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<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image on-image"></div></div></div>While hotels have tried to embrace social media as much as possible - trading perks like discounts, free nights and upgrades for uploads and hashtags - social media can also really backfire on them.<a href="http://www.crimsonhexagon.com/">Crimson Hexagon</a>, which provides social media analysis software, crunched the numbers, analyzing Twitter posts over an almost six-month period (January 1st, 2015 to June 14th, 2015) to see how 10 of the world's largest hotel chains (based on number of rooms, employees, properties, and social media buzz) fared.Hilton was the most hated, with 17% of tweets being negative. Tying for second place, with 14% of tweets being disparaging, are Marriott, Sheraton, Westin, DoubleTree and Crowne Plaza. W Hotels are next, with 13% negative tweets, followed by Best Western with 12%, and Holiday Inn with 8%. Finally, Radisson clocks in at only 4%.<h3 dir="ltr">Here is the full breakdown:</h3><div dir="ltr"><table style="padding-left: 60px;"></col></col></col></col></colgroup><tbody><tr><td>Brand</td><td>Tweet Volume</td><td>Positive Sentiment</td><td>Neutral Sentiment</td><td>Negative Sentiment</td></tr><tr><td>Hilton</td><td>25,020</td><td>40%</td><td>43%</td><td>17%</td></tr><tr><td>Marriott Hotels</td><td>89,092</td><td>45%</td><td>41%</td><td>14%</td></tr><tr><td>Sheraton</td><td>26,056</td><td>33%</td><td>54%</td><td>14%</td></tr><tr><td>Westin</td><td>25,899</td><td>40%</td><td>46%</td><td>14%</td></tr><tr><td>Double Tree</td><td>10,736</td><td>41%</td><td>45%</td><td>14%</td></tr><tr><td>Crowne Plaza</td><td>7,981</td><td>33%</td><td>53%</td><td>14%</td></tr><tr><td>Best Western</td><td>16,568</td><td>57%</td><td>31%</td><td>12%</td></tr><tr><td>W Hotels</td><td>8,968</td><td>44%</td><td>43%</td><td>13%</td></tr><tr><td>Holiday Inn*</td><td>49,231</td><td>33%</td><td>60%</td><td>8%</td></tr><tr><td>Radisson</td><td>40,531</td><td>62%</td><td>34%</td><td>4%</td></tr></tbody></table></div>*Includes Holiday Inn ExpressConversely, Radisson and Best Western have the highest positive feedback on social media, with 62% and 57% respectively. Seeing as Radisson also has the lowest negative feedback, you might want to book your next stay there. <div class="margin-top"> <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/scientifically-ways-women-attractive-2015-5">6 scientifically proven features men find attractive in women</a></h3> <div> <div> <div class="ooyala-video-player" data-video-autoplay="false" data-video-id="tiMGo5cTpwCabxNRPKR9Te43E3zYrTMd" data-player-variable="ooyalapopvideo" id="ooyalaplayer_popvideo" style="width:1280px;height:720px"></div> </div> </div> </div>

The 10 most-hated hotel chains on social media

<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image on-image">Alex Lawrie / Lawrie Cornish</div></div></div>Lincoln Plaza, a high-rise residential tower block in London, was recently named the ugliest building in the country when it was crowned the winner of the <a href="http://www.bdonline.co.uk/buildings/carbuncle-cup/-carbuncle-cup-2016-shortlist-unveiled/5083418.article" target="_blank">Carbuncle Cup</a>, given to the <keyword id="6354868" type="COUNTRY" weightage="60" keywordseo="UK">UK</keyword>'s worst-designed building each year by <a href="http://www.bdonline.co.uk/" target="_blank">architecture site BD</a>.Galliard Homes sent Business Insider a statement on winning the not-so enviable accolade:"The Lincoln Plaza scheme was designed to compliment the existing architecture of London Docklands and the striking mosaic design was created to provide a striking and fresh contrast. Architectural design is art, and like all art, a matter of personal tastes.""The scheme sold out to buyers, so clearly the project is liked by the purchasers. Galliard Homes are committed to providing homes for Londoners and helping young people get onto the housing ladder. Each project the company delivers is bespoke and distinctive and the company has built a strong reputation for rapidly selling out due to the quality of the homes and the highly competitive prices offered."But beauty is in the eye of the beholder. While the exterior has divided opinion, the inside of the complex, which comprises two towers, a hotel, and a round building in South Quay, is pretty stunning. Take a look and see what you think:

