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Elizabeth Holmes' friends and family filed 130 letters asking for lenient sentencing, written by everyone like Cory Booker and Tim Draper to David Sokol and ex-Theranos staff &mdash; here are some highlights

<table class="image-container float_right" width="200"><tr><td><div class="image"></div>AP</td></tr></table>The Wall Street Journal's <a href="http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887323689604578222051534145538.html">Sharon Ng and Jean Eaglesham</a> have an exclusive with <keyword id="232573" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="David-Sokol">David Sokol</keyword> that's giving us chills.
<a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/category/david-sokol">Sokol</a> was the Berkshire Hathaway subsidiary executive that many considered to be a frontrunner to replace <keyword id="6358963" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="Warren-Buffett">Warren Buffett</keyword> as CEO.
In 2011, Sokol resigned in the wake of what appeared to be an insider trading scandal.
However, the <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/sec-drops-case-against-david-sokol-2013-1">SEC dropped its investigation</a> into Sokol yesterday, and now he has broken his silence.
From <a href="http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887323689604578222051534145538.html">Ng and Eaglesham</a>:
Mr. Buffett had praised Mr. Sokol's contributions to Berkshire upon the executive's departure and said he didn't feel the trades were "in any way unlawful." But weeks after the resignation, the Berkshire Hathaway CEO made scathing remarks about Mr. Sokol's actions, calling them "inexcusable" and "inexplicable" and saying they violated the company's code of ethics.
Mr. Sokol's lawyer said Thursday that he was informed that the Securities and Exchange Commission wouldn't take action against his client.
In a sign that the rift is unlikely to heal soon, Mr. Sokol on Friday lashed out at the 82-year-old Mr. Buffett.
"I will never understand why Mr. Buffett chose to hurt my family in such a way, but given that he is rapidly approaching his judgement [sic] day I will leave his verdict to a higher power," Mr. Sokol wrote in an emailed response to The Wall Street Journal.
Read the whole report at <a href="http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887323689604578222051534145538.html">WSJ.com</a>.

SOKOL: Warren Buffett Is Approaching His Judgment Day, I Will Leave His Verdict To A Higher Power

