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<ul class="summary-list"><li>Billionaire Peter Thiel has gained a name as one of Silicon Valley's most controversial figures.</li><li>The PayPal cofounder went on to have a successful career in venture capital.</li></ul>Like many <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/news/stocks/wealthiest-people-in-world-net-worth-increase-trump-victory-stocks-2024-11">billionaires</a>, Peter Thiel is already benefiting from Donald Trump's second presidential win.His net worth jumped following the election, reaching a record high of $14 billion on Friday, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index.The election results were also a win for the venture capitalist on a more personal level.The vocal conservative and early Trump supporter was instrumental in the rise of <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/peter-thiel-jd-vance-veep-trump-election-kingmaker-2024-7">vice president-elect JD Vance</a> — and a big reason the Ohio politician was second on the ticket.Thiel and other Silicon Valley elite called Trump numerous times to implore him to choose Vance as his vice president, hoping that he'd institute startup-friendly policies and cut regulation, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2024/07/28/jd-vance-peter-thiel-donors-big-tech-trump-vp/">The Washington Post</a> reported. He was pivotal in turning Vance, once a never-Trumper, into a MAGA Republican.The relationship between Thiel, who cofounded PayPal and <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/alex-karp-bio-palantir-ceo">Palantir</a>, and Vance goes back to at least 2011, when Thiel visited Yale Law School, where Vance was a student. Vance, who praised Thiel's Christianity, <a target="_blank" href="https://thelampmagazine.com/blog/how-i-joined-the-resistance">called</a> the talk in which he discussed the achievement rat race "the most significant moment of my time at Yale Law School."Thiel went on to champion the future politician, writing a blurb for Vance's 2016 book "Hillbilly Elegy," hiring Vance to work at his <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/jd-vance-venture-capitalist-colleagues-2024-7">VC firm Mithril Capital</a>, and investing in Vance's own venture fund, Narya Capital.He helped bankroll Vance's campaign, pouring at least $15 million into his 2022 senatorial bid, according to data from <a target="_blank" href="https://www.opensecrets.org/donor-lookup/results?name=peter+thiel&amp;order=desc&amp;sort=A">OpenSecrets</a>, and aiding him in securing an endorsement from Trump following a 2021 Mar-a-Lago meeting where he introduced the two, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.nytimes.com/2024/07/16/us/politics/trump-vance-vp-decision.html">The New York Times reported</a>.While he did not <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/jd-vance-peter-thiel-donald-trump-get-off-sidelines-2024-8">contribute financially to the 2024 presidential race</a> — "an extra $1 million or $10 million does not make any difference," he said of Trump, who <a target="_blank" href="https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2023/11/peter-thiel-2024-election-politics-investing-life-views/675946/">reportedly</a> called him a "scumbag" — he was among Trump's first supporters in Silicon Valley, backing him in 2016, speaking at the Republican National Convention that year, donating $1.25 million to pro-Trump groups, and serving as a member of his transition team.With Vance's placement on the ticket and the Trump-Vance win, Thiel has secured his standing as a conservative kingmaker and one of tech's most powerful political players.<h2 id="b0a9fb14-d654-483f-855d-501f395d0395">The don of the PayPal Mafia</h2>Long before he linked Trump and Vance, Thiel became known as a connector and mentor in Silicon Valley.Like many of tech's early founders, he attended Stanford, where he would also earn a law degree. While an undergrad, his reputation for contrarian opinions was beginning to form. In 1987, he cofounded <a target="_blank" href="https://stanfordreview.org/a-brief-and-non-exhaustive-history-of-the-stanford-review/">The Stanford Review</a>, a student publication dedicated to "presenting alternative viewpoints," which mainly manifested in a conservative bent. Early editions took aim at political correctness on campus.After brief stints as a lawyer and in trading, Thiel broke onto the tech scene in 1998 when he cofounded PayPal. There, he earned the nickname of the "don" of the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/paypal-mafia-members-elon-musk-peter-thiel-reid-hoffman-companies">PayPal Mafia</a>, one of tech's most influential groups, which includes Elon Musk, Keith Rabois, David Sacks, and Reid Hoffman.