“The Singers,” directed by Sam A. Davis and produced by Jack Piatt, and “Two People Exchanging Saliva,” directed by Natalie Musteata and Alexandre Singh, tied for best live-action short film at the Oscars on Sunday night.
The award was presented by comedian Kumail Nanjiani, who opened the envelope and announced, “It’s a tie. I’m not joking. It’s actually a tie. So everyone, calm down, we’re going to get through this.”
Nanjiani said he would announce the winners one at a time, inviting each to the stage to accept their award. He first called “The Singers,” followed by “Two People Exchanging Saliva.”
“A tie. Wow. I didn’t know that was a thing. A tie, but we’re happy to be up here,” Davis said in his speech.
Musteata echoed the sentiment in her own remarks, saying she was “so happy to be sharing this Oscar with ‘The Singers.'”
Between the two acceptance speeches, Nanjiani also joked, “Ironic that the short film Oscar is going to take twice as long.”
Several months before Palantir moved its headquarters to Miami, an entity with ties to the company’s billionaire CEO, Alex Karp, put down roots in the city.
In June, Hibiscus East LLC purchased a home on Miami’s San Marino Drive for $46 million, according to property records.
Like several of Karp’s other properties, the LLC is registered in Delaware. It is connected to an attorney’s office in Manchester, New Hampshire, and an accounting office in Bedford, New Hampshire, both of which appear on documents from previous real estate transactions that are linked to Karp.
The nearly 10,000-square-foot newly built home sits on San Marino Island, one of the exclusive Venetian Islands in Biscayne Bay. A YouTube video of the home posted by listing agent Dina Goldentayer showcases the property’s waterfront and pool.
Goldentayer declined to comment to Business Insider. Representatives for Palantir and an attorney for Karp did not respond to requests for comment.
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Last month, Palantir announced it was moving its headquarters to Miami from Denver. The company has not revealed publicly why it’s making the move. Before setting up in Denver in 2020, Palantir was headquartered in Silicon Valley.
“Our company was founded in Silicon Valley,” Karp wrote in an investor letter that year. “But we seem to share fewer and fewer of the technology sector’s values and commitments.”
One of Karp’s Palantir cofounders, Peter Thiel, bought a home on one of Florida’s Venetian Islands in 2020, and his VC firm, Thiel Capital, later opened an office in Miami.
It’s not clear if Karp, who is worth $15.8 billion, according to Bloomberg, is moving to Miami full-time. He owns hundreds of acres of land in New Hampshire and, last year, made headlines for spending $120 million on a monastery outside Aspen, Colorado.
A handful of California billionaires have recently purchased properties in Miami, including Sergey Brin and Mark Zuckerberg. The real estate shopping spree comes amid an initiative in the state to get a wealth tax on November’s ballot. If passed, California residents with a net worth of more than $1 billion would be subject to a one-time 5% tax on their wealth.
Florida famously has a no-income tax policy written into its constitution.
“California’s a beautiful state, but now, because of all the political situations and all the tax laws, it’s just coming in our favor,” luxury real estate agent Saddy Abaunza Delgado previously told Business Insider.
Similarly, Howard Schultz, the former CEO of Starbucks, announced a move to Miami earlier this week — on the same day a millionaire’s tax passed Washington state’s House of Representatives.
The rush has caused prices to balloon in the 305. Zuckerberg’s $170 million purchase earlier this month on the island of Indian Creek set a Miami record.
“The influx of billionaires from California” will cause “escalation of the market,” Ana Bozovic, a founder of Analytics Miami, previously told Business Insider. “The market ceiling keeps rising,”
As part of a sprawling lawsuit against Bank of America, lawyers for Jeffrey Epstein’s victims will be able to depose one of the most important figures in the sex-trafficker’s financial life: Leon Black.
But Black can delay his lawsuit for 10 days, a judge ruled Wednesday.
It wasn’t publicly known that Black — the billionaire former CEO of Apollo Global Management — would be forced to sit for a deposition until US District Judge Jed Rakoff scheduled the hearing earlier Wednesday to determine whether he could delay it.
