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WhatsApp co-founder Brian Acton invested $50 million into the Signal app — here's how he spends his $6.9 billion fortune

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whatsapp founders

  • WhatsApp co-founder Brian Acton is currently the 76th richest person in America, with a net worth of nearly $7 billion.
  • Acton recently invested $50 million of his own money into the Signal app.
  • Rather than spending lavishly, the tech billionaire seems to focus on investing and philanthropy.

Brian Acton, co-founder of WhatsApp, has always known how to make strides in Silicon Valley.

Most recently, he injected $50 million of his own money into encrypted chat app Signal, helping launch the Signal Foundation.

But to the 76th richest person in America, that amount barely makes a dent in the bank account. Acton has a net worth of $6.9 billion, according to Forbes

That's a long ways away from his Yahoo days.

Acton and his WhatsApp co-founder, Jan Koum, started the company after leaving Yahoo, and it has since become one of the most popular mobile messaging apps in the world. In 2014, WhatsApp was acquired by Facebook for $22 billion — and Acton received about $3 billion from the sale.

Acton keeps a low profile in Silicon Valley. While not much is known about how he spends his money in his personal life, it is clear that the Stanford alum has a penchant for investments and philanthropy.

Scroll through to see how he shares his billions.

SEE ALSO: These are the 50 richest people in the world right now

DON'T MISS: I'm an adviser to the world's richest billionaires — here are 5 surprising insights about their spending

Acton's net worth has more than doubled in the past four years, increasing from $3 billion in March 2014 to $6.7 billion in March 2018.

Source: Forbes



In February 2014, Facebook made a deal to acquire WhatsApp for $19 billion in cash and stock. By the time it was acquired the following October, that number rose to $22 billion. Acton owned 22% of the company at the time of the sale.

Source: Business InsiderBloomberg



It was a major payday for Acton, who received roughly $3 billion for his stake in WhatsApp, with almost 38 million shares of Facebook and $1 billion in cash. He also collected about 10 million shares of Facebook in the form of restricted stock units.

Source: ForbesBloomberg



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

This pair of glasses could one day replace your laptop — it projects a full version of Windows into your eyes

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Toshiba_dynaEdge_AR Smart_Glasses_Headband (Side View)

  • Toshiba is launching a new pair of smartglasses called DynaEdge. 
  • The glasses can display a Windows 10 desktop in one eye at 640x360 resolution.
  • The glasses hook up to a rectangle-shaped pack that contains a full Windows computer, and sports a 4-hour battery life.  
  • DynaEdge is only for big companies for now — not for consumers. 

The future promised by Google Glass still hasn't come to pass: There aren't many options out there for smart eyeglasses that are actually, well, smart. Even Google Glass itself went back to the lab for further refinement.

But if you're a business or big organization, and you want a little taste of that future, you've got an increasing number of options to choose from.

The newest example comes from Toshiba, the Japanese conglomerate known for high-quality laptops and semiconductors. Now, it's bringing smartglasses to the workplace — and the factory floor. 

Toshiba's calling its newest line of products dynaEdge AR Smart Glasses, and they were the result of two years of research and development, Toshiba America CEO Mark Simons told Business Insider. And Toshiba has big plans for dynaEdge.

"Our view is this is the new laptop. It will become ubiquitous," Simons said. 

In fact, the dynaEdge boasts Windows-powered hardware that's on a par with most laptops out there today. In other words, it's a computer for your face.

The dynaEdge isn't available for everyone. Right now, it's being seeded in limited supplies to companies that are already Toshiba customers, even as Toshiba itself tests the glasses internally. 

I got the chance to try dynaEdge out in February. Here's what you need to know: 

 

 

SEE ALSO: Here are Apple's wild ideas to fix the MacBook keyboard that is driving people crazy

The dynaEdge smartglasses can display computer graphics on one eye, not both. It's a little bit like Google Glass.



Here's just the optical module. It has a 5 megapixel camera with flash for taking photos, and it can be adjusted up or down. Toshiba worked with Vuzix to develop the optics, which runs a display resolution of 640x360 pixels.



The glasses are hooked up via USB cable to an iPod-sized pack that holds an entire Windows computer. Toshiba says battery life varies based on application, but the power pack can manage four hours, and it comes with a removable battery.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

Depressing photos show what tourists, vandals, and climate change have done to America's national parks

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In Ronald Dworkin's "Religion Without God," he said that the greatest proof of a unifying divine experience is the common awe humans share in viewing a sunset — although the sheer spectacle of our nation's national parks are pretty neat, too.

But from the irritating legions of tourists to the highly offensive instances of vandalism, these disappointing photos of national parks prove that even natural beauties have a bad side.

SEE ALSO: Once a bustling tourist attraction, the Dead Sea is rapidly disappearing — and its beaches are almost unrecognizable

Old Faithful geyser in Yellowstone National Park is a must-see for many.

Not only is it the oldest tourist attraction in Wyoming, sometimes it erupts snow!



Did we mention it's a must-see for *many*?

Yellowstone saw over 4 million visitors last year. Many visitors claim it is too crowded.



Its prismatic beauty beckons with stunning colors.

It's one of the most breathtaking natural wonders in the US.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

$139,000 doors and private planes — 6 Trump Cabinet members under scrutiny for their lavish spending of taxpayer money

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ryan zinke

Scrutiny over how some members of President Donald Trump's cabinet have spent taxpayer money isn't dying down.

