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Women CEOs Out-Earn Men, Apple's Screen Time Bug, & More Insights
Welcome to Ponder Road if youβre new here.
Presenting to you some of the most insightful stories from across the Internet.
Quick reads that spark curiosity.
Hey there, future CEOs,
Get this: female CEOs in the S&P 500 are actually making more money than their male counterparts. π€― Yeah, you read that right. A new study found that women running those massive companies took home a median salary of $17.6 million, compared to $16.3 million for men.
Here's the TL;DR:
Women are killing it (on paper): They earned 8% more than men in CEO positions.
Lisa Su, CEO of Advanced Micro Devices, is still queen: She topped the charts for female CEOs with a cool $30.3 million compensation.
Hold your horses: Before you start celebrating, remember that only 25 out of the 341 CEOs studied were women.
The not-so-fun part: Men still dominate the very top tier of CEO pay (shocker), and there's a massive gender gap in leadership overall.
Why so few women at the top? π€ New research suggests it's not about taking time off for family. It's about biased perceptions of "potential." Basically, even when women outperform expectations, they're still seen as having less potential than men. Ugh.
The bottom line: It's great that female CEOs are finally getting paid more, but we've got a long way to go before the playing field is actually level.
Source: Forbes
Hey Apple fans,
Remember those Screen Time parental controls you rely on? Turns out they're as secure as a screen door on a submarine π€Ώ
Here's the TL;DR:
For THREE YEARS, Apple ignored reports about a bug that let anyone bypass web restrictions on iPhones, iPads, and Macs just by typing a secret code. π€¦ββοΈ
This means kids could access anything - we're talking NSFW stuff here - despite parental blocks.
This isn't an isolated incident: Screen Time is riddled with bugs. App limits? Don't work. Usage tracking? Inaccurate. π
The researchers who found the bug are shook at how Apple brushed them off. Even worse? Parents are reporting a whole host of other issues:
App time limits? More like app time suggestions.
Accurate screen time reports? Don't make us laugh.
"Ask to Buy" loophole? Kids can re-download deleted apps without permission.
Apple says it's working on it, but this is a major security and trust issue. They need to get their act together, ASAP!
Bottom Line: If you're relying on Apple's Screen Time to keep your kids safe online, you might want to rethink your strategy. This is a mess.
Source: WSJ
Missed out on snagging Berkshire Hathaway shares for the low, low price of a used Honda Civic? Don't worry, you didn't miss out on much... except maybe a swift NYSE intervention.
Day before yesterday, a glorious technical glitch briefly turned Warren Buffett's investment behemoth into a penny stock, with shares plummeting from over $620,000 to a measly $185. Sadly for bargain hunters, the NYSE swiftly stepped in and canceled all trades made below $603,718.30, blaming a software snafu at the Consolidated Tape Association (the folks responsible for real-time stock info).
Key takeaways for your inner market junkie:
This wasn't just a Berkshire problem: Chipotle, Barrick Gold, and even GameStop saw their share prices temporarily tank, with trades also getting the kibosh.
Glitches happen (a lot): This incident comes hot on the heels of the S&P 500 and Dow Jones mysteriously vanishing from trading screens last week.
Sometimes, glitches cost millions: Remember that time a Citigroup trader accidentally sold $1.4 billion in equities due to a tech mishap? Yeah, that wasn't fun for them (or their wallets).
Bottom line: The stock market can be a wild ride, even when billion-dollar companies aren't accidentally being sold for the price of a decent vacation. Stay vigilant out there, folks.
Source: Fortune
This is straight out of a K-Drama: Cho Kuk, a once-revered figure in South Korean politics, is back with a vengeance after a scandal sent his wife to prison and derailed his career. His target? None other than current president Yoon Suk Yeol, the man Cho blames for his downfall.
Here's the tea:
Cho was a rising star in the left-leaning government, even dubbed "motherland" for his efforts to reform South Korea.
But then came the scandal: accusations of academic fraud involving his children, spearheaded by then-prosecutor Yoon Suk Yeol.
The scandal tanked Cho's career, landed his wife in jail, and fueled the already intense political divide in South Korea.
Now, Cho is back with a new party and a single-minded mission: take down Yoon. His rallying cry? "Three years (Yoon's remaining term) is too long!"
Cho's party didn't win a majority, but he's joined forces with the opposition to launch investigations into Yoon and his administration.
Think this is juicy? You're not alone. This political drama has captivated South Korea, a country where political feuds make the US look tame. π€―
Key highlights:
Cho's daughter, a medical student, also got caught in the crossfire and lost her medical license.
Cho turned to intense workouts (he can now crank out 8 pull-ups!) and writing a tell-all book while his wife was imprisoned.
Even if Cho ends up behind bars himself, he vows the fight against Yoon will continue.
This story has it all: betrayal, revenge, and enough political drama to rival "House of Cards." Don't touch that dial! πΏ
Source: WSJ
Remember all those predictions about inflation crushing American shoppers? Yeah, those haven't exactly aged well. Consumers have been on a tear, propping up the US economy with their relentless spending. But hold your horses β there are signs this party might be winding down.
Key Highlights You Don't Want to Miss:
Spending Slump: After months of growth, consumer spending took a nosedive in April. Retail sales are down, and even McDonald's and 3M are feeling the pinch. ππ
Credit Card Crunch: Remember all those pandemic savings? They're officially history. More Americans are relying on credit cards, and delinquency rates are creeping up β especially in Florida. π¬π΄
Debt DΓ©jΓ Vu? Hold your doom-scrolling β things aren't as dire as 2007 (remember the housing crisis? π¨). Banks are surprisingly chill about the current debt levels.
Income is Key: The real question is whether wages can keep pace with inflation. So far, employment looks strong, which gives some reason for optimism. π€
Bottom Line: The American consumer is showing signs of fatigue, but it's too early to call it a full-blown crisis. Keep an eye on wages and jobs β those will be the real indicators of whether this slowdown turns into a full-blown recession.
Source: The Economist