Redfin forecasts that 2026 will mark the start of a "Great Housing Reset" in the real estate market.
Researchers expect a multiyear stretch of improved affordability, as incomes outpace home price growth.
It could set the stage for more Americans to have a better shot at homeownership.
If you're among the many Americans who lament that the pandemic housing boom passed you by, 2026 might finally be your moment.
A new Redfin report predicts that next year will usher in what the company calls "The Great Housing Reset." Researchers expect a multi-year stretch of slowly rising home sales and improved affordability, as incomes outpace home prices for the first sustained period since the Great Recession.
Redfin forecasts that mortgage rates will gradually decline over the course of 2026 and that, by year's end, the median home-sale price will be up just 1% from a year earlier. Existing-home sales — the sale of previously owned homes — are expected to climb 3% from 2025, reaching an annualized pace of 4.2 million.
Daryl Fairweather, Redfin's chief economist, told Business Insider that home sales will pick up as the "rate-lock" effect fades and more homeowners with low mortgage rates finally decide to sell.
"A lot of people bought during the pandemic; there was just a huge surge of activity because of how low rates were," Fairweather said. "A typical homebuyer stays in their home for 10 years, and we're five years out from the start of the pandemic. Naturally, we'll start to see more people be ready to sell homes again — it's not going to be a drastic change; it'll just be more of a loosening of the market."
The market went haywire in the pandemic, but things are finally starting to settle
Over the last few years, the housing market has been strained. It all stems from the COVID-19 pandemic and its ripple effects on the real estate market.
In the early stages of the pandemic, the US government rolled out a massive stimulus package to prop up the economy. That, combined with rock-bottom mortgage rates, inadvertently set off one of the most dramatic homebuying frenzies in US history. Between late 2020 and 2021, a surge in demand drove home prices to record highs, exacerbating the nation's long-standing housing shortage.
Those pandemic-era dynamics have shaped the market ever since.
By late 2025, though, there are signs the market is easing up. In many cities — even once-red-hot pandemic boomtowns like Austin and Tampa — softer demand has meant homes sit on the market longer, pushing sellers to cut prices and offer more incentives and concessions as buyers regain leverage.
Redfin expects that dynamic, along with gradually declining mortgage rates, to lure more would-be buyers back into the market. Still, researchers warn that even as conditions improve, affordability will remain a major barrier to homeownership for many, especially younger buyers.
"We're not going to see this wave of people rushing into the market again; we'll see more of a normalization — more of a return to what the housing market felt like pre-pandemic," Fairweather said. "It's still going to be more expensive, but wages have increased considerably since 2018 and 2019, so I think more people will feel like, for their own personal circumstances, it's finally the right time to buy."
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Every gift in this guide can either be personalized with your company logo or ordered in bulk at a discount.
Crate & Barrel
Corporate gifting season has arrived, and it's time to treat your employees for their hard work and dedication. Instead of cheap plastic water bottles and throwaway shades with your logo on it, we've rounded up nearly 40 options they'll actually love. These are the best corporate gifts that they'll be talking about for years to come. All of our ideas can be easily ordered in bulk and many can be to personalized with your company's logo and shipped to multiple locations. Below are a variety of ideas that your employees and clients will be delighted to receive from gourmet charcuterie boards to one of our favorite pairs of noise-cancelling headphones. We recommend placing your orders early to ensure timely delivery for the holidays, as placing bulk orders typically follows a different delivery timeline.
This gift guide features a sponsored inclusion from lululemon. The product also meets our editorial criteria in terms of quality and value.
Affordable luxury goods from Quince
Quince
Quince Carry-On Hard Shell Suitcase
Quince is one of our favorite retailers for reasonably priced luxury-quality goods. We've reviewed dozens of items from Quince, but some favorites that would make great corporate gifts include this backpack (a dupe of Dagne Dover's Dakota backpack) and the hardshell suitcase, which we named the best budget pick in our guide to the best carry-on bags. Quince has a dedicated corporate gifting program, which allows you to add your logo and access wholesale pricing. Options include embroidery, screen printing, embossing, white labeling, and more.
A bottle of California olive oil with a custom message
Flamingo Estate
Flamingo Estate Personalized Heritage Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Flamingo Estate is one of the buzziest brands of 2025. Its farm-to-table offerings make beautiful, bespoke gifts that feel unique and special. We also love the brand's candles too. The brand can accommodate corporate gifting inquiries for up to 500 recipients, with options to add personalized messages and send to multiple addresses.