<ul class="summary-list"><li>A new ProPublica report found Clarence Thomas has accepted more undisclosed gifts from billionaires.</li><li>One of those billionaires was David Sokol, who has publicly opposed student-debt relief.</li></ul>From being treated to the first Nebraska football game of the season to getting serenaded by a Wyoming campfire, a new <a href="https://www.propublica.org/article/clarence-thomas-other-billionaires-sokol-huizenga-novelly-supreme-court" target="_blank" rel="noopener">report</a> said conservative Justice Clarence Thomas is no stranger to luxury vacations.And one of the billionaires that funded some of those trips was a vocal opponent of student-loan forgiveness.On Thursday, ProPublica released an <a href="https://www.propublica.org/article/clarence-thomas-other-billionaires-sokol-huizenga-novelly-supreme-court" target="_blank" rel="noopener">investigation</a> that revealed new information on the gifts billionaires have given Thomas over the years. According to the report, the gifts have included at least 38 vacations, 26 private jet flights, VIP passes to sporting events, and private stays at luxury resorts — and ethics experts told ProPublica the justice had violated the law by failing to disclose some of those gifts.One of the funders of those gifts was David Sokol, a billionaire and former executive at Berkshire Hathaway. According to the report, Sokol had treated Thomas to five Nebraska sporting events in recent years, and he flew Thomas by private jet to his ranch in Jackson Hole, Wyoming in 2019.Sokol has also been a vocal opponent of President Joe Biden's student-debt relief plans. During a speech in October where Thomas was not in attendance, Sokol criticized Biden's plan to cancel up to $20,000 in student debt for federal borrowers, reportedly saying during his remarks obtained by ProPublica that "it's going to get overturned by the Supreme Court."Months later, the Supreme Court in June <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/student-loan-forgiveness-blocked-supreme-court-strikes-down-debt-cancellation-2023-5">indeed struck down the student-debt relief</a>, with Thomas voting in the majority. Sokol told ProPublica that he has "never once discussed any pending court matter" with Thomas."Our conversations have always revolved around helping young people, sports, and family matters," he said.This is not the first time Thomas has come under fire for accepting undisclosed gifts from billionaires. In April, ProPublica published a <a href="https://www.propublica.org/article/clarence-thomas-scotus-undisclosed-luxury-travel-gifts-crow" target="_blank" rel="noopener">separate investigation</a> on the luxury trips Thomas was gifted by Harlan Crow, a Republican megadonor, to which Thomas released a <a href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/23745868-clarence-thomas-statement-4-7-23" target="_blank" rel="noopener">statement</a> saying that he "sought guidance from my colleagues and others in the judiciary, and was advised that this sort of personal hospitality from close personal friends, who did not have business before the Court, was not reportable.""I have endeavored to follow that counsel throughout my tenure, and have always sought to comply with the disclosure guidelines," he said.And Thomas is not the only justice who has faced this scrutiny. In June, ProPublica reported that conservative Justice Sam Alito took a luxury fishing trip with billionaire Paul Singer, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/sam-alito-luxury-fishing-trip-singer-block-student-loan-forgiveness-2023-6">who donated to an organization that opposed student-debt relief</a>. Alito preempted the report by <a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/propublica-misleads-its-readers-alito-gifts-disclosure-alaska-singer-23b51eda" target="_blank" rel="noopener">publishing an opinion piece in the Wall Street Journal</a>, saying that "on no occasion have we discussed the activities of his businesses, and we have never talked about any case or issue before the Court."While the justices have denied acting improperly through their relationships with billionaires, some lawmakers have been pushing for reform. Last month, Democrats on the Senate Judiciary Committee passed a bill that would create a code of ethics for Supreme Court justices, but it's unlikely the bill will pass under a Republican-controlled House. Liberal Justice Elena Kagan also appears to be on board with reforming the court, saying during <a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2023/08/03/kagan-enters-fray-over-congress-power-to-police-supreme-court-00109770" target="_blank" rel="noopener">remarks</a> last week that "it just can't be that the court is the only institution that somehow is not subject to checks and balances from anybody else. We're not imperial. Can Congress do various things to regulate the Supreme Court? I think the answer is: yes."

Conservative Justice Clarence Thomas took lavish vacations with a billionaire who criticized student-loan forgiveness months before the Supreme Court struck it down, new report says

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Several friends of Clarence Thomas helped finance a documentary on the justice.</li><li>Thomas' backers wanted to present a different narrative than what was in HBO's "Confirmation."</li></ul>In 2016, the HBO <a href="https://www.hbo.com/movies/confirmation">film</a> "Confirmation" chronicled Clarence Thomas' contentious 1991 Supreme Court nomination hearings, where the allegations that he sexually assaulted law professor Anita Hill played out in the public sphere.Thomas vehemently denied the <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/clarence-ginni-thomas-anita-hill-sexual-harassment-allegations-scotus-2022-6">allegations</a> and was confirmed to the Supreme Court in a close 52-48 vote.In "Confirmation," the actress Kerry Washington, who rose to prominence as Olivia Pope on the ABC drama "Scandal," played Hill. The actor Wendell Pierce, best known for his role as Detective William "Bunk" Moreland on HBO's "The Wire," played Thomas.Many of Thomas' supporters — who never stopped rallying behind Thomas after the hearings and remained staunch defenders of his conservative judicial record on the high court — then worked to finance a film that would explore the judge's personal background and career trajectory from his perspective.That film, "Created Equal: Clarence Thomas In His Own Words," was released in 2020.The financial backers to the <a href="https://affiliate.insider.com?amazonTrackingID=biauto-59723-20&amp;h=406fe9349c80e0fff19c78263e211fc8c471312cc6ef6e2e4d23a3e6fec1f393&amp;postID=64aabd4222f2a9565d23236a&amp;site=bi&amp;u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2FCreated-Equal-Clarence-Thomas-Words%2Fdp%2FB08HFYY3FL" target="_blank" rel="noopener">documentary </a>included business executive David Sokol and the industrialist Dennis Washington, who are members of the elite Horatio Alger Association of Distinguished Americans alongside Thomas, according to<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2023/07/09/us/clarence-thomas-horatio-alger-association.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> The New York Times</a>.Sokol has vacationed with Justice Thomas and his wife, conservative activist Ginni Thomas, over the last few years, the Times reported.<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/gurufocus/2016/04/26/former-potential-warren-buffett-successor-david-sokol-turns-activist-investor/?sh=4b942b4e3f1e">Once seen</a> as the successor to the billionaire Warren Buffett at Berkshire Hathaway, Sokol strongly defended Thomas after "Confirmation" was released. While speaking during an appearance at a Connecticut library, he once remarked that Thomas had dealt with "lies, innuendo, distortions, and outright personal attacks" throughout the Supreme Court confirmation process.When asked about <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/clarence-thomas-elite-horatio-alger-association-scotus-courtroom-rare-access-2023-7">Thomas' role in the exclusive Horatio Alger Association</a>, Sokol, in a conversation with The Times, described Thomas as "a national treasure and a genuine example of the existence of the American dream.""I am a much better person because of our friendship," Sokol added.