The latest official to come under the microscope is Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke, whose office spent nearly $139,000 to renovate three sets of office doors allegedly in need of repair, the Associated Press reported Thursday.

A spokesperson for Zinke later explained the situation and said the secretary was not a part of the decision to authorize the payment.

"The secretary was not aware of this contract but agrees that this is a lot of money for demo, install, materials, and labor," Heather Swift said in a statement. "Between regulations that require historic preservation and outdated government procurement rules, the costs for everything from pencils to printing to doors is astronomical."

An official at the Interior Department told CNN on Thursday that the doors being renovated were so damaged that they weren't able to prevent rainwater from coming in during a storm.

But Swift said Zinke still thinks that the government's procurement processes need to be reformed.

Here are other Trump cabinet members who have been criticized for wasteful spending:

SEE ALSO: Interior secretary Ryan Zinke's office spent $139,000 for construction on an office door

DON'T MISS: EPA chief Scott Pruitt says he has to fly first class because a 'toxic' political environment puts him in danger

Ryan Zinke, Secretary of the Interior

Before Thursday's news about the office doors surfaced, Zinke was involved in another spending controversy. The Associated Press reported in December that Zinke spent more than $53,000 on three helicopters trips.

Those trips entailed: 

  • $39,000 on a helicopter tour above national monuments in Nevada 
  • $8,000 on a round trip ride to an emergency management exercise in West Virginia
  • $6,200 on a trip to Virginia to visit a Revolutionary War battlefield and attend a meeting

Zinke called the reports "total fabrications and a wild departure from reality." 

Two months earlier, the Interior Department's watchdog agency launched a separate investigation into Zinke's travels when it was reported Zinke used a private plane owned by an oil executive. One of the flights he took, from Nevada to Montana, cost taxpayers $12,000.



Steve Mnuchin, Secretary of the Treasury

Secretary of the Treasury Steven Mnuchin came under fire in August 2017 when he took a $26,900 flight to Kentucky on an Air Force jet, a trip that coincided with the August 21 solar eclipse.

Mnuchin and his wife, Louise Linton, viewed the eclipse from the lawn of Fort Knox, just outside the eclipse's path of totality.

The Treasury secretary's activities also raised questions when it was reported that Mnuchin requested to fly on a US military jet for his honeymoon to Europe. The trip could have cost $25,000 per hour, but it was ultimately scrapped after consideration by officials at the Treasury Department.

 



Ben Carson, Secretary of Housing and Urban Development

Earlier this month, Housing and Urban Development Secretary Ben Carson came under firewhen his staff reportedly said they were attempting to cancel an order for a $31,000 mahogany dining set to replace the 50-year-old table currently in Carson's office. 

Carson's business manager said the secretary intended to cancel the order, but that it might not be possible.

"HUD is a bureaucracy, so everything is complicated. The person they contracted has already spent $14,000 making the table," Armstrong Williams told The New York Times. "While his intentions are to cancel it, we have to see what happens."



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

I tried electric shock therapy —and it was one of the wildest experiences I've ever had in a workout

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Shock Therapy Exercise 4

When I heard that New York City had opened up its first electric shock therapy training gym on the Upper East Side, I knew I had to give it a try.

When it comes to exercise crazes, I'm willing to try just about anything to get a fresh endorphin rush.

Yoga in a 95-degree room full of sweaty mouth-breathers? Sure. A marathon in the scorching tropics? Why not.

While shock therapy training technology has been available to the rich and famous for years, "Shock Therapy" is the first studio in the city offering group fitness classes with electrical muscle stimulation (EMS) body suits.

Turns out, I was not prepared for the wild, pulsating world of full-body EMS workouts. Here's what the 30-minute electrocharged experience of a shock therapy workout is really like.

SEE ALSO: We compared 7 popular granola bars based on dietitians' health advice — here's how they stack up

When I arrived at the studio, my trainer Ural said he'd need to hose down my electric vest with warm water before I put it on. I was prepared to sweat, but I didn't realize I was going to get drenched so quickly!

The water-loaded vest, a special cotton-y shirt, and pajama-like capri pants were given to me for the workout. They're meant to help the electrical current pulses from the EMS pads better reach my body and start toning it. 



Ural helped me buckle into the bodysuit. The water felt warm at first, but in a matter of seconds it cooled off and then I was strapped inside a slightly cold, clammy, wet suit.



Despite the chill, I feel a bit like a superhero with my ab, arm, leg, back and butt stimulators all strapped on and ready to go.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

I visited the campus that McDonald's is trying to convince Amazon to buy before it's abandoned — here's why that's an amazing idea for both companies (MCD, AMZN)

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  • McDonald's is leaving its longtime headquarters in Oak Brook, Illinois, this spring.
  • The fast-food giant's more than 100 acres of land in the Chicago suburb is one site that has been proposed for Amazon's second headquarters project, called HQ2.
  • Business Insider visited the headquarters and saw why McDonald's soon-to-be-abandoned campus could be a good fit for Amazon

 

Amazon has a long list of demands for its new headquarters. Beyond finding the perfect city, the e-commerce giant needs to find a site with up to eight million square feet of space, a good quality of life, and easy access to an international airport.  

Fortunately for Amazon, there's another industry giant abandoning its headquarters just as Amazon is searching for a second home: McDonald's

The fast-food chain is moving its headquarters from Chicago suburb Oak Brook, Illinois, to the city proper in the first half of 2018. And, it wants Amazon to take over its soon-to-be abandoned campus. 

