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MG, Omoda and BYD close a spectacular 2025 and are among the best sellers

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It was the last days of March 2023 when we traveled to the north of Madrid to attend the BYD launch. “Europe has had its eyes closed for a long time”they told us from the company. That felt like the arrival of the first Chinese brand to our country, the one that came to confront Tesla in the electric car. At that time, MG was already selling thousands of units in our country and there were minority alternatives but the arrival of a manufacturer that was approaching two million cars sold It was already more serious. Months later Chery would arrivewith Omoda and Jaecoo, but also Ebrounder the arm. Along the way, other minority brands such as Lynk&Co or Xpeng have also been bringing new models to the market. But the bulk of Chinese sales and impact in our country is concentrated in the three companies we have listed. MG is completely established in our country, BYD has completed its second full year (with a change of direction included) and Omoda, Jaecoo and Ebro have now established their offer. And the result has been very good for them. More models and more sales If the year of Chinese brands in Spain has been characterized by something, it is because have put more points of sale on the streetmore cars in those points of sale and, above all, more cars in the garages of your potential customers. At the end of 2025, in Spain the main Chinese brands have obtained the following results: MG: 45,163 units (growth of 46.78%) BYD: 25,556 units (growth of 373.87%) Omoda: 13,963 units (growth of 79.33%) Jaecoo: 9,728 units (growth of 785.17%) Ebro: 12,459 units (growth of 44396.43%, they only had one car available at the end of 2024) Are very striking data due to several factors: MG sold more cars in Spain than Citroën (34,286 units), with which it competes on price. And it sold more cars than classics like Ford (29,065 units), Nissan (34,711 units), Opel (26,549) or Skoda (42,387 units). BYD only sells plug-in hybrid and electric cars so its potential customer market is much smaller Omoda, Jaecoo and Ebro are three brands of the Chery Group but each of them competes with three or four cars that, in addition, can be stepped on in price but not in positioning. If the sales of the Chery Group are added, they exceed 35,000 units. Brand by brand If we focus on the approach of each of these companies, we must take into account that MG already has a wide range of vehicles but is managing to attract customers in one of the most complicated markets: that of the cheapest cars on the market. Almost half of the sales of the best positioned one are accumulated by the MG ZS, one of the most affordable options on the market that for just over 20,000 euros delivers the ECO sticker so sought after in a Spain with growing low-emission zones. This has been the first year with its hybrid version working at full capacity and that has been noticed. The same has happened with the MG3which accumulates more than 9,000 units and is its second best-selling car. He good result The MG ZS among hybrids can be seen on the list of best sellers. And, of the non-plug-in hybrids, the Chinese SUV is in seventh position, surpassed by a Peugeot 2008 that has accumulated just five more registrations and in a field where Toyota clearly dominates (three of the four best-selling cars in this segment are its). MG’s third big best-seller is a good example of where the strength of Chinese brands lies. The MG EHS is a plug-in hybrid that, again, conquers by price. It has managed to become the second best-selling plug-in hybrid of the year, surpassing a Toyota C-HR that could be the great favorite. But no one is offering as much size and equipment at a lower price among plug-ins than the Chinese brands. That’s why the BYD Seal U has been the best-selling plug-in hybrid. As we said in our testcosts the same as the Toyota C-HR powered by this technology but for a family it can be much more interesting. The BYD SUV is not the only Chinese one that sneaks into the plug-in hybrid. The Jaecoo 7 also has its market share, a model that has also focused on offering extensive equipment at a reasonable price, which has allowed it to position itself as the sixth best-selling vehicle of this type in our country. The appearance of all of them and the Omoda 9 and the Ebro S700 among the best sellers of December, it gives us a preview of 2026 where everything indicates that The plug-in hybrid is the other great asset of Chinese models for next year (after the entry range). In that low range, the Chery group has already begun to make room for itself with the Omoda 5 but hopes to hit the table with its hybrid version. The car not only has an ECO label, The SHS-H version is a hybrid with all the letters and a particular touch. Attractive price, a design that is being liked and extensive equipment are its great assets for next year. And if we look at BYD, the result can also be underlined as excellent. Surviving with electric cars exclusively was becoming difficult to grow quickly and they have put all their efforts into action. They tested the BYD Seal U DM-i and found that they have a gap among plug-in hybrids. Maybe your Signal 6 DM-ias a family sedan, has it more complicated but the BYD Atto 2 DM-i It is priced to be the most attractive option on the market right now. Despite everything, the company is the first of the mortals after Tesla. Elon Musk’s people continue to dominate the electric market in our country with an iron fist, where the autonomy/price ratio continues to outweigh the rest of the values. Of course, the … Read more

OpenAI, Google and Anthropic fight among themselves. Samsung fights everyone else elsewhere

