Elon Musk, chief executive of SpaceX and Tesla, is mired in a bitter stand-off with Brazil’s top judge. Reuters
Elon Musk, chief executive of SpaceX and Tesla, is mired in a bitter stand-off with Brazil’s top judge. Reuters
Elon Musk, chief executive of SpaceX and Tesla, is mired in a bitter stand-off with Brazil’s top judge. Reuters
Elon Musk, chief executive of SpaceX and Tesla, is mired in a bitter stand-off with Brazil’s top judge. Reuters

Billionaires: Brazil withdraws $3.3m from Elon Musk companies’ accounts


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Brazil withdrew 18.35 million reais ($3.3 million) from the bank accounts of Elon Musk’s X and Starlink to pay for fines imposed by the Supreme Court, continuing a dispute that has led to the blackout of the billionaire’s social media service in the country.

The court ordered the transfer of funds on September 11 and the accounts have since been unfrozen, according to a statement from the judicial body released on Friday.

Mr Musk is mired in a bitter standoff with Brazil’s top judge, who is leading a campaign against fake news and hate speech in Latin America’s largest nation.

The chief executive of Tesla is the world's richest person with a personal net worth estimated at $251 billion, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index.

Justice Alexandre de Moraes ordered the platform formerly known as Twitter be banned last month and blocked Starlink’s accounts in a bid to force the US billionaire’s company to pay the penalties imposed for ignoring a previous order.

“The blocking of the accounts occurred because the justice considered the joint liability between X Brasil Internet, Starlink Brazil Holding and Starlink Brazil Internet Services for payment of fines,” the court said.

X remains banned in Brazil as it has yet to comply with orders from Mr Moraes to block certain user accounts and to appoint a legal representative in the country.

Elon Musk showed his total disrespect for Brazilian sovereignty and, in particular, for the judiciary, setting himself up as a true supranational entity and immune to the laws of each country,” Mr de Moraes wrote.

Billionaire Steve Cohen’s Point72 Asset Management is preparing to return some capital to investors for the first time. Bloomberg
Billionaire Steve Cohen’s Point72 Asset Management is preparing to return some capital to investors for the first time. Bloomberg

Steve Cohen

Billionaire Steve Cohen’s Point72 Asset Management is preparing to return some capital to investors for the first time, joining multi-strategy hedge fund peers looking for ways to restrict their assets after a period of explosive growth.

The company is considering handing profits to clients after the end of the year, according to sources. The amount could run into billions of dollars, they added. They could not say with certainty how much would be returned as the details are yet to be firmed up, and said the plans could still change.

Hedge fund managers typically resort to restricting new money and even return capital to avoid becoming too big, because size can be a hurdle when navigating volatile markets and certain asset classes.

Point72 has raised almost $12.8 billion since 2020 and manages a record $35.2 billion currently. The hedge fund gained about 10 per cent through August this year, or more than $3 billion, Bloomberg News reported previously.

The move is part of an increasing trend in the $4 trillion industry, where the biggest funds with a record of generating steady returns such as Point72, Millennium Management and Citadel get flooded with more cash than they can manage, while a vast majority of smaller firms struggle to raise capital.

Citadel has given back $25 billion to clients since 2017. Millennium has returned about $38 billion since 2020, although much of it came back to the company in a new share class.

Investors pulled a net $216 billion between 2022 and 2023 and withdrew another $39 billion this year through May, according to eVestment.

The exodus has contributed to more than 1,000 hedge funds closing since the start of 2022, discouraging start-ups.

Veteran investor Warren Buffett started investing in Bank of America in 2011. EPA
Veteran investor Warren Buffett started investing in Bank of America in 2011. EPA

Warren Buffett

Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway has sold shares worth $228.7 million in Bank of America as the conglomerate continues to trim its stake in the second-largest US lender.

Berkshire, on September 10, disclosed it had sold about 5.8 million Bank of America shares between September 6 and 10.

That takes the total sale of shares to about 174.7 million since mid-July, raking in $7.19 billion, according to LSEG data.