<div type="image" title="peter thiel elon musk early paypal" height="1254" width="1958" msid="115148633" hostid="261" sizebytes="229298"></div>It's also what first made him rich. He earned about $100 million when it went public, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.bloomberg.com/billionaires/profiles/peter-a-thiel/">Bloomberg</a> estimates. His fortune grew thanks to early investments in Facebook (he was its first outside investor), LinkedIn, and Yelp, and from his role as cofounder of Palantir, the big data firm and frequent federal government partner.In 2005, he cofounded the VC fund Founders Fund, which has invested in SpaceX and Airbnb and where he remains a partner. He also cofounded the VC firms Valar Ventures and Mithril Capital.Thiel's sphere of influence in Silicon Valley expanded as he got richer. He became known as a mentor, starting the Thiel Fellowship, which gave $100,000 and two years of support to founders under 20. His most well known mentees — though not Thiel Fellows — include <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/peter-thiel-resigns-meta-board-of-directors-2022-2">Mark Zuckerberg</a>, who he connected to Trump, and Sam Altman. He shares an interest in longevity with the latter, reportedly signing up to be cryogenically frozen and <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/peter-thiel-antiaging-investor-billionaire-longevity-routine-2023-11">adapting an antiaging routine</a>.<h2 id="ee6ccd87-6daa-43ff-951d-b0ffd7a14024">Conservative kingmaker</h2>His personal politics and contrarian streak also came to define Thiel, setting him apart from the <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/silicon-valley-political-divide-twitter-elon-musk-kamala-harris-2024-8">largely Democratic Bay Area</a>.A self-described "libertarian," Thiel has written extensively about his political beliefs, including a <a target="_blank" href="https://stanfordmag.org/contents/the-case-against-affirmative-action">piece</a> in the 1990s that railed against affirmative action."I stand against confiscatory taxes, totalitarian collectives, and the ideology of the inevitability of the death of every individual," he <a target="_blank" href="https://www.cato-unbound.org/2009/04/13/peter-thiel/education-libertarian/">wrote</a> in 2009.Over the past two decades, he's spoken several times at events for the conservative and libertarian Federalist Society. He contributed to the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/libertarian-peter-thiel-utopia-seasteading-institute-2018-3">Seasteading Institute</a>, an attempt at an independent, libertarian floating nation.There was also his <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/peter-thiel-confirms-secret-battle-against-gawker-sparks-outrage-over-free-press-facebook-board-member-2016-5">feud with Gawker</a>, which some considered an attack on free speech. In 2007, the online outlet wrote a story about the sexuality of Thiel, who is gay. Nearly a decade later, it was revealed that he had poured about $10 million into cases against Gawker, including Hulk Hogan's 2012 case, which eventually led to the website's demise. (At the time, Thiel <a target="_blank" href="https://www.nytimes.com/2016/05/26/business/dealbook/peter-thiel-tech-billionaire-reveals-secret-war-with-gawker.html?_r=1">characterized</a> his fight as against violations of privacy, not journalism.)He had donated to conservative or libertarian politicians for years — including more than $2 million for Ron Paul's 2012 presidential campaign and millions to groups backing Ted Cruz that same year, per OpenSecrets.<div type="image" title="Peter Thiel and Donald Trump" height="2089" width="3133" msid="115148636" hostid="261" sizebytes="870652"></div>It was Thiel's 2016 endorsement of Trump that cemented his status as tech's most vocal conservative — and caused rifts with others in the tech world. <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/netflix-reed-hastings-offered-to-resign-facebook-board-over-peter-thiel-disagreement-2018-2">Reed Hastings</a>, who was at the time on Facebook's board with Thiel, reportedly called Thiel's Trump support "catastrophically bad judgment," and there were calls for <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/y-combinator-billionaire-venture-capitalist-and-trump-supporter-peter-thiel-2017-11">Y Combinator,</a> where Thiel worked as an advisor, to fire him.By 2018, Thiel's friction with the San Francisco tech bubble had boiled over. He called Silicon Valley a "one-party state" at a 2018 talk at <a target="_blank" href="https://stanforddaily.com/2018/02/01/peter-thiel-reid-hoffman-talk-political-progressiveness-inequality-in-silicon-valley/">Stanford</a>. Soon after, he <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/silicon-valley-tech-elite-is-leaving-san-francisco-2018-3">decamped to Los Angeles.</a>While he did not donate to Trump in 2020, he solidified his reputation as a major GOP donor in 2022, supporting not only Vance but also Arizona senatorial candidate Blake Masters, who lost, Wyoming Rep. Harriet Hageman, and more than a dozen other Conservative candidates.Now, with Vance in the White House, it remains to be seen what Thiel's relationship with Trump will be. He has proven, though, that his <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/peter-thiel-prediction-correct-election-trump-harris-2024-11">contrarian point of view was right, at least this time</a>.Additional reporting by Sam Tabahriti and Jyoti Mann.

