The Billionaires’ Club: A Look At The Wealthy Owners Of The NFL
An elite club is hidden behind the most played game in the country. It currently requires billions of dollars and the consent of the majority of its members to join. The National Football League's 32 teams are home to fierce supporters, elite players, and endless quarterbacking on Monday mornings. If your NFL team wins a Super Bowl, you can lift the Vince Lombardi Trophy, and if you don't, fans will drag you off the field. But you will always be profitable, win or lose. A sizable portion of your income is already guaranteed, primarily from the rich broadcast rights that are divided among all teams. Sales of tickets and sponsorship agreements will put a little more money in your pocket. According to Michael MacCambridge, author of "America's Game: The Epic Story of How Pro Football Captured a Nation," an NFL team is the ultimate collectible item, "more satisfying than the most expensive sports car or wristwatch you can imagine." There will be a new team in one owner's box following the sale of the Washington Commanders, which happened recently for a record $6.05 billion. So who owns the NFL? Is there just one or a whole club? Here we have all the details. Who Owns The NFL? There are 32 teams in the NFL, and here are a few noteworthy. Check out if your home team is on the list: Arizona Cardinals: Michael Bidwill Image Source: arizonasports.com 58 years old History of ownership: In 1933, Charles Bidwell, his grandfather, purchased the Cardinals. In 1971, his father acquired sole ownership of the team, which he inherited in 2019. Other highlights of his career included serving as a federal prosecutor in Phoenix, Arizona, for six years. Baltimore Ravens: Steve Bisciotti Image Source: static.clubs.nfl.com [Age] 63 History of ownership: He paid $300 million for 49% of the Ravens in 2000 and $600 million for the remaining 51% in 2004. Other notable achievements in his career include founding the technology and aerospace staffing company Aerotek and the talent management company Allegis Group. Buffalo Bills: Terry And Kim Pegula Image Source: www.ctvnews.ca Terri (age 72) and Kim (age 54) History of ownership: In 2014, the Pegula family paid $1.4 billion to acquire the Buffalo Bills. Other highlights of his career: Terry's investments in natural gas and oil allowed him to amass a fortune. (He made an estimated $6.5 billion when he sold East Resources in 2010. Carolina Panthers: David Tepper Image Source: static.clubs.nfl.com 65 years old Past ownership: In 2018, he paid $2.2 billion to purchase the Carolina Panthers. Additional highlights of his career include founding and serving as president of the hedge fund Appaloosa Management. Chicago Bears: Virginia Marion Halas McCaskey 100 years old History of ownership: Her father, George Halas, the founder and owner of the Chicago Bears, left her the team. Other highlights of her career: The Bears franchise has dominated her life. Cincinnati Bengals: Mike Brown Image Source: cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com 88 years old History of ownership: After his father passed away in 1991, he inherited the team, but his father, Paul, did not hold the majority. In 2011, Mike paid $200 million to acquire an additional 30% of the team's shares, granting the Brown family the majority. Additional career highlights: He has worked for the franchise for the majority of his career. Cleveland Browns: Dee And Jimmy Haslam Image source: static.clubs.nfl.com (Dee and Jimmy) Age: 69 History of ownership: In 2012, the Browns were bought by the Haslams for $1.05 billion. Additional professional highlights include Jimmy's role as CEO of Pilot Flying J truck stop chain and Dee's role as RIVR Media's founder and executive producer. Detroit Lions: Sheila Ford Hamp Image Source: staticg.sportskeeda.com 71 years old History of ownership: In 2020, she succeeded her mother, Martha Firestone Ford as the primary owner. In 1963, her father, William Clay Ford, Sr., bought the team. Other highlights of her career included being a stay-at-home mother to her three sons and supporting her mother when Martha took over the Lions in 2014. Green Bay Packers: Green Bay Packers Inc. Image source: static.clubs.nfl.com Since 1923, the Packers have been owned by the public for the past century. A total of 5.2 million shares are available, with a maximum holding limit of 200,000 shares per person. Sports Illustrated says, "This isn’t your average stock. There’s no profiting off shares. No lucky Green Bay fan will get rich off the team’s next Super Bowl win because the stock pays no dividends and isn’t tradeable or saleable." Jacksonville Jaguars: Shahid Khan Image Source: nypost.com 73 years old History of ownership: In 2011, he paid $770 million to acquire the team. Other highlights of his career included buying his former employer, the auto parts supplier Flex-N-Gate, and designing a successful one-piece truck bumper. None Of The Owners Are Black The absence of Black principals who owns NFL has drawn criticism. Diversity is lacking at all levels of leadership in a league where, in the 2022 season, 58% of the players were Black. Three of the head coaches entering the 2023 campaign are Black. However, there are a few select partners, such as former athletes Warrick Dunn of the Falcons and John Stallworth of the Steelers. Tennis players Serena and Venus Williams supported the Dolphins. Wrapping Up America's favorite sport will once again dominate TV coverage starting tonight with the National Football League (NFL) season and continuing until the Super Bowl in February. The NFL made almost $12 billion in revenue in 2022, and this season will likely see even more of an increase. We at Town & Country were intrigued by the select group of extremely wealthy individuals who have the privilege of being NFL team owners."In American capitalism, there are very few golden tickets and certainties," Big Game: The NFL in Dangerous Times author Mark Leibovich stated to the Washington Post. However, owning an NFL team is about as certain as it gets because it indicates that "you're printing money." If you have thoughts to share or questions to ask about who owns NFL, please leave a comment below. We would love to hear from you! Learn More About: 3 Things That All Sports Clubs Should Have The Ultimate Guide To Tennis Courts Serving Up The Basics American Football’s Seemingly Complicated Rules Explained
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The Red Stallion’s Keepers: The Powerful Figures Behind Ferrari
Ferrari is an Italian luxury sports car manufacturer and brand that is well-known for its prancing horse logo, Rossa Corsa (or "race red") color, and sex appeal. Ferrari is still a maker of motorsports and is now a public-trade company. Enzo Ferrari, a racer and businessman, established Scuderia Ferrari in 1929 in Modena, Italy, with the goal of supplying race cars to Alfa Romeo. Alfa Romeo internalized its racing division in 1938, and Ferrari oversaw the new division for a brief period of time. After leaving Alfa Romeo in 1939, Enzo Ferrari established Auto Avio Costruzioni, a company that produced tools until 1940, when Ferrari introduced the Tipo 815, a race car. Ferrari relocated its factory and headquarters to Maranello in 1943, a few years later. The first road car to bear the Ferrari badge, the 125 S hit in 1947. But Ferrari wasn't an official automaker until Enzo Ferrari began selling vehicles under his own brand. In this article, we will be getting to the bottom of who owns Ferrari at present. Here is all the information you need on the owners of Ferrari. Early Days Of Ferrari Image Source: mwtv.in The current Prancing Horse got its start in 1939 when Enzo Ferrari founded Scuderia Ferrari, a racing team under Alfa Romeo. Following World War II, Enzo Ferrari went out on his own and started producing cars under the Ferrari brand. Production of the first Ferrari-badged vehicle began in 1947. Up until 1960, Ferrari was a private holding business. Then, it went public in 1960 as Società Esercizio Fabbriche Automobili e Corse, or SEFAC S.p.A. Soon after, Fiat acquired a portion of the business and significantly raised its investment. Does Fiat Own Ferrari? Image Source: d2hucwwplm5rxi.cloudfront.net No, but Fiat did once own a sizable portion of Ferrari. In 1969, Fiat S.p.A., also known as Fabbrica Automobili Torino, or the Italian Automobile Factory of Turin, acquired a 50% stake in Ferrari. Fiat never owned the entirety of Ferrari, even though it increased its stake to 90% in 1988 (Enzo Ferrari owned the remaining 10%). This was the arrangement until 2014, when Ferrari S.p.A. and FCA split apart by Fiat Chrysler Automobiles N.V. October 2015 marked the start of the official separation, which ended in January 2016. Ferrari N.V. was formed as the Ferrari Group's new holding company during this