• Last week, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) banned New Yorkers from applying to and reenrolling in Global Entry, the federal program that expedites customs clearance for US residents reentering the United States. 
• An estimated 175,000 New Yorkers will lose access to Global Entry and other trusted traveler programs in 2020, according to DHS Acting Director Ken Cuccinelli. 
• New York Attorney General Letitia James announced on Friday that she will sue the DHS for barring New Yorkers from trusted traveler program enrollment.
• While New Yorkers are barred from enrolling in Global Entry, a lesser-known, free mobile app used by seasoned travelers is still in effect, allowing US and Canadian passport holders to bypass customs lines in 27 airports across the US. 
• Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

New Yorkers who have applied to or were looking to reenroll in Global Entry— the federal program that allows US travelers pre-screened by US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) to pass through customs more quickly upon reentering the States — will no longer be granted membership as of last week.

On February 5, Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Acting Secretary Chad Wolf announced the ban in a letterpublished online by Fox News. In addition to Global Entry, which is CBP's flagship trusted traveler program and had 5 million members in 2018, New Yorkers will no longer be eligible to join NEXUS, SENTRI, and FAST. TSA Precheck, which allows travelers to move more quickly through security at US airports, is not affected at this time, Azi Paybarah reported for The New York Times.

The perks of Global Entry membership include skipping customs paperwork and long lines at 53 major airports across the US. Instead of filling out paperwork, members head straight to a Global Entry kiosk for approval. To apply for the program, travelers submit an application online, pay a $100 application fee, and schedule an interview at an enrollment center.

The DHS ban was instituted in response to New York's "Green Light Law," a "sanctuary" policy that allows residents without legal immigration status to obtain driver's licenses and prevents federal agencies looking to enforce immigration policies from accessing Department of Motor Vehicles databases, Business Insider's David Slotnick reported.

New York Attorney General Letitia James announced on Friday that she will sue the Department of Homeland Security for barring New Yorkers from enrolling in Global Entry and other trusted traveler programs. 

An estimated 175,000 New Yorkers will lose their Global Entry membership by the end of 2020 

Approximately 50,000 New Yorkers are currently in the application process for Global Entry and will not receive approval, Paybarah reported. Global Entry applicants will be refunded and members will enjoy benefits until their membership expires, according to a release by CBP.

"We expect the impact to affect about 150,000 to 200,000 New York residents who try to renew their membership in one of the Trusted Traveler Programs each year," DHS Acting Director Ken Cuccinelli said on a conference call with reporters last Thursday. "By the end of 2020, roughly 175,000 New Yorkers are going to be kicked out of our Trusted Traveler Programs, and no others will be able to join."

Fortunately for time-pressed New Yorkers, a free-to-use mobile app is still in effect and lets users bypass customs lines in 27 US airports

Mobile Passport, a mobile app authorized by CBP, lets US and Canadian passport holders skip long customs line at no cost.

The Points Guy reporter Victoria Walker pointed out that the DHS ban does not include language about the app.

Mobile Passport offers fast-track customs lines at 27 major US airports and 4 cruise ports. These include John F. Kennedy Airport and Newark Liberty National Airport.

Users can submit their passport and customs declaration information (as well as that of family members) to CBP via the app before arrival. Once at the airport or cruise port, users receive a QR code to present along with their physical passport to CBP officers in Mobile Passport Control lines. 

Business Insider's first international correspondent Harrison Jacobs, who visited more than 20 countries over the course of a year, opted for Mobile Passport over Global Entry while traveling in order to bypass the Global Entry application time — which can take up to a few months— and raved about the app's ease of use.

"There is usually little or no line, because all CBP officers have to do is scan the QR code on your Mobile Passport app and, voila, you're home free," he wrote. "In the year I've been using the app, I've never had to wait more than a minute or two."

For an additional $4.99 per month of $14.99 per year, users can upgrade to Mobile Passport Plus, which offers data auto-population from passport scans as well as the ability to save passport data for future trips.

NOW READ: The Trump administration won't let New Yorkers apply for or renew Global Entry due to 'sanctuary' law

SEE ALSO: I've been traveling for business for over a year and didn't bother getting Global Entry, because there's a much faster option — and you can get it for free

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: Traditional Japanese swords can take over 18 months to create — here's what makes them so special

• Rush Limbaugh has been one of the most popular conservative radio hosts in America for decades.
• In the 1990s, he became a political force, helping Republicans take the majority in the House of Representatives in 1994.
• He's also despised by many people for mocking and attacking women, liberals, and people of other races.
• In February, Limbaugh announced he had lung cancer. Shortly afterward, President Donald Trump awarded him the Medal of Freedom during his State of the Union address.
• Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

Rush Limbaugh may be the most incendiary radio host in America.

Born into a line of conservative lawyers, Limbaugh hated school and saw radio as his future.

At first, his radio career was tumultuous. He was fired more than once as he discovered what could and couldn't be said on air.

He first commanded a national audience at 37. In the 1990s, he became a political force. Every week, he spoke to millions of Americans. In 1994, he was credited for Republicans taking the majority in the House of Representatives, after campaigning vigorously on air.

According to Vanity Fair, Limbaugh's position with conservatives is comparable to Oprah's position with women — they both wield "concentrated and extraordinary power."

But while Republicans have backed him and listened to him, he's despised by many liberals for mocking and attacking minorities.

In February, Limbaugh announced he had advanced lung cancer. In the same month, President Donald Trump awarded Limbaugh the Medal of Freedom, during his State of the Union address.

Here's his life so far. 

SEE ALSO: VIDEO: Trump just gave Rush Limbaugh the country's highest civilian honor. Here are some of the racist, misogynist and all-around awful things he's said

DON'T MISS: Trump awards controversial talk radio host Rush Limbaugh, who has advanced lung cancer, with the Presidential Medal of Freedom at SOTU

Rush "Rusty" Limbaugh III was born on January 12, 1951, in Missouri. He came from an established conservative family.

His father and grandfather were both lawyers. His grandfather was one of the oldest attorneys in America, serving until he died at 104. His mother was the clown of the family. Limbaugh was a mixture of his parents.

Sources: Politico, Chicago Tribune, The New York Times, Biography.com

He loved radio from an early age.

He'd listen in while preparing for school. He told The New York Times, "My mother would be fixing me breakfast, and I'd be listening to the guy on the radio. He'd be having fun, and I was preparing to go to prison."

Sources: Politico, The New York Times

His first job, at 13, was as a shoe shiner at a barbershop. At 16, his father got him an internship at the local radio station, because he had been a former part-owner.

Limbaugh started out at the bottom of the ladder. He later became a DJ, working outside of school hours. He idolized and mimicked a Chicago DJ named Larry Lujack.

Sources: Politico, The New York Times, Fox News, Biography.com

He went to Southeast Missouri State University for a year but dropped out to pursue radio.

According to the Washington Post, he "did not meet with early intellectual grandeur." He later graduated from the Elkins Institute of Radio and Technology, in Dallas.

Source: Washington Post

In the following years, he learned what he could and couldn't get away with on the radio.

On air, he used different names like "Rusty Sharpe" and "Jeff Christie." He worked in radio in Pittsburgh and Kansas City. He was fired twice from radio stations in Kansas City, and in between spent five years working for the city's baseball team.

Source: The New York Times

He also had two failed marriages.

In 1977, he married Roxy McNeely. They divorced after 18 months. In 1983, he married Michelle Sixta, and they divorced five years later. According to the Palm Beach Post, he said he struggled with love because "I'm too much in love with myself."

Sources: The New York Times, Palm Beach Post

In 1985, he moved to Sacramento and started his own show titled "The Rush Limbaugh" show on KFBK.

His audience doubled within a year. A year after that, he was discovered by the former head of ABC Radio, Ed McLaughlin, who hated him on the first listen, but enjoyed him the second time while driving. He found that Limbaugh wasn't easy to ignore.

Sources: The New York Times, CBS News

In August 1988, at the age of 37, his radio show went national. It was broadcasted through 56 stations.

According to The New York Times, Limbaugh broke the radio rule that personalities never look like they sound. Lewis Grossberger wrote, "Limbaugh sounds like a huge man who would wear bankers' suits and ties and have short, neat Republican hair. And he is."

Sources: Vanity Fair, Fox News, Cigar Aficionado

Rush was helped by the repeal of the 1987 Fairness Doctrine, which required radio stations to provide opposing opinions.

Once it was gone, Rush could air whatever conservative opinions he liked, within reason.

Sources: Wall Street Journal

Bucking a national trend of putting hosts on at night, Limbaugh spoke for three hours in the middle of the day.

He also didn't invite guests onto the show, so he was the main attraction. He told The New York Times, "I wanted to be the reason people listened. That's how you pad your pocket. That's how you establish yourself."

By 1990, he had about 5 million listeners — the most out of any American talk show host.

Brian Rosenwald, who wrote a book on American talk radio, told WBUR he was popular because he did something new. He took the "high jinks" from his years as a local DJ "and infused it into a topical talk show" where he applied the values he'd gotten from his conservative father, Rosenwald said.

Source: The New York Times

His style was unique. He sang, did parodies, ranted, and pretended to cry.

According to The New York Times, "His vocabulary is extensive; his diction tends to the grandiosely formal, though overblown to the point of self-parody."

He made it clear his targets, along with liberals, were minorities — African Americans, women, activists, or environmentalists.

Source: The New York Times

As his reputation grew, he toured the country on the weekends. In 1990, he made 45 appearances, bringing in about $360,000.

He made jokes like putting a condom on the microphone as a way to prevent profanity. He was making a point about how condoms weren't the best way to stop sexually transmitted diseases.

Source: The New York Times

Between 1992 and 1996, he also had a television talk show.

One of the more infamous and crass moments in his show is when he showed a picture of the White House cat, then compared then-13-year-old Chelsea Clinton to the White House dog.

Sources: CBS News, Mother Jones

In 1992, former president Ronald Reagan wrote him a letter after the election, declaring him "the Number One voice for conservatism in our Country."

He also wrote, "I know the liberals call you the most dangerous man in America, but don't worry about it, they used to say the same thing about me. Keep up the good work."

In 1992, he published the book "The Way Things Ought to Be."

According to the Los Angeles Times, the point he was trying to make was to bring back the ideas from Reagan's presidential era. He didn't want people to attack capitalism, and he wanted to bring back self-reliance.

In 1993, he married his third wife, Marta Fitzgerald.

Fitzgerald was also divorced twice. They met online when Fitzgerald, whose name was "Jacksonville Jaguar," asked for advice on how to argue with a professor who didn't like Reagan.

He didn't respond, and she wrote a furious letter to him calling him "pompous." That time, he responded.

Sources: The New York Times, Palm Beach Post

As Limbaugh's reach grew, he called himself "just a harmless little fuzzball." According to the Washington Post, he knew otherwise.

Limbaugh rallied behind Republicans and attacked Democrats. He knew how much power he had.

Sources: The New York Times, The New York Times, Washington Post

He attacked former Democratic President Bill Clinton.

Limbaugh attacked Clinton for not fighting in the Vietnam War.

Limbaugh also hadn't fought. He avoided being drafted after he found he had a cyst in his backside. But that didn't stop him criticizing Clinton. He also attacked Hillary Clinton, saying she kept a "testicle lockbox" and castrated men.

Sources: Washington Post, Media Matters

According to The New York Times, he "commanded the air war." One poll found that people who listened to Rush for at least 10 hours every week were three times more likely to vote Republican.

Sources: The New York Times, The New York Times,

In 1994, he was made an honorary Republican and given a "Majority Makers" pin. Many Republicans said he was responsible for the party's success taking over the House of Representatives.

It was the first time Republicans had the majority in 40 years.

Sources: The New York Times, Washington Post

Despite his close ties with the GOP, radio was a business for him.

He told his biographer, "First and foremost, I'm a businessman. My first goal is to attract the largest possible audience so I can charge confiscatory ad rates. I happen to have great entertainment skills... that enables me to sell airtime."

Source: Politico

Limbaugh's radio show continued to grow. In 2001, it was syndicated to almost 600 stations by Premiere Radio Networks, in a nine-year deal that earned him about $200 million.

Source: CNN

That same year, he went deaf from an autoimmune ear disease. He lost almost all of his hearing.

For about four months, he did his radio program by relying on his staff and his teleprompter. In early 2002, he received a cochlear implant, which enabled him to hear again.

Source: CNN

In October 2003, he resigned from ESPN, where he was working as a commentator, over controversial comments he made about then Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Donovan McNabb.

Sources The New York Times, CNN

He said McNabb was overrated, and that the media gave him too much credit because he was African-American. He never apologized for his comments, which were widely criticized as racist.

Sources The New York Times, CNN

About a week later, he checked himself into rehab to deal with an addiction to prescription pain medication.

He made his announcement before The National Enquirer could run its front-page spread with the headline, "Rush Limbaugh Caught in Drug Ring."

Sources: CNN, NY Daily News, Palm Beach Post

The story came from his housekeeper, who alleged he was taking up to 30 Oxycontin pills a day.

Limbaugh took five weeks off work. Despite his addiction, he had spoken on-air about drug users needing to be punished, especially white drug users.

Sources: CBS News, ABC News

In 2004, he divorced from his wife Marta while he was being investigated for "doctor shopping," which is when a person goes to different doctors to get the same subscription multiple times.

Source: Palm Beach Post

In 2005, his political views started to get more stark.

After some Republicans voted against oil drilling in the Arctic, he said on-air, "There's no such thing as a moderate. A moderate is just a liberal disguise, and they are doing everything they can to derail the conservative agenda."

Source: The Atlantic

In 2006, he was arrested on a charge of fraud to conceal information to obtain prescriptions.

The investigation found he had managed to get around 2,000 pain killers from multiple doctors in about six months.

Limbaugh pleaded not guilty, and the charge was dropped as long as Limbaugh continued with his drug treatment.

Sources: CBS News, NBC News

In 2006, Limbaugh said Michael J. Fox was exaggerating his Parkinson's disease symptoms.

Fox had been in a few ads for politicians who supported stem cell research. Limbaugh said on-air, "He's moving all around and shaking and it's purely an act ... this is really shameless of Michael J. Fox. Either he didn't take his medication or he's acting."

Sources: The New York Times, Washington Post

In 2008, he launched "Operation Chaos," where he called for Republicans to vote for Hillary Clinton to try and stop Obama from winning the Democratic presidential nomination. It didn't work.

Source: CBS News

Four days into Obama's first term, he said the president's failure was all he wanted.

At that point, the Republicans were looking like a "headless horseman," according to The New York Times. Limbaugh knew it, and he urged the party to not concede to the Democrats. He was against any bipartisanship.

Sources: The Telegraph, The New York Times, The New York Times

He was also pushed to a more prominent position in the Republican party when Obama famously said, "You can't just listen to Rush Limbaugh and get things done."

Source: The New York Times

In 2008, his show was extended until 2016, with a pay raise that saw him earn $50 million a year.

On-air, he said, "I'm not retiring until every American agrees with me."

Source: The New York Times

In 2009, Limbaugh turned on Republicans who had voted for a new carbon capping system.

By 2010, according to The New York Times, Limbaugh had become the "brains and the spirit" behind the resurgence of the Republican party. He was pushing the party to the right.

Sources: The Telegraph, The Atlantic, WBUR

In 2010, he married his fourth wife, Kathryn Rogers. Elton John sang at the wedding.

Source: NBC Chicago

He went a step too far in 2012. On-air, he called Sandra Fluke, a contraception advocate, a "slut," and said that she and other women should make a sex tape for him.

It was a turning point in his controversial career.

Source: The New Republic

Obama publicly said he supported Fluke, which meant that it was suddenly in the national news cycle.

Source: Politico

Liberal media group Media Matters campaigned for advertisers to drop Limbaugh, and the slogan "Flush Rush" made its rounds on social media.

Source: Politico

His comments had long-lasting effects.

In 2016, advertisers still avoided him, and he had been dropped from key radio stations in New York, Boston, and Los Angeles. Some companies stopped advertising on the radio altogether to avoid being linked to controversies.

In 2015, Limbaugh said on-air that second-hand smoke was not dangerous. He said it was a "myth."

He also said, "Not everybody that smokes gets cancer. Now, it's true that everybody who smokes dies, but so does everyone who eats carrots."

Second-hand smoking does, in fact, cause cancer.

Sources: NY Daily News, RushLimbaugh.com

In 2016, Limbaugh didn't attack Donald Trump as he ran for president. He didn't support him either.

At that point he had an audience of about 13 million weekly listeners, and by not criticizing him some said he had helped Trump enter the White House. As Politico wrote, he was "agnostic."

Source: Politico

But the move might have backfired. In 2018, he was replaced by Sean Hannity on a list of the most important radio hosts in America.

Hannity had usurped him, due to his close relationship with Trump. It didn't help that Trump watches television and doesn't listen to the radio.

In February 2020, he announced he had advanced lung cancer. He told his listeners he wouldn't be able to be on air every day due to the treatment he needed.

Source: NBC News

Later, in February, he was awarded the Medal of Freedom. It's America's highest honor for a civilian. Former winners include Rosa Parks, Martin Luther King Jr., and Mother Teresa.