Michael Carlinsky, an attorney at the law firm Quinn Emmanuel representing Black, told the judge that the deposition should be delayed because there’s a chance the lawsuit will soon be settled, making it unnecessary.
“My understanding is the parties are very close to resolving this dispute,” Carlinsky told Rakoff.
Representatives for Bank of America and attorneys representing Epstein victims had no immediate comment on a possible settlement. A representative for Black, who has denied knowledge of Epstein’s sex trafficking operation, also declined to address settlement talks.
Black transferred Epstein over $150 million between 2012 and 2017, which he has said were payments for financial services that included tax and estate-planning advice.
The proposed class-action lawsuit brought by Epstein victims alleges the Black’s funds were used to facilitate Epstein’s sex-trafficking operation. Bank of America, which housed Black’s financial entities, should have more closely scrutinized the accounts and transactions related to Epstein, the lawsuit says.
Similar lawsuits brought against JPMorgan Chase and Deutsche Bank have settled, obtaining hundreds of millions of dollars for Epstein’s victims.
In January, Rakoff dismissed a portion of the lawsuit against Bank of America and entirely tossed a parallel lawsuit filed against BNY, also known as Bank of New York Mellon Corp.
In Wednesday’s hearing, Rakoff set some parameters for Black’s deposition. He said it could take up to 8 hours, with 5 hours for victims’ lawyers and 3 for Bank of America lawyers.
The deposition, originally scheduled for March 16, will instead begin on March 26, Rakoff ruled.
As a condition of the ruling, Carlinsky said he wouldn’t ask for any additional delays on Black’s behalf.
Black has also been asked to appear for a May 13 deposition before the House Oversight Committee, which is investigating Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell. Maxwell is serving a 20-year prison sentence after a jury found she trafficked girls to Epstein for sex. Epstein died in jail in 2019 while awaiting trial on sex-trafficking charges against him.
“Mr. Black paid Epstein for tax and estate planning work and he had no awareness of Epstein’s criminal activity,” Whit Clay, a spokesperson for Black, told Business Insider. “He looks forward to answering the committee’s questions, providing additional clarity and furthering their work.”
On Wednesday, the House Oversight Committee deposed Richard Kahn, Epstein’s longtime personal accountant and a co-executor of his estate, which was valued at $630 million at the time of his death.
Kahn said Epstein had five clients who paid him for financial services, which included Black, House Oversight Committee Chair Rep. James Comer told journalists during a break. Epstein’s other clients included former L Brands CEO Les Wexner, former Microsoft executive Steven Sinofsky, “the Rothschilds,” and billionaire hedge fund manager Glenn Dubin, Comer said.
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Børge Brende, the long-serving head of the World Economic Forum, is stepping down.
His resignation comes after the WEF launched an independent review into his ties to Jeffrey Epstein.
Emails released by the Department of Justice appeared to show Brende had dinner with Epstein three times.
The president and CEO of the World Economic Forum, Børge Brende, has announced he will step down in the wake of an investigation into his relationship with Jeffrey Epstein.
“I believe now is the right moment for the Forum to continue its important work without distractions,” Brende, who led the organisation behind the annual Davos conference for over 8 years, said.
The WEF co-chairs, André Hoffman and Larry Fink, said the independent review, which was made public earlier in February, found “there were no additional concerns beyond what has been previously disclosed.”
Emails released by the Department of Justice appeared to show Brende had dinner with Epstein three times in 2018 and 2019.
In a statement to Reuters earlier this month, Brende said he was “completely unaware of Epstein’s past and criminal activities.”
Hoffman and Fink said Alois Zwinggi will serve as the WEF’s interim president and CEO.
This is a breaking news story. Check back for updates.
On Thursday, Mountbatten-Windsor was arrested on suspicion of misconduct in public office. It was his 66th birthday.
The former prince served as UK trade envoy from 2001 to 2011, and the Epstein files appear to show Mountbatten-Windsor forwarding emails with his official work reports to the disgraced financier in 2010 and 2011.