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Samsung has presented at the CES 2026 its “AI philosophy,” a grandiloquent concept that sums up its strategy: using its 430 million SmartThings users as moat (or ‘defensive moat’) against the invasion of AI in homes. Why is it important. OpenAI, Google and company remain focused on announcing the most powerful model. There is little to do against them on that side if you haven’t been doing it for years, so Samsung is playing something else that is not about winning the algorithm war, but about controlling where those algorithms live. SmartThings is not just an app. It is a platform Matter compatible that connects hundreds of millions of devices already in homes around the world. That means Samsung can add AI to products people already use, without asking them to buy anything new or change their habits. Others have to convince you to put a smart speaker in the kitchen. Samsung already has your refrigerator, your television, your washing machine and your vacuum cleaner. And everyone talks to each other. Between the lines. Samsung’s “AI philosophy” seems, above all, a response to Amazon with its Alexa+. Both proposals have things in common: they understand that if AI models tend to commoditize (to be technically equal until they are not easily distinguishable), the value is in who has the speaker in your kitchen, the TV in your living room and the refrigerator that knows what you eat. Samsung has been building that ecosystem for years and now it is activating it for something else. Implementation makes the difference: Family Hubwith AI and Gemini vision, recognizes what you put in and out of the refrigerator, suggests recipes and connects with other appliances. It’s real tracking so that when you ask yourself “what can I make for snack-dinner?”, the system suggests recipes based on what you have, not on an inventory you made by hand three weeks ago. Vision AI Companion It recognizes what you’re watching on TV and suggests recipes if food appears on the screen. Then send that recipe to the Family Hub in your refrigerator, which checks what ingredients you have and tells you what you’re missing. If you decide to cook it, send the instructions to the oven so that it is preheated to the exact temperature. AI Soccer Mode Pro Automatically adjusts image and sound when it detects that you are watching football. You can turn up the audience volume, turn down the commentators, or balance both. It’s AI applied to something as specific as “I want to enhance the field atmosphere” or “I want to prioritize the narrator’s voice.” It is perhaps not as attractive an approach as the war of chatbots that are increasingly capable of more, but maybe (just maybe) it will end up being more profitable. And something else: SmartThings as a Matter-compatible standard. That expands the potential ecosystem far beyond Samsung’s own products. Yes, but. There are two weak points in that strategy: Samsung depends on third-party models. Gemini is your main partner, also for the home, for the smart component. If the models run out commoditizingwe will have to compete on price. And in the price war there always appears a Chinese manufacturer willing to go lower. privacy. An ecosystem that knows what you eat, what you see, when you sleep or how you move is also an ecosystem that can monetize that data. The last threat It’s called Dreame. and there is a red flag On that second point: Samsung has announced an agreement with the insurer HSB to give discounts on home insurance in exchange for connecting home appliances to SmartThings. That is, saving some money in exchange for handing over your behavioral data. As what we already saw with health insurance and wearables. It’s a double-edged sword: if your behavior reduces your premium, it can also increase it. Or directly invalidate coverage. The bet. If it works, Apple will speed up with Home (previously HomeKit), Google will push with its Nest and Amazon will double down with Alexa+ and Ring. The battle is no longer for the best language model. It’s because more devices in more homes capturing more data. Samsung has been losing ground in mobile phones for years fruit of Apple’s clamp in premium and Chinese manufacturers in price. Also against LG in some appliances not to mention Chinese baking for the home. But in the sum of connected devices per home, it does not have so many rivals. That is its trump card: converting the fragmentation of its catalog into the advantage of its ecosystem. The question is whether consumers will give up control of their home in exchange for convenience. The answer determines whether Samsung ends up being the silent winner of the AI ​​era or simply the maker of gadgets that run other people’s intelligence. In Xataka | I would never have imagined answering a call from the washing machine. Until I tried the latest from Samsung Featured image | Screens even in washing machines and appliances that talk to each other: this is how Samsung imagines the future of the connected home