It was the first time one had ever been awarded during a State of the Union address. It was widely criticized because of Limbaugh's comments.

• Patrick Mahomes wore a $47,000 Rolex at the Kansas City Chiefs' Super Bowl victory parade last week, according to Robb Report. But he's far from the only athlete to sport a luxury watch.
• In December, Cristiano Ronaldo wore the most expensive watch Rolex has ever created, valued at nearly half a million dollars, at a soccer conference in Dubai.
• Other athletes, like Odell Beckham Jr. and Rafael Nadal, wear their watches while competing.
• OBJ wore a $2 million Richard Mille to warm up for Monday Night Football and Nadal won his fourth US Open and 19th Grand Slam title while wearing his virtually indestructible timepiece of choice: the Richard Mille RM27-02, which retails for $725,000.
• Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

Last week, Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes celebrated his Super Bowl win at a victory parade in Missouri with his teammates — and he did so while wearing a $47,000 Rolex, according to Robb Report.

But that flashy watch is far from the most lavish timepiece in the sports world. In December, Cristiano Ronaldo accepted his sixth award for men's player of the year at the Globe Soccer Awards in Dubai while wearing the most expensive Rolex ever created, which is valued at half a million dollars.

Expensive Swiss mechanical watches don't have much practical use on the field, court, or track, though it's not uncommon to see the world's biggest athletes wearing high-end, luxury timepieces during their events, either.

Odell Beckham Jr. made headlines in the fall when he wore a $2 million watch to warm up for a Monday Night Football matchup between the Cleveland Browns and the New York Jets. Similarly, Rafael Nadal won his 19th Grand Slam title at the US Open wearing a Richard Mille on September 8, 2019, putting him right behind Roger Federer's record 20 Grand Slam titles. Nadal's famed timepiece retails for roughly $725,000.

That kind of athletic prowess is a marketing tool. Watch brands are eager to sponsor elite athletes, from tennis champions like Nadal and Federer to fighters like Floyd Mayweather, not for their horological expertise but for their aura — which sells.

We got a helping hand from the experts at Crown & Caliber to determine the makes and models of timepieces worn by the world's top athletes. They are listed here in ascending order of price.

Russell Sheldrake contributed to an earlier version of this article.

SEE ALSO: The most expensive watches worn by the British royal family

DON'T MISS: The 20 richest billionaires who own sports teams, ranked

Neymar — Gaga Milano, $2,100

Neymar's love of watches is well documented, with a 2017 trip to a Gaga Milano store ending in a $180,000 purchase and an endorsement deal.

Despite his own line of timepieces being on the lower end of the luxury watch bracket, it looks as though he has some special editions worth much more in his collection. 

Price according to Gaga Milano.

Andy Murray — Rado Hyperchrome XXL, $3,475

When Andy Murray won his first Wimbledon Championship in 2013, he was a Rado brand ambassador, and as soon as he won, he reportedly hurried to slap on his Rado Hyperchrome.

He put it on so quickly he didn't notice that it was seven hours out. He has since dropped Rado as a sponsor and instead works with brands such as Jaguar and Under Armour.

Price according to the Daily Mirror.

David Beckham— Tudor Black Bay Chrono, $5,100

David Beckham is one of the major sponsors for Tudor's Born to Dare campaign and is often seen wearing one of the brand's highly popular watches.

Beckham sits alongside other high-profile ambassadors of Tudor such as Lady Gaga and the New Zealand All Blacks rugby team.

Price according to Tudor.

Tom Brady — TAG Heuer Carrera Chronograph 01, $5,450

Six-time Super Bowl champion Tom Brady partnered with Tag Heuer in 2015.

"His jaw is famous. His hair is famous. His right arm is famous. Now his left wrist is, too," Alex Williams wrote for The New York Times that year.

In 2017, Tag Heuer released a special edition Tom Brady chronograph, which retailed at $5,600.

Price according to Tag Heuer.

Rory McIlroy — Omega Speedmaster Moonwatch, $6,350

Rory McIlroy seems to be very happy with his partnership with Omega, according to his Instagram.

He must have a pretty big collection of them by now, as not only will Omega gift him certain watches (see clip above), but he is also given a new timepiece when he wins certain golf tournaments.

Price according to Omega.

Tiger Woods — Rolex Sea Dweller, $11,350

Tiger Woods made a ridiculous comeback to the zenith of golf and Rolex is breathing a sigh of relief, as they bet big on the golf star's return to the top when many brands were dropping him from their rosters. 

"Tiger Woods still has a long career ahead of him, and […] has all the qualities required to continue to mark the history of golf," the company said in 2011 when they announced the sponsorship deal.

It looks like their investment is finally paying dividends.

Price according to Rolex.

Roger Federer — Rolex Sky-Dweller in stainless steel, $14,400

Roger Federer is one of Rolex's best-known ambassadors, and you won't see him lifting a trophy without one of the luxury watches on his wrist, each of them hand-picked to match the tournament.

At the Australian Open in January 2017, Federer lifted an impossible-to-find Rolex Sky-Dweller in stainless steel along with the trophy.

The Sky-Dweller is the most complicated watch that Rolex makes, according to Hodinkee. 

While this watch was probably provided for him by Rolex, Federer wouldn't have much of an issue buying it, as he was the highest-paid tennis player of 2019, according to Forbes.

Price according to Rolex.

Phil Mickelson — Rolex Yacht-Master 40, $27,300

To go along with his three green jackets, golfer Phil Mickelson has a sponsorship deal with Rolex and has been seen wearing various models.

Here, he is proudly showing off a Yacht-Master 40, which comes with Rolex's patented Oysterflex bracelet and is made from rose gold.

Price according to Rolex.

Lewis Hamilton — IWC Big Pilot Special Edition, $33,300

Lewis Hamilton and the entire Mercedes F1 team is sponsored by IWC. Therefore, Hamilton gets to wear a lot of rare and limited edition IWC watches.

The one pictured above is believed to be an IWC Big Pilot Perpetual Calendar in yellow gold, but no price for this watch can be found publicly.

The 2019 version of the limited edition watch is valued at 33,000 Swiss Francs (or about $33,300).

Price according to Monochrome Watches.

Michael Jordan — IWC Big Pilot Platinum Limited Edition, $35,500

In 2016, NBA legend Michael Jordan received the Presidential Medal of Freedom from President Obama — you may remember the memes.

What you may not remember, though, was Jordan's wristwear, which happened to be an IWC Big Pilot Platinum Limited Edition, ref. 5002-02, according to Hodinkee.

The limited edition timepiece was made in only 500 pieces, according to Watchfinder&Co., and was on sale from roughly 2003 to 2006.

Watchdetails projects that the retail price for this limited edition watch, if you can find it, falls around $35,500.

Elina Svitolina — Ulysse Nardin Marine Lady Chronometer, $35,800

Elina Svitolina is one of the Ukraine's top tennis stars and is currently ranked number three in the world by the WTA. Since she has partnered up with Swiss brand Ulysse Nardin, she has been spotted wearing multiple models by them.

Here she is wearing the rose gold and diamond covered Marine Chronometer.

Price according to Ulysse Nardin.

Conor McGregor — Rolex Sky Dweller, $39,550

Conor McGregor is known for his massive displays of wealth and love of all things expensive. Here you can see him wearing a yellow gold Rolex Sky Dweller on a brown alligator strap.

While this is perfect for a man who is constantly in different time zones, McGregor is also known for having a varied collection.

Price according to Rolex.

Read more: Conor McGregor just claimed he's a billionaire in an Instagram post — but the numbers likely don't check out. Here's how the UFC fighter makes and spends his fortune, from Lamborghinis and yachts to outrageous designer suits

Usain Bolt — Hublot Big Bang UNICO, $39,900

These were produced by Hublot at the start of the 2016 athletics season to commemorate Bolt's career and his final season on the track.

With a depiction of his silhouette doing his signature lightning pose in one of the subdials, the watch is truly one of a kind, just like Bolt himself.

Price according to Hublot.

Patrick Mahomes — Rolex Yacht-Master 40, $47,150

Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes celebrated his Super Bowl win at a victory parade in Missouri last week while wearing a Rolex Yacht-Master 40, according to Robb Report. His specific configuration features a dial set in diamonds and lined in rose gold.

Price according to Rolex.

LeBron James — Customized Audemars Royal Oak Offshore, $49,500

James' Audemars Piguet is customized in 18k gold, but you can buy a similar regular version on Crown & Caliber for $49,500.

Stephen Curry — Santos de Cartier Skeleton, $63,500

Cartier's new take on its classic caused quite a stir in the horological community when it was relaunched in April 2018, and it was largely agreed to be a stunning piece of design.

The price tag is unlikely to make much of a dent in the wallet of the Warriors star, though — his $40 million salary makes him the highest-earning player in the NBA.

Curry's elegant Santos is a refreshing break from the louder timepieces worn by his NBA colleagues, who tend to opt for Hublot Big Bangs, Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshores, and garish Richard Milles.

Price according to Cartier.

Paul Pogba — Richard Mille RM 30 White Rush, $166,500

Manchester United's Paul Pogba has a basic salary of £290,000 (roughly $357,512) a week, according to Goal.com, which goes some way to explaining how the French midfielder is able to afford a $166,500 timepiece.

It's even less surprising when you consider that Pogba signed a 10-year sponsorship deal with Adidas in 2016 worth about $44 million. 

Price according to Chrono24.

Anthony Joshua — Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Off-Shore, $431,375

Joshua is quickly becoming one of the biggest names in UK and international sports.

Away from fighting, Joshua's company AJ Boxing and Commercial makes money through 12 sponsors, gym ownership, and an athlete management business.

One such sponsor is Audemars Piguet, who likely gifted him the above watch, valued at about £350,000 (or $431,375) in 2017.

Price according to Business Insider.

Cristiano Ronaldo — Rolex GMT-Master II Ice, $500,000

Cristinano Ronaldo is the second highest-paid athlete in the world, according to Forbes. The soccer star is known to flaunt that wealth on Instagram.

As Business Insider previously reported, Cristiano Ronaldo wore the most expensive watch Rolex has ever created, valued at nearly half a million dollars, at a soccer conference in Dubai on December 28, 2019. The diamond-encrusted timepiece has made appearances in his Instagram posts since.

The watch, according to the Daily Mail, was made with made with 18-carat white gold and 30 carats of diamonds.

Price according to Business Insider.

Rafael Nadal — Richard Mille RM27-02, $725,000

Nadal is a big ambassador for Richard Mille and one of the very few athletes on this list who wears their watch while competing.

His specially designed Richard Mille RM27-02 was made with top-of-the-line shock absorption technology for a mechanical watch with a design inspired by racing car chassis, making it virtually indestructible. There is also orange in the design to reflect the clay courts of Roland Garros, where Nadal has dominated for so many years.

Price according to Forbes.

Serena Williams — Audemars Piguet Diamond Outrage, $1.25 million

Williams topped her male counterparts when she wore this ludicrously opulent Audemars Piguet Diamond Outrage to the Met Gala in 2017.

The truly absurd looking spiked bracelet watch is made of white gold and encrusted with 65 carats' worth of precious stones. The watch face itself is hidden beneath one of the spikes and is powered by a caliber 2701 quartz movement.

Williams has been sponsored by Audemars Piguet since 2014.

Price according to Forbes.

Odell Beckham Jr. — Richard Mille RM56-01, $1.95 million

As Business Insider previously reported, Odell Beckham Jr. played his debut game with the Cleveland Browns on September 8 while wearing a RM 11-03, which he bought for $189,500.

In a subsequent Monday Night Football game against the New York Jets, he upped the ante even more by rocking a nearly $2 million Richard Mille timepiece instead.

That time, he only wore the pricey watch during warmups and took it off before the game. While it was at first widely reported that Beckham wore an RM 56-02, the experts at Professional Watches reported that it actually looks more like the older RM 56-01 — which is marginally less expensive at $1.95 million instead of $2.02 million.

Price according to Professional Watches.

Floyd Mayweather — Jacob & Co. 'Billionaire Watch,' $18 million

The most expensive addition to Floyd "Money" Mayweather's vast watch collection is the $18 million Billionaire diamond tourbillon watch.

The Billionaire is set with 260 carats of emerald-cut diamonds, and even the bracelet is diamond-set.

Mayweather used the watch to insult rapper 50 Cent in a feud, saying in an Instagram post, "You're Not Supposed To Be Beefing With Me. You're Supposed To Be Beefing With My WATCH. Me And You Are Not On The Same Level!!!"

Price according to Forbes.

• Makeup makes it possible to get fuller, natural-looking eyebrows.
• There are tons of different brow products available, but many can be difficult to use if you're not an expert.
• Benefit's Foolproof Brow Powder ($24) is a pomade that's perfect for all skill levels. It goes on in seconds and stays put all day.

There are dozens of makeup brands that can help you achieve the thick, full eyebrow look, but few have the extensive selection that you'll find with Benefit Cosmetics. From a highlighting crayon that can make your arches glow, to traditional pencils, to conditioning primers, Benefit has an eyebrow product for every type of application. I've found the best of the bunch, though, to be the Foolproof Brow Powder— a waxy pomade that comes in a palette with two shades.

My eyebrows are sparse at the front and lack definition at the ends, so I was looking for a product that would fill in the patches and make them look bold and defined. Admittedly, I'm not the most skilled at doing my brows — I needed a product that was simple to use. I discovered the Foolproof Brow Powder in a beauty store, and honestly, I was mostly drawn to it because of the name, since foolproof was exactly what I was hoping for.

My experience with the Brow Powder

The Brow Powder is available in three different shades: blonde, light brown, and dark brown. I grabbed the darkest shade, which turned out to be a perfect match for my brows. It comes with a small sponge applicator that has a hidden spoolie on one side, and although it dispenses the pigment well, I wanted to be a little more precise with my strokes (the sponge applicator spread too much product too quickly), so I tried an eyeliner brush and found that it worked much better. 

My first impression was that the pigment went easily onto my brows, matched my natural color, and that I was done very quickly. With this product, I can now do my brows in about 10 seconds! And, because it's not in loose powder form, it's also very portable. Sometimes, if I feel like my brows look a bit too dark, I'll mix the two pomade shades together before applying. I also love that my brows don't feel stiff, and once it's on there, it stays put the entire day.

The bottom line

Benefit's Brow Powder clocks in at $24, which is line with many other high-end brow products, but it may be hard to swallow if you're used to buying a $3 eyebrow pencil at the drugstore. However, I've had this product for over a year and I'm nowhere near finishing it. It requires such a small amount that I haven't even made a dent in it, which actually makes it a pretty great value. I recommend this product to anyone who wants to achieve bolder brows quickly and easily. 

Join the conversation about this story »

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• Shaquille O'Neal posted a video on Instagram of his $2.5 million mansion in California hoping to seek out a buyer.
• The five-bedroom, five-bathroom home hit the market back in November 2019. 
• In October 2019, Justin Bieber did the same, posting a series of photos of his own Beverly Hills mansion and saying he was thinking about selling it.
• Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

Former NBA star Shaquille O'Neal has taken to Instagram to market his multimillion-dollar home in Bell Canyon, California.

The five-bedroom, five-bathroom home has been on the market for 86 days, according to Zillow. The home was initially listed with the real-estate brokerage Compass, but as of February 7, it was moved to The Agency.

That same day, O'Neal posted a video tour of the $2.5 million mansion on his Instagram account.

"The house is walking distance from the community center, state of the art gym, and tennis courts. It can be all yours for $2.5M. For SERIOUS buyers please send an email to Sellingbellcanyon@gmail.com for more information," he wrote in the caption.

So far, the post has nearly 3 million views and over 16,500 comments. The home is located in Bell Canyon, a gated community in Ventura County where the median home value is $1,541,904. Along with over 5,000 square feet of interior space, the property boasts a range of perks including a pool and a master suite with two walk-in closets.

In January 2019, Shaq was also selling a lakeside Florida mansion, with an asking price of $22 million. Per Zillow, that property listing was removed from the market as of June.

O'Neal isn't the only celebrity that has advertised a home on Instagram

Back in October 2019, Justin Bieber posted a series of photos of his Beverly Hills mansion on his Instagram account saying he was thinking about selling the place.

"I'll sell it with all the furniture. MAKE AN OFFER," Bieber wrote as one of the captions.

While the photos got over one million likes each, it's unclear how serious the pop star was about seeking out a buyer for the 6,132-square-foot property. According to a report by TMZ, at least five prospective buyers have contacted Bieber with serious offers, but it's unclear whether any are being considered.

Check out a photo tour of Shaq's house »

SEE ALSO: Housing inventory in the US dropped to its lowest level in years while home values are on the rise — here's what that means

DON'T MISS: Inside one of the oldest and most expensive mansions in Charleston, which is selling for $15 million and was once owned by Abraham Lincoln's granddaughter

Join the conversation about this story »

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• The Haas School of Business at the University of California, Berkeley, is consistently ranked among the top 10 graduate business schools in the world.
• Approximately 3,700 students apply to the MBA program each year, but only about 12% are admitted.
• Four alumni, the assistant dean of the full-time MBA program and admissions, and the executive director of the MFE program told Business Insider how to stand out and get in.
• In your admissions essay and interviews, they recommended connecting your personal story to the school's four defining leadership principles, as well as taking computer science and programming courses as an undergrad to prepare for the technically rigorous MFE program.
• Click here for more BI Prime stories.