Premium activewear and accessories from a much-loved athletic brand
lululemon
lululemon Everywhere Backpack, 22L
Premium, comfortable athleticwear makes for a corporate gift that will be universally loved and oft worn. Cult-favorite brand lululemon has a devoted following and can claim several viral products among its offerings, including its ultra-popular belt bags, scuba hoodies, and ABC pants (a particular hit with golfers). You can use its dedicated corporate gifting program for orders of over 50 items, with the option to add your company's branding.
Custom leather tech folios with their initials or your team's logo
Mark & Graham
Mark & Graham Essential Tech Folio
Every item at Mark & Graham can be customized, making it a great one-stop shop for corporate gifting. We particularly like this tech folio; ideal for road warriors and business travelers of all kinds. Learn more about Mark & Graham's corporate gifting program.
Decadent chocolates engraved with your logo
La Maison du Chocolat
La Maison du Chocolat Coffret Maison Dark and Milk Chocolate, 40 Pieces
Our pick for the best chocolates you can gift, La Maison du Chocolate offers gift sets that are sure to impress your employees with both high-quality chocolate and beautiful packaging.
Through the brand's corporate concierge, you can customize not only the box, but also the chocolates themselves with your company logo.
The very best slippers and socks
Gabrielle Chase/Business Insider
Bombas Sunday Slippers
Bombas makes some of our all-time favorite socks and slippers. Its bulk gifting program allows you to get 20% off orders between $1,000 and $5,000, and your gift will go even further — Bombas will donate one pair of socks to those in need for every pair purchased.
There are many circumstances where sending flowers to employees, clients, or customers is appropriate. Whether you're offering condolences, sending a note of thanks, or celebrating an important milestone, The Bouqs Co. is the best flower delivery service we tested. The brand has a dedicated page for B2B orders and can handle both one-off arrangements and bulk gifting.
A piece of swag they'll actually get some use out of
Blunt
Blunt Metro Travel Umbrella
An umbrella is a classic corporate gift, and for good reason: It's actually useful. We've tested dozens of the best umbrellas, and nothing beats the Blunt Metro. You can inquire about branded orders customized with your company's logo.
Engraved spirits from ReserveBar
Crystal Cox/Business Insider
ReserveBar Veuve Clicquot Yellow Label
Consider a bottle of their favorite spirit from ReserveBar's corporate gifting guide. Based on your employees' preferences, you can choose from a wide variety of champagnes, tequilas, and cocktail gift sets.
If you're looking to make this gift even more special, you can opt for a custom bottle engraving.
High quality cuts of meat
ButcherBox
ButcherBox Ultimate Variety Box
Meat delivery services are a popular way to send specialty cuts of meat straight to their door, including beef, chicken, pork, and sausage. ButcherBox's corporate gifting program lets you send up to 100 boxes to multiple addresses and offers discounts when you buy in bulk. You can also work with a gifting specialist to customize your order. The company prides itself on its high-quality meat that's humanely raised, with no antibiotics or added hormones.
A handy portable battery
Amazon
Anker 621 MagoGo Wireless Portable Charger
There's nothing worse than running out of power on your phone while working on the go. This portable power bank from Anker has enough juice to provide at least four full charges on most phones. Anker also offers helpful corporate gifting options with logo customization.
Delicious treats from Goldbelly
Goldbelly
Goldbelly Corporate Gifts
You can never go wrong with baked goods. Goldbelly's corporate gifting program allows you to send local eats to your employees regardless of their location. You can also narrow your search by region.
It offers everything from organic mixed fruit baskets to gift boxes of assorted brownies. Plus, every order also helps support small or minority-owned businesses. For bulk orders of 15 recipients or more, you can email concierge@goldbelly.com.
A custom word search throw with company themes
Uncommon Goods
Uncommon Goods Personalized Word Search Throw
Uncommon Goods excels in personalized gifts, and this custom word search throw allows you to add up to 15 words unique to your team. It's a great option for a gift with a team theme that doesn't feel overtly branded. The brand has a dedicated corporate gifting page with all available bulk order options.
Elegant candles from Diptyque
Diptyque
Diptyque Feu du Bois Candle
There are plenty of amazing candles out there, but few are quite as giftable as Diptyque's. These premium candles are available in many scents to suit the different personalities of your employees, and they look great on any tabletop (office, bedroom, or otherwise). It's a luxe treat that will be received very well.
You can contact the brand about corporate gifts and to place a large order.
A Hydro Flask mug with your team's logo
Hydro Flask
Hydro Flask Insulated Coffee Mug (12-oz.)
This mug is a common desk companion for the Insider Reviews team. The 12-ounce coffee mug has the company's proprietary TempShield insulation that made its water bottles famous. Hydro Flask will put your company's branding on the mug.