Clarence Thomas' friends from the elite Horatio Alger Association financed a documentary favoring the justice after the HBO film 'Confirmation' aired Anita Hill scandal

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Clarence Thomas took at least 38 other previously undisclosed luxury trips, ProPublica reported.</li><li>The outlet estimates that Thomas has accepted millions in trips he didn't report since joining the court.</li></ul>Justice Clarence Thomas has likely accepted millions in undisclosed luxury trips since he joined the Supreme Court in 1991, ProPublica estimates.<a href="https://www.propublica.org/article/clarence-thomas-other-billionaires-sokol-huizenga-novelly-supreme-court">According to ProPublica's report,</a> Thomas has accepted at least 38 other premium vacations that he did not previously disclose. Thomas accepted everything from a yacht trip around the Bahamas and a stay at a luxury resort in Jamaica to premium seats at college and professional sporting events.The sheer level of what Thomas has accepted is staggering, a former federal judge responsible for financial disclosures told the outlet."In my career I don't remember ever seeing this degree of largesse given to anybody," Jeremy Fogel, a former federal judge who served on a committee that review judicial financial disclosures, told the non-profit news outlet. "I think it's unprecedented."Thomas, according to a report published Thursday, accepted a Bahamas trip from oil billionaire Paul "Tony" Novelly, Miami Dolphins and Florida Panthers tickets from then-owner H. Wayne Huizenga, and stays at picturesque properties owned by former Berkshire Hathway executive David Sokol. Huizenga also reportedly allowed Thomas access to a Gary Player-designed, exclusive golf club that was once considered the most sought-after invitation of its kind.Sokol also provided Thomas with flights and all-access passes to see his beloved Nebraska Cornhuskers, according to ProPublica. Thomas' wife Virginia "Ginni" is from Nebraska and the justice has become an avowed fan of the Big Ten school. ProPublica has <a href="https://www.propublica.org/series/supreme-court-scotus">published a series of reports</a> that have raised questions about whether Justice Thomas has properly disclosed the gifts, flights, and posh trips he's received from billionaire friends. While Thomas has not been accused of wrongdoing, the reports have triggered a scandal over the possibility that the nation's wealthy elite can wine and dine justices at their whim. <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2023/04/07/politics/clarence-thomas-disclosures-supreme-court/index.html">Thomas has previously stated</a> that he was advised some of the trips did not fall under the requirements of what needed to be disclosed.Congressional Democrats have responded with a call to impose stricter ethical standards on the nation's highest court. The rest of the federal judiciary follows specific ethical rules, the justices are only covered by far more limited standards. In response, Justice Samuel Alito <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2023/07/28/alito-ethics-supreme-court-congress/">declared that Congress had no power</a>to impose ethical requirements on the court. Republicans have strongly opposed Democrats' efforts, arguing they are nothing more than a targeted attack on conservative justices such as Thomas.A spokesperson for the Supreme Court did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Clarence Thomas accepted previously undisclosed luxury vacations with rich friends that likely cost millions: report