The Haas School of Business at UC Berkeley, nestled at the top of the San Francisco Bay Area and Silicon Valley, is consistently ranked among the top 10 graduate business schools in the world. Its full-time MBA program is ranked No. 6 in the United States by US News and World Report and No. 9 globally by education specialists Quacquarelli Symonds. Its Master of Financial Engineering (MFE) program is ranked No. 1 by The Financial Engineer Times. And Haas is the nation's oldest business school at a US public university, according to its website.

Students are drawn to Haas because of its curriculum focused on innovation, proximity to disruptive companies, and intimate class sizes — while some leading full-time MBA programs pack classes with around 900 students, the class size at Haas remains under 300.

Admission is highly competitive. Each year, about 3,700 applicants apply to the MBA program, according to the Haas website, but its acceptance rate hovers around 12%, Poets & Quants reported in 2018. (You can find an overview of MBA application requirements here.)

The Haas school also offers a Master of Financial Engineering (MFE) program: One of only two financial engineering degree programs in the US that is offered within a business school, rather than engineering or mathematics departments, according to the Haas website. In the rigorous, one-year program, MFE students learn about computational finance within the context of business applications. 

For its 2019 class, the program received 565 applications; 79 students are enrolled, according to the MFE profile. (You can find an overview of the MFE application process here.)

Business Insider spoke with six Haas affiliates, including four alumni, the assistant dean of the full-time MBA program and admissions, and the executive director of the MFE program, about how to gain a coveted acceptance letter.  

Connect your story to Haas' leadership principles

Haas focuses on developing business leaders who reflect the school's four defining leadership principles: "Question the Status Quo," "Confidence Without Attitude," "Students Always," and "Beyond Yourself."

These principles are the school's way of being "direct about planting a flag in saying these are the kinds of leaders we want to develop," said Peter Johnson, the assistant dean of the full-time MBA program and admissions. "We look for candidates that we feel reflect the defining principles in their professional work to date."

Allison Gigliotti — a 2011 graduate of the full-time MBA program who now works as head of marketing and growth for a seed-stage startup called Out of Office— has participated in applicant interviewing.

"Someone who is successful in the interview is thinking about stories that pertain to those different aspects of the Haas culture and how they fit into it," she said.

Tushar Patel — chief marketing officer at the software company Cleo and a 2009 graduate of the Haas evening-and-weekend MBA program— said that articulating his personal connection to Haas' values was instrumental in his acceptance. He was denied admission on his first try, but reapplied a couple years later with the same undergraduate grades and GMAT score and was accepted. What changed was how he conveyed his story of why Haas was the right program for him.

"I started digging into what Berkeley stood for. It also forced me to look at other programs in the same way," Patel said. In his application essay, he focused on the leadership principle of "Question the Status Quo" to discuss how he had taken initiative with his employer to gain more international experience in Asia. He described how his experience working with the company's counterparts in Taiwan, China, and Japan helped him accelerate his understanding of diverse business models and broadened his approach to problem solving.

Be authentic about how you will use your degree

Johnson said authenticity is key to creating an application that stands out. He advised candidates to use the application process as a way to reflect on what they value and their career goals, rather than write what they think the school wants to hear.

"A better perspective is to say, 'Here are the reasons why this program will help me move forward in my career — here are reasons why I will be a great addition to your class,'" Johnson said.

For Gigliotti, the most difficult part of her application essay was articulating how Haas would help her make a career change. She had been working on Wall Street and wanted to use her MBA to pivot into marketing in the outdoor apparel industry. 

"It was not an easy story to tell; it didn't really make sense to people," she said. While putting her essay together, she reached out to people at the companies she wanted to work for and talked with current Haas students to learn about their stories. She researched classes and extracurricular clubs, and took an interest in the school's experiential learning courses, which offer students the opportunity to work on real-world projects with companies.

Now, when evaluating candidates, Gigliotti pays specific attention to their plans to use their MBA.

"You only have two years, and a lot of the important work you do is in that first semester to set yourself up for an internship your first summer," she said. "Can they come to Haas and completely change their mind? Absolutely. But I think having that plan on the onset makes them a more successful student." 

Take programming courses

The MFE is a distinctive program within Haas and focuses on quantitative finance. When considering applicants, the MFE application committee looks closely at candidates' academic preparation in mathematics, corporate finance, and economics, as well as in programming, coding, and machine learning. 

Not only should applicants have excelled in rigorous undergraduate coursework, but they should also demonstrate "intuition in finance," said Linda Kreitzman, the MFE's executive director.

Having a strong background in at least three of these areas could be enough for the admissions committee to offer a contingent recommendation for acceptance. For some promising candidates, the school will consider designing a program for them and following their progress before offering an official acceptance letter, Kreitzman said. "In other words, I will say to the students, 'We want to recommend you for admission, but we are going to have some requirements, and [admission] will be subject to you fulfilling requirements,'" like select courses or internships that will address the candidates' skills gap, she explained.

Brodie Gay — who finished the MFE program in 2016 and now works as the vice president of research at Unison, a home-ownership investment company — became interested in the MFE program while he was an undergraduate engineering physics student at Berkeley. He looked into several MBA programs, but upon learning more about the Haas MFE program, felt that it was the best fit for him. He stopped by Kreitzman's office in person to introduce himself and to learn more about the program's offerings and requirements.

Of his classmates, Gay said, "We were all looking at MBA programs, but [the MFE] fit our skill set far more. It's often a different look at the same material. It's a look that's more of an engineer's perspective on finance."  

Even for students pursuing the traditional MBA, being familiar with programming can give students a "way to think algorithmically through problems," Gay said. "You're going to be doing a lot of Excel modeling; it can help you think through a particular modeling challenge."

Express how you will give back to the community

The Haas admissions team looks for applicants who will not only fit in with the community, but who will give back to their peers and the school — both while in the program and after they graduate.

In the last year, the application committee has been focusing on how "to develop leaders who understand how to lead in diverse environments, and how to create inclusive work environments," Johnson said. The current MBA class profile includes 35% of students who come from international backgrounds, and about 30% who identify as US minorities.

For Kira Noodleman — a principal at the venture capital firm Bee Partners and a 2017 graduate of the full-time MBA program — her international work experience as a product manager in Buenos Aires and San Francisco set her application apart, she said. In her essay, Noodleman highlighted her early product management experience at a Google innovation lab. She described how she'd led a development team spread across South America to build a type of smartphone for populations that didn't have internet access. She'd included how she could contribute her knowledge in software product management as a resource for her peers, but also discussed the missing pieces in her knowledge that she wanted to gain from others — more about business operations, marketing, and design innovations.

At Haas, Noodleman offered her experience as a resource for colleagues who wanted to pursue a career path in product development. She also took advantage of the option Haas gives for students to develop and run their own courses— she built on her personal interest in mindfulness meditation and created a one-credit class for other students, which continued to be offered after she'd graduated.

"There's so much trust baked into the way that culture is built and the way they bring people into the community. It feels like a family." Noodleman said. 

Haas alumni have expressed that the school's commitment to its culture and community is one of the most valuable benefits they have gained from their experience.

"It really is a tight community," Kreitzman said. "We have a very close, personal relationship with the alumni. Many of them are personal friends."

SEE ALSO: BUSINESS SCHOOL PREP: The ultimate guides to getting into the top MBA programs in the world

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• A California mansion is on the market for $26.5 million, and it includes everything from an indoor pool to a "Star Wars"-themed basement.
• The "Star Wars"-themed basement spans 5,000 square feet and includes over 40 life-size figures and an 18-seat home theater.
• According to The Wall Street Journal, the person who designed the basement had to watch the movie series to prepare for the project while a professional prop team built each mannequin.
• Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

A massive mansion in Hidden Hills, California, just hit the market for $26.5 million.

The nearly 18,200-square-foot mansion sits on three acres of land and boasts a wide range of amenities, from a heated indoor pool to a full-size tennis court.

But the most interesting part of the home is arguably its 5,000-square-foot "Star Wars"-themed basement. The museum-like space boasts hundreds of one-of-a-kind collectible items including 40 life-size figures and an 18-seat home theater.

The impressive six-bedroom, 11-bathroom home was designed by Brian Lerman from the California-based architecture firm, ARC Design Group. It is currently being represented by Arvin Haddad, Emil Hartoonian and Mauricio Umansky of The Agency. 

Keep reading for a look inside.

SEE ALSO: Inside one of the oldest and most expensive mansions in Charleston, which is selling for $15 million and was once owned by Abraham Lincoln's granddaughter

DON'T MISS: A Chinese billionaire has been unsuccessfully trying to sell his Beverly Hills mega-mansion — and the price just got slashed again. Look inside the $20 million home.

This massive mansion in Hollywood Hills, California just hit the market for $26.5 million.

Source: The Agency

Hollywood Hills is a swanky hillside neighborhood in Los Angeles, California, known for its stunning views, ultra-wealthy residents, and high price tags. According to Zillow, the neighborhood's median home value is $1,590,222.

Source: Zillow

The multimillion-dollar home spans nearly 18,200 square feet and sits on three acres of land.

Source: The Agency

The property boasts a variety of amenities including an indoor-outdoor pool, a full-size tennis court, and a six-car garage.

Source: The Agency

There's even an observatory on the property with a 14-inch reflector telescope.

Source: New York Post

Inside the home, there are six bedrooms and 11 bathrooms.

Source: The Agency

The space was designed by Brian Lerman from the California-based architecture firm, ARC Design Group.

Source: The Agency

Listing agents from The Agency told the Wall Street Journal that the home has a "Frank Lloyd Wright-meets-Mondrian" aesthetic.

Source: The Agency, Wall Street Journal

Some indoor amenities include a wine room ...

Source: The Agency

... and a massage room with a heated pool.

Source: The Agency

There's even a fitness studio.

Source: The Agency

Arguably, the most interesting part of the home is its "Star Wars"-themed basement.

Source: The Agency

It spans 5,000 square feet and is packed with hundreds of collectible items.

Source: The Agency

According to a report by The Wall Street Journal, this display case contains around 30 clone and Stormtrooper helmets — most of which are custom made.

Source: The Wall Street Journal

In the lounge area of the basement, a model of an X-Wing fighter hangs from the ceiling.

Source: The Wall Street Journal

The basement's bar area even has an homage to the famous cantina scene from "Episode IV" (including a gun-toting Greedo).

Source: The Wall Street Journal

The items in the basement alone are worth millions of dollars, according to the listing.

Source: The Agency

However, they're not included in the $26.5 million price tag. For a separate, undisclosed price, the buyer can purchase most of the items in the basement.

Source: The Agency

According to The Wall Street Journal, the person who designed the basement had to watch the movie series to prepare for the project while each mannequin was built by a professional prop team.

Source: The Wall Street Journal

The museum-like basement also includes a theater with a 19-foot screen ...

Source: The Agency

... and a custom-built music studio.

Source: The Agency

• Amy Morin is a psychotherapist, licensed clinical social worker, mental strength coach, and international bestselling author.
• She says romantic relationships thrive not only on chemistry and compatibility, but also as a result of maintaining active good habits, such as being honest, caring, and communicate with your partner.
• The absence of unhealthy habits is equally important, as they can cause tension and unhappiness in the relationship.
• These behaviors include manipulation, holding a grudge, speaking badly about each other to other people, and minimizing one another's feelings.
• Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

Mentally strong couples are comprised of two strong individuals who bring out the best in each other. They challenge each other in healthy ways and support each other's efforts to reach their goals.

While good habits are important to their success, the absence of bad habits is what really separates them from other people. They avoid unhealthy habits that could rob them of the mental strength they need to be their best. Here are 13 things mentally strong couples don't do.

SEE ALSO: The top 10 reasons couples go to therapy, according to a psychotherapist who counsels them

SEE ALSO: 7 things mental health experts wish you knew about anxiety

1. They don't keep score

They don't worry about whose turn it is to do the dishes, and they don't complain about being owed a favor. They understand that there are times when one of them will have more to give than the other — so they don't keep score over who does the most.

2. They don't compete

Mentally strong couples don't try to outshine one another. They build each other up, celebrate one another's successes, and cheer each other on. They know that they are on the same team and aren't trying to earn the most, be the favorite parent, or attract the most attention.

3. They don't attack

You won't catch mentally strong couples calling each other names or making false accusations. They don't blame one another for their emotions, their problems, or their behavior. Instead, they take responsibility for their own thoughts, feelings, and behaviors.

4. They don't let their emotions rule

Mentally strong couples are emotionally intelligent. They use healthy coping skills to deal with uncomfortable feelings like loneliness, anger, and sadness. They embrace discomfort when it's part of the healing process, and they know how to change their emotional state when their feelings aren't serving them well.

5. They don't manipulate

They don't use deceptive or passive-aggressive tactics to try and get their partner to do things. Instead, they influence one another in a healthy, direct way. They talk openly about their concerns and expectations.

6. They don't hold a grudge

Mentally strong couples know that they will let each other down, hurt one another, and make mistakes. So they apologize when they're wrong and forgive each other for when they mess up. They don't try to punish one another by holding grudges.

7. They don’t take each other for granted

Mentally strong couples feel fortunate. They experience and express gratitude on a regular basis, not just for what their partners do for them, but also for who their partners are.

8. They don't minimize one another's feelings

Mentally strong couples don't always understand one another feelings. They might think their partner's feelings are out of proportion to the situation sometimes. But they don't invalidate one another's emotions. Instead, they acknowledge that their partner has a right to their feelings, no matter what those feelings might be.

9. They don't speak ill of each other

Mentally strong couples don't complain to their friends or family members about their partners. They don't reveal one another's secrets to the world, and they don't make fun of them to others. While they may seek relationship advice from people they respect, their conversations are about looking for solutions rather than putting their partner down.

10. They don't keep secrets

Unless it's a surprise birthday party or a present, mentally strong couples don't keep secrets from one another. They allow each other to have privacy, but they don't hide things that could damage the relationship — like spending habits or online behaviors. They're open and honest with one another.

11. They don't try to change each other

While they do express concerns when they see concerning behavior, they don't try to force their partner to change. Rather than micromanage, nag, belittle, or beg, they focus on the things they can control — like their own effort and attitude.

12. They don't stifle each other

Mentally strong couples don't try to tame their partners. They allow them the space they need to be themselves, even when it involves their partner exploring interests or goals that they don't share. They're confident that their partner can enjoy freedom and pursue happiness as an individual while maintaining a strong, healthy relationship.

13. They don't lose sight of their values

While it's tempting to get caught up in day-to-day stresses, and it's easy to get stuck in a rut, mentally strong couples don't lose sight of their values. Whether they value hard work, education, or extended family, they know what's important to them, and they work together as a team to ensure their priorities reflect their core values.

Build your mental muscle

If you feel as though you or your partner aren't as strong as you can be, don't worry. You're not alone. Fortunately, you can develop more mental strength both as an individual and as a couple.

So concentrate on building your own mental muscle — and you might inspire your partner to do the same. When you're both invested in becoming the strongest versions of yourselves, you can become a powerful couple who supports one another's efforts to create positive change. 

• The work of a venture capitalist can be grueling: having to constantly deliver rejections, facing failure, and working around the clock.
• Six investors, professors, and CEOs offered some of their top books for keeping your head in the VC game.
• Favorites include works new and old — from "The Great CEO Within" to "Man's Search for Meaning."
• Click here for more BI Prime stories.

Venture capitalist Sarah Downey explained in a 2018 article on Medium that "the day-to-day reality of being a VC is that we spend about 99% of our time saying 'no.'" 

Whether you're a VC delivering a rejection to a startup or a founder receiving bad news, it can help to have support — in the form of apropos books, podcasts, and other go-to resources — to keep you going in this tough business.

Business Insider picked the brains of six VC experts to learn what their favorite reads are. The books that they chose offer equal doses of information, innovation, and inspiration for those in the VC space.

1. "Give and Take: Why Helping Others Drives Our Success" by Adam Grant

Kenn So, an associate at Nest-investor Shasta Ventures, recommended this classic read by Wharton professor and business thought leader Adam Grant. 

"This book says a lot about how the most successful people are 'givers,' while also underlining where to draw the line to not get taken advantage of," So said. "It parallels a lot with how the most successful VCs are those who really give and support their companies — picking up the phone at 3 a.m. without batting an eye ... to being the forever supporter — while also being transparent and tough with the founders when needed." 

The opening story of the book is about successful VC David Hornik, managing partner of August Capital who has invested in the likes of Splunk and Evite and "was initially passed over by a founder because Hornik was too nice but [he] eventually got to be part of the deal and more," So said. 

"Sometimes being helpful doesn't get you anything in return, which is what happened to Hornik at first — he didn't get the deal," explained So. "While the book has a happy ending for this example with Hornik, that's not always the case. But it doesn't matter. Givers don't sweat about getting anything in return."

