Games Microsoft Plays | Guess Who’s Back At Better.com | Seeking: Heads Of Hybrid Work

Plus: America’s Top Givers 2022: The 25 Most Philanthropic Billionaires

Good morning.

Another big deal is shaking up the video game industry—if Microsoft’s $68.7 billion bid for Activision Blizzard goes through, the company would be the third largest in the sector. We’re also covering the return of controversial Better.com CEO Vishal Garg, and why companies are increasingly hiring for leadership roles related to the future of work. Finally, we unveil the 25 American billionaires who’ve donated the most to charity in the past year—yet remain richer than ever.

In The News Today

New York’s attorney general office asked a court to compel former president Donald Trump and two of his children to testify under oath, accusing the Trump Organization of inflating the value of its assets for economic benefit.

Legendary fashion journalist André Leon Talley, a Vogue editor and a judge on the popular reality competition America’s Next Top Model, has died aged 73. 

Top Take-Aways

Microsoft announced its largest deal yet, a $68.7 billion offer to buy video game giant Activision Blizzard, known for titles such as World of Warcraft and Call of Duty, as well as its leadership’s mismanagement of allegations of sexual misconduct. The acquisition would expand the Xbox maker’s position in the video game industry, while also giving it a leg up in the race to create the metaverse.

The board of directors of online mortgage provider Better.com has welcomed back CEO Vishal Garg, who was placed on leave after a recording of a Zoom call in which he summarily fired 900 employees—whom he called “lazy” in a subsequent email—sparked widespread indignation.

Airbnb cofounder and CEO Brian Chesky announced he’ll be living in the rental accommodations his website provides, changing location every few weeks, in a bid to provide a real-life example of the advantages of remote work.

As business priorities change, so do C-suite titles—the latest acronyms to join the boardroom relate to the future of work, with LinkedIn data recording a 304% spike in titles that reference “hybrid work” since the pandemic began.

Just last month, White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki dismissed the idea of sending free Covid-19 tests to American households as too expensive. Yesterday however the White House launched a website to make those tests freely available for home delivery—glitches permitting. Remember, however, not all at-home Covid-19 tests are valid for travel.

A Roman villa featuring a ceiling painted by Caravaggio that is at the centre of an inheritance feud between the American-born widow of an Italian aristocrat and his sons, failed to attract any bids when it went under the hammer for €471 million ($534 million). 

Today's Must Read

In Case You Missed It

U.S. federal agencies have been using a 35-year-old American surveillance law to secretly track foreign-based WhatsApp users with no explanation as to why and without knowing whom they are targeting.

Tips You Can Trust

Great relationships with colleagues are one of the rewards of working. These are the six things that matter most to become friends with your colleague.

Whether you're attending in-person or online events, networking remains an important part of career development. Here's three ways to sharpen your professional relationship-building skills.

Today's Must Watch

Recommendations
From Beyond The Newsroom