$125,000

How much 17-year-old Peter Cancro paid for a sandwich shop in 1975. He renamed it to Jersey Mike’s Subs … and just sold it for $8 billion. Guess who gave him the idea to buy it in the first place? Mom!

Tags: buy, entrepreneurs, franchises, mother, old


This crime shot up 400% – watch out

To keep you and your money safe, I make it a point to always let you know about the spreading scams, from crypto catfishing to AI deepfakes. I bet you’re going to be surprised by this news: The crime that shot up 400% last year is old-school check fraud.

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The agony of de feet: Scientists have created robotic shorts that help people walk farther using less energy. WalkON wraps around your waist with a harness and has artificial Kevlar tendons that attach to your legs. As you walk, the shorts analyze your movement patterns and help take the strain off your hips. So many people will benefit from this cool tech.

Good enough for government work: Elon Musk is talking about bloated government departments and wasted taxpayer dollars in posts to his 205 million X followers. He’s targeting specific federal employees, too, like Ashley Thomas, who makes $172,075 a year as the director of climate diversification for the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation. This sparked a ton of memes and ridicule, such as, “Sorry Ashley Thomas Gravy Train is Over.” Ouch.

$96 million, missing: Thousands of Americans lost their savings after fintech firm Synapse collapsed. Customers thought their money was government-backed, but now, banks are returning very little — or nothing at all. One family was offered $500 for their lost $280,000. This is your reminder to triple-check your money to make sure it’s in an FDIC-backed account.

⚡ Electric hopes, gasoline habits: An extended-range electric vehicle, or EREV, is an EV with a gas engine that acts as a generator. It could eliminate the range anxiety dilemma for new EV drivers. Here’s the catch: Owners of hybrid vehicles often skip plugging in and just rely on gas; EREV drivers will probably end up doing the same.

Urgent fire risk recall: For Belkin BoostCharge Pro fast wireless chargers. The iPhone and Apple Watch power pack launched in May 2023. Look for model number BPD005 on the back of your charging pad, and if you have one, stop using it immediately and fill out the refund form.

💸 I’m Sirius about canceling: A New York judge ruled SiriusXM’s cancellation policies violated the federal Restore Online Shoppers’ Confidence Act. How? Think long chats with agents trained to dissuade you and up to five offers before canceling. Annoying. Luckily, the feds are going after streaming services, too. Btw, aside from my daily and weekend network radio shows, I also host a special business-oriented show once a week on SiriusXM Channel 132

Tesla has the highest rate of accidents where at least one occupant is killed: The numbers don’t lie. The Model S has a fatal accident rate 4.8 times higher than the average SUV. The fatal accident rate of Tesla’s Model Y is also double that of the average car. It’s sad when you think about how many folks put their full trust in the autopilot features. You’re a fool if you do.

Prince Harry and Megan’s Netflix doc: Instead of airing more dirty laundry and alienating everyone in the process, the destined-to-fail series (dropping Dec. 10) is a look at the U.S. Open Polo Championship. This couple keeps screaming about wanting privacy, but they’re doing talk shows, podcasts, books, appearances and, now, a Netflix doc. I bet they’re on “Dancing with the Stars” next year.

🪪 Beyond the airport: Travel verification company Clear is working on facial recognition for everything: Replacing your wallet, driver’s license, passwords and even your house keys with a selfie. They say it’ll help prevent fraud and be more convenient. What happens if hackers steal your face when it’s your universal ID?