2. "The Business of Venture Capital: Insights from Leading Practitioners on the Art of Raising a Fund, Deal Structuring, Value Creation, and Exit Strategies" by Mahendra Ramsinghani

Jeremy Harrison is the founder and CEO of Hustle Life, a website that helps future entrepreneurs find their perfect side hustle. Harrison admitted that he knew very little about venture capital when he first started as an entrepreneur. That's when he discovered "The Business of Venture Capital."

He pointed out that the book does double duty as a comprehensive resource on the topic for industry veterans, while also being accessible to those with no business background. 

"The book is great for two types of people: those that are interested in getting into venture capital, and also for entrepreneurs who want an in-depth understanding of what motivates VCs," Harrison said.

3. "Blitzscaling: The Lightning-Fast Path to Building Massively Valuable Companies" by Chris Yeh and Reid Hoffman

Formerly on the strategic teams of McKinsey and Motorola, VC and entrepreneur Oksana Malysheva is now the CEO and managing partner of Sputnik ATX, an accelerator program that funds startup companies out of Austin, Texas. 

One of the books that she ends up recommending most often for this industry is "Blitzscaling."

"Investing in and running a venture-backed business is a completely different game from almost anything one typically learns about business," she said. "Until Reid published his book, very few people have been able to sensibly explain how, and so it really was a 'secret sauce' known to a select few. Now this problem has been solved!"

4. "Tools of Titans: The Tactics, Routines, and Habits of Billionaires, Icons, and World-Class Performers" by Tim Ferriss

Malysheva also told Business Insider that "Tools of Titans" is on her nightstand at all times. 

The book is broken into roughly three sections — "Healthy," "Wealthy," and "Wise" — and, Malysheva shared, "Tim Ferris collected advice from the absolute gurus in a variety of fields: from the most prominent VCs to Olympians, artists, actors, and writers. I can literally open it on any page, read for 10 to 15 minutes, and walk away inspired."

5. "Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance" by Angela Duckworth

Duckworth's popular New York Times bestseller is another one on Malysheva's must-read list for VCs. The managing partner first picked this book up for inspiration as a parent, and it quickly became the opening read of the Sputnik ATX startup curriculum. 

"Starting a company is a long, hard journey, and grit is one of the most important ingredients for any startup founder," she explained. "It is the trait that can be built up, and Angela does a phenomenal job breaking down exactly what it is and how anyone can grow it."

6. "The Mom Test: How to Talk to Customers and Learn If Your Business Is a Good Idea When Everyone Is Lying to You" by Rob Fitzpatrick

"As a VC, this is the book you want every entrepreneur you invest in to read," Malysheva observed about "The Mom Test." She explained that anyone who ever launches a product or company must talk to their customers to make it better, but noted that "almost everyone does it incorrectly." 

"We love our products, we breathe our products, and we pitch them all the time — including in customer interviews, which is exactly the wrong thing to do!" she said. "When we do that, the person on the other end is sympathetic and tells us what we want to hear, not what we need to hear. And off we go wasting our time and money building something they do not need; they were just too polite to tell us so."  

Malysheva added that by reading this practical book, you will fix a lion's share of these errors. "I end up recommending it to a lot of entrepreneurs, and I always hear, 'I wish I read this earlier!'" she said.

7. "Man's Search for Meaning" by Viktor Frankl

"As an entrepreneur, you're going to have tremendous ups and insane downs, and in those dips that you think everything is over — reach for this book," Malysheva said of Frankl's book. "This book is breathtaking and inspiring for the toughest moments. It is without fail helping me discover light and strength again." 

She added that Frankl survived the worst of humanity in a Nazi death camp, yet still found the power to give us reminders like, "Everything can be taken from a man but one thing: the last of human freedoms — to choose one's attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one's own way," she said.

"If he could find strength, light, and love living through what he went through, so can I, so can we all; we must choose it," Malysheva concluded.

8. "The Great CEO Within: The Tactical Guide to Company Building" by Matt Mochary, Alex MacCaw, and Misha Talavera

Jake Saper, partner at leading venture capital firm Emergence Capital, selected "The Great CEO Within" as his top VC book pick. Mochary, who has an MBA from Kellogg School of Management, has coached several successful tech startups, including Coinbase and Reddit.

"This is a highly tactical and practical guide to being the CEO of a high-growth tech company," Saper said. "The author, Matt Mochary, is a seasoned CEO coach who has developed a system for each key process in running a company. It's a terrific distillation of best practices we've shared with our CEOs over the years."

9. "Venture Deals: Be Smarter Than Your Lawyer and Venture Capitalist" by Brad Feld and Jason Mendelson

Tim Schigel, managing partner of early-scale investor Refinery Ventures, has been in venture capital since 1998. 

The entrepreneur characterized "Venture Deals" as "a great primer for anyone new to venture investing." 

Schigel explained that the book helps to demystify the world of venture, which has historically been secretive and full of technical and legal jargon. This can make it intimidating for a founder trying to attract capital. 

"The more the founder understands the decision-making criteria of VCs, the better," said Schigel, pointing toward Feld and Mendelson's book as a solution. "VCs are like any other service provider. Founders need to do their research and find the best investors who understand their business, can help them grow, and connect them with later-stage funding sources."

10. "Play Bigger: How Pirates, Dreamers, and Innovators Create and Dominate Markets" byAl Ramadan, Dave Peterson, Christopher Lochhead, and Kevin Maney

Schigel emphasized that in order to understand how to evaluate and support founders and hypergrowth startups, "Play Bigger" can help with understanding the most important variable in startup success: market timing.

"If you're operating in a large, growing market, you have the opportunity to 'ride the wave' to success," Schigel explained. "However, even the best talent and greatest product cannot overcome unfavorable market dynamics." 

He continued that "Play Bigger" clearly illustrates that in today's environment, there is only one winner, and then everyone else. 

"It's even more important to become the 'Category King," Schigel said. "The authors share that success is not about first to market, but rather first to properly define the problem. This book will help founders frame their vision, providing valuable insights about category design to better architect their strategy.

11. "Peak: How Great Companies Get Their Mojo from Maslow" by Chip Conley

Schigel also recommended "Peak" for your VC toolkit to help understand the motivations and framework for employees, customers, and investors.

"Your business plan may make perfect sense on your Excel spreadsheet, but throw in the human element and rational thinking goes out the window," said Schigel. "Leaders play the role of therapist and cheerleader. Humans are not rational, so understanding motivations that lead to behavior is supremely important. Chip Conley does a masterful job mapping the motivations for employees, customers, and investors and then integrates them into a holistic roadmap."

12. "Measure What Matters: How Google, Bono, and the Gates Foundation Rock the World with OKRs" by John Doerr

Schigel said "Measure What Matters" is a great introduction to objectives and key results, better known as OKRs, which are strategic ways to set goals.

Author John Doerr first learned how to create OKRs while working for Andrew Grove at Intel and then passed the methodology to Google in the early days of the company. Schigel shared that he has been using OKRs since 2008, and the Refinery's portfolio companies also use OKRs to improve their ability to plan and set priorities. 

"OKRs are meant to be simple as well as aspirational," said Schigel. "It's amazing to see what happens when teams wrestle through competing priorities to identify and track the one or two key initiatives that will dramatically impact their business."

13. "High Growth Handbook" by Elad Gil

Schigel pointed to "High Growth Handbook" as your "complete compendium for growth strategies and tactics." 

"Elad Gil draws on his experiences at companies including Airbnb, Twitter, Google, Instacart, Coinbase, Stripe, and Square," Schigel said. "The book covers everything from inception to fundraising from early to later stage and exit." 

He added that this truly is a handbook to be referenced often for specific ideas and solutions to some of the most vexing problems that entrepreneurs face.

14. "The Titanic Effect: Successfully Navigating the Uncertainties that Sink Most Startups" by Todd Saxton, M. Kim Saxton, and Michael Cloran

Kim Saxton, clinical professor of marketing at Indiana University's Kelley School of Business, recommended her own book: "The Titanic Effect."

She and her coauthors wrote "The Titanic Effect" based on 20 years' experience working with and researching successful startups, failed startups — even the decisions made in launching the Titanic, one of the largest startup failures to date. They noticed patterns of faulty decisions founders made, called "icebergs."

"The book shows how these decisions lead to hidden debt, like the part of the iceberg under the water," Saxton explained. "It gives startup founders ideas about how to navigate through these icebergs."

SEE ALSO: The 20 best VC podcasts to listen to, according to successful investors, founders, and CEOs

NOW READ: Less than 10% of decision makers in venture capital are women — and it's time firms changed that. Here's a managing partner's advice for shattering the glass ceiling.

Join the conversation about this story »

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• I dined at the largest all-glass underwater restaurant in September.
• The $280 meal was a three-hour extravaganza.
• The space seats 20 people max, and everyone has to take their shoes off before entering.
• Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

In 2016, luxury resort Hurawalhi in the Maldives opened 5.8 Undersea Restaurant. It's the largest all-glass underwater restaurant in the world, according to its website, and it spans 969 square feet.

I've also dined at Ithaa, the other all-glass underwater restaurant in the Maldives. It's 16 feet below sea level, while 5.8 is 19 feet below. From my personal experience at both, 5.8 Undersea restaurant is longer, with four more tables, so it checks off as the largest. That being said, the space is still extremely intimate.

Here's what it's like to dine at 5.8 Undersea Restaurant at Hurawalhi, which costs $280 per person.

SEE ALSO: I waited my whole life to go to Bali. Now I wish I had kept waiting.

NOW READ: I stayed at a $3,400-a-night private island resort in the Maldives that's beloved by celebs like Naomi Campbell, and it blew me away — take a look inside

To access the restaurant, you cross an overwater bridge about 200 feet into the sea.

5.8 Undersea Restaurant is part of a structure with an overwater bar and restaurant, but it's tucked away with a separate entrance.

If you arrive early for a drink, you can peruse the menu for the night, which is displayed at the entrance. 5.8 mostly serves seafood, and a meal costs $280 per person, so it's definitely a splurge.

The glass-floor walkway wows guests even before they step inside.

Inside the foyer, you have to remove your shoes. Yes, everyone dines barefoot. Only after that can you approach the spiral stairs that descend to 5.8.

Along the way, you can browse photos of the underwater restaurant's construction. The restaurant weighs 400 metric tons.

As you walk down the spiral stairs, the glass panel on the wall offers a glimpse of what's in store. Right before dinner starts, divers make sure the coral surrounding the restaurant is in good condition. They also scatter food to ensure plenty of marine life appears.

The underwater restaurant is an all-glass, dome-shaped structure with a hardwood floor; there is virtually no obstruction between diners and the sea. It is elegant and minimalistic, and it seats 20 people max.

The manager let me in early to take photos before the nightly seating at 6 p.m. There is no assigned seating, and every table has a great view against the glass wall. I chose to sit on the left near a bed of coral.

The restaurant is cozy, intimate, and romantic, and with the 6 p.m. seating, you can watch the marine life through sunset. 

When all the diners arrived (it was a full house), they couldn't stop taking photos. The entire restaurant is Instagram-friendly, and almost all the diners were honeymooners.

The restaurant provides a guide to the fish you’ll see surrounding you. Throughout the night, we didn’t see turtles or rays, but we did see almost every fish on the list, as well as a moray eel, a nice surprise since it is not on the list.

And now for the food itself: Tuna tartare with wakame, wasabi sorbet, and avocado puree was the first dish on the menu. It was served in a clear plate over another clear plate full of sand, a fun way to add depth and design.

I'm not ordinarily a fan of scallops, but the seared scallop ceviche dish with pickled zucchini, prawn coconut bisque, and pea mousse may have converted me. It was served on a gorgeous shell and had various flavor profiles and textures.

I was impressed by the smoked lobster and sea urchin mousse, which is a dish suitable for a fine dining restaurant. It was rich and thoughtful, with touches of Beluga caviar and squid ink brittle against a poached langoustine tail.

The prize for most visually engaging dish was the red mullet in a lobster bisque foam, enhanced with fennel and vanilla.

It's interesting to experience an underwater sunset since you never see the sun, but you see the transformation of the sea. The coral was lit up so diners could still keep an eye on marine life, and larger fish came out to play.

About two hours into the dinner, we were served poached lobster, embellished with truffle caviar and lobster claw emulsion beurre blanc. The smoked trout beet ravioli was a perfect accompaniment, as was the cucumber yuzu and galangal foam.

While the meal itself is $280, you can add a wine pairing with hand-selected wines and Champagnes for $99 per person.

I noticed that almost every table in the restaurant had opted for the pairing, which included a Taittinger Rose, Brut, Dog Point Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand 2018 and Brolettino Ca Dei Frati Lugana Italy 2016.

It was too dark to take a photo of the Wagyu tenderloin with Wagyu cheek confit (the main dish), but the mango cheesecake had bright, cheerful colors.

If you're planning to dine here, I recommend taking breaks like we did to come up for fresh air — and to catch the last of the sunset. Otherwise, you'll never see how beautiful (and futuristic) 5.8 Undersea Restaurant looks at night.

After the three-hour dinner, the bridge back to the main island is beautifully lit up. Hurawalhi is a small island, so there's no need to call for a golf cart. We were back in our villa in less than five minutes by foot.

Note: If you can't splurge on a $280 per person dinner, the restaurant also offers guided afternoon meditation for a $60 fee, which is a great way to spend time inside 5.8.

• Amazon's Prime Day event will return for 2020, and with it will come a new series of incredible deals on all kinds of tech products. 
• We've rounded up what we expect will be the best smart home deals from Amazon, iRobot, Logitech, Ring, Arlo, August, and more for Prime Day 2020.
• Since Prime Day 2020 deals haven't been released yet, here are some other ways you can save: shop online sales going on today, find coupons for your favorite stores, and browse all the latest deals here.
• Check out all the Amazon Prime Day 2020 coverage here.

Amazon Prime Day 2020 will arrive before you know, and it's bound to be an amazing time to shop if you're building a smart home. There will surely be a ton of excellent smart home product deals going on. 

Whether you're looking for a smart security camera or some great smart light bulbs, you'll save a ton of cash if you buy during Prime Day. That's why we've put together this guide to the best smart home deals we expect will return for Amazon Prime Day 2020 as well as how much they cost right now. Some products are cheaper now than they were even for Prime Day last year, while others will be worth waiting for another Prime Day deal on.

Best security system deal we expect for Prime Day 2020

SimpliSafe 10-Piece, $549.99 (originally $549.99) [Was just $385.00 on Prime Day last year]

Simply want a comprehensive home security system and don't want to have to piece it all together? This home security system from SimpliSafe is an excellent option. It comes with 10 devices, including a hub, touch pad, door and window sensors, video doorbell, and motion sensors, making it great for those who want to secure their small to medium-sized home. It's back to regular price right now, so wait until Prime Day if you want a chance to save.

Best smart robot vacuum deal we expect for Prime Day 2020

iRobot Roomba 891, $339.03 (originally $449.99) [Was just $299.99 on Prime Day last year]

The Roomba has become somewhat of a household name for robotic vacuums. The iRobot Roomba 891 boasts the ability to work on carpet or hard floors, plus you can control it in the iRobot Home app or via voice commands with Amazon's Alexa or the Google Assistant. It's still $100 off list price at the time of writing, but you could stand to save even more if you're willing to wait for Prime Day 2020.

Best smart light bulb and smart plug deals we expect for Prime Day 2020

Kasa Smart Plug Mini 3-pack, $49.99 (originally $54.99) [Was just $39.99 on Prime Day last year]

Smart plugs are great, but if you want one that looks a little better it's worth considering an in-wall plug. The Kasa smart in-wall plug has to be wired in place of an existing outlet, after which you'll be able to control it from your home and use it in conjunction with Amazon's Alexa and the Google Assistant. It's just $5 off at the time of writing, but if you want to save another $10 or more from Amazon you'll have to wait.

Kasa Smart Wi-Fi 3-way light switch, $44.97 (originally $54.99) [Was just $39.99 on Prime Day last year]

TP-Link also makes some smart light switches, which have many of the same advantages as the Kasa smart plugs. The Kasa Smart Wi-Fi switch allows you to control the light switch from your phone, plus you can control the lights with Alexa or the Google Assistant. It's on sale at the time of writing, but the discounts could get even deeper for Prime Day 2020.

Sengled Smart LED light bulbs 4-pack, $52.79 (originally $59.99) [Was just $39.99 on Prime Day last year]

Prefer smart light bulbs to a smart light switch? Sengled has some pretty nice options, like, for example, the Sengled smart LED white smart bulbs. In this pack, you'll get four of the bulbs, which is perfect for those who want to deck out their home a little. You can control the lights using your phone or your voice, as the bulbs work with Alexa and the Google Assistant. Here's another situation of there being savings available now with even deeper discounts on the horizon.