A dash of greenery on their desk or in their room will make them happy — make it low-maintenance and nearly impossible to kill, and they'll be even happier. You can learn more about custom gifting at Lula's Garden here.
There's no sweeter way to thank your employees for their hard work than with a box of Shari's Berries chocolate-covered treats. The strawberries are hand-dipped in decadent chocolate and finished with a contrasting chocolate drizzle. This gift is so delicious it probably won't last long, but we think that's a good thing.
You can save up to 15% when you place a bulk order at Shari's Berries. Just email corporate@berries.com to learn more.
Crate & Barrel has some excellent corporate gifts, including many that can be personalized, like these cutting boards. You can email gifting@crateandbarrel.com or check out the brand's corporate gifting page for more.
A pair of comfortable and stylish sneakers
Allbirds/Insider
Allbirds Wool Runners
Allbirds makes some of the most comfortable sneakers we've tested and the brand has a bulk ordering form so you can outfit the entire office. Our favorite Allbirds style is the Wool Runners, which are like wearing a really supportive and stylish slipper. As a bonus, they're machine washable.
A variety of Sugarwish candies for every kind of sweet tooth
Sugarwish
Sugarwish Candy or Snack Gift Box
If your employees prefer sour, sweet, or even chocolate candy, Sugarwish's wide offering of sweets and snacks has them covered. Plus, Sugarwish's corporate gifting program allows businesses to customize candies with branding and logos.
Cute gift boxes you can curate
Greetabl
Greetabl Personalized Gift Box
Greetabl lets you pick everything from the box and bow to the contents inside the present. You can pick everything from a mug and socks to bath bombs and hot sauce to create a truly customizable gift. The "Send Many" option lets you place a bulk order in minutes.
Compact Bluetooth earbuds
JLab
JLab Go Air Pop Bluetooth Earbuds
Reliable wireless earbuds make a great gift, and the JLab Go Air Pop are among the best earbuds you can get on a budget. They're perfect for listening to music during or after work, feature a compact design, have great battery life, and come in lots of fun colors. JLab also offers discounts for bulk orders.
A gift card for good eats
Carlo Allegri/Reuters
DoorDash Gift Card
It can be hard to find a gift the whole team will love, but a DoorDash gift card is sure to be unanimously loved. They can use it to get groceries, a five-star meal, or everyday essentials delivered straight to their door.
DoorDash offers bulk pricing for businesses, which you can learn more about on the DoorDash website.
A box of work-from-home essentials
Delightly
Delightly Home Office Essentials
A great way to thank remote employees for all of their hard work is with a box of essentials to upgrade their home office. This kit features a mug, desktop vacuum, custom journal, and essential oils to help them keep their space tidy, their ideas organized, their mind focused, and their body relaxed after a long day. If you're doing a large order for your organization, you can contact Delightly for a quote.
A business-minded read
Barnes & Noble
Barnes & Noble Gift Card
Is there a book the CEO of your organization swears everyone needs to read once in their life? A hardcover that your founder recommends to anyone who will listen? If so, give everyone at your company the chance to finally read it. Barnes & Noble makes it easy to bulk order books, just fill out a quote.
Olive oil they've been meaning to try from Brightland
Brightland
Brightland Awake Olive Oil
California brand Brightland makes extra virgin olive oil and vinegar that we've found to be full-bodied and sharp. Its recognizable white bottles protect the EVOO from light damage — and also look really nice displayed on a countertop. Read our full Brightland olive oil review.
Noise-canceling headphones for loud work environments
Ryan Waniata/Business Insider
Anker Soundcore Life Q30 Noise Canceling Headphones
More workers are logging on while on the road. Whether in airports or busy coffee shops, finding the quiet needed for more cognitively challenging tasks can be tricky. Enter the Anker Soundcore Life Q30 headphones, our pick for the best headphones on a budget. Their active noise-canceling performance is surprisingly strong and perfect for helping employees focus in any environment.
If you work at a food and beverage brand, a food media company, or any organization where food is a huge part of your day-to-day work, a great piece of cookware is a thoughtful gift for your employees. This one from Our Place is designed to make your life in the kitchen easier with smart, functional features like a built-in spoon rest and included steamer.
Whether this luxuriously soft blanket hangs over their desk chair or drapes on their couch at home, it's sure to be a well-appreciated gift. For a touch of company spirit, you can add monograms or your company logo, too.
Applying to Pottery Barn's corporate gifting program is quick, easy, and free. You can join and place your corporate gifting order in just a few days.
