🌪️ How FTX Execs Blew Through $8B

🌪️ Spending $8 Billion Customer Funds on Celebrities, Real Estate, and More

FTX allegedly went on an $8 billion shopping spree with customer funds. This was revealed by Nishad Singh, a former FTX exec, during Bankman-Fried’s trial.

So how did they spend the $8 billion customer funds?

The funds were spent on everything from real estate to renaming sports stadiums.

These investments include a $1 billion investment in a crypto mining firm and a $500 million investment in an AI company. They even threw a $200 million investment in K5 Global, linked to big names like Hillary Clinton and Leonardo DiCaprio.

The spending also extended to endorsement deals with celebrities, sports teams, and property acquisitions, including a $30 million penthouse in the Bahamas.

FTX endorsed the Miami Heat stadium for $205 million and invested $150 million in the MLB, along with other celebrity endorsements totaling $1.13 billion.

The FTX executive team's misappropriation of $8 billion in customer funds has really prompted questions about the accountability and transparency of cryptocurrency exchanges.

✅ X Will Start Charging New Users in Two Countries $1 Per Year

If you want to join X, the service formerly known as Twitter, via its website in New Zealand and the Philippines, be prepared to fork over $1 a year for the privilege.

The subscription, part of a so-called “Not A Bot” program, is beginning in those two countries and is designed to “bolster our already significant efforts to reduce spam, manipulation of our platform and bot activity,” X said Tuesday in an unsigned post on its help center.

In addition, new web users in New Zealand and the Philippines will have to verify their account with a phone number.

This new program is in addition to X’s main subscription of $8 a month.

🔍 Chrome on iOS and Android Will Now Detect URL Typos

Google’s been cooking up some nifty updates for its Chrome browser on iOS and Android.

They’re rolling out a URL correction feature to detect and suggest corrections for typos in URLs.

This feature, already available on Chrome for computers, could be a game-changer for people with dyslexia or those learning a new language.

Google Maps is also getting a makeover with new accessibility features. They’re adding tags to spotlight businesses owned by disabled entrepreneurs and a screen reader for points of interest.

They’re also making it easier to navigate the world with wheelchair-friendly routes and info about businesses with step-free entrances and accessible facilities.

Lastly, Google’s Pixel phones are also getting some love with new features like the Magnifier and Guided Frame are set to help users with low vision or blindness snap those perfect selfies.

⚡ 3 Cool Tools

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