shelter

A tax on billionaires has made the founder of Google seek refuge in Miami. A $173 million shelter

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Larry Page, co-founder of Google and second largest fortune in the world according to Forbespacks his bags after 30 years living in California. It’s not a whim. There is a compelling reason behind this decision: not pay taxes. However, the millionaire moves from state to state. the most millionaire way possiblewhich is none other than spending no less than 173.4 million dollars on two mansions near the sea in Miami. A house with a name and surname in Coconut Grove. According to published The Wall Street Journalthe co-founder of Google has acquired two properties in Coconut Grove, one of the most exclusive and luxurious neighborhoods in Miami, for about $101.5 million and $71.9 million respectively, for a total outlay of $173.4 million. One of the mansions was initially put up for sale for $135 million and extends over a 1.8-hectare beachfront plot, has 13 bedrooms and 15 bathrooms, several pools and gardens surrounding the construction. The mansion was owned by Jonathan Lewis, a well-known philanthropist and civil rights activist who died in 2023. The sale of this mansion known in the area as “Banyan Ridge“, closed in mid-December with a significant discount. ​A second retreat close. As and how they point From the specialized real estate portal Realtor, without leaving the neighborhood and just under four minutes by car from his main residence, the millionaire would have bought a second mansion for about 71.9 million dollars. This second property would also be located on the seafront with views of Biscayne Bay. In this case, the construction has about 1,579 square meters, seven rooms and belonged to the journalist and writer Sloan Barnett, heiress of billionaire George L. Lindemann, as he collected The Wall Street Journal. Fleeing the millionaire tax. Larry Page’s hasty move and other Silicon Valley millionaires It comes in the context of California’s plans to vote on approving a tax that would levy 5% to the estates of more than 1 billion dollars. According to what was published by The New York TimesIf the tax is approved, it could be applied retroactively to those billionaires who reside in California as of January 1, 2026. Therefore, in order not to be included in that calculation, Page has packed his bags to start the year as a resident in Florida. Analysts consulted by the American media calculate that, taking into account that it is the second largest fortune in the world with a valuation of 270.1 billion dollars, this tax could mean a tax bill of more than 13 billion dollars. Following in the footsteps of Bezos and Musk. Larry Page’s move is not an isolated or strange case. Jeff Bezos did the same from Seattle in 2023, although at that time justified his move to Miami to be closer to the family and operations of Blue Origin, his aerospace company. Bezos also made a grand landing in Florida, buying several mansions on the artificial island known as Billionaire Bunker for about 237 million. The change of residence (and state) has given you an estimated tax savings of about 1 billion dollars. Something similar happened to Elon Musk who, after his judicial dispute over the payment of his salary bonus of Tesla in Delaware, changed the headquarters of his companies and his residence to Texasavoiding paying 13.3% in California capital gains taxes. Bad news for your neighbors. The exodus of millionaires from California is making local real estate agents make a killing selling luxury homes in areas like Coconut Grove. Dina Gold Thayer, by Douglas Elliman, explained to The Wall Street Journal that “every two days, we show available homes to San Francisco clients. Everyone is in a hurry to buy to avoid the retroactive application of the wealth tax.” This rush to buy is an opportunity for residents, since their potential buyers had less room for negotiation, causing prices in the area to skyrocket even more. In Xataka | In a financial carom, Google has stood up to NVIDIA, leaving an unexpected winner in the crazy AI race: Larry Page Image | Flickr (Fortune Global Forum)

For me listening to music was always something private. Spotify’s social functions invaded that shelter but I already took action