<ul class="summary-list"><li>BYD, Tesla's biggest electric vehicle rival in China, is quickly gaining on Elon Musk.</li><li>Its founder, Wang Chuanfu, once drank battery fluid to impress big-name investors, the Wall Street Journal reported. </li></ul>The founder of Chinese automaker BYD, Tesla's biggest global EV rival, once drank battery fluid in front of a big-name investor to show just how serious he was about his company, the Wall Street Journal reported Wednesday.Electric-car giant BYD first launched as a battery maker but has since grown to become <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/chinese-automakers-market-share-competing-tesla-global-expansion-2023-8">arguably the most impressive and quick-moving EV manufacturer in China</a>.Wang Chuanfu founded BYD in 1995, and alongside business partner Stella Li, the company is now on track to potentially best Tesla as the world's top seller of electric vehicles. It sold more than 431,000 EVs in Q3, putting it second to Tesla's 435,000 sales — but both companies are targeting 1.8 million EV sales by the end of the year.David Sokol, at the time a lieutenant of Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway, noticed BYD's momentum and visited the company in Shenzhen as early as 2008, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.wsj.com/business/autos/how-chinas-byd-became-teslas-biggest-threat-5edfd080">according to the Wall Street Journal.</a>There, the two BYD executives told Sokol about the company's competitive advantages, eventual global expansion plans, and clean battery tech.Wang then took a sip from a glass of BYD's battery fluid, a person familiar told the paper, as a way to show his confidence in how green its in-house tech was to the former Berkshire Hathaway exec. A few months later, Berkshire bought a 10% stake in BYD for $232 million. That investment catapulted BYD's trajectory as a mass-producer of vehicles powered by the very batteries it designed.<h2>History in the making</h2>Though BYD makes headlines for its success selling EVs, it actually started out by copying the likes of Japanese giants like Sony (though a BYD spokesperson denied this to the Wall Street Journal) making batteries. BYD soon signed big battery-buying customers like Motorola and Nokia. It bought a state-owned weapons maker's car-manufacturing operations in 2002, and launched its first gas-powered car in 2005 — a vehicle almost identical to the Toyota Corolla, the Journal reported.Since then, BYD found strengths in its cost-cutting and therefore, cost-competitiveness as it diversified its product portfolio to plug-in hybrids and eventually, all-electric vehicles.<h2>How it's going</h2>In recent months, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/china-united-states-electric-vehicle-market-share-auto-brands-pricing-2023-1">as demand in China has waned</a>, BYD has placed its eye on exports, expanding more into Europe and Southeast Asia. It made a huge show at the Munich auto show, and <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/chinese-car-companies-europe-expansion-threatens-mercedes-volkswagen-2023-9">German automakers and others are increasingly concerned</a> about the pace at which BYD and other Chinese players are moving. <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/cheap-chinese-electric-cars-will-upend-the-us-vehicle-market-2023-5">Many of these companies, but especially BYD</a>, are likely to enter the American market, too, though that expansion will come with far more political barriers.Interestingly, the Wall Street Journal reported that while Wang long said the company's name didn't stand for anything in particular, it now stands for "Build Your Dreams." The Journal reported that executives said Wang once joked that BYD stood for "Bring Your Dollars." Wang started BYD with a $300,000 loan from a relative — and at one point worried the firm might not make it.BYD saw some hiccups as other Chinese EV makers entered the market and Tesla shored up its Chinese operations. In 2019, earnings dropped substantially amid increasing competition, but an all-new battery brought BYD back to life.Though <a target="_blank" href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/news/stocks/warren-buffett-berkshire-hathaway-gain-byd-electric-vehicles-investment-2021-1-1029995920?utm_medium=ingest&amp;utm_source=markets">Berkshire's share in the EV maker has shrunk</a> over time, now at less than 4%, BYD's overall success continues.Today, it seems impossible the company will ever slow down.Aside from BYD's unique business achievements, its two head executives also have a noteworthy and fascinating dynamic, the Wall Street Journal reported.For one, Wang is described as "Mr. Inside," focused on product, while Li's role as "Ms. Outside" has her focus on selling the company to partners. The two are also rumored to be romantic partners, though BYD declined to comment on their relationship to the Journal.