Inside Britain's 'ugliest building' - which turns out to be pretty stunning

New Delhi, Nov 28 () Hospitality major InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) on Thursday announced the appointment of Sudeep Jain as Managing Director, South West Asia with effect from January 1, 2020.
 Sudeep is currently serving as VP Development, South West Asia (SWA) and succeeds Vivek Bhalla, who has been promoted to the role of Vice President Operations for South East Asia and Korea, IHG said in a statement.
 In his new role, Sudeep will take on a broader leadership agenda to drive IHG's business in the region, covering both development and operations responsibilities across the existing portfolio of 39 hotels representing five brands -- InterContinental, Crowne Plaza, Holiday Inn, Holiday Inn Express and Six Senses Hotels Resorts Spas, it added.
 Sudeep will continue to be based in Gurugram, and will report to Pascal Gauvin, Managing Director, India, Middle East and Africa, IHG, the statement said.
 Commenting on the development, Gauvin said: "Since joining IHG, he (Sudeep) has led our growth agenda in the market, successfully positioning IHG as one of the leading hospitality companies in SWA, especially in India."
 Sudeep brings close to two decades of experience in the hospitality sector from roles based in the US and India, working across brand management, asset management, strategy, planning and real estate development, the statement said.
 Before joining IHG, he worked with Starwood Hotels &amp; Resorts as Vice President, Acquisitions &amp; Development for South Asia, it added. AKT RVK

IHG appoints Sudeep Jain as South West Asia MD

<div class="KonaFilter image-container float_right no-rightrail"><div class="image">Peter Jacobs/Business Insider</div></div>
This <keyword id="35660" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="features">features</keyword> is a part of our <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/collection/the-best-colleges-in-america">Best Colleges In America</a> series.
<keyword id="127671" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="60" keywordseo="Columbia-University">Columbia University</keyword> ranked in the top five on our list of the <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/best-colleges-in-america-2013-10">Best Colleges in America</a> and the <keyword id="106608" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="60" keywordseo="Ivy-League">Ivy League</keyword> school also has a classically beautiful <keyword id="6360288" type="COMPANY" weightage="60" keywordseo="college">college</keyword> campus - with the added bonus of being in <keyword id="72226" type="COMPANY" weightage="60" keywordseo="New-York-City">New York City</keyword>.
Much of <keyword id="52634" type="COUNTRY" weightage="60" keywordseo="Columbia">Columbia</keyword>'s architecture reflects the university's commitment to liberal education. All students must go through the school's famed Core Curriculum, a series of classes aimed at creating critical thinkers.
The university was originally founded by royal edict in the mid-18th century as King's College. These royal ties can still be seen in Columbia's crown logo, which appears on flags and gates all over the campus.
Columbia's first class consisted of nine students and one professor, who apparently closed the then-Wall Street based school to go fight the Revolutionary War. The campus was then relocated uptown, to where 30 Rockefeller Plaza is now, before moving to its current location in the heart of uptown Manhattan's Morningside Heights neighborhood.
We recently decided to explore Columbia and see its stunning campus firsthand. In order to get the full experience, we sat in an on information session and followed around a campus tour.

Take A Tour Of The Most Beautiful College Campus In New York City

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Kenneka Jenkins, 19, died after being locked in a walk-in freezer in a Chicago hotel in 2017.</li><li>Her family sued the hotel and a security company for negligence and won a settlement.</li></ul>The family of a woman who died after being trapped in a hotel freezer has been awarded a total settlement of $10 million.Kenneka Jenkins, 19, was <a target="_blank" href="https://chicago.suntimes.com/news/2023/12/12/23998491/family-kenneka-jenkins-locked-freezer-rosemont-hotel-6-million-settlement">found dead in a walk-in freezer</a> at the Crowne Plaza Chicago O'Hare Hotel in Rosemont, Illinois in 2017, the Chicago Tribune reported.Surveillance footage showed Jenkins stumbling and walking into the freezer in an unused kitchen. Her body was discovered more than 21 hours later.Her death was ruled as accidental, caused by hypothermia, the Cook County medical examiner's office ruled.Jenkins' family <a target="_blank" href="https://chicago.suntimes.com/2018/12/14/18413196/kenneka-jenkins-mother-seeking-50-million-in-lawsuit-against-hotel-others">sued the hotel</a>, a security company, and a restaurant at the hotel in 2018, alleging that staff were negligent, per the Chicago Tribune.Jenkins' mother, Tereasa Martin, will receive more than $3.7 million in a wrongful death settlement, the Chicago Tribune reported, citing court records that made the deal public on Tuesday.Other family members will receive $1.2 million and $1.5 million.An additional $3.5 million will go towards attorney fees and $6,000 was earmarked for Jenkins' funeral costs, per the outlet.Jenkins' death sparked a flurry of conspiracy theories on social media at the time, the Chicago Tribune said. The interest led to more than 1,000 people attending her funeral.Jenkins left a party in a room at the hotel around 2:30 am on September 17, 2017, when she realized she had left her phone behind, the outlet said.Her friends went to look for it and found she was gone upon their return. Security footage shows her entering the freezer around 3:32 am.Her friends went to go look for it, and found she was gone upon their return. Security footage shows her entering the freezer around 3:32 am.The lawsuit alleged that Jenkins, who was affected by a mixture of alcohol and her medications for migraines and epilepsy, passed several hotel staff who should have stopped her from going into the kitchen when she "was visibly disoriented and in dire need of assistance," per the Chicago Tribune.It also claimed that staff did not review security footage when they were first alerted to Jenkins' disappearance, which might have helped find her.The lawsuit claimed that hotel staff did not watch the footage, and it was only reviewed for the first time when police came to the hotel to investigate her disappearance many hours after she had gone missing.