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The announcement that Spotify users We can send us direct messages It was an immediate reminder for me: the time had come to thoroughly review the privacy in the application. I have always been clear that what I hear and when I hear it belongs exclusively to my personal sphere. With that idea in mind, I decided to take action on the matter. I opened the app and went to Configuration and privacy > Privacy and social. There is the panel that marks what is shared and what is not, so I took the time to go calmly. Private session. It is Spotify’s unknowns Annual Wrapped. It expires automatically at six hours. I did not activate it because I decided to adjust the rest of the options permanently. Reproduction activity. Spotify can transmit your reproduction activity to your followers (which feeds the feed of friends on the desk). If you are listening to a certain song, your followers that are in the desktop app can see it almost in real time. I deactivated it. I do not need my listening from the minute by minute to be exposed. Recently heard artists. As I mentioned, your profile can show a “artists heard recently”. If you don’t want others to see what your last artists or genres were, you can deactivate that option. I prefer that this information does not appear, so I chose to disable it. Public lists vs. private lists. Something that at the time made me a little noise is that when you create a new playlist in Spotify, by default it will be public. This means that any user could access it if he finds the link, and will appear listed in your profile (if the privacy settings allow it). If a playlist contains songs that you prefer not to be visible, you can mark it as “make private”, which totally hides it: no one else can access, not even with the direct link. The private playlists only see them. Even so, there is a useful nuance: in the desktop version you can manually choose which concrete playlists you want to show in your profile. It is a way of maintaining fine control: all private by default, and I only highlight what I decide. Profile visibility. I deactivated followers and following that no one can see who I follow or who follow me. Less noise, less exposure. Messages in Spotify. It should be said that they are not yet active in Europe and that Spotify has begun a progressive deployment in other regions. On a personal level, the idea does not attract me too much: as I said at the beginning, my relationship with the application is that of a musical refuge, not that of a social network. As the company has advanced, the function will have its own privacy controls and can be completely deactivated, something that you will surely receive it. In any case, there will also be complementary measures, such as blocking unwanted users or rejecting message requests. As a complement, out of that menu I checked two more sections: I deactivated personalized advertising and removed the option to share data with Facebook. Thus I limit the crossing of information with third parties and I prevent my account from relating to a social network that I do not need to listen to music. The final experience does not change in the essential: I still search, choose and reproduce as always. What does change is my sense of control. My playlists are not published alone, my activity does not appear in the feed of others, my profile does not show recent artists or monitoring relationships. And if one day I need an extra layer, I know that private session is waiting there. Images | Xataka with Gemini 2.5 Flash | Screen capture In Xataka | Spotify is no longer a music player. It is a “audio netflix” who wants to devour your whole day

The crochet was a quiet shelter away from stress and internet overinformation. Until the AI ​​arrived

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There is the way everywhere. The last viral success in networks is made with ia, we hear music made with iathe Wikipedia has been filled with the… despite the initiatives to label itwe constantly encounter content that It gets through Real, And this It is a problem. It is exactly what is happening in the crochet community, a small and harmless Internet corner where the patterns generated with AI are ruining everything. Patterns impossible to weave. Crochet fans or crochet They went to the Internet to find new patterns. Currently, platforms like Etsy are a mines field full of patterns made with ia. Dragons, unicorns, lions … all with complex designs and a suspiciously perfect appearance that, trying to recreate them, are impossible to weave. In other cases, what users receive is absolutely similar to the photos of the product and, when weaving them, they become the meme of “what you ask vs. what comes to you.” And the worst: many are sold. What you ask what comes to you (ETSY) The deception. It has not cost me anything to find several examples of crochet patterns made with ethsy. On the first results page there are a few and do not specify that they have been generated with AI; Rather, quite the opposite. For example, the pattern of This dragon It is sold for 3.40 euros and nowhere does nothing say. Nor do we see it in the seller pagewhere all your designs are clearly made with AI. In fact, in the description ensures that you design each pattern with love and with real photos. In the reviews, this dragon has an assessment of 4.3 out of 5, which is not bad. However, it is enough to dive a bit to realize that most reviews with five stars are from people who have not yet started. If we see the worst assessment, they are people complaining that what they have received is impossible to weave. Many ask for explanations to the creator and the answers continue to insist that the pattern is real and has even been “created by a true craftsman.” A full -fledged scam. Some user reviews that have fallen in this SCAM. A problem that comes from afar. In the crochet community They have been complaining years of the irruption of these false patterns. Two years ago It was already written about this problem And it was common to see images of crochet artificially generated On Instagram and other networks. There were even guides to help people differentiate a real pattern of one made with the. The thing has not improved. There are more and more examples made with AI and the tools have advanced so much that There are people who fall believing they were facing a real pattern. The garbage goes for your hobbies. Recently we talked about Phenomenon of ‘AI Slop’ that flooded the networks such as Instagram or Tiktok with videos of quite disturbing. With the case of crochet, we are seeing that garbage applied to a hobby, and is not the only one. Something similar happens with 3D impression, where more and more Suspiciously perfect models that when they print them, they seem rather little to the photos. Sewing fans too They denounce that ETSY has been filled with patterns AI. If you like the kitchen you are not safe, Facebook is full of recipes made with ia. Labeling the AI ​​content is not enough. Although many fans are able to detect an image generated with a real one, it is enough to read the comments of many of these publications to see the enormous number of people who believe they are real. Platforms like Pinterest, Instagram either Tiktok They are labeling the AI ​​content (although It is not infallible), but the problem of constant spameo or ‘slop’ . The volume of content generated is so large, that in some searches it costs to find images that are not made with AI (try to look for Haircut ideas on Pinterest). John Oliver said it in This great monologueand perhaps it is not disenchanted: “Not all the AI ​​content is spam, but all spam is AI contained.” Cover image | ETSYedited In Xataka | A study has discovered a much more efficient activity for your brain than writing by hand or walking: sewing

