Author Archives: Lena

Beyoncé & Jay-Z: The Truth Behind Music’s Power Couple

The Brand that Built an Empire in the Music World

Beyoncé and Jay-Z Carter have been an item for over 10 years, and their power-couple status has hogged the limelight ever since their union. Beyoncé is 12 years younger than Jay-Z, but that never featured in their fiery romance. Neither Beyoncé nor Jay-Z needed to hook up with the other for monetary reasons; and that fact was never publicised by the tabloids as a motivation for them staying together. Beyoncé is one of the most impressive performers in the music industry, and her empire spans far and wide.

Jay-Z is a titan of hip-hop, and a financial whizz with his own brands. Together they rank as one of the highest-paid celebrity couples in the world, year after year. In fact, according to Forbes Magazine, Beyoncé and Jay-Z were the #1 top earning celebrity couple in 2013. That their star power dropped a notch in 2015 should not be perceived as anything more than the surge of Taylor Swift and Calvin Harris. Beyoncé and her man surely remain among the top echelons of the Celebrity 100 list.

Beyoncé and Jay-Z raked in an impressive $110.5 million between them in 2014, shy of Taylor Swift and Calvin Harris at $146 million. What is certainly most impressive about the former power couple is the fact that they have consistently generated massive annual earnings for several years. They’ve been married for 7 years and during the course of 2014, they collaborated on an impressive duo titled: On the Run. The concert was selling out to massive audiences at an incredible $342 a ticket. According to Forbes Magazine, the figures racked up by the musical duo’s tours only covered 22 shows. The tour became the fifth-biggest money-spinner of 2014. The business acumen of this power couple extends well beyond music into a broad range of product categories encompassing Jay-Z’s entertainment venture known as Roc Nation, D’Usse Cognac and Armand de Brignac Champagne. For her part, Beyoncé has mega-money endorsements with the Pepsi-Cola Company and retail giant H&M. She also sports her own perfume line.


What Dethroned Beyoncé and Jay-Z from the Top Spot?
Analysts have speculated about the reasons for the decline in earnings during June 2014 and June 2015 for Beyoncé and Jay-Z. One conclusion that has been drawn is that the hip-hop rapper’s Tidal is to blame for them being dethroned. Tidal is in fact a streaming service for music that Jay-Z purchased for a whopping $56 million. On a personal level, Jay-Z has a net worth of $560 million (March 2015), and according to estimates Jay-Z receives a nightly payment of $1.5 million while he’s touring. For her part, Beyoncé earns a cool $2 million per night when she is touring. Jay-Z’s Tidal purchase – a music streaming service akin to Spotify - has been slow in taking off.

And it’s not only Jay-Z who owns the Tidal music streaming service, its other artists like Madonna, Rihanna, Kanye West, Nicki Minaj, and Alicia Keys. Apparently when news broke of this music streaming service purchase, Jay-Z’s followers on Twitter expressed their deep disappointment. For every song that is played on Jay-Z’s Tidal, artists can earn $0.006 - $0.0084 a pop. Estimates place the total revenue of such figures at approximately $400,000 monthly for top performing artists. The pricing for Tidal is $19.99 for the premium service and $9.99 for the standard service. Before Beyoncé and Jay-Z were dethroned as the power couple by Taylor Swift and Calvin Harris, Jay-Z earned $60 million between June 2012 and June 2013, and his wife Beyoncé earned a whopping $115 million. Tidal may have tanked for Jay-Z, but his Cognac and Champagne brands remain immensely popular.

In fact, such is their massive net worth that’s this music power couple purchased a mega-mansion in New Orleans valued at $2.6 million. That they have been able to spend $150,000 monthly on renting an exclusive home in Los Angeles should not be discounted. The power couple reportedly has plans to send their daughter to a private school with a tuition fee of $15,080 per annum. Rumours have been rife about this couple’s marital problems with accusations of indiscretion swirling around Jay-Z. Beyoncé was reportedly seen shopping around for an apartment for herself in 2014, but it appears as if the couple has patched things over and is now determined to make their marriage work. Those in the know say that Beyoncé is working on falling pregnant or is already pregnant, and that will provide an opportunity for Blue Ivey – their daughter – to have another sibling to play with. Several names have been swirling about, but no consensus has yet been reached.