Meet Peter Thiel, the controversial tech billionaire and GOP kingmaker

<ul class="summary-list"><li>The <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/guides/tickets/how-to-buy-world-series-tickets-yankees-dodgers-mlb-2024">Dodgers and Yankees</a> will face off in the MLB 2024 World Series.</li><li>Behind the teams are billionaire owners Mark Walter and the Steinbrenner family, respectively.</li></ul>When the <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/yankees-dodgers-rivalry-history-world-series">Dodgers and Yankees</a> take the field to battle it out for the 120th World Series championship, the players won't be the only ones with trophies on the line.Behind the teams are their billionaire owners, who have built two of baseball's most valuable franchises.<a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/magic-johnson-may-be-the-new-face-of-the-dodgers-but-this-is-the-real-owner-2012-3">Mark Walter, the CEO of investment firm Guggenheim Partners,</a> is the Dodgers' controlling owner. The financier is worth $6 billion, according to Forbes.In 2012, Walter led a team of investors, which included now billionaire <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/nba-magic-johnson-billionaire-forbes-nike-deal-turned-down-billion-2023-10">Magic Johnson</a> and former Atlanta Braves president Stan Kasten, among others, in putting together a<a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/report-group-led-by-magic-johnson-buys-dodgers-for-2-billion-2012-3"> $2.15 billion bid for the Los Angeles team</a> and the land around its stadium. At the time, the deal broke records with a sales price more than double that of the previous highest MLB team sale.Under the new ownership, the Dodgers underwent a turnaround. Decisions were made to appeal to fans' in-stadium experience — parking prices were lowered, for example; there were investments in the Dodgers' farm system and its roster; and since 2013, the team has made the playoffs every year, including in 2020, when it won its first World Series in over 30 years."I'm not trying to save a dollar," Walter told <a target="_blank" href="https://www.latimes.com/sports/dodgers/la-xpm-2012-jul-25-la-sp-dn-dodgers-acquire-hanley-ramirez-20120725-story.html">The Los Angeles Times</a> in 2012. "I'd rather say we have a great team and maybe spend a little too much."In the 12 years since Walter's group purchased the Dodgers, the team's value has nearly tripled to $6.3 billion, and in the last year alone, its value has increased 20%, according to <a target="_blank" href="https://d3data.sportico.com/MLBValuations2024/MLBValuationsList.html">Sportico</a>.Unlike the likes of Walter and Johnson, who purchased the Dodgers after becoming wealthy, the billionaires behind the Yankees are rich because of the team.The <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/george-steinbrenners-purchase-of-new-york-yankees-paid-off-2015-3">Steinbrenner family has owned the Yankees</a> for decades. George Steinbrenner led a group that bought the team from CBS for about $10 million in 1973, and over the next 27 years, he expanded his stake to 57%.Now, the team is owned by George's kids, Hank Steinbrenner, Jessica Steinbrenner, Hal Steinbrenner, and Jennifer Steinbrenner Swindal. The siblings are each worth $1.5 billion, per Forbes.The bulk of the Steinbrenners' fortune is tied up in the Yankees, which is MLB's most valuable franchise, worth $7.93 billion, according to <a target="_blank" href="https://d3data.sportico.com/MLBValuations2024/MLBValuationsList.html">Sportico</a>. In addition to owning the team, the Steinbrenner family owns more than 25% of the franchise's YES Network, as well as stakes in Major League Soccer's New York City FC, stadium operations company Legends Hospitality, and Italian soccer club AC Milan, Forbes reported.Professional sports teams have become <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/10-billionaires-who-are-sports-team-owners-2024-5">popular toys for the superrich</a> — and good investments, as the spike in the Dodgers and Yankee valuations shows. In recent decades, the valuations of US sports franchises have outpaced the S&amp;P 500, according to <a target="_blank" href="https://pitchbook.com/news/articles/private-equity-sports-investment-dashboard">PitchBook</a>.The <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/top-private-equity-firms-investing-in-sports-teams-leagues-media-2024-4">growing valuations</a> are due to streaming services driving up the cost of broadcast rights, the influx of revenue from sports betting, and the asset's recession-proof reliability."I've got a company that no matter how bad it does, I don't lose a customer. No matter how much I underperform, I still have that customer. That's a pretty unique asset. And so that's why we're investing in sports," billionaire Marc Lasry, who sold his stake in the Milwaukee Bucks last year, told <a target="_blank" href="https://www.sportico.com/business/finance/2024/coffey-talk-marc-lasry-1234801999/">Sportico</a> earlier this month on owning a team.<a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/rich-sports-team-owners-investing-private-equity-2023-9">Banks have seen a flurry of activity from private equity firms and billionaires</a> alike who want to get into sports — so much so that Goldman Sachs launched a new unit to advise on sports deals last year.Sports teams are "assets that used to be thought of as nice-to-have trophy assets that you could talk about at cocktail parties," Ivo Voynov, the head of sports finance at Citi Private Bank, told BI last year. Now, there's a sense of "building up real companies around these assets."

Meet the billionaires battling it out in the 2024 World Series

With day temperatures in Malkangiri and Nabarangpur districts of Odisha hovering between 39 and 42 degrees Celsius, <keyword id="20013498" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="political-parties" source="keywords">political parties</keyword> are focusing more on <keyword id="21403450" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="evening-meetings" source="keywords">evening meetings</keyword> and small village gatherings while <keyword id="20013328" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="campaigning" source="keywords">campaigning</keyword> for the Lok Sabha and Assembly elections. Malkangiri district under Nabarangpur Lok Sabha seat recorded the highest temperature of 42 degrees Celsius recently. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has forecast more heatwaves in the next few days in the state. Odisha's Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Nikunj B Dhal has suggested that political parties and candidates undertake <keyword id="19895095" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="election" source="keywords">election</keyword> campaigning with adequate measures to beat the heat. BJP candidate for Nabarangpur Lok Sabha seat Balabhadra Majhi said, "I had prepared a chart for my campaigning soon after the declaration of the tickets but altered my campaigning itinerary due to the scorching temperature, focusing more on evening meetings and small village gatherings." Pradeep Majhi, BJD candidate for the Nabarangpur Lok Sabha seat acknowledged that <keyword id="19933152" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="heatwave" source="keywords">heatwave</keyword> has caused disruption in his election campaign but was optimistic about overcoming these challenges before the election date. Many candidates, including Kaliram Majhi, BJP's candidate for the Koraput Lok Sabha seat, emphasized the shift towards indoor campaigning due to the unbearable heat, limiting outdoor rallies and roadshows. "We are unable to take out roadshows and rallies because of the prevailing heat. Hence, I prefer indoor campaigning to outdoor meetings," said Tara Prasad Bahinipati, the Congress candidate for the Jeypore assembly seat under Koraput Lok Sabha seat. The incumbent Koraput MP and Congress candidate for the Koraput Lok Sabha seat Saptagiri Sankar Ulaka highlighted the importance of staying hydrated and taking afternoon breaks to combat the heat during campaigning. "Though I have planned for a few rallies in urban areas, seeing the heatwave has temporarily halted it. Presently, I am focusing on indoor meetings with the people of my constituency," said Ulaka. On Monday BJD Puri Lok Sabha constituency candidate Arup Patnaik was rushed to hospital after he fell down during campaigning near Pipili town in Puri district due to heatwave conditions. However, his health condition later improved after hospitalisation. SEE ALSO:<a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/mobile/news/google-pixel-8a-may-be-more-expensive-than-its-predecessor-as-per-a-new-leak/articleshow/109499394.cms" target="_blank"></a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/mobile/news/google-pixel-8a-may-be-more-expensive-than-its-predecessor-as-per-a-new-leak/articleshow/109499394.cms" target="_blank">Google Pixel 8a may be more expensive than its predecessor, as per a new leak</a><a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/mobile/webstories/best-smartphones-under-25000-in-india/slidelist/109529634.cms" target="_blank"></a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/mobile/webstories/best-smartphones-under-25000-in-india/slidelist/109529634.cms" target="_blank">Best smartphones under ₹25,000 in India</a><a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/sports/webstories/at-17-indian-chess-prodigy-d-gukesh-becomes-youngest-challenger-for-world-championship/slidelist/109492021.cms" target="_blank"></a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/sports/webstories/at-17-indian-chess-prodigy-d-gukesh-becomes-youngest-challenger-for-world-championship/slidelist/109492021.cms" target="_blank">At 17, Indian chess prodigy D Gukesh becomes youngest challenger for World Championship</a>