I recently had a chance to visit McDonald's headquarters — and saw why the property could be the perfect fit for Amazon. 

SEE ALSO: McDonald's is flipping its iconic arches upside down in an unprecedented statement

McDonald's headquarters are located in a suburb of Chicago called Oak Brook.

McDonald's campus is located about 20 minutes from Chicago O'Hare International Airport and roughly half an hour from downtown Chicago. 



McDonald's campus is located in a woodsy area with two ponds, boxed in by a country club and sports fields.

McDonald's actually owns some of the sports fields, with a youth soccer league using it for practices and games, according to The Chicago Tribune.



McDonald's campus is roughly 74 acres. It's a sizable patch of land containing two small lakes, a walking path, hotel, office buildings, and employee-training site Hamburger University.

In sum, McDonald's owns about 150 acres of land in Oak Brook, which could be packaged together in a deal for another super-sized company like Amazon. 



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

8 truly horrifying ways the Earth could die

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When astronaut Jim Lovell saw Earth outside his window during Apollo 8, the moment forever changed him.

"People often say, 'I hope to go to heaven when I die,'" Lovell previously told Business Insider. "In reality, if you think about it, you go to heaven when you're born."

Lovell was referring to the humbling truth about our fragile existence: Life exists here only because it teeters in a delicate and truly improbable balance. Our atmosphere, proximity to the sun, and countless other beautiful coincidences not only permit living things to survive and evolve, but also to thrive.

And yet, here we are, sitting at desks and in coffee shops and walking down the street like it isn't some kind of extraordinary miracle.

But all good things must come to an end.

One day Earth will be inhospitable to anything resembling life as we know it.

The life on this planet likely won't cease until billions of years from now. But, depending on how the stars align — in some cases, literally — it could also happen tomorrow or anytime in between.

Here are the many ways scientists believe the Earth as we know it could die.

This story was originally published on March 30, 2016 at 8:55 a.m. ET and updated with new information.

SEE ALSO: 25 photos that prove we're all stowaways on a tiny, fragile spaceship

DON'T MISS: These unbelievable space images of Earth at night are a bunch of beautiful fakes

1) The Earth's molten core might cool.



Earth is surrounded by a protective magnetic shield, called the magnetosphere.



The field is generated by Earth's rotation, which swirls a thick shell of liquid iron and nickel (the outer core) around a solid ball of metal (the inner core), creating a giant electric dynamo.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

I tried Tom Brady's vegan meal-kit delivery service and learned I don't have what it takes to cook for the greatest quarterback

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Tom Brady

Tom Brady, 40, is the greatest quarterback in football history, according to the NFL, sports bloggers, and this New England-bred sports fan. The five-time Super Bowl champ didn't reach peak condition at an age when most players have already retired by eating chips and dip.

Brady owes his longevity to an intense diet and workout plan, which the GOAT touts in his new book, "The TB12 Method." Vegetables make up 80% of what he and his supermodel-wife Gisele Bündchen eat, along with whole grains, nuts, and lean meats.

In 2016, Purple Carrot, a meal-kit delivery service that serves 100% plant-based foods, partnered with Brady to bring meals based on the way he eats to customers. Using the guidelines laid out in his book, TB12 Performance Meals deliver aim to "help athletes and active individuals stay at their peak"— just like the GOAT. (Though Brady is not a vegan.)

For $78 a week, subscribers receive three meals with two servings of each. I recently tried the TB12 Performance Meals for two weeks. Here's what it was like.

SEE ALSO: We tried the clothes Tom Brady uses to help him sleep better and recover faster after games — and they work surprisingly well

SEE ALSO: We tried the alcohol diet Tom Brady put Rob Gronkowski on, and it was a lot harder than we imagined

My first delivery from Purple Carrot and TB12 came with its own locker-room pep talk plastered on the side of the box.

"What we get out of our bodies is a direct result of what we put in. Food is your fuel, and we believe that food can help you achieve and sustain your peak performance," the box read.



When I opened it up, I found this "hand-written" note from the Super Bowl champ himself.



I was feeling jazzed. I'm a carnivore, but I've been wanting to cut down on my meat consumption for animal welfare-related reasons. This seemed like the perfect opportunity.

While Brady eats lean red meat and chicken in limited quantities, Purple Carrot offers only plant-based, vegan meals. Andy Levitt, CEO and founder of Purple Carrot, hopes that the partnership with the football player turns more everyday consumers on to plant-based diets.

"Tom has shown the world what is possible by being a part-time plant-based eater," Levitt said.

I was about to find out.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

12 celebrity couples that are engaged right now

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Every day seems to bring news of yet another celebrity couple breaking up. But there's good news, too: There are just as many celebs getting together, getting engaged, and planning their weddings. Although the royal wedding of Meghan Markle and Prince Harry will undoubtedly be a wedding for the ages (their romance is even being turned into a Lifetime movie!), all these engagements and upcoming celebrity weddings are sure to warm your heart just as much.

Mandy Moore and Taylor Goldsmith

News of Mandy Moore's engagement to Dawes musician Taylor Goldsmith broke in September when fans spotted her engagement ring and then one of her "This Is Us" co-stars confirmed it, according to US Weekly. She told the publication that, since this is her second wedding (she married musician Ryan Adams in 2009), she wants to keep things small and quiet.

Although an official date hasn't been announced, we imagine it'll be sooner rather than later considering that Moore told Entertainment Weekly that she's eager to have children with Goldsmith.