The founder of Tesla's biggest China rival reportedly drank a glass of battery fluid to impress one of Warren Buffett's lieutenants

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Elizabeth Holmes will be sentenced on Friday. Her team has filed 130 letters from friends and family seeking leniency.</li><li>One letter came from David Sokol, the former Berkshire Hathaway executive who stepped down amid allegations of insider trading.</li></ul>Elizabeth Holmes is asking for a lenient sentence, and an army of her friends and family have <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/theranos-elizabeth-holmes-trial-130-letters-asking-leniency-sentencing-highlights-2022-11">written to the judge to back her up</a>.The <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/theranos-founder-ceo-elizabeth-holmes-life-story-bio-2018-4">Theranos founder</a> was <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/elizabeth-holmes-theranos-trial-found-guilty-of-wire-fraud-conspiracy-2021-12">found guilty</a> on four counts of fraud and conspiracy in January and is <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/elizabeth-holmes-theranos-faces-sentencing-new-trial-request-denied-2022-11">due to be sentenced on Friday</a>. She faces a maximum of 20 years in prison for each count on which she was convicted. While prosecutors want 15 years in prison, Holmes' attorneys have <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/theranos-elizabeth-holmes-seeks-18-months-house-arrest-avoid-jail-2022-11">asked for 18 months under house arrest</a>. With their plea for leniency, the defense submitted 130 letters from people who know Holmes and want the same.One of these people is another executive who faced his own scandal while CEO: David Sokol. Though he's chairman and CEO of Teton Capital today, Sokol used to be CEO of Berkshire Hathaway's energy subsidiary and was believed to be a likely successor to Berkshire chairman Warren Buffett. While in that role, he bought $10 million worth of shares in chemical company Lubrizol Corporation and days later encouraged Buffett to buy the firm. The acquisition produced $3 million in trading profit for Sokol.The SEC investigated but ultimately <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/sec-drops-case-against-david-sokol-2013-1">decided not to file insider trading charges</a> against Sokol, though Berkshire said he <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/sokol-lubrizol-berkshire-buffett-violated-company-insider-trading-policy-2011-4" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">violated the company's insider trading policy</a>. Sokol resigned in 2011.In his letter supporting Holmes, Sokol recounted his career and questioned whether the jury in her case knew enough about business to reach an appropriate verdict."Just as Ms. Holmes' decisions were not all flawless, neither is the jury system flawless," he wrote. "I accept the jury's decision in Ms. Holmes' trial. However, I also believe that such a trial revolves around extremely complex business realities which would be complicated for an experienced business person let alone someone not trained in such things as venture capital investing, accounting, proforma projections and related legal concepts and laws. As a knowledgeable investor, I can say with certainty that I would not have found Ms. Holmes guilty on any of the wire fraud charges."Sokol said he knew Holmes to be "kind, smart, and a positive contributor to society.""She will do far better for society if she is able to continue her inventing ways," he argued.Later in his letter, Sokol even invoked Thomas Edison's name to make his case for leniency."Failure, while unfortunate, is understood and recognized as part of the creative process," he wrote. "Thomas Edison failed over 1,000 times by his own estimate. He was not a criminal. Neither is Ms. Holmes."Sokol wrote that he has "no historic family or business relationship" with Holmes but met her in 2015 at a Horatio Alger Association of Distinguished Americans awards event.

Warren Buffett's one-time heir apparent who resigned in disgrace amid accusations of insider trading has pleaded for a judge to be lenient in sentencing Theranos founder Elizabeth Holmes