“Following a thorough assessment, we have now opened an investigation into this allegation of misconduct in public office,” Oliver Wright, the assistant chief constable with the Thames Valley Police, said. “It is important that we protect the integrity and objectivity of our investigation as we work with our partners to investigate this alleged offence.”
King Charles released a statement about the arrest on Thursday.
“I have learned with the deepest concern the news about Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor and suspicion of misconduct in public office,” it said. “What now follows is the full, fair, and proper process by which this issue is investigated in the appropriate manner and by the appropriate authorities. In this, as I have said before, they have our full and wholehearted support and co-operation.”
“Let me state clearly: the law must take its course,” the king’s statement went on to say. “As this process continues, it would not be right for me to comment further on this matter. Meanwhile, my family and I will continue in our duty and service to you all.”
Police were photographed at Sandringham estate in Norfolk, where Mountbatten-Windsor had been living, as well as his previous residence in Berkshire, on Thursday, carrying out searches of the properties.
The police released Mountbatten-Windsor “under investigation” around 11 hours after his arrest, AP reported. He was photographed leaving the Aylsham Police Station in a car.
Spoilers ahead for “A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms” season one, episode five, “In the Name of the Mother,” and the book “The World of Ice & Fire.”
HBO’s newest “Game of Thrones” prequel, “A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms,” centers on Dunk, a lovable hero distinguished by his tall frame, raw strength, and unshakeable moral code.
For fans of the original series, that description may sound awfully familiar — and that’s no accident.
A blink-and-you-miss-it detail from episode five, “In the Name of the Mother,” draws a subtle throughline between Dunk and another prominent knight from Westerosi history: Brienne of Tarth, who appears a century later in the “Game of Thrones” timeline.
In a flashback scene, a young Dunk is shown walking down the kingsroad with his childhood friend, Rafe, returning to their home in King’s Landing. This route runs for thousands of miles across Westeros, easing travel to and from the capital.
Bamber Todd and Chloe Lea as young Dunk and Rafe in “A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms.”
Steffan Hill/HBO
In “Game of Thrones,” Jaime Lannister sends Brienne in the opposite direction, away from King’s Landing, on a quest to find and protect Sansa Stark. He also assigns Podrick Payne to serve as her squire. In season five, episode five, “First of His Name,” the duo travels down the same wooded path that Dunk and Rafe had trodden before.
“A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms” showrunner Ira Parker confirmed to Business Insider that he intentionally included this parallel. Both scenes were filmed in the same location in Ireland.
“It’s the exact same road in Belfast, same trees and everything,” Parker said. “There’s no attention drawn to it, but anyone who’s a deep, deep fan of the show, hopefully, will pick up on that.”
Parker said he liked the idea of distant relatives crossing paths generations apart.
Author George R. R. Martin, who’s also credited as an executive producer on “A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms,” confirmed in 2016 at a sci-fi and fantasy convention that Brienne is Dunk’s descendant.
Daniel Portman as Podrick and Gwendoline Christie as Brienne in “Game of Thrones.”
Helen Sloan/HBO
Martin’s “Tales of Dunk and Egg” trilogy doesn’t cover this chapter in Dunk’s life; in the last installment that was published, “The Mystery Knight,” he’s only about 19 or 20 years old. But it sounds like, at some point during his travels, Dunk coupled up with a lady of House Tarth in the stormlands — and left a souvenir or two in his wake. In “A Feast for Crows,” the fourth book in Martin’s “A Song of Ice and Fire” series, Brienne recalls seeing a shield with Dunk’s personal sigil in her father’s armory.
Dunk and Brienne follow similar character arcs
In season one of “A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms,” as in the novella it’s based on, “The Hedge Knight,” the running joke is that no one knows who Dunk is.
He grew up as an orphan in Flea Bottom, the poorest area of King’s Landing, before he became a squire for Ser Arlan of Pennytree, a sloppy hedge knight. The two would roam Westeros, taking work where they could find it and offering help when it was needed, but they rarely left an impression on the lords and ladies of the realm.
Bamber Todd as young Dunk and Danny Webb as Ser Arlan in “A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms.”