Meghan Markle and Prince Harry

We'd be remiss not to start with the upcoming nuptials of Markle and Prince Harry — probably the most anticipated wedding of the year worldwide. Set for May 19, according to The Daily Mirror, it will take place at St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle, where Prince Harry was christened.

The ceremony is slated to be performed by the Archbishop of Canterbury, and American actress Markle will be baptized and confirmed into the Church of England before the big day, according to The Daily Mirror. No matter the time difference, we'll definitely be tuning in for this one.



Ricky Martin and Jwan Yosef

It's shaping up to be a big year for musician Ricky Martin. Not only is he starring in the new "American Crime Story: The Assassination of Gianni Versace" as the late designer's partner, but he's planning on marrying his own partner and fiance, artist Jwan Yosef, by this spring, according to “Martha Stewart Weddings.”

The couple, who were engaged in 2016, is reportedly planning on a massive affair — possibly spanning three days. We're waiting for our invite, Ricky.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

Ashton Kutcher's venture fund held one of the most exclusive and bonkers parties at SXSW, the world's wildest tech conference — take a look inside

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Marc Benioff, Ashton Kutcher, Elon Musk, and Snoop Dogg walked into a bar.

And the night only got crazier from there.

Sound Ventures, a tech investment firm founded by actor Kutcher and talent manager Guy Oseary, held one of the most exclusive and lavish parties at the South by Southwest film festival and tech conference on Saturday night. Powerful forces from Hollywood and Silicon Valley came together for the event — dubbed "The Party"— set on a rooftop bar in Austin, Texas.

Business Insider got into the invite-only bash. Here's what happened:

SEE ALSO: HBO created a 'Westworld' experience at SXSW that's like Disney World with gunslingers, women, and booze — take an exclusive look inside

"The Party" was the event that everyone was clamoring to get into at SXSW this year.



I practically begged my way onto the guest list through Sound Ventures. But a RSVP didn't guarantee those invited a spot inside the party, held at Austin's Kimpton Hotel Van Zandt.

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Guests had to arrive during certain hours at the hotel to pick up a wristband, as well.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

I ordered the same items from Amazon and Walmart to see which site does it better — and they both had major flaws

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  • Amazon and Walmart are the two largest sellers of merchandise online.
  • Amazon has been dominant, but Walmart has drastically beefed up its online offerings to compete.
  • I tested both of them head-to-head to see which one does e-commerce better now. It was difficult to come to a conclusion.

Amazon versus Walmart is the story of our time — at least when it comes to shopping online.

As more and more customers move online, retailers are racing to convince them to shop on their website over a competitor's. The two companies that have captured many of those customers are Amazon, and, to a smaller extent, Walmart. It seems on the surface level that the two retailers' offerings now might be equal in terms of price and convenience.

Walmart stumbled slightly in its quest for online dominance in its most recent quarter, falling to 23% online sales growth from 50% in the previous quarter. Amazon, on the other hand, had a record-setting holiday season, and analysts estimate that it took nearly half of all online sales.

There was only one thing I could do: put them both to the test.

I ordered a handful of items from each retailer, matching the SKU as well as I could. Then it was time to sit back and watch the orders roll in, making sure to log every email correspondence and message from the companies.

What I found was that while the two services are not exact copies of each other, they're basically equal. I had quibbles with both, and I found there's definitely room for improvement and innovation in the e-commerce space. Keep reading for my full experience:

SEE ALSO: The evidence is piling up that Amazon will choose Washington, DC, for its HQ2

I started my quest on Walmart.com, where I was sure to find everything I needed to meet a few specific goals I had in mind.



A list of departments and a search bar helped me find everything I needed. Seasonal call-outs, for example to "stretch your tax refund," were cute, but not necessarily helpful since I already knew what I was looking for.



I wanted something sweet, and these Reese's Eggs fit the bill perfectly. They would be even cheaper if bought in-store, but I don't have a local Walmart store. Alas.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

The best lanterns you can buy

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The Insider Picks team writes about stuff we think you'll like. Business Insider has affiliate partnerships, so we get a share of the revenue from your purchase.

best lantern 4x3

The Insider Pick:

  • Whether you're using your lantern to light up your tent or cabin while camping or to help you see during a power outage, you'll be glad you have a lantern on hand to ward off the dark. The CORE Equipment 500 Lumen CREE LED Lantern is our top pick because it's bright, compact, and shines for hours on end.

In 2017, I went on a 10-day trek through the jungles and mountains of northern Colombia. The expedition was sponsored by an outdoor sportswear brand, so needless to say most of the team members were well equipped with gear and apparel. Being a rather experienced outdoorsy type, I brought along some gear none of the others had on hand, such as a water filter, binoculars, and a rather large and very sharp knife. Two items more than any others, however, elicited the attention and dare I say envy of the rest of the group.

The first was a paperback book featuring dozens of classic short stories. The second item was my trusty solar lantern, a device that weighs a couple of ounces and requires nothing more than a few hours of sunshine to provide enough energy for hours of soft, steady light after the sun slid behind the peaks.

Having a lantern stashed away somewhere in your home is just a good common sense idea. In the event of a prolonged power outage, a lantern creates room-filling light that allows for easier cooking, reading, and other basic activities than you can accomplish with the directional beam of a flashlight. A lantern is immensely helpful in an emergency situation should you need to administer first aid, repair a piece of equipment, and so forth. The long battery life (or fuel burn time) of a good lantern is another bonus when compared with most flashlights, which tend to consumer batteries more quickly.

