I took a corporate job in France 8 years ago. It's been tough adjusting to the social norms and office culture.

Tech Insider
Woman standing in front of eiffel tower
It's taken me a while to adapt to some of the work and cultural norms in France.

Jodie Hughes

  • Learning French etiquette was a challenging, embarrassing part of adapting to my new working life.
  • The French culture around mealtimes and ample alcohol in the office took me by surprise.
  • Coming from England, I couldn't believe my new annual leave allowance and the attitude around PTO.

In 2017, I quit my job

Business

We took out a $300,000 loan at 23 to build a wellness cabin. We had no idea what we were getting into.

Tech Insider
A cabin on the left, and two men posing for a photo in the woods on the right.
Rajan Chidambaram and Renzo Sanio built a short-term rental cabin in rural Virginia.

Courtesy of Rajan Chidambaram

  • Two recent college grads built a wellness-focused cabin in Front Royal, Virginia.
  • They were slowed down by tariffs, and pivoted their gameplan in the middle.
  • They're hoping to capitalize on Gen Z's focus on health and wellness.

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Rajan

Business, Style

The co-creator of 'Beast Games' explains how season 2 is different and what he learned from MrBeast

Tech Insider
Sean Klitzner worked as a showrunner and creative director on
Sean Klitzner worked as a showrunner and creative director on "Beast Games."

Darius Davis

  • The second season of YouTuber MrBeast's show "Beast Games" rolls out on Wednesday.
  • The Amazon show has already broken several world records for the scale of its production.
  • Business Insider spoke with co-creator Sean Klitzner about what went into making season two.

YouTuber MrBeast is all about one-upping himself

Business, Style

CES 2026 Day 1: The biggest tech news and gadgets you missed from the first official day of the show

Engadget

CES 2026’s first official show day kept the pace up with a mix of near-term gaming upgrades, ambitious new form factors and a few reminders that not every gadget needs to do everything. NVIDIA announced important gaming news, we caught up with Samsung’s tri-fold phone and Lenovo marched out an army of impressive looking gaming laptops and concept tech. Here are the biggest stories from January 6.

Environment, Style, Technology

Warren Buffett's Chevron bet stands to gain if the US delivers a Venezuelan oil boom

Tech Insider
Chevron logo and Venezuelan flag illustration
Chevron, the only US oil major still operating in Venezuela, counts Berkshire Hathaway as a key shareholder.

Illustration by Thomas Fuller/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images

  • The Trump administration has captured Venezuela's leader and said it will revive its oil industry.
  • Chevron stands to gain as it's the only US major still operating in Venezuela.
  • Berkshire Hathaway, led by Greg Abel after
Business, Economy

WheelMove gives manual wheelchairs the power and height to handle rough terrain

Engadget

French startup WheelMove demonstrated a compact motorized wheelchair add-on at CES 2026 that not only acts as a power-assist device, but can also lift up a chair's small front wheels so it can ride over rough terrain. The accessory upgrades a manual wheelchair with a 10-inch extra wheel and a 250W motor that can drive at up to six miles per hour (10 kilometers per hour) and handle slopes up to 10

Travel

I grew up in Florida and moved to New York City. Living here is different than visiting, but I'm not exactly disappointed.

Tech Insider
The author posing for a photo in Central Park.
Living in South Florida and New York City has taught me how different it is to visit a place compared to calling it home.

Katrina Oro

  • I've lived in two romanticized destinations in the US and learned they're not like the postcards.
  • After I moved to New York City, the magic I used to see began to fade, and reality set in.
  • Now, I'm learning to love NYC for its imperfections and have a new appreciation
Travel, Travel, Business

JPMorgan is ditching proxy advisors and turning to AI for shareholder votes in the US

Tech Insider
JPMorgan Chase tower
JPMorgan Chase

: Bob Henry/UCG/Universal Images Group via Getty Images

  • JPMorgan's asset and wealth management unit is dropping proxy advisors for shareholder voting in the US.
  • In place of external human advisors, the bank is launching an in-house AI tool.
  • The tool, named Proxy IQ, will cover all aspects of the voting process, according to an internal memo.

JPMorgan's asset and wealth management

Business, Technology

Warners Bros. Discovery board urges shareholders to reject amended Paramount bid

Engadget

In a unanimous written determination, the Warner Bros. Discovery's board is advising shareholders to once again reject Paramount Skydance's "inadequate" hostile takeover bid. The letter to shareholders cites a number of concerns with the offer and reiterates its position that Netflix's offer remains superior. Netflix and WBD have entered into a merger agreement in early December after the WBD