Berkshire, still the bank's largest shareholder, has to keep reporting sales regularly until its holding falls below 10 per cent. It is currently at 11.1 per cent.

The 94-year-old billionaire, one of the world's most revered investors, started investing in Bank of America in 2011 when Berkshire bought $5 billion of preferred stock.

The stake sales come more than a year after Mr Buffett praised the bank and chief executive Brian Moynihan.

Mr Moynihan said that Mr Buffett has been a “great” investor for the bank, but he did not ask the legendary investor about the recent stake sales.

“I don't know what exactly he is doing because frankly we can't ask,” Mr Moynihan told investors at a financial conference in New York.

A Deutsche Bank analyst said last week that Berkshire could be aiming to get just below the 10 per cent reporting threshold to avoid regulatory scrutiny.

The lender's stock has lagged behind the broader markets since Berkshire kicked off its selling spree.

Johann Rupert, founder and chairman of Richemont, said global demand for watches 'has gone past the boom'. Bloomberg
Johann Rupert, founder and chairman of Richemont, said global demand for watches 'has gone past the boom'. Bloomberg

Johann Rupert

The head of Richemont, the owner of Cartier and Vacheron Constantin, said the luxury watch industry must reduce production after a downturn in demand for costly timepieces.

Chairman and founder Johann Rupert told shareholders at the Swiss luxury conglomerate’s annual general meeting that global demand for watches “has gone past the boom”, held back by subdued sales in mainland China and Hong Kong.

“One should be cautious in just trying to pursue volume,” the South African billionaire said in Geneva on September 11.

The Richemont chairman, whose brands also include IWC, Jaeger-LeCoultre and Van Cleef & Arpels, applauded private competitors in the watch industry for showing restraint.

The biggest closely-held watch makers in Switzerland include Rolex, Patek Philippe and Audemars Piguet Holding.

“We have a close relationship with the private competitors and we know what they are doing and they are acting very responsibly by constraining production,” Mr Rupert said.

Although he controls Richemont through a family trust that has a majority of the voting shares, the stock is publicly traded and the company is required to provide detailed financial updates.

By contrast, closely-held watch makers in Switzerland “don’t have shareholders to report to”, he added.

After three years of gains at record value levels, Swiss watch exports have declined this year. Consumers became cautious as pandemic-era savings ran dry following a period of high inflation and as a strong Swiss franc raised watch prices and crimped profits for producers.

Compiled from Bloomberg and Reuters

GIANT REVIEW

Starring: Amir El-Masry, Pierce Brosnan

Director: Athale

Rating: 4/5

10 tips for entry-level job seekers
  • Have an up-to-date, professional LinkedIn profile. If you don’t have a LinkedIn account, set one up today. Avoid poor-quality profile pictures with distracting backgrounds. Include a professional summary and begin to grow your network.
  • Keep track of the job trends in your sector through the news. Apply for job alerts at your dream organisations and the types of jobs you want – LinkedIn uses AI to share similar relevant jobs based on your selections.
  • Double check that you’ve highlighted relevant skills on your resume and LinkedIn profile.
  • For most entry-level jobs, your resume will first be filtered by an applicant tracking system for keywords. Look closely at the description of the job you are applying for and mirror the language as much as possible (while being honest and accurate about your skills and experience).
  • Keep your CV professional and in a simple format – make sure you tailor your cover letter and application to the company and role.
  • Go online and look for details on job specifications for your target position. Make a list of skills required and set yourself some learning goals to tick off all the necessary skills one by one.
  • Don’t be afraid to reach outside your immediate friends and family to other acquaintances and let them know you are looking for new opportunities.
  • Make sure you’ve set your LinkedIn profile to signal that you are “open to opportunities”. Also be sure to use LinkedIn to search for people who are still actively hiring by searching for those that have the headline “I’m hiring” or “We’re hiring” in their profile.
  • Prepare for online interviews using mock interview tools. Even before landing interviews, it can be useful to start practising.
  • Be professional and patient. Always be professional with whoever you are interacting with throughout your search process, this will be remembered. You need to be patient, dedicated and not give up on your search. Candidates need to make sure they are following up appropriately for roles they have applied.