Whether “altruism” exists among animals or not

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An ape reviving another after a small electric shock; a herd of pigs pushing back to the river to a fish stranded on the shore; a group of crows discovering the gigantic carcass of a reindeer and calling other crows to enjoy the feast. Examples are reproduced everywhere in the four corners of the Internet, and behind them often lies a voluntaristic question: are animals altruistic? In the background lies a moral reading: unlike selfish human beings, animals are capable of teaching us authentic goodness. Give without expecting anything in return. This is what happened some time ago as a result of the viral image of a duck covering a young dog under its wings. It does not matter that the facts themselves be diffuse or that the conversation starts from two image captures without reference to the original source. The debate is legitimate, and it is alive. Was the bird protecting a cub of another species out of mere compassion, out of high moral altruism? It is common for the answer to this question to be pregnant with moral conditions. We want to project our own insecurities, anxieties and emotional conflicts onto animals. For years, the idea of ​​”animal altruism” was reduced to the margins of science due to its connotations anthropocentric. However, the issue has enjoyed an interesting revival during the last decades. Numerous studies have tried to put an end to the question of altruism, and to provide an effective response to the sometimes inexplicable behavior of some animal species. Altruism, a definition Biology and ethology have reached a definition relatively accurate of “altruism”: that action that benefits a third party to the detriment of oneself. That is, acts that have positive consequences without at the same time deriving self-interest. Dissecting the wheat from the chaff is complex, because many “altruistic” acts actually hide deeply selfish motivations. (Hossein Ghaem/Unsplash) In the late 1980s, a biologist specializing in animal behavior, Bernd Heinrich, noticed something peculiar during a walk through the Maine woods. A group of crows had found the succulent remains of a huge reindeer, and had begun to attract the attention of other reindeer in a striking and scandalous way. At first glance, it seems that the crows wanted to share the abundance of meat found by chance. Did it make sense? From a somewhat simplistic point of view (survival of the fittest), not too much. Evolutionary logic (at least as we usually understand it) dictated that crows they had to compete for that piece of meat. It is a basic impulse and a vector that explains much of animal relationships, the fight for scarce food and self-survival. By calling other crows to enjoy the banquet, those birds were breaking a dynamic long accepted by the scientific community. He Heinrich’s particular discovery It has been discussed for years. Ultimately, it is likely that the crows did not display any altruistic behavior. Finding the reindeer in the territory of an adult, and therefore more powerful, crow, the young, upstart crows had done something pretty smart: call other colleagues to avoid retaliation. Pure defense by accumulation. In that way, the adult crow would limit any type of territorial defense. (Mikhail Vasilyev/Unsplash) The case of the crows is very unique, but there are others that help limit the scope of “altruism.” It is known that, in some species, female bats are able to share part of their food with the males when they have a lean season. The behavior is social, but not altruistic: the act of sharing arises from need to perpetuate the species, to protect its own in the long term. It is a defense mechanism explained by well-established theories (the “kin selection”for example), and that we can identify in other animal species (such as packs of wild dogs that warn by barking of dangers lurking on the horizon or ants kamikaze who sacrifice themselves for the colony). Is there a point of genuine goodness in the help of others? The question comes from an erroneous human perspective. Bats, ants or dogs seek something more basic: the benefit of the species. And therefore one’s own benefit. Okay, but what about the duck and the puppy? Although it is tempting to explain almost all animal behavior from determinism, there are cases that escape to your logic. There is evidence, for example, of groups of orcas that have adopted dolphins with certain genetic malformations. for several weeks. Orcas are not very social animals nor do they tend to interact with other species in a friendly way. The known examples In 2009, two researchers attested something even more exceptional. During an exploration in Antarctica, they came across a seal in distress. Pursued by a group of orcas, her days seemed numbered. In the middle of the fray, a pair of humpback whales appeared and began to maneuver to protect the seal. Humpbacks only feed on fish and crustaceans: what the hell were they whistling in that scene? (Michael Blum/Unsplash) According to scientists, manifesting an act of rare altruism among animals. The whales managed successfully protect at the seal, getting between the orcas and making it reach dry land (predictably hallucinated). There was no direct individual benefit for those humpbacks, nor was there a deep biological mechanism that could explain their actions. From any perspective, they had decided to help that poor seal. In the process, the humpbacks had identified a situation of danger and vulnerability of others and had decided to put themselves in danger despite the absence of self-interest. But is it like that? It was not an isolated incident. Some compilation studies have identified more than 115 encounters between humpback whales and orcas over the past 62 years. On some occasions up to fifteen humpbacks came to the rescue of calves of other species of whales. It could be due to a mechanism of automatic defense based on previous incidents (orcas also attack humpback calves) or a response to the calls of the orcas themselves (in such a … Read more

We thought smoking was no longer fashionable among Gen Z. Until Sabrina Carpenter and Jeremy Allen White arrived