Tote bags of your city
West Elm
Claudia Pearson City Tote Bags
Pay homage to the city where you work with these cute canvas tote bags. Each one is covered in illustrations depicting the symbols that make each city unique. West Elm even has a corporate gifting program.
High-quality sunglasses from Sunglass Hut
Sunglass Hut
Ray-Ban Sunglasses
Sunglasses are a common gift or employee freebie, but they're rarely worn because they're usually plain or low-quality.
Sunglass Hut offers stylish options that everyone will actually want to wear from top brands like Ray-Ban, Oakley, Maui Jim, Persol, Polo Ralph Lauren, Oliver Peoples, and more. You can truly wow with the latest Ray-Ban Meta AI glasses or stick with some of our favorite polarized styles. A perk of ordering through Sunglass Hut is that anyone can go to a store to receive a free personalized adjustment if the glasses don't fit well and many styles are prescription friendly. Learn about corporate gifting at Sunglass Hut.
Custom L.L.Bean jackets
L.L.Bean
L.L.Bean Men's Sweater Fleece Full-Zip Jacket
When it comes to gifting clothing, one size does not fit all. Luckily, L.L.Bean's business gifting site offers a wide range of inclusive sizes, from S to 3X. Its fitness fleece quarter-zip jacket is available in five colors and can be customized with a logo.
Whether you're sipping on a hot or cold drink, YETI's stainless steel, double-wall insulated tumblers never fail to keep your beverage at the optimal temperature. Employees can keep them on their desks or bring them along to the trails on their days off. The brand makes some of the best travel mugs you can buy.
Who wouldn't want a product that makes their home smell fresh and clean? This NEST Reed Diffuser features a vibrant and energizing herbal blend of eucalyptus, lemongrass, and ginger, which will waft through their space for up to 90 days. The beautiful glass vessel is reusable and can be refilled with the same scent or something new.
NEST has a corporate gifting program that offers free shipping, exclusive benefits, and even allows you to customize gifts with your company logo.
Leather accessories from Leatherology
Leatherology/Instagram
Leatherology Bifold Wallet
Send employees a beautiful, full-grain leather accessory like a luggage tag, business card case, or keychain. For an extra special touch, add a debossed monogram or logo.
Though leather goods sound like a premium gift that could be out of your budget, Leatherology sells its bags and accessories without the markup, so customers don't have to spend so much for a touch of luxury. You can fill out a corporate gift inquiry form at Leatherology.
Mashable magnet toys from Speks
Crystal Cox/Insider
Speks 2.5mm Magnet Balls
We loved these tiny magnet toys a lot more than we expected to. Less obnoxious than fidget spinners, they're immensely satisfying to play with and build with as you work through a problem or concentrate on a task. The set includes 512 rare earth magnetic balls, a metal building base, a plastic splitter card, a 16-page starter guide, and a carrying case. The brand offers options to customize colors and logos to suit your business via its corporate ordering page. Check out our full Speks magnets review.
A luxurious cashmere beanie
Naadam
Naadam The Essential Ribbed Cashmere Beanie
Naadam's ribbed cashmere beanie is a practical but luxurious winter accessory that will make their winter commutes all the more pleasant. It is made of super-soft 100% Mongolian cashmere, comes in a variety of colors, is unisex, and is seriously cozy. Email corporategifting@naadam.co to get started on coordinating a Naadam order for your team.
A reliable phone case for first-rate protection
Otterbox
Otterbox Commuter Series for iPhone 17
A sturdy phone case can provide your employees with peace of mind, and the Commuter case from Otterbox is one of the top picks in our guide to the best iPhone cases. This model is specifically for the iPhone 17, but the brand also sells options for other phones from Apple, Samsung, Google, OnePlus, and more. The case offers excellent drop protection in a grippy and light design. The brand also offers customization options so you can add a company logo.
A new houseplant
The Sill
The Sill indoor plants
House plants are proven to enhance mood, boost productivity, reduce stress, improve air quality, and they look nice. The Sill's new corporate gifting platform makes it easy to send live plants to your team and can help you choose which plant to send. We suggest something that's easy to care for in case your employee has never had a plant before and can handle low light, like a snake plant.
Cervical cancer is on the rise as screening has declined post-COVID. New guidelines aim to make it easier to test for HPV, the main cause of cervical cancer.
Keeproll/Getty Images
New testing options could make it easier to screen for the most common cause of cervical cancer.
An FDA-approved kit could allow for testing without a pap smear or pelvic exam.
The shift is among medical innovations aiming to curb the rising number of early-onset cancers.