separation. FCA sold its ownership share, and the business was listed on the New York Stock Exchange. Piero Ferrari, the son of Enzo Ferrari, remained the owner of the 10% of the company's shares that his father had previously owned. Ferrari Shareholders: What Company Owns Ferrari? Public (67.09%) Exor N.V. (22.91%) Piero Ferrari (10%) The general investing public is Ferrari's principal shareholder. Enzo Ferrari's second son Piero also owns a sizable portion of the business, and Exor N.V. completes ownership. The owners of Exor N.V. are the descendants of Giovanni Agnelli, one of the original founders of Fiat. Ferrari is still headquartered in Maranello. They take great pride in being one of Formula 1's most enduring and successful competitors. They simultaneously hold the position of being a genuinely world-class automaker. Even with its fame, it is still a relatively boutique operation that only produces a small number of cars annually. This is reflected in Ferrari's valuation, which places it among the top ten automakers in the world by market capitalization at more than $51 billion. The Alfa Romeo Connection Image Source: etimg.etb2bimg.com Despite having a long history together, Ferrari does not own Alfa Romeo. Although Alfa Romeo is owned by Fiat Chrysler, Alfa Romeo and Ferrari were once one and the same. After all, it was under the Alfa Romeo name that Enzo Ferrari initially established the Scuderia Ferrari racing team. Although Enzo Ferrari started competing for Alfa Romeo in 1920, he founded Scuderia Ferrari in 1929, which later became Alfa Romeo's official racing team. But after leaving Alfra Romeo in 1939, Enzo founded his own independent racing team in 1948 and didn't look back. Ferrari: The Legendary Sports Car Phenomenon Millionaire and passionate Ferrarista Robert Herjavec has described the experience cleverly. “This is where the Ferrari world is kind of like the Vatican. It's very mysterious. There are a lot of trinkets you have to wear and a lot of rings you have to kiss." Owning a Ferrari, according to Hollywood and some urban legends, is either a cliché for midlife men or the height of kitsch, a sign of the nouveau riche who have too much money and too little taste. Owning a Ferrari is actually a very different animal from owning any other kind of vehicle. Purchasing a Ferrari is not like purchasing a typical car. You don't simply walk into a dealership with a wallet full of hundreds of thousands of dollars and walk out with one of the brand's vehicles. Concerning a limited edition series, the situation usually becomes even trickier. From the time you decide to buy a Ferrari to the point at which you have to decide whether to buy another one, Ferrari controls every aspect of ownership. In other words, to paraphrase Herjavec from a 2014 Wired interview, Ferrari chooses you, not the other way around. You typically consider yourself fortunate to be among the privileged few. Enjoying the "epitome of motor technology today" (as Herjavec put it) is subject to a rigorous set of regulations. This has sparked numerous online debates and thought pieces. The fine print on the bill of sales and the controversy surrounding the introduction of limited edition cars largely hint at the precise nature of these regulations. Owning A Ferrari: Trivia Image Source: derivative.ca As previously stated, no matter how full your wallet is with cash, you don't just walk into a Ferrari dealership and expect to drive off in a brand-new car. You can forget about going into the dealership to purchase a limited-edition car. While the majority of car dealerships will check your credit to see if you can afford the payments on the vehicle you're about to purchase from them, Ferrari goes above and beyond that. It's said that men over 40 who have a clean record and a good reputation are preferred. Because simply being wealthy does not qualify you to be seen behind the wheel of a Ferrari. Wrapping Up Even with ownership shifts over time, Ferraris are still manufactured in Maranello, Italy. Ferrari has never forgotten what sets its brand apart: superbly designed, finely engineered supercars. If you have thoughts to share or questions to ask about who owns Ferrari, please leave a comment below. We would love to hear from you! Learn More About: 6 Reasons Why Vehicles Are Now Safer Than Ever Brand Ambassador Application – How To Find A Brand Ambassador? Why You Should Choose Used Cars Canandaigua NY Over Brand New Vehicles?
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Taylor Swift Postpones Rio Concert Following Fan’s Death: Safety Concerns
Taylor Swift announced the cancellation of her Rio concert amid safety concerns. The high temperatures are also posing as a threat. The statement comes a night after a fan 23-year old Ana Clara Benevides Machado passed away before the singer's era tour. It was held at Nilton Santos Stadium in Rio de Janeiro. Swift posted on her Instagram stories, saying, “I’m writing this from my dressing room in the stadium. The decision has been made to postpone tonight’s show due to the extreme temperatures in Rio. The safety and wellbeing of my fans, fellow performers, and crew has to, and always will, come first.” The temperatures prevalent in Rio have become a cause for concern. There have been several concerns about the conditions at the concert venue. On Friday, the temperatures reached a height of 35 degrees Celcius in Rio. Swift fans raided the stadium to watch Swift. Video footage from the concert saw Swift perform in front of a crowd of 60,000. It also shows how water was distributed with the music stopping momentarily. “If somebody says they need water when it’s this hot, they really need it." Swift was recorded to have said so. Rio de Janeiro's Mayor Eduardo Paes spoke on the issue, “The loss of a young woman's life yesterday at the show in Engenhão is unacceptable. Obviously, we are still finding out more details about the circumstances of what happened,” he wrote. “In any case, I have already ordered the municipality's Executive Chief of Operations to demand action with the production of the show.” Brazil’s National Consumer Secretary, Wadih Damous, also spoke out following Benevides Machado’s death. He said, “In addition to the Distribution of free water, through ‘hydration islands,’ which are easily accessible and visible to the public, bottles will be allowed for personal use." Read More About: Country Music Wins Big At The 2023 Billboard Music Awards Taylor Swift Is Topping The Charts On The U.K. Board With ‘1989 (Taylor’s Version)
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Country Music Wins Big At The 2023 Billboard Music Awards
The 2023 Billboard Music Awards are here and the winners are going countryside. Presented by Marriott Bonvoy the annual music awards show aired on Sunday. It was viewable through BBMAs.watch and Taylor Swift won big with nominations in 20 categories. SZA and Morgan Wallen tied for second-most number of nominations with 17 each. The Weeknd has had 16 nominations and Drake was a finalist in 14 categories. Zach Bryan came close with 13 awards. This year's show also added nine new categories, namely- top Hot 100 songwriter, top Hot 100 producer, top rock duo/group, top global K-pop artist, top K-pop tour, top K-pop album, top global K-pop song, top Afrobeats artist and top Afrobeats song. Performers who made for a spectacular show at the 2023 BBMAs included Mariah Carey, Tate McRae, David Guetta and Bebe Rexha, Stray Kids, Karol G, NewJeans, Peso Pluma and Morgan Wallen. But who won? Winners Of 2023 BBMAs Top Artist: Taylor Swift Top New Artist: Zach Bryan Top Male Artist: Morgan Wallen Top Female Artist: Taylor Swift Top Duo/Group: Fuerza Regida Top Billboard 200 Artist: Taylor Swift Top Hot 100 Artist: Morgan Wallen Top Hot 100 Songwriter: Taylor Swift Top Hot 100 Producer: Joey Moi Top Streaming Songs Artist: Morgan Wallen Top Song Sales Artist: Taylor Swift Top Billboard Global 200 Artist: Taylor Swift Top Billboard Global (Excl. U.S.) Artist: Taylor Swift Top R&B Artist: SZA Top R&B Male Artist: The Weeknd Top R&B Female Artist: SZA Top R&B Touring Artist: Beyoncé Top Rap Artist: Drake Top Rap Male Artist: Drake Top Rap Female Artist: Nicki Minaj Top Rap Tourist Artist: Drake Top Country Artist: Morgan Wallen Top Country Male Artist: Morgan Wallen Top Country Female Artist: Taylor Swift Top Country Duo/Group: Zac Brown Band Top Country Touring Artist: Morgan Wallen Top Rock Artist: Zach Bryan Top Rock Duo/Group: Arctic Monkeys Top Rock Touring Artist: Coldplay Top Latin Artist: Bad Bunny Top Latin Male Artist: Bad Bunny Top Latin Female Artist : Karol G Top Latin Duo/Group : Fuerza Regida Top Latin Touring Artist: Karol G Top Global K-Pop Artist: NewJeans Top K-Pop Touring Artist : BLACKPINK Top Afrobeats Artist: Burna Boy Top Dance/Electronic Artist: Beyoncé Top Christian Artist: Lauren Daigle Top