Heatwave: Political parties focusing more on evening meetings, small gatherings

<ul class="summary-list"><li>GOP senators chose Sen. John Thune to be the next Senate Majority Leader.</li><li>He's a top Mitch McConnell ally and an occasional Trump critic, endorsing against him in the primary,</li></ul>On Wednesday, Republicans chose Sen. John Thune of South Dakota to be the next Senate Majority Leader.That's despite an <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/maga-trump-senate-majority-leader-race-rick-scott-2024-11">online pressure campaign</a> waged by Elon Musk and others in support of Sen. Rick Scott of Florida, who pitched himself as the candidate most loyal to President-elect Donald Trump and his agenda.Thune won with 29 votes, with Sen. John Cornyn of Texas coming close at 24 votes. Scott was eliminated after the first round of voting, where he received 13 votes — just three more than the 10 he got when he challenged McConnell in 2022.The new GOP leader, who will officially assume the position in January, will now be tasked with working closely with Trump to advance the party's agenda. That includes confirming Cabinet appointees and filling judicial vacancies — including at the Supreme Court, if any of the current justices retire — along with working next year to <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/tax-cut-tariff-plan-outlook-presidential-election-scenarios-harris-trump-2024-10">implement Trump's tax agenda</a>.It also marks an end to Sen. Mitch McConnell's 18-year reign as the top Republican in the Senate. McConnell, a <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/mcconnell-called-trump-despicable-human-being-jd-vance-comments-worse-2024-10">frequent Trump critic</a>, has said that he plans to focus on defense policy for the next two years as a rank-and-file senator. The Kentucky senator has not said whether he will run for reelection in 2026.<h3 id="b6e1cc6d-e9b7-4493-83bc-786ea65086c2">An occasional Trump critic who backed Tim Scott in 2024</h3>Thune, a former at-large congressman from South Dakota, lost a razor-thin Senate race in 2002 before narrowly ousting then-Democratic Senate Minority Leader Tom Daschle from office in 2004.A reliable conservative, Thune chaired the Senate Republican Conference from 2012 to 2019 before becoming the chamber's majority whip from 2019 until 2021. After Democrats regained control of the chamber in 2021, he became minority whip.The South Dakota Republican has been critical of Trump in the past, <a target="_blank" href="https://x.com/SenJohnThune/status/784798261781598208">calling on him</a> to withdraw from the presidential race in 2016 after the release of the "Access Hollywood" tape. He also <a target="_blank" href="https://www.thune.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/2021/2/thune-statement-on-conclusion-of-senate-impeachment-trial">called</a> Trump's attempts to overturn the 2020 election "inexcusable" and repeatedly expressed a preference for a different standard-bearer during the 2024 GOP primary, leading to him endorsing Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina.Thune overcame a campaign from some of Trump's allies to stop him from becoming majority leader, despite the senator's willingness to allow the president-elect to make recess appointments — and thus circumvent the confirmation process to his nominees — once he's in office in January."One thing is clear: We must act quickly and decisively to get the president's cabinet and other nominees in place as soon as possible to start delivering on the mandate we've been sent to execute, and all options are on the table to make that happen, including recess appointments,"<a target="_blank" href="https://www.foxnews.com/politics/senate-leader-contender-john-thune-responds-new-trump-litmus-test-ahead-election"> the senator told Fox News Digital</a> on Sunday."We cannot let Chuck Schumer and Senate Democrats block the will of the American people," he continued.Thune stressed to Trump<a target="_blank" href="https://www.nytimes.com/2024/11/11/us/politics/trump-senate-thune-scott.html"> his experience</a> in the upper chamber and knowledge of congressional rules in making the case for his ascent to majority leader, according to The New York Times.