Steffan Hill/HBO
As a result, Dunk struggles to be taken seriously after Arlan’s death. He has no status, no money, and no one to vouch for him. Hardly anyone even believes he’s a real knight. He begins introducing himself with a slightly more impressive name: Ser Duncan the Tall.
However, fans of Martin’s source material know that Dunk’s anonymity doesn’t last for very long. Thanks to the fictional history book, “The World of Ice & Fire,” we know that his young squire, Egg, grows up to become King Aegon V Targaryen.
After their many adventures together, King Aegon recruits Dunk to be Lord Commander of the Kingsguard — the highest honor for a knight in Westeros. (This also means Dunk swore an oath not to marry or father children, which makes Brienne’s lineage even more of a mystery.)
Dunk was so good at his job that he’s still famous a century later. In season four of “Game of Thrones,” Dunk’s name appears in the Book of Brothers, a written history of the Kingsguard.
“Ser Duncan the Tall. Four pages for Ser Duncan,” Joffrey Baratheon notes while flipping through the pages. “He must have been quite a man.”
“So they say,” Jaime replies.
Peter Claffey as Dunk and Dexter Sol Ansell as Egg in “A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms.”
Steffan Hill/HBO
Indeed, Dunk’s rise through the ranks closely resembles Brienne’s.
Like Dunk, Brienne is motivated by honor and loyalty, and she’s known for her tremendous height and strength. Although she’s not low-born, Brienne still struggles to earn respect as a warrior. Fighting is considered unnatural for a lady, and technically, women aren’t allowed to be knighted in Westeros, so Brienne is often met with ridicule and violence.
Still, she manages to overcome this unjust class system by making friends with the right people. Defying convention, Brienne is knighted by Jaime in season eight of “Game of Thrones,” in an episode titled “A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms.” She finishes the series as the very first Lady Commander of the Kingsguard.
In her final scene, Brienne writes in the very same book that features four pages about her ancestor. Odds are, by the end of her service to King Bran, she’ll end up with just as many or more.
Journalist Olivia Nuzzi and Vanity Fair are severing ties.
Nuzzi joined Vanity Fair in September 2025, after departing New York magazine in 2024 in the wake of revelations that she’d had a relationship with her source, Robert F. Kennedy, Jr, then a presidential candidate.
The fallout from the affair has continued after Nuzzi’s ex-fiancé, former Politico correspondent Ryan Lizza, recently accused Nuzzi of additional ethical breaches.
“Vanity Fair and Olivia Nuzzi have mutually agreed, in the best interest of the magazine, to let her contract expire at the end of the year,” according to a joint statement from spokespeople for Vanity Fair and Nuzzi provided to Business Insider.
A third-party investigation into her reporting at New York magazine revealed no bias, but the magazine said at the time that her relationship with the ex-presidential candidate violated their conflict-of-interest standards.
Following her split with Lizza and New York magazine, Nuzzi, a former star political reporter, moved to Los Angeles. She published a memoir, “American Canto” on Tuesday, in which she detailed the past 10 years of political reporting and her relationship with “the politician,” understood to be RFK Jr.
Since their split,Lizza and Nuzzi have been engaged in an ongoing reputational battle, with each publicly accusing the other of engaging in behaviors that, while not illegal, undermine each other’s journalistic credibility.
Nuzzi, in a petition for a temporary protective order against him in late 2024, accused Lizza of blackmailing her and threatening to destroy her career, which Lizza has denied. She later withdrew the petition.
After a lull, the public acrimony continued with the revelation of Nuzzi’s book, followed by a series of Substack posts from Lizza.
He has suggested in online postings that Nuzzi used her position as a reporter to “catch and kill” unflattering stories about RFK Jr. He also accused her of having another unusual relationship with a different subject.
A spokesperson for Nuzzi did not respond to questions about Lizza’s allegations. In a post for Emily Sundberg’s Substack, Feed Me, she wrote it was “another attempt to harass, humiliate, and harm me until I am as destroyed as he seems to be,” and called Lizza’s posts “fan fiction-slash-revenge porn.”