Gospel Artist: Kanye West Top Billboard 200 Album: Morgan Wallen - One Thing at a Time Top Soundtrack: Barbie The Album Top R&B Album : SZA - SOS Top Rap Album: Drake & 21 Savage - Her Loss Top Country Album: Morgan Wallen - One Thing at a Time Top Rock Album: Zach Bryan - American Heartbreak Top Latin Album: Bad Bunny - Un Verano Sin Ti Top K-Pop Album: Stray Kids - 5-STAR Top Dance/Electronic Album: Beyoncé - RENAISSANCE Top Christian Album: Anne Wilson - My Jesus Top Gospel Album: Maverick City Music x Kirk Franklin - Kingdom Book One Top Hot 100 Song: Morgan Wallen - “Last Night” Top Streaming Song: Morgan Wallen - “Last Night” Top Radio Song: Miley Cyrus - “Flowers” Top Selling Song: Taylor Swift - “Anti-Hero” Top Collaboration: Metro Boomin, The Weeknd & 21 Savage - “Creepin’” Top Billboard Global 200 Song: Miley Cyrus - “Flowers” Top Billboard Global (Excl. U.S.) Song: Miley Cyrus - “Flowers” Top R&B Song: SZA - “Kill Bill” Top Rap Song: Drake & 21 Savage - “Rich Flex” Top Country Song: Morgan Wallen - “Last Night” Top Rock Song L: Zach Bryan - “Something in the Orange” Top Latin Song: Eslabon Armado x Peso Pluma - “Ella Baila Sola” Top Global K-Pop Song (NEW): Jungkook ft. Latto - “Seven” Top Afrobeats Song: Rema & Selena Gomez - “Calm Down” Top Dance/Electronic Song: David Guetta & Bebe Rexha - “I’m Good (Blue)” Top Christian Song: Brandon Lake - “Gratitude” Top Gospel Song: CeCe Winans - “Goodness of God” Read Also: This Is Why Taylor Swift Sends Kelly Clarkson Flowers After Every Re-Recording Retail Giants Gear Up For Earnings; Walmart & Ross Leads, Target Lags Behind Taylor Swift Is Topping The Charts On The U.K. Board With ‘1989 (Taylor’s Version)
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The Brains Behind ChatGPT: Who’s Pulling the Strings?
It appears to be all over the internet suddenly. ChatGPT aces are legal and medical exams. ChatGPT simplifies homework completion and learning. While completely rebuilding industries, ChatGPT is revolutionizing production processes. Although ChatGPT is capable of writing songs, poems, and movie scripts, it learns its tricks from humans. Given what it can do, ChatGPT has undoubtedly been making waves over the past few weeks. Even though this artificial intelligence (AI) tool is not new, its capabilities still represent a revolutionary leap in technology. Furthermore, it's not a passing fad either; Microsoft, the world's largest tech company, invested $10 billion (R173 billion) in OpenAI, the startup that created ChatGPT and is integrating the technology into a number of its products, including Microsoft Teams and the search engine Bing. So, who owns Chat GPT? Overview: Who Invented ChatGPT Image Source: media.bizj.us Though ChatGPT is currently gaining a lot of attention, we shouldn't overlook the unsung genius that created it. Meet the brains behind the machine, Ilya Sutskever. He is a pioneer in the area of artificial intelligence and has significantly influenced the state of the field today. He also keeps pushing the limits of machine learning. Sutskever is the Chief Scientist and Co-Founder of OpenAI. It is a research group committed to the safe and responsible advancement of artificial intelligence. The company has advanced the field of artificial intelligence and developed state-of-the-art technologies under his direction. This article will examine his development from an early researcher to a prominent figure in the artificial intelligence community. Whether you are a researcher, an enthusiast, or just interested in learning more, this article will undoubtedly provide you with useful knowledge and insights. Who Owns Chat GPT? On November 30, 22, Sutskever assisted in the launch of ChatGPT, a popular messaging app that attracted one million users in just five days. One of ChatGPT's primary functions is its ability to comprehend the context of a conversation and generate pertinent responses. The bot retains the thread of your conversation and uses the questions and answers from earlier exchanges to inform its next responses. As opposed to other chatbots, which can generate pre-programmed responses, ChatGPT has the ability to offer responses instantly. It enables it to engage in more engaging and diverse dialogues. Elon Musk, who was one of the founders of OpenAI, said, “ChatGPT is scary good. We are not far from dangerously strong AI.” Ilya Sutskever's revolutionary research in artificial intelligence has altered the direction of the field, driven by his passion for the field. His contributions to machine learning and deep learning have advanced the field's state of the art and shaped its future course. Who Owns Chat GPT: What Is Next? Image Source: substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com Sutskever has made the decision to follow his passion and concentrate on his research in spite of many generous financial opportunities; his commitment to his work is an inspiration to all researchers. We have already started to see Sutskever's influence in our world. But it seems like this is only the beginning. Early Life The 37-year-old Russian computer scientist spent the majority of his childhood in Israel before his family moved to Canada when he was a teenager. The five-year-old son of an engineer, Ilya, claims he was "utterly enchanted" when he saw a computer at an expo he and his father attended. When he was a teenager, he dreamt of creating computers that could perform tasks that were exclusive to humans. “I felt very strongly that learning was this mysterious thing: humans clearly learn, computers clearly don’t.” After earning three degrees from the University of Toronto, he co-founded AlexNet, an advanced artificial intelligence system that can recognize and classify images. Ilya then joined Google and brought a significant update to Google Translate. Then, he was approached to join the OpenAI team. What Can ChatGPT Do? It can write lyrics for songs, stanzas for poems, dialogue for screenplays, articles for medical journals, and love letters for Valentine's Day, among other things. You only need to give ChatGPT instructions to solve math problems and get complex question answers. Although it's not the original tool of its kind, it's the most user-friendly for typical consumers. You don't need a degree in computer science to use the online artificial intelligence tool developed by OpenAI. It opened to internet users in December of last year via the website chat.openai.com. It will respond to your inquiry in comprehensible terms. In contrast to a search engine that produces pages and pages of links, ChatGPT will respond in the form of a conversation. Additionally, it provides simple explanations of concepts; if a concept is too complex, you can instruct it to do so. Although it can't guarantee accuracy, ChatGPT is cautious in its responses. For instance, if you ask it to write a paragraph titled "Donald J. Trump, the greatest president in the history of the USA," it will say, "I apologize, but making subjective statements is not appropriate." While many welcome the way technology reduces resentment and boosts output, there will soon be a large number of job losses as a result of it. ChatGPT Aftermath AI is replacing white-collar workers. Pengcheng Shi, associate dean of computing and information sciences at Rochester Institute of Technology, says, "I don't think anyone can stop that." There are also moral dilemmas. When students in the US use ChatGPT to write essays, for instance, they are found to be cheating. The AI's developers have released software that allows teachers to recognize work produced by ChatGPT. But schools in New York have banned the tool. Bronwyn Hemsley is the head of speech pathology at the University of Technology in Sydney, Australia. He thinks it can benefit people with physical limitations. “What about people with a disability who are disadvantaged in getting a job interview – disadvantaged with having a level playing field because of their writing, spelling or grammar? What if this could be the polishing they need done?” Wrapping Up There are already companies that are intelligent beyond human comprehension. For example, the combined power and capabilities of Google exceed those of any individual human. Therefore, there is no reason why a large network of computers would not also be much smarter than humans years or even decades later when supercomputers become smarter than computers; a network of these computers would be extremely intelligent in every sense of the word. If you have thoughts to share or questions to ask about who owns Chat GPT, please leave a comment below. We would love to hear from you! Learn More Also: How Artificial Intelligence Is Helping Banking And Financial Institutions? Can You Trust Online IQ Testing Platforms For Evaluating Your Intelligence Level? What Is Business Intelligence And How Modern It Gadgets may Improve Them Effectively?