Sengled Smart LED color light bulbs 4-pack, $80.97 (originally $99.96) [Was just $74.99 on Prime Day last year]

White smart bulbs are great, but for many people, color smart bulbs will be a better choice. Like the white bulbs, this pack comes with four color bulbs, and you'll be able to control the lights from your phone or using your voice. Here's yet another situation where you could save a bit of money right now or even more on Prime Day 2020.

Best security camera deals we expect for Prime Day 2020

Ring Video Doorbell 2, $169.00 (originally $199.00) [You save $30]

If you're looking to improve the security of your home, starting with a decent video doorbell is a great idea. The Ring Video Doorbell is in its 3rd generation. It allows you to see who's at your door and chat with them straight from your smartphone. Ring integrates with Alexa, and is super easy to use, which is always nice. It's on sale right now for $30 off, but it could come down even further for Prime Day 2020.

Arlo Pro 3-camera wireless home security kit, $299.99 (originally $579.99) [Was $331.99 on Prime Day last year]

A great security system includes cameras around the home, and this kit from Arlo will get you just that. The system comes with three security cameras, plus a hub to tie the system together. The cameras have night vision and they can work both indoors or outdoors. Here's a situation where it would be wiser to jump in now than wait for Prime Day 2020.

Kasa Cam indoor camera, $59.99 (originally $99.99) [Was just $52.49 on Prime Day last year]

Perhaps you only really need one camera — in that case, there's the Kasa Cam. The Kasa Cam indoor camera works with both Alexa and Google Assistant. It's relatively well-designed and subtle, too, so if someone does break into your home they'll have less of a chance of spotting it. This one wasn't that deep of a deal last year, so this year could be even better.

Kasa Cam Outdoor camera, $79.99 (originally $139.99) [Was just $72.09 on Prime Day last year]

If you want an outdoor camera, then you might like the Kasa Cam Outdoor. The camera features a weather-proof design, plus it also works with Amazon's Alexa and the Google Assistant. The camera has a built-in siren and 2-days free cloud storage, so it's a pretty versatile device. This wasn't that big of a deal to begin with, so you could hop on this right now and not miss much in savings.

Best smart lock deals we expect for Prime Day 2020

August Smart Lock Pro 3rd Gen, $170.89 (originally $229.99) [Was just $160.99 on Prime Day last year]

A great smart lock allows you to easily lock and unlock your door straight from your smartphone. The August Smart Lock Pro is well-designed and fits over your existing deadbolt, so you don't need to completely do away with your keys if you don't want to. Once installed, you'll be able to lock and unlock the device through the August app, but only when you're in Bluetooth range — for other options, you'll have to get the Smart Lock Pro + Connect below.

August Smart Lock Pro + Connect, $164.90 (originally $279.99) [Was $175.00 on Prime Day last year]

The August Smart Lock Pro is great by itself, but if you really want to unlock the power of a smart lock, then it's worth considering getting the lock with the August Connect. That way, you can connect the device to Wi-Fi and control it from anywhere in the world. You'll also be able to integrate the lock with Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, and Apple HomeKit, which makes it infinitely more versatile. With the Connect, the lock is only $15 more, so we think it's well worth the price — and now it's even cheaper than before.

Yale Assure Lock SL, $201.69 (originally $219.99) [Was just $153.00 on Prime Day last year]

Perhaps you're perfectly happy replacing your entire lock, including the deadbolt — in which case the Yale Assure Lock SL is an excellent option. This lock offers a PIN code touch pad that you can use to lock and unlock your door, plus it works with smart home ecosystems like Samsung SmartThings, Wink, and more. This one may be worth waiting for to save an additional $50 or so.

Best smart display deals we expect for Prime Day 2020

Amazon Echo Show (2nd Gen), $179.99 (originally $229.99) [Was just $159.99 on Prime Day last year] 

The Amazon Echo Show is a great way to get a little more information from your digital assistant. With the 10-inch screen on the Show, you'll see information like the weather, web results, videos, and more — and you can control it all with your voice, making for an easy user experience.

Amazon Echo Show + Kasa indoor security camera, $219.98 (originally $279.98) [Was $264.98 on Prime Day last year]

Perhaps you want to get started on building your smart home, in which case we recommend checking out this deal on the Echo Show with a Kasa indoor security camera. The security camera can be set up with Alexa and monitored through the Echo Show. The camera will alert you if there's activity where you've set it up, and you can see what's happening on the Show's screen. It's even cheaper now at the time of writing than it was on Prime Day last year.

Amazon Echo Show 5, $64.99 (originally $89.99) [Was just $49.99 on Prime Day last year]

The Amazon Echo Show 5 is basically a smaller version of the standard Echo Show, and it's a great option for those who want to deck out their home with a bunch of them. The device offers many of the same features as the standard Echo Show, but it has a smaller screen and slightly less powerful speakers. It'll still display information about weather and other events, though.

Amazon Echo Show 5 + Blink XT2 security camera, $164.98 (originally $189.98) [Was just $109.98 on Prime Day last year] 

Amazon has been building some great security cameras with its brand called Blink. This deal will get you the Echo Show 5 with the Blink XT. With this bundle, you'll be able to monitor footage from the camera on your Echo Show. If the Echo Show 5 was just $50 last year, we imagine this bundle could be even cheaper this time around.

Best smart speaker deals we expect for Prime Day 2020

Amazon Echo 2nd Gen, $99.99 (originally $99.99) [Was just $49.99 on Prime Day last year] 

Looking for an awesome smart speaker that has Amazon's super intelligent Alexa digital assistant? The Amazon Echo is an excellent buy. The device offers good sound quality, plus it can be used to interact with your smart home, search the web, and more. Not only that, but $49.99 is perhaps the best price we've seen on the Amazon Echo so far, so it's definitely waiting on another Prime Day deal for this one.

Amazon Echo Dot 3rd Gen, $29.99 (originally $49.99) [Was just $22.00 on Prime Day last year] 

If you want the intelligence of Amazon's Alexa but don't need a large speaker, then we recommend the 3rd-generation Amazon Echo Dot, which offers a nice design, and is cheap enough that you can get one for every room in your house. The device was available for only $22, but the $29.99 it's going for at the time of writing isn't bad either.

Amazon Echo Plus 2nd Gen, $119.99 (originally $149.99) [Was just $109.99 on Prime Day last year]

The Amazon Echo is great, but some might want a little more volume, in which case we recommend trying out the Amazon Echo Plus. The device offers a bigger and better speaker than the standard Echo, plus it has the smart home standard Zigbee built into it, so you can connect lots of smart home devices without buying extra hubs. Now could be as good as time as any to pick this one up, unless you're dying to save another $10.

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• The Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express Card and the Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card offer benefits like bonus miles on Delta flights and a free checked bag.
• There's also the Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card, which offers more premium benefits like Sky Club access when you fly Delta and an annual companion certificate that can be used for first-class travel.
• If you don't want to pay an annual fee, you could opt for the Delta SkyMiles® Blue American Express Card.
• Until April 1, these cards are offering elevated welcome bonuses of up to 100,000 Delta miles.
• See Business Insider's list of the best rewards credit cards »

For anyone who flies Delta Air Lines — even occasionally — right now is an ideal time to open a new card.

Delta and Amex just announced a slew of changes to their lineup of Delta co-branded credit cards, from additional opportunities to earn bonus miles to additional airport lounge access options for premium cardholders. And until April 1, the cards are offering elevated welcome bonuses that can earn you up to 100,000 miles.

Plus, the cards each offer a ton of ongoing value, whether you're a casual flyer or a hard-core Delta loyalist.

Read on to learn more about the various Delta cards for consumers, and see which one is best for you.

Keep in mind that we're focusing on the rewards and perks that make these credit cards great options, not things like interest rates and late fees, which will far outweigh the value of any points or miles. It's important to practice financial discipline when using credit cards by paying your balances in full each month, making payments on time, and only spending what you can afford to pay back. 

Delta cards compared

This comparison chart shows you the main differences between Delta's four co-branded credit cards for consumers:

If you don't want to pay an annual fee: Delta SkyMiles Blue American Express card

Welcome offer: 15,000 Delta SkyMiles after you spend $1,000 in the first three months

Annual fee: $0

Earning miles: 2x miles on Delta purchases and at restaurants worldwide, 1 mile per dollar on everything else

If you want to earn Delta miles on your everyday spending without paying an annual fee, the Delta SkyMiles Blue card could be worth a look. It offers relatively limited benefits, but it now waives foreign transaction fees, and you'll get 20% off eligible in-flight purchases on Delta when you pay with the card.

If you already have an American Express card that earns Membership Rewards points, like the Platinum Card® from American Express or the Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express, remember that you can transfer your points to Delta at a 1:1 ratio, so you may not need a Delta co-branded card if you don't want the additional perks offered by the options with annual fees.

Best for the casual Delta flyer: Delta SkyMiles Gold American Express Card

Welcome offer: 60,000 Delta SkyMiles after you spend $2,000 in the first three months. Plus, receive 10,000 additional miles after your first cardmember anniversary. 

Annual fee: $99 (waived the first year)

Earning miles: 2x Delta SkyMiles on eligible Delta purchases, at restaurants, and at US supermarkets, and 1 mile per dollar on everything else. 

The Delta SkyMiles Gold card is the best of the three for the casual Delta flyer, someone who finds themself on the airline a couple of times a year, but doesn't fly regularly enough to use the heftier cards' perks (more on that later).

One of the biggest perks: The card offers a free first checked bag for the cardholder and up to eight people on the same reservation. Delta charges $30 each way for a checked bag, so this can save up to $60 per person on a round-trip itinerary. Cardholders and travel companions also get Zone 1 priority boarding. This means you can board the plane sooner, giving you plenty of time to settle into your seat or find overhead space for any carry-on luggage. Zone 1 is after most Delta elite frequent flyers and extra-legroom passengers, but is usually within the first half of passengers to board.

Other perks include a 20% discount on in-flight purchases (in the form of a statement credit), such as food or drinks,  $100 Delta flight credit after you spend $10,000 on the card in a calendar year, and no foreign transaction fees.

If you're a small-business owner, you might want to consider the business version of this card, which also has a $99 annual fee that's waived the first year: the Delta SkyMiles® Gold Business American Express Card. The main difference is that the business version offers 2x miles on eligible US purchases for advertising in select media and on eligible US shipping purchases rather than on purchases at US supermarkets. (Both versions offer 2x miles on Delta purchases and restaurant purchases.)

Click here to learn more about the Delta Gold card»

Best for more regular flyers: Delta SkyMiles Platinum American Express Card

Welcome offer: 80,000 Delta SkyMiles after you spend $3,000 in the first three months. Plus, receive 20,000 additional miles after your first cardmember anniversary. 

Annual fee: $250

Earning miles: 3x SkyMiles on Delta purchases and on purchases made directly with hotels, 2x miles at restaurants and US supermarkets, 1 mile per dollar on everything else

If you fly Delta somewhat regularly, the Delta SkyMiles Platinum card is a better option, thanks to an often-overlooked benefit that can completely cover the annual fee each year.

The Delta Platinum card has most of the same perks as the Gold version, like priority boarding and free checked bags. The card also offers a Global Entry application fee credit of up to $100, and it gets cardholders access to Sky Club lounges at a discounted rate of $39.

However, the Delta Platinum card comes with a huge perk.

After your first year with the card, you'll get an annual domestic companion pass each year at your card-member anniversary. A Delta companion pass is essentially a buy-one-get-one-free coupon. When you book an economy-class flight for yourself anywhere within the continental US, you can get a second ticket for free, other than minimal taxes and fees.

The companion pass can easily cancel out the card's annual fee. Plus, each year that you spend $25,000 or more on the card, you earn a bonus 10,000 MQMs, and have the Medallion Qualifying Dollar (MQD) requirement for most elite status levels waived. When you have Medallion status, you can enjoy things like free upgrades to first class or extra-legroom seats whenever you fly, subject to availability.

If you want a small-business Delta card, check out the Delta SkyMiles® Platinum Business American Express Card, which also has a $250 annual fee. One unique benefit on this card is the ability to earn 5x miles on purchases of $5,000 or more (up to 50,000 additional miles per year, then back to 1 mile per dollar).

Click here to learn more about the Delta Platinum card »

Best for Delta Medallion frequent flyers: Delta SkyMiles Reserve American Express Card

Welcome offer: 80,000 Delta SkyMiles and 20,000 MQMs after you spend $5,000 in the first three months. Plus, receive 20,000 additional miles after your first cardmember anniversary. 

Annual fee: $550 

Earning miles: 3x SkyMiles on Delta purchases, 1 mile per dollar on all other purchases

The Delta SkyMiles Reserve card has a higher $550 annual fee, but it has a few additional perks that can make it worthwhile for some frequent flyers. 

Like the Platinum SkyMiles card, it offers a domestic companion pass. However, the Delta Reserve's pass can be used for first-class tickets, not just economy.

Additionally, the Delta Reserve offers access to Delta Sky Club airport lounges whenever the cardholder is flying with Delta. Plus, Reserve cardholders can now access Amex Centurion Lounges when they're flying Delta. Centurion Lounges are known for their high-end complimentary food and drink, so this is a great value-added perk.

Other recently added benefits include two Delta Sky Club one-time guest passes, up to $100 for a Global Entry or TSA PreCheck application fee credit, and access to complimentary upgrades for non-elite Delta members. Plus, if you'd like to use the Delta Reserve card to work toward Delta Medallion status and you can put a lot of spending on the card, you'll be able to earn additional MQMs after spending $90,000 and $120,000 in a calendar year.

The Reserve has one other major perk, which can be crucial for travelers who hold Delta Medallion elite status. Delta Medallion members are eligible for complimentary, space-available upgrades to first class and Delta One on flights within the US and the region, including Mexico and Central America, and extra-legroom seats on international flights.

Upgrades clear in hierarchical order based on a number of factors, including each passenger's status level, the original fare class they booked, and a few other factors. The first tiebreaker for people with the same Medallion level and fare class: whether they hold the Delta Reserve card. Reserve cardholders will be prioritized over those without it. If there's only one seat left and two members are still tied and both have the Reserve, it continues down the list of tiebreakers.

For travelers who fly a lot and frequently find themselves one or two upgrade-list spots away from getting that first-class seat, holding the Reserve can be extremely valuable. 

There's also the Delta SkyMiles® Reserve Business American Express Card, which offers nearly identical benefits for small-business users.

Click here to learn more about the Delta Reserve card »

• More credit card coverage
• What's the best airline credit card?
• The best cash-back credit cards
• Southwest credit card review
• Best rewards credit cards

Join the conversation about this story »

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• Personal stylist Kimberly Gant works with clients in the tech industry in the Bay Area.
• She's been a stylist for seven years, and has one major pet peeve she's noticed among tech workers: the wrong socks.
• "If you're wearing a shoe that is designed not to be worn with socks, heed that message," Gant told Business Insider. "If you are wearing a sneaker, investigate no-show socks or low-profile socks."
• Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

Kimberly Gant has been a stylist in the Bay Area for seven years, which means she's seen pretty much the full gamut of personal style. 

It also means she's had plenty of time to figure out her biggest pet peeve. 

"If I could give one PSA, it is mostly on socks, specifically," Gant told Business Insider. "If you're wearing a shoe that is designed not to be worn with socks, heed that message. If you are wearing a sneaker, investigate no-show socks or low-profile socks."

It's not just about whether or not your socks are showing, though.

"If you're wearing white sneakers, please do not wear black socks," Gant said. 

Socks may seem like an afterthought when you're getting dressed, but they really do matter, she said: "It can change an image so quickly." 

An investment portfolio, but for clothes

The Bay Area hasn't historically been known as fashion-obsessed, in part because of the tech industry. After all, it's a region made famous by tech wunderkinds who wear pajamas to pitches with venture capitalists and stick to a uniform of hoodies and jeans for years on end, or VCs who don the ubiquitous, branded fleece vest for coffee shop meetings.

Plus, unlike New York or Washington, DC, San Franciscans tend to be more outdoorsy — for example, Gant said many of her clients need footwear that works for walking meetings. 

Gant owns a personal styling business called Canvas Styling, and said many of her clients work in tech. (Starting her own company has helped her relate to her startup clients, she said.) But Gant has also worked with tech workers at all levels, from those just starting out in Silicon Valley to VCs and upper management at tech companies.

Regardless of where her clients are at in their careers, however, she takes a business approach to their wardrobes.

"I kind of look at it as an investment portfolio," she said. "When I see someone's wardrobe, I figure out, 'OK, what can we build an assortment off of? How can we make sure they have mix-and-match options?' And that they have a good wardrobe that works for Bay Area living." 

Gant said she's noticed a shift in the fashion industry in the last few years that's trickled down to the Bay Area: the capsule wardrobe. Rather than having a large closet full of clothes, Gant's clients are investing in a few basic items they can wear all the time. She thinks the capsule wardrobe appeals to Silicon Valley specifically because it's modular, and because the Bay Area doesn't have much seasonality.

"I want to make sure if we're going to be investing in pieces that you're wearing all the time, I want to make sure for clients it's a really great quality and something that will last," Gant said.

And while the wrong socks top her list of pet peeves, Gant does want tech workers to know one other thing about investing in their wardrobes: "Jeans — please get them well fit. And make sure your belt is up-to-date and not falling apart."