The family of a young woman who froze to death after being locked in a hotel freezer agree a $10 million settlement

<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image">Evan Vucci/AP ImagesPresident Donald Trump holds a sword and sways with traditional dancers during a welcome ceremony at Murabba Palace, in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.</div></div></div><ul class="summary-list"><li>President Donald Trump tweeted that he has "no financial interests in Saudi Arabia" after criticism for his response to the disappearance of <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/who-is-jamal-khashoggi-turkey-accuses-saudi-arabia-of-murdering-reporter-2018-10">journalist Jamal </a><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/who-is-jamal-khashoggi-turkey-accuses-saudi-arabia-of-murdering-reporter-2018-10">Khashoggi.</a></li><li>The Trump Organization does not have any buildings in Saudi Arabia, his businesses have accepted large amounts of money from the Saudi government.</li><li>For instance, Trump's hotel in New York City saw a huge financial boost from the visit of Saudi crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman in early 2018.</li><li>Additionally, Trump has had ties to Saudi investors for over two decades.</li></ul>President Donald Trump on Tuesday dismissed the charge that his response to the disappearance <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/who-is-jamal-khashoggi-turkey-accuses-saudi-arabia-of-murdering-reporter-2018-10">of journalist Jamal </a><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/who-is-jamal-khashoggi-turkey-accuses-saudi-arabia-of-murdering-reporter-2018-10">Khashoggi</a> would be affected by any business ties with Saudi Arabia."For the record, I have no financial interests in Saudi Arabia (or Russia, for that matter)," Trump tweeted. "Any suggestion that I have is just more FAKE NEWS (of which there is plenty)!"The Trump Organization does not own any buildings in Saudi Arabia, but the president has worked closely with officials from the country over the years. Trump has been paid tens of millions by Saudi investors and its government through a variety of business deals.In fact, Trump has long done business with the Saudis:<ul><li>Saudi Crown Prince Prince Alwaleed bin-Talal purchased Trump's 282-foot yacht "Princess" for $20 million in 1991 (Trump was nearing bankruptcy at the time) and was part of a group that purchased the financially troubled Plaza Hotel for $325 million in 1995.</li><li>In 2016, the New York Daily News reported that the Saudi government also purchased the entire 45th floor of the Trump World Tower for $4.5 million in June 2001. Given annual fee fares for the building at the time, Trump also was paid $5.7 million by the Saudis between the purchase and 2016, the paper reported.</li></ul>Trump bragged about his business dealings with the Saudis during a 2015 campaign rally in Mobile, Alabama."I get along great with all of them, they buy apartments from me," Trump said. "They spend $40 million, $50 million. Am I supposed to dislike them? I like them very much!"The most recent example came last year, as <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/at-president-trumps-hotel-in-new-york-revenue-went-up-this-spring--thanks-to-a-visit-from-big-spending-saudis/2018/08/03/58755392-9112-11e8-bcd5-9d911c784c38_story.html?noredirect=on&amp;utm_term=.50e8ad7682f8">The Washington Post reported in August</a> that a visit from Saudi officials to Trump's Trump International Hotel in New York City helped boost the hotel's quarterly revenue by 13% in 2018's first quarter. The bump came after two straight years of booking declines for the property, according to a letter obtained by the Post in which the manager of the Trump hotel cited "a last-minute visit to New York by the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia."In addition, a lobbying firm connected to the Saudi government also paid $270,000 to the Trump International Hotel in Washington, DC, between October 2016 and March 2017.While Trump lawyers have argued that a foreign government renting hotel rooms from his organization is not an ethics conflict, New York Attorney General Barbara Underwood opened an investigation into the Saudis' rental of the New York City hotel rooms.Trump's attempt to distance himself from the Saudi government comes amid the fallout over the disappearance of Khashoggi, who is feared dead. Turkish officials have accused Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman of being directly involved in the attempted kidnapping and alleged killing of Khashoggi. On Monday, Trump appeared to side with the Saudis by touting an alternate theory advanced by its king positing that "rogue killers" were responsible for the incident. <div class="margin-top"> <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/why-newborn-babies-cant-drink-water-dangerous-2018-9">Why babies can't drink water</a></h3> <div> </div> </div>

Trump says he has 'no financial interests in Saudi Arabia.' But his businesses have made millions from the Saudi government, and the crown prince gave his New York City hotel a huge boost.