<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image">Norwegian Cruise Lines"We are not allowed to have any type of intimate contact with the guests. We are dismissed for that," a former cruise-ship human-resources manager said.</div></div></div><ul class="summary-list"><li>Cruise-ship workers are not allowed to have sexual relationships with passengers, according to a former human-resources manager who worked for three cruise lines.</li><li>If an employee is caught having a sexual relationship with a passenger, he or she is likely to get fired.</li><li>But sex is common among employees.</li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/?hprecirc-bullet">Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.</a></li></ul>Sexual activity among cruise-ship workers is common, but according to Aida Carvahlo - a former human-resources manager for MSC Cruises, Viking Cruises, and Holland America Line - sexual relationships with passengers are forbidden.If an employee is caught having a sexual relationship with a passenger, he or she is likely to get fired, Carvahlo said."We are not allowed to have any type of intimate contact with the guests. We are dismissed for that," she said.The same is not true of sex with other employees."There's a lot of sex on cruise ships," said a former casino manager for Holland America Line.<h2>Cruise ships have intense hookup cultures</h2>Some current and former cruise-ship workers compared the hookup culture as being similar to, or even exceeding, that of a college dorm. And, like college, sexual activity is fueled by <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/why-the-party-culture-on-cruise-ships-isnt-as-fun-as-it-seems-2018-12">frequent alcohol consumption</a>. Sex among employees is so pervasive that former Carnival Cruise Line waiter and art auctioneer Brian David Bruns said a co-worker was surprised when Bruns had not hooked up with one of his colleagues during his first night on a ship.But the permissive sexual culture on cruise ships can also lead to aggressive or inappropriate behavior. A former Royal Caribbean Cruises employee who now works for Carnival said one of her managers on Royal Caribbean would make comments about her sexual orientation and criticize her for never changing her hairstyle.Royal Caribbean did not respond to a request for comment.Read more: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/the-one-thing-you-need-to-know-before-getting-on-a-cruise-ship-2018-11">A lawyer who works with cruise passengers reveals the one thing you need to know before getting on a cruise ship</a>Another current Carnival employee said at one point, she was dating a man whose contract was close to ending. Male co-workers would remind her of her boyfriend's imminent departure, and, as soon as he left, made advances under the guise of comforting her.<h2>Relationships move faster than on land</h2>Romantic relationships among employees develop and end much faster than on land, which, along with frequent turnover, can make long-term relationships difficult."One month on a ship is maybe like two years on land, because you spend so much time with these people," said Taylor Sokol, a former cruise director for Holland America.But the close proximity between employees can make it difficult to maintain a healthy amount of space from a romantic partner, Sokol said."It's kind of hard to give someone their space when you live maybe 10 feet away from them."Chad Stone, a former production manager for Seabourn Cruise Line, said the dating scene on cruise ships was part of the reason he stopped working on them. At one point, he got engaged to a co-worker, but ended the engagement a month later after he learned his fiancee had cheated on him during a break between contracts.<h2>Long-term relationships are difficult</h2>The cruise ship lifestyle also makes the prospect of raising children a challenge, as cruise ship workers sign <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/cruise-line-workers-reveal-grueling-schedules-2019-2">contracts that keep them on board for months at a time</a>. Nina Beader, a former youth staff employee for Carnival, said she decided to stop working on cruise ships in part because she wanted to one day have a family and feared that a cruise ship job would prevent her from spending enough time with her children."I did not want to end up being 40 and not having a family," she said.A Royal Caribbean employee who has spent two decades working on cruise ships expressed ambivalence about the unusual nature of on-board romance. He is considering ending his time on cruise ships in part because they aren't conducive to long-term relationships, but he has also noticed that friends who are in conventional relationships do not appear to be satisfied with them."I look at my friends all over the world that have relationships that would be considered normal, and I don't find a whole lot of them too happy," he said. "I'm still pretty happy with my single lifestyle and not having to answer to anybody. I'm okay with that for now."Have you worked on a cruise ship? Do you have a story to share? Email this reporter at <a href="mailto:mmatousek@businessinsider.com">mmatousek@businessinsider.com</a>.<ul class="read-more-links"><li>Read more:</li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/cruise-ship-employee-reveals-one-question-you-should-always-ask-2019-5" data-read-more-link="" data-e2e-name="read-more-link">A former Royal Caribbean employee reveals the one question you should always ask cruise ship workers</a></li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/cruise-ship-workers-reveal-most-annoying-things-passengers-do-2019-5" data-read-more-link="" data-e2e-name="read-more-link"> Cruise ship workers reveal the 7 most annoying things passengers do</a></li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/the-nastiest-cruise-ships-2019-5" data-read-more-link="" data-e2e-name="read-more-link">These are the 8 nastiest cruise ships</a></li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/cruise-ship-workers-reveal-tiny-crew-cabins-they-live-in-2019-4" data-read-more-link="" data-e2e-name="read-more-link">Cruise-ship workers describe the tiny cabins they live in, where up to 4 people can share a tight space</a></li></ul> <div class="margin-top"> <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/bmw-x7-suv-review-tech-cruise-control-voice-command-parking-assistant-2019-5">We tested BMW's largest SUV to see if its tech features are helpful or gimmicky - here's the verdict</a></h3> <div> </div> </div>

