• In 2009, Michael Gray, a native Detroiter, bought an abandoned home from his nephew for just $1,500. He moved in as soon as he bought it. 
  
• Before purchasing the home, Gray told Business Insider that he was homeless and living in his niece's basement.
• In 2010, he began a nearly 10-year renovation process and transformed the home room by room.
• In an interview with Business Insider, Gray explained how he turned the home into a livable space for both him and his wife.
• His home is now in a housing market that is booming, according to local reports.
• Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

Michael Gray is a native Detroiter.

At 67 years old, he spends his weekdays working as a machinist in Bowling Green, Ohio, and his weekends at his home in Detroit with his wife, Cynthia. 

The story of their four-bedroom home dates back to November 2009, when Gray bought it from his nephew for just $1,500.

Before purchasing the home, Gray was living in his niece's basement. He told Business Insider he was homeless and that despite having a college degree, he was unable to find work in Detroit.

Gray told Business Insider that after getting hit by a car in 2008, he used some of the settlement money to buy the property. He moved in the day he bought it with nothing but an air mattress to sleep on. At the time, the home was in bad shape. According to Gray, it was infested with mites, spiders, and mice — not even the toilet worked. 

Now, nearly a decade later, Gray is still living there during the coronavirus pandemic and the home is unrecognizable. The market it sits in is booming during the COVID era, too. According to WXYZ Detroit, real estate listings in the city are currently seeing multiple offers and home showings in the area are up.

Keep reading for a look at Gray's home transformation below. He compiled photos in two hard-copy albums, which he mailed to Business Insider. In a phone interview, he explained the work that went into renovating the home.

SEE ALSO: A Detroit man bought an abandoned house in the city for $2,100 and spent 9 months renovating it for his mom. Here's how he did it — and what it looks like now.

DON'T MISS: A Louisiana couple bought an 80-year-old general store for $55,000 and turned it into their dream home. Here's how they did it — and what it looks like now.

Michael Gray's house is in Detroit, right outside the University District. It's about one mile from the University of Detroit Mercy.

Detroit was once home to the booming auto industry. In the 1950s, the auto industry started declining, and companies started moving out of the city. By the 1960s, people were leaving Detroit in droves.

In 2013, the city filed for Chapter 9 bankruptcy protection. Now, more than five years later, more and more people are investing in the city.

Just consider the entrepreneur Dan Gilbert, the billionaire founder of Quicken Loans. As Business Insider previously reported, after Gilbert moved his company to downtown Detroit in 2010, he started the real-estate firm Bedrock. Not only is Quicken Loans now one of Detroit's largest employers and taxpayers, but as of 2018, Bedrock had also invested or allocated $5.6 billion in roughly 100 properties in downtown Detroit and nearby neighborhoods.

Now, Detroit's housing market is booming

Gray documented the entire renovation process in two large photo albums, which he mailed to Business Insider.

In 2009, he bought the house from his nephew Sylvester for $1,500.

Sylvester is a broker for Global Property Investment Group, a commercial real-estate agency.

The company acquires properties from a variety of different sources. When properties don't fit into the company's business model, they are sold to independent purchasers, which is how Gray came across the house.

The house was in a state of total disrepair when he bought it. Photos show that paint was peeling off the walls, wires were hanging loose, and the bathroom appliances were covered in rust.

Despite its poor condition, Gray moved into the home right away.

"In Detroit, if you're not there, or you don't have someone there, someone will come in and take your stuff. It's gone in a matter of 15 minutes, gone," he explained to Business Insider.

When he moved in, the house was infested with mites, spiders, and mice.

He wasn't even able to use the toilet. "The plumbing wasn't working. We were not able to use the toilet at all," he said.

In the beginning, he slept on an air mattress upstairs and renovated the place room by room.

Before buying the house, Gray was homeless.

"I had been going through a rough time in my life," he said. "I was staying with my niece and sleeping in her basement."

Even with a college degree, Gray told Business Insider that he wasn't able to find a job in Detroit.

Gray graduated from Spring Arbor University in 1986. He double-majored in English and psychology. While he was living in his niece's basement, he told Business Insider that he worked as a day laborer.

"I also began to craft my rehab skills working as a laborer for guys who were fixing up homes to rent," he said.

But in 2008, his life changed. While riding his bike, he was hit by a car. Using money from the settlement he received from the accident, Gray was able to purchase the abandoned property.

When describing the renovation project, Gray called it a complete rehab. "I tore everything out, all the way down to the studs," he said.

His wife, Cynthia, who at the time was his fiancée, was there through it all. "My wife had been with me through thick and thin, and I told her that I was going to give her a house that she would be really proud to keep, live in, and show off," he said.

Gray said he did about 80% of the labor himself, including the flooring and the painting. His vision was to "make it a family home forever."

He learned how to do most of the work during his time as an administrative assistant for a construction-management company in Michigan.

"I was on a project in Monroe, Michigan," he told Business Insider. "When I was part of that renovation team, I watched the guys, I asked questions, and I said, 'I can do this.'"

But for the projects he couldn't do himself, his friends helped out.

They helped him install, along with other things, the drywall, the electrical box, a new furnace, a hot-water tank, and central air.

Gray told Business Insider that the hardest part of the renovation process was fixing the broken beams in the ceilings.

On the flip side, he said the easiest part was the tiling. "It was hard work, but I enjoyed doing the tiling because if you put a lot of love into what you do, your floors reflect a lot of who you are," he said.

When he neared the completion of each room, Gray would stain, sand, and polish everything. "She had picked out the paint she wanted for each room and, after the drywall went up, I put the primer on and painted. I was closing out the rooms as we completed them," he told Business Insider, referring to Cynthia.

The major parts of the renovation process were completed in July 2012.

The home now has three renovated bedrooms ...

... and one bathroom.

There could be four bedrooms, but they decided to convert one of the rooms into a walk-in closet.

Gray told Business Insider that he is constantly working to improve the home.

So far, he's invested about $70,000 into repairs.

Michael and Cynthia Gray celebrated their 10th wedding anniversary in November 2019 at the home.

This article is part of Business Insider's ongoing series, How I Renovated It, where we talk to homeowners around the country about the process, budget, and transformation that goes into a renovation. If you have a story you'd like to share, get in touch with lbrandt@businessinsider.com.

• Youtuber David Dobrik just bought a $9.5 million mansion in Los Angeles. 
• The 24-year-old is known for his vlogs and pranks and got his start on the now-defunct app Vine.
• Dobrik has previously spoken asking for privacy and requesting that fans stop coming to his home.
• Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

Popular Youtube star David Dobrik just bought a $9.5 million, 7,800 square foot house in Los Angeles, down from the original listing price of $12 million.

The home is a new build in the Longridge Estates neighborhood of Sherman Oaks with views of the city and mountains. Through the double gates there's a 50-foot driveway, leading up to a four-car garage. Inside, there are six bedrooms, seven baths, an office, a media room, and a grand living room, plus a 300-bottle wine cellar. Outside, the zero edge pool and spa are private thanks to shady oak trees.

Dobrik and other members of the Vlog Squad lived in Studio City since 2017, and he's been looking for a new property since last year. He got his start on now-defunct short video app Vine.

Dobrik, who has 26 million combined subscribers and funding through TikTok's billion-dollar creator grant, has previously had issues with keeping his home private from fans. In December, Dobrik posted on Instagram pleading with fans not to come to his home.

"This is crazy that I'm still making these stories, I literally feel like a broken record — I sound like my parents," Dobrik said on Instagram. "But stop coming here, please. I don't wanna have to move, but this is terrifying," he said in an Instagram story. At the time, he also shared videos of people standing outside his front door. 

Dobrik's new home was listed jointly with Jade Mills of Coldwell Banker and Craig Knizek of The Agency.

See inside the house here.

SEE ALSO: A former Apple designer created a custom $600,000 complex of small prefab homes in the Sonoma, California hills — see inside the unique 'weeHouse'

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: July 15 is Tax Day — here's what it's like to do your own taxes for the very first time

• Suburban markets across the US are heating up in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic.
• In some places, every home that hits the market receives multiple offers.
• Angela Retelny, a top broker in Westchester, New York, broke down five things prospective homebuyers need to do to score a home right now. 
• Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

Suburban markets across the US are heating up as homebuyers hunt for larger spaces.

While the housing market as a whole has made an impressive comeback since the onset of the coronavirus pandemic, inventory is still lagging behind demand, which has created a competitive climate, particularly for homebuyers in suburban markets. 

Angela Retelny, a broker based in Westchester County, New York, with more than two decades of experience and $350 million in total sales volume, told Business Insider that it's an unprecedented time in her region, with homes flying off the market and business going through the roof.

Last year, Retelny was a top-five agent in Scarsdale by closed sales volume and in the top 1.5% of agents nationwide, per Real Trends.

"Buyers are feeling the pressure of very little inventory," she told Business Insider. "For example, in Scarsdale, there is practically no inventory. Every house that's on the market has multiple offers." 

Homes get listed and sold in a day or two, she continued, which means those looking to buy right now need to be prepared to go head to head on all-cash offers, blind bids, and offers over the asking price. 

With all this competition, how can someone set themselves up to be a fierce contender? Retelny broke down five secrets that prospective homebuyers can use to succeed in the current market. 

1.  Lock down your understanding of your own finances 

Retelny told Business Insider that it's important for prospective homebuyers to decide how much they are willing to spend before they start the on-ground house hunt. 

What kind of questions should they ask themselves?

"What is the top price point that they can manage? Do they need financing? Are they comfortable waiving the financing contingency in a contract so they can compete more effectively against more agile buyers?" she asked.