Arda Atalay, head of Mena private sector at LinkedIn Talent Solutions, Rudy Bier, managing partner of Kinetic Business Solutions and Ben Kinerman Daltrey, co-founder of KinFitz

EA Sports FC 26

Publisher: EA Sports

Consoles: PC, PlayStation 4/5, Xbox Series X/S

Rating: 3/5

Dhadak

Director: Shashank Khaitan

Starring: Janhvi Kapoor, Ishaan Khattar, Ashutosh Rana

Stars: 3

Sole survivors
  • Cecelia Crocker was on board Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in 1987 when it crashed in Detroit, killing 154 people, including her parents and brother. The plane had hit a light pole on take off
  • George Lamson Jr, from Minnesota, was on a Galaxy Airlines flight that crashed in Reno in 1985, killing 68 people. His entire seat was launched out of the plane
  • Bahia Bakari, then 12, survived when a Yemenia Airways flight crashed near the Comoros in 2009, killing 152. She was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean for 13 hours.
  • Jim Polehinke was the co-pilot and sole survivor of a 2006 Comair flight that crashed in Lexington, Kentucky, killing 49.

GOLF’S RAHMBO

- 5 wins in 22 months as pro
- Three wins in past 10 starts
- 45 pro starts worldwide: 5 wins, 17 top 5s
- Ranked 551th in world on debut, now No 4 (was No 2 earlier this year)
- 5th player in last 30 years to win 3 European Tour and 2 PGA Tour titles before age 24 (Woods, Garcia, McIlroy, Spieth)

UAE tour of Zimbabwe

All matches in Bulawayo
Friday, Sept 26 – UAE won by 36 runs
Sunday, Sept 28 – Second ODI
Tuesday, Sept 30 – Third ODI
Thursday, Oct 2 – Fourth ODI
Sunday, Oct 5 – First T20I
Monday, Oct 6 – Second T20I

The Bio

Hometown: Bogota, Colombia
Favourite place to relax in UAE: the desert around Al Mleiha in Sharjah or the eastern mangroves in Abu Dhabi
The one book everyone should read: 100 Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez. It will make your mind fly
Favourite documentary: Chasing Coral by Jeff Orlowski. It's a good reality check about one of the most valued ecosystems for humanity

GRAN%20TURISMO
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MO
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The specs

Engine: 2-litre 4-cylinder and 3.6-litre 6-cylinder

Power: 220 and 280 horsepower

Torque: 350 and 360Nm

Transmission: eight-speed automatic

Price: from Dh136,521 VAT and Dh166,464 VAT 

On sale: now

The%20specs%20
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EEngine%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E2.0-litre%204cyl%20turbo%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPower%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E261hp%20at%205%2C500rpm%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETorque%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E400Nm%20at%201%2C750-4%2C000rpm%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETransmission%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E7-speed%20dual-clutch%20auto%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFuel%20consumption%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E10.5L%2F100km%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EOn%20sale%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ENow%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPrice%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EFrom%20Dh129%2C999%20(VX%20Luxury)%3B%20from%20Dh149%2C999%20(VX%20Black%20Gold)%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Skoda Superb Specs

Engine: 2-litre TSI petrol

Power: 190hp

Torque: 320Nm

Price: From Dh147,000

Available: Now

Tour de France Stage 16:

165km run from Le Puy-en-Velay to Romans-sur-Isère

What went into the film

25 visual effects (VFX) studios

2,150 VFX shots in a film with 2,500 shots

1,000 VFX artists

3,000 technicians

10 Concept artists, 25 3D designers

New sound technology, named 4D SRL

 

Listen to Extra Time
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Top financial tips for graduates

Araminta Robertson, of the Financially Mint blog, shares her financial advice for university leavers:

1. Build digital or technical skills: After graduation, people can find it extremely hard to find jobs. From programming to digital marketing, your early twenties are for building skills. Future employers will want people with tech skills.