A former cruise ship HR manager reveals one thing that will get workers fired immediately

Mikhail Starodubov/Shutterstock Cruise ships foster an intense hookup culture. <ul class="summary-list"><li><keyword id="6355231" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="Sex">Sex</keyword> among cruise ship workers is pervasive, current and former cruise ship employees told Business Insider.</li><li>Some compared the hookup culture as being similar to, or even exceeding, that of a college dorm.</li><li>But the permissive sexual culture on cruise ships can also lead to aggressive or inappropriate behavior.</li><li>Romantic relationships among employees develop and end much faster than on land, which, along with frequent turnover, can make long-term relationships difficult.</li></ul>Among the many distinctive features of a cruise ship job is the fact that you live with your co-workers. That can result in unusually close bonds among employees and an unusual amount of sex between them, current and former cruise ship employees told Business Insider. Some requested anonymity due to fear of reprisal from their current or former employers. "There's a lot of sex on cruise ships," said a former casino manager for Holland America Line. Some compared the hookup culture as being similar to, or even exceeding, that of a college dorm. And, like college, sexual activity is fueled by <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/why-the-party-culture-on-cruise-ships-isnt-as-fun-as-it-seems-2018-12">frequent alcohol consumption</a>. Sex among employees is so pervasive that former Carnival Cruise Line waiter and art auctioneer Brian David Bruns said a co-worker was surprised when Bruns had not hooked up with one of his colleagues during his first night on a ship. "What the hell, man?" the co-worker said, according to Bruns. But the permissive sexual culture on cruise ships can also lead to aggressive or inappropriate behavior. A former Royal Caribbean Cruises employee who now works for Carnival said one of her managers on Royal Caribbean would make comments about her sexual orientation and criticize her for never changing her hairstyle. Royal Caribbean did not respond to a request for comment. Another current Carnival employee said at one point, she was dating a man whose contract was close to ending. Male co-workers would remind her of her boyfriend's imminent departure, and, as soon as he left, made advances under the guise of comforting her. <h2>Relationships move faster than on land</h2>Romantic relationships among employees develop and end much faster than on land, which, along with frequent turnover, can make long-term relationships difficult. "One month on a ship is maybe like two years on land, because you spend so much time with these people," said Taylor Sokol, a former cruise director for Holland America. But the close proximity between employees can make it difficult to maintain a healthy amount of space from a romantic partner, Sokol said. "It's kind of hard to give someone their space when you live maybe 10 feet away from them." Read more: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/cruise-line-workers-reveal-grueling-schedules-2019-2">Cruise-line workers reveal the grueling schedules they must keep while on the job</a> Chad Stone, a former production manager for Seabourn Cruise Line, said the dating scene on cruise ships was part of the reason he stopped working on them. At one point, he got engaged to a co-worker, but ended the engagement a month later after he learned his fiancee had cheated on him during a break between contracts. <h2>Long-term relationships are difficult</h2>The cruise ship lifestyle also makes the prospect of raising children a challenge, as cruise ship workers sign <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/cruise-line-workers-reveal-grueling-schedules-2019-2">contracts that keep them on board for months at a time</a>. Nina Beader, a former youth staff employee for Carnival, said she decided to stop working on cruise ships in part because she wanted to one day have a family and feared that a cruise ship job would prevent her from spending enough time with her children. "I did not want to end up being 40 and not having a family," she said. A Royal Caribbean employee who has spent two decades working on cruise ships expressed ambivalence about the unusual nature of on-board romance. He is considering ending his time on cruise ships in part because they aren't conducive to long-term relationships, but he has also noticed that friends who are in conventional relationships do not appear to be satisfied with them. "I look at my friends all over the world that have relationships that would be considered normal, and I don't find a whole lot of them too happy," he said. "I'm still pretty happy with my single lifestyle and not having to answer to anybody. I'm okay with that for now." Have you worked on a cruise ship? Do you have a story to share? Email this reporter at <a href="mailto:mmatousek@businessinsider.com">mmatousek@businessinsider.com</a>. <ul class="read-more-links"><li>Read more:</li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/the-hardest-job-on-a-cruise-ship-2018-12">A lawyer who represents cruise-ship workers reveals the hardest job on a cruise ship</a></li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/cruise-ship-workers-reveal-biggest-problem-living-ship-2019-2">Cruise-line workers reveal one of the biggest disadvantages of living on a cruise ship</a></li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/one-thing-cruise-ship-passengers-do-thats-terrible-for-some-workers-2018-12">A lawyer who represents cruise-ship workers reveals one thing passengers do that's terrible for some workers</a></li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/carnival-cruise-ceo-reveals-company-turnaround-plan-2019-2">The CEO of Carnival explains how the company made a comeback after PR disasters and financial disappointment</a></li></ul> <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/virgin-cruises-adults-only-cruise-ship-look-inside-2019-2">Take a look inside the 'Scarlet Lady,' Virgin's first adults-only cruise ship sailing to the Caribbean in 2020</a></h3> <pre style="display: none;">function receiveMessage(event){ console.log(event.data.fullscreen); Android.fullscreen(event.data.fullscreen); }window.addEventListener("message", receiveMessage, false);</pre>