"A buyer needs to understand their financial picture ahead of the game to know that they can do this."

2. Secure a list of inspectors who can inspect the house immediately

In this competitive climate, if you book an inspection three or four days after the offer is accepted, chances are you are going to lose the house to another offer. As Retelny said, you should aim to have the inspections done the same day. 

"Should they get an accepted offer on a property, they need to inspect immediately, in many cases the same day. In the worst-case scenario, the next day," she said. 

3. Be prepared to overbid

In a pre-pandemic market, Retelny said it was acceptable to start low and negotiate up. However, in many of today's suburban markets, you have to make an attractive offer right away — that means offering the asking price, right under the asking price, or in some cases, over the asking price.

"You've got to come in strong," she said. "If you start low, you're going to be ignored." 

4. Find a seasoned agent who can educate you about the area

In currently competitive suburban markets, the luxury of browsing neighborhoods does not exist. If you tour a house and then spend a few days looking up details about the neighborhood, someone else will likely make an offer, Retelny explained. 

It's important to find an agent who already knows details about the area, like taxes and the school district, so they can answer all your questions on the spot. 

5. Be prepared to lose a deal

"It's a crazy world we're in. You just have to go with your gut feeling, and you have to make assertive decisions and execute, execute, execute," she said.

"Emotions are high, there's a lot of heartbreak in this market. A lot of buyers put in offers and get accepted offers only to get calls the next day saying, 'We're sorry, but we just got an offer that was significantly higher.'"

People are happy to spend $100,000, sometimes $200,000, over the asking price for a house they really love because inventory is low, and they just don't know when they'll come across another ideal property, Retelny said. 

SEE ALSO: 53% price cuts, decade-long lows, and a 14-year high vacancy rate: Here's how bad the situation is for Manhattan luxury real estate

DON'T MISS: How the Boston metro area had the biggest housing comeback of the pandemic

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: What makes 'Parasite' so shocking is the twist that happens in a 10-minute sequence

• Airbnb has confidentially filed paperwork for an initial public offering despite a tumultuous year.
• The vacation rental company has taken a beating during the coronavirus pandemic, laying off 25% of its staff in May.
• Brian Chesky, the CEO and cofounder of Airbnb, said the company was expected to bring in less than half the revenue it earned in 2019.
• Chesky is worth an estimated $3.1 billion, according to Forbes.
• The 38-year-old billionaire has previously rented out his own San Francisco apartment on Airbnb, does weekly yoga with his girlfriend, and has attended the famously wild Burning Man arts event in the Nevada desert.
• Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

Airbnb has confidentially filed paperwork for its initial public offering, the company announced on Wednesday.

The announcement did not offer any details on timing of the IPO, how many shares it plans to sell, or what price it expects to offer them at. 

The vacation rental company, which has been rumored for months to go public sometime in 2020, has taken a hit due to the coronavirus pandemic. In May, Airbnb laid off 25% of its staff— nearly 1,900 people — and CEO Brian Chesky said that the company was expected to bring in revenues of less than half the $4.8 billion it earned in 2019.

Chesky, the 38-year-old cofounder and CEO of Airbnb, is worth an estimated $3.1 billion, according to Forbes. 

Despite his wealth, the tech billionaire lives a relatively modest lifestyle. In 2016, Chesky (along with Airbnb's other two cofounders, Joe Gebbia and Nathan Blecharczyk, and Blecharczyk's wife) pledged to give at least half his fortune to charity over the course of his lifetime.

Chesky previously said in interviews that he has rented out his own San Francisco apartment on Airbnb, does weekly yoga with his girlfriend (who he met on Tinder), and has attended the famously wild Burning Man arts event in the Nevada desert. 

Here's what Chesky's life is like.

SEE ALSO: 15 alternative resorts across the US that are perfect for social distancing, from a tiny house resort in upstate New York to a bohemian yurt retreat in West Texas

DON'T MISS: The coronavirus outbreak has triggered unprecedented mass layoffs and furloughs. Here are the major companies that have announced they are downsizing their workforces.

Brian Chesky is the cofounder, CEO, and Head of Community of Airbnb.

Chesky founded Airbnb in 2008 with his then-roommate, Joe Gebbia, and Nathan Blecharczyk.

According to Airbnb's corporate website, the endeavor started off as a way for Chesky and Gebbia to pay their rent. In the fall of 2007, the roommates charged strangers $80 per night to sleep on an air mattress in their San Francisco apartment when local hotels were sold out for a design festival. The next spring, they officially launched their company, then named AirBed & Breakfast.

Before the coronavirus pandemic, Airbnb was estimated to be worth about $38 billion. Now, it's valued at $18 billion.

The company, which has more than seven million listings in more than 100,000 cities, has been battered by the coronavirus crisis. 

In May, Airbnb laid off nearly 1,900 employees and Chesky said in a letter to staff that the company was on track for revenues of less than half the $4.8 billion it reportedly earned in 2019. Each of the laid-off staffers received a severance package that included several months' pay, a year of healthcare, and help from Airbnb finding a new job, the company said.

Airbnb has also taken on $2 billion in debt and agreed to having its valuation slashed from $31 billion to $18 billion as part of the debt financing.

Still, Chesky and the other two Airbnb founders are all billionaires.

Each of the three founders is worth an estimated $3.1 billion, according to Forbes.

Before cofounding Airbnb, Chesky had a background in design and strategy.

After growing up in upstate New York, Chesky attended the Rhode Island School of Design and graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Industrial Design.

It was at RISD that he met Joe Gebbia, one of the future cofounders of Airbnb.

Despite being worth $3.1 billion, the Airbnb cofounder has maintained a relatively modest lifestyle.

In 2015, Chesky told People that he still lived in the apartment where he and Gebbia started the company.

"I still live in the original Airbnb and I still Airbnb it so you can book it," he told the magazine. "It's available throughout the year, you can book the couch for just like $50."

A source at Airbnb told Business Insider that Chesky recently moved and isn't hosting at the moment, but that he looks forward to hosting in the future.

Sometime in 2013, Chesky started dating artist Elissa Patel.

The couple met on Tinder, Chesky told Fortune magazine in a 2015 interview.

Chesky told Fortune in 2015 that the couple does yoga together every Thursday morning.

He also said they often go on "staycations" and book an Airbnb in a different neighborhood to experience a new part of town.

A source at Airbnb declined to comment on whether the couple is still together, but they were photographed together at an Airbnb event in New York City in September 2017.

Like other tech CEOs, Chesky has reportedly attended "Burning Man," the wild nine-day arts event in the Nevada desert that's frequented by celebrities and tech moguls.

After he attended Burning Man for the first time in 2013 on the invitation of Burning Man board member Chip Conley, Chesky reportedly said: "Burning Man is what life would be like if artists ruled the world."

A source at Airbnb told Business Insider that Chesky hasn't attended the event in years. 

Burning Man was canceled for the first time ever in 2020 because of the coronavirus pandemic.

In 2016, Chesky signed the Giving Pledge promising to donate the majority of his fortune to charity over the course of his lifetime.

"With this pledge, I want to help more kids realize the kind of journey I have had," Chesky wrote in his pledge. "I want to show them that their dreams are not bounded by what they can see in front of them. Their limits are not so limited."

Bill and Melinda Gates and Warren Buffett launched the pledge in 2010, and it has since been signed by more than 200 people, including Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg and Tesla CEO Elon Musk.

The CEO often acts as the public face of the company at Airbnb events, mingling with celebrities like Gwyneth Paltrow and Ashton Kutcher.

Source:Yahoo News

Chesky has said that one of his biggest productivity hacks is making lists.

"If you have a list of 20 things to do, you end up realizing, 'I don't need to do 20 things,'" Chesky said during a 2017 appearance on the "Masters of Scale" podcast, Business Insider previously reported. "If I do these three big things, the other 20 things will kind of happen as outcomes, or outputs, of it."

Now, it appears Chesky is planning on taking Airbnb public despite a tumultuous year.

After taking a beating due to the pandemic in the spring, Airbnb has begun to recover somewhat as global vacation rental bookings have started to rebound. 

The company's announcement Wednesday did not give any details on the timing of the IPO, how many shares it plans to sell, or at what price they would be offered.

As Troy Wolverton wrote for Business Insider, Airbnb filing the paperwork doesn't necessarily mean the company will actually go public. Companies like Postmates and Doordash also confidentially filed paperwork for an offering in the past couple of years but never went public.

Time will tell if Airbnb decides to move forward with the process.

• Number One Observatory Circle in Washington, DC, is the official residence of the vice president.
• Located on the grounds of the Naval Observatory about 2.5 miles north of the White House, it is hidden from public view by shrubbery and doesn't offer public tours.
• Every vice president since 1977 has lived in the home.
• Take a look inside the private complex, where Vice President Mike Pence and his family currently reside and where Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden and his family lived previously.
• Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

Everyone knows that the president of the United States lives in the White House, but far fewer know that the office of the vice president comes with an official residence of its own.

Number One Observatory Circle, located on the grounds of the US Naval Observatory in Washington, DC, has been the official residence of the vice president since 1974. Vice President Mike Pence and his family currently live in the private complex. Walter Mondale, who served as the vice president under Jimmy Carter, was the first VP to call it home in 1977.

George H.W. Bush followed in 1981, succeeded by Dan Quayle in 1989, Al Gore in 1993, Dick Cheney in 2001, Joe Biden in 2009, and Pence in 2017.

Here's a look inside the historic residence.

SEE ALSO: A look inside the daily life of US Vice President Mike Pence, who loves popcorn, bikes miles at a time, and has a cat called Pickle

DON'T MISS: Here are all the most outrageous things Mike Pence's brother said about him

The private residence at Number One Observatory Circle was built in 1893. It's just 2.5 miles from the White House, but feels worlds away.