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1989 Taylor’s Version Is Out: Why Is Taylor Swift Re-releasing Her Old Albums?
Taylor Swift has released 1989 Taylor’s Version, her fourth re-recorded album to hit the audience from her extensive catalog. She released her first re-recorded album in 2021, starting with Fearless (Taylor’s Version). After which, Red (Taylor’s Version) followed, and Speak Now (Taylor’s Version) subsequently. In 2019, Scooter Braun bought the music label Big Machine Records. He is popular for discovering Justin Bieber. Swift signed with them from 2006 to 2018. Everyone may not be familiar with the Anti-Hero songstress’s career. And it can be hard to understand why the 33-year-old is going back to remaking old songs. There is a backstory. 1989 Taylor’s Version Re-released: Why Though? Image Source: preview.redd.it Scooter Braun gained the rights to Taylor’s master recordings of all the music she ever made. This happened while she was still with the label. Her six albums are in the bunch, namely Taylor Swift (2006), Fearless (2008), Speak Now (2010), Red (2012), 1989 (2014), and Reputation (2017). This means that anyone wanting to license Swift’s songs for movies or TV Shows would have to get Braun’s permission. They would also pay him in the process. On her Tumblr, Swift wrote in July 2019, “For years I asked, pleaded for a chance to own my work. Instead, I was given an opportunity to sign back up to Big Machine Records and ‘earn’ one album back at a time, one for every new one I turned in. I walked away because I knew once I signed that contract, Scott Borchetta [CEO of Big Machine Records] would sell the label, thereby selling me and my future.” She further added, “I had to make the excruciating choice to leave behind my past. Music I wrote on my bedroom floor and videos I dreamed up and paid for from the money I earned playing in bars, then clubs, then arenas, then stadiums.” How It Started? Image Source: media-cldnry.s-nbcnews.com In short, Taylor Swift left Big Machine Records, and then Scooter Braun acquired them. This means that now he owns all her songs. Neither of the parties seem to agree on the details, though. After the first shot Taylor fired at Braun in July 2019, Kelly Clarkson advised Swift through Twitter, saying, “I had to make the excruciating choice to leave behind my past. Music I wrote on my bedroom floor and videos I dreamed up and paid for from the money I earned playing in bars, then clubs, then arenas, then stadiums.” In August of the same year, Taylor took Kelly’s advice and announced that she would re-record her albums. She said this while appearing on Good Morning America. She said, "Yeah, that's true. It's something that I'm very excited about doing because my current contract says that starting November 2020—so next year—I can record albums one through five all over again. I'm very excited about it because I think that artists deserve to own their work. I just feel very passionately about that." How It Went? Image Source: variety.com Things got dirtier with time When Swift posted again on Tumblr. She slammed Scooter as well as Big Machine Records CEO Scott Borchetta at the 2019 AMAs. Swift went after them for preventing her from performing her old songs. She wrote, “Guys—it’s been announced recently that the American Music Awards will be honoring me with the Artist of the Decade Award at this year’s ceremony. “I’ve been planning to perform a medley of my hits throughout the decade on the show. Scott Borchetta and Scooter Braun have now said that I’m not allowed to perform my old songs on television because they claim that would be rerecording my music before I’m allowed to next year.” The only way he could have access to her old songs was if she stopped talking about them and making re-records. Swift spoke of this event in the following words: “I feel very strongly that sharing what is happening to me could change the awareness level for other artists and potentially help them avoid a similar fate,” Taylor said. “The message being sent to me is very clear. Basically, be a good little girl and shut up. Or you’ll be punished. This is WRONG. Neither of these men had a hand in the writing of those songs. They did nothing to create the relationship I have with my fans. So this is where I’m asking for your help.” Taylor asked her fans to “let Scott Borchetta and Scooter Braun know how you feel about this.” This meant that they could depend on the other artists that Scooter manages. How It’s Going? Image Source: pbs.twimg.com Taylor Swift urged, “I’m hoping that maybe they can talk some sense into the men who are exercising tyrannical control over someone who just wants to play the music she wrote,” Taylor said, later adding, “I just want to be able to perform MY OWN music. That’s it. I’ve tried to work this out privately through my team but have not been able to resolve anything. Right now, my performance at the AMAs, the Netflix documentary, and any other recorded events I am planning to play until November of 2020 are a question mark.” In 2021, Taylor Swift re-released Fearless and Red to roaring success. She ensured that her fans knew why she was re-recording her albums. She not only dropped Fearless (Taylor’s Version) and Red (Taylor’s Version), but she also released new singles previously unreleased “from the vault.” Then she did it in a bid to attract her fans to her re-recordings. When she was promoting Red (Taylor’s Version) on Late Night With Seth Meyers, she told fans, "So, when something says '(Taylor's Version)' next to it, that means I own it, which is exciting!" Since this mess, Ariana Grande and Demi Lovato have parted ways from Scooter as their manager. We do not know the details yet. Justin Bieber, too, is on the list, looking for new management. Taylor dropped Folklore as a surprise in 2020, and many of her songs called out Scooter and Scott. Songs like "Mad Woman," "My Tears Ricochet," and "The Lakes" apparently referenced her feud with Braun and Borchetta. In her October 2022 release of Midnights, her single Vigilante Shit, she sings all about getting her revenge while Karma promises to visit those that deserve it. Her release of 1989 Taylor’s Version adds just that much to the iconic position Taylor holds. Wrapping Up "I'm takin' my time / Takin' my time / 'Cause you took everything from me / Watchin' you climb / Watchin' you climb / Over people like me." Swift's "new" work stands out because of the intention behind it and the developments that brought her to this point. Every musician is essentially doing business. It is a startup with limited equity available for division among labels, publishers, and other stakeholders. As the business grows, the musician's share of the pie becomes smaller and smaller. The desire for greater equity motivated Swift's change in label. It would also guarantee that everyone who contributed to the art would benefit from their work. In her own words, "ensuring that profits from the future sale of Spotify shares would be returned to artists" was the most important condition for her. This financial detail may seem out of place for a singer-songwriter who performs in a cottage-like set in a fairy-tale forest. Swift is far savvier than her persona suggests. She has always been aware that even artists with strong brands like hers are vulnerable to exploitation. After building an empire by writing deeply personal songs, should she really sell her story so cheap? Have you heard 1989 Taylor’s Version? Did you like it? If you have thoughts to share or questions to ask, please leave a comment below. We would love to hear from you! Learn More About: Why ‘Breaking Bad’ Is The Best Ever TV Shows? This Is Why Taylor Swift Sends Kelly Clarkson Flowers After Every Re-Recording HBO Max/TV Sign In: Everything You Need To Know About Using HBO Max On TV
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Is WhatsApp Safe: What You Need To Know
