? Contact this reporter at cboudreau@businessinsider.com.

Read the original article on Business Insider

from Business Insider https://ift.tt/KraYbl2