SEE ALSO: The most unusual, extravagant ways tech executives like Larry Ellison and Elon Musk have spent their money

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• JetBlue made its first flight on February 11, 2000, making the airline 20 years old.
• As the airline looks torward the next two decades, including its first service to Europe, it hopes that the top-of-the-line Airbus A321neo will be a major part of its operations
• The airline has 85 of the planes on order, but deliveries have been taking longer than expected due to production delays. 
• Business Insider had a chance to tour the plane when the first one was delivered, and we were impressed. Scroll down for a full photo walk-through.
• Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

As JetBlue celebrates its 20th birthday, the airline is integrating new planes into its fleet — the Airbus A321neo.

The airline has been eagerly awaiting the new efficient jet since it place an order for 85 of the jets in October 2011.

With a 15-20% boost in fuel efficiency over the previous generation of A321 jets — known as the A321ceo, or "current engine option" — the A321neo — "new engine option" — also boasts a 500 nautical mile increase in range.

Unfortunately, production delays at Airbus have meant that deliveries have been delayed.

Although 13 of the aircraft were contractually scheduled to be delivered through 2019, JetBlue's president, Joanna Geraghty, said on a July call with investors that the airline expects to receive just six of the new aircraft this year.

"We're very disappointed with the continued delays to our A321neo program as a result of the Airbus production issues,"JetBlue CEO Robin Hayes said during the call.

However, JetBlue received the first A321neo in late June, and after two weeks of test flights on a variety of routes, the airline is ready to "officially" launch the plane into service.

"JetBlue's new A321neo boasts features such as the widest and most comfortable seats available for this aircraft type, and a host of thoughtful design elements that are meant to enhance customer comfort and help our crew members deliver award-winning service," said Hayes.

Business Insider had a chance to tour the first A321neo this fall before it entered regular service, and we were seriously impressed.

Take a look below for a walk-through of the impressive new jet, which gives an idea of what all of JetBlue's jets will look like soon.

SEE ALSO: Virgin Atlantic, one of the world's most stylish airlines, just rolled out its incredible new seats on its newest plane — take a tour of the brand-new jet

Here it is: JetBlue's first A321neo, named David Neelman

Named for the airline's legendary founder, this A321neo is JetBlue's first of 85 on order.

The neo, or "new engine option," is an updated version of the highly successful A320 family. It uses a new Pratt & Whitney GTF engine for a 15-20% fuel efficiency boost.

Unfortunately, production of the plane has been delayed, leading to some frustration as customers eagerly await deliveries.

JetBlue was supposed to receive 13 of its 85 orders through 2019. However, during a call with investors in July, JetBlue's president Joanna Geraghty shared that it expected just six this year.

That's caused a few delays in the airline's plans to retrofit older planes with new interiors.

However, the airline finally has its first A321neo — which was delivered in June — ready to start flying regularly.

The plane features an all-new cabin, virtually the same as the second phase of the airline's program to reconfigure its older A320 planes, but with a few tweaks unique to the A321neo

JetBlue has currently retrofit about 20 of its existing A320 planes with a new cabin, and expects to reconfigure the remaining 80–90 by the end of 2020. Some of those jets have an older "phase one" cabin, but most will be "phase two," similar to the A321neo.

The plane features a sleek, modern look, with brand new seats and pleasant mood lighting (which, obviously, is blue-hued).

The cabin is basically split into two sections. The larger forward cabin holds rows 1–23, while the last 10 rows are in the smaller back cabin.

In between these cabins is a small self-serve snack area called the "pantry." It's actually a little bigger than it looks in this photo, and is a pleasant place to get up and stretch your legs or grab a snack during a flight.

Drew Litavis, JetBlue's manager of aircraft interiors and in-flight technology, told Business Insider that the pantry was designed by AIM Altitude, the same company that builds the luxurious bars and lounges featured in planes from Emirates, Qatar, and Virgin Atlantic.

The pantry will be stocked with snacks and drinks during flights.

Each seat features an adjustable headrest, which can move up and down...

... And which have adjustable wings, so you can lean to either side with your head still supported.

The wings seemed hefty and stable, like they would actually be supportive.

Each seat is about 18.4 inches wide, with 3 inches of recline and 32 inches of pitch — on the higher side for an economy seat.

They definitely felt comfortable, and nicely padded, despite concerns that JetBlue might remove padding from new seats to allow for more legroom.

The seat-back pockets have also been redesigned with a few specific pockets and panels for gadgets like phones and headphones, charging cables, and water bottles.

For those needing a little more space, there are a few rows of extra legroom seats, branded as "Even More Space."

See also: Apply here to attend IGNITION: Transportation, an event focused on the future of transportation, in San Francisco on October 22.

These are the same Collins Aerospace Meridian-made seats as the rest of the cabin, but they offer about 35 inches of pitch.

These were also quite comfortable.

While this particular version of the plane didn't feature JetBlue's "Mint" business class, future A321neos will have it.

Every seat, regardless of legroom, has the same redesigned in-flight entertainment system, and it's definitely impressive.

The 10-inch HD touchscreen was bright and easy to see, with an anti-glare coating.

Interestingly, JetBlue decided to do away with the remote controls that used to be in the seats' armrests. Instead, passengers can pair their phones with the screens and use those as remotes.

One of the biggest complaints the airline heard from passengers was that it was too easy to knock the remote with an errant elbow and accidentally change the channel or stop a movie, according to Litavis. The phone-pairing is an elegant way to take care of that

It was an easy three steps to get my phone paired.

Here's the view from my phone.

You could also just use the touchscreen.

As has been the case for years on JetBlue, there's free live TV and Wi-Fi on board.

The airline also added DVR-like functionality to the TVs. This way, if you need to get up to use the bathroom or let a seat-mate get to the aisle, you can just pause your show and not miss anything.

Additionally, there are about 150 on-demand movies, and full seasons of popular television shows.

There's also, of course, a moving map with flight information.

Each monitor has a headphone jack, and a USB port for charging phones and tablets.

There are also universal power sockets — with more USB ports.

There's an NFC-enabled chip in the entertainment system, but it doesn't do anything yet. Litivas said they installed it for "possible future use."

The overhead compartments are nice and spacious, like on the standard A320s.

Even the lavatories have been redesigned, with stylish floors and wallpaper.

Overall, it's an impressive and comfortable plane. It's easy to see why the airline is so eager to add more of them to its fleet.

• There are only 172 Master Sommeliers in the United States, but just because you haven't earned that distinction doesn't mean that you can't pick a great wine.
• After lots of taste testing, we've found that Winc is the best wine subscription service to get you drinkable, affordable wines you can enjoy anytime.
• Read more: The best wine glasses

No matter how many apps you have on your phone or how many books you've read, buying wine is never an easy process. With so many varietals and vineyards to choose from, it's hard to discover if you'd prefer a Cabernet Franc to Cabernet Sauvignon without taste-testing both. And even then, there are so many regions to choose from.

Enter wine clubs.

Wine clubs have been around since the early 1970s. But in recent years, a few startups have started to personalize the process of buying wine even further, introducing quizzes and algorithms to better predict what kind of wine would best suit your palate. That way, even those of us who know nothing about the art of alcohol can educate ourselves while sipping on a glass. After all, what better way to determine what we like than by trial and error?

We've tested multiple services and their wines to determine the best wine subscriptions to try. 

Here are the best wine subscriptions:

• Best wine subscription overall: Winc 
• Best wine subscription for sampling: Vinebox
• Best wine subscription for customization: Bright Cellars
• Best wine subscription for developing your taste: Firstleaf

Prices and details are accurate as of 2/10/20. We're currently testing Vegan Wines, 90+ Cellars, and Plonk Wine Club, and will report back on our findings soon.

SEE ALSO: The best wine openers and corkscrews you can buy

The best wine subscription overall

From the packaging to the bottles themselves, everything about Winc is elegant and sophisticated.

As the first personalized wine club, Winc is one of the older players in this relatively new game of wine subscription startups, and with age comes experience. Formerly known as Club W, Winc has become quite the VC darling, having successfully raised over $40 million in funding to help bring its selection of wines to a great audience. And Winc certainly has quite the wine selection. With more than 70 styles sourced from vineyards around the world, you can think of Winc as the digitized version of your favorite wine store.

Rather than charging a flat rate per box, Winc's wines priced per bottle, beginning at $13 and going up to $40. While each box comes with four bottles, you may never pay the same price twice. That said, you won't have to worry about shipping or handling, so the price you see the price you get. By sourcing wines directly from vineyards, Winc is not only able to provide a more interesting selection, but also at a lower cost.

To help you decide which wines are best for you, Winc starts off its process with a quiz that asks questions like how you take your coffee, whether or not you like earthy flavors, and how much you enjoy citrus. From there, you'll indicate if you want reds, whites, or a combination of both, and Winc will recommend the best bottles for you, your palate, and your budget. All of Winc's wines have extensive tasting notes and serving recommendations, which can be found online. If you're particularly fond of a certain bottle, you can check out what else Winc recommends from the same family.

A surprising favorite of mine was Dime, a striking bottle with a simple name, but a rather surprising taste. With strong cherry notes and a deep earthiness, it felt as though this wine was designed with my quiz in mind. Dime appears to be popular with a number of wine drinkers, scoring an average score of 89.8 on Cellar Tracker. I was also a fan of the Diviner Cabernet Sauvignon from the Santa Ynez Valley, which Winc's tasting notes describe as "rich but not opulent" and "generous and balanced."

Winc has been a crowd favorite for years now, even when it was still named Club W. Observer called it the perfect wine club "for wine lovers who aren't wine snobs." Forbes, on the other hand, noted that Winc is perfect for folks who "prefer more control over the wines you drink."

Pros: Fantastic wine selection, reasonable prices, fast delivery, thorough tasting notes

Cons: If you don't want to think at all about what wines you're getting, the sheer size of Winc's portfolio may feel a bit intimidating ... but only at first

The best wine subscription for sampling

Vinebox sends vials of wine so you can get a taste for them before buying a whole bottle.

Unlike other wine subscriptions that send you multiple bottles of wine to enjoy, Vinebox hopes to introduce you to new wines with small samples. Think of it as a way to test drive your wines before you commit to buying them. Vinebox doesn't send you a 750 mL bottle, but rather 10 centiliters in a rather attractive vial. It's enough for a glass, and enough to help you determine whether or not it's something you want more of. 

The membership operates on a quarterly delivery system. Every three months, you'll get nine wines that are curated based on seasonality and interesting themes. Even though you'll be asked about your wine preferences, Vinebox will still often throw in wildcards or wines that don't fit those preferences exactly in the hopes that you'll discover something new and expand your horizons.

All wines come with tasting notes, recommendations, and pairings. And once you've finished tasting, if any particular wine stood out, you're welcome to buy the full-sized bottle.  

The wines that Vinebox sends are certainly already at the top of their game. The company notes that it taste tests 11,358 wines and only allows 1% of those to be sent to its customers, so rest assured that you're already testing the cream of the crop.

We've been fans of for quite some time. In 2019, Insider Picks reporter Mara Leighton noted that "it can be a good way to get access to high-end wines you would otherwise never be able to afford." Wine Club Reviews also gave Vinebox a thumbs up, noting that while they  "reserve superlatives for very-high-end wine ... these are just shy of superlative-worthy."

Pros: Healthy glass-sized pours, great wine selection, ability to buy full-size bottle

Cons: Glass-sized pours (if you're hoping for more)

The best wine box for customization

Bright Cellars relies on algorithms to match you to your favorite wines, so the longer you subscribe to the service, the better suited your wines are to your palate.

Bright Cellars has long pushed the fact that it was founded by two MIT graduates, and despite its relatively new entrance into the wine subscription industry (it's only been around since 2015), it's already made quite a name for itself.

The company gives you a fun but slightly more detailed quiz about preferences — what kind of chocolate you like, how you take your tea — to determine what wine suits you best.

Then, after you've received your four bottles a month, rate them online, and Bright Cellars will use your feedback to determine what wines to send you next month. The more you rate and the more you subscribe, the more likely it is that you'll be paired with a wine that's exactly up your alley.

Back in 2016, Bright Cellars began "matching the wine to our members," as co-founder and CEO Richard Yau said. Basically, that means that Bright Cellars began making its own wine known as Bright Cellars exclusives, which are meant to reflect customers' tastes.

Yau notes that most of Bright Cellars' drinkers are "moving up from Barefoot and Yellow Tail," which is to say that more veteran wine drinkers may not be thrilled by the options provided by Bright Cellars. While I wasn't disappointed by any of the wines I tried, I wasn't exactly thrilled by any of them, either. They were, however, easy to drink, and would've made great party favors that could be roundly enjoyed by a diverse group of folks.

Moreover, Wine Club Reviews noted that, as Bright Cellars promised, each subsequent shipment contained better and better wines (or at least, wines that matched their drinkers' tastes).

One of the most notable aspects of Bright Cellars is its Delight Guarantee. The company promises that if you're matched with a bottle you don't love, a Bright Cellars Wine Concierge will help you select a free replacement bottle in your next box.

If you're going with Bright Cellars, you might also consider a subscription to its sister company, The Tasting Board. This monthly cheese club also leverages a quiz to help determine what dairy products you'll like best, because what's a bottle of wine without a cheese plate? For $55, you'll get four cheese selections a month, and like the Bright Cellars guarantee, any cheese that doesn't match your palate will be replaced for free in next month's box.

Pros: Helpful wine concierge, algorithm-based wine selection, unique wines you can't find elsewhere

Cons: You may have to stick with Bright Cellars for a bit longer to really get the payoff

The best wine subscription for developing your taste

Firstleaf asks you to review the wines you've already tried so that it can keep improving its recommendations and evolve with your tastes.

Both you and wine get better with age, and so, too, does Firstleaf, a bargain wine club that truly wants to cater its selection of wines to your taste. The expert curators behind the company choose from a wide selection of red, white, and sparkling wines that are matched to your taste profile.

But don't worry — your taste profile isn't contingent upon a bunch of questions about whether you prefer corn flakes to bran flakes or how you take your coffee. Instead, the quiz asks simply if you'd rather go for red, white, or a mix and if you'd like a sparkling or rose thrown in, how many bottles you drink a month, and where you prefer your wine to come from.

Firstleaf then sends an introductory box of three wines for the truly unbeatable price of $15 plus $5 for shipping. After the first shipment, each six-bottle box costs $90 plus $10 shipping.

Delivery was fast, and upon trying my first three wines, I was able to then review the options and have my taste profile updated. This way, you're actually able to give real-time feedback and ensure that each subsequent box is better.

To be fair, while the wines included in Firstleaf boxes are, as the company says, award-winning, these awards aren't necessarily agreed upon by the entirety of the wine community. That doesn't mean that the wines you're receiving are bad by any stretch of the imagination, but you won't necessarily want to invite your sommelier friends over to critique.

That said, many wine clubs tend to privilege value over taste, and given that these subscription services often cater to folks who are either just beginning to drink wine or looking for a hassle-free way to get a few bottles every month, they serve their purposes well. I enjoyed my three introductory wines (one white and two reds), and certainly would not object to getting a few more that are a bit more catered to my palette.

Pros: Each box gets better, good value, great customer service  

Cons: No gifting option, some wines leave a bit to be desired

What else we considered

HelloFresh:HelloFresh seeks to be as non-intimidating as possible, both in terms of its meal kit recipes, packaging, and its wines, too. Each delivery comes with six standard-sized bottles. If you go with the Mixed Wine plan, you'll normally end up with four reds and two whites.

All wines are meant to pair with a HelloFresh recipe, but they're also perfectly fine with the cheese plate you threw together as a quick appetizer for your dinner party. HelloFresh sends along an info sheet featuring tasting notes, as well as an email that makes fun suggestions around your wine and potential snack accompaniments.

Because all of these wines are specifically meant to be paired with HelloFresh's prepared meals, we find it a little limiting, and while it's a perfectly fine place to order your wine (especially if you happen to be ordering the brand's food, too), it doesn't seem to offer quite as much as other subscription services do.

Blue Apron:Blue Apron's 500 mL wines are just the right size to split with your partner over dinner. With bottles that are bigger than Vinebox's 10 cL pours and smaller than your standard 750 mL, Blue Apron offers just enough wine for you to split with your dinner partner. Like HelloFresh, Blue Apron started as a meal kit service, which means that its wines are meant to pair with its recipes.

Unlike HelloFresh, however, Blue Apron actually holds its own winery license, which means that it can cut out many of the middlemen that make the wine-buying process more expensive. In fact, six bottles will set you back $66 a month, including shipping, which means that each bottle works out to $11. The company also works alongside other winemakers, including Napa's Steve Matthiasson and Helen Keplinger, to bring a greater selection of wines to customers.

Since you can buy a lot of these full-size bottles for around the same price, some folks may prefer to just drive over to the liquor shop.

Check out our other wine-drinking guides

The best wine glasses you can buy

The size, shape, construction, and style of a wine glass can dramatically alter how the wine will taste. Find the best overall wine glasses for everyday use and different types of wine in this guide.