Source: The White House

It is located on the grounds of the US Naval Observatory, where scientists study the sun, moon, and stars for navigational purposes.

Source: The White House

For 30 years, it served as the home of the superintendent of the US Naval Observatory. Then in 1923, it became the official residence for the head of the Navy.

Source: The White House

In 1974, Congress designated the house as the home of the vice president.

Source: The White House

But the first vice president didn't move in until three years later, when Walter Mondale was elected second-in-command under President Jimmy Carter.

Source: The White House

The ground floor has a reception hall, living room, sitting room, dining room, garden room, lounges, pantry kitchen, and veranda.

Source: The White House Museum

On the second floor is the master suite, another bedroom, a study, and a den. The attic used to be servants' quarters, but now has four bedrooms for children. The main kitchen is in the basement.

Source: The Washington Post

Every vice president has lived there since Mondale, bringing their own unique touch to the home's 9,150 square feet.

Source: The White House, Number One Observatory Circle

"It really changed from one administration to another," Charles Denyer, a historian and author of a book about the residence, told USA Today in November 2017.

Source: USA Today

George H.W. Bush installed a horseshoe pit on the grounds when he was vice president.

Source: USA Today

When Dick Cheney and his family moved in, they decorated the home using a neutral color scheme of creams and greens.

Source: The Washington Post

People can donate to the Vice President's Residence Foundation, a non-profit organization created in 1991, to help pay for decorating expenses.

Source: The Center for Public Integrity

When Al Gore's family lived there, lacrosse sticks and drumsticks were reportedly always lying around.

Source: USA Today

The house features Queen Anne-style architecture, and an expansive porch that wraps around the front corner.

Source: Number One Observatory Circle

Dan Quayle added a swimming pool and exercise room during his tenure. In 2010, Joe Biden told reporters that Quayle was his "favorite vice president" because he helped build the pool.

Source: USA Today

Jill Biden, Joe's wife, was also grateful for past additions. "Each person has added something to make the home better for the next family," she told The Washington Post in 2017.

Source: Washington Post

She was also especially fond of the "serenity" of the place. "When times get tough, and there were some pretty tough times for the Bidens, you could sit outside and reflect. It was very healing," Jill Biden told the Post.

Source: Washington Post

Numerous leaders and dignitaries have been to the residence over the years. For eight years in a row, Biden hosted Ireland's Prime Minister Enda Kenny on St. Patrick's Day.

Source: Medium

Before moving out, Jill Biden told the Post that the Pences would likely be surprised to find that the Observatory is a respite from the "hectic" nature of Washington life.

Source: Washington Post

The Pences have lived in the Observatory since January 2017. After moving in, they posed for Inauguration Day photos on the front porch.

Just like the White House, the Observatory gets all decked out for the holidays. The Pences have posed for official Christmas portraits, like the one here, in what appears to be the home's sitting room.

The Pences have also gone all out for Halloween, decorating the home and greeting trick-or-treaters there.

Source: The White House

Like their predecessors, the Pences have hosted a broad range of guests, including politicians and world leaders.

Source: The White House

In June 2017, US Department of Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue joined Karen Pence to unveil the addition of bee hives to the grounds.

Source: US Department of Agriculture

Karen Pence, who declared art therapy as her official cause as second lady, has hosted events for US soldiers suffering from PTSD.

Tweet Embed:
//twitter.com/mims/statuses/885287379388575744?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
A piece of Indiana at the VP Residence! Douglas David delivered a beautiful painting of his artwork. The peony is the IN state flower. Thx u pic.twitter.com/a641kPHJbx

Sources: The New York Times, Washington Life Magazine

The Pences also host an annual pool party for veterans.

Tweet Embed:
//twitter.com/mims/statuses/1293725090249609216?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
.@Mike_Pence and I enjoyed hosting #MilitaryFamilies at the @VP Residence for our annual pool party! Military families make great sacrifices to serve our Nation and we enjoyed a fun and safe evening to show our appreciation.🇺🇸pic.twitter.com/dMhfONeKG2

But the public rarely gets the chance to see the property for themselves. There are no public tours and the house is hidden from the street. "If you don't know about it, it's not there," historian Denyer said.

Source: USA Today

• As the coronavirus pandemic rages on throughout the country, markets that were able to recover the quickest from heightened outbreaks are becoming hot markets among homebuyers.
• A report by Realtor.com showed the hottest ZIP codes of 2020, and only one is in the West. 
• Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

In the middle of the coronavirus pandemic, people around the country are rethinking their living situations.

With working from home and social distancing as the new normal, many are looking for homes with more space both inside and out, so they are moving away from historically expensive and dense coastal cities.

However, this isn't a new trend. In fact, George Ratiu, Realtor.com's senior economist, told Business Insider in May that millennials have been ditching expensive cities for secondary markets for years. The pandemic has just accelerated the shift.

A recent report by Realtor.com listed the 10 hottest ZIP codes of 2020, where homes are sold in an average of 18 days, 51 fewer than the national average. These areas are also 29% less dense than the 50 largest metro areas and were viewed by Realtor.com users 4.3 times more often than homes in the rest of the country.

The report said several factors contributed to making these ZIP codes the hottest of the year, including "affordability, strong local economies, and easy access to both downtown and outdoor spaces."

Some of the markets were also among the first to recover from COVID-19.

"Although many of these markets were hit by the COVID-19 pandemic first, they were also some of the first to recover, which allowed buyers to come out in force to make up for lost time during the typical spring home buying season. Pent-up demand has helped catapult these markets to the top of the list where homes are flying off the market 3.4 times faster than the average home," the report said.

The site's traffic has been mostly made up of millennial buyers. The smaller secondary markets on the list are growing more popular as millennials seek out more affordable housing, according to Realtor.com. In fact, the average household income for millennials in the 10 most popular codes is $82,011.

"The average millennial homeownership rate in this year's hottest ZIPs is 53%, compared to 43% for the rest of the country," the report said. 

Keep reading for the top five ZIP codes on the list. 

SEE ALSO: New Yorkers are most likely to move to these 4 states next, UBS says

DON'T MISS: The ultimate guide to getting started in real-estate investing — according to entrepreneurs who built multimillion-dollar empires from scratch

5. ZIP 04106 in South Portland, Maine

Average days the market: 21

The median list price: $377,000

As Realtor.com said, ZIP 04106  is on Casco Bay and not far from the city's downtown. This area tends to attract people from bigger cities, like Boston and New York, the site said.

4. ZIP 02176 in Melrose, Massachusetts

Average days the market: 19

The median list price: $644,000

The city of Melrose ranked No. 7 on last year's list. This Melrose ZIP code is just 10 miles north of Boston, according to Realtor.com.

3. ZIP 14617 in Rochester, New York

Average days the market: 18

The median list price: $162,000

According to Realtor.com, markets in Rochester have been gaining in popularity over the years because of the revitalization of the city. In fact, a Rochester ZIP code ranked No. 5 on last year's list.

2. ZIP 43068 in Reynoldsburg, Ohio

Average days the market: 17

The median list price: $204,000

It takes less than half an hour to get to Columbus, Ohio, from this suburban ZIP code, which is one of the area's most attractive features, according to Realtor.com.

1. ZIP 80911 in Colorado Springs, Colorado

Average days the market: 13

The median list price: $287,000

Coming in at No. 1, this is also the only ZIP code on the list that is in the West. The area is on the southern edge of Colorado Springs and boasts over 300 days of sunshine a year, according to Realtor.com.

• As the USPS becomes the latest target of the Trump administration, with disastrous implications for this November's election, a campaign to buy postal merch in order to save the institution from economic hardship has spread like wildfire on social media.
• Trump has repeatedly challenged mail-in voting, which is set to be crucial given the dangers of voting in person during the coronavirus pandemic, and his postmaster general has removed sorting machines and blue mailboxes and declined to approve overtime — all measures that could leave votes uncounted.
• Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany said this week that Trump may not accept the results of the election, regardless of which votes get counted.
• The youth of the country don't seem to know what else to do except buy merchandise in protest.
• Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

Things are bleak in America. How bleak, you ask? Things have gotten so bad that youthful rebellion these days consists of buying up USPS hoodies to save the 2020 presidential election. 

Business Insider's Alanis King reported in late July that a fashionable white, envelope-covered crop top had just hit the USPS online store and was a perfect way to support the beleaguered institution.

By early August, the crop top was sold out and The New York Times was calling USPS "the hottest new label." Business Insider's Bethany Biron reported that Urban Outfitters even tried to get in on the act but faced backlash when consumers realized none of the money was going to the institution — the latest in a long line of questionable fashions from the retailer, as reported by Biron and Hillary Hoffower.

This would all be great if it weren't for the fact that, heading into a pivotal election with a beloved federal institution being weaponized to potentially imperil votes, the best response the youth of America has is: let's buy more stuff.

The solution to democracy in danger, it seems, is online shopping.

The post office has always been a political hot potato

Founding father Thomas Jefferson was the first to weaponize the post office, turning it into a den of political patronage that lasted for decades. Although he once wrote to James Madison that he feared post roads becoming a "source of boundless patronage to the executive," Jefferson nevertheless removed members of another political party from the agency and "brought political patronage to a new level of both sophistication and scope," per Encyclopedia.com.

As post office historian Winifred Gallagher told The New Yorker's Isaac Chotiner, the post office, which is literally written into the Constitution, was something like the internet of its day, connecting Americans to information on a level unknown anywhere else in the world.