For the camper, a lantern makes a tent, cabin, or the campsite itself more comfortable and inviting. The beams of headlamps and flashlights can be unpleasant and even blinding as they slash through the night, leaving most of the surrounding area dark while often washing out the spots on which the fall. Lantern light, on the other hand, is softer, filling a space with illumination and allowing all in its proximity to enjoy the glow.

When figuring out which lantern best suits your needs, consider its weight, size, and power source, brightness output, and special features. But also give equal thought to where and how you will most likely most often use the lantern.

Read on in the slides below to learn why the CORE Equipment 500 Lumen CREE LED Lantern is our top pick and why you might also like the Coleman Northstar Propane Lantern, the Etekcity Collapsible LED Lantern, the HeroBeam LED V2.0 Lantern, and the Survival Frog LED Solar Pocket Light Lantern.

SEE ALSO: The best tents you can buy

The best lantern overall

Why you'll love it: The CORE Equipment 500 Lumen CREE LED Lantern puts out enough light to fully illuminate a midsized room or to light up your campsite, porch, or picnic area.

The CORE Equipment 500 Lumen CREE LED Lantern casts a halo of light that brightens an area measuring 60 feet wide — and that is on its low setting. When at full power, the lantern's beam stretches out 45 feet, illuminating a space 90 feet across.

Equally impressive are the runtimes: The lantern will shine for 19 hours at full power and for an amazing 65 hours at the lower setting. Its diffusor tube ensures that its light is evenly distributed and is bright but not harsh.

The CORE Equipment 500 Lumen lantern weighs a little less than a pound and is small enough to tuck into a backpack. While it's slightly heavier and larger than the distance trekker or the climber will want to carry, it's a great choice for use on shorter hikes or for the car camper or RV enthusiast.

Despite its small size, the power of this lantern also makes it a fine choice for use in equipping an emergency preparedness kit or for more mundane, everyday tasks like grilling after dark or just hanging out in the backyard.

If you'll pardon the first of what will probably be many dimwitted puns, the CORE Equipment 500 Lumen CREE LED Lantern enjoys glowing reviews on Amazon. It has a shining 4.6-star rating, with owners highlighting its ability to "light up a room" and the fact that it offers an "amazing amount of lumens in a compact unit."

Across the web, the professional reviewers agree with those sentiments. A writer with Amazing Outdoor Adventures noted how CREE LED bulbs provide "maximum life and effectiveness," while a Best Brand Reviews write up noted its "impact resistant construction."

Pros: Super bright output, great battery life, good price for the quality, durable construction

Cons: Uses pricey D batteries, needs dimmer setting

Buy the CORE Equipment 500 Lumen CREE LED Lantern on Amazon for $20



The best propane powered lantern

Why you'll love it: As long as you planned ahead and stocked up on fuel, the Coleman Northstar Propane Lantern can provide you hours upon hours of amazingly bright light.

LED lanterns are all the rage these days, and for many good reasons: They produce no appreciable heat, making them safe for use in confined spaces and around pets and kids, they tend to be compact and lightweight, and they're easy to use. But that doesn't mean there's not still a place for a propane powered lantern at the proverbial table — or at the actual campsite, in your yard, at the RV park, and more.

The duration of burn time you can expect from the Coleman Northstar Propane Lantern is entirely dependent on the size of the propane bottle you choose. With a compact one-pound tank, you can expect about eight hours of super bright light, and as much as 20 or even 24 hours on a low setting. With a 20-pound tank, you could leave the light burning for a week straight.

While shopping for a propane tank and connecting one to the unit are both more involved tasks than buying and replacing batteries, the sheer volume of light this lantern creates beats out almost every battery-powered electric lantern money can buy. Its top1,500-lumen setting matches the light output of a 100-watt incandescent light bulb.

Once you have the propane tank connected and the lantern securely placed on a flat surface or hung from a branch, you fire it up, using a simple push button ignition system. Brightness is controlled with an easy-to-use dial on the front of the unit. And that's that. This is a durable, reliable lantern that works much the same as devices people have trusted for many generations.

The only real drawback here is that indoor use is ill advised, but not because of the fire hazard, but rather because propane burning equipment should always be operated in open air environments.

With hundreds of reviews in, it's clear the Coleman Northstar Propane Lantern is a shining example of great hardware. It has a 4.2 out of five star rating, with a customer named Daniel summing up the thoughts of many when he says: "This thing is a beast; forget the rest and buy the best."

A gear writer with Amazing Outdoor Adventures calls the Northstar lantern "one of the brightest lanterns on the market," while in a video review on YouTube, a reviewer noted its ease of setup and demonstrated how simple it was to ignite the lantern.

Pros: Amazingly bright, long run time, wide range of brightness settings

Cons: Slightly loud while operating, not suitable for indoor use, large and heavy

Buy the Coleman Northstar Propane Lantern on Amazon for around $54.99 (originally $79.99)



Best low-cost lantern

Why you'll love it: The Etekcity Collapsible LED Lantern is small, bright, and built to last, but best of all, it costs only $10. 

What can you get with ten dollars? Quite a lot, really. You can get a decent cocktail or a fine sandwich, a month's worth of streaming video and TV programming, or a compact and capable lantern that will shine for hours at a time and last for many years of regular use. The Etekcity Collapsible LED Lantern costs only $10 but it comes backed by a 10-year manufacturer's warranty. That's money well spent, if you ask me.