Without light at home, many Spaniards turned to another “shelter” for hot dinner or load the mobile: their car

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Spain collapsed. In five seconds, The Government tells us60% of the electricity consumed at that time was lost and all kinds of electronic devices went black. Then we understood to what extent we depend on electrical energy. Without the possibility of plugging into the network, the batteries began to quote and, above all, they showed us the importance of having a Small electric survival kit. Because how can we load the mobile when we don’t have electricity? The question also resonated at a server’s house. First came the disappointment with the already known answer to the question “Didn’t you have some PowerBanks?” Then, a light bulb was lit: “We always have the car.” A shelter Luckily, we did not have to go down to the garage but use the car like a gigantic external battery would not have been a bad idea. In fact, it is not necessary to have an electric car although this technology allows us to even be more flexible. The USB shots From cars with combustion engines they generally serve us to plug small electrical devices and can get us out of trouble. Simply start the car and connect to one of its ports or take the lighter. In this case, the most basic and obvious option a situation like the one that We have lived in Spain on April 28, 2025 It is to load the mobile phone or an external battery that already helps us keep the electrical devices alive. Generally, cars’s USB shots are not especially powerful, so we will need to spend more time load the mobile phone that at home and surely we will have to forget the fast charge. As we will see, there are some exceptions to this. If your car is already a few years old, The normal thing is that you use a USB 1.0 or 2.0. This limits the load to 500 mA. With current phones, the load will be extremely slow or, simply, it will slow down your download if we are using the mobile phone at that time. If the car is more modern, it is easy for USB-C shots to deliver 5W of power onwards, which is more than enough to load a current mobile phone. Another solution if, as we said, the car is a few years on it is to use an adapter for the tambo. In this case, It has a voltage of 12 volts In direct current and its amperage is 10 A. The maximum power in this case usually reaches 120W so the maximum power to which we can load the car will depend on the adapter used. In stores like Amazon It is easy to find products for little money with up to 30W So we can load a relatively fast mobile phone or, if necessary, to a laptop if necessary. That is, it is not a bad idea to carry an adapter of these in the car. Not only is it a matter that in the case of a blackout we can load the phone, it is also interesting if, for example, we have suffered a breakdown and we have to wait for hours until we get an assistance. The possibilities multiply with an electric car. Currently, most of those sold in the market arrive with V2L (Vehicle to Load) technology, a standard of Bidirectional load that allows to load most of the electronic devices we have at home because, simply, it makes our car a domestic plug. Click on the image to go to the original tweet Click on the image to go to the original tweet To get an idea, the car becomes a huge battery with wheels that can provide us with electricity to 3.4 kW. That is, we can easily plug a microwave and, for example, dinner hot despite being in the middle of a blackout. Again, it is an interesting solution if we want to spend an night away from home and we want to make a timely use of a high consumption device like this. Keep in mind that a device such as A microwave can easily overcome 1 kW of power to function. Therefore, we could not start it without this type of V2L technology. Again, it is an interesting option without the need to face a blackout. If we want to spend an afternoon in the field and enjoy coffee after eating, A capsules coffee maker can be the solution. And more useful, we can Take advantage to have an inflatable mattress Wherever we go. The two previous cases are not isolated. Talking to other colleagues who have an electric car, some of them have confirmed that they took advantage of the car batteries to serve various home tools and, in fact, they regretted that in Spain the V2H technology (Vehicle to Home) or V2G (Vehicle To Grid) is not allowed. With the V2H technology You can pour the battery from an electric car to a house. Although in most cases the car itself reserves a minimum percentage that is usually at 20%, this bidirectional load could supply tens of kWh to a house, which can be used to maintain a house for several days. V2G technology allows even launching electricity accumulated in the car to the general electricity network and, therefore, electric cars could act as electric power stores that can be used in emergency cases. Photo | Hyundai In Xataka | Spanish Electric Electric

