That’s what Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba is investing in Snapchat, Bloomberg reported, which would value the company at $15 billion. The disappearing photo and video sharing app had been reportedly fundraising at a valuation between $16 and $19 billion, but Snapchat’s star is still rising fast.
Speaking of Snapchat, that’s how many views one user’s “Snapchat Story” got during New York’s much-ballyhooed snow storm earlier this winter. The video was folded into a compilation feature Snapchat calls “Our Stories,” which are pushed out to all users for 24 hours. Business Insider‘s Nicholas Carlson makes the case that “Our Stories” might just be the perfect mobile advertising platform, and a threat to Facebook, Google and broadcast television.
The average refund this tax season, according to the IRS. A recent Bankrate.com survey found more people are saying they’ll invest that money or use it to pay off debts than in the past. But when those checks actually arrive, more than the predicted 3 precent of people are likely to splurge.
That’s what General Mills paid for organic-and-natural food company Annie’s last year. It’s a bellwether for the food business in general, which is trying to pivot in the wake of customers’ growing dislike of processes and packaged convenience foods.
The age of Google CFO Patrick Pichette, who just announced he would retire once a successor is in place. In the corporate world, Pichette is something of a rarity, Neil Irwin writes for the Upshot. When you’re making seven or eight figures quality of life tends to plateau, making early retirement appealing. However, so few top businesspeople, athletes, or entertainers do because that’s not the way someone at the top of their field tends to operate. And that’s “the paradox of success.”
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