When fully collapsed, the Etekcity LED lantern is less than five inches tall, and it weighs well under a pound. That makes it a fine choice for the trekker whose watching gear weight.

The intensity of light output is regulated based on how far you extract the globe section from the outer casing. The more of the 30 individual LED bulbs that are exposed, the more light the lantern emits. This is a pleasantly simple way to regulate brightness, but there's also a drawback in that the bulbs that are hidden away are still glowing, thus draining a bit of power needlessly.

The lantern is powered using three AA batteries and runs for 12 hours on its lower intensity setting and eight hours at maximum output. That's not a laudable runtime, but the money you save on the unit can be applied to some extra batteries.

With more than 2,200 reviews in, this Etekcity lantern has a shining 4.5-star rating. A customer named El said the lantern is "perfect for camping, fishing, emergency light for a camper/RV/Auto or as an emergency light for home use," while an owner named Levin called it simply "bright as heck."

A reviewer with Top Two Reviews noted the lantern's excellent portability thanks to its minimal weight and collapsible design, while a video tester demonstrated how easy it is to adjust the brightness output, but also showed how the lantern can easily be inadvertently turned on in your pack.

Pros: Great low price, compact and lightweight, durable construction

Cons: Short run time, light quality rather pale and harsh

Buy the Etekcity Collapsible LED Lantern on Amazon for $9.98



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

The 25 schools that make the most money in college basketball

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Louisville mascot

The Louisville Cardinals men's basketball team has been wrecked with scandal recently, and even had to vacate its most recent title.

The good news for the Cardinals, however, is they are still the richest men's college basketball program in the country. Based on the most recent data, the Cardinals have the highest revenue of any program in the country, and it is not even that close.

But Louisville isn't the only scandal-ridden program raking in the money.

The Arizona Wildcats are also near the top. Their head coach, Sean Miller, was reportedly caught on an FBI wire tap discussing the $100,000 payment to secure the commitment from a top recruit.

Below is a closer look at the 25 richest programs in college basketball. Data comes courtesy of the Department of Education and USA Today.

25. University of Dayton — $14,031,059

3-year average men's basketball revenue: $13,171,557

1-year change: +4.1%

5-year change: +30.2%

Total athlete department donations: Not available 

Athletics licensing/rights fees: Not available 

2016 expenses: $1,861,323

2016 profit: $12,169,736



24. University of Minnesota — $14,172,048

3-year avg. men's basketball revenue: $13,216,981 

1-year change: +12.6%

5-year change: -12.3%

Total athlete department donations: $15,250,676 

Athletics licensing/rights fees: $51,849,920

2016 expenses: $2,048,303

2016 profit: $12,123,745



23. University of Florida — $14,200,425

3-year avg. men's basketball revenue: $12,632,784

1-year change: +6.8%

5-year change: +39.4%

Total athlete department donations: $43,146,263

Athletics licensing/rights fees: $62,151,216 

2016 expenses: $1,917,690

2016 profit: $12,282,735



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Mitt Romney just turned 71 — here's how the Senate hopeful went from the world of investing to saving the Olympics and losing the presidency twice

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mitt romney

When Mitt Romney lost the presidential election in 2012, pundits declared his time in politics over. But the 71-year-old Republican is not finished in politics just yet.

After Sen. Orin Hatch of Utah announced in January that he would retire at the end of his term this year, rumors started swirling that Romney would run for his seat. And in February, he officially threw his hat into the ring.

As Republican support for a potential Romney senate campaign grows, let's take a look back at the former presidential contender's life and career:

SEE ALSO: Mitt Romney formally announces run for Senate

DON'T MISS: Romney 2020? Republicans speculate that Mitt Romney's likely Senate run is the start of something much bigger

Willard Mitt Romney was born on March 12, 1947, in Detroit, Michigan.



He was introduced to politics at an early age. His father, George Romney, served as the governor of Michigan and the secretary of Housing and Urban Development under President Richard Nixon.



He started attending Stanford University in 1965. He would ultimately graduate from Brigham Young University with a B.A. in English.

Source: The Washington Post



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Only 33 movies have ever hit $1 billion at the box office — here they are

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Minions movie mic drop Bob

With movie ticket prices increasing and the resurgence of franchises like "Star Wars," films earning over $1 billion worldwide may become commonplace.

But, for now, there are only 33 movies from the last 25 years that have managed to join this exclusive club.

Using data from Box Office Mojo, we compiled a list of the highest-grossing movies that made $1 billion or more.

From "Minions" to "Beauty and the Beast" and more, keep reading for a look at the biggest box-office hits.

SEE ALSO: The 50 best animated movies of all time, according to critics

33. "Black Panther" (2018)

Total Gross Revenue: $1,000,000,000 (and counting)

"Black Panther"crossed this milestone in just 26 days after breaking the record for best February opening weekend of all time. This movie is the 16th Disney film to gross over one billion dollars. "Black Panther" is also now ranked as the best-rated movie of all time on Rotten Tomatoes.



32. "The Dark Knight" (2008)

Total gross revenue: $1,004,600,000

Back in July 2008, people began speculating that Christopher Nolan's "Batman Begins" sequel starring Heath Ledger as the Joker might have the box-office power to set a world record. "There are even whispers starting whether 'Dark Knight' can beat the incredible worldwide numbers posted by the all-time $1.8 billion benchmark of 'Titanic,'"Deadline reported.

"The Dark Knight" remains in the 27th spot when it comes to highest-grossing movies of all time.