<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image">Hotel WiFi TestA screenshot of Hotel WiFi Test's home page.</div></div></div>Sure, most hotels say they offer free WiFi. But we've all experienced the anguish of not being able to check our work emails (read: stream TV shows) because the connection is just too slow.
A new website called <a href="http://www.hotelwifitest.com/">Hotel WiFi Test</a> is now helping us avoid those painful situations.
The site is super simple. You just type in a location, and it will give you a list of hotels it has tested and show you the speed of the WiFi at those locations.
Let's say you're traveling to London. You can browse through the 21 hotels the company has already tested, which show a range of WiFi speeds from 84.2 Mbps all the way down to 0.42 Mbps. (Maybe don't stay at the hotel with 0.42 Mbps.)
On top of the WiFi speed, the site also includes reviews and nightly rates and can direct you to hotels.com to actually book the hotel. This way you can make an informed decision, armed with the basics as well as connection speeds.
Since it's still relatively new, Hotel WiFi Test hasn't gotten to all hotels out there, so it's also asking for your help.
When you're at a hotel they haven't yet tested, the site will ask to test the speed of the WiFi so it can add the data for future users. But until they've tested all the hotels out there, the site also provides an estimation for the not-yet-tested locations using a unique machine-learning prediction tool.
The hope is the site will call out the good guys and the bad guys, encouraging hotels to do better when it comes to WiFi.
Hotel WiFi Test even delivers <a href="http://www.hotelwifitest.com/top-hotels/2014/feb/">a ranking</a> of the major hotel chains based on their testing and data. The top 10 hotel chains, according to the site, are (in order): Andaz, Le Meridien, Radisson Blu, Four Points, Scandic, Sheraton, Crowne Plaza, Marriott, Hyatt, and Residence Inn.
You may have other considerations when picking a hotel (you know, location and price, for example), but Hotel WiFi Test is here to make sure you're making an educated decision in terms of internet connectivity.

This Website Will Help You Avoid Hotels With Awful WiFi

<ul class="summary-list"><li>A Bengal show cat escaped from her owner and was lost in Denver's airport for 24 hours.</li><li>Southwest ramp crew found the cat and got her safely back to her owner. </li></ul>Breezy, a Bengal show cat, had a 24-hour adventure at the <a href="https://www.insider.com/denver-international-airport-conspiracy-theories-debunked-2021-10">Denver International Airport</a> starting Sunday.Breezy and her owner Ginger Thompson were traveling home from Denver, Colorado, to Spokane, Washington, after a <a href="https://www.insider.com/westminster-dog-show-behind-the-scenes-photos-2023-5">cat show</a> at the Crowne Plaza Denver International Convention Center, <a href="https://www.9news.com/article/life/animals/dia-denver-airport-lost-cat-breezy/73-9e360fa6-c287-449b-bc20-a67fd0a1b375" target="_blank" rel="noopener">9News reported</a>. During the boarding process for their 9:30 p.m. <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/near-miss-between-southwest-plane-and-private-jet-sparks-investigations-2023-8">Southwest flight</a>, another traveler bumped into Breezy's carrier, which caused the carrier's safety clip to come off and the zipper to open, according to the outlet.Startled, Breezy bolted for the open plane door. Once on the plane bridge, the cat fell through a gap and onto the tarmac, 9News reported.For the next 24 hours, no one could catch the cat. According to Facebook posts on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/ginger.thompson.5876">Thompson's profile</a>, she stayed in Denver and waited for updates about her <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/lufthansa-hired-pet-tracker-to-find-cat-lost-boston-airport-2022-7">missing cat</a>. Thompson did not respond to Insider's request for comment. "It's been a little over 24 hours since I lost Breezy," Thompson wrote on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/ginger.thompson.5876/posts/pfbid0238ih9T4NPyU587EcxSpP85Zq5XztoFCPtVUB7YnoEG9w6Xt2mQ33UbgbTMYbf3NNl?__cft__[0]=AZWjWt5pvZrR_xFk8IB_KyKH78yLUEXq-W-uiEnCIs-D3xcRkoXtFsiNotgvCpYgwmK9gRAsqLD4gaK_J5F4oOqdIdl8LMJM3HptW0jPCztj6cQV3PKeZHbA4i65xNYHhJ4OP-lPz6iVBMtXXPq03fTu&amp;__tn__=%2CO%2CP-R" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Facebook</a>. "I'm going out of my mind worrying. Trying to be patient but laying here in the hotel waiting is killing me and I'm losing any hope as each hour passes."Luckily, Thompson soon received good news. At 2:35 a.m. on Tuesday, Thompson <a href="https://www.facebook.com/ginger.thompson.5876/posts/pfbid02AuxZsebbU9qbeKSodEuqvzr621TzAXYevZ5r4ViMfryZ3C715kYseri7P7BPAcUl">shared on Facebook</a> that her cat had been found by the Southwest ramp crew."Many Southwest employees got together to assist in the search for Breezy," a representative for the airline told Insider. "On Monday night, Breezy was located by Southwest employees hiding in one of our ramp areas. Our team worked quickly to safely secure the cat, and then worked with the City of Denver to reunite Breezy with its owner."On Facebook, Thompson thanked the Southwest crew members and airport officers who helped her reunite with her cat. "Southwest ramp crew are the best," she wrote.As the pair headed back home, Thompson shared the journey on Facebook. Breezy came back "rough around the edges" and greasy, she wrote on Facebook. As for the flight home, Thompson said she made sure the cat carrier was safely secured with zip ties.