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For decades, the cigarette starred in some of the most iconic images in popular culture. In the imagination of journalism, that reporter from the last century always reappears leaning over his typewriter, surrounded by wisps of smoke while writing an urgent chronicle. In television fiction, that scene evolved into Carrie Bradshaw typing on her Mac with a half-consumed cigarette butt in her New York apartment. And in the cinema, the cigarette was almost a visual code: from the dark seduction of Humphrey Bogart to the melancholic aura that enveloped so many classic characters. Smoke, more than an accessory, functioned as a symbol of charisma, mystery or vulnerability. All of that seemed to be extinguished with the advance of anti-smoking laws. The terraces they cleared themselves of smokeHollywood moderated its use and audiovisual culture stopped associating the cigarette with glamour. The gesture was relegated to a stale past, linked to the strong smell of bars before the ban. But something unexpected has happened: the cigarette has returned. And it has done so hand in hand with the only sector capable of resurrecting what seemed forgotten: celebrities. The visible return of the cigarette to pop culture. The warning signal came from the mecca of cinema. According to a report from the anti-smoking organization Truth Initiativehalf of the movies that debuted last year included cigarettes, cigars or tobacco. In addition, it detected a 110% increase in representations of tobacco in programs aimed at young people between 15 and 24 years old, and a quadrupling in the most viewed series. The figures confirm the obvious: the cigarette has regained prominence. And, to give a couple of examples, it is being observed in music: Sabrina Carpenter appears in the video clip for Manchild smoking and posed for some photographs wearing a corset made from packets of Marlboro Gold. In cinema, films like Saltburn, Materialists or Oppenheimer They have returned tobacco to an almost omnipresent place. Fashion has not been an exception either, during New York Fashion Week, models they smoked on the catwalk as another accessory. And there is still something else, I couldn’t forget about social networks. The Instagram account @cigfluencerscreated in 2021, publishes images of celebrities smoking and has accumulated more than 80,000 followers. The cigarette as a symbol? The most curious thing about this phenomenon is that it is not mass tobacco consumption that is returning, but rather its aesthetics. That nuance is essential to understand what is happening. The point is that the cigarette returns as part of the revival Y2K and aesthetics indie sleaze and heroin chicthat mix of grunge, decadent glamor and soft rebellion that dominated the 2000s and that today inspires fashion, music and social networks. In this framework, the cigarette functions as a retro accessory, a vintage gesture that provokes more visually than addictively. This aesthetic dimension also operates as a narrative tool. In a report for The New York Times point out that the cigarette re-emerges as a symbolic resource on screen: Dakota Johnson smokes in Materialists to underline the emotional emptiness of his character; Jeremy Allen White, in The Bearuses smoke to intensify his melancholy; Sabrina Carpenter holds a makeshift mouthpiece in an ironic tone. According to the medium, the cigarette does not get in the way of the shot: it fills it with aura, drama and texture. And the fundamental question, does it have attraction for young people? There is a component of minimal rebellion. According to the BBCsmoking functions as a gesture of light transgression within a generation accustomed to self-care, permanent surveillance and implicit norms of well-being. The aesthetics brat popularized by Charli XCX It combines hedonism, irony and a touch of nihilism: a perfect territory for the cigarette to recover its provocative role, more suggestive than dangerous. Hence, the great paradox when observing the real behavior of Generation Z. While they watch celebrities smoke on screen, young people consume less and less substances. Already we have explained in Xataka how they are succeeding coffee raves —alcoholic-free daytime parties, where you dance with a cappuccino in hand—, and Tinder registers a boom in dry datingwith one in four young people preferring alcohol-free dating. In other words, cool aesthetics no longer have anything to do with actual habit. Should we worry? The problem appears when cultural trends intersect with health data. The WHO remember that tobacco It kills more than seven million people a year and that there is no safe level of exposure. EPData confirms that its global consumption has fallen from 32.7% in 2000 to 22.3% in 2020, but institutions like the CDC —cited by Wall Street Journal— warn that repeated exposure to tobacco images increases the likelihood that young people will start smoking. In fact, the BBC collected testimonies from American doctors who already observe cases of young people who, after normalizing vaping, have switched to cigarettes because “it gives more credibility” or is “more aesthetic.” Constant exposure to so-called “digital smoke”, pointed out by the Spanish Association Against Cancercan normalize a habit that seemed on the way to disappearing. However, a study carried out by Action on Smoking and Health (ASH) showed that Tinder profiles of smokers receive between 29% and 52.7% less matches. Young people do not want to date someone who smokes, but they do want to consume – from a distance – the aesthetics of cigarettes on screens. The contradiction is clear: in the video clip it adds glamour; In real life, it reduces romantic interest. Fad or cultural turn? Perhaps the cigarette has not completely returned: perhaps its ghost, its iconography, its gesture has returned. Aesthetics are back, not addiction. The smoke, not the habit. But while celebrities hold it up as if it were just another jewel in the photo, health organizations remember that tobacco continues to kill half of those who don’t quit. And although on the screen it is pure aesthetics, in real life it is still a tangible risk. The cigarette, that old protagonist of classic cinema, today experiences its … Read more