People will soon be able to collect their own samples for cervical cancer screening, according to a major new update to the American Cancer Society's screening guidelines.
It's the biggest shift in cervical cancer prevention since HPV testing became the preferred alternative to routine pap smears in 2014.
The new guidance allows patients to swab themselves to test for human papillomavirus (HPV), a sexually transmitted infection that is the primary cause of cervical cancer.
The hope is that this change — part of a broader trend in healthcare making preventative care simpler — will help to catch more cases by speeding up screening.
While the American Cancer Society (ACS) does not dictate federal screening rules, its guidelines are widely used by oncologists and health systems, often paving the way for formal policy changes.
New technology is helping cancer screening to "evolve," said Dr. Robert Smith, senior author of the report and epidemiologist at the ACS.
"These updated recommendations will help to improve compliance with screening and reduce the risk of cervical cancer," Smith said in a press release.
Screening is crucial for cancer prevention
Cervical cancer is among the most preventable — and treatable — types of cancer, thanks to HPV vaccinations and routine screening. But rates of both have dropped in recent years, in part because the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted access to preventive care.
Until recently, HPV screenings meant booking an appointment with a clinician to collect a sample and do a pelvic exam.
That shifted in 2024, when the FDA green-lit testing for self-collected samples, initially in healthcare settings like primary care offices or mobile health clinics. This year, the agency went a step further, approving at-home test options with telehealth support.
Research suggests the testing results for self-collected samples are on par with those collected by physicians when it comes to screening for HPV. Some data found they're slightly less accurate, which is why some doctors still prefer clinical samples when possible, according to the ACS.
Still, having an alternative to pelvic exams could increase HPV screening for people who may find it hard to get an appointment due lack of insurance, long wait lists, or logistical hurdles like scheduling, transportation, or childcare.
Self-collection could also increase testing rates for people who may find a pelvic exam intimidating or uncomfortable, whether due to past trauma, medical anxiety, or simply personal preference.
In Australia, where self-collection for HPV became widely available in 2022, rates of cervical cancer have declined, and screening has increased among patients who had previously not been tested.
How it works
Kits for self-collecting samples for HPV testing are available now via prescription from your doctor (or in some cases, through a virtual appointment, depending on what state you live in).
Using the kit is fairly straightforward: you use a device that looks like a large Q-tip or tampon to swab the vagina for a sample, then send that sample to a lab for screening. If the results are negative, you don't need to get an in-person Pap smear.
For certain abnormal results, the next step may be a clinician-collected sample, or another HPV screening in one to three years, according to NIH guidelines.
The current guidelines recommend starting cervical screening at age 25 for people of average risk, and that HPV testing be done every five years through age 65. The full screening guideline updates were published in the American Cancer Society's CA: A Cancer Journal for Clinicians.
2025 has seen over 1.1 million job cuts in the US so far, according to Challenger, Gray & Christmas.
The firm said it was just the sixth time since 1993 that the figure had passed 1.1 million.
It's also the most layoffs in a year since 2020, when the COVID pandemic upended the labor market.
This year has seen the most layoffs in the US since the pandemic, according to the consulting firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas.
Employers have announced 1.17 million job cuts through November, a report published on Thursday showed.
It's just the sixth time since 1993 that this figure has exceeded 1.1 million.
2025 has seen the fifth-highest number of job cuts. The most were seen in 2020, when the labor market was upended by the COVID-19 pandemic. 2020 marks the only time there were more than 2 million job cuts through November.
After 2020 and 2025, the worst years for job cuts in the past three decades were 2001, 2002, and 2009, when the financial crisis led to mass layoffs.
The report found US employers announced 71,321 job cuts in November — up 24% from the same period last year.
"Job cuts in November have risen above 70,000 only twice since 2008: in 2022 and in 2008," said Andy Challenger, chief revenue officer for Challenger, Gray & Christmas.
The firm said that telecommunications companies cut the most jobs last month, at over 15,000, followed by some 12,000 layoffs in tech.
Director Carl Erik Rinsch at a 2015 event in Los Angeles.
John Sciulli/Getty Images for Team One, Saatchi LA
Director Carl Erik Rinsch is on trial in NY, fighting charges he scammed Netflix out of $11 million.
Prosecutors say Rinsch blew money meant for his sci-fi series on luxuries and playing the market.
On Tuesday, jurors saw how he lost a fortune on options trades soon after Netflix wired the cash.
Director Carl Eric Rinsch made so many failed, seven-figure option bets after Netflix wired him $11 million that his broker at Wells Fargo tried — and failed — to stop him, a New York fraud jury heard on Tuesday.