The best wine openers and corkscrews you can buy

There's nothing like a glass of wine after a long day, but getting into the bottle can be a hassle without a good wine opener or corkscrew. To get that cork out as easily as possible, you should get the best one around.

• With Valentine's Day ahead, we took a look at the average engagement ring price by state, which ranges from $3,005 to $10,109, according to diamond retailer Ritani.
• People in Washington spend the most on engagement rings, while those in South Dakota spend the least.
• Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

Engagement season typically runs from Thanksgiving through Valentine's Day, and with the latter holiday just around the corner, proposals are about to reach their peak.

The average American spends $7,750 on an engagement ring. That's according to online diamond retailerRitani, which specializes in engagement rings. They took an even deeper dive into the statistics to find the average price paid for an engagement ring across the US in 2019. The range is wide — engagement rings in South Dakota sold for $3,005 on average, but those bought in California were worth nearly five figures.

But many factors go into pricing a diamond engagement ring. Diamonds are graded and priced based on the "four Cs," which are cut, carat, color, and clarity. Each of those can affect the price. A 1-carat round-shaped diamond with an "ideal" cut grade, for example, can range from about $2,000 up to $12,857 at Ritani depending on its grade for clarity and color.

Below we've ranked the average amount of money spent on an engagement ring in each state, from lowest to highest.

Sarah Jacobs previously contributed to an earlier version of this article.

SEE ALSO: Louis Vuitton just dropped 'millions' of dollars to buy the second-largest diamond in history

DON'T MISS: The CEO of Tiffany said customers 'don't care' who owns the brand just days before the company agreed to be bought by luxury giant LVMH

51. South Dakota: $3,005

50. Maine: $3,184

49. Utah: $3,682

48. Mississippi: $4,106

47. Delaware: $4,024

46. Indiana: $4,181

45. Connecticut: $4,261

44. Vermont: $4,911

43. Iowa: $4,939

42. West Virginia: $4,968

41. Oregon: $5,126

40. Rhode Island: $5,185

39. Idaho: $5,197

38. Alabama: $5,255

37. Oklahoma: $5,294

36. Arkansas: $5,422

35. Wisconsin: $5,661

34. Hawaii: $ 5,733

33. Colorado: $5,858

32. Nebraska: $5,873

31. New Mexico: $5,996

30. Alaska: $6,143

29. Montana: $6,353

28. Nevada: $6,560

27. North Dakota: $6,631

26. Wyoming: $6,670

25. Arizona: $6,684

24. New Hampshire: $6,832

23. Georgia: $6,868

22. Minnesota: $7,050

21. Missouri: $7,071

20. North Carolina: $7,133

19. Tennessee: $7,368

18. Pennsylvania: $7,552

17. Maryland: $7,553

16. Ohio: $7,796

15. South Carolina: $7,874

14. Kentucky: $7,918

13. Virginia: $7,934

12. Louisiana: $7,959

11. Texas: $8,063

10. Massachusetts: $8,193

9. Washington DC: $8,545

8. Michigan: $8,535

7. New York: $8,785

6. Florida: $8,809

5. New Jersey: $8,842

4. Kansas: $8,947

3. Illinois: $9,197

2. California: $9,482

1. Washington: $10,109

• The most common fights couples have focus on issues such as finances, sex, and parenting.
• That's according to Rachel Sussman, a relationship expert and marriage counselor in New York City.
• Sussman said all these conflicts come down to communication skills — or a lack thereof. 
• Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

The most common fights couples have aren't regarding infidelity or childcare.

They're relatively trivial things, like chores and social media, according to Rachel Sussman, a relationship expert and marriage counselor in New York City.

Sussman explained that the fight isn't so much about the issue itself as it is about a lack of communication. "If you're someone who has really poor communication skills," she told Business Insider, "that might mean that the minute your partner brings something up, you get very defensive, or you start with the 'tit for tat.'" Which means that "no matter what you're arguing about, that could escalate into a really big fight."

Sussman described 10 of the most common sources of conflict among the couples she sees — and importantly, she said, working on your communication skills is the key to resolving them all. "If you can communicate well, you can get through these issues in a way that can actually bring you closer together," she said. "And if you can't communicate well, it makes it so much worse and can actually tear you apart."

SEE ALSO: 7 common reasons people say they got divorced

Couples fight when one partner feels like they're more committed than the other.

When unmarried couples come to see Sussman, they often want to talk about commitment. Typically, Sussman said, one partner feels like they're more committed than the other. Or one partner wants to "move the relationship forward" by moving in together or getting engaged and is encountering some resistance.

If couples are fighting about household chores, Sussman said, it's probably because "one person feels like they're taking the lion's share of the work."

In Sussman's experience working with heterosexual couples, that person is usually the woman. Meanwhile, she added, "I often hear the men feeling that they're doing a lot but they don't get credit for it. They get picked on a lot."

In fact, American moms are spending more time in the labor force than in the past, but also more time on childcare, according to a 2019 Pew Research Center report. Moms spend 16 more hours a week on paid work than they did 50 years ago, yet four more hours a week on childcare.

Younger couples get frustrated with their partner's overuse of social media.

Sussman said she's seen a spike in the number of complaints about a partner's social media habits in the last five years. Typically, couples with these kinds of problems are in their 20s and 30s.

One person might complain, for example, "that their life is plastered all over social media or they think their partner is addicted to their phone." Sussman's also heard from people who are worried that their partner is following a ton of models on Instagram.

Another common issue? Staying in touch with an ex on social media.

Fights about money come up later in a relationship.

"It's very normal in a couple that one person is a spender and one is a saver," Sussman said. The problem is "you think you're justified and the other person is at fault." The saver might accuse the spender of being fiscally irresponsible; the spender might accuse the saver of being cheap.

Don Cloud, president and founder of Cloud Financial Inc., previously told Business Insider that he frequently works with spender/saver couples. The first step, he said, is for each partner to share their beliefs and feelings about money.

Yet Sussman said issues also tend to arise when couples move in together or get married and face the decision about whether to combine finances, a notoriously difficult choice. If they're hesitant, "might this show that there's a lack of trust?"

Or, fights about money might come up later. Maybe both partners worked when they started dating, but once they had kids, one partner stayed home. The partner who works might be "holding that over [the other partner's] head," or even engage in financial blackmail, Sussman said.

Couples fight when one partner prioritizes work over the relationship.

"Someone might be a workaholic," Sussman said, "or someone might be prioritizing work over relationships."

As Michael McNulty, a master trainer from The Gottman Institute and founder of the Chicago Relationship Center, told Business Insider's Rachel Gillett, "Having a spouse addicted to work can feel like as much of a betrayal as extramarital affair to the other spouse."

Couples can sometimes argue over addiction.

Sometimes people bring their partner to see Sussman because the partner has an alcohol problem — or at least the person perceives it that way.

As it turns out, one small study, published 2013 in the journal Couple and Family Psychology, found that substance abuse was a common "final straw" in the decision to get divorced.

After couples have children, they often argue about not spending enough time with one another anymore.

Sussman says she sees a lot of couples with small children who aren't finding enough time to connect with one another. Sometimes they feel "their relationship has become very transactional."

Scientists who have studied the transition to parenting say there are three factors that help a couple maintain intimacy after having a baby: 

• "Building fondness and affection for your partner" 
• "Being aware of what is going on in your spouse's life and being responsive to it"
• "Approaching problems as something you and your partner can control and solve together as a couple"

Couples fight if there is too little (or too much) sex.

Sometimes one partner wants sex more than the other, Sussman said. She's also been told that one of them is "feeling that their sex life has died."

Bat Sheva Marcus, the sexual dysfunction specialist and clinical director of The Medical Center For Female Sexuality, previously told Business Insider about the usefulness of a "sex schedule," which is exactly what it sounds like. "If you want to have sex, you need to schedule sex," Marcus said, especially when both partners are busy, or when they have different desire levels. "That doesn't make the sex any less special."

Infidelity can be detrimental to relationships.

This is something Sussman said she sees plenty of in her practice.

While the discovery of an affair can potentially destroy a relationship, it doesn't have to. Couples therapist Esther Perel previously told Business Insider that couples can sometimes become closer and more honest with each other in the wake of infidelity, almost as though they're entering into another marriage.

Couples disagree over how to raise their children.

A common parenting problem Sussman sees is that one parent is more lenient and one parent is stricter.

That's why Carl Pickhardt, a psychologist who's written multiple books about parenting, previously told Business Insider that the No. 1 question you and your partner should discuss before having kids is: How do you manage joint decision-making?

"If you have parents who have a hard time bridging disagreements," Pickhardt said, "that's probably not a great sign. They've got to be able to know how to communicate, and how to change, and how to make concessions, and how to compromise."

The bottom line: If you're arguing over and over about the same thing, it may be time to see a couples counselor.

"Too much bickering will wear down any relationship," Sussman said. "I've heard people say, 'This relationship ended by death by a thousand paper cuts.'"

That's why she makes the following recommendation: "If you're going over and over again about something and you can't seem to create a solution, go see a couples counselor — not to solve the problem, but to learn the skill set so you can do a better job of working through these conflicts as they come up in your life."

• Read more:
• 12 science-backed facts about cheating that all couples should know
  
• How to save your relationship from workplace stress
• 13 things mentally strong couples don't do, according to a psychotherapist

• Michael Bloomberg is one of 11 Democratic candidates running for president in 2020. 
• The former New York City mayor has a net worth of $61.8 billion, according to Forbes, making him the richest candidate by far.
• Bloomberg is the richest person in New York and currently the eighth-richest person in America.
• The billionaire, who's financing his own campaign, is planning on doubling his ad spending and hiring more staff after the Iowa caucuses, The New York Times reported.
• He cofounded media company Bloomberg LP, a company that now brings in $10 billion in annual revenue.
• Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

With his $61.8 billion fortune, former New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg is the richest person in New York — and the richest candidate running for president in 2020. 

Bloomberg was a late entry to the race, announcing his run for president in November, eight months after saying he wouldn't run.

Bloomberg is planning on doubling his spending on ads and hiring more field staff after the controversial Iowa caucuses, The New York Times reported. The chaotic caucuses, where Bloomberg was not on the ballot because of his late entry, failed to produce a clear winner.

The former Wall Street executive and former Republican has said he's not soliciting donations for his campaign, spending his own fortune instead.

From his early days working on Wall Street to his generous philanthropic donations, here's how the newest 2020 Democratic presidential candidate made — and spends — his billions. 

SEE ALSO: Michael Bloomberg is the only candidate to give money to the DNC. They just changed their rules to let him onto the debate stage.

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Billionaire media mogul and former New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg is one of 11 Democrats still in the running to be the next president of the United States.

The moderate former Republican was a late-entry candidate who joined the race in November 2019, eight months after he said he wouldn't be running for president in 2020.

Bloomberg has an estimated net worth of $61.8 billion, according to Forbes, making him the richest person in New York and the eighth-richest person in the US.

The 77-year-old billionaire cofounded financial information and media company Bloomberg LP in 1981, and he owns 88% of the business, according to Forbes.

Bloomberg LP brought in $10 billion in revenue in 2018 and employs almost 20,000 people in 176 locations in 120 countries.

Born on Valentine's Day in 1942, Bloomberg grew up in Medford, Massachusetts, a small city near Boston.

According to his website, Bloomberg grew up in a middle-class family and was in the Boy Scouts. 

After graduating from Johns Hopkins with an electrical engineering degree and earning an MBA from Harvard, Bloomberg went to work on Wall Street.

He landed a job at Salomon Brothers in New York City, where he spent countless hours counting out stocks and bonds in the bank's vault. His starting salary was $9,000 a year, according to his website.

He eventually worked his way up the ranks and was named partner in 1972.

In 1978, Bloomberg was put in charge of running the firm's information technology division, which was a clear demotion, according to John Sviokla and Mitch Cohen, authors of "The Self-Made Billionaire Effect: How Extreme Producers Create Massive Value."

Regardless, Bloomberg stayed at Salomon for three more years until the company merged with commodity trading firm Phibro in 1981 and let Bloomberg go with a severance check to the tune of $10 million.

After leaving Salomon, Bloomberg used part of his severance to start his own business, a financial information technology company now known as Bloomberg LP.

Originally called Innovative Market Solutions, the company aimed to make it easier for traders to wade through data.

It eventually debuted the Bloomberg terminal (first known as the MarketMaster terminal), and Merrill Lynch was the first customer, purchasing 22 of them and investing $30 million in the company for a 30% stake.

Bloomberg LP became widely successful throughout the 80s and was worth $2 billion by 1989.

The company branched out into other forms of media, including Bloomberg News and Bloomberg TV.

In 2001, Bloomberg entered the world of politics, running for mayor of New York City as a Republican. He was elected just weeks after the September 11 attacks.

While in office, Bloomberg — already a billionaire — accepted only $1 a year throughout his 12 years in the mayor's office, rejecting a salary that would have amounted to $2.7 million throughout his tenure, according to The New York Times.

Instead, Bloomberg spent $650,000 of his own personal fortune throughout his time as mayor, including roughly $6 million on private plane travel, according to the Times.

When he wanted to run for a third term as mayor, Bloomberg campaigned to change the law that limited officials to only two terms in office — and won.

When his 12-year run as mayor ended in 2013, Bloomberg spent a stint as a full-time philanthropist.

By 2015, he stepped back into his role as CEO of Bloomberg LP.

Bloomberg's long-term partner is Diana Taylor, who was the de facto "first lady of New York" during his tenure as mayor.

Taylor has an MBA from Dartmouth University and a public health degree from Columbia University.

Her career includes serving as deputy secretary to former New York governor George Pataki, superintendent of banking for the State of New York, managing director at Wolfensohn Fund Management, and vice chair of Solera Capital, a women-owned private equity firm.

The couple met in 2000 at a Citizens Budget Commission luncheon when she was at Wolfensohn, the Times reported.

Taylor has been hitting the campaign trail for Bloomberg, who she "always thought" would be "a really good president," she told The Washington Post.

Bloomberg has two daughters with his ex-wife, Susan Brown.

Emma Bloomberg, his older daughter, is active in the nonprofit world, having spent more than six years at the Robin Hood Foundation. She's now the CEO of Murmuration, a nonprofit with the goal of reducing inequality and improve outcomes for children. 

Emma, who graduated from Princeton University, the Harvard Kennedy School of Government and the Harvard Business School, also sits on the board Bloomberg Family Foundation, the Robin Hood Foundation, the KIPP Foundation, New Classrooms, and Leadership for Educational Equity.

Bloomberg's younger daughter, Georgina Bloomberg, is a professional equestrian and author of young adult novels. Georgina is a New York University graduate and is a self-described animal lover who has reportedly rescued five dogs, a pig, a goat, two mules, and two miniature horses.

The former New York mayor controls an impressive real-estate portfolio. In New York City, he lives in a five-story mansion on Manhattan's Upper East Side.

At the end of his last term as mayor, the billionaire spent at least $1.7 million renovating the building.

At one point in 2013, Bloomberg owned a whopping 14 properties worldwide, with homes everywhere from New York to London to Bermuda.

Bloomberg bought a $20 million home in the Hamptons in 2011.

The Southampton estate includes a 22,000-square-foot Georgian mansion with 11 bedrooms and eight bathrooms.

Bloomberg also reportedly owns a waterfront home in Bermuda. While he was mayor, he flew one of his private jets down to the island about twice a month, according to the Times.

Bloomberg bought and demolished a waterfront house there, replacing it with a $10 million home three times the size, the Times reported.

According to Bermuda's Royal Gazette, Bloomberg is still a part-time resident as of 2019.

In 2015, Bloomberg dropped $25 million on a London mansion that British novelist George Eliot once called home.

The seven-bedroom Chelsea townhouse became Bloomberg's second home in the city, where he had already owned an apartment on Cadogan Square for years.

Bloomberg LP has a massive building in London that serves as its European headquarters.

The one-million-square-foot building in the center of London, completed in 2017, took about $1.3 billion and almost a decade to build.

The building, which has been called "the world's most sustainable office," won the 2018 Stirling prize for architecture.

The company's New York City headquarters are on Lexington Avenue in Manhattan, in a 55-story building informally known as Bloomberg Tower.

Bloomberg's 900,000 square feet of office space in the building span 29 floors.

Bloomberg has shelled out millions on expensive toys, including helicopters and a fleet of private planes.

His purchases include an AgustaWestland AW109SP helicopter that retailed for around $7 million at the time he bought it in 2013.

Bloomberg keeps his fleet at the Morristown Municipal Airport in New Jersey, the Times reported in 2012.

Bloomberg is a well-known philanthropist.

Through Bloomberg Philanthropies, the billionaire has donated an estimated $8 billion to gun control, climate change and other causes, according to Forbes.

Alongside fellow billionaires Bill Gates and Warren Buffett, Bloomberg has signed the Giving Pledge, vowing to donate at least half of his wealth to charity.

In 2015, he donated $100 million to Cornell University for the construction of a new tech-focused graduate school in New York City.

The campus on Roosevelt Island opened in September 2017.