Meet John Thune, the man who Republicans just chose to replace Mitch McConnell

<ul class="summary-list"><li>New Jersey has a new senator — for just a few months — after Bob Menendez's resignation.</li><li>Sen. George Helmy, a former top aide to Gov. Phil Murphy, will serve for less than three months.</li></ul>When I walked into Sen. George Helmy's office at the Capitol last week, the first thing I noticed was the absence of any of the decorations that typically adorn a politician's working quarters.Photos of the senator, or even the odd commemorative plaque, were nowhere to be found. In the front room, a generic poster declared that it was "another perfect day in New Jersey." A woven basket full of M&amp;M packets, apparently a product of the Garden State, rested on the coffee table. In the senator's cavernous personal office, two empty wooden cabinets rested against the empty mustard-colored walls."It's on purpose," Helmy explained. "I don't want people to come in and say, 'Oh, you've made this home.'"This space was once occupied by former Sen. Bob Menendez, the man who represented New Jersey for more than 18 years before a <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/bob-menendez-federal-agents-cash-confiscation-cuba-family-2023-9">lurid corruption scandal</a> brought his tenure to an ignominious end last month. Democratic Gov. Phil Murphy appointed Helmy, his former chief of staff, to replace Menendez after his bribery trial led to a conviction and he resigned. Helmy took office two weeks ago and will serve only until the results of the state's US Senate election are certified in late November, at which point he'll step down. He has no intention of running for office in the future."I don't see this as a caretaker or a placeholder. I'm a senator," Helmy told me. "Whether you're here for a day, or three months, four months, or 40 years, you're a United States Senator." Still, the 44-year-old is set to have a strikingly brief tenure, even as he makes history as the first Coptic American ever to serve in the Senate. During his maiden speech last Thursday, he noted that he may ultimately tie with a long-dead senator who served in the 1800s to become the 10th shortest-serving senator in American history. "I will forever be rooting for the good health and good fortune of those who follow so that I can make at least one top-10 list at some point in my life," Helmy joked.<div type="image" title="Helmy with Sen. Cory Booker, his former boss." height="1500" width="2000" msid="113596801" hostid="261" sizebytes="138456"></div>His dozen-or-so weeks in office also overlap with the final stretch of a <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/harris-trump-presidential-election-50-days-vance-walz-electoral-math-2024-9">tumultuous presidential campaign</a>, and he has just one more week of session ahead of him before the election. Unlike the other 12 senators who've taken office during Joe Biden's presidency, Helmy was sworn in by Sen. Patty Murray of Washington, the Senate President Pro Tempore, instead of Kamala Harris — the Vice President was in Pennsylvania that day, preparing for <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/kamala-harris-donald-trump-presidential-debate-takeaways-2024-9">the debate</a>. His most important function, arguably, is to serve as a party-line vote to advance and confirm Biden's nominees.He's acutely aware of all of this, even as he works to accomplish as much as one possibly could under the circumstances. "I see myself as sort of continuing my prior roles as a staffer," Helmy told me. "A simple part, but a really important part of me being here, is just being present and allowing the leadership to move on our priorities."But he's also investing much of his energy into youth mental health, an issue to which he devoted roughly half of his maiden speech."It's not only sort of the accessibility to care that I want to focus on, but what are the underlying issues, and what are we doing to help get at those sources," Helmy told me. "Because both are problems."<h2 id="c28ff492-88ff-4abf-9662-2ce4daf3a484">A member of the 'Society of the Interims'</h2>This is the second time in a little more than a decade that New Jersey has had an interim senator. When former Sen. Frank Lautenberg — another former boss of Helmy — died in 2013, then-Gov. Chris Christie appointed the state's Republican attorney general, Jeff Chiesa, to serve for five months until Sen. Cory Booker was elected.But interim senators are a relative rarity in American politics. Since the turn of the century, there have only been six who've served for less than six months. Those who find themselves in such a position describe it, invariably, as an "honor," and the relationships that interim senators develop with their more entrenched colleagues can often outlast their tenures."The benefit of being appointed and not having to run for the office is that you don't have to campaign against anyone, so you arrive without having made political enemies," said former Democratic Sen. Mo Cowan, who served as Massachusetts' junior senator for five months in 2013 after John Kerry was confirmed as Secretary of State. When Helmy's appointment was announced, Cowan — now an executive at a healthcare company — <a target="_blank" href="https://x.com/mocowan/status/1823900278254657836">jokingly offered</a> him a "membership card" for the "Society of the Interims.""There's only 100 people that get the chance to vote on these issues," Chiesa told me. "He's one of them now, and when you're there in that position, it's a pretty overwhelming responsibility."Though his time in the Senate will be fleeting, Helmy's no stranger to politics. He served for four years as Murphy's chief of staff, and before that, as a top staffer for Booker, his boss-turned-colleague. (Helmy and Booker aren't the only Senate duo like this — Sen. Michael Bennet was once chief of staff for fellow Colorado Sen. John Hickenlooper, when he was the mayor of Denver.) Murphy also appointed Helmy last year to be a commissioner for the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, a position he technically still holds and will return to after he resigns.Helmy's political experience has enabled him to get a running start as the upper chamber's most junior member. As of publication, he's already introduced three bills and co-sponsored a half-dozen others.And he doesn't mind if none of those bills make it into law on his watch. "If every member of the House or Senate said, 'What's only going to get done within the guaranteed window you get?' you'd get nothing," Helmy said. "So I appreciate that much of what I will do is introduce, co-sponsor, and speak on issues that hopefully outlive me."<h2 id="40dc7b67-bd7b-42b3-a6fe-cdad3c9fe40a">'You'll always be remembered by your last act'</h2>No state has had a more tumultuous year than New Jersey, and Helmy's ephemeral presence in the Senate is, in some ways, the final twist. Menendez's sudden political collapse gave way to a bitter if <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/tammy-murphy-new-jersey-abolishing-senate-filibuster-2024-1">short-lived primary campaign</a> between Rep. Andy Kim and First Lady Tammy Murphy, a fight that put a national spotlight on how <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/rob-menendez-ravi-bhalla-primary-new-jersey-hoboken-2024-4">machine politics still play an outsize role</a> in the Garden State.Murphy ultimately dropped out in March, and Kim handily won the primary two months later. But when the governor had the choice to appoint someone to Menendez's soon-to-be-vacant seat, he opted against giving his party's nominee a leg-up by placing him in the seat. "There's a tradition in New Jersey where, when this happens, you don't put your finger on the scale," Gov. Murphy <a target="_blank" href="https://www.semafor.com/article/08/23/2024/ive-never-seen-a-month-like-this-new-jersey-gov-phil-murphy-on-the-kamala-moment">told Semafor</a> last month.<div type="image" title="Helmy was ceremonially sworn in by Sen. Patty Murray on September 9." height="1500" width="2000" msid="113596803" hostid="261" sizebytes="109702"></div>Helmy's known Kim for years, and he's rooting for the congressman's victory over GOP candidate Curtis Bashaw. But he's also a Murphy loyalist who's ready to defend the machine, along with the so-called "party bosses" that still wield significant influence in state politics. The first lady had been counting on that party infrastructure to win her the nomination. "What those folks do every day is party-build," Helmy said of party officials. "We want to be a party that allows as many people to elevate their voices and seek office. We also want to be the party that wins every November."Perhaps the most consequential impact of the Kim-Murphy primary was the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/new-jersey-county-party-line-machine-politics-andy-kim-explainer-2024-4">downfall of the state's "county line"</a> — a ballot design that allowed county-level party organizations to exert significant influence over the outcome of primaries — as the result of a lawsuit brought by Kim and other candidates. Under that system, candidates who were not endorsed by county party organizations or local party bosses could find themselves listed far off to the side on the ballot, making voters less likely to select them.While Helmy acknowledged that there's "probably a better way" to indicate which candidate the party supports than that, he stuck up for the notion that ballots should show which candidates have the local parties' backing. "The county parties still need to have preferred candidates," he said, warning that without such a system, "you run the risk of having money overinfluence against party support."Sitting in Menendez's former office, Helmy also lamented the way the long-serving New Jersey senator's career came to an end. "Bob's office was the office you always competed with," Helmy noted, referencing his own time with Booker and former Sen. Frank Lautenberg. "It made us all better. And I think his legacy in the communities that know the work that he and his team did, you're not going to lose that overnight.""I'm really sad about what he has been convicted of doing because there's just no way that's not going to be a part of the legacy," he added. "You'll always be remembered by your last act."