A cat escaped her carrier and was lost in Denver's airport. After 24 hours, she was reunited with her owner.

<div class="KonaFilter image-container float_right"><div class="image on-image"><a href="http://www.gettyimages.com/detail/news-photo/two-women-share-a-laugh-as-they-drink-their-first-beer-at-news-photo/104238747">Miguel Villagran/Getty Images</a></div></div>Our experts round-up the best <keyword id="6359860" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="60" keywordseo="beer">beer</keyword> and <keyword id="4894" type="ENTERTAINMENT" weightage="60" keywordseo="wine">wine</keyword> festivals from around the world.
Bandol Wine Festival, Provence
The Fête-du-Millésime is a jolly affair in the French manner - a little place letting rip in a big way. Wine growers put on fancy dress to show off the year's vintage straight from the barrel. These aren't finished wines - the rosés and whites, for instance, won't be ready until next spring .
These are the works in progress, and they will indicate how the vintage will turn out. Then, if you wish to tackle proper, bottled Bandol wines, you may visit the Maison des Vins opposite the casino or, as I was doing, go inland to call on the growers.
When? November 30-December 1, 2013 Details: <a href="http://vinsdebandol.com">vinsdebandol.com</a>
Wine Down Under
During the first quarter of the year Australia uncorks its finest wines across Victoria to Tasmania, but it is the verdant plains of South Australia that hold some of the very best, starting with the Crush Festival in the Adelaide Hills, where 30 wineries open up cellar doors. This is followed by the Harvest Festival McLaren Vale, which celebrates the region's finest food, wines, music and art. The climax, however, is the Cellar Door Wine Festival in Adelaide, which offers unlimited tastings from more than 150 wineries across the Barossa Valley, McLaren Vale, Coonawarra and the Limestone Coast.
When? January-February 2014 Details: <a href="http://australia.com">australia.com</a>
Mosel wine festivals
Although most European wine festivals are held in the autumn, the partying starts early in the picturesque towns, villages and vineyards lining the banks of the Moselle, with a host of festivals getting under way in the spring. Whether it is celebrating the best of the new wine from the most recent harvest or larger affairs involving local foods, music and the crowning of a wine queen, the region celebrates its finest product in style - and, in vino veritas, shows a gentler side to the Germans at play.
When? The festivals start around Easter and run until the end of September 2014 Details: <a href="http://traben-trarbach.de">traben-trarbach.de</a>
Sherry Festival
The festival celebrating the grape harvest, and autumn in general, combines with the feast of the Nativity of Our Lady in Jerez to provide an excuse for up to three weeks of partying, involving sherry-drinking, horse-riding displays and flamenco dancing. The main events usually open with a grand procession in which the newly crowned Queen of the Vintage, surrounded by "handmaidens", is carted around the town, finally arriving in the Plaza de Arenal.
When? Around September 8 2014 (provisional) Details:<a href="http://turismojerez.com">turismojerez.com</a>
Chianti Wine Festivals
On the second and third long weekends in September (Thursday to Sunday), two of Chianti's main wine enclaves celebrate the forthcoming harvest with street music, food and the opportunity to taste Chianti Classicos from plenty of local producers. Of the two, Panzano's "Vino al Vino" event offers the greatest range of wines and festivities.
When? September 11-14 2014 (Greve); September 18-21 2014 (Panzano). Details:<a href="http://greve-in-chianti.com">greve-in-chianti.com</a> ; <a href="http://vinoalvinopanzano.com">vinoalvinopanzano.com</a>
Munich Oktoberfest
The mother of all beer festivals, this one commemorates the wedding in October 1810 of Crown Prince Ludwig of Bavaria and Princess Therese of Saxony-Hildburghausen and now attracts six million visitors a year. The beers, all of which are brewed in Munich, are served only in stonking great litre glasses and are accompanied by roast chicken and giant pretzels. Oompah music and thigh- slapping Bavarians dressed in lederhosen and dirndls are the order of the day.
When: September 20-October 5 2014 Details: <a href="http://oktoberfest.eu">oktoberfest.eu</a> ; <a href="http://muenchen-tourist.de">muenchen-tourist.de</a>
Compiled by Anthony Peregrine, Charles Starmer-Smith, Adrian Bridge, Nick Trend and Lee Marshall