Who owns more of the bulk of the couple’s net worth?
As it stands, Jay-Z is the dominant partner in the couple’s $1 billion net worth. He has a personal net worth of $560 million, while his wife Beyoncé is worth a staggering $450 million. At that level, it is crystal clear that this celebrity music couple ranks among the elite of the most highly paid artists in the world. Jay-Z has a big hand in the running of Beyoncé’s career. That honor used to belong to Bey’s father until 2008 but since then Jay-Z has taken over and plays an integral part in her brand too. According to number crunchers, Beyoncé and Jay-Z are at the top-ranking music celebrity couple in the world, especially when one removes celebrity couples where one of the partners is not a celebrity per se. As a case in point, consider Tom Brady and Giselle Bundchen, or Salma Hayek and Francois-Henri Penault. When it comes to their actual asset holdings, the rumors know no bounds. There is talk of the couple owning an island in the Bahamas in addition to lavish homes worldwide. Beyoncé and Jay-Z Carter have a waterfront villa in Miami Florida, an expansive mansion in Westchester County, NY as well as a luxurious apartment in New York City.

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LFC Fans Tweet Their Way to Liverpool!

In case you haven’t heard Banc De Binary is now the Official Binary Options Partner of the world renowned Liverpool Football Club. To kick off this partnership, no pun intended, we decided to launch an exciting competition for LFC fans. The competition included fans tweeting why they love Liverpool. And, what’s the prize? Two lucky winners would each be awarded a chance to watch an exclusive Liverpool training session at the legendary Melwood Training Ground.

First, let’s just say that Liverpool fans are like no other. The passion they feel for their team is both inspiring and unquantifiable. It’s not surprise that the tweets sent our way were full of support and love for Liverpool, from fans that were all hoping for a chance to get up close and see their favorite team.

While all the tweets were awesome, there were two that suck out to us.

The first was from Brendan Hughes of North Wales:

We were touched by Brendan’s tweet, and that LFC still brings back happy memories of his father. Brendan was very grateful to win, and says it will be a day he will never forget.

The second winner was Sean Edgar of Liverpool:

A devoted fan, Sean embodied the Liverpool spirit with his tweet, and believes that seeing the LFC player train will an outstanding experience.

We are so happy to award two such deserving fans with an experience we know they will truly appreciate. This is just the first of many competitions we will be launching as part of our partnership with LFC. Stayed tuned for more awesome giveaways!

Congratulations Sean and Brendan!

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Biotech Stock Drops after Hillary Clinton’s Tweet

The power of social media proves it self once again, a tweet from Hillary Clinton sent shock waves through the stock market.

For several decades the price of Daraprim, a drug used for treating parasitic infection, was $13.50. After recently purchased by Turing Pharmaceuticals AG, its price jumped to $750. Daraprim used to be part of a standard care for patients, but now hospitals find it hard to even keep it in stock let alone provide it to patients in need.

This issue did not go unnoticed, especially when a single tweet from democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton turned the tables. “Price gouging like this in the specialty drug market is outrageous. Tomorrow I’ll lay out a plan to take it on.” Hours later the Nasdaq Biotechnology Index dropped down by 4.7 percent.

What is it that determines the price of a pharmaceutical medicine? In some cases it is actually because of shortage caused by supply and demand, but in other cases it could be motivated by business strategy solely. Martin Shkreli, founder and chief executive of Turing Pharmaceuticals, says that this is them staying in business, and that his company would use the money earned for research which would eventually result in better treatment methods.

The power of social media is endless and unpredictable. Influential personalities, politicians included, use the various social media platforms in order to lay out their plans and keep in touch with the public. As seen in this case, they are able to stir up their followers and cause dramatic changes overnight.

The issue of health care is not new territory for politicians. Especially with upcoming presidential elections, pharmaceutical companies are targeted by the attention seeking politicians. As in the case of Turing Pharmaceuticals AG, businesses are at risk of massive impact.

