Friday, April 26

Tag: billion

Podcast Host, Michelle Obama: How Podcasting Became A Multi-Billion Dollar Industry
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IMPACT, TOP FOUR

Podcast Host, Michelle Obama: How Podcasting Became A Multi-Billion Dollar Industry

“You kind of fail your way to success,” observed Matt Lieber, head of podcast operations at Spotify, at this year’s Audiocraft festival, an annual weekend of panels about podcasting. Normally held in Sydney, this year, thanks to COVID-19, the festival shifted online. Lieber was talking about StartUp, his podcast about establishing Gimlet Media in 2014. Lieber and his business partner, Alex Blumberg, wanted to develop a podcast studio that would become “the HBO of audio”. Last year, Gimlet hit the jackpot. It was acquired by Spotify for US$230 million (A$322 million). While podcasts have been alive on the internet since 2004 (“But what to call it? Audioblogging? Podcasting? GuerillaMedia?” asked the Guardian), 2014’s Serial is largely credited with starting a new boom for the form. Seria...
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US$3 billion Twitter deal – What It Means For Elon Musk And For Social Media
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BUSINESS

US$3 billion Twitter deal – What It Means For Elon Musk And For Social Media

The world’s richest man, Elon Musk, is now Twitter’s largest shareholder after acquiring a 9.2% stake in the social media platform for just under US$3 billion (£2.3 billion). The announcement drove Twitter’s share price up 27%, and it continued to grow in after-hours trading. You can listen to more articles from The Conversation, narrated by Noa, here. This investor enthusiasm is not surprising. Social media platforms have been suffering lately thanks to newly developed pressures in their ecosystems. For example, Twitter, and also Meta, have been on the receiving end of Apple’s anti user-tracking system. This is costing them billions of dollars in lost revenues, causing both companies’ stock to languish for the past few months. Musk’s arrival as Twitter’s largest shareholder will ...
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MacKenzie Scott’s $8.5 Billion Commitment To Social And Economic Justice Is A Model For Other Donors In 5 Ways
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MONEY

MacKenzie Scott’s $8.5 Billion Commitment To Social And Economic Justice Is A Model For Other Donors In 5 Ways

Elizabeth J. Dale, Seattle University The author and philanthropist MacKenzie Scott announced on June 15, 2021, that she and her husband Dan Jewett had given US$2.7 billion to 286 organizations, including universities, arts organizations and other nonprofits. It was her third announcement of this kind since she first publicly discussed her giving intentions in May 2019. Scott has donated about $8.5 billion to a constellation of nonprofits she calls “high-impact organizations in categories and communities that have been historically underfunded and overlooked.” She’s emphasizing racial justice, women’s rights and LGBTQ equality. The $5.8 billion Scott gave to charity in 2020 amounted to nearly 2% of the $324 billion donated by individuals over the course of the year. In early 2021, she ...
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Over $8 Billion Spent On Bleaching Creams Worldwide Every Year By Women Of Color
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VIDEO REELS

Over $8 Billion Spent On Bleaching Creams Worldwide Every Year By Women Of Color

The idealization of light skin as the pinnacle of beauty affects self-esteem for women of color around the world. In many cultures, skin color is a social benchmark that is often used by people of color and whites alike in lieu of race. Attractiveness, marriageability, career opportunities and socioeconomic status are directly correlated with skin color.   CC BY-ND As a result, many women of color seek chemical remedies to lighten their complexion. They have created a booming global business in bleach creams and injectables valued at US$8.6 billion in 2020; $2.3 billion was spent in the U.S. alone. The market is projected to reach $12.3 billion by 2027. In my work in behavioral science and colorism, I studied the phenomenon of skin bleaching during a decade of travel around the worl...
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The Biggest US Donors Gave $25 Billion In 2020 What That Says About High-Dollar Charity Today
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BUSINESS

The Biggest US Donors Gave $25 Billion In 2020 What That Says About High-Dollar Charity Today

According to The Chronicle of Philanthropy, the top 50 Americans who gave the most to charity in 2020 committed to giving a total of US$24.7 billion to hospitals, homeless shelters, universities, museums and more – a boost of roughly 54% from 2019 levels. David Campbell, Elizabeth Dale and Jasmine McGinnis Johnson, three scholars of philanthropy, assess what these gifts mean, the possible motivations behind them and what they hope to see in the future in terms of charitable giving in the United States. What trends stand out? Campbell: Pandemic. Pandemic. Pandemic. The share of giving that went to social service nonprofits, food banks and homelessness assistance groups rose sharply. At the same time, performing arts organizations, largely shut down as a result of the pandemic and starved of...
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MacKenzie Scott’s $5.8 Billion Commitment To Social And Economic Justice Is A Model For Other Donors
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BUSINESS, IN OTHER NEWS

MacKenzie Scott’s $5.8 Billion Commitment To Social And Economic Justice Is A Model For Other Donors

The author and philanthropist MacKenzie Scott announced on Dec. 15 that she had given almost US$4.2 billion to hundreds of nonprofits. It was her second announcement of this kind since she first publicly discussed her giving intentions in May of 2019. In July 2020, Scott revealed that she’d already given away nearly $1.7 billion to 116 organizations, many of which focused on racial justice, women’s rights, LGBTQ equality, democracy and climate change. All told, her 2020 philanthropy totals more than $5.8 billion. Scott directed her latest round of giving to 384 organizations to support people disproportionately affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. She made dozens of gifts to food banks, United Way chapters, YMCAs and YWCAs – organizations that have seen increased demand for services and, in...
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5 takeaways from MacKenzie Scott’s $1.7 billion in support for social justice causes
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SOCIAL JUSTICE

5 takeaways from MacKenzie Scott’s $1.7 billion in support for social justice causes

The author and philanthropist MacKenzie Scott has announced that she’s disbursed nearly US$1.7 billion to 116 organizations, since first publicly discussing her giving intentions in May of 2019. Most of the organizations aim to advance racial, gender and economic equity, are dedicated to dealing with climate change, support democracy or are tied to other generally progressive causes. In the public blog post she wrote to break the news, Scott encouraged donors of all financial means to join her. Previously known as MacKenzie Bezos, before her divorce from Amazon founder and CEO Jeff Bezos, the philanthropist also announced that from now on she’ll be using her middle name as her new last name. She left it up to the causes she’s funding to reveal precise totals for each gift. Howard Universi...
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