The Best Beer And Wine Festivals In The World

<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image on-image">Mark Von Holden/APLyndon Rive (left) and Elon Musk (right).</div></div></div>Today is the big day for Tesla CEO Elon Musk's solar aspirations.Tesla and SolarCity shareholders will vote on a merger, worth $2.6 billion, on Thursday. SolarCity shareholders will meet at Crowne Plaza Hotel in Foster City, California at 11 a.m. PT/ 2p.m. ET. Tesla shareholders will meet three hours later in Fremont, California to cast their vote.The Tesla meeting will be <a href="http://ir.tesla.com/events.cfm" target="_blank">webcast</a> live to the public.Analysts are expecting the merger to be approved."We fully expect the deal to go through," Jeffrey Osborne, an analyst covering Tesla and SolarCity for Cowen &amp; Co., said Wednesday, according to <a href="http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2016-11-17/tesla-solarcity-meet-at-altar-for-merger-musk-portrays-as-fate" target="_blank">Bloomberg</a>. "Every Tesla shareholder I've talked to has the view that a year from now, we won't be talking about SolarCity's cash needs - the solar-plus-storage story will be playing out."Elon Musk owns about 20% of both companies and is CEO of Tesla and chairman of SolarCity. Musk is also the cousin of SolarCity's CEO Lyndon Rive.Musk has unveiled several energy products ahead of the merger to show his vision for the combined company. Musk showed his <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/tesla-solar-roof-features-photos-2016-11/" target="_blank">solar roof product</a> on October 28 - four solar shingle options that Musk claims will have the most efficient solar cells at the lowest price.Details on the products price have yet to be revealed, but Rive said during a conference call in early November that they are aiming for 40 cents a Watt, which would put it in line with the competition.<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image">Tesla</div></div></div>Musk also unveiled an improved version of Tesla's at-home battery, <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/everything-about-tesla-powerwall-2-battery-2016-10" target="_blank">Powerwall 2.0</a>, that can store 13.5 kWh of energy.The proposed merger has gotten criticism as Tesla has a lot to contend with in 2017 as ramps up production for the Model 3. Tesla will be absorbing SolarCity's roughly $3 billion in debt as part of the merger.Tesla is pushing its solar ambitions forward during a potentially difficult time under President-elect Donald Trump, a known <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/trump-presidency-bad-tesla-solarcity-2016-11" target="_blank">climate denier</a>.Angelo Zino, an equity analyst at CFRA Research, wrote in a Nov.9 research note that a Trump presidency is bad for the solar industry as it could negatively impact solar subsidies."We believe a Trump presidency along with a Republican-led Congress poses significant risks to a potential reduction/elimination of the 30% ITC [Solar Investment Tax Credit], extended at the end of '15," Zino wrote. <div class="margin-top"> <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/elon-musk-unveils-solar-roof-solarcity-video-2016-10">Elon Musk just unveiled something that could revolutionize how you power your home </a></h3> <div> <div> <div class="ooyala-video-player" data-video-autoplay="false" data-video-id="ZtcHQzNzE6rJiNVeNBtErYRi4yljUmMb" data-player-variable="ooyalapopvideo" id="ooyalaplayer_popvideo" style="width:1280px;height:720px"></div> </div> </div> </div>