El Corte Inglés has just placed 808 million among investors

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Santander and El Corte Inglés have sold 808 million euros in loans from their clients to institutional investors, as published The Confidential. Instead of keeping those loans on their books, they have packaged them and transferred them to investment funds. Why is it important. The department store doesn’t just sell washing machines or sofas: it finances its customers’ purchases for months or years without charging interest. These debts are converted into a financial asset that is then sold to investors in exchange for periodic payments. If someone doesn’t pay their loan, the problem is no longer yours. It is financial engineering applied in a very ingenious way to retail. How the business works. A brushstroke to understand it: El Corte Inglés sells you a TV for 1,000 euros and lets you pay for it in 10 months without interest. Instead of waiting 10 months to collect that 1,000 euros, package your debt with thousands of others and sell it to investors for, say, 950 euros. He collects the money immediately, eliminates the risk of you not paying, and can use that capital to finance more purchases. Investors pay 950 euros today and will collect 1,000 in 10 months. You still don’t pay interest. Everyone wins. What has happened. The operation was closed in the Dublin market and includes all types of credits: Interest-free financing for up to five years. Credit card debts. And small loans of 300 to 900 euros. Investors who buy these packages charge different interest rates depending on the risk they assume. In the largest section (664 million), they charge 0.87% above the Euribor. In the highest risk sections, the differential rises to 6.2%. Between the lines. By selling these credits, the financial company removes the risk from its balance sheet and frees up space to continue lending money. Banking regulators approve this type of operation because it spreads the risk throughout the financial system instead of concentrating it in a single entity. For Santander and El Corte Inglés, it is a way to grow without accumulating all the danger of defaults. The background. Santander bought 51% of the financial company of El Corte Inglés in 2013paying 140 million for control and another 140 million as an immediate dividend. The bank saw the potential clearly: the margins on consumer credit are much higher than those of traditional banking. El Corte Inglés maintains 49% without managing anything. A perfect capitalist partner. Yes, but. Financiera El Corte Inglés is not marginal: it handles nearly a third of the consumer banking business in Spain and Portugal. His loyalty card It has 11.7 million members who last year made purchases worth 3,778 million, both in department stores and in supermarkets and other subsidiaries. That customer base is a gold mine. The context. These operations have become increasingly popular in the Spanish financial sector. Santander has been the most active European bank packaging and selling loan portfolios. For an entity like Financiera El Corte Inglés, this mechanism not only frees capital: it also makes it possible to avoid regulatory limits on risk concentration. behind the scenes. The model reveals how the retail Spanish. The real margin is no longer just in selling a product, but in financing its purchase and then monetizing that debt by selling it to investment funds. El Corte Inglés sells televisions, but above all it sells credits. And then it sells the risk of those credits. Squaring the circle. Featured image | The English Court In Xataka | The two largest travel agencies in Spain fight to sell trips to Disney. This is the business of children’s dreams

Philips coffee makers, iPhone mobiles or Samsung televisions among the top offers of the first Bargain Hunting in November

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There is nothing left for the next Black Friday, so some stores have begun to launch their own campaigns or individual offers that are quite interesting. Today, in the first Bargain Hunting in November, we will review the best deals of the whole week. iPhone 16 by 699 eurosa good price considering that it has been around for months for approximately 800 euros. Samsung S93F by 959 eurosa TV with a 55-inch OLED screen. Philips 3300 Series by 299.99 eurosa very complete super-automatic coffee maker. Samsung Galaxy Z Flip7 FE by 559 eurosa gem for a folding mobile. Ring Intercom Video by 69.99 eurosAmazon’s new device has been launched at a discount. iPhone 16 After the launch of iPhone 17 We have not found very good prices in the iPhone 16 that they manage to justify their purchase over the new generation, but things have changed with the new offer from Powerplanet, which has the Apple mobile for 699 euros instead of 800 or more euros, which is what it costs in other stores. He iPhone 16 It is a very interesting mobile if we are looking for a slightly more compact format (6.1 inches) than that of the iPhone 17 (6.3 inches). It is also a powerful mobile phone that integrates the A18 chip, has MagSafe charging and is compatible with Apple Intelligence.- The price could vary. We earn commission from these links Samsung S93F If you were thinking of renewing the living room television, be careful with Amazon’s offer on the model Samsung S93F. Its 55-inch configuration has dropped to 959 euros and it is a television whose speakers offer a 60W RMS sound poweroffers compatibility with Dolby Atmos and it comes with Alexa. In addition, its panel reaches a refresh rate of up to 144 Hz through its HDMI ports. Samsung S93F (OLED, 55 inches) The price could vary. We earn commission from these links Philips 3300 Series On the other hand, if what you are looking for is a good coffee maker to prepare delicious coffees in the morning, the Amazon store also has the Philips 3300 Seriesa super-automatic coffee maker that, 299.99 euroscomes with the possibility of preparing up to five types of coffee (cappuccino, espresso, and others), offers a pressure of 15 bars, includes a milk frother and comes with a digital touch panel. The price could vary. We earn commission from these links Samsung Galaxy Z Flip7 FE Folding mobile phones are usually expensive, but from time to time they drop significantly in price with the offers that stores launch. He Samsung Galaxy Z Flip7 FE has fallen on Powerplanet until 559 euros and it is a very interesting mobile phone: it has a good 3.4 inch external screen and its thickness is quite thin. Samsung Galaxy Z Flip7 FE (128GB) The price could vary. We earn commission from these links Ring Intercom Video The new generation of Ring Intercom It just arrived and has already been put on sale for a price of 69.99 euros. It is an interesting device to know who is knocking at the door, but from the mobile phone whether we are at home or not. Incorporates two-way communication, allows you to grant permissions to users so they can open the door with their smartphones, it includes Alexa and its installation is simple. Ring Intercom Video (latest generation) The price could vary. We earn commission from these links Some of the links in this article are affiliated and may provide a benefit to Xataka. In case of non-availability, offers may vary. Images | Apple, Samsung, Philips, Amazon In Xataka | The best mobile phones (2025), we have tested them and here are their analyzes In Xataka | Best televisions in quality price. Which one to buy and seven recommended 4K smart TVs