Since email took off in the last few decades, and because of an onerous law passed in 2006, the post office has also been an unprofitable millstone around the neck of the federal government. Privatizing it has been a popular cause on the right wing since the days of William F. Buckley— all the way back in the late '60s and '70s. 

But even with this long history of political interference and economic woes, the USPS now faces an unprecedented threat. President Trump's postmaster general Louis DeJoy, until being called in front of congress this week, was taking measures ahead of this November's election (billed as an "overhaul") that could leave many mailed-in votes uncounted.

Even after congress grilled DeJoy over these plans, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi called him for further clarification, and reported that he had "no plans" to take the necessary action to make sure every vote is counted. Of course, mail-in voting is particularly important during a global pandemic when it's dangerous to vote in person. The integrity of the 2020 election is therefore very much in danger.

What is to be done? Gen Z  and other millennials suggest shopping

Envelope-covered crop tops might be going viral, but they're hardly the only USPS merchandise people are buying en masse.

Twenty-year-old gun control activist David Hogg tweeted in late July for his 1 million followers to buy stamps and merch from the USPS. Meanwhile, New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez also told people to check out the postal store, according to the New York Times' Jackie Snow.

As Lauren Blacksell, a 21-year-old who has been trying to buy the sought-after crop top for weeks, put it, "The USPS needs saving and, as expected, many are sending over petitions — however, buying merch seems to work better." She told Business Insider that there "seems to be no other way right now to help." 

But as the great Black American poet Audre Lorde once wrote, the "master's tools will never dismantle the master's house. They may allow us temporarily to beat him at his own game, but they will never enable us to bring about genuine change." 

In other words, you can't fight fire with fire. Seeking to solve a governmental crisis with a call to commercial action is beside the point.

Fashion and consumerism aren't new forms of protest

Since at least the time of the sans-culottes in revolutionary France, and likely throughout all of history, what you wear (or don't) has helped to define where you stand on political issues. 

Clothing as protest was turbo-charged by something that seems eternal but is actually just a century old or so: consumer capitalism. After World War I, as noted by Halina S. Brown for Fast Company, the rise of modern advertising and widespread consumer credit, married with the industrial capacity to mass-produce goods, created the modern consumer economy.

Americans have since come up with all sorts of creative ways to express themselves — and to protest — through consumption.

At the Democratic convention this week, Michelle Obama made headlines for sporting a $430 necklace featuring the word "VOTE." And 100 years ago this week, suffragists wore white as they protested for women's right to vote. The Black Panther Party of the 1960s' message of "Black Power" and social and economic liberation was clearly advertised by members' all-black attire, accented by a slightly tilted black beret. 

Even early punk rock, which preached a nihilistic political philosophy against the backdrop of economic stagnation in the late 1970s, was defined by the leather jackets of New York's Ramones and the Vivienne Westwood-clad Sex Pistols of London.

But will buying USPS-branded apparel actually help save the democracy? 

Emma McClendon, a fashion historian and former associate curator of costume at The Museum at FIT, told Business Insider that in recent years, people have become increasingly conscious of the meaning behind the clothes they wear. 

There has been a massive pivot toward sustainability, as more and more consumers align themselves with founders and brands with similar ideologies and missions. There are the pink-knitted hats made famous from the Women's March shortly after Trump's election, and the rise in support for Black-owned businesses after the death of George Floyd. 

USPS fits into this trend, McClendon said. 

"Buying these garments and wearing them openly is about showing support for this cause, not just with your mind and ideologically, but also with your wallet," she said. 

On the business side, the Trump years have demonstrated clearly that "wokeness" is good for business, especially as the target retail demographic has become much younger and much more progressive than the median voter. Now, brands are transforming on the fly to incorporate an activist message into a profitable business strategy. 

Perhaps the most famous recent example was Nike's embrace of Colin Kaepernick. But there have been many others, such as the high-end cashmere brand Lingua Franca, which sells sweaters embroidered with "We The People," and donates proceeds from its sales to the Food Bank for NYC. 

Consumer capitalism has accomplished great things, no doubt. The thirst for American blue jeans behind the Iron Curtain was a crucial cultural weapon in the US ultimately winning the Cold War. 

And even now, in the depths of this coronavirus-led recession, the relentless appetite of the American consumer has surprised economists and experts of all stripes, fueling the possibility of something approaching the V-shaped recovery that looked lost when the country's reported coronavirus infections spiked in late June.

The shortcomings of Americans buying things as a dominant cultural philosophy has also undeniably led to some perverse outcomes. For one, the monetization of social media, supported by ads, enabled the profusion of fake online news in that election cycle and contributed directly to the election of Trump in 2016, and today's post office being in peril. (That also happens to be bad news for all of digital media, including this website, and for an informed citizenry.)

That leads back to the matter of the post office, an institution that survives from America's pre-consumerist, pre-modern past. Can the 21st-century consumer save this election, or this institution, by purchasing a crop top?

Former President Barack Obama doesn't seem to think so, saying last night at the Democratic convention that "democracy was never meant to be transactional" and that "it requires an active and informed citizenry." Until the real issues that have put the post office in danger are faced and fixed, USPS crop tops and tote bags are going to have to do — even if this brand of consumer activism is just a band-aid over a bullet hole.

SEE ALSO: 'I really don't care, do U?': How the act of refusing to wear a mask became the new symbol of American fear

DON'T MISS: THE END OF AN ERA: Brooks Brothers, J. Crew, and other emblems of upper-class America are going bankrupt because of the new uprising

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: July 15 is Tax Day — here's what it's like to do your own taxes for the very first time

• Five years ago, Bridget Shirvell and her husband purchased their first home in Mystic, Connecticut.
• After buying the very first house they toured, Shirvell and her husband conducted two home inspections — one with an official inspector and another with her family — to find minor and major fixes to repair.
• She then created a "house to-do list" by prioritizing these tasks by time and budget, and set aside extra cash for any long-term or unexpected repairs. 
• To help maintain their home, Shirvell built a reliable team of experts, including a handyman, plumber, and landscaper, that she can easily call on for an emergency or small task. 
• Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

If you'd told me 10 years ago, even five years ago, that I'd be spending my free time in my hometown, paint-splattered in my hair, standing on a ladder while attempting to paint the ceiling of a shingle-style cottage built in the early 1900s, I would have laughed until I cried. This is not how I envisioned homeownership.

To be fair, I'm not sure exactly what I imagined homeownership to entail, but it was a bit more glamorous. Five years in, there's been lots of paint, way too many spiders, and lists upon lists of things to do, but there have also been lots of laughs, birthday parties, spur-of-the-moment dinner dates with friends, and even some time to relax on the front porch swing. 

And the hall entranceway ceiling is finally getting painted — it's been on my to-do list since the day after my husband and I closed on the house. Creating that list is one of the steps I took after buying a home, and it's one of the things that helped guide me through my first year of homeownership and continues to help me focus on my plans and dreams for my house — especially when I get distracted or disappointed scrolling through Instagram.

My husband and I decided to buy our first home in 2015, and whatever the typical first-time homebuyer experience is supposed to be, ours wasn't it. Influx with our jobs, we were hesitant to purchase a home on Long Island, where we were living at the time, so, based on what made the most sense financially, we decided to look for a house in Mystic, Connecticut. My hometown was where we'd met, first started dating, and gotten married. We thought we might eventually live there again, and if not, at the very least we could spend summer weekends there and rent the house out when we weren't using it.

Before you buy a home, have it inspected

We bought the first home we toured. On a day where we were viewing multiple properties, walking through the front door felt like coming home. After our offer was accepted, we had the home inspected.

The inspector spent nearly four hours crawling through the attic, wandering around the basement and garage, and opening up the crawl space under the porch. A few days after the inspection, a rather intimidating white binder, heavier than my biggest college textbooks, arrived in the mail. Once I realized nothing in the report was a deal breaker or even something we needed to go back to the sellers about, the book became my guide to home repairs.

My dad frequently says the house has a lot of potential, and I'm the first to admit that the historic, 100-plus-year-old home isn't for everyone. There have been weeks, such as when we had a guy come to see about the mice in the basement and he found a problem with the chimney — and the chimney guy found a problem with the furnace — that I'm not even sure it's for me. But then the sunlight filters through the windows in a certain way and I fall in love again.

Not blessed with unlimited funds, I couldn't snap my fingers and make every change right away. But there were some things I could do. 

The first things to do after getting the keys to your home

The first thing we did after we got the keys (OK the second, the first was drinking wine in the empty kitchen) was walk through the house and make lists of every little thing we saw — what needed paint (everything) and what needed fixing, from the missing pane of glass in the interior French doors to cracks in the kitchen counter to holes in the floor. 

It helps to have a few people walk through the house with you; my mom, dad, and sister each noticed different things, such as a loose porch railing or a built-in butcher block that could be saved with a little love and elbow grease, and offered ideas for furnishing the rooms, including putting a shower curtain around a claw-foot tub, which wouldn't have occurred to me.

How to prioritize your home to-do list

I then combined our list with the home inspector's list and then slowly went through everything, organizing it by what we could fix ourselves, what we'd need to hire someone for, and what needed a second opinion. 

From there, I prioritized things based on making it liveable and then by budget, both financial and time. For instance, redoing the kitchen is something we'll eventually do, but in the first year painting it, refinishing the butcher block countertops, and painting the kitchen cabinets was more than enough. In contrast, things like replacing the shingles will probably be an ongoing task as we do a section at a time. These days, my to-do list lives as a Google sheet, but in the initial days it was sticky notes around the house and in a notebook.