Not a 'caretaker': Meet Bob Menendez's extremely temporary replacement

Meet the enigmatic manager who oversees Larry Page's Google fortune 

The <keyword id="19935664" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Aam-Aadmi-Party" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="Aam Aadmi Party" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="Aam Aadmi Party">Aam Aadmi party</keyword> is set to announce the new <keyword id="19919270" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="Delhi-Chief-Minister" source="keywords">Delhi Chief Minister</keyword> by 12 pm today after the party's legislative meeting in the national capital. According to the Aam Aadmi Party, the meeting will be held at the Chief Minister's residence today. Following this, <keyword id="19901384" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Arvind-Kejriwal" source="keywords">Arvind Kejriwal</keyword> will meet the <keyword id="20976840" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Lieutenant-Governor-VK-Saxena" source="keywords">Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena</keyword> at 4:30 p.m. today and the newly chosen leader of the legislative party will simultaneously stake a claim for the post of Chief Minister. Delhi Minister Saurabh Bharadwaj remained tight-lipped about who will succeed Arvind <keyword id="19895701" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="kejriwal" source="keywords">Kejriwal</keyword> as Chief Minister, stating only that the successor could be either a current minister or an MLA. "It does not matter who sits on the CM chair because the mandate was for Arvind Kejriwal. The public chose Arvind Kejriwal. He has said that he will not sit on the CM chair until the people ask again but the chair belongs to Arvind Kejriwal for these and the next 5 years... One of us will sit on the chair until the elections take place. It will be similar to the way Bharat ruled in the absence of Lord Ram," Bharadwaj said. On being asked who will replace Arvind Kejriwal, Bharadwaj said, "It can be an MLA or any present minister. There will be a discussion with the MLAs today and the name may be decided". Kejriwal announced on Sunday that he would resign and would not resume the CM's post until the people of Delhi declared him "honest." He has also called for advancing polls in the national capital to November this year, ahead of the scheduled February elections. Kejriwal stated that if re-elected by the public, it would serve as a "certificate" of his honesty. He added that he would push for early elections, alongside those in Maharashtra. The announcement by the 54-year-old leader came two days after he was released from the <keyword id="20147871" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Tihar-jail" source="keywords">Tihar jail</keyword> after being granted bail by the <keyword id="19895345" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Supreme-Court" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="Supreme Court" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="Supreme Court">Supreme Court</keyword> in a corruption case related to the alleged Delhi Excise Policy scam. The apex court also imposed certain conditions on Kejriwal's release, including that he must refrain from making public comments about the case and must attend all hearings before the trial court unless exempted.