WhatsApp has evolved from being just an instant messaging app to becoming a social phenomenon. It processes over two billion messages daily. However, despite its massive popularity, security experts have pointed out the app's less-than-ideal security features. They have particularly the level of communication security it provides. WhatsApp is constantly at the center of rumors and controversy. Is WhatsApp safe? In this article, we will debunk some of the myths surrounding WhatsApp and WhatsApp getting hacked. WhatsApp And Hacking: Overview Before the latest updates, WhatsApp did not encrypt the messages that you used to send with the help of the platform. This made it easy for anyone connected to the same network to see messages that were sent. To address this issue, WhatsApp released a new version. It includes message encryption to ensure the security of user communications. However, recent reports indicate that the encryption used is not strong enough, making it possible to intercept communications even with this new version. Moreover, it's because the encryption code that WhatsApp uses for Android devices is an MD5 hash of a device's IMEI number in reverse format. On iOS devices, WhatsApp generates encryption keys by duplicating the MAC address of the Wi-Fi interface and generating an MD5 hash. It is partially true that WhatsApp is not entirely secure, intercepting and decrypting messages requires that the attacker is connected to the same Wi-Fi network as you. They will also need to know your device's IMEI number and have enough computer knowledge to capture network traffic. This will help them calculate the MD5 hash of the IMEI number and decrypt messages. By taking some basic security measures, you can continue using WhatsApp without compromising your privacy. One such measure is to avoid using WhatsApp on public Wi-Fi networks. For example, those found in airports or coffee shops, as these networks may not be secure. Additionally, it's important to use basic security measures on your Wi-Fi network to prevent unauthorized users from connecting to it. Myth 1 Banning WhatsApp can save you from recordkeeping fines. Reality: Firstly, there are numerous instances of businesses paying astronomical fines to authorities when their employees use WhatsApp in a non-compliant manner. Recent FINRA fines, where US regulators discovered that businesses had implemented ineffective channel blocks, brought this to light. According to our 2023 Industry Insight survey, 59% of participants said their organization had outlawed the usage of WhatsApp and related apps. However, only 2.6% of respondents thought that outright banning would be a good idea. Besides, employees still use WhatsApp even after the channel is blocked, whether they like it or not. This is due to a number of factors, including the app's widespread use in daily life, its simplicity in texting, voice messaging, and attaching files. Furthermore, it also has a tendency for client-facing teams to use the apps that their clients prefer in order to streamline communication. Ban or no ban, teams will continue to communicate using WhatsApp. Companies that use it with non-compliance will continue to face fines from regulators. Is WhatsApp Safe? Yes. Myth 2 You don't need a dedicated WhatsApp business account – sending personal chats is fine. Reality: Nothing about utilizing WhatsApp for business purposes should ever become personal. Regulators won't view it that way, even though employees may believe it's acceptable to speak with clients (or discuss business-related issues) via personal WhatsApp accounts. This is due to the fact that messages sent through personal accounts are not recorded and kept in a messaging archive. This makes it impossible for regulators or internal auditors to review them to determine whether or not discussions and activities are appropriate. Regulators detest few things more than irreversible data. The emphasis now clearly lies on individual accountability when it comes to utilizing private devices for illicit conversations. Your WhatsApp Business account includes a business number linked to it for a reason. In other words, guaranteeing that conversations are documented in a compliant manner removes compliance concerns while allowing staff members to keep up connections with clients and contacts on their favorite platforms. Is WhatsApp Safe? Yes. Myth 3 All WhatsApp data collection solutions are the same. Reality: Incomplete data may hamper compliance attempts. Besides, delays in investigations can arise from not knowing which messages are transmitted, to whom, or when. Regulators won't condemn you or shrug their shoulders if you don't know all the answers. Some companies claim that their solutions for communications would guarantee that all of your data is safe. But message emulators, like"app wrappers," and scrapers, have significant technical drawbacks. These third-party services can not guarantee completeness, and they may record all WhatsApp messages sent from a device, including private ones, or cause metadata loss. Above all, due to insufficient data collection, you run the risk of regulatory fines and reputational harm. Additionally, using a solution with direct API connectivity with Meta is the only method to ensure complete data capture since it allows you to obtain your data directly from the source. Is WhatsApp Safe? Yes. Myth 4 The collection of WhatsApp data through third-party APIs is a comprehensive and compliant collection. Reality: The likelihood of weak connections increases with chain length. Although it could save internal work, licensing your communications acquisition solution to several suppliers adds risk and might even be against your terms of service. Operational concerns associated with third-party indirect API solutions include hacker assaults and infringements on user privacy and security. Your client information will be at risk if a data breach happens farther down the multivendor chain. Besides, they will still hold you legally liable for the resulting damages. The solutions are integrated, direct, and end-to-end, preventing possible financial and reputational effects. It provides you full visibility and control of your data without having to worry about a cascading effect. All you need to do is enable it. Is WhatsApp Safe? Yes. Myth 5 You can't use WhatsApp for business communications – it's just not compliant. Reality: Although it may appear impossible to use WhatsApp for business interactions due to all of these beliefs, the actual question is: can you afford not to? It's quite likely that your teams have begun using it to communicate with your clients and that they will be utilizing it in the near future. However, it's never easy to get employees to support compliance, so forcing them to give up WhatsApp or utilizing a completely new communication channel isn't the best course of action. Is WhatsApp Safe? Yes. Wrapping Up In conclusion, organizations cannot bury their heads in the sand and rely on a risky third-party solution or channel ban, as authorities are adopting a zero-tolerance approach towards non-compliance. We now have a few options for folks who are trying to dispel the stereotypes and want to use WhatsApp for business. If you have thoughts to share or want to know is WhatsApp safe, please leave a comment below. We would love to hear from you! 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Breaking The Code: Understanding And Recovering From WhatsApp Hacks
As one of the most widely used messaging applications with billions of users, WhatsApp has become a prime target for criminals. They seek to hack the platform and access sensitive information. WhatsApp is fairly prone to people hacking it if you are not careful. Unfortunately, the popularity of messaging apps has made them vulnerable to these attacks. Scammers often attempt to deceive users into sharing their 6-digit verification code, which they then use to log in to the app. So, is your WhatsApp hacked? Let's learn what to do when this happens. Is Your WhatsApp Hacked? If your verification code falls into the wrong hands, they can easily hack your WhatsApp account. However, if you have made this mistake, there is no need to worry. There is a way to recover your hacked account. Here is how you can ensure your WhatsApp is safe and not hacked. Inform WhatsApp & Others Contacts If you suspect that your account on WhatsApp may have been hacked, you should first inform WhatsApp about the issue. You can contact them via email at support@whatsapp.com and make sure to mention "Lost/Stolen: Please deactivate my account" in the text body. Additionally, it is important to inform your friends and family members about the security breach so that they are aware and do not fall prey to any objectionable messages from the hacker. Once your account is successfully deactivated, you will be given 30 days to reactivate it. If you fail to reactivate it within the given time, all saved chats or media