In times of fall in stock market, a luxury investment has become a “shelter”: bags

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In times of financial uncertainty, generalized falls In stock markets around the world and the dollar losing credibility as a reference currency, investors seek refuge values ​​to protect their assets. The gold It used to be the safeguard In times of crisis, but a new trend has gained strength in recent years: the Investment in luxury articlesespecially exclusive bags such as Hermès Birkin. Get out of the bag to get into the bag. The attractiveness of these high -end bags signed by Hermes, Louis Vuitton Or Chanel not only resides in its exclusivity and status, but also surprise by their profitability. While actions and gold experience ups and downs, Birkin bags have demonstrated a constant revaluation of their value in the second -hand market. During periods of financial volatilityluxury bags, and in particular Hermès Birkin, has positioned itself as an asset of investment at levels of artthe high -end watches or the Classic luxury cars. According to the report of Art Market Researchin the last two decades, luxury bags have gone from being an accessory to what is now “the only category of collecting women centered.” Scarcity marketing. This investment model is sustained thanks to something as basic as the law of supply and demand. Hermès, like most luxury brands, applies a deliberate scarcity strategy with a very limited production of their pieces in which, curiously, It is the brand who chooses What products sell to your customers. The high demand for these articles causes waiting lists among their clients that can reach six years. The perception of exclusivity increases the desire for the product, which causes automatically revalue in the second -hand market when leaving the store. This is a phenomenon quite common In markets. For example, we live it after launch of the Sony PS5when these consoles arrived with counts to stores and doubled their price in the second -hand market or, at another level, with The Purosangue Ferrari. More Birkin, less gold. The Birkin de Hermès, is considered one of the best investments in the world of luxury, even surpassing traditional assets such as art or gold in terms of profitability and stability. A 2020 study Prepared by Credit Suisse and Deloitte, he revealed that the value of the Birkin increased 38% on average that year, far exceeding the performance of the S&P 500, which grew 16.3% in the same period. A study Baghunter compared the value of Hermès’ bags with respect to the S&P 500 and gold since 1995. The results showed that the financial behavior of the Birkin was much more stable and profitable than the stock market index and the value of gold, with a less volatile market and greater interannual returns. While the S&P 500 offered an average annual return of 8.65%and gold just 1.9%, the Birkin registered an average annual increase of 14.2%. A second -hand birkin: from 9,000 to $ 200,000. As with the market of the Collection luxury watchesthe high demand for certain editions of Birkin has generated spectacular revaluation. A Birkin de Hermès costs between $ 9,000 and $ 12,000, but can reach prices of up to $ 200,000 In auctions or specialized platformsdepending on its rarity, state and materials. In 2015, a pink crocodile skin birkin was sold by a record of $ 223,000, consolidating the reputation of these bags as high performance investments. The most expensive birkin ever auctioned was a Birkin 30 Himalayas with diamonds, than It reached a price of $ 450,000 in 2014. The Chinese offensive: the true value of the Birkin. In a context of commercial warfare like the current one, the boom of the Birkin as an investment has not been exempt from controversy. After the imposition of tariffs by the Trump administration, Chinese influencers networks They have started a campaign To demystify the value of these bags. During the last days, Tiktok and X They have filled with videos of these Chinese influencers directing directly to the customers of these brands by analyzing the manufacturing costs in China. The message indicates the manufacturing price of a Birkin of Hermès around $ 1,400, while luxury brands sell their bags for a price up to ten times higher than its real cost, feeding the perception that there is a speculative bubble around these luxury items. In Xataka | A rare 900,000 clock has marked the end of moderation in goal: Mark Zuckerberg and his fondness for expensive watches In Xataka | Nicolas Puech: Hermès’s Swiss Millionaire who wants to leave a gardener with Spanish ties as the only heir Image | Hermes

