Drake owns a Richard Mille worth $750,000. Justin Bieber has an Audemars Piguet worth $50,000. And Jay-Z has a Patek Philippe worth at least $2.2 million. 

They're watches, of course. 

High-net-worth-individuals have been buying high-end watches for years, but the trend has accelerated along with so much other spending at the upper end during the pandemic.

For example, the Sotheby's Important Watches live auction concluded Tuesday and brought in $10.4 million— a 27% increase from last year — with a Patek Philippe Ref 2499 retailed by Tiffany & Co. selling for $818,600. A Cartier Ecran Mystery Clock went for $564,500, while a Rare Salmon Dial Audemars Piguet Royal Oak sold for $441,000. 

New watches can be very pricey and collectible, but vintage watches are the ones that almost dominate the watch sector. In fact, secondhand watch sellers are almost as popular as the auction houses that sell blue-chip artwork, and the websites that resell Birkin and Chanel bags. 

According to Deloitte's 2019 "Global Powers of Luxury Goods" report, the average annual sales made by the top 32 watch and jewelry companies topped $2 billion in 2017, but a 2018 Bain report stated that the secondhand market was worth nearly $25 billion, with watches and jewelry making up over 80% of all secondhand market purchases. 

As for where to look in secondhand? There are certain stand-out names.

"Brands like Rolex, Patek Philippe, and Audemars Piguet are controlled by families and not investors," Tim Stracke, CEO of the watch resale site Chrono24, told Business Insider earlier this year. "They have limited their supply for more than a century. They have a super long-term view and they value brand reputation higher than short term profits. This will very likely prevail for future generations and keep the value of their watches up."

Business Insider spoke with three watch experts to find out which watches are the best to invest in, and which ones they would recommend to those looking to start (or expand) their watch portfolios. The list includes both new and secondhand watches. Keep reading to find out the 11 stand-out watches they recommend. 

SEE ALSO: A millennial entrepreneur who runs a high-end watch retailer explains why now is the time to invest in watches — and which timepieces are the most valuable

DON'T MISS: Shattered storefronts and 'eat the rich' graffiti: Photos show the aftermath of destruction in luxury stores that were looted and vandalized during the protests

Business Insider spoke with three watch experts to see which watches they would recommend for those looking to invest.

The experts Business Insider spoke to all recommended the same brands: Rolex, Patek Philippe, and Audemars Piguet. These brands, in addition to Richard Milles, are synonymous with luxury in the watch world and make for a good long-term investment.

Tim Stracke, the CEO of Chrono24, a platform that allows customers to buy and sell pre-owned watches, told Business Insider that these top watch brands are known for their quality and craftsmanship, and are not produced en masse. 

"They are not available in unlimited numbers," Stracke told Business Insider. "That's why the demand is rising and prices remain stable or even grow."

Audemars Piguet: Royal Oak Jumbo, Reference 15202ST

Retail Price Estimate: $27,600

Stracke told Business Insider that historically, "steel sports models from iconic brands" are usually the ones that out-perform the global stock indexes. 

One of his top picks is the Audemars Piguet: Royal Oak Jumbo, Reference 15202ST, pictured above. 

Patek Philippe: Steel Nautilus, Reference 5711

Retail Price Estimate: $74,796

He also recommends the Patek Philippe: Steel Nautilus, Reference 5711. And said that mechanical watches such as this "hit the 'zeitgeist.'"

"They are a counterpoint to the ever-growing digitalization of our everyday life and remind us of the beauty of true craftsmanship," he said. "Certain watch models are more sought after than others, which is mainly due to the brand reputation of the Swiss brands in terms of their craftsmanship." 

Omega Speedmaster “First Omega in Space”

Retail Price Estimate: $5,300

Another watch he recommends is the Omega Speedmaster "First Omega in Space" which he said is a "hidden champion" in watches. He also pointed to the fact that, over the last three years, this watch model has increased in value at a steady 10%. 

"[It's] a great version of the legendary Moonwatch at a more affordable price point," he said. 

Rolex: GMT, Reference 1675

Retail Price Estimate: $16,000 

Paul Altieri, CEO of Bob's Watches, has similar recommendations for those looking to invest in watches, and one of his favorites is the Rolex GMT, Reference 1675.

"I always encourage folks to buy what they love and not what will end up being the 'best investment'," he told Business Insider. "Historically speaking, Rolex has done fantastically well appreciating in value in the past few decades. And they are — for the most part — affordable luxury."

Rolex: Daytona, Reference 16520

Retail Price Estimate: $27,500

Another one of his favorites is the Rolex Daytona, Reference 16520. 

"I am partial to the Rolex Submariner, Daytona, and GMT models," Altieri continued. "You really can't go wrong here, whether it's a new model, pre-owned, or vintage.  As long as it's an original honest example." 

Rolex: Submariner, Reference 16800

Retail Price Estimate: $9,195

He is also a huge fan of the Rolex Submariner, Reference 16800. He pointed out that all of the three Rolex sports models — the Submariner, Daytona, and GMT, have increased substantially in demand over the past few years, as demand is what typically drives valuations. 

"They have all proven to be great investments over time," he finished. 

Patek Philippe: Nautilus, Reference 3800

Retail Price Estimate: $44,900

Adam Golden, CEO of Menta Watches, also said it was best to stick with "blue chip" watches, such as the ones previously mentioned, and said he loves the Patek Philippe: Nautilus, Reference 3800, pictured above. 

"Patek Phillippe Nautilus, circa 1978, in stainless steel," he said. "The Nautilus is arguably the most famous of Gerald Genta's designs and adorned by collectors, new and old."

Longines Vintage Chronograph, circa 1940-1950s

Retail Price Estimate: $3,000

However, he does say that it might be worth looking at other watches, like the Longines Chronograph from the 1940-1950s, as a good possible investment. 

"If you want to swerve off the beaten path, find models within "other" brands that have large cult followings," Golden said. "For example, Longines chronographs from the 1930-1960s with Caliber 13ZN or 30CH movements — they have a rabid fanbase and will always be desirable, albeit to a smaller audience."

Omega Speedmaster, Reference 2998-2

Retail Price Estimate: $37,500

Like Stracke, Golden is also a huge fan of the Omega Speedmaster series and recommends Reference 2298-2.

"It's one of the only references to use the famous 'lollipop' chronograph hand," he said about the watch. "Early Speedmasters, such as this example, are grails amongst collectors, and finding well-preserved examples has become exceedingly difficult." 

Audemars Piguet: Royal Oak, Reference 5402

Retail Price Estimate: $124,660

Another model Golden recommends is Audemars Piguet's Royal Oak, Reference 5402, circa the 1970s, and designed by Gerald Genta. 

"The Royal Oak is the focal point and main attraction for the legendary watchmaker and these first execution models have soared in popularity," Golden told Business Insider. "This particular example is a first-series, or "A" series, meaning it was the very first batch of production, of only allegedly two thousand were produced."

Rolex: Gilt-dial Submariner, Reference 5513

Retail Price Estimate: $28,500

Finally, Golden is a big fan of the Rolex Gilt-dial Submariner, Reference 5513. This model, he said, has been nicknamed the "Bart Simpson" because its coronet on the dial is similar to the famous character's head.   

"Whenever I have someone ask me 'what is the best watch to buy for investment purposes,' my answer is usually the same — watches should, as a whole, not be treated as investments — they should be worn and enjoyed, as intended," Golden said. "However, if you want to "protect" your purchases and asset, make sure you do your homework, and buy a watch in good condition, and as original as possible." 

Vice President Mike Pence on Friday received the first of the two-part COVID-19 vaccine, developed by Pfizer and BioNTech, in a public event that was live-streamed by the White House and carried by major news outlets.

His wife, Second Lady Karen Pence, and US Surgeon General Jerome Adams, also publicly received their first dose of the vaccine on Friday. Their public vaccinations marked an attempt by the White House to convince Americans that the vaccine is safe amid baseless conspiracy theories and other fears surrounding it.

While experts have said the vaccine for COVID-19 will not be widely available until later next year, a number of lawmakers and other officials moved to the front of the line to get publicly vaccinated as part of "continuity of government" protocols. Though, as RollCall reported, it's unclear from which supply these vaccines are coming.

Vaccination distribution is otherwise left up to state governments, although the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have recommended it first be administered to healthcare workers followed by at-risk populations, like nursing home residents.

Many lawmakers and officials, like Pence on Friday, have since shared photos of themselves receiving the shots as a means of instilling public trust in the vaccine, which was authorized last week by the US Food and Drug Administration for emergency usage.

One lawmaker, South Dakota Rep. Dusty Johnson, said Friday he would allow his constituents to decide if he took the vaccine now, as a means to help instill public confidence, or if he should instead wait until it was more widely available to the general population.

The vaccine rollout comes during a nationwide surge in COVID-19 cases, which has killed more than 315,000 people in the US, according to data from Johns Hopkins University. 

Here are lawmakers and officials who have shared news of their vaccinations.

Vice President Mike Pence and Second Lady Karen Pence were vaccinated in Washington, DC, on Friday morning in an event that was live-streamed by the White House and broadcast by major news networks.

US Surgeon General Jerome Adams also received a vaccine during the live-streamed event Friday.

Sen. Mitt Romney, a Utah Republican, said he took the vaccine on Friday, tweeting: "It's time for Congress to do its job and finish what our bipartisan group started by passing emergency COVID relief."

Source: Twitter

Sen. Lindsey Graham, a Republican from South Carolina, tweeted a photo of himself receiving the vaccine Saturday, and said, "if enough of us take it, we will get back to normal lives."

Source: Twitter

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, a California Democrat, also received the first of the two-shot Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine on Friday.

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, a Democrat from New York, on Saturday shared her experience getting vaccinated, telling her followers: "I'd *never* ask you to do something I wasn't willing to do myself."

Source: Twitter

House Majority Whip James Clyburn, a South Carolina Democrat, said he was vaccinated on Friday, adding that he hoped "that every American over the age of 16 will get vaccinated as soon as they are able."

Source: Twitter

Republican Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell also said he received the vaccine on Friday and said "vaccines are how we beat this virus."

Source: Twitter

Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren, a Democrat, said she received the first shot on Saturday, adding "the vaccine is safe, effective, and will save lives."

Source: Twitter

Other officials who have said they have been vaccinated for COVID-19 include Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, a Democrat, and Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, an Independent.

A number of countries have chosen to drastically curtail Christmas and New Year's celebrations in the face of rising COVID-19 cases. 

The trend is particularly apparent in mainland Europe, where curfews, lockdowns, and limits on private and public  gatherings have been reintroduced.

Here are 9 countries where Christmas 2020 and New Year's 2021 will be like never before.

Germany

Germany entered a new Christmas lockdown on Wednesday, with only food shops and essential services like gas stations, chemists, and post office allowed to stay open.

Singing Christmas carols and drinking outdoors is banned, but Christmas tree vendors have been allowed to remain open.

From Christmas Eve to Boxing Day only, families are allowed to be visited by four other adult family members.

Precautions have also been put in place for New Year's Eve. Any and all public gatherings have been banned, as has the sale of fireworks.

The lockdown began on the same day that Germany reported 952 deaths: a new daily record.

Source: Deutsche Welle, BBC

United Kingdom

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced on Saturday that Christmas was canceled in London and parts of the South East and East of England. They will be entering into "Tier 4" lockdown restrictions, five days before Christmas.

Under these new tougher restrictions, people living in these areas will be expected to remain at home apart from limited exemptions set out in the law. 

Meanwhile, those living in "Tier 2" or "Tier 3" regions have also been subject to a change in rules. The five proposed days of "Christmas bubbles" will now be replaced with a three-household bubble on Christmas Day alone.

Across all of England, people are advised not to travel. "We're asking everyone in all tiers to stay local. People should carefully consider if they need to travel abroad,"Johnson said.

The new rules are in response to the sudden emergence of a fast-spreading variant of COVID-19, which is currently believed to be up to 70% more transmissible than the original strain.

News of the new strain has already prompted other European countries to act as the Dutch government announced on Sunday that it would ban all flights from the UK, Reuters reported.

Johnson's announcement resulted in traffic jams and packed trains late on Saturday as thousands tried to flee London before the new restrictions come into effect.

Denmark

Denmark's prime minister Mette Frederiksen announced a nationwide Christmas lockdown on Wednesday December 16.

The same day, health authorities reported a record 3,692 daily cases, a new record. 

All businesses, except essential food and medical stores, must close between December 25 and January 3. 

As many as 10 people can gather together for Christmas celebrations if social distancing can be observed. Rules for New Year's Eve are due to be announced the week beginning December 21.

Source: DR

Poland

On Thursday, Poland announced a national lockdown from December 28 to January 17.

It is also forbidden to travel between towns or cities starting from 7 p.m. on New Year's Eve until 6 a.m. on New Year's Day.

Public gatherings on New Year's Eve have been limited to five people. Wedding parties are also forbidden. 

Schoolchildren under the age of 16 can't leave home without adult supervision during the school holidays.

Source: Government of Poland

The Netherlands

On December 14, the Netherlands ordered all non-essential shops to close and told everyone to stay inside if possible until January 19, 2021.

In general, households can only entertain two adult visitors who live elsewhere, but on Christmas Eve and Christmas day three people may visit.

Bars and restaurants had been closed for weeks, and will remain shuttered.

 "We're not dealing with a simple flu," prime minister Mark Rutte said. "I'm afraid we're going to have to swallow the bitter pill."

Source: Euronews, Sky News

Romania

Romania has extended its existing lockdown until January 15.

A daily curfew is in place from 11 p.m. to 5 a.m., which will apply on Christmas Eve and on New Year's Eve too.

Face masks are compulsory indoors and outdoors in public areas. Christmas parties are banned in public and private areas both indoors and outdoors.

Anyone found breaching the rules can be fined a maximum of $3,800.

Source: UK Government travel advice 

Hungary

The whole of Hungary has been under a 8 p.m. to 5 a.m. curfew since November 10 and family gatherings are limited to 10 people. This includes Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.

Prime Minister Viktor Orban said that the rules also apply on New Year's Eve and that all parties are banned.

Source: About Hungary

Czech Republic

Most non-essential businesses shuttered on December 18 and all gatherings have now been limited to six people.

A nationwide curfew from 11 p.m. until 5 a.m. has also been enforced.

"This year's Christmas will be totally different, but that is the result of the situation we are in," Jan Blatný, the country's health minister, said.

Source: Guardian 

Italy

While not yet officially confirmed, Italian newspapers reported on December 18 that the government is due to announce a national lockdown active between December 24 and 27 and between December 31 and January 3.

"For the period from Christmas Eve to Epiphany, whether until the 3rd or 6th of January, the more restrictions there are, the better," Francesco Boccia, Italy's Minister for Regional Affairs, said Thursday.

Source: The Local

Turkey

Being a majority Muslim country, Turkey does not widely celebrate Christmas, but from 9 p.m. on New Year's Eve until 5 a.m. on January 4, 2021, the whole country will be under a lockdown. 

However, it only applies to residents, and foreign tourists are exempt from the order, and can sight-see at their leisure.

Source: Independent, The New York Times 

Between the nail-biting race for the White House in Washington, the worldwide COVID-19 pandemic, and the ever-growing threat of climate change, it's fair to say 2020 has been a stressful year. 

With millions forced to remain indoors around the world, startups that can alleviate the stress are getting a shot in the arm.

According to market analytics firm CB Insights, mental health startups saw a record amount of investment in the first quarter of 2020, raising $576 million in capital — surpassing the industry's previous record by more than 60%. 

Business Insider asked some of the best known venture capitalists from across Europe to each name the most outstanding mental health firms on the continent. 

Check out their responses below: 

SEE ALSO: The coronavirus lockdown has made mental health startups more important than ever, according to founders and investors. Here's why the sector is exploding.

Thymia

Cited by: Kamran Adle, early stage investor in the future of health team at Octopus Ventures

In the Octopus Ventures portfolio? No

Total raised: Undisclosed

What it does:"Founded by Emilia Molimpakis (PhD) and Stefano Goria (PhD), Thymia is transforming the way in which clinicians assess mental health issues, starting with depression, by making mental health assessments faster, more objective, and more accurate."

Why it's hot in 2020:"Since World War II, there has been minimal innovation in how mental health issues are assessed, typically based on inaccurate, highly subjective questionnaires that are uncomfortable to go through. Thymia is changing this by using video games based on neuropsychology, alongside AI-driven analysis of video and speech."

Big Health

Cited by: Kamran Adle, early stage investor in the future of health team at Octopus Ventures

In the Octopus Ventures portfolio? Yes

Total raised: $54.3 million

What it does:"Big Health is a digital therapeutics company that delivers cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) via highly personalized and automated applications focused on sleep, anxiety and depression. We first invested in 2016 and the business has seen huge growth in recent years, having expanded into the US very successfully. It also closed a $39 million Series B round in June this year."

Why it's hot in 2020:"What sets the Big Health team apart is their belief that, when it comes to measuring and demonstrating efficacy, digital therapeutics should be treated with the same rigor as a pharmaceutical drug. If you are going to be compared to a pill or existing clinical approach, you need to talk about effectiveness in the same way incumbents do."

MindLabs

Cited by: Eileen Burbidge, partner at Passion Capital

In the Passion Capital portfolio? Yes

Total raised: $2 million

What it does: The company will provide a mobile app launching next year which provides live video from professionals in therapy, psychology and mindfulness.

Why it's hot in 2020:"We're incredibly excited to be working with MindLabs as they transform the way we look after our minds," Burbidge said. "Mindfulness is more important now than ever and we know that Adnan and Gabor's commitment to best-in-class content, quality production, and unparalleled user experience means they're the best to bring this platform to market."

Spill

Cited by: Julia Hawkins, partner at LocalGlobe

In the LocalGlobe portfolio? No

Total raised: $650,000

What it does: London-based Spill offers a message-based therapy app to help improve workplace well-being.

Why it's hot in 2020:"With more than half of Spill's users talking about burnout, Spill provides crucial emotional support for team members who may not otherwise take the time to reach out for help as well as offering useful tools for better managing relationship dynamics with co-workers."

Moshi

Cited by: Julia Hawkins, partner at LocalGlobe 

In the Loclglobe portfolio? Yes

Total raised: $15.5 million

What it does: Moshi originally started life as Mind Candy, a gaming firm that was hugely popular with kids, but which pivoted to sleep and mindfulness. Hawkins says: "Sleep is an integral part of good mental health, and Moshi tackles this on two sides as an app that helps children sleep better, which helps parents to sleep easier too."

Why it's hot in 2020:"Their app has over 50,000 five star reviews! The company's recent branch into mindfulness for children earlier this year couldn't have come at a better time too, as the global pandemic shut down access to schools, friends and grandparents for children across the world. It's not just the kids that love it, we know adults are also using the app to help get to sleep or when feeling anxious." 

Moodbeam

Cited by: Simon Crabtree, investment manager at Mercia Asset Management

In the Mercia portfolio? Yes

Total raised: $200,000

What it does: "Described as the first wearable device that logs how we feel at the push of a button, is already used in the NHS and universities and the company has now adapted its model for business use." 

Why it's hot in 2020:"It's not just about identifying the odd person struggling with mental health issues  — having a bad day can affect anyone's performance and unhappy staff can have a serious impact on productivity. The idea is that everyone in the company uses Moodbeam so companies can be aware of issues and act on the data.

"It has had considerable market pull from companies moving to remote working, the construction sector, charities and healthcare organizations."

Unmind

Cited by: Antoine Nussenbaum, cofounder at Felix Capital 

In the Felix portfolio? Yes

Total raised: $36 million

What it does:"Unmind is a bespoke platform allowing today hundreds of thousands of workers to avoid depression and burnout while also helping organizations to understand better the wellness of their teams and employees through anonymous data analytics."