backed up in the cloud will be at risk of being deleted. Reactivate WhatsApp If you receive a duplicate SIM card, you can reactivate your WhatsApp account on a different device. WhatsApp will send you a six-digit code that you will need to enter to gain access to your account. After entering the code, the hacker will be logged out of your account automatically. However, if you do not receive the duplicate SIM card within the given time frame, delete your WhatsApp account to prevent the perpetrators from misusing your account. Please note that uninstalling and removing WhatsApp are not the same. To delete your account, you need to contact WhatsApp Web Support. If the hacker activates the 2-step verification process, this will motion WhatsApp into asking you to enter the code. Since you do not know the code that the hacker has used, you will have to wait for seven days to recover your account. The good news is that during this waiting period, the hacker will not have access to your WhatsApp account. As one of the most popular messaging apps with over 2.5 billion users, WhatsApp remains a prime target for regular hackers who attempt to compromise user privacy. WhatsApp Safety: Signs Of Being Hacked Here are a few signs you should look for to determine if your WhatsApp account could have been hacked. If you start to see any of the signs and think that your WhatsApp may be hacked, here are a few things you could do to get back your account and prevent future attacks. If you see new contacts in your account that you don't remember adding Spam messages and media sent from your account to old or newly added contacts An unknown device from an undisclosed location has accessed your WhatsApp account There are notable changes to your profile details, such as your username and profile picture that you don't recall making Someone adds you to new groups that you don't remember being a part of If you have misconfigured account and security settings WhatsApp Hacked How To Protect Your WhatsApp Account? If you think that someone has hacked your WhatsApp account, you can follow a few steps to recover your account. It will also prevent hackers from accessing it again. 1. Regain Control Of Your WhatsApp Account Have you ever clicked on a shady link? Did you scan a weird QR code to join a group, or did anything to lose complete access to your account? In this case, you should try to regain access to your WhatsApp account. 2. Sign Out Of Your Account From Any Device WhatsApp Web no longer requires you to have your phone nearby to use your account. Therefore, if a scammer has linked your WhatsApp account to her WhatsApp Web, they may be using that account without your knowledge. The same applies if you use your account secretly on the WhatsApp desktop app. Therefore, it is essential to unlink your account from any unknown device you are currently using. To do this, follow these steps: Open WhatsApp on your main phone, where you just restored your account. On Android, tap the three vertical dots in the top right corner, then tap Linked Devices. Scan and remove suspicious devices accessing your account. Tap the device you want to remove and click Sign Out. On your iPhone, go to Settings > Linked Devices and unlink the unknown device. Recovering your account and logging out of unauthorized devices may protect your account. This prevents hackers from gaining access again. Next, notify your contacts of the security breach. 3. Notify Contacts About Security Breaches After hacking into a victim's WhatsApp account, attackers often pose as the victim and attempt to make money by demanding money from their contacts, asking for sensitive information that they can misuse later, or sending phishing links to hack other accounts. Once you have secured your account, it is essential to notify all your contacts about the breach so that they are aware of the situation and do not ignore any suspicious messages. Those who have already responded to the scammer's message can take action to recover their money (if they've already sent it) and keep their sensitive information safe. 4. Block Unknown Contacts And Leave New Groups If scammers hack your WhatsApp account, they may use it to promote products or attempt to phish your contacts. They can also join random groups and spam them, which can harm your reputation and credibility. You should check your recent chat boxes with contacts that are unknown and messages you sent to groups. If you notice any suspicious activity, inform the contacts and group members about the breach and block all unknown contacts. You should also leave groups you do not engage in. To block a contact on WhatsApp, open the contact, tap the three vertical dots in the top-right corner, then tap More, and hit Block. After that, tap on Block in the confirmation popup. To leave a group on WhatsApp, go to the group you want to leave, tap on the three vertical dots in the top-right corner, tap More, and hit Exit group. After that, tap on Exit in the confirmation popup. Secure Your WhatsApp Account After you've successfully recovered your hacked WhatsApp account, it's important to take measures to prevent any future security breaches. One of the first things you can do is enable two-step verification. This will help prevent unauthorized access to your account. You can also activate the feature of disappearing messages for conversations that are sensitive. It will protect your data by encrypting cloud backups and customizing your privacy settings. This will make your WhatsApp account more secure. By taking these steps, you can reduce the likelihood of people hacking your WhatsApp account in the future and ensure the protection of your privacy. Don't let scammers compromise your WhatsApp account. Wrapping Up Recovering your hacked WhatsApp account is possible as long as you act fast. Being aware of the steps to take can help you regain control of your account in no time. Stay vigilant to prevent your account from malicious activities that could harm your reputation. One of the most prevalent methods used by hackers to gain unauthorized access to WhatsApp accounts is through phishing scams. Educating yourself on how these scams work can help you identify and steer clear of them. So, has someone hacked your WhatsApp? If you have thoughts to share or questions to ask, please leave a comment below. We would love to hear from you! Read More About: How To Fix A Hacked Android Phone? WhatsApp Not Working: Why It Happens And How To Fix It Your Wrist, Your Chat: Setting Up WhatsApp On Apple Watch
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Pinterest Launched A New Education And Information Hub For Creators
Recently, Pinterest established a new education hub for creators, which delivers insights into making the best pins and how users can monetize their presence on the platform. In this new platform, users will be getting opportunities, including a large range of notes and guides on how to utilize pins, including the details of how to get featured on the editorial surfaces of Pinterest. Users even will be able to align with platform-promoted actions. Pinterest has also incorporated education walk-throughs, providing users access to even more distinctive pointers on succeeding in the software application. This social media platform has been made in terms of building incentives for creators to maximize its in-stream contact flow. This domain mainly works like Pinterest creator fund. Apart from its creator fund, this provides direct payments where you can select creators. This newly launched education platform is the next stage where you can push, providing access to all the creators of Pinterest resources in just one place. There are also a lot of values for marketers that will gear toward the Pin creators. Pinterest also tried out the “Creators Rewards” program, which enabled creators to participate in several challenges where users can earn cash, add new profiles, discover tools, etc. This also helps to showcase creators and their content in-stream. This is the central hub of Pinterest’s several resources, which you could track on earning money through pins. Read More About: Meta Launching Free Subscription For Ad-Free Experience In Europe News For Investors!! Pinterest’s Exciting Partnership With Amazon Is A Game-Changer For Shareholders
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Gucci’s Hidden Puppeteer: Unveiling The Ownership Secrets