Cruise workers say they have so much sex on ships that it's comparable to college dorms

Here's a real mystery.
Barbarian Capital - <a href="https://twitter.com/BarbarianCap">a top slot follow on Finance Twitter </a>- <a href="http://www.barbariancapital.net/2015/01/ceo-names-on-bill-ackmans-desk.html">did some close reading</a>&#xa0;on what seemed like a benign sheet of paper on Bill Ackman's desk found in <a href="http://www.bloomberg.com/image/i.kKeN7x4TqQ.jpg">this picture</a> from <a href="http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2015-01-06/love-him-or-hate-him-ackman-now-runs-the-world-s-top-hedge-fund.html">Katrina Brooker's big profile</a> of Ackman published Tuesday on Bloomberg.
It turns out, this piece of paper was not blank.
Per Barbarian Cap's <a href="http://www.barbariancapital.net/2015/01/ceo-names-on-bill-ackmans-desk.html">investigation</a>, it appears that the names written on this piece of paper include a number of corporate CEOs and other executives, including:
<ul>
<li>Juan Ramon Alaix (of Zoetis, recent activist long for Ackman)</li>
<li>Paul Fribourg (CEO of Continental Grain, board member at Burger King, Wyndham Worldwide Resorts, Loews Corporation, Estee Lauder, and Apollo Education)</li>
<li>David Sokol (formerly of Berkshire Hathaway)</li>
<li>Dennis Reilley (Praxair, DuPont, Covidien, Dow, Marathon Oil) [spelled as Reilly]</li>
<li>Mike Pearson (of Valeant)</li>
</ul>
But what does it mean?!
Barbarian Cap's post says some chatter on Twitter floated the theory that Ackman&#xa0;wanted&#xa0;the list to be seen, considering how things were arranged on his desk.
Mike Pearson was certainly a big part of Ackman's Allergan/Valeant play, and Ackman has stakes in Zoetis and Burger King <a href="http://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1336528/000117266114001862/xslForm13F_X01/infotable.xml">according to his latest 13F</a>, so Fribourg and Alaix's names make sense.
But as for the other names?&#xa0;
¯\_(?)_/¯
According to Brooker's story, it seems Brooker met with Ackman on a "Saturday afternoon in November" away from Pershing Square's office, while Brooker relays a scene of Ackman being asked for an autograph outside Pershing's office in "early December."
Brooker also indicates being Pershing's offices "one afternoon," though a month isn't specified.
This is all to say we don't know when the picture of Ackman was taken.
On Wednesday, Bill Ackman&#xa0;<a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/bill-ackman-on-squawk-box-2015-1">appeared as a guest on CNBC's Squawk Box</a>&#xa0;and talked about Herbalife, among other things, but did not give any new info a stake.
On Tuesday, Business Insider's Julia La Roche reported that Ackman&#xa0;<a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/bill-ackman-new-short-2015-1">has a new short position</a>, though details on his latest position are light.
The mystery continues.&#xa0;

You Searched For "David Sokol" and got 10 results

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