Looking back at that first year, I'm proud of the things we did, even though at the time I was disappointed by how much was left to do. I'd tell first-year homebuyer me that it's OK to take your time, especially when you purchase a home you're planning on keeping well past the 30-year mortgage. If you're someone like me who loves to cross things off their to-do list, you have to remember that there will always be things on your house to-do list.

Planning for the unexpected home repairs

Our house to-do list also helps us plan. From the beginning, I made sure we set aside a few hundred dollars a month in a savings fund designated for home repairs.

That account was for dream ticket items — things I knew we'd eventually need to do, like replacing windows, and the unexpected, like when the shower leaks, which, to be honest, is why I finally painted the hall ceiling this past spring.

It takes a village to maintain a home

This brings me to my other list: the one of your team of people. Because we bought an older house, we needed people like a handyman, plumber, and landscaper (old house means old trees) early on in our homeownership experience.

I'm glad we made it because it's so much easier in the moment when the water heater breaks to know who to call than having to search and call around for someone while wondering when you'll be able to take a hot shower again.

How to find your house team

Finding that team of people wasn't always easy. I relied on our town's Facebook group for many recommendations, including a plumber and landscaper, and when we eventually needed an arborist I went with three different companies and ran their price quotes by an arborist in my family before selecting ones. 

Other companies, like our pest management, I got advice on from my parents, who've lived in town for more than 30 years and used their share of home maintenance people over the years. To this day, the hardest person to keep on my list is a handyman simply because in our area they're so busy and if you don't have a big project for them or constant work they seem to disappear. An ad on Craigslist helped us find our current handyman, who fingers crossed will be available to rebuild our porch in the spring.

Five years in, I still have my list and update it frequently, but I also sit outside on the porch a lot, let my daughter run around in the yard, and enjoy the moments in our home.

SEE ALSO: How to buy a home you love without seeing it in person — and avoid common costly mistakes

NOW READ: Your home listing matters now more than ever. Here's the best way to sell your home online when you can't give an open house, according to real-estate agents and investors.

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: July 15 is Tax Day — here's what it's like to do your own taxes for the very first time

• President Donald Trump has fewer billionaire supporters than his opponent, former Vice President Joe Biden — despite Trump being a billionaire himself.
• The wife of a disgraced investor who was granted clemency by Trump gave the president's campaign $12,500.
• The billionaire founders of Ashley Furniture and Jimmy John's each sunk thousands of dollars into Trump's campaign.
• Despite self-funding much of his 2016 bid, the president has not donated to his 2020 campaign.
• Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

Donald Trump is America's first billionaire president — but he doesn't seem to have won the billionaire vote.

The president is trailing his opponent, former Vice President Joe Biden, in his number of billionaire donors, according to an analysis of federal campaign records by Forbes published August 8. Still, Forbes reports that Trump's campaign accepted donations from 99 billionaires during the current election cycle.

While the president has added a few additional members of the three comma club to his donor roster this election cycle, including Home Depot cofounder Bernie Marcus, many of the president's current billionaire backers donated in 2016 too. But notably, some of Trump's biggest 2016 donors, including Sheldon Adelson, appear to be largely sitting this election cycle out.

For some of Trump's donors, financially supporting the president came at a cost. Shoppers boycotted Home Depot after one of its cofounders pledged to donate a portion of his net worth to the president's reelection efforts in July 2019. Fitness chains Equinox, SoulCycle, and Blink Fitness faced similar fates last August, after news broke that one of their investors, Stephen Ross, planned to host a fundraiser for Trump.

That's not to say that Trump's donors haven't been treated well in other areas. One donor on this list serves as an informal advisor to the president, one was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom after donating, and others were granted clemency by Trump before writing donation checks.

Keep reading to learn more about some of the president's most notable billionaire supporters, listed in no particular order. Only donations made to Trump's campaign committee, Donald J. Trump For President, after his 2017 inauguration and reported to the Federal Election Commission are included.

SEE ALSO: Trump has lost the financial support of some of the billionaires who bankrolled his 2016 campaign — take a look at who's dropping out in 2020

NOW READ: A family feud, a real-estate empire, and a supermodel: Meet the family of 'coronavirus czar' Jared Kushner, Trump's son-in-law and top advisor

West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice made a six-figure donation to Trump, just three years after joining the Republican party.

Amount donated: $100,000

Net worth: $1.2 billion

Source of wealth: coal

Before going into politics, Justice ran a coal mining business he inherited from his father, according to Forbes. Justice is a relatively recent addition to Trump's donor base. The governor switched from the Democratic Party to the Republican Party in 2017, six months after Justice was elected governor, Forbes reports. Justice donated to Trump's campaign for the first time in 2020.

Lori Milken, the wife of a disgraced investor Trump pardoned for securities fraud, donated more than $12,000 after her husband was pardoned.

Amount donated: $12,500

Net worth: $3.7 billion (attributed to Michael Milken)

Source of wealth: investments

Milken's husband Michael built the family's fortune trading junk bonds at investment bank Drexel Burnham Lambert, making $500 million a year during the 1980s, Business Insider previously reported. However, Michael Milken was banned from the securities industry after pleading guilty to charges of securities fraud in 1990. Michael and Lori Milken have since become full-time philanthropists, donating over $1 billion to cancer research.

Michael Milken was one of a group of nearly a dozen people convicted of white-collar crimes to be pardoned by Trump in February 2020, with a White House spokesperson citing his charity work as a driving factor behind the pardon. Milken also wasn't the only person in the group granted clemency to have donated to the president's campaign. The family of former construction company owner Paul Pogue, who had pled guilty to underpaying his taxes, donated more than $200,000 before Trump granted Pogue clemency. 

Lori Milken's donation purchased a ticket to attend a fundraising event hosted by First Lady Melania Trump scheduled for weeks after the pardon, but the event was later canceled because of the coronavirus pandemic, Forbes reported. Milken himself does not make political donations and is "strictly non-partisan," a spokesperson told Forbes.

Steve Wynn, the former CEO of Wynn Resorts, donated nearly half a million dollars to Trump's campaign.

Amount donated: $468,500

Net worth: $3 billion

Source of wealth: Wynn Resorts

Steve Wynn is the founder of Wynn Resorts, which owns several of Las Vegas' largest hotels including The Mirage, Treasure Island, Bellagio, and Wynn Las Vegas, according to Forbes. 

Wynn was also the Republican National Committee's finance chair until he resigned amid sexual misconduct allegations in 2018, per The Motley Fool. Wynn also left his posts as the CEO and chairman of Wynn Resorts. Wynn denied all allegations of wrongdoing.

After Trump awarded him the Presidential Medal of Freedom, Sheldon Adelson and his wife Miriam donated $1.16 million to the president. The Adelsons gave millions to Trump before the award, too.

Amount donated: $1.16 million

Net worth: $31.1 billion

Source of wealth: casino operator, Las Vegas Sands

Sheldon Adelson has been one of Trump's most prolific donors, giving more than $25 million to both of Trump's campaigns and his 2017 inaugural festivities combined, Business Insider previously reported.

In November 2018, Trump awarded Adelson the Presidential Medal of Freedom. The selection of Adelson to receive the nation's highest civilian honor was highly criticized at the time, given Adelson's financial support of the president. Former government ethics chief Walter Shaub tweeted, "Every bit of government is for sale in the Trump administration. Every last bit," per Forbes.

The Adelsons planned to continue their generosity throughout the 2020 election cycle and give more than $100 million to various Republican candidates, Republican fundraisers told The Guardian in February. However, the couple hasn't donated to Trump's super PAC since 2018, The New York Times reported on August 16.

Investor and Blackstone CEO Stephen Schwarzman is both a major donor and "informal advisor" to President Trump.

Amount donated: $699,400

Net worth: $18.5 billion

Source of wealth: investment firm Blackstone

Stephen Schwarzman built his multibillion-dollar fortune running private equity giant Blackstone, which he cofounded in 1985, according to Forbes.

While Schwarzman did not financially support Trump's 2016 campaign, the billionaire investor has since donated hundreds of thousands of dollars to Trump's reelection bid. Schwarzman also frequently advises Trump on relations on China, per The Washington Post. 

Hedge-fund manager John Paulson has given over half a million dollars between his donations to both of Trump's campaigns.

Amount donated: $331,372

Net worth: $4.2 billion

Source of wealth: hedge fund Paulson & Co. Inc.

John Paulson, 67, built his $4.2 billion fortune betting against subprime mortgages ahead of the financial crisis in 2007, per Forbes. Paulson has supported the President since 2016, having donated $250,000 to Trump's first campaign.

Edward DeBartolo and his wife Cynthia donated $3,000 before the president pardoned his fraud conviction.

Amount donated: $3,000

Net worth: $1.8 billion

Source of wealth: property developer DeBartolo Holdings

Edward DeBartolo made much of his fortune managing shopping centers, though his firm DeBartolo Holdings also owns restaurants, a logistics company, and a charter high school in Florida, according to Forbes. DeBartolo also formerly owned the San Francisco 49ers, but his sister Denise DeBartolo York took control of the team in 2001, per Forbes.

DeBartolo pled guilty to failing to report a felony in 1998 after paying former Louisiana Gov. Edwin Edward $400,000 for a riverboat gambling license. Trump pardoned DeBartolo in February, the Associated Press reported.

Texas banker Andrew Beal has given more money to the Trump Victory joint fundraising committee than any other individual billionaire.

Amount donated: $1,038,400

Net worth: $7.6 billion

Source of wealth: Beal Financial Corporation

Andrew Beal, 67, is a Texas-based banker and owner of Beal Bank parent Beal Financial Corporation. Before Trump was elected, Beal's bank was a major lender to Trump Entertainment Resorts, Forbes reported.

