Forbes

Our real-time ranking of Trump’s new brain trust, from giants of industry, old hands and emerging outsiders, tracks who’s in the inner circle—and who’s been cast out. We’ll update with news—like the latest return visitors to Mar-A-Lago. https://lnkd.in/eeGyJKnG

In August, Alex Cooper signed a $125 million three-year deal with SiriusXM to bring her Unwell Network of five podcasts to the 34 million subscriber–strong radio giant. Unwell is a branch of Cooper’s self-described “Gen Z media company,” Trending, which she cofounded in April 2023 with her film producer husband, Matt Kaplan. In addition to Call Her Daddy, Unwell also oversees other popular influencer-hosted shows such as Hot Mess with Alix Earle (an estimated 1 million monthly listeners) and Pretty Lonesome with Madeline Argy (an estimated 330,000). Both Earle and Argy, like Cooper, are #ForbesUnder30 alumnae. Keep reading: https://trib.al/EnoLK6R

Companies throughout the world are working to accelerate progress for women both in their workplaces and in their communities—and the organizations leading the charge made our ranking of the World’s Top Companies For Women 2024. See list: https://trib.al/hnDRstP

Showing that you are a strategic thinker and doer will help convince hiring managers that you are a leader or that you have leadership potential. There are two primary ways to achieve this. One way is to present your experience and accomplishments through a big-picture lens. Another is to ask forward-thinking questions, demonstrating a visionary mindset. https://trib.al/prw8gSK

Eric Trump, an executive vice president of the Trump Organization, gets most of his fortune from running his dad's companies rather than equity in the businesses. Meanwhile, the former president's oldest child still helps run the family business, but has been finding ways to cash in on politics in recent years. https://trib.al/9EMh1ga

The stock market surged higher following Donald Trump’s election win earlier this month as Wall Street celebrated the new business-friendly administration and the more lenient regulatory environment it is expected to bring. Under the Biden administration, dealmaking has been sluggish due in part to an aggressive antitrust approach from the Federal Trade Commission headed up by Chair Lina Khan. A year-and-a-half Federal Reserve rate hiking campaign also slowed the pace of deals. Trump, however, has made it no secret that he wants to overhaul government departments, and once he takes office in January, a change in the FTC seems like it will be among his first orders of business. Plus, the Fed started cutting rates in September. Dealmakers and corporate lenders are expecting a second Trump term to usher in a new era of merger and acquisition activity, while Wall Street now expects that under Trump, stalled deals like the Kroger-Albertsons grocery merger could get the green light. Read more: https://trib.al/UFUpVlS

Market Lessons: Measuring Debt---With 16 Cash-Rich Companies Debt to equity doesn’t mean much. What counts is debt to enterprise value. https://trib.al/6kmf3Le

While prestigious private colleges—particularly the eight Ivies—get the lion’s share of media attention, it’s public colleges that educate a majority of America’s undergraduates. Three out of every five bachelor’s degree-seeking students in the U.S. attend a state school. And as the cost of higher education continues to rise, it’s worth giving your own state’s offerings a serious look.

A Republican congressman has introduced a student loan reform bill that, if enacted, could benefit millions of borrowers through lower interest rates. Rather than provide immediate relief via student loan forgiveness of a borrower’s principal balance, the Affordable Loans For Students Act would significantly reduce federal student loan interest rates going forward. The legislation would also give borrowers a pathway to refinancing their loans within the federal student loan system — an option that is not available to borrowers today.

The richest person on Earth is now arguably the most powerful, too. A South African who came to the U.S. via Canada–Musk became a big backer of Donald Trump in the runup to the November 5 election, donating $119 million to return him to the White House. https://trib.al/ylsej1E