Hi, I'm Matt Turner, the editor in chief of business at Insider. Welcome back to Insider Today's Sunday edition, a roundup of some of our top stories.
On the agenda today:
- Young workers hate their jobs — and employers should be worried.
- How Lex Fridman's podcast became a safe space for the anti-woke tech elite.
- In today's tough housing market, boomers are sticking it to millennials.
- How an adtech employee stole a $9 million payment and used it to buy gold bars.
But first, get on the list: Insider is hosting an exclusive event in NYC the evening of April 18, exploring art and AI. Space is strictly limited — but we want to give Insider Today readers the chance to attend.
Write to insidertoday@insider.com to tell us how AI will transform your role, your company, or your industry. We'll pick three of the most fascinating responses — and those readers will bag an invite.
Next up: Introducing our new destination for climate action.
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This week's dispatch
Optimists don't just dream — they do. That's the thinking behind One Planet, our new hub for climate action.
Expect ongoing coverage on topics such as sustainable travel and products, breakthrough technologies, and leaders who are innovating in their fields.
We'll also be hosting virtual and in-person events, introducing our first climate advisory council, and more.
Gen Zers are sick and tired of their jobs
Young workers may not possess the experience or wisdom of their older colleagues, but they've always had one advantage in the workplace: their enthusiasm. Unattached and kid-free, they're willing to burn the midnight oil.
But since the pandemic hit, there's been a startling shift. Gen Zers and young millennials have soured on work just as much as everyone else — and that's bad news for companies everywhere.
Also read:
'The next Joe Rogan'
Over the past few years, Lex Fridman has gone from an unknown academic researcher to a social-media celebrity and member of Elon Musk's inner circle. In his podcast, Fridman asks scientists, historians, and artists a series of wide-eyed questions. It all seems innocent enough.
But recently, "The Lex Fridman Podcast" has become a haven for a growing and powerful sector looking to dismantle years of "wokeness." To the hordes of young men fed up with the so-called mainstream media, Fridman is challenging the status quo, one interview at a time.
More on the rise of Lex Fridman.
Boomer homebuying bonanza
Millennials have never had it easy in the housing market. But the sheer size of the generation and the fact that many of its members have reached prime homebuying age mean that with each passing year more millennials are literally getting their foot in the door.
But after a decade in which millennials sat atop the housing-market heap, baby boomers have suddenly and unexpectedly seized the upper hand. The sudden reversal is a sign of the financial strength of boomers, but it also underscores the bleak prospects for millennials.
How older house hunters are schooling their successors.
Read more:
Google and gold
In December, Tyler Mancuso, a 29-year-old salesperson at the adtech firm Ezoic, stopped by the precious-metals company Oxford Gold Group's building in Beverly Hills. He said he was picking up a $9 million order for 151 gold kilo bars.
But Mancuso would never get his hands on the gold — the FBI arrested him while he was en route. Court filings say he illicitly acquired the millions he'd used to pay for the gold by exploiting Ezoic's systems and rerouting a $9 million payment from Google to his own Chase bank account.
Inside the alleged scheme to defraud Ezoic.
This week's quote:
"I knew that when I wanted to go back to work, I would be judged for my time off. So I fibbed a little."
— An anonymous accounting employee who lied on their résumé to get their current job — and thinks others should do the same.
More of this week's top reads:
- Salesforce is culling management layers, making some managers individual contributors.
- Google announces cost-saving measures across the company as it cuts staff perks.
- ABC News layoffs left insiders 'outraged' by how veteran execs' exits were handled.
- How Fred Smith's crown jewel, FedEx Express, became the company's problem child.
- Leaked email shows even Twitch's CEO was caught off guard by Amazon's layoffs.
- College dropouts explain how they built a real-estate portfolio with less than $1,000 in combined savings.
- I drove 25 electric vehicles. These are my seven favorites.
- A man built a tiny home for his mom, then set up a company so others could build one, too.
Curated by Matt Turner. Edited by Dave Smith and Lisa Ryan. Sign up for more Insider newsletters here.