Why it's hot in 2020:  "Awareness around Mental Health has shifted dramatically in the past few years, and even more in the past few months. We see a real need in today's world for a dedicated solution for the workplace ... Clients include today the likes of John Lewis, the NHS, ASOS, JustEat, British Airways, and Centrica."

Kooth

Cited by: Simon Crabtree, investment manager at Mercia Asset Management

In the Mercia portfolio? No

Total raised: Undisclosed 

What it does: "Kooth and its research arm Xenzone aim to create easy to access online mental health counselling services and are used by the NHS, local authorities and employers. Kooth recently listed on the AIM market, having previously received funding from Root Capital."

Why it's hot in 2020: "Kooth is important for a number of reasons.

"From an investor's point of view, it recognizes the central role that mental health now has in both society and the business world and demonstrates that there is a market for these companies. Kooth is also a growing company that is consistently profitable."

Well Human

Cited by: Serial investor John McMahon 

In McMahon's portfolio? Yes

Total raised: Undisclosed 

What it does:"Well Human offers clients an integrated physical, emotional and financial wellbeing service online, what it describes as '360-degree wellbeing'."

Why it's hot in 2020:"What makes it interesting is that it acknowledges the connections which exist between our physical, emotional and financial health and is building services to cater for each of them."

SilverCloud

Cited by: Serial investor John McMahon 

In McMahon's portfolio? No

Total raised: $26 million

What it does:"This Dublin-based startup provides a range of mental health tools, which has worked with organisations such as the NHS, Bupa, and Nuffield Health." 

Why it's hot in 2020:"What makes this interesting is that its solutions offer individuals the chance to learn about (and track over time) those sources of mental health problems about which they may otherwise be unaware." 

Selfapy

Cited by: Cornelius Maas, senior investment manager at SHS 

In the SHS portfolio? Yes 

Total raised: $6 million

What it does:"Selfapy is the only mental health startup in Germany that successfully combines the two factors which we see as the most critical in digital health: superior UX-focused products and strong clinical evidence."

Why it's hot in 2020:"Selfapy is one of the few companies who is able to offer its digital therapeutic products for free to people suffering from mental health issues after prescription by a doctor."

Klenico

Cited by: Cornelius Maas, senior investment manager at SHS 

In the SHS portfolio? No 

Total raised: Undisclosed 

What it does:"Klenico's core product enables patients and families to better understand mental disorders as well as potential comorbidities to assist treatment planning and communications." 

Why it's hot in 2020:"Precise diagnostics is not only important in the space of physical illnesses, but also in mental health where different mental disorders need different therapies. Klenico AG, based in Zürich/ Switzerland, has a very interesting approach to digitally address this specific diagnostic niche where other mental health startups often focus on the therapy side of mental disorders."

Mindler

Cited by: Tero Mennander, partner at Ventech

In the Ventech portfolio? Yes

Total raised: $13.2 million

What it does: Mindler provides access to mental health practitioners within 24 hours.

Why it's hot in 2020: "We can no longer afford to consider acc​ess to quality mental healthcare a luxury," Mennander said. "In today's context, global access to quality mental health care is non-negotiable. Mindler's digital technology has the potential to help close the growing demand gap in mental healthcare."

Lifesum

Cited by: Dr Vishal Gulati, healthtech VC at Draper Esprit

In the Draper portfolio? Yes

Total raised: $21 million

What it does:"Lifesum is a digital self-care app that helps you reach your health and weight goals through better eating."

Why it's hot in 2020:"Nutrition and healthy eating has impact not just on our body but also our mind. Lifesum gives its users the ability to manage all aspects of their nutrition, wellness, sleep and exercises in a single app giving them control over their physical and mental well-being. This is why we invested in Lifesum."

Ieso Digital Health

Cited by: Dr Vishal Gulati, healthtech VC at Draper Esprit

In the Draper Esprit portfolio? Yes

Total raised: $25 million

What it does:"Ieso Digital Health is a data-driven mental health company. It has delivered clinically validated CBT therapy to thousands of patients suffering from mental health conditions such as anxiety and depression remotely."

Why it's hot in 2020:"In addition to increased patient convenience and privacy, Ieso uses NLP and AI to improve quality of therapy and has some of the best treatment outcomes in the UK."

LiveSmart

Cited by: Dr. Fiona Pathiraja, Managing Partner of healthtech VC Crista Galli Ventures

In the Crista Galli portfolio? Yes

Total raised: $3.4 million

What it does: "LiveSmart delivers preventative B2B health services to employees of big corporates, through key partnerships with large insurers such as AXA. Their mental health offering assesses depression, anxiety and cognitive function and provides 1-1 personalised health coaching to employees.

"LiveSmart help their users understand the link between physical and mental health and use coaching to support a holistic view of health."

Why it's hot in 2020: "The global pandemic has led to employees across the world engaging in remote working. This ongoing disruption can cause isolation and stress, straining employee mental health.

"In 2020, 35% of LiveSmart's users report moderate to high stress levels and 27% report moderate to high anxiety/depression risk. Employee mental health is imperative globally and LiveSmart is rapidly growing with operations in the UK, France and Malaysia."

Minderful

Cited by: Dr. Fiona Pathiraja, Managing Partner of healthtech VC Crista Galli Ventures

In the Crista Galli portfolio? No

Total raised: Undisclosed 

What it does:"Minderful provides a mental fitness regime that users can build into their daily lives. Founded by an NHS psychiatrist with experience of suffering from mental health issues, Minderful use 2-minute, evidence-based, audio 'blocks' with the best mental fitness tips to create playlists for the user to listen to."

Why it's hot in 2020: "As more people are isolated from friends and family through the pandemic, it is important to build a regular mental fitness habit to cope. Minderful helps with this in an accessible, engaging and non-medicalised manner.

"With a slick social media presence, they are very tapped into the millennial and generation Z markets."

Blueheart

Cited by: Antoine Poirson, Partner of global early stage VC Antler

In the Antler portfolio? Yes

Total raised: $1.5 million

What it does: "Sexual dysfunctions or troubles are quite taboo topics, hence only a few who suffer from these seek support. Traditional support is cumbersome and costly as it basically consists of seeing a therapist. Cost, Access, Embarrassment, are the main barriers.

"Blueheart is changing this, for the benefit of 17m Brits who have declared an issue."

Why it's hot in 2020: "Blueheart is brilliant at bringing digital therapy to market, which in itself is a difficult task. It also focuses on user outcome more than building a 'sex-tech' fun app.

"The firm will soon involve the user's partner in the journey, to improve the couple's outcome; this will be incredible to remove some of the post-partum stresses."

Tomo

Cited by: Antoine Poirson, Partner of global early stage VC Antler

In the Antler portfolio? Yes

Total raised: Undisclosed 

What it does:"Tomo helps its users maintain good mental health by helping them build and maintain healthy habits. By using the app, users receive a combination of peer-support from Tomo's community, and the Tomo chatbot recommends gradual day-to-day changes that users can make, based on proven therapeutic techniques." 

Why it's hot in 2020:"At the heart of what Tomo does is Behavioural Activation Therapy, or BAT. Tomo applies this to improve the symptoms of depression, anxiety and stress. The founding team combines the healthcare expertise of leading clinicians; and the technical knowhow of developers and designers." 

The far-right movement came out of the shadows in the last year.

The year 2020, defined by a global pandemic and the Black Lives Matter movement, brought white supremacists, right-wing extremists, and other groups promoting social unrest into the limelight.

From the Proud Boys to QAnon,  the armed militias, and the Boogaloo Bois, scroll down to find out more about how far-right extremism made its way back into the limelight in 2020.

SEE ALSO: QAnon has become a powerful force in Germany, helping to drive Europe's biggest anti-lockdown movement

The year 2020 has been defined by white supremacists' rapid growth, right-wing extremists, and other groups who promote hate, division, and social unrest.

These groups have been fuelled by the coronavirus pandemic, the Black Lives Matter movement, and the 2020 presidential election.

The Proud Boys, a far-right political organization that calls itself a "fraternity" of "Western chauvinists", gained national media attention during the first presidential debate when President Trump told them to "stand back and stand by."

The group was founded in 2018 by Gavin McInnes, who is also the co-founder of Vice Media. 

While McInnes and other leaders of the group have denied that it is racist, some members  "espouse white supremacist and anti-Semitic ideologies" and are involved in white supremacist organizations, according to the ADL.

Classified by the FBI as an"extremist group with ties to white nationalism," the Proud Boys are known for holding rallies to protest left-wing groups and stoking violence.

Source: Fighting Antisemitism and Hate

Its profile gained national attention in the summer, at the height of the Black Lives Matter demonstrations that erupted across the US following the death of George Floyd.

Source: Insider

The Proud Boys also made appearances at political rallies this year, including a November "Million MAGA March" demonstration against the election results.

The fraternity's international chairman, Enrique Tarrio, told Insider in September that some of its members were running for the 2020 election, but declined to identify them by name.

"We have our guys who are running for office, and we'll be busy door-knocking pretty much across the county," Tarrio told Insider at the time. "We're focused on the election and getting our favorite candidates elected, including our guys."

Source: Insider

The Proud Boys have also publicly supported 17-year-old shooter Kyle Rittenhouse, who was charged in the deaths of two Black Lives Matter protesters in Kenosha, Wisconsin in August.

Source: Insider

Rittenhouse is a Trump supporter from Illinois who had previously expressed support on social media for the Blue Lives Matter movement and law enforcement.

Source: Insider

Other organizations that came to the forefront in 2020 include the Boogaloo Bois, a loosely organized far-right, anti-government group known for wearing trademark Hawaiian shirts and wielding rifles at various protests.

The Boogaloo Bois, who are supporters of the Second Amendment, have called for a second US civil war and an uprising against the federal government.

Source: Insider

The Boogaloo Bois have been linked to several crimes. Earlier this week, one member pleaded guilty to conspiracy to provide weapons and resources to US-designated terrorist group Hamas.

Paramilitary and far-right groups were also seen in Michigan earlier in the year when armed protesters from an anti-lockdown protest stormed the state's Capitol.

Some of the protesters comparing the state's Democratic governor, Gretchen Whitmer, to Hitler.

President Trump later called them "very good people," adding that the governor should "make a deal with them."

Source: Business Insider

Some of the protesters were tied to a paramilitary militia group called the Wolverine Watchmen.

Several months later, members of the same group were arrested on charges of planning an alleged terrorism plot to kidnap the Michigan governor, Gretchen Whitmer.

Source: Business Insider

It has become increasingly difficult to differentiate the various groups from one another, as they often appear at the same rallies.

This has particularly been the case in Germany, which has seen Europe's biggest anti-lockdown movement in recent months.

Source: Business Insider

Far-right extremists are among the diverse group of anti-lockdown demonstrators who have been protesting regularly in the country.

Despite having differing backgrounds, many protesters have united to accuse German lawmakers of triggering unnecessary panic by imposing local and national lockdowns.

Source: Business Insider

QAnon has also found fertile ground in Germany, where more than 200,000 people follow the US conspiracy theory on social media accounts on all platforms.

Source: The New York Times

The same has been witnessed in other European countries, including the United Kingdom, where fascist symbols or QAnon references often make an appearance in anti-lockdown protests.

In the summer, hundreds of demonstrators, some of whom belonged to far-right groups, clashed with police during a protest in London. This picture,— of a BLM supporter carrying an injured counter-protester to safety — made national headlines.

Source: Insider

Experts worry right-wing extremism will continue to be a problem in the years to come. Top international security officials last year ranked it as one of the world's most serious security threats alongside space security, climate change, and emerging technologies.

Source: World Economic Forum

Oracle billionaire Larry Ellison is making the Pineapple Island his full-time home. 

Ellison revealed this week that he has moved to Lanai, Hawaii, amid the coronavirus pandemic. He plans to use "the power of Zoom to work" from the island, he wrote in an email to Oracle employees, who had been asking about Ellison's plans in the wake of Oracle moving its headquarters to Austin, Texas. 

Ellison owns almost the entirety of Lanai: He purchased nearly 98% of the island in 2012 for a reported $300 million — his purchase included 87,000 of the island's 90,000 acres of land. 

Read more:Oracle's TikTok victory highlights Larry Ellison's reputation as a 'sharp-elbows entrepreneur' who experts say has benefited from his embrace of Trump: 'Larry's politics are good business'

Lanai, which is home to about 3,200 residents, is the smallest inhabited island in Hawaii and is home to serene beaches, rugged terrain, high-end resorts, and Ellison's sustainability ambitions, which he's executing through a development company called Pulama Lanai. 

Here's how Lanai came to be owned by Ellison and what he's planning for the island. 

In June 2012, Ellison bought Lanai for an estimated $300 million. Prior to Ellison's purchase, the island was owned by billionaire Dole chairman David Murdock, who had reportedly been asking for $1 billion for the island.

Source: Pacific Business News, Forbes

Murdock became the owner of Lanai in 1985 after taking over Dole's parent company, Castle & Cooke. Prior to Murdock's ownership, the island was controlled by "Pineapple King" James Dole.

Source: Forbes

The 141-square-mile island, which is eight miles off the coast of Maui, has zero traffic lights and few paved roads, according to Forbes. Compared with other Hawaiian islands, Lanai is secluded — but Ellison has plans to change that: He wants to turn Lanai into a tourist destination.

Source: Forbes,The New York Times

Lanai already boasts two Four Seasons-run hotels. The penthouse suite at the Four Seasons Hotel Lanai costs $21,000 per night, making it the most expensive suite in Hawaii.

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Source: Pacific Business News

The island was also home to two golf courses when Ellison bought it, including Manele Golf Course. In 1994, prior to Ellison's ownership of the island, Microsoft cofounder Bill Gates got married at the 17th hole of the course.

Source: CNBC

The other course, Koele, was designed by golfer Greg Norman. The course has since been shut down, and an adventure park and zipline have been installed in its place.

Source: Pacific Business Journal, Lanai Adventure Park

In 2014, Ellison bought Island Air, a budget airline that ferries passengers from Oahu to Maui and Lanai. But two years later, after the airline lost $21.78 million and had to lay off roughly 20% of its workforce, Ellison sold a controlling interest in the airline.

Source: Business Insider

Ellison's Lanai purchase included an animal-rescue center. Because there are no natural predators to cats on Lanai, the feral-cat population at the shelter has ballooned to over 400 cats (which Ellison technically owns). In recent years, it's become a travel destination in itself.

Source: Hawaii Magazine, The New York Times

Ellison's ambitions extend beyond tourism, however: he plans to create "the first economically viable, 100 percent green community," according to The New York Times.

Source: The New York Times

In 2018, Ellison launched a wellness company called Sensei, which is working on three main issues: global food supply, nutrition, and sustainability. Sensei's goal is to use data to help people lead healthier and longer lives.

Source: Business Insider,Business Insider

Sensei built two 20,000-square-foot hydroponic greenhouses, known as Sensei Farms. The greenhouses have sensors and cameras that track data about the farms, including water usage and airflow. According to Forbes, they're powered by 1,600 Tesla solar panels (Ellison sits on Tesla's board).

Source: Forbes

Sensei also built a luxury spa called Sensei Retreat that costs $3,000 a night. Guests set physical and mental goals for their stay and the spa tracks their sleep, nutrition, and blood flow. The heirloom tomatoes and cucumbers grown at Sensei Farms are used at the spa's in-house Nobu restaurant, according to Forbes.

Source: Forbes

Ellison reportedly wants to purchase the island's power plant and electric grid from Hawaiian Electric Co. to transition the island away from fossil fuels toward 100% renewable energy.

Source: Fox Business

Ellison's goal is for Lanai to serve as a prototype for a "health utopia," according to Forbes. Tesla CEO and Ellison's close friend Elon Musk told Forbes that Lanai is like "a microcosm for the world."

Source: Forbes

When the coronavirus pandemic struck Lanai this year, Ellison reduced or eliminated rent altogether for businesses on the island and paid the full wages and benefits for employees who worked for him.

Source: Business Insider

All told, Ellison has spent roughly half a billion dollars on the island, beyond his initial purchase (in 2014, he spent $41 million on property alone). But Ellison's wealth has only continued to rise during the pandemic: These days, he's worth an estimated $75.2 billion.

Source: Pacific Business News,Forbes,Bloomberg

Smaller stocks are staging a furious rally, but Bank of America says they've been so neglected for so long that there are still some real bargains to be found.

"We believe the rotation into Value still has room to run for a host of reasons," wrote equity and quantitative strategist Jill Carey Hall.

Investors are getting more comfortable taking risks thanks to continued progress on the development and rollout of coronavirus vaccines and an economic stimulus package in the US, both of which could contribute to an economic recovery in 2021. These factors are only adding to the optimism around smaller companies.

Many of those trends are also true for mid-cap stocks, but Carey Hall notes that there are a couple of important differences. High-leverage small caps have struggled lately while leveraged mid caps have thrived. And while there's been a notable rally in "value" small caps, their mid-cap equivalents haven't enjoyed the same outperformance.

"While Value has generated alpha in small caps over the prior three months, there isn't a meaningful long-short spread in mid caps, suggesting even greater potential catch-up," she wrote in a note to clients.

But the broad rally brings pitfalls as well as opportunities, and Carey Hall and her team are warning investors about the distinction between promising, temporarily cheap stocks and value traps they'll regret investing in.

"We caution against Value Traps amid the recent insatiable appetite for risk assets and the best month on record for small caps," wrote Carey Hall. "The proportion of market cap in the Russell 2000 expected to be non-earners in the next 12 months is 24%, a 17-year high (28% in calendar 2020, 21% in 2021)."

So Carey Hall is focusing on low-priced stocks that will benefit from an economic recovery, are profitable, and are liquid enough that they're less likely to experience unexpected price drops.

The stocks she's come up with are all from the small-cap sectors BofA is the most bullish on: The consumer discretionary, materials, and financial spaces. They are among the cheapest 40% of stocks listed on the Russell 2000 index as measured by either their forward price to earnings, or enterprise value to sales ratios or price to book ratios.

The companies are all expected to be profitable in 2021 and report earnings growth compared to 2020, she added. The following stocks also have "Buy" ratings from the firm's analysts.

SEE ALSO: Fund manager Brian Barish has returned more than 550% to investors over 2 decades, and he just had 2 of his best years ever. He told us how he did it — and 3 top picks for the next 5 years.