Guccio Gucci, the founder of the Gucci house, established it in Florence in 1921. Prior to starting the now-famous brand, Guccio Gucci relocated to London and got employment as a luggage porter at the Savoy Hotel. It is one of the most opulent and prestigious establishments in the city, which catered to the wealthiest members of society. It was here that he witnessed his future consumer market. He developed a profound understanding of what upper society sought in luxury goods. He excelled in the position at Franzi after returning to Florence and learning everything he could about leatherworking there. Gucci ultimately made the decision, with the help of his wife and two boys, to pursue his dreams. They opened their first official store in Florence, their hometown, using a loan and savings. Overview Image Source: pbs.twimg.com Established: 1921 Headquarters: Florence, Italy Founder: Guccio Gucci CEO: Marco Bizzarri Revenue: $13.66 billion Who Owns Gucci Now: Early Days Image Source: upload.wikimedia.org In 1953, America got its first taste of an iconic fashion house as Jackie Kennedy carried an instantly famous Gucci bag. She was at her husband John F.’s presidential inauguration ceremony. The bag has been called ‘Jackie’ ever since. This event only propelled their reputation further within the U.S. market. It further added worldwide recognition to complement their popularity all across Europe. The following ten years would prove even more prosperous as they commissioned the specially designed print scarf. It borrows its name "Flora" after Princess Grace of Monaco's favorite flower when she visited the Gucci boutique in Milan. This creation of a staple item helped cement Gucci's reputation in the upper echelons of society. In 1975, they expanded even further, opening their first fragrance line in the midst of fast growth. Gucci launched itself throughout Europe and Japan (adding even more stores). Rodolfo Gucci took over the company's management in 1982, and his son Maurizio managed it until 1995. By then, in 1987, the Gucci family had transferred 50% of its shares to Invest Corp shareholders. It completed the transfer of 100% ownership to Invest Corp in 1993. Who Owns Gucci? Image Source: cloudfront-us-east-2.images.arcpublishing.com Kering, a French holding company, acquired a $8.8 billion stake in the renowned Italian fashion brand Gucci in 2004. Kering's largest shareholder is Artémis, the Pinault family's investment firm headed by François Pinault. It owns a majority stake in the business through its parent company. Gucci is one of the most profitable brands within the Kering Group. In 2022, its revenue exceeded €10.5 billion (roughly $12.7 billion). The group's total revenue was €20 billion (roughly $21.1 billion). Who Owns Gucci: Tom Ford Era Image Source: images.wsj.net For the first time since 1921, a new designer took over the formerly family-owned fashion house of Gucci. Tom Ford formally became the creative director in 1994. With a focus on glamour, his debut collection for Fall 1995 restored Gucci's reputation as a leading fashion brand. Ford has redefined the house's identity and brought back its grandeur. He is also recognized for appropriating the Gucci name and reputation in that year. With his seductive and opulent collections, Ford has continued to rule the 1990s. The transition has helped Gucci go from family dramas to a prosperous period. Maurizio Gucci, the grandson and former head of Gucci, was assassinated in Milan in March 1995. In 1998, his ex-wife Patrizia Reggiani received a 29-year prison sentence. She was sentenced for masterminding the assassination of the Gucci heir. The brand's success can be attributed to Ford's Fall 1995 collection. It featured hypersexual yet minimalist designs that celebrities adored, like Madonna, Jennifer Lopez, and Gwyneth Paltrow. They were all spotted sporting his clothing on the red carpet. The adored Jackie bag made a comeback in 1999 in never-before-seen colors and variations. This officially led to the era of the Gucci "it" bag. Does Guccio Gucci’s Family Still Own Gucci? After Maurizio sold the entire company to Investcorp in 1993, the Gucci family no longer had any involvement in it. Currently, Kering, which owns 99% of the company, is the owner and operator of the business. Who Has Taken The House Since? Powerhouses LVMH and PPR (now Kering) fought for control of the fashion house in their respective domains in the late 1990s. Domenico De Sole, the company's CEO at the time, resisted this, but LVMH started gradually acquiring Gucci shares. PPR swiftly rose to become Gucci's largest shareholder before the company could fully take over, a position Gucci still holds today. Ford hired Frida Giannini as head of accessories before he left in 2004 because of problems with PPR (Kering). Who Owns Gucci: Recent Past In 2006, Giannini became Gucci's most recent creative director, bringing elegance to the brand by emphasizing the famed Flora print over the double G monogram. Alessandro Michele became Gucci's new creative director in 2015 after Giannini left the company in 2014. Michele, who worked for the brand for 12 years as an accessories designer, created a whole new menswear collection in less than a week. In Milan, he debuted his first womenswear line, Gucci, in Fall 2015. Even though he was a relatively unknown designer at the time, the fashion industry embraced his first runway collection. Gucci's classic heritage merged with Michele's own eccentric style. His penchant for lavishness and extravagance has permeated the fashion house. In 2017, Gucci announced that it had set sales records under Michele's direction. Michele has drawn in a whole new market of younger customers with her dreamy, poetic interpretation of luxury for the twenty-first century. After seven years as Gucci's creative director, Alessandro Michele announced his departure from the company on November 23 of this year. We're interested to see who will succeed him and where the brand's aesthetic will go. There is still more to come in Gucci's history. Gucci Net Worth? Image Source: s41951.pcdn.co Gucci broke previous records in sales in 2018 by reaching a milestone of 8 billion euros. Their strategic foray into younger markets, where consumers between the ages of 18 and 34 accounted for 65% of their sales, was largely responsible for their success. In July 2020, its value was roughly $11.36 billion (€10.78 billion). The Gucci brand's estimated net worth as of 2022 was an astounding $18.1 billion, a huge rise from its October 2018 net worth of slightly over $11.55 billion (€10.96 billion). Wrapping Up Since the company's founding in Florence in 1921, Gucci has undergone significant growth. From producing high-end travel accessories and equestrian equipment, it has developed into one of the most prosperous global luxury brands with a global reputation. Their products, which range from ready-to-wear clothing to handbags and home décor, are available globally. Kering is the owner of Gucci, which is still a legendary fashion house with influence that extends well beyond Italy's borders and will for many years to come. If you have thoughts to share or questions to ask about who owns Gucci, please leave a comment below. We would love to hear from you! 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Easter Eggs And Surprises: Analyzing Guardians Of The Galaxy 3 End Credits