Although it may not seem like it, meritocracy does exist in Spain. At least among the millionaires

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In Spain, the idea that millionaires are born rich by inheritance It is changing, or at least that is what the various data and analyzes say. Recent figures show that in Spain the number of millionaires has increased “self-made“, scratching space for those who They have inherited their fortune. However, as in so many aspects, the data can tell different realities. Millionaires in Spain according to UBS and Forbes. The report ‘Billionaire Ambitions Report 2024’ prepared by the Swiss bank UBS, reveals that 44% of billionaires in Spain have created their fortune from their own work or investments. However, this figure contrasts with the published data by Forbeswhich show that about 74% of the big millionaires in Spain are rich thanks to inheritances that they have received from their family, leaving only 26% of those who would have obtained it on their own merits. Rich or very very rich: that’s the difference. So, which data is correct, UBS or Forbes? The short answer is both, because the difference is in the type of millionaire analyzed and the sample size. Forbes focuses only on billionaires (with assets in the billions of euros), while UBS includes highest net worth millionairesbut not necessarily at the global peak. According to the study data According to Charles Schwab, it takes $2.3 million to be considered a rich person. But to be considered a UHNWI (Ultra High Net Worth Individuals) or people with a assets available to invest of more than 30 million dollars. Depending on where that threshold is placed, the percentages also change. Heirs and own fortune. If only those who have more than 30 million dollars to invest (the UHNWIs) are taken into account, the percentage of Spanish millionaires who have inherited their fortune drops to the 14% that UBS indicated. This percentage also coincides with that given by the study by Jonathan Wai and David Lincoln which examines the nature of fortunes around the world. According to the data from this study, in Spain 38.4% of millionaires have received an inheritance and have multiplied that money through investments or their own projects, creating a new fortune from a previous financial base, while 47.5% have managed to build their wealth without receiving a significant inheritance. These figures show that meritocracy among millionaires exists, but adds the nuance that, in many cases, this fortune is the result of a combination between inheritance and effort staff. Don’t call it meritocracy: call it environment. When creating a new fortune Not everything is reduced to inheriting money, but it also depends largely on the social environment and the opportunities offered by birth. in a wealthy family. Having access to contacts, preferred education, and financial support increases the chances of success, even for those considered “self-made.” According to a report According to the Social Observatory of the La Caixa Foundation, it takes four generations to rise from a situation of poverty to the middle class. The report ‘To Have and Have Not – How to Bridge the Gap in Opportunities’ prepared by the OECD, points out that the socioeconomic environment of parents contributes up to 75% to the definition of their children’s opportunities. That is to say, a young person born into a wealthy family has more opportunities and economic support to start projects—which may be a failure, but also a resounding success—that a young man with few resources. That family support must also be taken into consideration when labeling “self-made” fortunes. Although this does not detract from the merit. In Xataka | If the question is how much money do you need to be rich, generation Z is clear: more is needed every year Image | Unsplash (Shane)

Colon cancers are increasing alarmingly among young people. We have a suspect: sedentary lifestyle