"I can afford to lose the money," Rinsch said, according to testimony by his former Wells Fargo advisor, Ronald See.
And when the brokerage hit the brakes — limiting him to $250,000 per transaction — the show developer was undaunted.
On March 30, 2019, just three weeks after receiving the $11 million, Rinsch instructed See, of Wells Fargo Advisors, to wire his remaining $8.5 million to Citibank so he could establish a new brokerage account with Charles Schwab.
"They won't put restrictions on me there," Rinsch wrote See in a letter shown to jurors.
Rinsch, 48, is on trial in federal court in Manhattan, fighting charges that he had no right to use the $11 million Netflix sent him on anything other than "White Horse," the 120-minute TV series he'd already spent $44 million of Netflix's money on. (Rinsch ultimately never finished a single episode of the clones-versus-humans sci-fi thriller.)
Defense lawyers counter that the $11 million was actually Rinsch's contractually-promised payment for having completed principal photography, and was his money to spend as he pleased.
Either way, testimony on Tuesday by two of Rinsch's former financial advisors showed that he was eager to spend the cash prosecutors say the director had quickly moved into his Wells Fargo account.
The streamer wired Rinsch the $11 million on March 6, 2020, as the COVID-19 pandemic halted film production worldwide.
Over the next three weeks, he then lost some $5.8 million, almost all of it on highly risky options trades involving Gilead Sciences, which was developing COVID-19 treatment drugs. (See would earn a $22,000 fee on these losses, the defense pointed out on cross-examination.)
The director was off to the races again as soon as he switched to Charles Schwab, according to testimony.
"I could send $3 mm personal to get started," he wrote to his new financial advisor, Adam Checchi, who also testified on Tuesday.
"I understood that to mean three million from his personal funds," Checchi said under questioning by a federal prosecutor.
Checchi told jurors that Rinsch would soon lose almost $6 million more, mostly on failed, highly risky bets that Gilead's stock would rise and that the S&P 500 would decline.
"I'm not a broad, diversify kind of guy," Rinsch explained in a late March 2020 email, adding that he pursues "aggressive" option trading "fully expecting to lose it all."
On overhead screens, defense attorney Benjamin Zeman showed Friedlander — and the jury — emails from August 2019, in which Rinsch begged for "immediate support" with casting in Brazil.
"Show is set to collapse," Rinsch wrote.
The defense is blaming the implosion of White Horse on Netflix's decision to pull support for the project in September 2020.
In the email chain projected throughout the courtroom on Tuesday, Zeman attempted to show jurors that a year earlier, Friedlander was already cold toward the show developer's requests for help.
"His own delays in decisions have caused this," Friedlander wrote in forwarding Rinsch's email to Mike Posey, an original series vice president, and others, including production executive Shelley Stevens and Rahul Bansal, an original series director.
Rinsch would continue asking for support — and money — for another six months before Netflix forwarded the $11 million payment at the center of the trial. The project was ultimately written off by Netflix as a tax loss eight months later, in November 2020.
Rinsch's trial is expected to continue through next week. He faces up to 90 years in prison if convicted of wire fraud, money laundering, and engaging in unlawful monetary transactions.
Gilded Age tycoons built ornate mansions on New York's Fifth Avenue and in Newport, Rhode Island.
Some of today's wealthiest people have opted for more discreet or modest homes.
Today's billionaires live in diverse locations across the US, like the Bay Area, Miami, and Seattle.
A century ago, the wealthiest people in America often lived in ornate residences reminiscent of European royal palaces.
Today, some of the richest citizens are more discreet about their wealth, opting for low-key mountain homes, secure bunkers, or even prefabricated houses. Others, meanwhile, have spent big on tropical getaways and luxurious beachfront estates.
While lavish mansions are still built by wealthy Americans, today's real estate trends and status symbols differ from those of 120 years ago.
See how America's wealthiest have changed their residences as they've moved from Fifth Avenue to Silicon Valley.
During the peak of the Gilded Age, some of the wealthiest Americans lived in full view on New York City's Fifth Avenue.
Library of Congress/Corbis/VCG via Getty Images
The Gilded Age is typically defined as the years between 1865 and 1900, when wealth in America rocketed during a period of exorbitant industrial growth.
During the period, and in the years following it, Fifth Avenue mansions became a status symbol for those trying to establish their place in New York society. Some of the country's wealthiest lived next to one another on what became known as Millionaires' Row.
The Gilded Age brought the exorbitant wealth of industrialists — and their children — to the avenue.
Edwin Levick/Getty Images
Built in 1883, the French-inspired residence of Cornelius II Vanderbilt was the avenue's largest among high society's homes and remains the largest home to have ever been built in New York City.