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Front Row Payday: Cashing In On Fashion Week

With Spring-Summer 2016 Fashion Weeks in full swing, we figured now would be as good a time as any to talk a little bit about the fashion industry’s not-so-well-kept secret. While runway shows are, of course, primarily designed to showcase designers a celebrity face in the audience is always great for publicity. That’s right, designers pay celebrities and fashion bloggers big dollars to attend their shows. Why you make ask? Well, girls love Taylor Swift, and if Taylor Swift loves Michael Kors, then girls love Michael Kors. See the logic?

Without further ado, from A-list celebrities to reality TV stars, here’s what everyone gets paid to attend fashion shows. The figures will blow you away!

A-List Celebrities (Exclusive): 100K

These are the crème-de-la-crème of the entertainment world. The popular kids of the popular kids. These lucky few can be paid over $100,000 just to sit in the front row of a designer’s show. However, the condition is that they can only attend that designer’s show for the entire fashion week.

A-list Celebrity (Non-Exclusive): 50K

This package is a little different from the exclusive deal. If a designers wants a huge A-lister to attend their show it will cost them. And, for the big name celebrities, attending several shows at $50,000 at pop, fashion week can be quite the payday.

B-List Celebrity: 60K

These are house-hold name celebrities. They may not be major movie stars, but they be on a hit TV show, and designers want them at their shows. These stars are in such high demand that they can be paid in between $40,000-$60,000.

C-List Celebrity: 15K

Alright, so $15,000 isn’t as much as the big name celebrities are getting, but it isn’t bad. These pay checks are reserved for stars that are recognizable but in high demand. Think back to the early 00’s, whoever was big then but you haven’t heard or seen from in a while. C-list.

Reality Star: 5K

Thought of as the bottom rung of the celebrity food chain, these “celebrities” can still cash in from attending a fashion show.

Major Blogger: 10K

Fashion bloggers get paid a lot to attend fashion shows. You’d be shocked to know how many big name fashion bloggers are sitting in the front row of fashion shows. These bloggers can get paid anywhere from $10,000 just to show up dressed in designer duds, take some pictures, and write a promotional blog post.

Smaller Blogger: 3K

If you have a popular fashion blog, but haven’t yet reached celebrity status in the blogger world then you can expect a mere $2,000-$3,000 to come to fashion week. Not bad.

Editor: $0

That’s right, the only people that are actually employed by the fashion industry are not paid to attend the shows. Fashion editors are expected to attend as many shows as possible, cause it’s like their job. But, they won’t ever be paid and if there are a hand full celebrities then they might not make it into the front row.

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Apple Drops Its First App in Google Play

Apple has launched their first App in the Google Play store names “Move to iOS”, clever right? Maybe not. It’s been less than a day and devote Android fans have flooded the App listing with negative reviews.

The app is aimed to help people make the switch from Android to iOS in a simple, secure, and easy way. Through the app users are able to move over their contacts, message history, calendars, mail accounts, and photos and videos.

Apple has always argued that everything about their interface is designed to be easy, so why shouldn’t the switch be easy as well. Now customers won’t have to switch their information on a third platform before switching it to their new phone. However, instead of encouraging Android users to switch to Apple, the move has angered Android users and fueled the rivalry between the two interfaces.

It seems like some users are so pleased with this new addition to the Google Play store, and are happy enough with their Android. One user wrote, “This app made me a better person. I installed this app in the hope of experiencing just a taste of the splendor that iPhone users so regularly talk about. The moment this app had installed, I realized I was better than everyone else and perpetually right.”

Another user commented, “Dear Apple just why did you make this app? You refuse to release your apps onto Android because apple is ‘superior’ in your minds but that just turns most users away from Apple because they think they are the best and never change. But Google has their apps on your app store and many people switch from Apple because they want freedom.”

 

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Is Facebook Finally Getting A “Dislike” Button?

It may be surprising, but one of most frequently requested features on Facebook is a Dislike button. Users have said that they do not have enough room to express feelings about status updates and photos. Right now the only feature is the “like” button, and for years now we have heard cheers for a “dislike” button.

In a recent Q&A press conference Facebook founder and CEO, Mark Zuckerberg, said that they are working on a way for users to respond to posts in which “like” would not be appropriate. Don’t get too excited, this feature will not be a Dislike Button. Creating such a feature goes against the vision of the facebook community explained Zuckerberg, “we didn’t want to just build a Dislike button because we don’t want to turn Facebook into a forum where people are voting up or down on people’s posts. That doesn’t seem like the kind of community we want to create.”