Tesla and SolarCity shareholders will vote on a merger today

<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image">REUTERS/Hamad I Mohammed/File PhotoAmin H. Nasser, president and CEO of Aramco, and Yasser al-Rumayyan, Saudi Aramco's chairman, attend a <keyword id="6355005" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="news">news</keyword> conference at the Plaza Conference Center in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia this month.</div></div></div><ul class="summary-list"><li>State-owned oil giant <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/category/saudi-aramco">Saudi Aramco</a> on Sunday released a range for its initial public offering that places its valuation up to $1.7 trillion ahead of its public debut that's expected to be the largest on record. </li><li>The statement published on Sunday to Aramco's website marks a milestone in the company's closely watched <a href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/news/stocks/saudi-aramco-ipo-kingdom-negotiating-participation-from-billionaires-2019-11-1028673598">path to the public market</a>.</li><li>The company filed a <a href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/commodities/news/saudi-aramco-prospectus-details-6-risks-before-record-breaking-ipo-2019-11-1028678298#climate-change2">key document</a> last week detailing risks to its operations like climate change and terrorism, armed conflict, and political unrest in the region. </li><li>Aramco is expected to begin publicly trading next month on Saudi's stock exchange, the Tadawul. Saudi Arabia's leader, Mohammed bin Salman, has said he belives the company is worth $2 trillion. </li><li>The crown price's kingdom has come under scrutiny for journalist Jamal Khashoggi's murder inside the Saudi consulate in Istanbul last October. Bin Salman <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/saudi-crown-prince-full-responsibility-jamal-khashoggi-murder-60-minutes-2019-9">said in a September interview</a> with CBS News that he takes "full responsibility" for Khashoggi's murder, but denied that he ordered it. </li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/">Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories</a>.</li></ul>State-owned oil giant <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/category/saudi-aramco">Saudi Aramco</a> on Sunday released a range for its initial public offering that places its valuation up to $1.7 trillion ahead of its public debut that's expected to be the largest on record. Aramco said it planned to sell a 1.5% stake in itself to investors, or some 3 billion shares. The <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/category/saudi-arabia">Saudi Arabia</a>-run company is targeting a price range of 30 to 32 Saudi riyals, or around $8.00, per share.Aramco, the world's most profitable company with $111 billion in 2018 net income, is expected to begin publicly trading next month on the Tadawul, Saudi's stock exchange. The statement published on Sunday to Aramco's website marks a milestone in the company's closely watched <a href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/news/stocks/saudi-aramco-ipo-kingdom-negotiating-participation-from-billionaires-2019-11-1028673598">path to the public market</a>.Investors in the US and other countries cannot directly buy Aramco's shares. Though even as corporate leaders decry Saudi Arabia's part in the 2018 murder of <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/who-is-jamal-khashoggi-turkey-accuses-saudi-arabia-of-murdering-reporter-2018-10">journalist Jamal Khashoggi</a>, accessing the kingdom's broader market <a href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/news/stocks/investing-in-saudi-arabia-risks-with-investing-2019-4-1028166314">has become easier than ever before</a>.The global index provider MSCI folded Saudi Arabian stocks into its emerging markets index earlier this year. Meanwhile the largest US investment banks are among those underwriting Aramco's IPO. Citi, JPMorgan, and Goldman Sachs are among the joint bookrunners with more than 20 firms underwriting the listing.Zachary Cefaratti, the chief executive officer of Dubai-based Dalma Capital Management, <a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-saudi-aramco-ipo/saudi-aramco-in-race-for-ipo-record-with-17-trillion-top-value-idUSKBN1XR07J">told Reuters</a> on Sunday that his firm planned to subscribe to the IPO through two funds. Cefaratti said Aramco's preliminary valuation fell in-line with his expectations.<div class="KonaFilter image-container float_right"><div class="image on-image">REUTERS/Amir LevySaudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.</div></div>Last week, Aramco filed a <a href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/commodities/news/saudi-aramco-prospectus-details-6-risks-before-record-breaking-ipo-2019-11-1028678298#climate-change2">key document</a> detailing risks to its operations like climate change and terrorism, armed conflict, and political unrest in the region. The latest valuation comes as Saudi Arabia's leader, Mohammed bin Salman, has previously pegged the company's worth at $2 trillion.The crown price's kingdom has come under scrutiny for Khashoggi's murder inside the Saudi consulate in Istanbul last October, prompting an <keyword id="6356001" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="international">international</keyword> outcry.Bin Salman <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/saudi-crown-prince-full-responsibility-jamal-khashoggi-murder-60-minutes-2019-9">said in a September interview</a> with CBS News that he takes "full responsibility" for Khashoggi's murder but denied that he ordered it. "Investors have been staying out of Saudi Arabia because of the reputation risk since the Khashoggi debacle as well as concern that Aramco will swamp the market," Steve Holden, the CEO of Copley Fund Research, said in a report earlier this month.Saudi Arabian equities comprise the third-lowest global investment allocation relative to its weighting in MSCI's emerging markets index, per a Copely analysis. Some 87% of emerging-market funds have no exposure. <div class="margin-top"> <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/3rd-wave-tech-stocks-why-theyre-new-disruptors-mark-baribeau-2019-10">A big-money investor in juggernauts like Facebook and Netflix breaks down the '3rd wave' firms that are leading the next round of tech disruption</a></h3> <div> </div> </div>

State-owned oil giant Saudi Aramco is worth up to $1.7 trillion in a new IPO range, setting the stage for the world's largest public listing