The mansion, which was believed to have around 130 rooms, was home to a son and heir of Cornelius Vanderbilt, who had an estimated net worth of nearly $276 billion in today's money, per Forbes' 2006 reporting and adjusted for inflation via the Bureau of Labor Statistics' inflation calculator.
In 1928, the home was replaced with a Bergdorf-Goodman department store. Many Gilded Age mansions in New York City were demolished in the early- to mid-20th century to make way for commercial or apartment buildings, while a few became museums.
Industry leaders like Andrew Carnegie also called the street home.
Museum of the City of New York/Byron Collection/Getty Images
By the turn of the century, steel industrialist Andrew Carnegie — who founded and led the Carnegie Steel Company and had an estimated net worth of over $460 billion in today's currency — joined the group of wealthy residents on the avenue.
Located in the neighborhood now known as Carnegie Hill, the steel magnate's mansion was completed in 1902 and sat further north than those of previous generations of millionaires, which were clustered closer to Midtown Manhattan.
Today, it is the Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum.
J.P. Morgan took up residence in Murray Hill.
George Rinhart/Corbis via Getty Images
J.P. Morgan, the Wall Street titan, built his residence in the neighborhood of Murray Hill instead.
The financier, who had a net worth of $80 million at the time of his death in 1913, per Time — around $2.7 billion today — bought his house, which today houses The Morgan Library & Museum, in 1882.
Others, like John D. Rockefeller, built large estates further north of the city.
Remi BENALI/Gamma-Rapho via Getty Images
For the elites looking to escape the city, upstate New York offered a quiet and convenient location to build massive estates.
About 25 miles north of New York City, John D. Rockefeller's Kykuit estate was built in 1913 and housed generations of the family until the 1970s. The Standard Oil Company founder had an estimated net worth of over $500 billion in today's money — he is considered the richest American of all time.
Rockefeller's brother, William, had purchased the 204-room mansion Rockwood Hall in 1886, and the area quickly became a hot spot for the era's elites.
Railroad magnate Jay Gould was another industry leader who bought property in the Hudson Valley.
Lyndhurst Mansion.
Talia Lakritz/Business Insider
Jay Gould, railroad tycoon and one of the wealthiest Americans in history — with an estimated net worth of $95.33 billion in today's money — also purchased an estate in Tarrytown, a Hudson Valley town outside of New York City.
Other industrialists, like Henry Clay Frick and Andrew Carnegie, resided in large homes in parts of Pittsburgh.
woodsnorthphoto/Shutterstock
Some magnates of the era resided near their company's operations.
Carnegie Steel Company founder Andrew Carnegie and chairman Henry Clay Frick both lived in the Point Breeze neighborhood in Pittsburgh, where the company had its headquarters.
In the Midwest, Cleveland had its own "Millionaires' Row" on Euclid Avenue.
Euclid Avenue housed some of the most lavish homes in the country and was often compared to Paris' Champs-Élysées, Cleveland Historic reported.
John D. Rockefeller also lived on the fashionable avenue for nearly 20 years.
Owning a vacation home in Newport, Rhode Island, was a must during the Gilded Age.
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No Gilded Age industrialist's real estate portfolio was complete without a lavish mansion in Newport, Rhode Island.
The Vanderbilts were some of the most notable residents, building large estates on the coast like Cornelius Vanderbilt II's The Breakers, which was completed in 1895, and William K. Vanderbilt's Marble House, completed in 1892.
In the early 1900s, magnates like Henry Flagler built ornate winter homes in Florida.
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The turn of the century brought a land boom to Florida as magnates like Standard Oil's Henry Flagler — who had an estimated net worth of over $234 million in today's money at the time of his death, as reported by The New York Times and adjusted for inflation — moved to the state to escape the North's harsh winters.
The early 20th century saw an influx of wealth and rapid development of luxury winter estates, including the construction of Mar-a-Lago by cereal heiress Marjorie Merriweather Post in 1927.
Today, Florida is still home to some of America's wealthiest, but not just during the winter.
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While America's wealthy have been vacationing in Florida for decades, some are now also making the state their full-time home.
Since the COVID-19 pandemic, the state, which doesn't have a state income tax and offers enjoyable weather year-round, has started attracting millionaires, although Florida's real-estate boom has been slowing down in recent months.
Today, some of the wealthiest Americans, including Jeff Bezos, who has a net worth of $246.6 billion as of December 2, and is the fourth-richest man alive, call the state home.
Some Silicon Valley billionaires live in upscale suburbs in the Bay Area.