1. Urban Outfitters

Ticker: URBN

Sector: Consumer discretionary

Market cap: $2.6 billion

2020 return: -3.0%

Source: Bank of America

2. G-III Apparel Group

Ticker: GIII

Sector: Consumer discretionary

Market cap: $1.1 billion

2020 return: -31.8%

Source: Bank of America

3. Dana Holding

Ticker: DAN

Sector: Consumer discretionary

Market cap: $2.9 billion

2020 return: +10.1%

Source: Bank of America

4. Cracker Barrel Old Country Store

Ticker: CBRL

Sector: Consumer discretionary

Market cap: $3.2 billion

2020 return: -12.1%

Source: Bank of America

5. KB Home

Ticker: KBH

Sector: Consumer discretionary

Market cap: $3.1 billion

2020 return: +3.9%

Source: Bank of America

6. Kontoor Brands

Ticker: KTB

Sector: Consumer discretionary

Market cap: $2.4 billion

2020 return: 0.0%

Source: Bank of America

7. MDC Holdings

Ticker: MDC

Sector: Consumer discretionary

Market cap: $3.2 billion

2020 return: +34.2%

Source: Bank of America

8. Sonos

Ticker: SONO

Sector: Consumer discretionary

Market cap: $2.6 billion

2020 return: +51.9%

Source: Bank of America

9. MTH Homes

Ticker: MTH

Sector: Consumer discretionary

Market cap: $3.2 billion

2020 return: +44.4%

Source: Bank of America

10. Sonic Automotive

Ticker: SAH

Sector: Consumer discretionary

Market cap: $1.7 billion

2020 return: +32.3%

Source: Bank of America

11. Asbury Automotive Group

Ticker: ABG

Sector: Consumer discretionary

Market cap: $2.8 billion

2020 return: +32.1%

Source: Bank of America

12. Group 1 Automotive

Ticker: GPI

Sector: Consumer discretionary

Market cap: $2.2 billion

2020 return: +25.1%

Source: Bank of America

13. Helen of Troy

Ticker: HELE

Sector: Consumer discretionary

Market cap: $5.6 billion

2020 return: +23.7%

Source: Bank of America

14. American Axle & Manufacturing Holdings

Ticker: AXL

Sector: Consumer discretionary

Market cap: $919 million

2020 return: -27.7%

Source: Bank of America

15. Bed Bath & Beyond

Ticker: BBBY

Sector: Consumer discretionary

Market cap: $2.5 billion

2020 return: +14.5%

Source: Bank of America

16. First Bancorp

Ticker: FBP

Sector: Financials

Market cap: $1.9 billion

2020 return: -15.8%

Source: Bank of America

17. Radian Group

Ticker: RDN

Sector: Financials

Market cap: $3.9 billion

2020 return: -19%

Source: Bank of America

18. Virtus Investment Partners

Ticker: VRTS

Sector: Financials

Market cap: $1.6 billion

2020 return: +76.5%

Source: Bank of America

19. BankUnited

Ticker: BKU

Sector: Financials

Market cap: $3.2 billion

2020 return: -7.3%

Source: Bank of America

20. Essent Group

Ticker: ESNT

Sector: Financials

Market cap: $5.2 billion

2020 return: -14.2%

Source: Bank of America

21. Artisan Partners Asset Management

Ticker: APAM

Sector: Financials

Market cap: $3.1 billion

2020 return: +54.1%

Source: Bank of America

22. Focus Financial Partners

Ticker: FOCS

Sector: Financials

Market cap: $2.3 billion

2020 return: +56.1%

Source: Bank of America

23. Hancock Whitney

Ticker: HWC

Sector: Financials

Market cap: $2.8 billion

2020 return: -25.2%

Source: Bank of America

24. Alcoa

Ticker: AA

Sector: Materials

Market cap: $4.0 billion

2020 return: +3.1%

Source: Bank of America

25. Forterra

Ticker: FRTA

Sector: Materials

Market cap: $1.2 billion

2020 return: +59.9%

Source: Bank of America

26. O-I Glass

Ticker: OI

Sector: Materials

Market cap: $1.9 billion

2020 return: -1.7%

Source: Bank of America

Say what you will about Spirit Airlines but one complaint that can't be levied is that the airline has an old fleet. 

The average age of Spirit's fleet of over 150 Airbus A320 family aircraft is just 6.5 years old, according to Planespotters.net, and there's a good reason for that. Newer planes help keep costs down and ultra-low-cost airlines like Spirit rely on every penny of savings as fares on the airline are notoriously low. 

Read more: Spirit Airlines' low-cost model puts it in the perfect spot to be the big winner of the pandemic, a Deutsche Bank analyst says

In January, Spirit placed a 100-aircraft order with Airbus for some of its newest narrow-body jets including the A319neo, A320neo, and A321neo. Each of the next-generation aircraft offers greater cost savings than their current generation counterparts while requiring little additional training for pilots.

One jet, the Airbus A320neo, currently flies for Spirit and has for just under two years. On a recent trip from Newark to Boston on Spirit, I got to fly on the aircraft thanks to a last-minute aircraft swap.

I was surprised to see my flight being operated by the aircraft as it would only be a short 200-mile flight but I got to see just what the future of Spirit Airlines has in store. 

Here's what it's like flying on Spirit Airlines' newest jet. 

SEE ALSO: The FAA is telling pilots not to fly for 48 hours after receiving Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine

DON'T MISS: I rode Amtrak up and down the Northeast Corridor during the pandemic and found it surprisingly clean, cheap, and stress-free — here's what it was like

The first sign that I was on the new aircraft came as I peered at it through the terminal window and noticed the huge engines, which is the key identifier in telling an Airbus A320neo aircraft apart from a current-generation jet.

The Pratt & Whitney PW1000G geared turbofan engines offer 16 percent fuel savings compared to older engines.

They're so big that it almost looks like they're about to touch the ground.

The other tell is the sharklet, which provides additional fuel efficiency. Though, these are also found on some current-generation Airbus A320s as well.

All of these new jets come in Spirit's taxi cab yellow livery, an homage to their low fares, and this plane was only delivered in October.

Source: Planespotters.net

The jet is one big economy class cabin with 182 seats across 31 rows. For comparison, a new JetBlue Airways A320 seats 162 passengers across 27 rows.

Read More: I flew on a newly upgraded JetBlue plane and despite less legroom and slimmer seats, the refresh is exactly what the airline needed

Source: SeatGuru

The first two rows feature the "big front seat," or Spirit's version of business class.

There are no middle seats in this eight-seat sub-cabin and the standard seats are replaced with large 20-inch wide recliners with adjustable headrests and 36 inches of pitch.

Source: SeatGuru

The seats yield a premium but don't come with any extras like a free drink or snack, though a flight attendant told me that the airline has some upgrades in the works in that department.

This was my automatically assigned row, 23, just behind the engines.

I was a bit surprised that I was assigned a seat this far back despite the plane being empty but I didn't mind much as there was nobody around me for rows and rows.

Legroom was below average at 28 inches of pitch

Source: SeatGuru

And the seat width was only 17.75 inches.

Source: SeatGuru

The seats are noticeably more modern and sleek, which is the only compliment I can give them.

Here's what they look like on an older Spirit Airlines jet from a flight I took in August.

Read More: I flew on the infamous Spirit Airlines for the first time and saw how well no-frills can actually co-exist with safety – here's what it was like

Though sleek and modern, they were still nearly paper-thin and I felt it as soon as I sat down. Luckily, this was only a 41-minute flight.

The legroom was decent but only if I stayed in the same spot and didn't move at all.

It's even less space if you put a personal item under the seat.

In ultra-low-cost fashion, these seats also don't recline. While potentially uncomfortable on longer flights, a plus is that you don't have to worry about the person in front of you encroaching on your personal space by reclining.

And seats come with only a tray table, armrest, and small literature holder. There's no seat-back pocket.

This was the scene on the flight when the boarding process completed. Less than 30 people were onboard and entire rows went empty.

With it becoming clear my row would be empty, I slid over to the window seat.

I had a direct line of sight to the sharklet I discussed earlier, which greets passengers with a friendly "howdy."

Our plane was so light that we took off just a few seconds after accelerating down the runway, a testament not only to our weight but to the power of the large engines. But even still, the noise levels were quite low.

The next few minutes were dedicated to sightseeing as we traveled parallel to New York City.

It's on flights like these that seat selection becomes critical to get the best views.

Read More: I've taken over 100 flights in the past 2 years — here's how I choose my seats when I fly to get the best possible experience

The flight was uneventful upon reaching cruise altitude and there was no in-flight entertainment aside from the views since these jets don't feature any seat-back screens.

A fleet-wide installation of in-flight WiFi is scheduled but has been long delayed.

The biggest selling point for passengers is the low noise level. Having flown on an Airbus A320neo in the past, I was well aware of the quiet cabin but it still impresses me every time.

The flight attendants performed a quick in-flight service by walking down the aisle and taking orders but nothing on Spirit is free, not even water, so I passed.

Soon enough, it was time for landing.

We touched down in Boston exactly 41 minutes after departing from Newark with no issues. It was a calm, smooth, and quiet flight.

Would I fly this plane again? Absolutely, but I'd think twice on anything longer than three hours.

Fast-food menus are constantly changing and while this year has brought many customer-approved new releases, some fast-food menu items have also been mercilessly scrapped.

In 2020, fast-food restaurants are realizing the power of a shortened menu with more focus on chains' most popular items. McDonald's and Taco Bell both recently streamlined their menus, while other chains have chosen to discontinue a few items due to changing tastes and the coronavirus pandemic.

Here are 12 fast-food menu items that have been removed from menus in 2020, so far.

SEE ALSO: 10 fast-food menu changes that outraged customers

Taco Bell announced it would be dropping the fan-favorite Mexican Pizza from its newly streamlined menu starting November 5.

Taco Bell's Mexican Pizza featured a flour tortilla shell filled with refried beans, seasoned ground beef, and Mexican sauce, topped with another tortilla, Mexican sauce, cheese, and chopped tomatoes.

"We know some fans may be sad to see this one go, we are too. One silver lining of saying goodbye to the Mexican Pizza that might help you rest easy is that removing it from our menus helps us work towards our commitment to leave a lighter footprint on our planet," Taco Bell said in a press release in September.

In perhaps the most controversial menu change, Taco Bell upset some customers after deciding to remove potatoes from its menu.

In late July, Taco Bell announced it would officially be dropping potatoes from its menu in August 2020. Affected menu items include Taco Bell's Spicy Potato Soft Taco, Cheesy Fiesta Potatoes, and Cheesy Potato Loaded Grillers.

"We know some vegetarian go-to items might be gone, but Taco Bell's menu remains highly customizable," Taco Bell said in a press release.

However, the statement didn't stop vegetarian customers and potato-lovers from taking to social media to air their concerns. One Twitter user called the move to drop potatoes the chain's "worst idea to date."

However, while the potatoes may be gone, Taco Bell has hinted that it may be opening the door to plant-based meats and other vegetarian-friendly options.

Taco Bell also announced it would be dropping the famous Quesarito, a fan-favorite item, from restaurant menus.

At the same time Taco Bell announced it would be discontinuing potatoes, the chain said it would also be removing the famous and fan-favorite Quesarito from restaurant menus. The item, which is a combination of a beef burrito and a quesadilla, will still be available to order online and via Taco Bell's app for pickup or delivery.

However, some fans were nevertheless outraged by the change, with one Twitter user calling it "absolutely barbaric."

Another item included in Taco Bell's series of menu changes is the Triple Layer Nachos.

In total, Taco Bell removed 12 items from its menu. Among the items slashed, aside from the Mexican Pizza, Quesarito burrito, and Triple Layer Nachos, were the chain's Loaded Grillers, Grilled Steak Soft Taco, 7-Layer Burrito, Chips & Dips, and the Mini Skillet Bowl.

"While change is hard, a simplified menu and innovation process will leave room for new fan favorites, continued progress in categories such as plant-based diets, and even opportunities for the return of some classics on a limited-time basis," Taco Bell said in a press release.

KFC also started a potato-related controversy when it decided to switch out its potato wedges for fries.

KFC has been serving up its famous potato wedges for years, much to the adoration of fast-food fans. However, the wedges have now been replaced with a new menu item — "Secret Recipe Fries."

"While we know there are wedge-lovers out there who may be disappointed, consumer response to our Secret Recipe Fries during the test and the rollout has been overwhelmingly positive," a KFC representative previously told Business Insider.

McDonald's spicy chicken McNuggets left just as quickly as they arrived.

The new limited-time-only menu item was thought to be in response to the flourishing market for fast-food chicken products, as well as the smash success of Wendy's spicy chicken nuggets.

The chain's spicy nuggets, as well as the Mighty Hot Sauce they came paired with, quickly sold out just two weeks after being released, proving how much customers loved the new version of its classic nuggets. While some restaurants may still have stock, most are completely out of them. However, all hope is not lost for spicy nugget fans.

"We're thrilled with the positive response to these limited-time offerings," McDonald's said in a statement. "If our customers truly can't get enough, there's always a chance we'll bring limited-time menu items back in the future."

McDonald's temporarily removed chicken tenders from the menu as a result of the coronavirus pandemic — however, the change could become permanent.

The fan-favorite menu item, then called Chicken Selects, first arrived on menus in 2004. However, in 2013, they were removed from menus nationwide. Four years later, chicken tenders made their way back onto menus as Buttermilk Crispy Tenders. 

After they were released, they promptly sold out. The chicken tenders still appear to be a popular menu item, despite being temporarily removed from menus as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.

However, since chicken tenders have yet to reappear on McDonald's menus, some fans fear the decision to remove tenders from the menu may be permanent. 

McDonald's also scrapped salads from its menu.

Salads have surely never been among McDonald's most popular offerings, so it's no surprise that they didn't make the cut for the chain's limited menu.

"To simplify operations in our kitchens and for our crew, and ensure the best possible experience for our customers, we are working with our franchisees and local restaurants to focus on serving our most popular choices and will begin temporarily removing some items from the menu," Bill Garrett, McDonald's senior vice president of operations, said in a statement to Business Insider.

McDonald's grilled chicken sandwich also disappeared from menus.

Along with the chain's chicken tenders, salads, and grilled chicken sandwich, McDonald's also decided to temporarily drop a number of pastry options and multiple burgers from its menu. 

The changes took effect in March, and while some items have made their return, most have not. What's worse for fans of these items is that they may never come back at all.

"We will certainly add things back to the menu. Whether it goes all the way back to where we were pre-COVID, I think that's probably unlikely," CEO Chris Kempczinski said during a virtual investor conference in June, according to CNBC.

McDonald's breakfast menu was limited to a few items and All Day Breakfast might be on its way out for good.

As outlets were reporting the departure of McDonald's All Day Breakfast back in March, McDonald's USA President Joe Erlinger tweeted, "All day breakfast's response to this news: 'I'll be back.'"

However, nearly eight months later, All Day Breakfast still has not returned, and many McDonald's franchisees and workers are rallying for the famous all-day menu to never return.

"As McDonald's and franchisees evaluate if and how we bring All Day Breakfast back to our menus, we want to ensure these improvements will remain consistent for our customers," McDonald's said in a statement to Business Insider. "Any final decision will be made in partnership with our franchisees, based on consumer demand, and designed to drive the business while minimizing operational disruptions."

Panera removed the Tuscan Chicken Sandwich from menus.

Panera's Tuscan Chicken Sandwich was reasonably popular among customers. 

"Made with chicken, mozzarella, Parmesan, arugula, tomato confit, and pesto mayo, this sandwich was perfectly toasted and had great flavor,"wrote one of Insider's taste-testers. "The tomatoes had an interesting smoky taste that complimented the moist chicken, cheese, and fresh spinach."

However, as a result of the coronavirus pandemic, the chain decided to cut a few items from the menu, including the Tuscan Chicken Sandwich, the Maple Bacon Scrambled Egg Wrap, and the Cheese Brittany.

Subway caused a stir when it removed roast beef and rotisserie chicken from its sandwich lineup.

In June, Subway announced it would be removing rotisserie chicken and roast beef from many of its locations, much to the dismay of the sandwich chain's followers.

"Bring back roast beef and the rotisserie chicken," one person wrote on Facebook, according to a previous article by Business Insider. "You just removed the best menu items. What gives?"

"My wife works at a Subway ... she says no roast beef is the biggest complaint they receive. She doesn't understand why they took it off the menu either if it's so popular," wrote one Twitter user.

Subway has not given a reason for the menu change.

• Read more:
• THEN AND NOW: How fast-food menus have changed over the years
• 33 fast-food menu items you will never be able to order again
• 19 discontinued fast food items we wish would return
• 12 fast-food releases customers loved in 2020

The auto industry is preparing for a surge of electric-vehicle production that some experts believe could underpin a major shift away from gas-powered cars in the coming decades.

One of the most important choices automakers will face will be which battery cells to use. Batteries are the most expensive part of an EV and play a crucial role in determining how the car performs when it comes to range, acceleration, and longevity. 

UBS ranked seven EV cells made by major battery firms by evaluating each on a number of criteria related to their technology, materials, price, and manufacturing process to determine which is best overall.

These are the seven cells UBS judged, how they fared in each category, and the features UBS thought were most noteworthy. Each cell's capacity is measured in amp hours (Ah).

SEE ALSO: 7 upcoming electric pickup trucks are all promising outlandish never-before-seen features — here's what to expect from Tesla, Rivian, Nikola, and others

7. BYD 105 Ah

Type of cell: Prismatic

Vehicle that uses the cell: BYD Song EV

Technology and materials rank: 7

Cost rank: 6

Manufacturing and supply-chain rank: 7

UBS' analysis: "Due to the low specific capacity of NMC-111 (150 mAh/g), the cathode active material is expensive on kWh level and makes up the major part of the material costs. Anode material costs are relatively high with artificial and natural graphite blend with almost equal share of active material and current collector foil. The separator is two sided Al2O3 coating, and a very thin polymer film. This is slightly more expensive than others on the market without coating. High share of passive materials such as plastics, leads to high housing costs with a share of 13%.

"From EDX measurement we see 1) traces of copper are visible in the anode active material; 2) NMC-111 shows an inhomogeneous particle size distribution."

6. Samsung 94 Ah

Type of cell: Prismatic

Vehicle that uses the cell: BMW i3

Technology and materials rank: 5

Cost rank: 5

Manufacturing and supply-chain rank: 6

UBS' analysis: "Cathode active material (NMC 111) is expensive on kWh level und makes up the major part of the material costs. The high share of cathode active material on total cell cost level causes a significant price sensitivity. Anode material costs are equally split between active material and current collector foil, with additional expenses for functional material (Al 2 O3 coating). Complex housing and rather low energy density of cell lead to a housing cost share which is clearly above average. Amount of electrolyte higher than for competitive cells and thus increased cost share of the total cell."

5. CATL 70 Ah

Type of cell: Prismatic

Vehicle that uses the cell: None cited in UBS report

Technology and materials rank: 6

Cost rank: 7

Manufacturing and supply-chain rank: 5

UBS' analysis: "The use of sophisticated core shell material increases the cost of cathode compared to similar NMC 622. Anode costs rather low through the application of natural graphite with almost equal distribution between active material and current collector foil. The cell contained an uncommonly great amount of electrolyte which explains the high cost share of 13%. Housing causes another 14% of total material costs which is in the expected range for prismatic BEV cells."

4. SKI 60 Ah

Type of cell: Prismatic

Vehicle that uses the cell: Kia Niro EV

Technology and materials rank: 4

Cost rank: 4

Manufacturing and supply-chain rank: 4

UBS' analysis: "The costs for cathode active material can be compensated on kWh basis but it still makes up the major part of direct material costs. Increased costs for thin current collector foil (6 μm), but a high amount of gravimetric loading leads to a higher proportion of active material costs. The cell has only one separator but double- sided boehmite coating leads to a relatively high share of separator costs for pouch cells. Standard electrolyte in a low amount leads to a low share of electrolyte costs. Lean housing design with only pouch foil, terminals and some fixation stripes minimizes the cost share to 4% in total.

"From EDX measurement we see 1) traces of aluminum are visible in the anode active material; 2) a 60:40 distribution of the NMC-111 blended with NMC-811 for cathode; 3) a double-sided boehmite (AlO(OH)) coating for separator."

3. CATL 180 Ah

Type of cell: Prismatic

Vehicle that uses the cell: Dongfeng's Venucia D60EV

Technology and materials rank: 3

Cost rank: 1

Manufacturing and supply-chain rank: 3

UBS' analysis: "With a high NMC-811 gravimetric loading level of about 345 g cm-2, a high amount of cathode active material is being used, resulting in a good balance between performance and material costs. Thin copper foil (6 μm) has slightly higher costs but due to the high gravimetric loading of anode active material leads to a higher share of active material costs. The share of the separator costs with special boehmite coating is similar to other cells. Very low amount of standard electrolyte decreases the cost share of the cell. Lean housing design (only low amount of plastic and tabs at the top) reduces the cost share for prismatic housing to 9% (6.28 USD/kWh) in total.