Beal donated $549,400 to Trump's 2016 campaign and has made several donations to the President's 2020 campaign totaling over $1 million, per Forbes.

Revlon investor Ronald Perelman donated $125,000.

Amount donated: $125,000

Net worth: $6.3 billion

Source of wealth: investment firm MacAndrews & Forbes, Revlon

Ronald Perelman, 77, built his fortune making leveraged buyouts of companies he believes to be undervalued across a wide variety industries, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index. Perelman also owns a $3 billion art collection and holds a large stake in cosmetics maker Revlon.

Perelman made a single large donation to Trump's fundraising committee in September 2017, Forbes reported.

Eccentric New York grocery billionaire John Catsimatidis and his wife Margo gave $115,000.

Amount donated: $115,000

Net worth: $2.8 billion

Source of wealth: New York City supermarket chain Gristedes Foods

John Catsimatidis made his fortune running a chain of New York City-area grocery stores and later expanded into oil refineries and gas stations, Business Insider previously reported.

The grocery titan is an avid Trump supporter, telling Bloomberg in August that "Trump has stood up against the problem at the borders ... Build a wall." Catsimatidis also hosts a politics-focused talk radio show which airs on several stations on Sunday mornings, called The Cats Roundtable.

John Catsimatidis made headlines in March after a New York Times report revealed that he had used a controversial facial recognition app to spy on his daughter's date. The app, called Clearview AI, uses a searchable database of photos scraped from across the web with potentially catastrophic privacy implications and is supposed to only be available to law enforcement, Business Insider reported at the time.

H. Ross Perot, Jr., the son of the late presidential candidate of the same name, gave Trump's campaign $85,000.

Amount donated: $85,000

Net worth: $2.5 billion

Source of wealth: real-estate development company Hillwood

H. Ross Perot, Jr., the son of presidential candidate H. Ross Perot, Sr., built his fortune running a real-estate development company that has built both industrial buildings and residential developments, per Forbes. The 61-year-old billionaire donated to Trump for the first time during the 2020 election cycle.

Philanthropist Elaine Langone, the wife of Home Depot cofounder Ken Langone, gave $5,000.

Amount donated: $5,000

Net worth: $4.8 billion (attributed to Ken Langone)

Source of wealth: home improvement retail chain Home Depot

Elaine Langone is the spouse of billionaire Home Depot founder Ken Langone. Home Depot's other cofounder, Bernie Marcus, also pledged to donate a substantial portion of his fortune to Trump's reelection bid in July, prompting boycotts of the home improvement chain.

Elaine Langone is also a noted philanthropist. She and her husband donated $300 million to NYU's hospital and medical school, and the medical center is named after them, according to Forbes.

Archie Aldis Emmerson, the third-largest landowner in the United States, donated $20,000.

Amount donated: $20,000

Net worth: $3.2 billion

Source of wealth: lumber producer Sierra Pacific Industries

Archie Aldis Emmerson founded Sierra Pacific Industries with his father in 1949, according to Forbes. The company has since grown to be the largest lumber producer in America, operating 14 lumber mills, per Forbes. 

Aside from politics, Emmerson has poured much of his fortune into real estate. Emmerson and his family own almost two million acres across the United States, Forbes reported.

Cablevision billionaires Charles and Helen Dolan donated $125,000.

Amount donated: $125,000

Net worth: $4.7 billion (attributed to Charles Dolan and family)

Source of wealth: Cablevision

Charles Dolan, founder of telecommunications giant Cablevision, donated to Trump for the first time during the 2020 election cycle, Forbes reported. Dolan founded Cablevision in 1973 and sold it for $17.7 billion in 2016.

Dolan also owns controlling stakes in the Madison Square Garden Co. (which owns the New York Knicks and the New York Rangers) and AMC Networks, per Forbes. The 93-year-old billionaire's son James Dolan is MSG's CEO, according to Forbes.

Houston Rockets owner Tilman Fertitta donated $140,000.

Amount donated: $140,000

Net worth: $4.2 billion

Source of wealth: restaurants, Houston Rockets

Tilman Fertitta is the billionaire restaurateur behind Landry's Seafood House, Bubba Gump Shrimp Co., and Saltgrass Steak House, according to Forbes. Fertitta first got into food service by working at his father's seafood restaurant after school, Forbes reported.

Fertitta purchased the Rockets for $2.2 billion in 2017. The Rockets are currently worth, $2.47 billion, according to Sports Illustrated.

Ashley Furniture founder Ronald Wanek gave $170,000 towards the president's reelection efforts.

Amount donated: $170,000

Net worth: $4.6 billion

Source of wealth: Ashley Furniture HomeStore

Ron Wanek grew Ashley Furniture, the home goods retailer he purchased in 1976, into the country's largest furniture manufacturer, according to Forbes. Wanek did not financially support the president's 2016 campaign, giving for the first time during the current election cycle, Forbes reported.

Washington Redskins owner Dan Snyder donated $100,000.

Amount donated: $100,000

Net worth: $2.6 billion

Source of wealth: marketing firm Snyder Communications

Dan Snyder made his multibillion-dollar fortune selling his marketing firm Snyder Communications for $2.1 billion in 2000, according to Forbes. Snyder spent a chunk of it purchasing the Washington Redskins in a blind auction for nearly $800 million in 1999, The Washington Post reported. After years of protests and outrage from fans, the team finally announced in July it would drop the offensive "Redskins" name and logo.

Early Microsoft employee Charles Simonyi gave $200,000.

Amount donated: $200,000

Net worth: $4.7 billion

Source of wealth: Microsoft

Charles Simonyi, 71, was the fortieth employee at Microsoft and went on create Microsoft Word and Excel, per Forbes. The Hungarian billionaire left Microsoft in 2002 to found his own software company but later sold that firm to Microsoft and rejoined the company, Business Insider previously reported.

Simonyi is also an amateur astronaut, having flown to space as a tourist in 2007 and 2009, Business Insider previously reported.

Estée Lauder heir Ronald Lauder gave $200,000.

Amount donated: $200,000

Net worth: $4.8 billion

Source of wealth: cosmetics brand Estée Lauder

Ronald Lauder is the youngest son of makeup mogul Estée Lauder and inherited her cosmetics empire, according to Forbes.

Lauder currently serves as the chairman of Clinique Laboratories but has spent time in politics as well, according to Forbes. Lauder was a deputy assistant secretary of defense for NATO affairs and the American ambassador to Austria, and is one of Trump's informal advisors on Israeli relations, per Forbes.

Peter Thiel, one of Trump's only supporters in Silicon Valley, gave a quarter-million dollars to each of Trump's presidential campaigns.

Amount donated: $250,000

Net worth: $2.1 billion

Source of wealth: venture capital, PayPal, Facebook

Peter Thiel made a fortune cofounding PayPal and grew his net worth by investing early in Facebook, according to Forbes. Thiel has been an outspoken supporter of Trump for years, famously moving his home and his personal staff from the Bay Area to Los Angeles because Silicon Valley felt like a "one-party state."

Bernie Marcus sparked controversy last year when he announced his plans to make a major donation to Trump.

Amount donated: $721,200

Net worth: $7.8 billion

Source of wealth: Home Depot

Marcus, who is now retired, spurred some shoppers to boycott the home improvement chain he cofounded when he pledged to help fund Trump's campaign in a July 2019 interview. He didn't follow through with his donation until May, per Forbes.

Oracle CEO Safra Catz and her husband Gal Tirosh made a six-figure donation to the president's fundraising committee in June.

Amount donated: $250,000

Net worth: $1.1 billion

Source of wealth: Oracle

Catz, 58, isn't the only person at Oracle financially supporting the president's reelection efforts. Oracle founder Larry Ellison hosted a fundraiser for Trump in February, sparking protests from employees.

Catz took over Oracle's top post from Ellison in 2014, per Forbes, having made her fortune over the course of her more than two-decade-long career at the software developer.

• A techie in Canada is launching a dating app exclusively for verified owners of Tesla cars, the electric vehicles with a loyal cult following.
• The idea came about after app creator Ajitpal Grewal noticed that Tesla owners couldn't stop talking about their cars and shared similar values, such as "stanning Elon Musk," he told Business Insider.
• Grewal says the app is still in the "early stages" of development. Since launching the website Wednesday, more than 160 people have signed up for the app's waitlist.
• Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

Tesla stans, rejoice — there may soon be a dating app where you can pursue like-minded car owners who are also obsessed with their electric vehicles and CEO Elon Musk.

An app called Tesla Dating is currently in the works, made exclusively for verified Tesla owners. The app's set-up is akin to that of Tinder or Bumble, except the only people that appear on the app are fellow Tesla cult followers.

The app is the work of Ajitpal Grewal, a self-described "ecommerce entrepreneur" and Tesla stan living in Canada. Grewal told Business Insider he decided to create the app after realizing Tesla owners only wanted to talk about one thing: how much they love their Teslas.

"It became a big part of their identity, and they shared a lot of the same values, like wanting to reduce their impact on the environment, stanning Elon Musk, or appreciating high tech," Grewal said in an email. "Suddenly it hit me, these people would be perfect for each other."

Tesla Dating is still in the "early stages" of development, but Grewal has launched a website where interested users can sign up for early access to "an exclusive community of like-minded Elon stans." Since the website went live Wednesday, more than 160 people have signed up for the waiting list, Grewal said.

Grewal's app idea capitalizes on the loyal following built up around Tesla and Musk, its CEO. Tesla owners are known for making sure everyone else knows they own — and unequivocally love — one of the electric vehicles, the cheapest model of which starts at $38,000. However, fans of Elon Musk are even more fervent: They worship the billionaire's prolific and controversial Twitter presence, and slam journalists and critics who write anything online negative about him.