AAP to announce New Delhi CM's name at 12 noon today

<ul class="summary-list"><li>I planned to travel to Paris for my 40th birthday with my friend, but she canceled last minute.</li><li>I went to Paris alone and fell in love with solo travel.</li></ul>With my <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/planning-40th-birthday-safari-with-family-paris-with-friends-2024-9">40th birthday</a> fast approaching and no wedding bells in sight, I needed something fabulous to look forward to. Most of <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/age-gap-best-friend-friendship-lessons-2024-10">my girlfriends</a> were either married with kids or divorced. I had been reluctantly single for the last 12 years. I remembered a scene in a movie where the lead character was telling her sister how lucky the sister is to be single because she could jet off to Europe any time she wanted to. "But I don't," the sister said. And I hadn't either, which got me thinking.While I couldn't seem to do much about my marital status, I could take a <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/spent-thousands-first-trip-to-europe-paris-travel-mistakes-tips-2024-8">trip to Paris</a>. I had another friend turning 40 that same year, who was also single. We started planning a trip together. She had been to Paris before so I took her advice about what was the best neighborhood to stay in. We booked our hotel and flights, and I bought myself one of those fancy guidebooks and started planning what to see and where to eat so that I wouldn't miss a thing. Then, days before our departure was scheduled, <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/how-to-make-friends-at-work-2024-10">my friend</a> called me up and canceled. She wasn't going to be able to make it to Paris after all.<h2 id="910bca6a-6e76-475e-af3f-15bd1228a2bd">I had to go to Paris alone</h2>This was frustrating. What was I going to do? I didn't have much time if I was going to switch gears. The trip was less than a week away. Everyone would have plans already, so it was too late to plan a party. But going to Paris alone sounded so dreary, so singleton. I was already painfully aware of my <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/situationship-dating-trend-young-singles-relationship-status-gen-z-2023-9">relationship status</a>. The idea of wandering around the most romantic city in the world by myself sounded like torture.However, my fate was sealed when I realized my <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/how-to-make-long-layovers-better-transit-hotels-review-yotelair-2024-8">flight and hotel</a> were nonrefundable. OK, then. Paris, party of one.I went to the <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/disappointing-reality-of-visiting-the-eiffel-tower-photos-2022-12">Eiffel Tower</a> on the first night. There were so many tourists that nobody seemed to notice I was by myself. I ate in a brasserie, but I took my pen and journal; I felt every bit like one of my literary heroes, just trying to get a little writing done with a view of the Seine. I booked a day trip to Mont Saint Michel and one to Versailles.I found it was easy to <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/chris-duffy-making-friends-as-an-adult-can-be-hard-2024-7">make friends</a>; I wasn't the only one traveling alone. I realized that traveling solo makes you more approachable. Nobody worries they're going to interfere, and so you meet people you might otherwise have never even noticed.<h2 id="67532553-6ef5-4731-8a9d-eafd7e7aa6f1">Traveling alone was so great that I wanted more</h2>It turns out <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/europe-solo-travel-woman-burnout-phd-academic-2024-3">traveling by yourself</a> is the best. You can wake up when you want to take a nap if you want to and eat where you want to. So, the following summer, I spent three months in Prague. The summer after that, I lived in Venice. During my <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/summer-travel-heat-cooler-destinations-europe-scandinavia-2024-10">summers abroad</a>, I kept meeting people who lived in Paris, were on their way to Paris, or had just come from Paris. It felt as if Paris was calling me back. So, the next summer, I returned for a three-month stay at an Airbnb on a cobblestone pedestrian street in the Marais.I remembered the city, but my sense of direction left something to be desired. One day, I was lost, trying to find an event. I asked a rather handsome Frenchman for directions. Something about him stuck with me. I kept thinking about him for days afterward. He had a deeply emotional face, the kind of face that tells you he has really lived. I wanted to see him again but wasn't sure how. Two weeks later, I went back to that same building at the same time on the same day of the week, and there he was again. This time, he asked me to lunch.<h2 id="bcbacff3-34ad-4210-afe0-f29bf35a4a15">A disaster turned into destiny</h2>It was the beginning of our <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/woman-only-been-long-distance-relationships-whole-life-2024-1">long-distance romance</a>. Every three months I would go to Paris to see him, and in between my visits he would come to see me in Los Angeles. Three years later, I moved to Paris to be with him. We've been together for 10 years now. What at first seemed like a huge disappointment had turned into the greatest stroke of luck. I'm so happy that my friend decided not to join me for that first trip to Paris. If I hadn't had that little push I never would have started adventuring on my own, and I never would have met the <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/dating-couple-started-business-failed-relationship-married-2024-3">love of my life</a>. Like Paris, he was worth the wait.

When my friend canceled our 40th birthday trip to Paris last minute, I was frustrated. But it led me to meet my French husband.