"From the X-ray CT analysis P3 detected 1) some dead space on the outer edges of the jelly rolls, 2) very tight stacking of the jelly rolls inside the prismatic case and 3) outer jelly rolls are slightly bent

"From EDX measurement we see 1) graphite as the main component for the anode active material is packed very densely and only shows a few spaces. 2) the spectra for the NMC-811 shows very nicely round shaped particles even though some cracks due to high pressure or much stress are visible."

2. LG Chem 60 Ah

Type of cell: Pouch

Vehicle that uses the cell: Chevrolet Bolt EV

Technology and materials rank: 2

Cost rank: 3

Manufacturing and supply-chain rank: 1

UBS' analysis: "Cathode is responsible for 64% of the total material costs; passive material and current collector foil only with minor shares. Thin collector foil (8 μm) and an artificial and natural graphite blend with high gravimetric loading on anode side lead to a relatively higher share active material costs. Lean housing design (only pouch foil with terminals and some fixation stripes) minimizes cost share to 4% (3.10 USD/kWh) in total.

"Relocation of the LG Chem 60 Ah pouch cell production to the site in Poland (Wroclaw) offers a cost reduction potential of ca. 7% manufacturing costs can be reduced by ca. 7 USD/kWh mainly due to lower labor costs. Similar effects can be expected for cell production in China."

1. Panasonic 4.8 Ah

Type of cell: Cylindrical

Vehicle that uses the cell: Tesla Model 3

Technology and materials rank: 1

Cost rank: 2

Manufacturing and supply-chain rank: 2

UBS' analysis: "Through the application of high capacity NCA with a very low Cobalt content, Tesla is able to reduce the cost share for its cathode material to 44%, which is far below competition and leads to a reduced risk of critical metal supply dependency. The active material on anode side captures a rather high share of total anode material costs due to the application of artificial graphite blends and SiOx. Cost share for separator (6%) similar to other cells; amount of electrolyte very low, which decreases cost share additionally. Attributable to small size (more housing per active material than for bigger cells) and round cell format, the cost share of housing is well above average (16%)."

• Read more:
• 2 Tesla battery-cell suppliers are poised to dominate a $129 billion EV battery market — leaving Panasonic, Samsung, and others in the dust
• Elon Musk's former right-hand man, JB Straubel, is building a company to chase the big money in recycling old EV batteries as demand for lithium skyrockets
• Videos of Tesla's new 'full self-driving' software look futuristic — but show just how far it is from full autonomy
• Tesla workers reveal CEO Elon Musk's biggest strengths and weaknesses

The Spectrum original series "Manhunt: Deadly Games," about the security officer Richard Jewell who was mistakenly suspected of planting a bomb at the 1996 Summer Olympics, surged to the top of Netflix's popularity rankings this week. It's the follow-up to 2017's "Manhunt: Unabomber."

Netflix introduced daily top 10 lists of its most viewed movies and TV shows in February (it counts a view if an account watches at least two minutes of a title).

Every week, the streaming search engine Reelgood compiles for Business Insider a list of which TV shows have been most prominent on Netflix's daily lists that week.

SEE ALSO: The top 9 movies on Netflix this week, from 'The Prom' to 'Ava'

9. "The Ripper" (Netflix original, 2020)

Description: "In the late 1970s, British police struggle to identify — let alone capture — the serial killer known throughout the world as the Yorkshire Ripper."

Rotten Tomatoes critic score: N/A

What critics said: N/A

8. "The Crown" (Netflix original, 2016-present)

Description: "This drama follows the political rivalries and romance of Queen Elizabeth II's reign and the events that shaped the second half of the 20th century."

Rotten Tomatoes critic score: 91%

What critics said: "The Crown is deeper than just a sumptuous soap opera. It pictorially assesses the social consequences of a once great power in decline."— Daily Beast (season four)

7. "Tiny Pretty Things" (Netflix original, 2020-present)

Description: "When an attack brings down the star student at an elite ballet school, her replacement enters a world of lies, betrayal — and cutthroat competition."

Rotten Tomatoes critic score: 40%

What critics said: "Michael MacLennan's series seems to prioritize sex appeal above all else, including strong character development, authentic emotion, and a cohesive execution of multiple plot lines."— AV Club (season one)

6. "The Queen's Gambit" (Netflix original, 2020)

Description: "In a 1950s orphanage, a young girl reveals an astonishing talent for chess and begins an unlikely journey to stardom while grappling with addiction."

Rotten Tomatoes critic score: 99%

What critics said: "A sublime little seven-episode sitter, with no room for sequels, which throughout managed to be tense without melodramatic, yearning without cloying, popular without pandering."— Observer

5. "Selena: The Series" (Netflix original, 2020-present)

Description: "Iconic Mexican-American performer Selena rises to fame as she and her family make sacrifices in order to achieve their lifelong dreams."

Rotten Tomatoes critic score: 37%

What critics said: "'Selena: The Series' ends up feeling like a Cliff's Notes take on Selena y los Dinos, the band, and not the woman at the center of it."— Indiewire (season one)

4. "Cocomelon" (Netflix original, 2020-present)

Description: "Learn letters, numbers, animal sounds and more with J.J. in this musical series that brings fun times with nursery rhymes for the whole family!"

Rotten Tomatoes critic score: N/A

What critics said: N/A

3. "Big Mouth" (Netflix original, 2017-present)

Description: "Teenage friends find their lives upended by the wonders and horrors of puberty in this edgy comedy from real-life pals Nick Kroll and Andrew Goldberg."

Rotten Tomatoes critic score: 99%

What critics said: "If all this talk of serious 'issues' makes Big Mouth season four sound like one long very special episode, rest assured that this series is still as funny and profane as it's ever been."— Vulture (season four)

2. "Virgin River" (Netflix original, 2019-present)

Description: "Searching for a fresh start, a nurse practitioner moves from LA to a remote northern California town and is surprised by what — and who — she finds." 

Rotten Tomatoes critic score: N/A

What critics said: N/A

1. "Manhunt: Deadly Games" (Spectrum, 2017-present)

Description:"Despite his heroics, security guard Richard Jewell becomes a suspect in the FBI investigation of a foiled terrorist attack at the 1996 Olympics."

Rotten Tomatoes critic score: N/A

What critics said: "As the series goes along, it becomes more and more of a true ensemble, and I especially liked the way actors like Nick Searcy, Marley Shelton, Becky Ann Baker and Brad William Henke add depth to the Rudolph side of the story."— Hollywood Reporter(season two)

The startup Vercel just announced its second funding round of the year, which its CEO attributes to the "skyrocketing" popularity of its open source project Next.js.

Next.js makes it easy for developers to build and deploy web applications using React, a Facebook-created open source project that helps developers makes sites more interactive. Vercel's recent virtual conference about Next.js drew 82,000 registrants, with 35,000 people attending on the day of the event.

"Throughout 2020, we started to see a dramatic rise in adoption both in Next.js and in the Vercel platform,"Vercel founder and CEO Guillermo Rauch told Business Insider. "With that came inbound interest from investors."

Roughly 8 months after its Series A, the firm announced a $40 million Series B round on December 16 led by GV (formerly Google Ventures), with participation from Greenoaks Capital, Bedrock Capital, Geodesic Capital, Accel, and CRV. This brings its total funding to $61 million, though the firm declined to share its valuation.

Vercel, previously called Zeit, relaunched earlier this year and has transitioned towards a product focused on front-end development, or developing the software that end-users interact with. Apps like TikTok, Starbucks, Netflix, Twitch, and Hulu are all using Next.js.

"We closed some of the largest deals of the year with companies that were seriously impacted by the pandemic but were still turning to technology to solve their challenges," Rauch said. "When the COVID challenges happened or began, companies turned to technology to solve them, as opposed to turning away."

Read more: Everything you need to know about React, a project started at Facebook that now helps Twitter, Pinterest, and Asana keep their apps looking good and working great

Vercel competes with other startups Gatsby and Netlify, though Rauch says those companies focus more on static websites, while Vercel makes it possible for websites to scale dynamically.

"This is the one we had an early conviction was breaking out and moving faster than others," Tyson Clark, general partner at GV, told Business Insider of Vercel's competitive prospects. "It was more interesting and more compelling."

With the funding, Vercel wants to double down on hiring "the most talented and inclusive team," Rauch said.

SEE ALSO: Meet the 7 most important execs who left Google in 2020 – and 13 new power players who came aboard

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With just a month to go before President-elect Joe Biden gets inaugurated into office, several White House aides are making career plans to prepare for a post-Trump life. 

Inauguration Day is on January 20 and will mark the formal start of a Biden administration. 

While election results showed that Biden won the presidency in early November, President Donald Trump has refused to concede, unleashing a barrage of lawsuits to allege unsubstantiated claims of widespread voter fraud to undermine the election outcome. In total, he's filed at least 40 lawsuits in the weeks that immediately followed Biden's victory. He has yet to win a single case.

While the lawsuits were unfolding, Biden and his team began to fill various appointments for their incoming administration and launched rollout plans. Biden's victory was all but cemented by the General Services Administration, which on November 23 authorized the formal transition process to begin. Last week, he officially earned over 270 Electoral College votes, formally cementing his victory over Trump.

Publicly, Trump has yet to officially congratulate Biden or recognize him as the victor. But he and others close to him are beginning to plan for a life that does not revolve around the White House. 

Here's what Trump, people close to him, and other White House staffers are planning to do once Biden is inaugurated: 

Donald Trump

For his part, Trump has not yet revealed what he will do after Biden becomes the president. 

But he's hinted at several prospects, including beginning to prepare for a 2024 run on the same day that Biden is inaugurated into office. He reportedly wants to hold a 2024 campaign event on January 20. 

More recently, CNN reported that Trump privately told aides he might just refuse to leave the White House, a move he's threatened to do at least once before.

These actions fall entirely out of line with what Trump has said before he lost the election. 

On the campaign trail, he told rallygoers on multipleoccasions,"You'll never see me again," if he lost to Biden. 

There were also reports that Trump had plans to start a digital media company of his own and that his allies were in talks to buy or invest in the conservative outlet, Newsmax, so they could set it up as a competitor to Fox News.

Trump's post-presidency plans will likely include several legal headaches as he has largely evaded the civil suits lobbed against him. 

As Business Insider's Connor Perrett previously reported, there are at least nine major ongoing lawsuits involving the president, including defamation cases and allegations that he and his children misled people into selling goods for a multilevel marketing company.

Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner

Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner bought a secluded waterfront lot on an island near Miami for about $30 million. 

The island is nicknamed the "Billionaire Bunker" because of its high population of wealthy and well-known residents, such as investor Carl Icahn. 

The move to Florida might be the next step in jumpstarting Ivanka's political career. People close to Ivanka told CNN that she wants to run for office but not yet landed on a specific position. 

Florida voted for Trump in both the 2016 and 2020 presidential election, signaling the state could be receptive to a political run from Ivanka. 

Larry Kudlow

Mike Pence

Pence is planning to move out of the White House and into a house in the Washington, DC, suburbs, according to the Washington Post. 

There is no indication yet of how Pence will continue his political career. 

Before Inauguration Day, Pence will reportedly take a trip overseas that would overlap with the congressional session during which lawmakers approve Biden's 2020 victory. Pence, as the vice president, is tasked with overseeing the vote. 

A government document obtained by Politico said Bahrain, Israel, and Poland are some destinations Pence will travel to.

Mark Meadows

White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows is looking to establish his own consulting firm, the Washington Post reported. 

If the plan goes through, he and other White House aides will open up the firm.

Meadows, however, has reportedly threatened White House staffers, saying he'll fire them if they look for jobs before the end of Trump's term.

Jason Miller

Campaign aide Jason Miller is spearheading a review of book pitches about the Trump presidency, the Washington Post reported.

He is selecting which books are worthy of Trump aligning himself with and which should be cast aside and unaffiliated with the campaign. 

Trump will have the final say, the Post reported. 

We asked our Rising Stars of Wall Street to recommend a book to our readers and their selections range from the origins of value investing to a timely retelling of the Spanish Flu Pandemic, from "Margaritaville" singer Jimmy Buffett's autobiography to a 368-page work on why we sleep. 

The full selection of 32 books, and the stars' comments about them, are below.

Read our full list of the rising stars of Wall Street shaking up investing, trading, and dealmaking.

SEE ALSO: Meet 2020's Rising Stars of Wall Street from firms like Goldman Sachs, Blackstone, and Bridgewater shaking up investing, trading, and dealmaking

"A Little Life" by Hanya Yanagihara

Rising star: Alexander Tingle, director of technology, media, and telecom investment banking, UBS Investment Banking

Tingle's partner, who is also a banker, once recommended he read "A Little Life," the haunting, critically acclaimed novel by Hanya Yanagihara that was published in 2015 and centers on ambitious young men who move to New York City.

"I loved it," Tingle said, admitting with a laugh that he's not the most avid reader, but "A Little Life" has stuck with him — and not only because it's set in New York, where he's now building his career.

One of the central characters, a successful go-getter, is struggling with his mental health throughout the story. For Tingle, he was inspired by that character's portrayal and brought to mind mental health-related stigmas that persist in some workplaces, especially for people in cutthroat positions.

"How to Lead: Wisdom from the World's Greatest CEOs, Founders, and Game Changers" by David Rubenstein

Rising star: Will Boeckman, head of US electronic sales, Citadel Securities

Will Boeckman, Citadel Securities' head of electronic trading for fixed income, currencies, and commodities, named Carlyle Group founder David Rubenstein's recently-released book "How to Lead: Wisdom from the World's Greatest CEOs, Founders, and Game Changers" as his go-to pick.

"It's kind of an anthology of various industries," Boeckman said of the book, which aggregates highlights from Rubenstein's interviews with noteworthy individuals like Oprah Winfrey, Bill Gates, and former presidents George W. Bush and Bill Clinton, whom he spoke with on his eponymous show on Bloomberg TV.

"A key takeaway from these stories is the importance of finding your passion. I'm obviously very passionate about finance," Boeckman said, "and it's something that was mentioned by a few of the people" that Rubenstein interviewed.

"Give and Take" by Adam Grant

Rising stars: Rachel Murray, vice president at Moelis, and Lacey Vigmostad Giliberto, vice president at Credit Suisse 

Lacey Vigmostad Giliberto, a vice president in syndicated loans sales at Credit Suisse, named "Give and Take: Why Helping Others Drives Our Success" by Adam Grant, a legendary Wharton professor, as among her favorites. "It's about striving to be somebody who gives to others and then expects nothing in return," she said, "and how ironically fruitful that can be for your own life and career."

Moelis's Rachel Murray, a restructuring banker told Business Insider: "It shows that it's not just about you. In the grand scheme of things, it's how you help others along the way. How you can grow the pie for everyone.'

"Open" by Andre Agassi

Rising star: Daniel Costanza, chief data scientist, Citigroup

Citigroup's Daniel Costanza recommends "Open" by tennis champ Andre Agassi, which he called "a really wonderful book about his experience in tennis where he didn't really like tennis in the moment," but eventually came to embrace it, he said.

"I think his experience of learning how to love the day to day and love the moment is really powerful," Costanza explained. 

"Young Money" by Kevin Roose

Rising star: Daniel Costanza, chief data scientist, Citigroup

For those flirting with the idea of a finance career who have yet to take the plunge, Daniel Costanza recommended "Young Money," a collection of stories by author Kevin Roose about the trials and tribulations of young financiers. 

The book holds insights into "all the wrong reasons why you can go into finance," Costanza said, making it a cautionary tale for those who aren't sure if the intense pace of life on Wall Street is right for them.

"Dare to Lead" by Brené Brown

Rising star: Alexis Rosenblum, chief corporate sustainability officer, BlackRock

Throughout the pandemic, Rosenblum has switched to audiobooks — "I'm not sure why, but I think that's the only time I get out of the house: when I take a walk in the afternoon, put my headphones in, and listen to something"— and recently listened to"Dare to Lead", a book by Brené Brown.

It resonated with Rosenblum, who said that she's always been drawn to learning about the field of psychology, and Brown explores human themes like empathy, courage, and shame.

Brown builds the book around the famous "arena" quote from Theodore Roosevelt, about credit belonging "to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood." It inspired Rosenblum, who took away lessons about being a leader.

"Leaders are in the arena, and there are lots of people in the stands who are there just to criticize or comment on what you're doing. But being in the arena takes courage. It gives you a lot of advice around, how do you think about having that courage?" she said.

"Active Portfolio Management: A Quantitative Approach for Producing Superior Returns and Selecting Superior Returns and Controlling Risk" by Richard Grinold and Ronald Kahn

Rising star: Robert Lam, co-head of credit, Man Group's Man Numeric 

Man Group's Robert Lam recommended "Active Portfolio Management: A Quantitative Approach for Producing Superior Returns and Selecting Superior Returns and Controlling Risk" by Richard Grinold and Ronald Kahn.

"It's pretty technical, but a must-read for any quant," he said. 

"The Short and Tragic Life of Robert Peace" by Jeff Hobbs

Rising star: Mir Subjally, credit trader, Deutsche Bank

"It was a really interesting dichotomy. It's about a young African-American man who grew up in a rougher neighborhood in Newark but went to Yale and ended up being really successful in his academic work. But he struggled at times to mesh the two worlds together," Mir Subjally, a credit trader, told BI about "The Short and Tragic Life of Robert Peace" by Jeff Hobbs. 

"It shows that the path to equality isn't always as easy and seamless. Going to Yale on a scholarship, it can still be really hard for people. People often don't get that."

"Start With Why" by Simon Sinek

Rising star: Doug Scott, CEO, Ethic

In Ethic's early days, CEO Doug Scott said he and his team gave investors and employees the business and leadership-focused book "Start With Why," written by the author and motivational speaker Simon Sinek. It was inspirational for the co-founder, and integral for starting Ethic and making a transition from traditional financial services.

It tries to get across that the "core of everything is: why this, why are we actually focusing on this? Why are you building this business? Why are you in this career? 'Why' — that was the core tenet," he said.

"The Warmth of Other Suns: The Epic Story of America's Great Migration" by Isabel Wilkerson

Rising star: Danielle Cooper, director, Annaly Capital Management

"The Warmth of Other Suns" by Isabel Wilkerson is an analysis of the 70-year Great Migration of Black people in America from the rural south to the urban north after the end of reconstruction and the beginning of Jim Crow segregation.

The book is very narrative, following the lives of multiple migrants, and inspired Danielle Cooper, who is Black, to talk more with her family about their history of migration.

"The Great Influenza: The Story of the Deadliest Plague in History" by John M. Barry

Rising star: Danielle Cooper, director, Annaly Capital Management

Danielle Cooper also recommended an exceedingly timely read: "The Great Influenza: The Story of the Deadliest Plague in History" by John M. Barry.

While Cooper said she usually reads fiction, she read this book as part of a series of firm-wide virtual book clubs since the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic.

"The Great Influenza," is an in-depth retelling of the Spanish Flu Pandemic, the last global pandemic, and Cooper said the similarities between this pandemic and the last one show how much we still have to figure out.

"Drawdown: The Most Comprehensive Plan Ever Proposed to Reverse Global Warming" edited by Paul Hawken

Rising star: Jay Lipman, co-founder and president, Ethic

Jay Lipman pointed to a book that Ethic has given to people close to the company, called "Drawdown: The Most Comprehensive Plan Ever Proposed to Reverse Global Warming," edited by Paul Hawken and produced by the non-profit organization Project Drawdown.

"For me, it's a game plan of how to actually seek solutions to the biggest existential threat that we actually face as a species and as a planet," Lipman said. "Whenever I introduce people to the book, you see people get obsessed with the kinds of things that we can be doing, whether that's regenerative agriculture, renewable energy, or reducing food waste."