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colon cancer It is one of the tumors that has increased its incidence the most in young adults over the last few decades, a trend that is very worrying because has made science need to answer why. One of the most important points are the factors that are influencing more and more young people to begin to have tumors in their digestive system. A big problem. Colon cancer is undoubtedly one of the most aggressive diseases that we endure, and also really frequent among the population, with a really aggressive treatment with surgeries that can mean the removal of part of the colonbut also with a high mortality behind them. Its early diagnosis is so relevant that in Spain there are many autonomous communities that have screening programs either screening (although sometimes they fail like in Andalusia) to begin treatment in the case of positive cases, as soon as possible to increase their chances of survival. The problem is that this horrible disease is becoming increasingly prevalent, and science is seeing many factors that are important to take into account to try to reduce the chances of suffering from it. Quantified. This trend has been reflected in a published study in Annals of Internal Medicine which has detected that in many countries the number of cases among those under fifty years of age has grown up to four times faster than in older people. In the end, it is a phenomenon that has revived the debate about the causes and future strategies that must be taken in prevention and early detection. This is extremely important, since a timely diagnosis can mean a big difference in life expectancy who has a patient. The reasons. As stated in the Institute for Cancer Research, London After studying forty-two different countries, two main explanations have been identified. The first is the screening that is done among adults. Although it is very positive to do screening among the population for this disease, the reality is that there is an age limit from which these tests are carried out. This does not occur among the younger population who do not receive this type of screening tests on a regular basis, which may explain the accelerated growth in this group, since cancers are not diagnosed in the early stages. The second reason given is obesity. In this case It is considered a very important risk factor which drives the increased probability of suffering from colon cancer in young people and adults of all ages. Although it remains to be seen if there is an increase in its relationship with the younger population. Environmental factors. In addition to these two causes, the research led by the CNIO Digital Genomics Group in Spain provides new evidence about why this may occur. In his published study In Nature, the influence of the intestinal microbiota, particularly certain strains of E.coli intestinal, producers of the toxin colibactin. As we already sawthis can cause great genetic damage to colon cells that can accelerate tumor development. But other factors associated with the patients’ lifestyle are also being considered. In this case, the increase in type 2 diabetesespecially when there is a sedentary habit and unhealthy diets that seem to increase the risk of having this type of cancer. A Swedish study with a national cohort showed that people with diabetes reach an equivalent risk of colorectal cancer at younger ages than those who do not suffer from it, requiring prevention and monitoring before the standard screening age in the general population. But ultra-processed diets also come in here, excessive consumption of alcohol or even sugary drinkswhich can be an important risk factor. Prevention. Experts agree that there is no single and definitive cause, but rather a combination of genetic, biological, environmental and social factors. While research continues, it is proposed to implement comprehensive prevention policies that adapt to these realities. To do this, they aim to apply personalized screening that includes risk factors such as obesity, diabetes or family history. But we must also focus on research into how our microbiota can have an important implication in this. This forces us to have to take great care of what we eat and maintain adequate intestinal health. But the most relevant thing is to adapt the recommendations for starting screening for high-risk groups, such as young people who have diabetes or a family history so that they begin surveillance at age 40. Images | Ramon Inciarte Julia Koblitz In Xataka | Until now, different types of cancer required different types of treatment. A new vaccine wants to change that

The latest trend among the rich is exclusive writing retreats. Experts don’t think anything too good will come of it.

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The bubble of the luxury retreats It continues to grow by pairing itself with all kinds of hobbies. Painting, sculpture, ceramics, photography or jewelry classes we already have increasingly wealthy clients with higher and higher goals. The phenomenon of wellness luxury It continues to expand and the last sphere to receive its corresponding practical courses for very well-off people has been that of writing. In other words: if you are starving as a writer it is because you want to, it is a waste of time to make a living from writing (as long as you already had a lot of money beforehand, of course). Luxury retreats for writers. Luxury retreats for writers come under scrutiny in articles like this one from Slatewhich although it guarantees that the cost of the experience it describes is very high, also makes it clear that strictly literary results are not guaranteed. They are exclusive experiences that combine writing with activities such as massages, yoga, horseback riding, gourmet gastronomy and cultural tours in destinations such as Guatemalaon board a luxury cruise with all kinds of classes and tutorials, France either Tuscany. The only thing you need to participate in them is to have sufficient financial resources and available free time, not talent or experience in the world of writing. ‘Call me Ismael’, version wellness luxury. That is, more than the writing workshop in your neighborhood bookstore, these retreats have to do with the trend of wellness luxury that we mentioned: retreats that combine popular hobbies with exclusive holistic practices such as guided meditations, pranayamaspecialized massages, spa with ancestral therapies and gourmet organic gastronomy (sic). This exists but if you haven’t heard of it, perhaps it is because it is outside your sphere of possibilities. Visit websites with these types of experiences, such as Sansara Resort on the Pacific coast, and you decide if it is designed for your pocket or continue taking your drafts to your neighborhood bookstore. Emotional scam. Richard Z. Santos, author of the article, speaks directly of an emotional and financial “scam”: in the last 15 years, the duration of his literary career, he has observed how this market of workshops, sessions, and retreats to improve writing has grown, but the recent wave of touristy and expensive destinations for writers does not guarantee anything. These luxury retreats are accessible with direct payment and without a quality filter, they are more of a luxury product and a tourist experience than a serious training space. What’s more, some writers have reported that these retreats can be emotionally draining or counterproductive if you are working on sensitive or traumatic material without adequate psychological support. The barriers. Santos talks about the fact that the participants in this type of retreat are mostly white women with good economic stability, which creates an important socioeconomic and racial diversity barrier. Quite the opposite of what happens with “real”, prestigious and traditional retreats, such as Yaddo either Bread Loafwhich work with rigorous selection processes based on literary merits and offer scholarships for those who cannot afford them, and thus add social and ethnic diversity. Pay and you will receive. The luxury tourism industry and wellness They try to cover themselves with experiences that sell skills or training, and thus stop transmitting an image of indolence or little commitment to other social levels. But the name “pay-to-play” that is usually given to these withdrawals is for a reason: the fact of paying does not guarantee anything. And much less in something that requires a certain commitment, like artistic creation. Photo of Darius Bashar in Unsplash

