Wednesday, 20 November 2024

[Post 863] How A Strong Dollar Can Backfire On The U.S. Economy


Summary

In 2022, the U.S. dollar reached its highest level since the early 2000s, but the dollar index has been trending downward as of August 2024. A weaker dollar is not necessarily a bad thing for consumers. A strong dollar may lead to higher prices for American consumers and reduced demand for U.S. exports, which can result in layoffs in key industries. Managing the value of the dollar is a balancing act, which can present challenges for the U.S. president, the Federal Reserve and other policymakers.

Tuesday, 19 November 2024

[Post 862] How BYD, Nio And Other Chinese EVs Compare To Tesla


Summary

Low-cost, high-tech Chinese EVs have stirred fears of a government subsidized existential threat to automakers around the world. So what do these vehicles have to offer? How do they compare to the Tesla Model Y, which in 2024 was the best-selling car in the world? CNBC’s Beijing bureau chief Eunice Yoon tested four of them from large and high-profile Chinese brands to see how they stack up, and how their rivals might compete.

[Post 861] Why ChatGPT Turned OpenAI Into A $80 Billion AI Leader


Summary

The company behind the popular artificial intelligence chatbot, ChatGPT, OpenAI was founded as a nonprofit in 2015 by a number of researchers, academics and entrepreneurs including Sam Altman, Greg Brochman and Elon Musk. Musk left OpenAI in 2018 and now has his own artificial intelligence company called xAI.

In its early years, OpenAI flew somewhat under the radar, at least from the point of view of the general public. The company released its first project in 2016, a toolkit called “OpenAI Gym” used for developing and comparing reinforcement learning algorithms. That same year, OpenAI also released Universe, a tool to train intelligent agents on websites and gaming platforms. But the release of ChatGPT in 2022 is what propelled the company to stardom. Today, OpenAI is valued at over $80 billion and counts Microsoft, which has invested around $13 billion into OpenAI since 2019, as a major supporter and partner. But OpenAI’s wild success has also raised concerns from regulators and experts who question the outsized power that artificial intelligence companies and Big Tech could have on our society as well as the toll that the technology could take on our power grid.

Monday, 18 November 2024

[Post 860] How I Grew A $100K A Year Business Without A College Degree


Summary 

Anna-Marie Ortiz, 30, started a side hustle with her last $2,000 in savings in July 2023. A year later, Cool Aunt Cleaners brings in an average of $10,000 a month, and Anna's since quit her day job to run the business full-time. Here's how she did it.

[Post 859] I Make $87K A Year As An Undertaker — And I'm Wildly Happy


Summary

Victor M. Sweeney, 33, doesn't fear death. The licensed mortician and funeral director in Warren, Minnesota observed his first embalming at age 18. Here's a look at what it takes to do his job, and why he's happy with the way his life has turned out.

Sunday, 17 November 2024

[Post 858] We Run A Motel That Brings In $412,000 A Year


Summary

Roxanna Harwood, 31, and her husband Chris Harwood, 38, own and operate the Wheels Motel in Greybull, Wyoming. Their home is connected to the motel and they live there with their 4-year-old son. Their business is on track to bring in around $412,000 in 2024.

This is an installment of CNBC Make It's Millennial Money series, which profiles people across the globe and details how they earn, spend and save their money.

[Post 857] We Left The U.S. For Japan To Buy A $7,500 Abandoned Home


Summary

"The move is the best decision we ever made," says American couple Dani and Evan Benton. The millennial couple runs a guesthouse and honeybee farm on an island in Japan. Take a look inside.

Unlocked is a home tour series focused on how much people across the globe spend on their housing, what they get for the money and what they had to sacrifice to make it happen.