Disney CEO Bob Iger has announced plans to lay off 7,000 workers as part of a companywide effort to reduce costs. There has been speculation about the cuts since Iger returned as CEO last November to take over from Bob Chapek, who had lost the faith of many shareholders. The entertainment giant has faced multiple economic challenges, and Iger took over with a mandate to shake up the organization. Along those lines, Disney is also restructuring itself into three divisions: Disney Entertainment, ESPN, and a Parks, Experiences and Products unit.
TWITTER GLITCH
Twitter experienced a series of technical glitches on Wednesday that cut some users off from their direct messages and forced others to schedule their tweets to post. CEO Elon Musk soon acknowledged the issues, but was fairly vague about their cause, saying there were "multiple internal & external issues simultaneously." As of Thursday, the problems appear resolved, but the incident has stoked fears that Musk's recent firings have left Twitter without necessary resources.
NETFLIX PASSWORD RULES
Netflix has finally revealed its new password sharing rules, laying the groundwork for the end of an era for many streaming users. The company said more than 100 million households share accounts globally, but many are confused about who can (and cannot) share. Users in Canada, New Zealand, Portugal, and Spain will see changes first. Here's a quick breakdown of how it will work:
BED BATH & BEYOND CLOSURES
Embattled retailer Bed Bath & Beyond has announced it's closing 149 stores just one week after shutting down 87 other locations. The company is teetering on the brink of bankruptcy and is pulling out all the stops to stay solvent, including seeking additional capital and paring down its operations. The chain's total number of stores has fallen from 760 to 360.
Ben & Jerry’s co-founder Jerry Greenfield is leaving the ice cream brand after 47 years. He says the freedom the company used to have to speak up on social issues has been stifled
The Trump administration has issued its first warnings to online services that offer unofficial versions of popular drugs like the blockbuster obesity treatment Wegovy.
Oracle soars as it cashes in on the AI boom, Plus: Starbucks shares continue to fall under its new CEO, and does anybody actually want a new iPhone Air?
Swedish buy now, pay later company Klarna is making its highly anticipated public debut on the New York Stock Exchange Wednesday, the latest in a run of high-profile initial public offerings this year. The offering priced at $40 Tuesday, above the forecasted range of $35 to $37 a share, valuing the company at more than $15 billion. The valuation easily makes Klarna one of the biggest IPOs so far in 2025, which has been one of the busier years for companies going public. Other popular IPOs so far this year include the design software company Figma and Circle Internet Group, which issues the USDC stablecoin..
Oracle co-founder Larry Ellison wrested the title of the world’s richest man from longtime holder Elon Musk early Wednesday as stock in his software giant rocketed more than a third in a stunning few minutes of trading. That is according to wealth tracker Bloomberg. A college dropout, the 81-year-old Ellison is now worth $393 billion, Bloomberg says, several billion more than Musk, who had been the world’s richest for four years. The switch in the ranking came after a blockbuster earnings report from Oracle. Forbes still has Musk as the richest, however, valuing his private businesses much higher.