So, what are they doing? They want to create an option where friends and family can relate to each other. Say if someone writes a post about a recent loss, or a tragedy, Facebook wants to create a more empathetic way for users to engage with other. Where a Dislike button could be used be used to downgrade the importance of someone’s post, where a button that convey empathy would allow for greater solidarity on the social platform.

The exact naming of the new button is not yet know, but it must be an understandable word across all languages. Whereas like conveys a specific message, so too should this new button.

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Weekly Round-Up: Top 5 News Stories of the Week

 

It’s been a busy week. The internet has been buzzing with the release of the new iPhone 6S and Survivor may sue a county clerk from the United States. That’s right. So, here are 5 important news stories from the past week that you should definitely be caught up on.

1. Apple Releases The New iPhone 6S
On Wednesday Apple revealed its latest iPhone model. Apple will release a new model every 2 years, and in between those 2 years they release S versions of those models which are basically software updates. Apple release the 6S and 6S Plus, which offer improvements with the front facing camera, higher video quality, and more advanced downloading speed. But, the most important advancement is the new manual interaction that offers a new way for the user to use finger to communicate with their device.

2. Europe Reveals Refugee Plan
The EU has unveiled their plans on how they plan to absorb nearly 160,00o refugees from across the continent that have fled their home countries. It has been announced that the EU plans to relocate 120,000 now in Hungary, Italy, and Greece due to the states inability to cope with the crisis. Additionally, countries that refuse to take in refugees will face financial penalties. This new quota must be approved by a majority of the Union member states.

3. Survivor Threatens to sue Kim Davis
The band Survivor, known for their hit “Eye of the Tiger” is very pissed off. Mike Huckabee, a US republican politician recently used the band’s hit at a public event to celebrate Kim Davis’ release from jail. Davis, a county clerk from Kentucky, spent six days in the clink for refusing to issues same-sex marriage licenses and refusing to recognize Supreme Court law. Jim Peterik, the band’s fouder, has made it clear that he did not approve the use of this song and it does not reflect his own political views.

4. Massive Floods Hit Japan
A city not of Tokyo, Joso, has be hit with massive flood waters after the banks of the Kinugawa River banks burst open. This follows a tropical storm that has just hit the region. The bursting of the river banks to weather experts by surprise, as this is the 18th storm to have affected the region this year. So far 12 are reported injured, and one person is said to be missing. The Japanese Self-Defense Force is manning the rescue operation, but many believe that more should be done in the future as these storms are getting worse.

5. New human species discovered
Paleontologist in South Africa have discovered an extinct human species deep within a cave. The humans cousins are being called Homo Naledi. The species have a mixture of features common to modern humans, such as small teeth and flatter feet. But, they also have apelike pelvis’ and brow-ridges. Perhaps they walked like humans, but climbed trees like apes.

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Amazon: The New Hot Stock Of 2015

The online retailer is up 67% this year so far, and has been the driving force behind alleviating recent losses on the Standard & Poor’s 500 Index. Many attribute Amazon’s success to the poor fortune of Apple Inc., but another reason for newfound success is the distrust many investors feel in emerging markets. Just a gold is seen as a safe haven’t asset during times of financial turmoil, Amazon is becoming the stock investors turn to when they feel uncertain

Apple has ranked as the leading stock on the S&P Index, five out of the six past years. However, this year the No.1 spot has been replaced by Amazon. Unfortunately Apple has lost most of its 2015 gains, along with Chevron Corp and Exxon Mobile Corp. Apple’s recently loses are mostly due to concern over falling Chinese demand for iPhones, which was down 15%. While Apple is expected to increase 47% this year, analysts believe that Amazon’s profits will triple.

Today Tim Cook is set to deliver the new iPhone model. Apple is at a stage where they rely so heavily on smartphones for revenue that new releases can make or break earnings. Many are speculating if the company will also release a new iPad or an update for AppleTV. Apple must remain relevant to customers, so people buy their product. However, Amazon’s business strategy is not as tied to relevance and global growth.

So, is Apple’s run cooling off? It appears so, and now Amazon is the hottest stock on the market.