To make a profile on the Tesla Dating app, users will be required to verify they actually own a Tesla, Grewal said. Grewal told Business Insider he plans to do this by asking users to submit a picture of themselves inside their Tesla. 

Users will be able to specify on their dating profiles their car's model and configuration, and will have potential matches sorted by those whose car characteristics most closely align with theirs.

"I believe your car tells a lot about you as a person," Grewal told Business Insider.

SEE ALSO: A top open-internet advocate supports banning TikTok as a way to punish China over internet censorship

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: A cleaning expert reveals her 3-step method for cleaning your entire home quickly

• Kim Jong Un's younger sister and right-hand woman, Kim Yo Jong, is a mysterious figure whose life has piqued international curiosity.
• The 30-something woman has rapidly become North Korea's most powerful woman, frequently seen at her brother's side, and plays a key role in his administration.
• Some had speculated last spring that she fell out of her brother's favor, but this month she was delegated part of her brother's authority and essentially became "a de facto second-in-command."
• Visit BusinessInsider.com for more stories.

As North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has sought to bolster his international standing, a figure seen by his side almost constantly during his meetings with world leaders is none other than his younger sister Kim Yo Jong.

Throughout the summer of 2020, Kim Yo Jong became the face of North Korean aggression, releasing a number of vitriolic public statements, including threats to South Korea and denouncements of North Korean defectors, whom she called "human scum."

South Korea's intelligence agency recently revealed that Kim Jong Un delegated part of his authority to his sister, along with other close aides, in a major power shift meant to lower his stress levels and shift blame in case of policy failures.

Her growing profile has taken on a new significance in recent months, amid questions over who could take over the country's leadership if Kim Jong Un grew ill or died. His line of succession is hazy — he is believed to have three children, but they are too young to take control over the country, and his brother has reportedly been deemed unfit to lead.

Recent developments have prompted speculation that Kim Yo Jong is next in line, though the country has never had a female leader.

During the two summits between the US and North Korea, Kim Yo Jong was front and center during the historic show of diplomacy between Kim Jong Un and President Donald Trump.

She also traveled to South Korea during the 2018 Winter Olympics, becoming the first member of North Korea's ruling family to visit the south since the Korean War in the 1950s.

Like her brother, and much of the rest of their family, few details are known about Kim Yo Jong and the life she lived before reaching a prime leadership role in the North Korean government.

Here's what we know about North Korea's most powerful woman.

SEE ALSO: The mysterious life of Kim Jong Un's wife, Ri Sol-ju, who probably has 3 children and frequently disappears from the public eye

DON'T MISS: Mystery children and sibling rivalries — this is Kim Jong Un's family tree

Like many of Kim's family members, Kim Yo Jong's exact age is difficult to pin down. But she's believed to be in her early 30s, likely born in 1989.

She's the youngest child of former North Korean leader Kim Jong Il and his consort, Ko Yong Hui, a former dancer.

Source: Business Insider

She was partly educated in Switzerland at the same school Kim Jong Un attended. But she returned to North Korea in 2000 after completing the US equivalent of the sixth grade.

Tweet Embed:
https://twitter.com/mims/statuses/961416981013344256?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
Kim Yo Jong as a girl: this is the earliest photo we have of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un's sister, taken while she was at school in Switzerland. pic.twitter.com/LrDFgGBzdt

Source: North Korea Leadership Watch

Kim Yo Jong appeared destined for a powerful career from a young age. Kim Jong Il once bragged to foreign interlocutors in 2002 that his youngest daughter was interested in politics and eager to work in North Korea's government.

Source: North Korea Leadership Watch

It's completely unclear where she was or what she was up to between 2000 and 2007.

Source: North Korea Leadership Watch

In the following years, she conducted a lot of behind-the-scenes work for her father, Kim Jong Il, and brother Kim Jong Un. She played a particularly significant role in helping Kim Jong Un take over instead of his older brothers.

Source: North Korea Leadership Watch

Her first public appearance was in 2011 at Kim Jong Il's funeral.

Tweet Embed:
https://twitter.com/mims/statuses/961423095884955648?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
Kim Yo Jong's first recorded public appearance: The North Korean princess appeared among the mourners at her father's funeral at the end of 2011. pic.twitter.com/GWPw4dgbZU

Source: Washington Post

Kim Yo Jong made headlines in 2017 after she was promoted to a top position in her brother's government: the head of the propaganda department of the Workers' Party of Korea.

Source: The New York Times

That's not just a fancy title — Kim Yo Jong plays a crucial role in controlling her brother's public image.

Tweet Embed:
https://twitter.com/mims/statuses/961430857977229312?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
Kim Yo Jong's role in the North Korean regime is not just ceremonial. She's actually working, protecting the image of her brother Kim Jong Un and making sure that everything runs smoothly. pic.twitter.com/hWsQnPIZzr

Source: The Washington Post

In public, Kim Yo Jong appears to have greater freedom than other top government officials in North Korea, occasionally appearing in photographs unaccompanied, rather than constantly being in the presence of Kim Jong Un.

Source: The New York Times

Some have speculated that she was promoted partly in an effort to continue Kim Jong Un's dynasty. While she's out of the line of succession, some believe she could take over the country's leadership if something happens to Kim Jong Un before his kids are old enough to rule.

Sources: The New York Times, The Washington Post

It wouldn't be an unprecedented role for her, either. Kim Yo Jong once briefly took control of the country's affairs while her brother was ill in 2014, according to a South Korean think tank run by North Korean defectors.

Source: CNN

She stepped onto the world stage in February 2018. In a rare show of diplomacy between the two Koreas, Kim Yo Jong traveled to South Korea for the Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang.

Everyone's eyes were on Kim Yo Jong at the start of the games. She shared a historic handshake with South Korean President Moon Jae In, and both broke out in smiles.

Source: Business Insider

During the opening ceremony, she sat right behind US Vice President Mike Pence, second lady Karen Pence, and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.

Kim Yo Jong and Pence did not speak with each other.

Source: Business Insider

Her interaction with South Korean leaders was a rare show of diplomacy and warmth. Given her experience in propaganda, she likely knew exactly what she was doing to try and curry favorable attention.

Source: Business Insider

In April 2018, she played a crucial role in the peace talks between the two Koreas. Leaders from the two nations met at the Demilitarized Zone, and Kim Yo Jong was notably the only woman at the table.

Though she stayed well away from the spotlight, leaving that to her brother, it was clear Kim Yo Jong played a significant role in orchestrating the talks and ensuring the day ran smoothly.

She was her brother's right-hand woman when he and Trump signed the agreement acknowledging North Korea's intentions to denuclearize.

Source: Business Insider, The Washington Post, White House

Kim Yo Jong sparked curiosity at one point, when she switched out the pen that was provided for the summit with her own ballpoint pen. It's unclear why she swapped the pens, but some have speculated that it was for security reasons.

Tweet Embed:
//twitter.com/mims/statuses/1006416762936569856?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
Anyone else spot this? There were two "Donald Trump" signing pens, NK official came in and shined up the one for Kim, then at the last minute Kim Yo Jong pulled out her own per to use instead of the one provided. Kim used that and back it went in her blazer. (Pool video) pic.twitter.com/dZWEK22IdF

Sources: Twitter/@martyn_williams, BBC

She made headlines in February 2019 when she was seen holding her brother's ashtray while he smoked during their train journey to Hanoi, Vietnam.

Youtube Embed:
//www.youtube.com/embed/tTuBxBB4zp8
Width: 780px
Height: 442px

Kim Yo Jong was featured prominently in the preparations for her brother's talks with Trump, often rushing ahead to make sure everything was ready.

She even went viral at one point when she seemed to be hiding in the plants as Kim Jong Un met with the US president at the Metropole Hotel.

Tweet Embed:
//twitter.com/mims/statuses/1100948333986832386?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
An incredible addition to annals of "Where's Kim Yo Jong?" from @nknewsorg's @chadocl. pic.twitter.com/9zZSUAnsL2

Source: Twitter

It has become increasingly clear over the past several years that Kim Yo Jong was one of her brother's most trusted officials, and her power in the regime was only growing.

But in the Hermit Kingdom, no one's position is ever truly secure under the mercurial leadership of Kim Jong Un. He's known for turning on family members quickly when they fall out of favor — and it remains to be seen whether Kim Yo Jong is an exception.

Kim Yo Jong was not listed as an alternate member of North Korea's ruling Workers' Party of Korea politburo — the party's top decision-making body — and did not appear at any high-profile events during an important party gathering in April 2019.

Sources: Business Insider, NK News

She also missed a meeting between Kim and Russian President Vladimir Putin later that month, fueling speculation that she had been demoted.

Source: Business Insider

One theory is that Kim Jong Un ordered her to lie low after his failed summit with Trump in February 2019.

Sources: Business Insider, The Guardian

But in early June 2019, Kim Yo Jong was spotted for the first time in 52 days, suggesting she was back in her brother's good graces.

Source: Business Insider

In October 2019, North Korean media released strange photos of Kim Jong Un riding a white horse atop a mountain with historic and symbolic significance. She rode a horse at his side.

Source: Business Insider

Experts told Business Insider that the photos are packed with political meaning — and could foreshadow a frightening military advancement.

Source: Business Insider

Since then, her profile has only grown. In March 2020, Kim Yo Jong made her first-ever public statement, insulting South Korea as a "frightened dog barking" after the country condemned one of North Korea's live-fire military drills. "Such incoherent assertion and actions… only magnify our distrust, hatred and scorn for the South side as a whole," Kim Yo Jong said in the statement.

Source: The Guardian.