31. "The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey" (2012)

Total gross revenue: $1,021,100,000

When Peter Jackson's first "Hobbit" movie crossed the $1 billion mark, it appeared a good indication the subsequent two sequels would perform equally well, if not better, at the box office. But neither of the second two "Hobbit" films wound up crossing that box-office landmark. Both "The Desolation of Smaug" and "Battle of the Five Armies"made about $960,000,000 each.



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A popular San Francisco coffee shop that raised $75 million could be the next Blue Bottle

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philz coffee

Almost as soon as Nestlé spent $425 million to buy a majority stake in hip coffee chain Blue Bottle in September 2017, the search for the next hot coffee brand got underway. 

San Francisco has a contender in Philz Coffee, a family-run coffee chain known as a darling of the tech industry. The company, which passed hands from father Phil Jaber to son Jacob in 2005, has grown from one cafe in the city's Mission District to over 40 locations in California and Washington, DC. Tech investors have poured $75 million into the chain to date.

Philz has the cash to fuel an expansion and a key ingredient to become the next Blue Bottle: individuality. It looks nothing like a cookie-cutter coffee chain. At Philz, a diverse set of customers sit around mismatched pieces of furniture and drink coffee brewed one cup at time. Employees are encouraged to express their personality through interactions with customers. 

We spoke with Phil and Jacob to see why Philz has become a beloved institution.

SEE ALSO: Why people are crazy about Blue Bottle, the coffee chain that Nestlé just acquired for up to $500 million

Philz Coffee is the unofficial beverage of Silicon Valley.



According to Phil, Google, Twitter, Apple, and LinkedIn employees buy the beans wholesale for their offices. Facebook has a standalone location at its Menlo Park campus.



Philz Coffee even recruited Facebook employees for the beta test of its new order-ahead mobile app, which goes live on March 12.

The app will launch nationwide sometime in 2018.



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The 23 most delightfully random celebrity movie cameos that you may have missed

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david hasselhoff the spongebob movie cameo

  • A well-timed celebrity cameo can make a movie go from good to great.
  • It's even better when the celebrity has a connection to the movie, like Danny Glover appearing in "Maverick" alongside his long-time "Lethal Weapon" co-star Mel Gibson.
  • Sometimes a cameo signals a connection to a larger cinematic universe.


Everyone loves a good Easter egg in movies, and blink-and-you-might-miss-it celeb cameos are arguably some of the best.

Cameos range from totally random to inside jokes for long-time fans of the movie's writers or directors. It can even be a way for a famous person to poke fun at their own public persona.

Keep reading to see what familiar faces have shown up in unexpected places.

Matt Damon in "Thor: Ragnarok" surprised movie-goers when he appeared as Loki in a play during the film.

In a meta-moment, Loki decided to stage a play about his triumphs in previous "Thor" movies. The star-studded cast of this play included Luke Hemsworth as Thor, Sam Neill as Odin, and none other than Matt Damon as Loki.

How did this happen? According to "Ragnarok" director Taika Waititi, Chris Hemsworth and Damon are friends. The God of Thunder was able to pull some strings and bring Damon down to the Gold Coast of Australia during post-production.

 



Michael Jackson appeared in"Men in Black II" as an agent.

The director of "Men in Black II," Barry Sonnenfeld, revealed that he wanted Jackson to be in the first "Men in Black" movie as an alien (alongside famous faces George Lucas and Danny Devito), but that Jackson refused.

However, Jackson called up Sonnenfeld after seeing the first movie and asked to play a small role in the sequel — and so Jackson became an agent who negotiated a peace treaty between aliens. 



Football quarterback Brett Favre, at the height of his fame, appeared as himself in "There's Something About Mary." He played one of Mary's ex-boyfriends.

"There's Something About Mary" stars Cameron Diaz as Mary, a woman who seems to make every man she meets fall in love with her — including Brett Favre. Throughout the movie, he is constantly alluded to by just the name Brett, making it all the more hilarious when the famous footballer finally shows up.



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TOM BRADY: How the greatest quarterback of all time makes and spends his millions

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Tom Brady and Gisele Bundchen

Tom Brady is the greatest quarterback of all time. 

Brady already has five Super Bowl rings and on Sunday he will go for No. 6. He is also as good as ever at 40 years old, an age when most football players are already retired.

Off the field, Brady's life is pretty fabulous also. He's married to the world's most successful supermodel, has an Aston Martin named for him, and once owned a $20 million house with a moat.

Tony Manfred contributed to this report.

Brady was the fifth-highest-paid player in the NFL last season, making $28.8 million.

Source: Spotrac



Brady recently signed a 2-year, $41 million extension with the Patriots. A big chunk of his earnings last season came in the form of a $28 million signing bonus. This season he made a relatively modest $1 million salary and no bonuses.

Source: Spotrac



Brady is also the third-highest-paid player in NFL history, having already earned $197.2 million in his career.

Read more: The 25 highest-paid players in NFL history



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An elite networking group that counts professional athletes and fashion executives as members is turning an island off Finland into the next Soho House

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Hawaii_Hiking2

  • SuperShe is a women-only international networking club founded by Kristina Roth in 2017.
  • Roth recently bought an island off the coast of Finland as a headquarters for SuperShe and a place for the group to host retreats.
  • SuperShe Island will open to members in June, and later be available for non-SuperShe members and groups to rent out starting at $3,500 a week.

 

SuperShe, a women-only international group headed by Kristina Roth, will soon open a headquarters and a space for their wellness retreats on a private island off the coast of Finland.