2. Side hustle: At 16, I lived in a village and started teaching online, as well as doing work as a virtual assistant and marketer. There are six skills you can use online: translation; teaching; programming; digital marketing; design and writing. If you master two, you’ll always be able to make money.

3. Networking: Knowing how to make connections is extremely useful. Use LinkedIn to find people who have the job you want, connect and ask to meet for coffee. Ask how they did it and if they know anyone who can help you. I secured quite a few clients this way.

4. Pay yourself first: The minute you receive any income, put about 15 per cent aside into a savings account you won’t touch, to go towards your emergency fund or to start investing. I do 20 per cent. It helped me start saving immediately.

BUNDESLIGA FIXTURES

Saturday, May 16 (kick-offs UAE time)

Borussia Dortmund v Schalke (4.30pm) 
RB Leipzig v Freiburg (4.30pm) 
Hoffenheim v Hertha Berlin (4.30pm) 
Fortuna Dusseldorf v Paderborn  (4.30pm) 
Augsburg v Wolfsburg (4.30pm) 
Eintracht Frankfurt v Borussia Monchengladbach (7.30pm)

Sunday, May 17

Cologne v Mainz (4.30pm),
Union Berlin v Bayern Munich (7pm)

Monday, May 18

Werder Bremen v Bayer Leverkusen (9.30pm)

COMPANY%20PROFILE%3A
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EName%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Envision%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E2017%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounders%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EKarthik%20Mahadevan%20and%20Karthik%20Kannan%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20The%20Netherlands%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ESector%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Technology%2FAssistive%20Technology%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInitial%20investment%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20%241.5%20million%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ECurrent%20number%20of%20staff%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%2020%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestment%20stage%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Seed%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestors%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%204impact%2C%20ABN%20Amro%2C%20Impact%20Ventures%20and%20group%20of%20angels%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
TECH%20SPECS%3A%20APPLE%20WATCH%20SERIES%208
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDisplay%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%2041mm%2C%20352%20x%20430%3B%2045mm%2C%20396%20x%20484%3B%20Retina%20LTPO%20OLED%2C%20up%20to%201000%20nits%2C%20always-on%3B%20Ion-X%20glass%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EProcessor%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Apple%20S8%2C%20W3%20wireless%2C%20U1%20ultra-wideband%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECapacity%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%2032GB%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EMemory%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%201GB%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EPlatform%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20watchOS%209%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EHealth%20metrics%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%203rd-gen%20heart%20rate%20sensor%2C%20temperature%20sensing%2C%20ECG%2C%20blood%20oxygen%2C%20workouts%2C%20fall%2Fcrash%20detection%3B%20emergency%20SOS%2C%20international%20emergency%20calling%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EConnectivity%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20GPS%2FGPS%20%2B%20cellular%3B%20Wi-Fi%2C%20LTE%2C%20Bluetooth%205.3%2C%20NFC%20(Apple%20Pay)%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDurability%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20IP6X%2C%20water%20resistant%20up%20to%2050m%2C%20dust%20resistant%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EBattery%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20308mAh%20Li-ion%2C%20up%20to%2018h%2C%20wireless%20charging%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECards%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20eSIM%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EFinishes%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Aluminium%20%E2%80%93%20midnight%2C%20Product%20Red%2C%20silver%2C%20starlight%3B%20stainless%20steel%20%E2%80%93%20gold%2C%20graphite%2C%20silver%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EIn%20the%20box%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Watch%20Series%208%2C%20magnetic-to-USB-C%20charging%20cable%2C%20band%2Floop%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EPrice%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Starts%20at%20Dh1%2C599%20(41mm)%20%2F%20Dh1%2C999%20(45mm)%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
WHAT IS A BLACK HOLE?

1. Black holes are objects whose gravity is so strong not even light can escape their pull

2. They can be created when massive stars collapse under their own weight

3. Large black holes can also be formed when smaller ones collide and merge

4. The biggest black holes lurk at the centre of many galaxies, including our own

5. Astronomers believe that when the universe was very young, black holes affected how galaxies formed

Updated: September 16, 2024, 5:00 AM