"Beating the Street" by Peter Magellan

Rising star: Jennifer Fo Cardillo, portfolio manager, Fideltiy

"Being a Fidelity person, I had to pick a Peter Lynch book," said Jennifer Fo Cardillo, a small-cap portfolio manager at the firm, referring to the famed money manager and longtime Fidelity investor.

Lynch ran the firm's Magellan Fund from 1977 to 1990.

"'Beating the Street has been one of my favorites, such a classic. It's about how Peter ran Magellan day-to-day. And so I've just found it to be an excellent guide to investment processes for new fund managers," she said.

"Faith of My Fathers" by John McCain

Rising star: Victor Perez, vice president in credit derivative trading, Wells Fargo

For Victor Perez, a Naval veteran and vice president in credit derivative trading at Wells Fargo, the late John McCain's "Faith of My Fathers,"a 1999 autobiography and memoir, is a must-read.

The late Arizona senator and Naval officer "was a role model for us going through the Naval academy," Perez said. The book looks back on McCain's pedigree, his father and grandfather both being esteemed four-star Naval admirals, and McCain having survived imprisonment and torture in Vietnam starting from when he was shot down while flying over Hanoi in 1967.

"A Pirates Look at Fifty" by Jimmy Buffet

Rising star: Victor Perez, vice president in credit derivative trading, Wells Fargo

Another book Victor Perez recommended, albeit with a much different tone, is Jimmy Buffett's "A Pirate Looks at Fifty," in which the musician takes readers on a journey through the Caribbean, and shares stories from his life. The book centers on Buffett's experiences surrounding his fiftieth birthday.

"The guy is just so chill, so cool," Perez said, adding, "I'm like, man, that's that's what I want to do when I'm older."

"Just Kids" by Patti Smith

Lauren Goodwin, economist and multi-asset portfolio strategist, New York Life Investments

"It's a story about friendship and finding beauty in New York City when times are hard both for yourself and for the city, and the drivers of the creative process," New York Life Investments's Lauren Goodwin said about Patti Smith's popular "Just Kids". "I am trained in music and language, and so these processes and styles are really near and dear to my heart."

"But Patti Smith is just a generous and lyrical narrator, and she shares glimpses of the fabulous yet grungy 70s, music scene, while really anchoring in the humanity of her experience and that time."

"Security Analysis" by Benjamin Graham and David Dodd

Rising star: Paul Kamenski, co-head of credit, Man Group's Man Numeric 

If you're looking to read about value investing, Man Group's Paul Kamenski suggests not worrying about getting your hands on billionaire hedge funder Seth Klarman's out-of-print book, "Margin of Safety".

"Much has been said about 'Margin of Safety' over the years, but in my opinion nothing quite compares to the original "Security Analysis" by Benjamin Graham and David L. Dodd. They epitomized the concept through their careful approach, still relevant to this day," said Kamenski.

"Contrarian Investment Strategy: The Psychology of Stock Market Success" by David Dreman

Rising star: Paul Kamenski, co-head of credit, Man Group's Man Numeric 

Paul Kamenski also put forward David Dreman's "Contrarian Investment Strategy: The Psychology of Stock Market Success"  as a must-read as they served as his first entrance into the world of systematic, quantitative investing.

"Compared with what has now often become fairly complex and evolved, his works as an early adopter of the approach were simple, intuitive, and persuasive, establishing clear roots for what it means to use a systematic approach," added Kamenski. 

"Little Women" by Louisa May Alcott

Rising star: Kelly Winnop, principal, Blackstone

Louise May Alcott's literary classic "Little Women" is Kelly Winnop of Blackstone's top pick.

"I was just drawn to Jo's independence, and I enjoyed that it was a book about family," she said.

"Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less" by Greg McKeown

Rising star: Lacey Vigmostad Giliberto, vice president, Credit Suisse 

Lacey Vigmostad Giliberto's reading list comprises titles that can help make all of our lives a bit better.

"Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less," by author Greg McKeown, is a book that can help people who "feel pulled in multiple directions and can get overwhelmed," Vigmostad Giliberto said, and it helped her to "consolidate and prioritize the activities in my life, and more importantly, the thoughts in my head."

"Why We Sleep: Unlocking the Power of Sleep and Dreams" by Matthew Walker

Rising star: Lacey Vigmostad Giliberto, vice president, Credit Suisse

For those struggling to get in some much-needed rest, Lacey Vigmostad Giliberto recommended "Why We Sleep: Unlocking the Power of Sleep and Dreams" by Matthew Walker."This book explores sleep's impact on your body and mind," she explained.

"Before the coronavirus pandemic, I was a daily 4:30 A.M. workout warrior and advocate for holistic nutrition, but I certainly was not prioritizing sleep in my health equation."
"This was an eye-opening and convincing read," she added," that has helped me to get significantly more shut-eye."

"The Art Spirit" by Robert Henri

Rising star: Alice Leng, vice president and quantitative finance analyst in the data & innovation group, Bank of America

An artist on the side who paints landscapes, Alice Leng recommended Robert Henri's"The Art Spirit" in part because it taught her to respect the flow of nature in her work. 

For Leng, a machine-learning expert in BofA's data and innovation group, favorite quotes include: "Art when really understood is the province of every human being," and "For an artist to be interesting to us he must have been interesting to himself."

"The Sparrow" by Mary Doria Russell

Rising star: Rayhaneh Sharif-Askary, director of investor relations and business development, Grayscale Investments

Rayhaneh Sharif-Askar of Grayscale Investments recommended Mary Doria Russell's "The Sparrow."

"It's this really unique narrative that transcends time and space and involves a story that has extraterrestrial life in it. And also touches on themes of art and spirituality and society and language," Sharif-Askary said.

"A Man for All Markets: From Las Vegas to Wall Street, How I Beat the Dealer and the Market" by Ed Thorp

Rising star: Philip Dobrin, senior portfolio strategist, Bridgewater Associates

Senior portfolio strategist Philip Dobrin suggested card-counter turned pioneering quant investor Ed Thorp's autobiography "A Man for All Markets: From Las Vegas to Wall Street, How I Beat the Dealer and the Market" and Bill Browder's "Red Notice: A True Story of High Finance, Murder, and One Man's Fight for Justice".

"Reading the stories of great investors is both fun and informative," he said. "What's most interesting is the commonalities you see between the two investors despite radically different approaches and asset classes."

"Foundation" by Isaac Asimov

Rising star: Vlad Moshinsky, director, Miller Buckfire

"There's a lot of game theory involved, analyzing big data to predict outcomes," Vlad Moshinsky, a restructuring banker, told Business Insider about "Foundation" by Isaac Asimov.

"The concepts in that book and trilogy are very relevant today."

"Super Forecasting: The Art and Science of Prediction" by Dan Gardner and Philip E. Tetlock.

Rising star: Rachel Dwyer, principal, Apollo Global Management

Apollo's Rachel Dwyer put forward"Super Forecasting: The Art and Science of Prediction" by Dan Gardner and Philip E. Tetlock, which she read as part of her credit division's book club. 

"We have an Apollo book club. That is one of John Zito's (deputy CIO of Apollo Credit) brainchilds. Most of the people in the group participate in it. It's pretty interesting to read a book a month. We have Zoom get-togethers."

"When Breath Becomes Air" by Paul Kalanithi

Rising star: Shaan Tehal, vice president, Global Technology Investment Banking Group, Morgan Stanley

One of Shaan Tehal's favorite book picks is "When Breath Becomes Air," an autobiography written by Dr. Paul Kalanithi, a neurosurgeon who died at age 37 from stage IV metastatic lung cancer in 2015.

The book was published by Random House after Kalanithi passed away.

Kalanithi wrote "so poignantly and beautifully about the hard questions we should ask about our life and how we live it," Tehal said. "It was a very well-written book around the deeper philosophical thoughts that you should have around life itself."

"Range: Why Generalists Triumph in a Specialized World" by David Epstein

Rising star: Shaan Tehal, vice president, Global Technology Investment Banking Group, Morgan Stanley

Another of Shaan Tehal's suggestions is a book called "Range: Why Generalists Triumph in a Specialized World" by journalist David Epstein; it was released last year.

The book, he said, "looks at the benefits of late specialization and a diversity of experience," and how knowledge in a variety of arenas can pay off "especially when solving complex problems that require creative solutions." 

"Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance" by Angela Duckworth

Rising star: Sharo Atmeh, equity analyst, Alyeska Investment Group

"Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance" by Angela Duckworth, was the pick Sharo Atmeh of Chicago-based hedge fund Alyeska Investment Group put forward.

He was impressed by how she could identify something as qualitative as "working hard" and dissect it.

"Crossing the Chasm: Marketing and Selling Disruptive Products to Mainstream Customers" by Geoffrey A. Moore

Rising star: John Curtius, partner, Tiger Global

Tiger Global's John Curtius suggested"Crossing the Chasm: Marketing and Selling Disruptive Products to Mainstream Customers" by Geoffrey A. Moore, which he calls a must-read for any aspiring tech investors

"Catcher in the Rye" by J.D. Salinger

Miles Tobin, principal, Carlyle Group

Miles Tobin, a principal at Carlyle, said he's become more of a listener of books than a reader and that the "Catcher in the Rye", by J.D. Salinger is "one of his older but all time favorite" reads.

Read our full list of the rising stars of Wall Street shaking up investing, trading, and dealmaking.

Or take a look at their best career advice here. 

The median home price in the United States is $262,604 right now, according to Zillow.

It's a robust figure: Houses are selling at an almost unbelievable rate amid the coronavirus pandemic as more Americans take advantage of low mortgage rates and flee city centers for more spacious work-from-home locales. The outsized demand has pushed up typical property prices nationwide — even the priciest neighborhoods are getting more expensive.

Still, that median price looks like chump change compared to the prices of the country's most expensive listings.

Zillow helped Business Insider compile a list of the most expensive homes currently for sale in every state and Washington, DC.

From a $1.7 million home with a bar and a gym in Fargo, North Dakota, to a $125 million estate in California that served as a filming location for the "The Godfather," here's a look at each state's most lavish property on the market, listed alphabetically.

SEE ALSO: The 27 most expensive ZIP codes in America in 2020

READ MORE: These are the 20 richest places in the US

Alabama: $7.9 million

The most expensive listing in Alabama consists of a main home and boat house across three lots on Lake Martin, which is 80 miles southeast of Birmingham. 

Asking price: $7.9 million

City: Alexander City

Size: 15,695 square feet

Bedrooms/Bathrooms: 10 beds/16 baths

Alaska: $3.8 million

The most expensive listing in Alaska is in the Prominence Point neighborhood, which overlooks downtown Anchorage and has mountain vistas. Amenities include a golf simulator and a 2,200-bottle wine cellar, according to the listing.

Asking price: $3.8 million

City: Anchorage

Size: 6,841 square feet

Bedrooms/Bathrooms: 4 beds/4 baths

Arizona: $20 million

The most expensive listing in Arizona is a yet-to-be-built modern but customizable mansion on a 16.4-acre mountain lot in a private community in Paradise Valley. The so-called "spec home" is in a suburb of Phoenix is consistently named one of the richest towns in the US that is also known for luxury golf courses.

Asking price: $20 million

City: Paradise Valley

Size: 18,000 square feet

Bedrooms/Bathrooms: 9 beds/14 baths

Arkansas: $3.1 million

The most expensive listing in Arkansas is a three-story Mediterranean-style home on Lake Hamilton with two full kitchens and a dock. Hot Springs is a resort town in the Ouachita Mountains about an hour southwest of Arkansas capital Little Rock.

Asking price: $3.1 million

City: Hot Springs

Size: 12,500 square feet

Bedrooms/Bathrooms: 5 beds/8 baths

California: $125 million

The most expensive listing in California, nicknamed "The Beverly House," is best known as the location of an iconic scene from the 1972 film "The Godfather." The mansion was also the former home of media titan William Randolph Hearst. The spread, set on 3.5 acres, has been on and off the market for years. In 2016, it was listed for $195 million, and in 2018, it was listed for $135 million. Now, the palatial Mediterranean-inspired digs are a relative bargain at $125 billion. This is the most expensive home listed for sale in America.

Asking price: $125 million

City: Beverly Hills

Size: 20,570 square feet

Bedrooms/Bathrooms: 18 beds/25 baths

Colorado: $49.5 million

The most expensive listing in Colorado is a secluded estate atop the highest point of Red Mountain in the posh ski town of Aspen. The home has both indoor and outdoor pools along with sweeping mountain views. The owners recently cut the property's price after listing it for $54.5 million in July. The home last changed hands in 2001 for $22 million, according to public records.

Asking price: $49.5 million

City: Aspen

Size: 19,202 square feet

Bedrooms/Bathrooms: 5 beds/11 baths

Connecticut: $32.5 million

The most expensive listing in Connecticut is in the affluent enclave of Greenwich. Just an hour north of New York City, wealthy Manhattanites have been decamping to the suburb in droves amid the coronavirus pandemic. This home, which has just been on the market for two months, sits on an elevated lot with views of the Long Island Sound and has amenities like a media room, a gym, and staff quarters.

Asking price: $32.5 million

City: Greenwich

Size: 16,359 square feet

Bedrooms/Bathrooms: 7 beds/10 baths

Delaware: $6.5 million

The most expensive listing in Delaware is four-story oceanfront home overlooking Bethany Beach, a popular vacation spot. It has its own private walkway to the Atlantic Ocean-facing beach and an elevator. The spread also boasts porches on all levels, including a screened porch off the kitchen. President-elect Joe Biden purchased a similar property in nearby Rehoboth Beach in 2017 for $2.7 million.

Asking price: $6.5 million

City: Bethany Beach

Size: 7,500 square feet

Bedrooms/Bathrooms: 6 beds/9 baths

District of Columbia: $17 million

The most expensive listing in Washington, DC is a five-story estate in Berkley neighborhood complete with three kitchens, one of which is restaurant-grade for an in-house chef. The property also has four fireplaces, two laundry rooms, an elevator, a sauna, and a wine cellar.

Asking price: $17 million

City: Washington, DC

Size: 13,687 sq. ft.

Bedrooms/Bathrooms: 8 beds/14 baths

Florida: $115 million

The most expensive listing in Florida is a secluded 15-acre compound that sits atop a dune between the Atlantic Ocean and the Intracoastal Waterway south of ritzy West Palm Beach. The estate has a 12-bedroom main home, along with two four-bedroom cottages, another seven-bedroom home, and a staff house with four apartments.

Asking price: $115 million

City: Lantana

Size: 62,200 square feet

Bedrooms/Bathrooms: 33 beds/52 baths (total)

Georgia: $10.5 million

The most expensive listing in Georgia is located just outside of Atlanta. The home sits on 2 acres and has amenities like a guest wing, an additional pool house, a gym, and even an air-conditioned gardening room.

Asking price: $10.5 million

City: Sandy Springs

Size: 15,500 square feet

Bedrooms/Bathrooms: 6 beds/14 baths

Hawaii: $45 million

The most expensive listing in Hawaii is a part of the Kukio Golf and Beach Club, a private community on the west coast of the Big Island. The oceanfront property includes access to an 18-hole golf course designed by acclaimed architect Tom Fazio, along with clubhouses, a combination indoor-outdoor spa, and more.

Asking price: $45 million

City: Kailua Kona

Size: 8,724 square feet

Bedrooms/Bathrooms: 6 beds/8 baths

Idaho: $22.5 million

The most expensive listing in Idaho sits on 5 acres on a river south of the affluent ski resort town of Sun Valley. The sprawling home has amenities like a chef's kitchen, a sauna, a steam room, a tennis court, and a five-car garage.

Asking price: $22.5 million

City: Ketchum

Size: 13,359 square feet

Bedrooms/Bathrooms: 6 beds/7 baths

Illinois: $13.5 million

The most expensive listing in Illinois is a Beaux-Arts style home in Chicago's Gold Coast neighborhood, which runs along Lake Michigan. The home feature two kitchens, a walk-in wine cellar, an elevator that services all four levels, and a home theater.

Asking price: $13.5 million

City: Chicago

Size: 10,000 square feet

Bedrooms/Bathrooms: 6 beds/8 baths

Indiana: $6.25 million

The most expensive listing in Indiana is an estate in an Indianapolis suburb on 18 acres that comes equipped with a pool house, a guest house, a riding stable, and an elevator.

Asking price: $6.25 million

City: Zionsville

Size: 14,209 square feet

Bedrooms/Bathrooms: 5 beds/8 baths

Iowa: $3.95 million

The most expensive listing in Iowa is a mansion on a lake outside of Des Moines, the capital city. The home has five decks and a two-floor living room, a library, and a theater — not to mention a gym and a massage room.

Asking price: $3.95 million

City: Clive

Size: 8,915 square feet

Bedrooms/Bathrooms: 5 beds/7 baths

Kansas: $10.5 million

The most expensive home in Kansas is a sprawling 40-acre estate outside of Kansas City with a nine-hole golf course, a pool house, a 15-car garage, and two ponds.

Asking price: $10.5 million

City: Stilwell

Size: 11,165 square feet

Bedrooms/Bathrooms: 9 beds/12 baths

Kentucky: $3.85 million

The most expensive listing in Kentucky is a manor on 3 acres in Louisville, the state's largest city. The home has amenities like a wine vault, a cigar humidor, a golf simulator, and a sauna.

Asking price: $3.85 million

City: Louisville

Size: 9,469 square feet

Bedrooms/Bathrooms: 4 beds/6 baths

Louisiana: $6 million

The most expensive listing in Louisiana is just north of New Orleans, near Lake Pontchartrain. It's a gated mansion on just under 1 acre of land that was built in 2006.

Asking price: $6 million

City: Metairie

Size: 10,241 square feet

Bedrooms/Bathrooms: 6 beds/9 baths

Maine: $8.5 million

The most expensive listing in Maine is an estate with a three-bedroom main house and a one-bedroom guest house in the picturesque town of Camden, on the coast of West Penobscot Bay. The solar-powered property has six fireplaces, a home theater, a sauna, a wine cellar, and a greenhouse — along with sweeping views of the mountains and the ocean.

Asking price: $8.5 million

City: Camden

Size: 6,870 sq. ft.

Bedrooms/Bathrooms: 4 beds/6 baths

Maryland: $12 million

The most expensive listing in Maryland is a gated mansion just outside Washington, DC. The manor-style home has opulent details like floating wrapping staircases, high ceilings, a Baccarat chandelier, and marble columns. The property is also outfitted with a staff suite with a full kitchen as well as a pool house above a detached garage that also includes a full kitchen.

Asking price: $12 million

City: Potomac

Size: 21,022 square feet

Bedrooms/Bathrooms: 8 beds/13 baths

Massachusetts: $19.5 million

The most expensive listing in Massachusetts is a waterfront Martha's Vineyard compound. The property includes private beach and boat access across two homes on three acres. Although it's secluded, neighbors in the ritzy area include the Obamas.

Asking price: $19.5 million

City: Edgartown

Size: 10,398 square feet

Bedrooms/Bathrooms: 9 beds/11 baths

Michigan: $10.6 million

The most expensive listing in Michigan is north of Detroit. Overlooking Turtle Lake, the home has multiple outdoor entertaining areas including outdoor fireplaces, gardens, and stone terraces. The house also features details like imported marble and mosaic walls as well as amenities like a two-story library, a chef's kitchen, a movie theater, and an eight-car garage that has its own car wash.

Asking price: $10.6 million

City: Bloomfield Hills

Size: 15,123 square feet

Bedrooms/Bathrooms: 6 beds/10 baths

Minnesota: $9 million

The most expensive listing in Minnesota sits on 5 acres on Lake Minnetonka in the Minneapolis area. In addition to 360 feet of frontage on the lake, the home also has a boat house, a three-hole golf course, and a guest apartment.