Bloomberg has donated at least $3.3 billion to his alma mater, Johns Hopkins University, in the years since he graduated in 1964.

His first donation to the school was $5 the year after he graduated, and he has continued to fund the university with gifts.

In 2013, Bloomberg gave his alma mater $350 million, bringing the sum of his donations to the school to $1.1 billion. At the time, it was the largest donation to an American educational institution in history.

And in November 2018, he shattered his own record by giving the school $1.8 billion to go toward undergraduate financial aid and recruitment.

Bloomberg is a strong supporter of gun control and has pledged over $50 million toward a new campaign for stricter gun restrictions.

In 2006, he cofounded Mayors Against Illegal Guns, a bipartisan group of mayors advocating for gun legislation reforms that later merged with Moms Demand Action.

In 2014, Bloomberg pledged to spend $50 million to build a grassroots network of voters dedicated to curbing gun violence, which led to the formation of Everytown for Gun Safety, a nonprofit organization that advocates for gun control. 

In 2017, he promised to match every donation made to the organization.

Before Bloomberg officially announced his presidential bid, many Democrats believed his virtually unlimited campaign cash, loyal staffers, and philanthropic record would make him a formidable candidate, as Business Insider's Eliza Relman reported.

With his massive fortune, Bloomberg could outspend much of the Democratic primary field, Rebecca Katz, a progressive strategist and former aide to Mayor Bill de Blasio, told Insider in February. Indeed, Business Insider's Mary Hanbury reported on Saturday (before the former mayor had even officially announced his candidacy) that Bloomberg spent $30 million on TV ads in a single week— more than all his Democratic rivals spent in an entire year. 

But his relatively moderate policy positions and his status as a 77-year-old wealthy white man could hurt him.

"For too long the people at the top of the Democratic Party have been wealthier, whiter, more male, and more conservative than the base of the Democratic Party which looks a lot more like [Rep.] Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez," Waleed Shahid, communications director for Justice Democrats, told Insider earlier this year. 

Bloomberg's senior aides told the Associated Press that he intends to refuse political donations in his run for president and would not accept the $400,000 presidential salary if he were to win.

"He has never taken a political contribution in his life," Bloomberg's chief adviser Howard Wolfson told the AP. "He is not about to start. He cannot be bought."

Until recently, Bloomberg's financing of his own campaign would have meant that he wouldn't be allowed to participate in the next presidential debate because he wouldn't meet the minimum donor threshold.

But the Democratic National Committee recently eliminated the minimum donor threshold, Insider's Isaac Scher reported. Bloomberg is the only presidential candidate to have personally donated to the DNC, giving it $300,000 last November.

• If you're looking for love this Valentine's Day, there are certain factors that can increase your chances of finding it.
• According to various psychological studies, some of those factors include playing hard to get, owning a dog, and even caring about the environment.
• Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

Love is perennially elusive — but not impossible to find.

Certain factors make it more likely that someone will be smitten with you: if your personality is similar to theirs, if you share the same worldview, or even if you do something as simple as gesture a lot, for example.

Ahead of Valentine's Day, we dug into years of psychological research to find those particular traits and behaviors. In the process, we busted some myths and learned that certain clichés turn out to be true.

Here are 13 psychological reasons that affect whether someone will fall in love with you.

This is an update of an article written by Drake Baer for Tech Insider.

SEE ALSO: 11 reasons why it's taking you so long to succeed in life

1. If you make eco-friendly purchases

It's easy being green — but only if you're seeking something serious.

A 2016 study found that men and women who make eco-friendly purchases are perceived as more desirable for long-term relationships, while those who make luxury purchases are perceived as more physically attractive and more desirable for short-term relationships.

The study notes, "Compared to luxury purchasers, eco-friendly purchasers were ascribed greater warmth, competence, and good partner traits, but less physical appeal, and they were preferred for long-term but not short-term relationships."

2. If you play hard to get

A 2014 study found that men in a speed-dating experiment wanted a woman more when she played hard to get by acting disinterested in questions. But playing that game made them like her less.

This dynamic was only observed in certain situations, though: The men had to feel "committed" to pursuing the woman. If not, her hard-to-get behavior made them neither want nor like her less.

Alas, love is complicated.

3. If you display the right facial expression

Happiness is generally attractive on women — but not so much on men.

In 2011, researchers conducted experiments on more than 1,000 people, showing them photographs of members of the opposite sex and asking them how attractive the people in the photos were.

Results showed that men rated women most attractive when they looked happy and least attractive when they displayed pride. Women, on the other hand, rated men most attractive when they displayed pride and least attractive when they looked happy.

Interestingly, shame was ranked pretty attractive in both men and women.

4. Women prefer familiarity, but men prefer novelty

We may all have a "type," but men are more likely to be attracted to new faces than women are.

In one 2014 study, men and women were shown a random series of faces, some of which repeated. They were then asked to rate their attractiveness (much like a proto-Tinder).

For men, familiar faces were rated as less attractive, even ones just shown twice. For women, however, the opposite was true, indicating that the women preferred familiarity in a romantic partner, whereas men wanted novelty.

5. If you use a lot of hand gestures

Looking for love? Put yourself out there.

Literally — fill up the physical space around you with hand gestures and an expansive posture. In one 2016 study, researchers observed men and women in speed-dating sessions. Results showed that people were twice as likely to say that they wanted to see their partners again when those partners moved their hands and arms, compared to when their partners sat still.

For the same study, researchers set up profiles for men and women on a GPS-based dating app, showing them in both expansive and contractive postures. Sure enough, people were selected more often when they were pictured in expansive postures.

6. If you're really, really similar to them

Decades of studies have shown that the old cliché "opposites attract" is totally off.

"Partners who are similar in broad dispositions, like personality, are more likely to feel the same way in their day-to-day lives," said Gian Gonzaga, lead author of a study of couples who met on eHarmony. "This may make it easier for partners to understand each other."

The studies generally found that this was true for long-term partners and married couples as opposed to new ones.

7. If you share three basic compatibilities

According to the work of Canadian psychologist Eric Berne, the best-matched couples vibe on three different levels.

His popular books about the model became best sellers, namely "The Games People Play." Drawing somewhat on Sigmund Freud, his theory argued that every person has three "ego states":

• The parent: What you've been taught

• The child: What you have felt

• The adult: What you have learned

When two people are really compatible, they connect along each tier. Couples therapist Peter Pearson gave us a few questions for figuring out compatibility at each level:

• The parent: Do you have similar values and beliefs about the world?

• The child: Do you have fun together? Can you be spontaneous? Do you think your partner's hot? Do you like to travel together?

• The adult: Does each person think the other is bright? Are you good at solving problems together?

8. If you stare into each other's eyes for two minutes

Back in 1989, University of Massachusetts psychologist Joan Kellerman asked 72 unacquainted undergrads to pair off and stare into each other's eyes for two minutes. 

"They later reported they had increased feelings of passionate love and affection towards the other person," Scientific American reports. "This suggests that long periods of eye contact can connect you to someone and even ignite feelings of love inside you for that person you have never previously met." 

9. If you respond to their "bids" for attention and they do the same for you

Starting — and growing — a relationship seems to largely depend on how people attend to one another. 

After 40 years of studying couples, psychologist John Gottman says it's a matter of "bids." For example, if a bird-loving wife points out to her husband that a goldfinch just landed in a nearby tree, he can "turn away" from her by dismissing the remark or "turn toward" her by sharing her enthusiasm.

As Emily Esfahani Smith reported in the Atlantic, the results of the "bids" are staggering: in one of Gottman's studies of marriage, couples who divorced after six years had the "turn toward" reply 33% of the time, and the couples that were still together had the "turn toward" 87% of the time.

10. If you smell right

A University of Southern California study of women who were ovulating suggested that some prefer the smell of T-shirts worn by men with high levels of testosterone.

This matched with other hormone-based instincts: Some women who were ovulating also preferred men with a strong jaw line. 

11. If you look like their opposite-sex parent

University of St. Andrews psychologist David Perrett and his colleagues found that some people are attracted to folks with the same hair and eye color of their opposite-sex parents.

"We found that women born to 'old' parents (over 30) were less impressed by youth, and more attracted to age cues in male faces than women with 'young' parents (under 30)," the authors wrote. "For men, preferences for female faces were influenced by their mother's age and not their father's age, but only for long-term relationships."

12. If you take care of a dog

In a 2014 experiment, 100 Israeli women read vignettes about men.

Whenever the story featured a man who owned a dog, women rated that man as a more suitable long-term partner than a cad who didn't own a dog.

The researchers concluded that owning a pet signals that you're nurturing and capable of making long-term commitments. It can also help you appear more relaxed, approachable, and happy.

Not into pet ownership? The good news is that simply being seen with a dog can make you seem more dateable. In one 2008 study, a 20-year-old man approached hundreds of women and asked for their phone numbers. When he had a dog with him, he was much more likely to score their digits.

13. If you are equally or less good-looking compared to them

In a 2010 study, each participant was given random photographs of strangers mixed with composite images of themselves morphed with those strangers. They were then asked which ones they were more attracted to, and the participants chose the composites.

According to the study, "Three experiments demonstrate that people find others more sexually attractive ... if the face being rated is a composite image based on the self."

• Read more:
• What dating is like in every state
• Here's the secret to falling in love
• Questions to ask on a first date, according to relationship experts

• TikTok has exploded onto the US social scene in the last year, attracting millions of teens who scour the platform for viral memes and create their own short videos.
• However, there is little known about the people in charge of running the platform, and the executives at the top of its owner, ByteDance, a $75 billion company based in China.
• TikTok has faced scrutiny about its ties to China, and how much access and influence the Chinese government has to TikTok's user data and content moderation.
• Here are the most influential and important people in charge of TikTok in the US, a presence which has been as controversial as it is popular.
• Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

Although TikTok is one of the hottest and influential platforms on the internet right now, there's relatively little known about the company and people behind it.

Other tech companies, like Facebook and Google, have executives with massive name recognition who make regular public appearances at conferences and in media outlets. But TikTok isn't the same: We got our first idea of the person currently in charge of TikTok, Alex Zhu, when he sat down for a rare interview with The New York Times in late 2019 — even though the app had been around for more than two years.

Perhaps it's because of TikTok's international roots. The app is owned by the major Chinese company ByteDance, a $75 billion firm that was behind some of the most popular apps in China before it found success on a global scale with TikTok. Now, the company is lauding TikTok — which has been downloaded more than 1.5 billion times— as a place for viral hilarity and widespread memes.

However, TikTok's burgeoning popularity in the US has also raised questions about its ties to the Chinese government, and how much access and influence the Chinese government has to TikTok's user data and content moderation. Lawmakers have cautioned that TikTok could pose a national security threat to the country, and the US army banned soldiers from using TikTok on government-issued phones and devices in early 2020.

TikTok has also faced allegations that it censors "culturally problematic" and political content that could be seen as offensive to the Chinese government, according to former employees' reports to The Washington Post and documents obtained by The Guardian and the German blog Netzpolitik. TikTok was forced to issue a public apology to an American teenager in November when the company suspended her account shortly after she posted videos, disguised as makeup tutorials, to issue a statement about China's treatment of Muslims.

A year and a half after its debut in the US, TikTok is taking steps to distance itself from its home country. The app is also now reportedly searching for a CEO to run day-to-day operations while based in the US.

These are some of the most important people in charge of TikTok's US operations:

SEE ALSO: TikTok reportedly waited nearly 3 hours to call police in Brazil after a teen's death was livestreamed on the platform, but the company notified its own PR team almost immediately

Alex Zhu — global president

Before TikTok: Zhu is one of the cofounders of Musical.ly, the app ByteDance acquired for $1 billion and merged into TikTok in August 2018. After Musical.ly shut down, Zhu stayed on to help with its transition to TikTok. He then left ByteDance to take some time off to reportedly "rest, go clubbing in Shanghai and listen to jazz."

Zhu kept a low profile and stayed out of the media. That is, until he revealed in a late-2019 New York Times interview that he had re-joined the ByteDance team earlier that year to work on Douyin, TikTok's counterpart in China.

Job description: Recent reports from Chinese outlets indicate that Zhu has transitioned to taking charge of TikTok's international presence outside of China. However, Zhu will reportedly be tasked with managing the product and engineering sides out of China while the company searches for a US-based CEO for TikTok.

Zhang Yiming — ByteDance founder and CEO

Before TikTok: There's even less information known about Zhang Yiming, who founded ByteDance in 2012. Zhang, who comes from an engineering background, saw initial success with apps operating in China — most notably, a news aggregator app called Toutiao. ByteDance is largely considered the most valuable private company in the world.

Job description: Considering Zhang works out of China and runs a $75 billion company, it seems that he has little influence over the day-to-day US operations of TikTok. In China, TikTok doesn't exist: It's called Douyin, and it's just as wildly popular there.

Vanessa Pappas — US general manager

Before TikTok: Vanessa Pappas was previously a major player at YouTube, where she worked for seven years and headed up the video platform's creative insights and growth teams.

Job description: Pappas oversees all of TikTok's operations in the US. TikTok currently operates one office in Culver City, outside Los Angeles, which has since grown to more than 400 employees. Pappas is tasked with making public appearances on behalf of TikTok in the US, including on stage at the online-video convention VidCon in 2019.

TikTok's hiring of Pappas in February 2019 was the first indication that the platform was putting more effort into expanding its presence in the US and becoming a significant player in the online video industry.

Kudzi Chikumbu — director of creator community

Before TikTok: After graduating with an MBA from Stanford in 2016, Kudzi Chikumbu went to work for TikTok's predecessor, Musical.ly. He shifted over to leading creator partnerships for TikTok when the two apps merged a couple years later.

Job description: Chikumbu has only been the director of TikTok's creator community since November 2019. He's at the forefront of any communication that takes place between TikTok and its network of creators.

"I am one of those people who's kind of given the mission to make sure that all those creative people stay inspired and creative," Chikumbu told ABC News in 2019. "As much as it is fun and entertaining, it truly comes from a special place. And [something] like that should always be cherished and held very safe."

Michael Beckerman — VP, US public policy

Before TikTok: Michael Beckerman was previously CEO and president of the Internet Association, a Washington, DC-based lobbying group that represents the interests of internet companies.

Job description: Beckerman's role at TikTok doesn't officially start until February 29, but he's sure to immediately be busy. He'll be tasked as the liaison between TikTok and US lawmakers, who are increasingly suspicious of the platform's ties to China and the threat it may pose to national security. The US government opened a national security investigation in November to examine TikTok's relationship with China's government, and the US army banned soldiers from using TikTok on government-issued phones and devices in early 2020.

Beckerman may also have to answer questions as to why Alex Zhu, TikTok's global president, canceled meetings with lawmakers at the last minute in late 2019.

Erich Andersen — Global general counsel

Before TikTok: Erich Andersen worked at Microsoft for more than 20 years, where he was a vice president and the company's lead counsel for intellectual property.

Job description: Andersen will serve as TikTok's global counsel, meaning he'll answer to TikTok president Alex Zhu. It's expected that Andersen will continue to focus on the areas of compliance and intellectual property protection — issues which could take on more significance as other apps and platforms try to enter the market and capitalize on TikTok's success.

Jeffrey Collins — Senior director, trust & safety

Before TikTok: Jeffrey Collins's background includes serving as a State Department diplomat and a lawyer for energy giant Chevron — as well as a stint with the failed presidential campaign for Martin O'Malley. 

Job description: Collins' role at TikTok seems wholly unrelated to his prior experience. Collins is in change of various "policy, risk, and analysis issues," but his job focuses on two major questions TikTok faces right now: content moderation and data privacy.

TikTok has also faced allegations that it censors "culturally problematic" and political content that could be seen as offensive to the Chinese government, according to former employees' reports to The Washington Post and documents obtained by The Guardian and the German blog Netzpolitik. When pro-democracy protests broke out in Hong Kong earlier this year, TikTok was curiously devoid of any hints of unrest, and videos instead documented a prettier picture.

A class-action lawsuit was filed last year in California by a college student who alleges that her private information and unpublished content was accessed by TikTok without her permission and stored on servers in China. TikTok settled another lawsuit in December 2019 related to children's privacy, paying out $1.1 million related to allegations that the app collected the information of children under 13 without their parents' consent.

Blake Chandlee — Head of strategic partnerships

Before TikTok: Blake Chandlee was poached from Facebook, where he worked for more than 12 years heading up the company's global partnerships.

Job description: As the vice president of global business solutions, it seems Chandlee will be in charge of trying to patch up the tensions that exist between the US and TikTok's ties to China. Chandlee is also tasked with helping TikTok continue to expand into branded content and partnerships, giving the platform even more streams through which it can make money and grow its US footprint.

New CEO — ??

Bloomberg reported in January that TikTok was reportedly on the hunt for a CEO based in the US, and that candidates had been interviewed "in recent months." The US-based CEO would be in charge of TikTok's day-to-day operations, working alongside Pappas.

The move could help to assuage mounting concerns of censorship or national security threats. Reports back in December indicated TikTok was looking to set up new headquarters outside of China to further its distance from the Chinese government.