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Meanwhile, on the other side of the country, some of the richest Silicon Valley billionaires have opted to stay close to the Bay Area, often residing in luxurious suburbs like Los Altos Hills, home to Nvidia's CEO Jensen Huang, or Crescent Park, where Mark Zuckerberg lives.
The Bay Area is home to 82 billionaires — the most of any area in the world — per Henley & Partners' 2025 World's Wealthiest Cities report.
While Gilded Age tycoons often flaunted their wealth with ornate, highly visible showpiece homes, some of today's billionaires live in private properties obscured by mountains, greenery, or gates.
Some of the world's richest people, like Larry Ellison, live just outside San Francisco.
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Living in Woodside, California, which is 30 miles away from the heart of San Francisco, Oracle founder Larry Ellison is a longtime resident of the state, even as his company's headquarters has moved out of Silicon Valley. He has a fortune of $255.6 billion and is the third-richest man in the world as of December 2.
Other titans keep their dwellings humble, like Warren Buffett's Omaha home.
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Other modern-day billionaires have opted to keep their riches modest, like Warren Buffett, who has lived in the same Omaha, Nebraska, home since 1958.
The investor — who has a net worth of $150 billion as of December 2, and is one of the richest men in the world — originally bought the house for $31,500, CNBC reported, which would be around $358,000 today when adjusted for inflation.
The world's richest man, Elon Musk, lives in a pre-fabricated house in Texas.
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While Elon Musk, the world's richest man, at one point owned luxurious houses in Bay Area suburbs and other California locations like Los Angeles, in 2020, the billionaire sold seven homes in his real estate portfolio and moved to a small, prefabricated home in Boca Chica, Texas, as reported by Architectural Digest.
The tech mogul has said his Texas home is valued at $50,000 and that he rents it from his company, SpaceX. He also noted that he still owns a Bay Area home he uses to host events.
Musk lives near SpaceX's launch site, which has since been integrated into a town called Starbase.
Michael Dell has also stayed close to his company's Texas roots, albeit in a much larger home.
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Michael Dell has stayed in his hometown of Austin, where he built his tech empire. Today, he has an estimated net worth of $149 billion.
Nicknamed "The Castle," the tech billionaire's Austin home sits on top of a hilltop and is about a 20-mile drive from Dell Technologies' headquarters.
Bill Gates has also stayed in his hometown.
Bill Gates and Melinda French Gates owns 10.5 acres of lakefront property in a tony Seattle suburb.
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Nicknamed Xanadu 2.0, the Microsoft founder's technologically advanced home in Medina, Washington (a suburb of Seattle), spans 66,000 square feet.
Gates, who has an estimated net worth of $104.4 billion as of December 2, grew up in the city where he founded Microsoft, which remains headquartered there.
Many of Silicon Valley's wealthiest are buying up getaway estates in Hawaii.
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Figures like Ellison and Zuckerberg have also begun purchasing real estate in Hawaiian islands, where they have prioritized privacy and isolation.
The Meta CEO's estate on the island of Kauai, named Ko'olau Ranch, includes over 2,300 acres of land, some of which he has used for cattle ranching, and a nearly 5,000-square-foot underground bunker.
Ellison owns the entire island of Lanai, the sixth-largest island in Hawaii, after purchasing 98% of the island from former Dole Food Company owner David Murdoch for $300 million in 2012, per The Wall Street Journal.
Other billionaires, such as Walmart heir Rob Walton, are buying estates in places like Arizona.
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While some billionaires have opted for coastal destinations, others have chosen inland escapes.
Rob Walton, the oldest child of Walmart and Sam's Club founder Sam Walton, who served as Walmart's chairman between 1992 and 2015 and continued to serve on the company's board until 2024, owns a house in the Paradise Valley neighborhood of Arizona, near Scottsdale.
The Walmart heir has a net worth of $131.7 billion.
For those who still flock to Manhattan, Billionaires' Row is the new place to live.
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While the richest Americans aren't as concentrated in New York City's Fifth Avenue as they once were, many billionaires still call the Big Apple home.
New York is the city with the most ultrawealthy people — those worth over $30 million — in the world, with 21,380, per a September report by wealth intelligence firm Altrata. It is also home to 66 billionaires, according to Henley & Partners' 2025 Wealthiest Cities report.
Manhattan's Central Park-facing 57th Street has been nicknamed Billionaires' Row since three of the world's tallest residential buildings were erected on the street. These skyscrapers house some of the most expensive apartments in the world.
Some people known to own apartments in the street include Michael Dell and hedge fund managers Bill Ackman and Kenneth Griffin.