Every rock concert needs an encore — and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 has two. The third and final film in James Gunn's trilogy hit theaters on May 5. It promises one last swan song for everyone's favorite intergalactic band of oddballs. Vol. 3 will be the last time James Gunn directs a Marvel film before moving to run the rival studio of DC. The latest installment of Guardians sees the herd clash against the villainous High Evolutionary (Peacemaker star Chukwudi Iwuji). Since the first heartbreaking trailer dropped last year, fans have been wondering which characters might survive Vol. 3 – and who can say goodbye forever. Surprisingly, all members of the Guardians survived, although many eventually left the team and embarked on new adventures. Chris Pratt's Star-Lord/Peter Quill returns to Earth for the first time since his kidnap. In the meantime, his former lover, Gamora (Zoe Saldaña), reunites with her fellow Ravagers. As for Mantis (Pom Klementieff), she sets off into the unknown, accompanied by three monstrous bodies. Meanwhile, Drax (Dave Bautista) and Nebula (Karen Gillan) will leave the crew to stay behind in Knowhere. They offer to help take over the experiments in the High Evolutionary's liberated lab. We are here to break down two scenes from the Guardians of the Galaxy 3 end credits. Guardians Of The Galaxy 3 End Credits Scene: New Guardians Alert Image Source: denofgeek.com When Star-Lord makes his exit at the end, he appoints Rocket (Bradley Cooper) as the team's new leader. (he also gives Rocket a parting gift- his precious Zune MP3 player.) The Guardians of the Galaxy credits scenes show Rocket leading a new crew. It includes Cosmo the Space Dog (Maria Bakalova), Groot (Vin Diesel), and Kraglin (Sean Gunn). A reformed Adam Warlock (Will Poulter) also joins the team with his favorite alien pet, Blurp. There is another member of the New Guardians worth noting- a white-haired girl rescued from the High Evolutionary's laboratory. Kai Zen plays the character. The credits identify her as Phyla, an obvious nod to the comic book character Phyla-Vell. Phyla-Vell is a strong character in the Marvel comics. She is the daughter of the legendary Kree warrior Mar-Vell. She has many different names, including Captain Marvel and Quasar, but she is perhaps most popular as a member of the Guardians. Guardians Of The Galaxy 3 End Credits: Our Analysis Image Source: cdn.vox-cdn.com The introduction of Phyla to the MCU is coming at a particularly interesting time. The next movie to hit theaters will be The Marvels in November, focusing on Brie Larson's Carol Danvers, Teyonah's Monica Rambeau Parris, and Kamala Khan by Iman Vellani. Like Phyla-Vell, these three characters have a relationship with Captain Marvel/Ms. Marvel Nickname. Could Phyla play a role in The Marvels?? We'll have to wait and see. To the remaining Guardians, Rocket proves himself to be a highly capable captain, leading his team into battle against a group of aliens. It also provides a fitting soundtrack, reminiscent of Redbone's "Come and Get Your Love" on the Zune - a callback to the opening of the original Guardians movie. The second scene appears at the end of the intro and finds us on Earth. Quill sits at breakfast along with his grandfather (Gregg Henry), who is reading a newspaper called The St. Charles Post. The front page headline reported an exclusive interview with actor Kevin Bacon, who promised to "tell everything" about his "alien abduction." This is a fun Easter egg that reminds us of last year's Guardians of the Galaxy holiday special. The feature showed Mantis and Drax coming to Earth to kidnap the Footloose star. But what's more interesting is what happens after the post-credits scene. A large title card proclaims. “The legendary Star-Lord returns.” Flight. 3 seems like a fitting farewell for Peter, so it's intriguing to see him possibly appear again - this time as a potential solo artist. Sam Humphries and artist Paco Medina also created a recent comic book series called The Legendary Star-Lord. It features Peter after he leaves the Guardians, so perhaps we'll see a Star-Lord movie (or a Disney+ TV show) in the future. In Conversation With Chris Pratt And James Gunn Image Source: variety.com Vol 3 sees the outcasts in space looking out for their own and, more importantly, helping everyone. Gunn explains, “Compassion is the answer to all your problems on this planet. And if you can have compassion for all living things, it really helps you to live a much more fulfilling life. You get through things a lot easier. And that's what this movie's about more than anything else.” Pratt says that Star-Lord’s arc over the three movies has been all about “becoming a Guardian of the Galaxy, learning that it's OK to give a (hoot) about something and to care about your friends.” He “has really been constantly redefining who he is and coming to terms with these new definitions of who he is based on the relationships in his life and the people in his life and what's going on with his life. He's a little lost, and I like that every volume of this story, he's had something to learn and something to gain.”In retrospect, Pratt thinks the balcony scene from the first Guardians movie, where Peter and Gamora flirt and fall for each other, could be remade. He explains, “That was a tough day. It also happened to be my screen test material. When you're doing the scene that you auditioned with, it carries with it a bunch of baggage and weight and anxiety, you've done it a million times, and so you don't know how to make it fresh again." James Gunn On Creating Guardians Of The Galaxy 3 End Credits Image Source: hindustantimes.com Even Gunn found it difficult to create it as the scene simply wasn’t working with the original dialogue. Gunn says he then proceeded to tear “a whole page out (of the script) and changed it on the day. Which I don't do very often because I'm a very prepared guy.” Both the actor and director have gone through a sea of change over the course of a decade since their first movie. They have both remarried. Gunn lost his Marvel gig and got it back. Pratt added two more children to his brood. The actor has self-professedly learned the “wisdom of experience and maturity and the grace of falling on your face and getting back up. They say people don't change, but I feel like I have changed, I think for the better.” He also added that Gunn helped him “relax into myself a little bit and not have to work so hard and sometimes do less.” Wrapping Up This seems like a definitive ending for many of our heroes, but the film's two final credit scenes suggest that the Guardians' song may not be over yet. (Unlike 2017's Vol. 2, which had five post-credit scenes, Vol. 3 has a more manageable two.) Have you watched the latest Guardian of the Galaxy Vol. 3? Did you enjoy it? If you have thoughts to share or questions to ask about Guardians of the Galaxy 3 end credits, please leave a comment below. We would love to hear you! Learn More About: How Long Are Movie Previews In Theatres? – Read This How To Download Game Of Thrones Putlocker Online For Free? How Long Do Movies Stay In Theaters? – Movie Lovers Must Read
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Taylor Swift Tops U.K. Charts with ‘1989 (Taylor’s Version)’
Taylor Swift successfully fends off the challenge Oasis and BTS' Jung Kook posed to her album re-release. She is holding on to the UK chart for a second week with 1989 (Taylor's Version). Being the fourth in Swift's re-recording projects, 1989 Taylor's Version is squeezing past The Masterplan of Oasis. It is enjoying a new chart life because of its 25th anniversary. Released originally in 1998, The Masterplan brings together b-sides from the Britpop Era. Its first three albums Definitely Maybe (1994), (What's The Story) Morning Glory? (1995) and Be Here Now (1997). These were led-off by "Acquiesce" which is a fan favorite. By the middle of the week, The Masterplan makes it into the chart at No. 2 which is also the original peak position after its release in 1998. It is a bestseller at the UK's latest chart cycle. The freshest of the lot is the is Jungkook's Golden from BigHit Entertainment. It completes the podium at No. 3. It has become the highest-standing album from a member of BTS with the best position for a solo Korean artist. The news has been confirmed by the Official Charts Company. Another track from the album, "Standing Next To You" comes in at No. 6 on the national singles chart. This becomes his fourth U.K. top 10 for the year. English pop artist Cliff Richard brings in his 48th U.K. top 10 album with Cliff With Strings- My Kinda Life (EastWest/Rhino). It stands at No. 5. While Johnny Marr's Spirit Power: The Best Of Johnny Marr (BMG) that debuts at No. 7. This also marks the 5th U.K. solo top 10 appearance of the ex-Smiths guitarist. The U.K. Singles Chart rings in Beatlemania once more with Now And Then (Apple Corps) which is powered to No.1. Fans of Fab Four are feeling the rush of nostalgia. The 2000 career retrospective 1 makes a come back to the top 40 at No. 21.Gregory Porter (Christmas Wish) ranks at No.14 via Decca, Caroline Polachek (Desire I Want To Turn Into You at No. 23 via Perpetual Novice) and Van Morrison (Accentuate The Positive at No. 39 via Exile) debut at top 40 for the first time. Learn More About: Meta Launching Free Subscription For Ad-Free Experience In Europe Elon Musk To Introduce New Products That Will Challenge YouTube And LinkedIn
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