Genesis wants to be Hyundai’s lexus. And its general director has no doubt of its expansion in Europe: “We are among the best”

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Genesis is a “premium Korean brand. We are among the best”. With these words, Peter Kronschnabl, director of Genesis in Europe, to the company where he works. After a few hesitant years and a limited presence in a handful of European markets, the Korean company of Premium vehicles will launch new markets from next year among which is Spain. The presentation of the plans came in the IAA Mobilitywhere Xataka He had the opportunity to know the details of an expansion that will play all the sticks. Genesis will be much more than a refined and more luxurious version of Hyundai. The company will have its own sports line and will put all the meat on the grill with its long starting at the WEC, the World Cup, and, therefore, on the 24 -hour Le Mans grill. New life for genesis In our country, Genesis has been little less than a great stranger. You may sound your logo (which can remind Aston Martin’s) and you may have seen some of her cars on the street. But it is rare because our country has been arriving in counted units. In fact, Genesis has only been present in recent years in Germany, the United Kingdom and Switzerland. That is, always with an eye on regions with more bulky wages than Spanish. However, the European hug to the electric car seems to have opened a loophole to other markets. Although there is no official confirmation, the brand has not ruled out that in the future we can see hybrid models. At the moment we know that they will bring three completely electric models. Two of them are SUV, the GV60 and the GV70, which will arrive accompanied by a Berlina, the G80. Genesis will offer models clearly focused on luxury And, in the absence of trying them, with a clear commitment to the most sophisticated comfort. On the way to the Münich airport we had the opportunity to get on its G80 as passengers and we verified first hand the words of its director for Europe. “What does it mean to be a ‘Premium Korean’? Obviously, we talk about the quality of the materials, we do not make any commitment. You will understand when you enter the interior because we are among the best brands of the Premium segment,” said Kronschnabl. And stressed, “for us it is very important They are Nimwhich is the Korean word that is used for the concept of hospitality. And when I say that for us it is very important, it is not only that you buy a car, but also that you have a service package with a car. We will give services that revolve around the experience inside the car. “ In fact, the true protagonists are their rear squares: two heated and ventilated rear armchairs, with the possibility of reclining in all types of positions and with massage included. Curtain for the windows, two tablets behind the back of the front seats and a total control of the infotainment system from a digital center located between the two seats. The movement makes sense in a European market where high -flight electrical options begin to take positions. The Chinese manufacturers As Xpeng or Nio have a clear technological commitment. Genesis, however, is committed to the most traditional luxury line, the BMW 7 Series 7 or a Mercedes S. The Hypercar with which Genesis will compete in Le Mans To this we must add that offering only electrical versions, at least for the moment, the bet is very little risky. Although cars arrive with drops, each electric registration helps reduce Hyundai average emissions in Europe. Import hybrid cars is more problematic because it would continue to represent the relative high cost of importing very low volumes but Without the benefit of directly attacking the average emissions. And when driving? We will have to wait to check for ourselves but from Genesis they already advance that “on one side you have the brands with a very sporty approach and on the other side those that are very oriented to comfort. We have our own positioning. We want to offer a good driving experience but comfort is above all” Of course, with genesis Magna should also come. This firm will be the most sporty version of Genesis. He has the challenge of offering clear differentiation with Hyundai’s N Division and putting a spicy point to cars that clearly bet on extreme comfort. However, Genesis investment for its (new) arrival in Europe is important and will begin by generating brand image In the World Cup. This same year they already took advantage of Le Mans to give first brushstrokes on the project. There they will compete with a Hypercar which was also seen in the Münich IAA Mobility. Live, paint absolutely spectacular. It remains to know how that V8 that will mount. The Koreans, in addition, have not spared efforts to give relevance to their sports commitment. The division is flag Jacky Ickxa myth of motor racing that piloted for Ferrari or Lotus in Formula 1 and is especially remembered by his six victories in the 24 hours of Le Mans. There, the team will be directed by Cyril Abiteboulwho already directed Renault in his passage through Formula 1. Of all this, however, we will know new details later. Photos | Genesis In Xataka | “They are a serious threat but we can contract”: Xavier Martinet, CEO of Hyundai Europe, about China and the Concept Three in response

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