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Banc De Binary and Liverpool Team Up For the Ultimate Partnership

 

Banc De Binary founder Oren Laurent with Olly Dale, Commercial Director of LFC

This might be one of most exciting announcements ever! Banc De Binary is happy to announce that we are now Liverpool FC’s Official Binary Options Partner in Europe, Canada, Australia, and South Africa. Our partnership with Liverpool will last for the entire 15/16 season, under the inspiring slogan “competition is temporary, class is permanent.”

We hope that our new partnership will unite our valued traders, and the loyal Liverpool fan base. We see Liverpool as a natural partner that traders can look up to. LFC is one of England’s most successful foot clubs an holds 41 major honors to its name. And, our traders will be able to enjoy signed merchandise, ticket raffles, exciting hospitality packages, as well as other exclusive rewards.

Banc De Binary founder, Oren Laurent, has stated on the partnership, “Liverpool FC is exceptionally popular among people in our field. The club’s iconic legacy and unique status in the football world are second to none. We’re excited to align ourselves with the revered club, which stands as a shining example for determination, success and class. Sharing the club’s vision of achievement and commitment to success, we are thrilled by the opportunity to join forces with Liverpool FC and bring our customers closer to this illustrious club whose core values are truly inspirational.”

To kick-off our partnership we have created an exclusive offer with Liverpool, one that money can’t buy. We are granting two lucky fans access to see Liverpool FC train at the world famous Melwood training ground. All you have to do is tweet “I love Liverpool FC because…” to @BancDeBInary_EN from September 13 through September 20.

 

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EU Migrant Crisis Reaches New Extremes

www.channelnewsasia.com

On Wednesday, the chilling image of a lifeless boy washed up on the shores of Bodrum, Turkey, epitomized the devastating effects of Europe’s migrant crisis. Many migrants have been fleeing wars in Syria, Iraq, Libya, and other Middle Eastern and Norther African countries. They will cross the border into Turkey, and then risk their lives crossing the ocean, in hazardous conditions, so they arrive in Greece which is just the first stop on their long journey. From Greece they will travel through the Balkan states into Hungary, then to Austria, and hopefully they will make it to Germany.

The young boy was on board a boat that departed from the Bodrum peninsula headed for Greece. It capsized in the Mediterranean Sea, so far one woman and five children have been confirmed dead. This comes a week after 71 decomposing bodies were found in an Austrian lorry.

The debate over the current migrant crisis has been going on for years, but it has reached new levels in recent months. Close to 300,000 migrants have entered Europe in the first half of 2015, which is almost double the amount of migrants in all of 2014. Germany has announced that they expect to absorb 800,000 asylum seekers this year. The dramatic rise in numbers has raised a serious debate throughout the continent regarding migrant policy. Unlike Germany, many EU states are not prepared to accept such a large numbers, and frankly do not of the economic power to do so.

Tensions have been growing in Hungary as well. Budapest is overflowed with migrants trying to make their way onto trains to Austria. The government has been building a fence along its Serbian border for almost a month, and now has restricted travel to almost all migrants regardless. The government has stationed a human fence of police outside of the main train station where migrants are camping out.

www.rt.com

EU law says that the country where the migrant first enters is responsible. However, many are arguing for a re-examination of the law. Most migrants will enter the Eurozone from Mediterranean states, especially Greece. And considering the economic conditions of Southern Europe they cannot handle the situation on their own. Also, many government officials believe that the Schengen agreement, which allows for the free movement of labor throughout the borderless EU should be analyzed. As it is meant for the free movement of labor, not the free movement of those looking for labor.

Europe is caught in a moral dilemma. They must understand how the borderless Eurozone only exacerbates the crisis, and they must find practical ways to help. These people are fleeing war torn countries. A migrant is one who move voluntarily, while a refugee is one who leaves their home country because they cannot receive protection. By acknowledging them as refugees the crisis will have a new meaning, and perhaps global leaders will understand the need to intervene in civil conflicts before they hit home, literally.

Created by Banc De Binary Creative Director - Eric Kounio Which shows the drowned refugee child in the “The Rape of Europa” by Jean-François de Troy, 1716. The people in the museum represent the indifference of European society towards the refugee crisis.

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