Asking price: $9 million

City: Wayzata

Size: 16,078 square feet

Bedrooms/Bathrooms: 4 beds/10 baths

Mississippi: $4 million

The most expensive listing in Mississippi is a traditional home that has more fireplaces than it does bedrooms. Its other extras include a pool house, floor-to-ceiling windows, covered porches, a chef's kitchen, and two laundry rooms — one on either side of the home.

Asking price: $4 million

City: Ridgeland

Size: 10,713 square feet

Bedrooms/Bathrooms: 7 beds/11 baths

Missouri: $6.8 million

The most expensive listing in Missouri was originally built in 1910 but has been recently renovated. The home in the state's second-largest city, Saint Louis, has details like imported marble and sconces in addition to amenities like a pool, koi ponds, and a guest house. It's built for entertaining — the kitchen has two islands and two dishwashers.

Asking price: $6.8 million

City: Saint Louis

Size: 10,645 square feet

Bedrooms/Bathrooms: 6 beds/8 baths

Montana: $12.6 million

The most expensive listing in Montana is a rustic four-story home that's located at the base of a ski mountain less than an hour from Glacier National Park. This property is perfect for avid skiers — a chair lift in the backyard takes residents to the top of a mountain, part of Whitefish Mountain Resort, that gets an average of 300 inches of snow each season.

Asking price: $12.6 million

City: Whitefish

Size: 14,842 square feet

Bedrooms/Bathrooms: 7 beds/8 baths

Nebraska: $37.5 million

The most expensive listing in Nebraska is a 11,000-acre grain farm with a number of structures, including three homes, a studio apartment, and dozens of farming-related structures. It's in Grant, a town in the southwest corner of the state near the Colorado border. The main home was built in 2010 and has three bedrooms and two bathrooms, but represents just a fraction of the properties included in the rural compound.

Asking price: $37.5 million

City: Grant

Size: 2,891 square feet square feet (in the main house alone)

Bedrooms/Bathrooms: 3 beds/2 baths (in the main house alone)

Nevada: $39 million

The most expensive listing in Nevada is a recently renovated home on the north shore of Lake Tahoe, replete with its own private coastline. It's in Incline Village, which has a suburban feel and is located near prime ski mountains and just minutes from the border with California. The house has a number of areas to entertain, along with amenities like a home gym, a theater, and lakeside balconies.

Asking price: $39 million

City: Incline Village

Size: 9,521 square feet

Bedrooms/Bathrooms: 5 beds/8 baths

New Hampshire: $19.5 million

The most expensive listing in New Hampshire is a four-story waterfront estate known as Lakeside Manor. The property includes on 841 feet of private frontage on beautiful Lake Winnipesaukee in the resort town of Wolfeboro. While the home only has eight bedrooms, it was designed with entertaining in mind — there are 37 total rooms, eight fireplaces, and two elevators. Amenities include a 15-seat theater, a 900-bottle wine room, a chef's kitchen, and more. The home also comes equipped with ample room for toys both nautical (a three-bay boat house) and and land-lubbing (a six-car garage).

Asking price: $19.5 million

City: Wolfeboro

Size: 17,245 sq. ft.

Bedrooms/Bathrooms: 8 beds/11 baths

New Jersey: $21.5 million

The most expensive listing in New Jersey is just miles from Manhattan. Located in Bergen County, the suburb of Alpine is known for its mansions and celebrity residents. The main house sits on eight acres replete with its own 600-foot driveway, a grand ballroom, and a banquet-sized dining room. The property also has the typical trappings of a luxury estate like a guest house, a pool, and a generously sized garage — along with some additional perks like an indoor basketball court and a lighted turf outdoor tennis court.

Asking price: $21.5 million

City: Alpine

Size: 35,384 square feet

Bedrooms/Bathrooms: 11 beds/18 baths

New Mexico: $6.5 million

The most expensive listing in New Mexico is a Mayan-inspired compound in the hills of Santa Fe. While the property sits nestled into 104 tree-filled acres, it is only five miles from the center of town.  The compound's main home has 22-foot windows, a chef's kitchen, and an outdoor kitchen. There are two other homes on the property, which also boast sweeping mountain views.

Asking price: $6.5 million

City: Santa Fe

Size: 11,742 square feet

Bedrooms/Bathrooms: 8 beds/7 baths

New York: $53.9 million

The most expensive listing in New York is a modern mansion on Billionaire's Row, the ritziest lane in the notably posh Hamptons. The open-concept home, built just last year, features floor-to-ceiling windows, floating stairs, a chef's kitchen and a prep kitchen, a theater, a tennis court, a 6.5 car-garage underneath the home, and private access to the beach on the Atlantic Ocean. Another perk? Proximity to a helipad that easily whisks deep-pocketed second home-owners to and from Manhattan.

Asking price: $53.9 million

City: Southampton

Size: 10,927 square feet

Bedrooms/Bathrooms: 9 beds/13 baths

North Carolina: $16.5 million

The most expensive listing in North Carolina is another modern beach house. Located in the town of Wrightsville Beach, near Wilmington, the home is situated in Harbor Island and offers views of the Atlantic Ocean. Built last year, the three-story property is designed around indoor and outdoor living, with expansive deck space on each floor along with floor-to-ceiling windows.

Asking price: $16.5 million

City: Wrightsville Beach

Size: 8,622 square feet

Bedrooms/Bathrooms: 4 beds/5 baths

North Dakota: $1.7 million

The most expensive listing in North Dakota was inspired by the style of 18th-century French chateaus. It sits in Fargo, which is the most populous city in North Dakota and one of the best places to move to following the pandemic. Built in 2006, the property features a gym, a bar, a home theater, and a sunroom. Despite its opulence, this is the most inexpensive home on the list. The home has been on and off the market since 2017. 

Asking price: $1.7 million

City: Fargo

Size: 8,000 square feet

Bedrooms/Bathrooms: 6 beds/7 baths

Ohio: $6.9 million

The most expensive listing in Ohio has an open floor plan and all imported details. The Cincinnati mansion boasts a theater, a conservatory, and an elevator, in addition to recreational perks like a pizza oven, a screened porch, massage rooms, and more.

Asking price: $6.9 million

City: Cincinnati

Size: 15,041 square feet

Bedrooms/Bathrooms: 6 beds/11 baths

Oklahoma: $6 million

The most expensive listing in Oklahoma sits on a two-acre lot on the 12th hole of an exclusive golf course in Tulsa. The three-story home was built in 2010 and has high ceilings, two kitchens, a movie theater, an elevator, and a saltwater pool.

Asking price: $6 million

City: Tulsa

Size: 9,115 square feet

Bedrooms/Bathrooms: 4 beds/7 baths

Oregon: $11.9 million

The most expensive listing in Oregon is on a lake just south of Portland. Think of the ultimate lake house: It's got an impressive backyard with an infinity pool, a fire pit, and a putting green, along with a two-lift boathouse. Inside the home, there is a theater, a gym and sauna, a billiards hall, and more.

Asking price: $11.9 million

City: Lake Oswego

Size: 13,462 square feet

Bedrooms/Bathrooms: 5 beds/9 baths

Pennsylvania: $10 million

The most expensive listing in Pennsylvania is a mansion on 4.5 acres of land in Villanova, a suburb of Philadelphia. The home features detailing like marble floors, a spiral staircase, and exterior stone work. It touts amenities like a chef's kitchen, a home theater, a game room, a golf simulator, an additional billiards room, and an elevator that services all three floors.

Asking price: $10 million

City: Villanova

Size: 12,791 square feet

Bedrooms/Bathrooms: 7 beds/12 baths

Rhode Island: $15.8 million

The most expensive listing in Rhode Island is a French chateau-style mansion in Newport, the posh seaside town. This palatial property is straight out of the Gilded Age— it was commissioned in the 1920s by the Drexels, one of the founding families of JP Morgan. The home sits on a 5.5-acre lot and boasts a carriage house, a ballroom, a chef's kitchen, and even a croquet court. Neighbors include Oracle billionaire Larry Ellison, who owns roughly four properties in the area.

Asking price: $15.8 million

City: Newport

Size: 18,224 square feet

Bedrooms/Bathrooms: 11 beds/11 baths

South Carolina: $14.2 million

The most expensive listing in South Carolina is an oceanfront new-construction on one of the barrier islands that make up Kiawah Island, the famed golf haven near Charleston. The home, according to the listing, will be ready for move-in by the 2021 PGA Championship, which is slated to take place on the island in May. The house is ideal for indoor-outdoor living, with an outdoor kitchen, an infinity pool, covered porches and easy access to 10 miles of beach.

Asking price: $14.2 million

City: Johns Island

Size: 12,791 square feet

Bedrooms/Bathrooms: 6 beds/8 baths

South Dakota: $4 million

The most expensive listing in South Dakota is near Mount Rushmore in Rapid City. The home, which sits on a secluded 30-acre lot and was built in 2016, has stone detailing and offers mountain views.

Asking price: $4 million

City: Rapid City

Size: 9,768 square feet

Bedrooms/Bathrooms: 5 beds/7 baths

Tennessee: $14.9 million

The most expensive listing in Tennessee is a four-story mansion that sits on 6 acres in the tony Belle Meade neighborhood of Nashville. The home has classic wood and stone detailing throughout, complimented by soaring ceilings and spiraling staircases. It also boasts amenities like a 3,000-bottle wine cellar, a horse barn, and more.

Asking price: $14.9 million

City: Nashville

Size: 20,816 square feet

Bedrooms/Bathrooms: 6 beds/11 baths

Texas: $30 million

The most expensive listing in Texas is a French chateau-style property on the outskirts of Houston. Set on 2.5 acres, the home was built in 2012 and has specially designed art gallery rooms, reception halls, two kitchens, expansive gardens, and more. Texas has welcomed thousands of residents amid the pandemic — and millions over the past several years, with Houston being one of the state's hot spots.

Asking price: $30 million

City: Houston

Size: 26,401 square feet

Bedrooms/Bathrooms: 8 beds/12 baths

Utah: $16 million

The most expensive listing in Utah is a sprawling home that sits on 5 acres in the ritzy ski town of Park City. It's located right at the base of one the mountain's lifts. The home was built with entertaining in mind — it has a great room with 30-foot window overlook onto the mountain, a sauna, a gym, a 3,000-bottle wine cellar, and an 18-car garage. The Park City area has been particularly popular among workers fleeing Silicon Valley.

Asking price: $16 million

City: Park City

Size: 27,848 square feet

Bedrooms/Bathrooms: 14 beds/21 baths

Vermont: $6.5 million

The most expensive listing in Vermont was built in 2015 and has been on the market for just one month. It is a modern ski home on 7 acres in Stowe, a popular ski town. The open-concept home has a two-story fireplace, a chef's kitchen complete with a butler's pantry, and a one-bedroom guest suite above a five-car garage.

Asking price: $6.5 million

City: Stowe

Size: 9,303 square feet

Bedrooms/Bathrooms: 6 beds/9 baths

Virginia: $15 million

The most expensive listing in Virginia is a modern, all-glass home in on the Potomac River in McLean, a ritzy suburb of Washington, DC. The home resembles a futuristic treehouse, complete with decks on multiple levels and a rooftop terrace.

Asking price: $15 million

City: McLean

Size: 8,264 square feet

Bedrooms/Bathrooms: 5 beds/7 baths

Washington: $19.5 million

The most expensive listing in Washington is a compound with sweeping lake and mountain views. Located a swath just east of Seattle called Medina, the property has over 170 feet of private waterfront on Lake Washington along with a dock. Amenities include an indoor pool, two guest apartments, a gazebo, and more.

Asking price: $19.5 million

City: Medina

Size: 10,755 square feet

Bedrooms/Bathrooms: 5 beds/7 baths

West Virginia: $3.9 million

The most expensive listing in West Virginia is a private residence at The Greenbrier, a famed resort in White Sulphur Springs. It has a hotel, a casino, and a golf course that has hosted a number of lawmakers through the years. The home overlooks the  golf course — which serves as a stop on the PGA tour — and features wood and stone detailing throughout.

Asking price: $3.9 million

City: White Sulphur Springs

Size: 6,255 square feet

Bedrooms/Bathrooms: 5 beds/6 baths

Wisconsin: $11 million

The most expensive listing in Wisconsin is a lake house that the listing describes as a "modern farmhouse." The home, located on Lake Geneva southwest of Milwaukee near the Illinois border, has amenities like a two-story living room, a covered porch, floor-to-ceiling windows, and five fireplaces.

Asking price: $11 million

City: Lake Geneva

Size: 11,398 square feet

Bedrooms/Bathrooms: 8 beds/9 baths

Wyoming: $33.9 million

The most expensive listing in Wyoming is a secluded 118-acre property in Jackson Hole, the famous ski town. (It's also, more infamously, one of the most unequal places in the country.) The mountain home offers sweeping views, proximity to top-notch skiing, and even wildlife — the listing notes that elk, moose, and bears all stop by the property's trout-filled pond.

Asking price: $33.9 million

City: Jackson

Size: 12,705 sq. ft.

Bedrooms/Bathrooms: 5 beds/7 baths

Tech companies are often in the news, whether it's because of new innovations they're pitching or concerns about their impact on society that have landed many of them in the political hot seat.

These companies rely on public relations professionals to gain awareness of and favor for their products and show how they're responding to issues like unsavory content on their platforms, antitrust concerns, and job losses as a result of automation.

Business Insider identified 36 of the top PR pros in tech today through a combination of original reporting and nominations.

We also considered the views of journalists who are on the receiving end of their pitches and can be a tough bunch to please.

The list, in alphabetical order by last name, includes up-and-coming crisis pros, agency owners, venture capital spinners, and PR chiefs in charge of working on the brands of multibillion corporations.

Kyle Arteaga, CEO, The Bulleit Group

Since launching The Bulleit Group in 2012, Arteaga has built the agency into a $6 million agency with three dozen employees.

The agency has won a number of high-profile accounts, including Thor Trucks, Zoox, Google, Gradient Ventures, LinkedIn, and P&G Ventures.

But it's Arteaga's moves into the auto and transportation industry that particularly impressed one journalist.

"From the launch of Thor Trucks (electric semi competing with Tesla), EV and AV perception software, and working with Zoox (purpose-built self-driving company recently acquired by Amazon) they've shown they understand the increasingly intertwined nature of automotive and technology brands," the journalist said.

Morgan Borer, head of media relations, Bevel

Borer was Bevel's first employee when it launched three years ago and has been instrumental to its growth to 18 employees and win client wins like Alan Patricof and his firm, Greycroft.

Borer helped get coverage for Patricof's Primetime Partners, a venture capital firm focused on companies founded by older entrepreneurs, in The Wall Street Journal Magazine, Bloomberg Businessweek, and other outlets.

Borer also handled PR for crypto firm Tagomi when it was acquired by Coinbase; Coca-Cola's investment in Dirty Lemon; and Reddit Founder Alexis Ohanian's investment in Rally.

Brandon Borrman, VP of communications, Twitter

As political tensions flared up over the summer in the US, it fell to Borrman to explain Twitter's decisions like removing tweets from Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro and President Donald Trump about breaking social distancing practices.

These decisions have stirred up a debate on free speech and censorship — issues that will continue to plague the social media company as it braces for regulation.

Borrman is not new to fraught territory, having coached CEO Jack Dorsey on his 2018 testimony in front of Congress that the AP to call him "unflappable."

He also leads PR for Twitter's support for an Open Internet, an initiative to promote competition online.

Kelly Boynton, communications lead, Gusto

At the human resources platform startup, Boynton has focused on the small businesses it serves and the relief they need in the pandemic, leading to coverage in the likes of The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, and Bloomberg.

Journalists praised her for her work on IPOs for high-growth companies like DocuSign's listing on Nasdaq, which raised $629 million in 2018, one calling her a "consummate pro."

Another said she's "knowledgeable, prompt, and zero-bullshit" and "gotten me to pay more attention to the company."

Earlier, she spun for clients like Facebook, Intuit, and Hootsuite at Access Communications.

Allison Braley, operating partner of marketing and communications, Playground Global

Braley runs PR for Playground Global, a 36-person venture capital firm with $825 million in assets under management; and many of its portfolio companies, which include Relativity Space and Virta.

Braley joined the firm after founder Andy Rubin, a Google executive who had faced sexual harassment accusations, exited.

Earlier, she worked at Canvas, a Ford-owned vehicle leasing company; and Fair, which acquired Canvas.

At Zoosk, she oversaw PR through a failed IPO attempt and CEO transition. She also led marketing for The Information, where she helped get the word out about the business news startup.

Crystal Braswell, head of engineering and diversity and inclusion communications, LinkedIn

Braswell and her team have been getting out the word about the networking platform's efforts to fix gender and racial gaps, leading to a story in The Wall Street Journal about LinkedIn's new software to spot biases in algorithms.

Braswell also leads the diversity and inclusion communications team and its cultures programs, helpong promote its reputation as an employer in outlets like CNBC.

Earlier at LinkedIn, Braswell helped promote its higher education products and the redesign of its feed.

Jay Carney, SVP of global corporate affairs, Amazon

Carney served President Barack Obama as White House Press Secretary for three years. His political controvery wrangling skills have served him at Amazon, where he arrived five years ago.

Congressional and public scrutiny of the sprawling tech giant has grown as it expands into new businesses, and Carney has fought for public favor with news outlets and politicians as Amazon tries to stave off regulation around worker pay and antitrust issues.

J.J. Colao, founder and CEO, Haymaker Group

Colao's 6-year-old Haymaker Group has become a go-to firm for startups like Handy and Drift and more established players like Etsy and Zocdoc.

He has an extensive network of journalists, organizing events for the 1,300-member New York Media Meetup. He also runs a bi-monthly dinner with Jon Fine and Laurel Touby for founders, journalists, and investors.

Colao knows firsthand what a good story pitch is; he used to be a reporter at Forbes, which named his feature on Evan Spiegel that revealed the Snap founder turned down a $3 billion cash offer from Facebook one of its best stories of the decade.

Chantelle Darby, VP of communications, Accel

Silicon Valley vet Darby got her big break helping manage Yelp's $1.47 billion IPO in 2012.

Today, Darby helps oversee communications at one of the biggest venture capital firms, Accel, whose investments included Atlassian, Crowdstrike, Facebook, and Jet.

One tech journalist said Darby "does a great job of helping me understand what [Accel's companies] do and why it matters," getting interviews and information in a "very timely manner."

Between Accel and Yelp, Darby did PR for startups and helped launch Sheryl Sandberg's book, "Lean In: Women, Work, and the Will to Lead." 

Raman Deol, corporate communications lead, Flexport

At Flexport, a logistics startup, Deol has promoted the company's efforts to help with pandemic relief like distributing supplies to frontline responders.

Her work has helped land Susan Schöenberg, VP of impact and general manager, on Fortune's 40 under 40 technology list and a profile of CEO Ryan Petersen in TechCrunch.

Her previous posts include video chat app Houseparty; and OutCast, where she promoted GitHub's Series C funding and the launch of the Oculus Rift.

Corey duBrowa, VP of global communications and public affairs, Google

DuBrowa leads communications and public affairs at the tech giant.

While there, he's handled controversies around its Pentagon work, an employee walkout, and a censored search engine in China that it ultimately scrapped.

During his tenure, he's also whittled down Google's hundreds of agency relationships, tamped down on leaks, and helped prep CEO Sundar Pichai to testify on Capitol Hill.