Starting in June, the 8.4 acre island will be able to house 10 guests, hand-picked by Roth. The four cabins on the island come equipped with spa amenities and Finnish saunas, according to SuperShe. During a stay at SuperShe island, groups will focus on fitness and nutrition.

"The SuperShe network as well as the island experience are slanted toward women who are interested in wellness, mindfulness, health, fitness, nature, beauty, relaxation, and connecting with other women," Roth told Business Insider. 

Roth, who is the former CEO and founder of Matisia Consultants, decided to buy the land after attending retreats at the Ashram California, which focuses on the mind, body, and the spirit.

Roth noticed during those trips that the men were distracting. She told the New York Post: "When there was a cute guy, women would put on lipstick. The idea [at SuperShe island] is, hey, focus on yourself — don't try to get your hormones up." 

Although membership fees have been waived this first year of SuperShe, staying at the new island will not be cheap. Cosmopolitan reports a stay starts at $3,500 a week.   

Keep scrolling to learn more about SuperShe island:

SEE ALSO: The exclusive no-men-allowed club that raised $32 million from investors like WeWork just opened a brand new location — take a look inside

Roth purchased the island last September and has been renovating the cabins on it since then. Comparing the group to the exclusive international club, SoHo House, in a press release, SuperShe island will at first only be available to SuperShe's already approved members.



The island is 8.4 acres, and located off the coast of Finland in the Baltic Sea. The "exclusive membership" process is vetted by founder Roth, and all new applicants must come at the recommendation of a current member.



Members of SuperShe will get priority when it comes to reserving space on the island. However, reservations will be open to outsiders later in 2018. The retreats at SuperShe Island will be similar to the retreats the group hosts now.



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6 classic books that took forever to be made into movies

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wrinkle in time

In a time where bestselling novels seem to get optioned for films almost immediately, it's easy to forget about some classics that have taken the long road.

Let's face it: No other author's record of book-to-movie adaptations comes close to all the Stephen King adaptations that have been gracing our screens for longer than many of us have been alive.

But for every huge film franchise spawned by a best-selling novelist like JK Rowling (four years), Suzanne Collins (also four years), and Stephenie Meyer (three years), there's at least one book that took much longer to get there.

"The Lord of the Rings"/"The Hobbit"

Years from page to screen: 29

The children's literature classic known as "The Hobbit"was first written by J.R.R. Tolkien and published in 1937. Tolkien also began work on "The Lord of the Rings" as a sequel — meant for the same readers who loved "The Hobbit," but written to include greater complexity since these children would have matured since the original novel.

A small, 12-minute film version of "The Hobbit" comprised of cartoon stills was made in 1966, but the first widely available screen adaptation was the Rankin/Bass animated TV film version in 1977.

In 1978, the Ralph Bakshi animated "J.R.R. Tolkien's The Lord Of The Rings" received a theatrical release. It starred the voices of Christopher Guard, William Squire, John Hurt, and Peter Woodthorpe as Gollum.

Since the book was so immense, Bakshi intended to make the story complete in two separate films. Unfortunately, Bakshi's investors pulled out — so instead the animators at Rankin/Bass stepped in to make the second part a made-for-TV animated film. Reception from critics and fans was mixed, at best.

Finally, Peter Jackson directed the live-action blockbuster film trilogy. "The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring" was released in 2001, with "The Two Towers" and "The Return of the King" following in 2002 and 2003.

Together, these films won numerous Academy Awards. In fact, "The Return of the King" remains one of only three films in the Academy's history to sweep up 11 Oscars at the annual ceremony.

Jackson went on to direct "The Hobbit"live-actionfilm trilogy which hit theaters from 2012 to 2014.



"Peter Rabbit"

Years from page to screen: 34

This adorable, mischievous lagomorph has stolen veggies from Mr. McGregor and hearts from children since his introduction. Beatrix Potter both wrote and illustrated this classic children’s tale in 1893, self-published it in 1901, and it is currently considered one of the best-selling books of all time.

In 1935, a Merrie Melodies short film called "Country Boy" changed Peter’s last name to Cottontail, and marked the first time that Peter and his vegetable garden exploits would grace the silver screen.

Since that time, Peter’s fluffy tail — er, tale — has been adapted for TV and film several times over. The most recent film was called "Peter Rabbit" and hit cinemas in February 2018. It was directed by Will Gluck and starred the voice talents of James Corden, Daisy Ridley, Margot Robbie, and Elizabeth Debicki.



"Starship Troopers"

Years from page to screen: 38

Originally published as a military sci-fi novel by Robert A. Heinlein in 1959, this Hugo Award-winning novel remains one of Heinlein's best-known works. To this day, a debate about its depiction of militaristic and fascist themes continues.

The 1997 film version was also called "Starship Troopers." It was directed by Paul Verhoeven and starred Casper Van Dien, Denise Richards, Dina Meyer, Neil Patrick Harris, and Jake Busey. The screenplay was written by Ed Neumeier, who had previously worked with Verhoeven on "Robocop."

At the time of its release, critics skewered the film version as being too close to the fascist utopian themes of the book. Verhoeven — who grew up in Nazi-occupied Holland— wanted to make a savage, biting satire that completely tore the themes of the original novel apart.

Many critics and filmgoers in 1997 didn't get it — but his film version has undergone massive reappraisal in the public eye since then. Some critics now even consider it Verhoeven's greatest work.



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