<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image">Thomson Reuters</div></div></div><ul><li>Over the weekend, Saudi Arabia <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/ap-top-saudi-official-ousted-princes-reportedly-arrested-2017-11-2">detained</a> dozens of high-profile figures, including 11 princes and dozens of former ministers, in a new anti-corruption probe headed by the kingdom's powerful Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.</li><li>Saudi officials say the detainments are about getting rid of corruption, while some analysts argue it represents the latest step in Mohammed bin Salman's efforts to consolidate power.</li><li>While most media attention has been focused on billionaire investor Prince Alwaleed bin Talal, the detention of Prince Mutaib bin Abdullah may have more profound internal political implications.</li></ul> Over the weekend, Saudi Arabia <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/what-happened-in-saudi-arabia-2017-11">detained</a> dozens of high-profile figures, including 11 princes and dozens of former ministers, in a new anti-corruption probe headed by the kingdom's powerful Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS).Saudi officials say the detainments are about getting rid of corruption, while some analysts argue it represents the latest step in Mohammed bin Salman's efforts to consolidate power in order to continue his plans to overhaul the country's economy."Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman's Saturday night purge represents a stunning political development in Saudi Arabia and a shot across the bow at the old establishment," Helima Croft, global head of commodity strategy at RBC Capital Markets, said in a note to clients."While MBS' moves to fundamentally remake the state have won praise from local business leaders, his disruptive approach has alienated important elements in the royal family and clerical establishment," she continued. "MBS' supporters maintain that the arrest of princes was entirely about eradicating corruption, but it seemingly serves a broader consolidation plan. Whether this represents a start to or preempts a 'Game of Thrones' remains to be seen."<h2>Consolidating power</h2>Among the notable figures detained is billionaire investor Prince Alwaleed bin Talal, who has sizeable stakes in <a href="http://markets.businessinsider.com/stock/TWTR-Quote">Twitter</a>, <a href="http://markets.businessinsider.com/stock/aapl-Quote">Apple</a>, and <a href="http://markets.businessinsider.com/stock/C-Quote">Citigroup</a>. He also has investments in the Four Seasons Hotel George V in Paris, the Savoy in London, the Plaza in New York, and has invested in the AccorHotels chair and London's Canary Wharf, according to the <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2017/11/05/business/saudi-prince-alwaleed-investor.html?_r=0">New York Times</a>.His arrest likely rattled companies that count the company he founded, Kingdom Holding, as a major investor or shareholder, <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2017/11/05/business/saudi-prince-alwaleed-investor.html?_r=0">the New York Times</a> said. Shares of the company, which trade on the Saudi stock exchange, fell about 7.6% on <a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/detained-saudi-prince-has-invested-widely-in-the-west-1509915000?tesla=y">Sunday</a>.But despite the large amount of media attention being focused on Prince Alwaleed bin Talal, Croft argues that the detention of Prince Mutaib bin Abdullah, who was the chief and then minister of the Saudi Arabian National Guard (SANG) since 2010 (a post that was also held by his father, the late king Abdullah), could have more profound internal political implications.SANG serves as a praetorian guard for the royal family and would be sent to clear the streets in the event of a major internal uprising, Croft said. It has been in the middle of <keyword id="6358883" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="Politics">politics</keyword> before, including in 1964 when the Guard sided with Faisal against King Saud and helped to usher the monarch out of power and ensure an orderly transition.As for why this is relevant today, Croft wrote in her note:"Mutaib was a clear favorite of King Abdullah and he was seen as his preferred choice to be the first of the founder's grandsons to inherit the throne. Abdullah, however, never inserted his son in the succession line and the ascension of King Salman and MBS blocked Mutaib's path to power. However, in the immediate aftermath of the dramatic <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/saudi-arabia-crown-prince-mohammed-bin-salman-2017-6">June dismissal</a> of Mohammad bin Nayef as Crown Prince, both Mutaib and MBS' uncle Prince Ahmed bin Abdulaziz were cited as prominent royal holdouts and centers of princely opposition to the new regime.""While MBS' supporters insist that Saturday's move had absolutely nothing to do with staving off a coup and maintain that it was entirely about eradicating corruption, detaining Mutaib does also seemingly serve a broader power consolidation agenda," Croft said. "The fact that private airstrips were closed on Saturday also does suggest that more high-level arrests may be looming.Taking it a step further, Jason Tuvey, Middle East Economist at Capital Economics added that it remains to be seen how the Guard, which has been under the influence of Price Mutaib's branch of the family for decades, will respond to the development. However, if the Guard "falls into line," he said, then MBS will effectively control the security services in the kingdom, as he is already the defense minister and oversees internal security matters as the head of the Council of Political and Security Affairs.<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image">RBC Capital Markets</div></div></div><h2>Ambitious projects</h2>Mohammed bin Salman has launched a number of ambitious projects since his father ascended to the throne in 2015, including attempting to overhaul the oil-dependent economy and pursuing a more hawkish foreign policy at a time when younger Saudis <a href="http://markets.businessinsider.com/commodities/news/Wall-Streets-top-oil-watcher-explains-whats-happening-in-Saudi-Arabia-Russia-and-Libya-1001480248">started feeling the pinch of fiscal austerity</a>. He also said he would lead the country back to "moderate Islam," and the kingdom recently announced that it would allow women to drive in <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2017/09/26/world/middleeast/saudi-arabia-women-drive.html">June 2018</a>.Most notably, Mohammed bin Salman has been pushing forward with his ambitious Vision 2030 reform plan, which aims to curtail what he called the kingdom's "<a href="http://www.reuters.com/article/us-saudi-economy-idUSKCN0XM1CD">addiction</a>" to oil via various measures, including the public listing of a part of the kingdom's crown jewel, Saudi Aramco."In principle, efforts to clamp down on corruption are clearly welcome. Corruption hinders the Saudi economy in a number of ways," Tuvey said of the weekend's events. "However, the speed and breadth of the clampdown could deal a blow to the economy. Firms might delay investment plans as they await to see if they will get caught up in the allegations. Foreign investment - which MBS is trying to court to support his Vision 2030 reform plans - may also be deterred given the rise in uncertainty and the fact that many rely on partnerships with firms owned by those being detained."Since Mohammed bin Salman has taken an increasingly important role in both domestic and foreign policy, most analysts <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/saudi-arabia-purge-officials-princes-oil-2017-11">aren't expecting</a> any major policy shifts in the near future following the events over the weekend."Saudi Arabia's latest anti-corruption purge further consolidates Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman's power, which will in turn be positive for the reform drive beyond short-term market instability," analysts at BMI Research said, arguing that his anti-corruption drive will likely be well-received by the Saudi population and by investors."That said, the continued clampdown on dissenting voices raises long-term risks of backlash against King Salman and the crown prince, especially if the reform momentum stalls or if Saudi Arabia's assertive foreign policy backfires," they added. <div class="margin-top"> <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/amazons-new-headquarters-announcement-very-smart-move-2017-10">Why Amazon's new headquarters sweepstakes makes it the 'smartest company in the world'</a></h3> <div> </div> </div>

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