Alan Dunton, managing director of the West Coast, Shift Communications

Dunton has helped launch a number of firsts in consumer and enterprise tech: HP's printer-faxer-scanner, SCio's first handheld spectrometer, the first language translation service for Babel Fish, and one of the first MP3 players for Diamond Multimedia.

Today, he's focused on emerging tech like autonomous mobility, the industrial Internet of Things, and digital transformation.

For the past two years, Dunton has helped win 20 new business accounts like Evite and TELUS International.

Prior to Shift, Dunton worked at Grayling, TriplePoint, Bigpoint, and other agencies.

Caitlin Epstein, director of PR, Twilio

Epstein has had a full plate, explaining how the developer Twilio has shifted its business focus to take on giants like Salesforce and Adobe.

In 2019, she handled press for its $3 billion acquisition of SendGrid, and its pivot to customer engagement.

She also helped get coverage for CEO Jeff Lawson as an ethical leader and managed communications after he criticized the Trump administration's child separation policy.

Phil Gomes, chief communications and marketing officer, Bloq

In PR, Gomes is an expert when it comes to blockchain technology.

At Bloq, Gomes helped reposition the company from a venture studio to one focused on providing blockchain infrastructure.

His focus on emerging technologies goes back to his days at Edelman, where he worked for more than a decade. There, he helped set up rules to use Wikipedia as PR agencies attracted scrutiny over their edits to the website's pages.

Jill Hazelbaker, SVP of marketing and public affairs, Uber

Like other fixers, Hazelbaker is a former politico-turned-marketing executive who served on Senator John McCain's 2008 campaign before having stints at Snap and Google.

At Uber, Hazelbaker confronted the ride-hailing giant's cultural issues like sexual harassment and gender discrimination by encouraging the company to publish a safety report in 2019 to show Uber was going to be more transparent with the press.

She was also among execs who called on embattled former CEO Travis Kalanick to resign.

Julie Henderson, chief communications officer, Snap

Henderson has changed public perception of the beleaguered social media company, leading to coverage about how CEO Evan Spiegel has matured and Snap being named"the most innovative company of 2020" by Fast Company.

Henderson also spread findings of a report on Gen Z's mental health issues, which led to Snap's product team developing an app with Headspace that allows users to share meditation sessions on its platform.

Before Snap, Henderson was chief communications officer at 21st Century Fox.

Toni Iafrate, VP of global communications, UiPath

With many workers worrying about automation taking their jobs, Iafrate has her work cut out for her at UiPath, which creates bots to do repetitive tasks.

The company has scored coverage in The New York Times, which reported it is "freeing workers from drudgery far more often than it is eliminating jobs," along with Forbes and The Wall Street Journal.

Iafrate has a long history of working for enterprise tech companies including Logmein, Qlick technologies, Cognos Corporation, and Newmediary.

Liz Jarvis-Shean, VP of communications and policy, DoorDash

After working on both President Obama's campaigns and in the White House, Jarvis-Shean jumped to the tech sector, working for companies like Tesla, Civis Analytics, Nuna, and Airbnb.

At DoorDash, she works with CEO Tony Xu as the delivery app company benefits from a pandemic boom and prepares for an IPO.

She worked behind the scenes to help delivery companies win a California measure called Prop 22 this year to have drivers classified as contractors instead of employees. 

Dustee Jenkins, global head of communications and PR, Spotify

Jenkins was behind several efforts that bolstered Spotify's stock price by focusing on efforts to grow its advertising business, users, and subscriptions.

As competition has tightened in the music-streaming industry, Jenkins helped promote Spotify's podcast deals with personalities like Joe Rogan, Amy Schumer, and Jemele Hill.

She also pitched Spotify to Wall Street when the company took an unusual path to going public by listing directly without offering new shares.

Earlier, she had roles at Target and Public Strategies.

Michael Kaye, global communications and PR manager, OkCupid

Kaye was the only PR person at OkCupid when he joined last year, and he's been busy — it's gotten more than 100 articles about dating during the pandemic in publications like The New York Times and The Washington Post.

He also spread the word about OkCupid's new gender pronouns feature and spearheads OkCupid's relationships with nonprofits like the Human Rights Campaign and NAACP.

Kaye previously worked at Edelman, RF Binder, and Ruder Finn.

Katy Kenealy, SVP, Method Communications

Kenealy oversees some of tech PR agency Method Communications' biggest clients, like Domo, Vivint Smart Home, and Workplace from Facebook account teams.

When digital operations management platform PagerDuty prepared to go public, Kenealy drummed up enthusiasm in the press, helping get coverage in places like Fortune. Eventually, PagerDuty raised more than $200 million.

More recently, Kenealy helped Workplace from Facebook promote its support of businesses during the pandemic. She also supports Method's pro bono work for Parity, a non-profit for female leadership.

Elizabeth Luke, advertising communications lead, Pinterest

While other social platforms get more press, Luke has helped get outlets like The New York Times and Ad Age to pay attention to how Pinterest was tamping down on misinformation and providing a "refuge" from political ads.

She helped get Pinterest in the Global Alliance for Responsible Media, a trade body formed to tackle harmful content proliferating on social media.

Before Pinterest, Luke had a similar remit at Twitter.

Will Moss, director of reputation communications, Intel Corporation

Moss has helped Intel as it advocated for more semiconductor manufacturing in the US and sought government approval to sell products to Huawei.

During the pandemic, Moss was the point person when it came to communicating about health and safety to workers and the public.

Laura Anderson, who hired him in 2016, called him a "steadying force at the company, a trusted advisor within it and a go-to resource to top technology and business journalists at the leading global media organizations."

Before Intel, Moss worked at Motorola Mobility and BCW.

Will Nevius, head of communications, Canaan

Nevius helps Canaan, a venture capital with almost $6 billion in assets under management, and its investments as they seek help telling their stories to the press.

Nevius advised Aeva Inc., a company that is developing a sensor for self-driving cars, as it prepares to go public; and helped land coverage in Bloomberg for Canaan's announcement of a $800 million raise.

Before the coronavirus pandemic, he was known for cozying up to journalists by hosting off-the-record dinner parties with reporters.

Prior to joining Canaan, Nevius worked at Facebook's policy communications group and Glover Park Group.

Ayelet Noff, founder and CEO, SlicedBrand

Noff, the founder of Blonde 2.0, a PR firm that was well known among tech journalists for big-name clients like Waze, Microsoft, and Viber, liquidated it in 2020 and launched a new venture, SlicedBrand.

There, she doubled down on blockchain, representing the IOTA Foundation, which created a smart wallet with Jaguar Land Rover.

Other clients include AI startup XAIN, communications equipment supplier AudioCodes, and investing tool Springbox AI.

John O'Brien, principal, Strange Brew Strategies

At 3-year-old Strange Brew Strategies, O'Brien focuses on high-tech areas like AI, machine learning, and aerospace and has helped roped in clients like American Express, Cloudflare, and Dataiku.

Notable media coverage for clients included pieces on GitHub and Arweave in Bloomberg Businessweek and Fortune, respectively.

"O'Brien consistently brings great story ideas and is a pleasure to work with," one senior tech reporter said.

O'Brien previously worked at The OutCast Agency, where he helped launch Coinbase.

Bo Park, head of technology PR, ICR

ICR has been a big name in financial communications and investor relations, but it's becoming a player in tech PR, thanks to the efforts of Bo Park.

She uses ICR's Wall Street experience to pitch against bigger PR firms, working with clients like Intel, Mobileye, Samsung's Harman, and Scout.

She also led PR around the IPOs of Zoom and BigCommerce and worked behind the scenes on SPAC transactions for electric vehicle companies like Fisker, Lordstown Motors, and Canoo.

Andrew Prairie, senior director of corporate communications, AMD

Prairie is the guy behind the PR strategy for semiconductor manufacturer AMD as it created computer and graphics processors to compete against the likes of Intel and NVIDIA.

Prairie also helped get attention for AMD's new CEO, Lisa Su, through keynote speeches at CES and other tradeshows, and coverage in Barron's, which named her one of the world's best CEOs, as well as Bloomberg and Fortune.

The company has been on a tear, its share price topping $80 from below $10 just a few years ago.

Daniel Roberts, policy communications manager, Facebook

The up-and-coming crisis communications manager helped steer Facebook's push to register 4 million voters ahead of this year's US presidential election, which included a partnership with Michelle Obama's voter registration drive.

Roberts was the lead spokesperson on high-profile stories like Facebook shutting down pages that governors Gretchen Whitmer (D-MI) and Phil Murphy (D-NJ) called on the company to do more to curb hate speech.

Before Facebook, Roberts led East Coast communications and marketing at Lyft, where he spearheaded a campaign that provided thousands of rides to Black cultural sites during Black History Month.

Ash Spiegelberg, partner and head of the San Francisco office, Brunswick Group

Spiegelberg leads Brunswick Group's San Francisco office, where he's headed up work on Pinterest's and ZoomInfo's IPOs and the upcoming IPOs of DoorDash and Airbnb.

"He's easy to talk to, always on the pulse of what's going on with the highest-profile tech companies, and won't mislead you," one tech journalist said of Spiegelberg.

Spiegelberg also advised voice chat company Discord; and ICON Health & Fitness on its IPO and lawsuit against Peloton. Facebook is a longstanding client.

Brittany Stone, managing director, Moxie Communications

Stone handles clients like WeTransfer, Pandora, and Mirror and is a press favorite.

Notably, journalists praised her for her candor and professionalism even when things go awry, as they did with Casper when its IPO performance was termed a "disaster."

"Legitimately, if more PR people were Brittany I'd hate my job a lot less," one tech journalist effused.

Daniella Vallurupalli, head of global communications, Cloudflare

Vallurapalli has juggled one sensitive issue after another at the cybersecurity company.

They include its 2019 outage; its 2017 brush with controversy after the company dropped the Daily Stormer; and its campaign to defeat a group of patent trolls.

She also oversaw comms for Cloudflare's 2019 IPO and helped it get press for sharing internet behavior trends during the pandemic.

And after Vallurupalli booked some appearances on "Mad Money" with Jim Cramer, Cloudflare was named one of the CNBC host's "work from home" stocks, along with Zoom and Slack.

Margit Wennmachers, operating partner, Andreessen Horowitz

Wennmachers has helped build the brands of companies like Facebook and Skype.

For decades, Wennmachers has cultivated relationships with reporters and taught tech founders to court the media.

Her work amplified Andreessen Horowitz's brand and made it synonymous with venture capital.

CNN called her the "real queen of Silicon Valley," while Wired said she has a "sixth sense for communications strategy."

Rachel Whetstone, chief communications officer, Netflix

This Tory power broker-turned-Silicon Valley PR pro has worked alongside some of the most powerful politicians in the world, an experience she uses to counsel some of the biggest CEOs in tech.

Whetstone has worked with former Google CEO Eric Schmidt, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg, and COO Sheryl Sandberg, and former Uber CEO Travis Kalanick.

Today, she leads communications at Netflix, helping cement its reputation as a corporate do-gooder with a premium product by promoting its content, platform, and position as the leading digital video streamer.

Diana Wong, VP of communications, Imperva

For a decade and a half, Wong has been on the communications frontlines in Silicon Valley, helping launch products, fend off hostile takeovers, and shape the reputation of companies like Yahoo, HP, Oracle.

Since joining cybersecurity company Imperva three months ago, Wong handled communications of its acquisition of database security startup jSonar.

Most recently, at RSA Security, she led communications around its $2.1 billion sale by Dell last year. She also was the lead spokesperson for BEA System and Yahoo when they faced takeover attempts by Carl Icahn.

Carly Wyatt, director of global communications, Zoox

At Zoox, Wyatt's job has been to raise awareness of the self-driving car startup.

She and her team showcased Zoox's technology, safety, and business plans in places like The Financial Times, Venture Beat, and Business Insider.

Earlier this year, Wyatt and her team helped arrange appearances by Zoox CEO Aicha Evans and CTO Jesse Levinson on Kara Swisher's "Recode Decode"podcast.

She was also the PR go-to when Amazon bought the startup for $1.2 billion.

Noubar Afeyan loves basketball. In his free time, he roots for the Boston Celtics, a team he supported even before enrolling at MIT in the same city (he also likes the Patriots and the Red Sox). He loves to play recreationally — but he's had to pause during the pandemic. 

Afeyan hasn't had much free time lately. That's because he's the cofounder and chairman of Moderna, the biotech firm that produced a vaccine shown to have 94.5% efficacy against the virus. 

COVID-19 caught the attention of Moderna CEO Stephane Bancel In January, even before the pandemic hit the US. Moderna got to work, and it shipped the first batches of its vaccine to the National Institutes of Health by February 24.

On Thursday, an expert FDA panel endorsed the vaccine, and it was officially approved on Friday. Nationwide distribution began over the weekend.

Ahead of the Moderna vaccine's authorization, Insider spoke with Afeyan about the vaccine's development, including partial funding received from Dolly Parton, his experience as an immigrant founder and how it's shaped his worldview, his strategy of "parallel entrepreneurship," and of course a little basketball.

SEE ALSO: The vaccine breakthroughs at Pfizer and Moderna are the latest examples of how immigrants have been driving billions in American innovation for decades

SEE ALSO: Photos show the first batches of Moderna's coronavirus vaccine being packaged and shipped across the US

Afeyan, who is Armenian, grew up in Lebanon and lived there until he was 13.

Although he grew up in Lebanon and then Canada, Afeyan's Armenian background — and living in Armenian communities — has been an important part of his life. Throughout his career, he's focused on both entrepreneurial and philanthropic investment in Armenia.

He said he sees his philanthropy as "paying back for the various debts that I felt to Armenians for having been helped by others in surviving genocide and many other difficulties."

Afeyan's grandfather was a survivor of the Armenian genocide, in which 1.5 million Armenians died in the last days of the Ottoman Empire. Afeyan has written in The New York Times about continued violence against Armenians during the coronavirus pandemic.

At the age of 13, Afeyan's family moved from Lebanon to Canada during the Lebanese Civil War.

Prior to his move, he'd never seen snow before, he said.

Afeyan went on to attend high school and college in Canada.

He graduated from Loyola High School in Montreal in 1978, and went on to attend McGill University. He graduated with a Bachelor's of Science in Chemical Engineering in 1983.

Afeyan then went to MIT to get his PhD in Biochemical Engineering; at the time, it was the only institution that offered the degree program.

"The field was being invented" while Afeyan and fellow students were doing their work, he said. 

"It wasn't clear what a biochemical engineer actually did when we were there," he said.

Then, in 1985, Afeyan had a transformative encounter. He had been sent to represent MIT at a National Science Foundation meeting in Washington DC, and he struck up a conversation with a fellow attendee over lunch. He told Afeyan how he had started a company that "made instruments for a new breed of engineers."

"I was sitting there listening to this thinking, 'Well, you know, I'm going to be a new breed of engineer,'" Afeyan said.

Later in the conversation, Afeyan learned his lunchtime companion was David Packard — the cofounder of Hewlett-Packard. He spent a "bunch of time" with Packard that day, learning what starting a company was all about.

When he returned to MIT from DC, Afeyan was determined to learn everything he could about starting a company. He began frequenting MIT's Sloan School of Management.

Afeyan said he was "kind of a stranger" at MIT's Sloan School at the time. "I wasn't doing an MBA. I was just trying to learn what innovation was, what management was."

He's now a senior lecturer at Sloan, where he's taught since 2000. 

Afeyan went on to found his first company, Perseptive Biosystems, at the age of 24.

He said he met with his first prospective investor just a day or so after "Black Monday," the historic stock market crash of 1987.

"In hindsight, it was a lucky break for me because after that just about any startup activity ceased, and I persisted because I was bent on trying to see if I could start a company," Afeyan said.

He said that he got around $300,000 in seed capital to launch the company. In 1989, Perseptive Biosystems "eventually attracted some venture capital."

Perseptive went public in 1992; in 1998, it was acquired by The Perkin-Elmer Corporation.

"Over that kind of 10-year journey until 1997, I probably made every mistake in the book," Afeyan said. But the company going public when he was around 29 gave him the opportunity to learn about the "messy, turbulent" world of startups early.

In 2000, Afeyan founded Flagship Pioneering, a company incubator.

Afeyan said entrepreneurs are known for going from one thing to the next (and then the next one after that).

"I didn't want to leave the first thing, because it was a great learning experience," he said.

So, instead, he came up with his own answer to serial entrepreneurship: "parallel entrepreneurship." Instead of founding a company and moving along, he would help cofound companies and continue to work with them. In 2000, Flagship Pioneering was born to do just that.

Flagship has now helped launch 41 companies, with an aggregate value of over $34 billion.

Moderna, which Afeyan cofounded in 2010, may be Flagship's most famous company right now.

When Afeyan started exploring the idea of an messenger RNA (mRNA) biotech in 2010, some research on mRNA was looking at it "as a potential way to transform cells."

Afeyan sought out his friend and colleague Bob Langer (who later became an early investor in Moderna). He asked Langer a key question: "Instead of doing these STEM cell experiments and using this for a laboratory setting, what if we could think about a way by which we could use the patient as a bio-reactor for their own drug?"

He said that, at the time, they didn't know if mRNA could get into the cells of animals or humans, or whether they could cause an immune reaction (spoiler alert: they can). 

"None of that work had ever been done. And that's kind of how Flagship Pioneering operates."

In 2018, Moderna had the biggest IPO in biotech history.

It was valued at $7.5 billion at the time. Afeyan owns over 2.1 million shares.

Moderna's vaccine also made headlines for a notable contributor: Country legend Dolly Parton donated $1 million to the research behind the vaccine.

Parton announced in April that she had donated $1 million to coronavirus research at Vanderbilt University; that research was part of the Moderna vaccine effort. The Dolly Parton COVID-19 Research Fund is listed as a supporter in a report for the New England Journal of Medicine on the Moderna coronavirus vaccine.

"Growing up, I did actually listen to her music and there were a number of memorable songs," Afeyan said. 

He lauded her public donation for both its size and the awareness it created.

"I think that's a terrific thing. It's a great act of generosity and providing resources to what's otherwise one of the important projects of our times."

His favorite Parton song? The classic "9 to 5."

So what comes next?

Afeyan said the vaccine — and the awareness its created around mRNA — will lead to "more science, more research, more products."

He said the public was only just made aware of mRNA in March, when the vaccine clinical trials began. But "there's a 10-year history that involves billions of dollars in investment, hundreds of people's hard work, hundreds of patents that have been filed."

In other words, the vaccine didn't just happen in the months since Moderna first began working on the coronavirus; it's the culmination of nearly a decade of research and invention. Now that Moderna and mRNA have that public visibility, there's more innovation to be done.

"That platform, we think, will give rise to dozens of additional new drugs and vaccines; we're intensifying our efforts already in this regard," Afeyan said.

Most of all, it will be a demonstration to the public "of the power of innovation and science coming to the aid of one of the biggest challenges of our lifetime."

Pfizer and BioNTech have made history with the results of their coronavirus vaccine. The vaccine, developed in partnership between the US and German companies, has an efficacy of over 90%, per clinical trial data. 

It's the fastest a vaccine has ever been developed, its efficacy came in much higher than the 70% or 80% virologists were hoping for, and it was the first coronavirus vaccine to get approval in the US, on December 11. On Monday, it was recommended for use in the EU by the European Medicines Agency.

That's good news for the future of the pandemic — and for the German couple behind it.

BioNTech's CEO, Dr. Ugur Sahin, cofounded the firm with his wife, Dr. Özlem Türeci, who is the chief medical officer. The couple crossed the billionaire threshold back in June, as BioNTech's stock surged after its pact with Pfizer was announced. In early December, Sahin joined the list of the world's 500 richest people after the UK approved the Pfizer vaccine; according to Forbes, his net worth is now $4.3 billion.