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Alex Spiro, a high-profile lawyer, is <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/eric-adams-indictment-elon-musk-favorite-lawyer-alex-spiro-2024-9">representing Mayor Eric Adams</a> as he battles criminal charges.</li><li>Spiro is no stranger to star-studded controversy. He's defended both Elon Musk and Alec Baldwin.</li></ul>Alex Spiro is once again at the heart of a legal case everyone is talking about.The litigator is bringing his hard-charging tactics to the federal criminal case against New York City Mayor Eric Adams.Prosecutors accuse Adams — a former captain in the New York Police Department who was elected mayor in 2021 — of corruption that spans nearly a decade. They allege he took bribes and illegal campaign contributions from foreign nationals, including at least one Turkish government official.Prosecutors say in <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/new-york-city-mayor-eric-adams-charges-indicted-2024-9">the indictment</a>, which was unsealed Thursday, that Adams accepted over $100,000 in travel perks, including business class flights on Turkish Airlines and luxurious hotel stays, from foreign nationals who were seeking to buy his favor.<a target="_blank" href="https://businessinsider.com/eric-adams-court-appearance-criminal-case-indictment-2024-9/">Adams pleaded not guilty</a> to the corruption charges Friday — with Spiro at his side.The famed attorney jumped into the case, immediately promising to swiftly file a motion to dismiss as early as Wednesday.Spiro is perhaps best known for his work for Elon Musk. He represented the world's richest person in a defamation case and multiple other lawsuits.BI reporter Jack Newsham profiled Spiro in a 2022 <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/alex-spiro-attorney-elon-musk-jay-z-bobby-shmurda-2022-06">Business Insider</a> article charting his rise. He wrote then:Spiro's star has risen higher since that article. He represented Alec Baldwin after the actor shot someone on a film set. The manslaughter case against Baldwin was <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/alec-baldwin-trial-delayed-lawyers-accuse-prosecutors-hid-evidence-2024-7">shockingly dropped</a> earlier this year after Spiro argued that prosecutors hid key evidence before trial.Now Spiro finds himself in the thick of a historic court case as Adams defends himself against bribery and corruption charges, the first criminal case ever brought against a sitting New York City mayor.One of Spiro's colleagues told Newsham that Spiro's approach made him especially attractive to those in power who have suddenly found themselves in the middle of a firestorm."Someone who's been vilified a lot appreciates a guy like Alex," this person added.Newsham also gleaned this telling anecdote:Read the full profile of <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/alex-spiro-attorney-elon-musk-jay-z-bobby-shmurda-2022-06">Alex Spiro here</a>.

Meet the brash lawyer that everyone from Eric Adams to Alec Baldwin and Elon Musk turns to in a crisis

<ul class="summary-list"><li><a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/tesla">Elon Musk</a> explained in an interview with Jordan B. Peterson why he supports the Republican party.</li><li>Musk said he now considers the Republican party "the party of meritocracy" and "personal freedom."</li></ul>Since the <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/trump-photos-secret-service-rushing-blood-ear-2024-7">attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump</a>, Elon Musk has vowed support for the Republican party and created a super PAC to fund the campaign.While <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/elon-musk-twitter">Musk's social media platform X</a> has developed a reputation as the right-wing version of Twitter and the billionaire has increasingly combatted liberal ideology on the platform, he said in a <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://x.com/elonmusk">live interview</a> on X with Jordan B. Peterson Monday that he voted for Democratic candidates in the last three presidential elections.Up until the shooting, Musk repeatedly said he was undecided about who to vote for, despite several meetings with Trump. <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/elon-musk-donald-trump-feud-relationship-timeline-2022-7">The two even had a rocky relationship prior to and during</a> Trump's presidency, with Musk openly speaking out against the former President's candidacy in 2016.So what made Musk commit to the other side for this election?<a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/tesla-ceo-elon-musk">The billionaire</a> said he used to consider the Democratic party "the party of meritocracy," "personal freedom," and "free speech." But these days, he considers it the censorship party under the guise of "hate speech." He also said he finds DEI to be "another form of racism and sexism" that has resulted in division.Those factors have led him to "weirdly" consider the Republican party more in line with meritocracy and personal freedom, even though he still sees flaws in extremist right-wing ideology, he said in the interview."For me, it's really just, you know, I've got a choice of administrations," Musk said in the interview. "And we have to pick one."The billionaire also expressed a desire for as little "government intervention possible." He raised the example of a "crazy" lawsuit the Biden Administration took against <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/spacex-elon-musk">SpaceX</a> for not hiring asylum seekers after his company was legally not allowed to hire non-permanent US residents.<a target="_blank" rel="" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/elon-musk-tweet-spacex-sued-discrimination-refugees-doj-2023-8">The lawsuit alleges the company</a> was discriminatory during its recruitment and hiring process, violating the Immigration and Nationality Act."You really have to take an active role in reducing the number of laws and regulations," Musk said in the interview. "Otherwise, as more and more laws and regulations are passed, eventually everything becomes illegal."Musk also said he thinks "America needs a strong leader," especially when dealing with leaders from countries like Russia, China, and North Korea. The billionaire said that Trump is brave and has "instinctual courage," which isn't "calculated.""I think they will be intimidated by a guy who's fist bumping after getting shot," Musk said.Musk also mentioned his concerns about transgender laws for children under the age of 18. The billionaire, whose child transitioned to a female, said he was "tricked into" signing papers to approve the transition."So I vowed to destroy the woke-mind virus after that," Musk said in the interview. "So we're making some progress."

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