The collapse of shelter values ​​such as the US dollar and debt

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The American treasure bonds, considered for decades the safest asset in the world, are suffering The biggest mass sale since 2001when Puntocomwith yields that exceed 4.5% in the ten -year bonus and touch 5% in thirty years. This shake is not a simple technical adjustment. This directly questions the dollar and the US debt as a safe refuge in moments of global economic uncertainty, precisely when Trump’s commercial war with China and other countries reaches historical levels with the tariffs of Up to 104%. Why is it important. The collapse of the American bond market also has implications for Europe and Spain. If investors lose confidence in the dollar and American bonds, two contradictory scenarios are possible: European risk premiums could shoot themselves by infection, making financing for governments and Spanish companies. Or paradoxically, Europe could benefit if investors look for alternatives to the dollar, lowering our debt. The current situation. What began as a technical problem in the bond market has become a crisis of trust. The coverage funds carried out by arbitration operations with American bonds (known as “Basis Trade“) are being forced to sell in mass, shooting the yields and causing a vicious circle. The ten -year bonus from the United States has gone from a 3.87% yield to early April to More than 4.5% In just a week. The bonus at thirty years has touched 5%levels not seen in more than a decade. The type curve has been invested extremely, with a difference of 30 basic points between two and ten years bonds in just a few hours. Between the lines. This phenomenon is the structural change reflex. After decades as an indisputable world reserve currency, The dollar and the American bonds are being questioned as a result of Trump’s aggressive tariff policy. China, Japan and the United Kingdom, main foreign American debt holders And precisely countries especially affected by tariffs, they can be using their bond reserves as an economic weapon, selling them in retaliation. At stake. The stability of the global financial system now depends on how central banks respond. The Federal Reserve could be forced to make emergency cuts in interest rates or implement programs for buying bonds similar to Those used during the 2008 crisis. If these measures fail, the consequences would be serious: increasing credit for companies and families, destabilization of stock markets (some already vulnerable), and potential global recession just when the economy recovered from Post-pandemic inflation. Meanwhile in Europe. Here the public debt yields have also triggered sympathy. British bonds have reached 5.6% yields – levels not seen since 1998–and the pressure on the Spanish and European debt is inevitable if the situation continues to deteriorate. The European Central Bank and the Bank of England could be forced to advance or intensify its type cuts to contain damage, especially if the European economy begins to show signs of contagion. For Spain, with A public debt exceeding 100% of GDPa sustained increase in financing costs would threaten the government’s budgetary and investment plans. Just when they are most needed to cushion the impact of the commercial war. The money trail. The financial world has taken a historic turn in just one week. If the American treasure bonds cease to be the safe shelter par excellence, we enter an unknown territory for the global economic system. When what seemed impossible happens, panic can become a self -fulfilling prophecy. It does not seem to make sense and ask whether there will be consequences or not, but rather how deep they will be and who will pay the invoice. In Xataka | The United States created modern globalization. Now he has become his main devastating Outstanding image | Xataka

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