In clinical trials, it was ultimately 95% effective at preventing coronavirus.

"It could be the beginning of the end of the Covid era," Dr. Sahin told the New York Times.

Here's how the vaccine power couple met one another, and how they made their mark on modern medicine.

BioNTech did not respond to Insider's requests for comment.

Read more: How the pharma giant Pfizer teamed up with a little-known biotech to develop an effective coronavirus vaccine in record time

SEE ALSO: Pfizer says its coronavirus vaccine helps prevent COVID-19, marking a milestone in the fight against the pandemic

They are both German citizens, with families of Turkish origin.

Per The New York Times, Sahin immigrated to Germany from Turkey when he was 4 years old and Türeci was born in Germany. Sahin hails from Iskenderun, a city near the Syrian border, while Türeci's father is from Istanbul. Türeci has described herself as a "Prussian Turk,"per the Guardian, citing her admiration for aspects of German culture.

They came to medicine through different routes: Sahin, the child of a car factory worker, was introduced to it from science books. Türeci's father is a surgeon, and she grew up watching him operate on patients.

The couple met while working at a university hospital in southwest Germany.

Sahin had also worked at hospitals in Cologne, according to Reuters. He received his MD from the University of Cologne in 1990. Türeci got her MD from Saarland University Faculty of Medicine. 

Read more: We just got our first evidence that a coronavirus vaccine works. Here's everything we know about the race for a vaccine and when you might be able to get a shot.

The duo cofounded their first pharmaceutical company in 2001. They married the next year.

Starting in 2000, Sahin and Türeci had together been leading a research group at University of Mainz. Then, in 2001, they founded Ganymed Pharmaceuticals, which focused on the role of antibodies in treating cancer. Per Forbes, Ganymed received backing from billionaires — and identical twins — Thomas and Andreas Strüngmann.

The company was acquired by Astellas Pharma for around $1.4 billion in 2016. 

"I understood that what we can offer cancer patients at the hospitals is not much, and we could do more by bringing new discoveries to the patient's bedside," Türeci told LABIOTECH's Clara Rodríguez Fernández in a 2017 interview.

Per the Times, the duo came into the laboratory the morning of their 2002 wedding, left to perform the ceremony, and then returned to work later that day.

They went on to cofound BioNTech in 2008, with Sahin as CEO.

Türeci said in 2017 that Sahin took on the role of CEO of BioNTech in 2008; she stayed on as CEO of Ganymed. Pre-Ganymed acquisition, she also worked as a scientific advisor for BioNTech.

"In 2008, we recognized another platform had reached a maturity point where they had to be accelerated towards individualized vaccines, and BioNTech was founded," Türeci told LABIOTECH.

BioNTech, which set out to use immunotherapy in cancer vaccines, was also backed by the Strüngmann twins. Türeci became its chief medical officer in 2018.

Read more: Why a top infectious-disease expert says it's too soon to celebrate Pfizer's coronavirus vaccine

BioNTech and Sahin began to narrow in on coronavirus research in January. Pfizer partnered with them in March.

According to the Times, Sahin read an article from The Lancet in January on Wuhan's outbreak. He spotted the potential dangers and, according to Reuters, saw how BioNTech's  work on mRNA could be applicable for a vaccine. 

That's when the company had 500 staffers start working on potential compounds for "Project Lightspeed."

As Business Insider's Andrew Dunn reported, BioNTech had worked on a potential flu vaccine with Pfizer in 2018. As Sahin began to focus on coronavirus research, he called Kathrin Jansen, Pfizer's head of vaccine research, in February.

BioNTech partnered with Pfizer in March, and began human studies of a vaccine in late April.

By September, German weekly Welt am Sonntag listed the duo as among the 100 richest Germans — they came in at 85th.

BioNTech's valuation was up to $25 billion on Friday. A year ago, it was a little under $3.4 billion.

Sahin reportedly doesn't check the company's share price.

Sahin is known among his peers for continuing to bike into work, reportedly often toting a helmet and backpack. He continues to teach at Mainz University Medical Center; he began teaching there in 2014.

And, in addition to her BioNTech duties, Türeci serves as the president for the Association for Cancer Immunotherapy.

The couple did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment.

While BioNTech soars, and vaccine distribution and production ramps up, investors told the Times that the couple is focused on driving medical advances — not the money.

The New York Times reports that, upon learning the efficacy data, the couple celebrated by brewing Turkish tea.

Whitney Wolfe Herd is used to making bold moves. 

Perhaps that's why on the dating app she cofounded, women make the first move in heterosexual relationships. And Wolfe Herd's next move may be among her boldest — Bumble confidentially filed for an IPO on Friday. It's seeking to go public in February, possibly around Valentine's Day, and could seek a valuation of $6 billion to $8 billion, Bloomberg first reported.

A representative for Wolfe Herd at Bumble did not respond to Business Insider's request for comment on Wolfe Herd's career, net worth, or personal life.

Keep reading to learn more about Bumble CEO Whitney Wolfe Herd.

SEE ALSO: Dating app Bumble is preparing for an IPO worth between $6 billion and $8 billion

DON'T MISS: How Bumble grew from a female-focused dating app to a global behemoth that's reportedly headed toward an IPO valued at more than $6 billion

Whitney Wolfe Herd, 31, is a Utah native.

Wolfe Herd was born and raised in Salt Lake City, Utah, The Times of London reported. Her father is a property developer and her mother is a homemaker, per The Times.

The CEO has been a feminist from an early age, telling The Times that she disliked how Utah's dating culture was dominated by men — women were expected to wait for them to make the first move.

Wolfe Herd went on to attend Southern Methodist University in Texas, and was a member of Kappa Kappa Gamma, per Fast Company. She's still close with many of her sorority sisters and even employs a few at Bumble.

Wolfe Herd also launched her first business at 19 while still in college, per Money Inc. After the Deepwater Horizon oil spill pumped crude oil into the Gulf of Mexico for five months in 2010, Wolfe Herd enlisted celebrity stylist Patrick Aufdenkamp to design tote bags that could be sold to help fund relief efforts. The resulting nonprofit, called the Help Us Get Cleaned Up Project, became nationally known after Nicole Richie and Rachel Zoe were spotted with Wolfe Herd's bags.

After earning a degree in International Studies, Wolfe Herd did a brief stint in Southeast Asia.

Wolfe Herd spent her time in Asia volunteering at local orphanages, per Money Inc.

While Wolfe Herd is currently at the head of Bumble, it isn't the first dating app she cofounded.

At 22, Wolfe Herd was hired to work at startup incubator Hatch Labs in Los Angeles, according to The Times of London. After hours, she starting collaborating with a group that was looking to build a dating app.

That app, which is now known as Tinder, quickly grew into a global phenomenon with Wolfe Herd's help. She even came up with the name Tinder, per The Telegraph. She is credited as a cofounder and spent two years as the company's vice president of marketing, per The Times.

Wolfe Herd didn't leave Tinder on good terms.

During her tenure at Tinder, Wolfe Herd dated fellow cofounder and her then-boss Justin Mateen, per The Times of London. She left the company shortly after they split, and filed a lawsuit alleging that she had experienced sexual harassment and discrimination.

The legal dispute was settled privately outside of court, with neither party admitting to wrongdoing.

Following the legal battle, Wolfe Herd also faced online harassment.

"I was inundated with hatred online, lots of aggressive behavior, people calling me names, really painful things that I'd never experienced," Wolfe Herd told The Times in 2018. "I felt like my entire self-worth, any confidence that I had, had been sucked away. There were dark times when I thought, 'Well, this is it. I won't have a career ever again. I'm 24, coming out of one of the world's hottest tech companies, but the internet hates me.' It was a horrible time. Then I woke up one morning and thought, 'I'm going to rebuild myself.'"

Wolfe Herd launched Bumble in 2014, originally planning to build a female-focused social network instead of a dating app.

Wolfe Herd was persuaded to forgo her original plan for the app by former business partner and Russian billionaire Andrey Andreev, according to CNN Business.

The app's women-led model was initially inspired by Sadie Hawkins school dances, where women ask men to be their date, Wolfe Herd told Business Insider in 2015.

"We're definitely not trying to be sexist, that's not the goal," Wolfe Herd said. "I know guys get sick of making the first move all the time. Why does a girl feel like she should sit and wait around? Why is there this standard that, as a woman, you can get your dream job but you can't talk to a guy first? Let's make dating feel more modern."

Wolfe Herd has since expanded the app with additional services to help women meet new friends and expand their professional networks, called Bumble BFF and Bumble Bizz respectively. Bumble has also invested in other apps, including gay dating app Chappy, TechCrunch reported.

Bumble now says it has 75 million users in 150 countries, making it second only to Tinder in popularity.

Wolfe Herd also reorganized and took the helm of Bumble's former parent company, Magic Lab, after its owner was ousted amid accusations of racism and sexism.

In addition to being Wolfe Herd's close friend and business partner who she said she was "incredibly in sync" with and called "two to five times a day," Andreev owned a 79% stake in Bumble, according to Fast Company.

After the allegations of racism and sexism against Andreev were published by Forbes in 2019, Wolfe Herd released a statement saying she had had "nothing but positive and respectful" experiences with Andreev but "would never challenge someone's feelings or experiences."

"All of us at Bumble are mortified by the allegations about Badoo (Bumble's majority owner) from the years before Bumble was born, as chronicled in the Forbes story," Wolfe Herd said in the statement. "I am saddened and sickened to hear that anyone, of any gender, would ever be made to feel marginalized or mistreated in any capacity at their workplace."

Even before she took on her expanded role, Wolfe Herd was already a workaholic.

Wolfe Herd typically wakes up every morning at 5:15 a.m. and immediately starts responding to emails, she told The Times of London.

She has even been known to wake up every two hours during the night to check her inbox. "I'm trying to stop that," Wolfe Herd told The Times in 2017. "I get no downtime. I don't get a weekend, I haven't lived like a twenty-something since I started Bumble in 2014."

Wolfe Herd is also politically active, helping outlaw digital sexual harassment in Texas.

Sending unsolicited nude photos — a phenomenon that has plagued dating apps and even AirDrop — is punishable under a new law championed by Wolfe Herd, Inc. reported. She is now advocating for a similar law in California and hopes it will soon be federal law, too.

"It is time that our laws mirror this way we lead double lives, in the physical and the digital," Wolfe Herd told Inc. shortly after the Texas law was passed in August 2019. "You look at government right now, it only protects the physical world. But our youth are spending a lot more time in the digital world than they are in the physical."

The CEO says she doesn't have political aspirations of her own, however. "I could never run for [office]," Wolfe Herd told The Times of London, saying that she is frequently asked if she's considered it. "There are people so much smarter than me."

Wolfe Herd is also a mom.

Wolfe Herd married Texas oil heir Michael Herd in an elegant three-day ceremony on Italy's Amalfi Coast in 2017, per Vogue.

The couple first met while skiing in Aspen in 2013, but Wolfe Herd first saw him on a dating app. "He has the kind of face you remember," she told The Telegraph.

He is now the president of the oil and gas field operator founded by his late grandfather, Herd Producing Company, and also owns a high-end farm to table restaurant called the Grove Kitchen + Gardens.

The pair have a nine-month-old son named Bobby after Michael's late grandfather, and he makes frequent appearances on Wolfe Herd's Instagram account.

The couple also has a Great Dane named Duke and a yellow lab named Jett, per The New York Times.

"[Duke] is a kind animal but does not understand how big he is," Wolfe Herd told The Times in 2019, while describing her daily after work routine. "At 175 pounds, he could quite literally kill me. I have to lock myself in the car while I wait for my husband to come home and get him away from me."

Wolfe Herd has been open about her struggles with anxiety.

"I haven't gone through the testing, but I should," Wolfe Herd told The Times of London. "It's anxiety about everything. I worry about awful things happening to people I love. They say phones are a strong catalyst for making anxiety worse, so I have this interesting balance — how do I make sure I'm on top of everything, but also preserve my mental health?"

The Herd family splits time between their two Texas houses.

The Herds have one home along the Colorado River in Austin near Bumble's headquarters and another further north in Tyler, near Michael Herd's office, per The New York Times. They also own a vacation home in Aspen, Bumble's chief brand officer Alex Williamson told Aspen Magazine.

The couple also owns Michael's 6.5-acre family estate on Lake Austin, according to Mansion Global. The waterfront compound boasts a movie theater, helipad, putting green, 10 garages, multiple boat docks, and a guest house, as well as a 5,000 square foot cabana designed for entertaining. That property is currently listed for sale for $28.5 million.

They also travel a lot.

Wolfe Herd takes frequent trips for both work and pleasure. Wolfe Herd told Travel +Leisure in 2017 that her all-time favorite trips include a sailing expedition through Myanmar and Thailand and a family trip to India.

For their honeymoon, Wolfe Herd and her husband stayed at Four Seasons resorts in both Bora Bora and Maui after leaving the site of their destination wedding in Italy, according to a blog post by the Indagare, the group that planned the trip.

Wolfe Herd told Indagare that she wanted a beach-heavy honeymoon because she and Herd were "looking for the ideal place to unwind, where we could take in the sun and swim. Our favorite moments were just relaxing and appreciating each other in such beautiful locations."

In July 2019, she celebrated her 30th birthday with a multi-day party on a yacht off the coast of Capri, Italy, per Guest of a Guest.

Wolfe Herd has an estimated net worth of $575 million, but she may soon be much richer.

Wolfe Herd's multimillion-dollar fortune landed her at No. 39 on Forbes' list of the wealthiest self-made women in America in 2020. If Bumble's IPO performs well, her fortune could grow exponentially thanks to her 19% stake in the company. The company could appear on public markets as soon as 2021, Business Insider previously reported.

"I feel like what I'm doing is quite important," Wolfe Herd told The Times of London in 2018. "A lot of people are, like, 'What do you mean it's important? It's a dating app.' But it's important because connections are at the root everything we do. Human connection defines our happiness and our health. This company feels like a piece of me. I know this sounds cheesy and weird, but I really feel like it's my mission."

2020, the year of a lethal virus, economic shutdown, massive unemployment, and wild markets, is drawing to a close. 

"2020 was an unprecedented year in many ways," said Savita Subramanian, Bank of America's head of US equity and quantitative strategy, in a 2021 outlook video. 

She continued: "Investors need to determine whether the many dramatic changes that occurred this year across working, spending, politics and geopolitics, supply chain dislocations, and so many other factors, will these changes stick or will they revert?"

The answer is a little bit of both, according to Subramanian, who spells out in an outlook report what investors should watch in the year ahead. 

"First, watch for the advent of inflation or hyperinflation or even stagflation," she said. "Rampant money printing by central banks amid a quick sharp recession, followed by a demand spike on a reopening of the economy could conspire to create tremendous short-term inflationary pressures despite the longer-term secular depressants like technological disruption, global aging demographics, and the like."

She also advises investors to stick with the theme of ESG investing.

"It's likely to gain rather than lose steam in 2021. Supply chain shocks from COVID-19 have actually created values-based ecosystems of global partners with similar basic ESG approaches," she said. "And for investors, the learning curve of ESG has advanced. ESG is not just about buying asset-light companies with great disclosure and low direct carbon emissions."

Finally, she is bullish about the continued rotation into value stocks. 

"We are unabashedly in favor of value over growth for a growing list of reasons. We like small-caps over large-cap and cyclical sectors over defensive," she said. "Our sector overweights include energy, technology, and financials, plus the surprisingly inexpensive and under-owned healthcare sector. We are underweight bond proxies and crowded secular growth via consumer staples, real estate, and communications services."

Overall, Subramanian and her team have set a year-end target of 3,800 for the S&P 500 in 2021. That would be a 2% gain from Friday's closing level compared to Goldman Sachs' more bullish prediction which indicates the S&P has 16% upside and would end at 4,300.

"A lot of optimism is already priced into the S&P 500 on a vaccine and an economic recovery," she said. "And we think the near-term risks are skewed to the downside."

But when it comes to the choice between stocks and bonds, Subramanian said it's a no-brainer. Her team's long-term valuation model suggests that stocks will generate an expected return of five-to-six percentage points per annum over the next 10 years. 

They also shared 11 top stock ideas for 2021 — one each from the 11 S&P 500 sectors — that align with the central themes mentioned above. 

The stocks, which are also buy-rated by Bank of America analysts, are listed below along with their tickers, sectors, market cap, and commentaries. 

SEE ALSO: The CIO of a new crypto fund that has returned 220% to investors this year explains why bitcoin topped $20,000 for the first time ever this week — and shares another digital currency set to become the 'asset of the year' in 2021

1. Walt Disney

Ticker: DIS

Sector: Communication services

Market cap: $313.10 billion

Commentary: Reopening exposure (parks/cruise); Screens well on Alpha Surprise and BofA vs. consensus; Neglected (0.45x); no NDR; high employee satisfaction.

Source: Bank of America

2. Hilton Worldwide

Ticker: HLT

Sector: Consumer discretionary 

Market cap: $28.94 billion 

Commentary: Reopening stock; easy comps; High employee satisfaction, top 50 BofA-covered companies by overall ESG score; domestic; Cheap on FCF yield, but expensive on fwd P/E

Source: Bank of America

3. Walmart

Ticker: WMT

Sector: Consumer staples

Market cap: $411.03 billion

Commentary: Defensive hedge, high quality; Value; domestic; Underweight (0.3x); Focused on digitization; Risk: recession stock

Source: Bank of America

4. Chevron

Ticker: CVX

Sector: Energy

Market cap: $170.55 billion 

Commentary: Value, biggest beneficiary of a value rotation among the Energy companies; Ranks well on BofA vs. consensus EPS; stable FCF (positive even in 2020 vs. -$3B for XOM);
Underweight (0.4x)

Source: Bank of America

5. Allstate

Ticker: ALL

Sector: Financials

Market cap: $32.32 billion

Commentary: High quality value; Neglected (0.41x); Ranks well on Alpha Surprise, BofA vs. consensus and DDM alpha; High ESG score

Source: Bank of America

6. HCA Healthcare

Ticker: HCA

Sector: Health care 

Market cap: $54.61 billion 

Commentary: High quality value, domestic; Above market LTG; ranks well on Alpha Surprise & BofA vs cons.; Risk: expensive on FCF, slightly overweight by long-only funds (1.1x)

Source: Bank of America

7. Alaska Air

Ticker: ALK

Sector: Industrials

Market cap: $6.15 billion 

Commentary: Value, reopening beneficiary; easy comps; domestic; neglected; High employee satisfaction; stocks to benefit from a more nuanced look at "green"

Source: Bank of America

8. Qorvo

Ticker: QRVO

Sector: Information technology 

Market cap: $18.12 billion

Commentary: GARP; neglected (0.5x); secular growth (5G and IoT); Screens: beneficiaries of a potential end of tit-for-tat tariffs, capex beneficiary, stocks helped by rising rates; Risk: tough comps; Huawei exposure

Source: Bank of America

9. Vale

Ticker: VALE

Sector: Materials

Market cap: $5.13 billion 

Commentary: Iron ore exposure (more upside per commodity strategists); Pro-inflation and weaker USD beneficiary; Value; ESG turnaround story

Source: Bank of America

10. Realty Income

Ticker: O

Sector: Real estate

Market cap: $21.51 billion 

Commentary: High quality, non-discretionary tenants; stabilizing distributions with growth in 2021; Neglected; domestic, ranks well on BofA vs. consensus

Source: Bank of America

11. NextEra Energy

Ticker: NEE

Sector: Utilities

Market cap: $145.68 billion 

Commentary: Benefits from a shift to renewable/alternative energy; High ESG score, neglected; top decile rank on Alpha Surprise, BofA vs. consensus, and DDM alpha

Source: Bank of America