The following month, Kim Yo Jong was reinstated as an alternate member of the Workers' Party of Korea politburo, suggesting that all has been forgiven since the collapse of last year's summit.

Sources: KCNA, AFP

In June 2020, Kim Yo Jong was behind a number of fiery statements escalating tensions with South Korea, including a recent vow promising a "tragic scene" at the liaison office building between North Korea and South Korea. Just days later, North Korea blew up the empty building.

Source: Yonhap News Agency

Kim Yo Jong later released another statement deriding reports of North Korean defectors who spread anti-Pyongyang leaflets across the border. She called them "human scum little short of wild animals" and "mongrel dogs," and threatened that South Korea would "pay a dear price" if they allowed the leaflet-spreading to continue.

Source: KCNA Watch

She also attacked South Korea's leader, saying it was "sickening to listen to his speech" that urged peace between the two Koreas. "He seems to be insane, though he appears to be normal outwardly."

Source: The New York Times

Given these recent developments, it's clear that Kim Yo Jong's power has grown tremendously in recent years, fueling speculation that no other family members besides her could take over.

In August 2020, South Korean intelligence revealed that she has been delegated more authority from her brother in a major power shift meant to "relieve [Kim Jong Un's] stress from his reign and avert culpability in the event of policy failure."

Source: Yonhap News Agency

One South Korean lawmaker said Kim Yo Jong is now "a de facto second-in-command." Though the power shift doesn't mean she's been chosen as her brother's successor, the move reveals that "Chairman Kim Jong Un is still maintaining his absolute authority, but some of it has been handed over little by little," the intelligence agency said.

Source: Yonhap News Agency, Reuters

Experts have agreed that Kim Yo Jong's recent tactics have cemented her reputation within North Korea as a strong and decisive leader who could replace her brother if necessary. "As she leads the offense against South Korea like a general, it silences those old hard-liners in the Politburo who may think she cannot be the leader," Sejong Institute analyst Lee Seong Hyon told The New York Times.

Source: The New York Times

• Some of the most luxurious camper vans cost between $90,000 and $250,000.
• At $250,000, the Hymer VisionVenture has been designed like a modern, open-concept apartment.
• Other luxury camper vans have private bathrooms, high-end kitchens, and off-grid technology.
• Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

While some camper van owners choose to save money by converting their vehicles themselves, others choose a more expensive option.

Companies have converted vehicles such as Ford Transit vans and Mercedes-Benz Sprinters into camper vans with price tags well over $100,000, and they include high-end furnishings, private bathrooms, and electronic couches that will make a life on the road all that more comfortable.

Here are six camper vans that will probably reach the top of your budget.

FOLLOW US: Business Insider is on Facebook

The famous Hymer VisionVenture costs a whopping $250,000.

Hymer VisionVenture is a concept car built on a Mercedes-Benz Sprinter. The vehicle, which has been built for overlanding, has off-road tires.

The van has been curated by professional interior designers, so it feels like a modern apartment.

The van has an open floor plan, which includes an office space, an eating area, and a living room. There is a set of stairs that leads to the second floor on the roof of the van.

A 2020 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter that was converted into an off-road camper van costs $210,000.

Boulder Campervans called this converted van, which is solar powered, "Pearl."

The van has a kitchen, living space, and a bedroom in the back.

The van has special engravings throughout the vehicle, like the triangular mountain range above the sink.

For $150,000, this Mercedes-Benz Sprinter van can stay off-grid for a full seven days.

Storyteller Overland created this camper van and called it "Beast Mode." As Business Insider previously reported, the vehicle is equipped with a 3,600-watt inverter and an 8-kilowatt-hour auxiliary alternator, which enables it to stay off the grid for a full week.

The Beast Mode also has a sofa bed, which can fit two people.

The bed can be converted into a working space, a desk, or a bench.

This converted 2019 Ford Transit van, which has solar panels attached to the roof, is $175,000.

Benchmark Vehicles converted this van, which is completely off-grid.

Inside, the walls have been replaced for temperature control and acoustics.

The van also has a cooktop, a fridge, a faucet, a sink, and a table. 

This $100,000 camper van is described as a luxury condo.

CanaDream converted a Ram Pro Master into a camper that you can rent for a short time. The van has running water, an air conditioning unit, and high-end cabinetry.

Inside, there is a private bathroom with a toilet and shower.

There's even a couch that can turn into a bed with the push of a button.

This $90,000 camper van conversion was created with pets in mind.

Freedom Vans built this van on a Mercedes-Benz Sprinter for a woman who planned to travel with her four dogs. They named the vehicle "Pluto," and it has been equipped with an air conditioning unit and temperature controls.

The van has a bed, a kitchen, and a pull-out composting toilet.

The seat above the toilet can also be pulled out to become a small dog bed.

• Read more:
• These 8 luxurious RVs each cost more than $200,000 — take a look inside
• 20 before-and-after photos of remodeled RVs that will make you want to get on the road
• The best camper van rentals

• Thinking about taking a cross-country road trip?
• Researcher Randy Olson figured out the ideal route around the 48 contiguous states. Olson used a genetic algorithm to calculate the shortest distances between 50 national landmarks.
• Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

EDITOR'S NOTE: This video was originally published on May 18, 2015. 

Join the conversation about this story »

• Airbnb, last valued at $18 billion, has confidentially filed for an IPO.
• Airbnb CEO Brian Chesky thinks that after the pandemic, there's going to be a big change in the reason people travel: They will be traveling for fun, not for work.
• Previously, people traveled for work and entertained themselves with screens, and he predicts that pattern is about to invert.
• There could also be a rise in people choosing to live as digital nomads because they won't be tied to one city for their job.
• Chesky is one of more than 200 CEOs who shared their thoughts with Business Insider on how the coronavirus will change the world. To read more, click here.
• Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

As the coronavirus pandemic spread around the world, demand for travel plummeted to nearly zero. But on Wednesday, Airbnb confidentially filed for an IPO.

Brian Chesky, the CEO of Airbnb, which has a business model that relies on people's desire for community and exploration, has a few bold predictions about what travel will look like once the pandemic eases and people feel more free to venture out into the world again. 

Chesky is one of more than 200 CEOs who spoke with Business Insider in May for a project that examined how the coronavirus pandemic would change the world.

First, when it comes to leisure travel, Chesky said people would likely start off by booking more affordable trips that are closer to home. The State Department has a Level 4 health advisory in place that cautions against all international travel because of the uncertainty of the pandemic. It's not yet clear when the advisory, which went into effect on March 31, will be lifted.

Plus, with unemployment soaring to new heights, trips abroad will likely be out of the question for many, even once it is safe to resume travel. A record 20.5 million Americans lost their jobs in April.

Traveling for fun, not for work

Chesky said business travel could also look substantially different in the future. 

"I think we're seeing that you can do a lot videoconferencing, and that's going to have a big impact on how often people travel for work," Chesky said.

Chesky's thoughts around business travel were echoed by several other CEOs who spoke with Business Insider. Many said they would be more selective when scheduling work trips in the future.

"We used to do a lot of travel for work, and then we entertained ourselves on screens. That's going to inverse," Chesky said. "I think we'll work more on screens and entertain ourselves in the real world."

Many people watching the travel industry have predicted that vacations will come back before business trips do. The road trip, in particular, might see a resurgence.

"As home-isolation orders are lifted, yet physical distancing remains top of mind, we anticipate road trips and personal auto travel will rebound faster than group travel," Andre Haddad, the CEO of the car-sharing platform Turo, told Business Insider.

The freedom to choose where — and how — you want to live

The CEO is also predicting a different trend, one that is in direct opposition to the idea that more people will want to travel locally. He said there could be a rise in people choosing to live as digital nomads and that the home-sharing company would focus more on longer-term stays to accommodate those needs.

People choosing to work remotely while traveling to different countries was already a growing trend before the coronavirus. Some have said that the pandemic has exacerbated common issues in cities — population density and a high cost of living, to name a few — that will eventually lead to a mass exodus from America's urban centers. 

"Many people are realizing they don't have to be tethered to one city. So you'll see more people who are going to choose to live around the world, spending a few months at a time in different places," Chesky said.

This idea was echoed by Eventbrite CEO Julia Hartz, who said the Spanish flu of 1918 was followed by a period of renewed human connection in the Roaring '20s.

"We will return together through live gatherings as we did following the Spanish flu," Hartz said.

Likewise, Chesky is confident that people will still want to travel in the future. 

"In 1950, 25 million people crossed a border, and last year 1.4 billion people did. That happened because there is an innate human desire to travel, to explore, and that is never going to go away," he said. "Travel may be on pause, but it's going to come back."

Troy Wolverton contributed reporting.

SEE ALSO: WHAT'S NEXT: 200 leaders look into the future of business

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: Why thoroughbred horse semen is the world's most expensive liquid

• A residence at 47 Grosvenor Square once used by Jackie Kennedy Onassis' family sold within 24 hours of hitting the market. A Saudi billionaire bought it for $22 million.
• Grosvenor Square is an enclave in London's affluent Mayfair neighborhood. 
• The apartment is considered a "trophy property" at 5,000 square feet with a 60-foot-plus balcony.
• Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

You know real estate is hot when it only sits on the market for 24 hours. It also helps if the property has a glamorous history — and high-profile former residents.

That was the case for the first-floor apartment at 47 Grosvenor Square in London's affluent Mayfair neighborhood. The property, which was once used as a London home by the Onassis family, including Jackie Kennedy Onassis, hit the market with an asking price of nearly $30 million. Within 24 hours, someone had scooped it up for $22 million.

Wetherell, the real-estate agency behind the deal, kept the buyer's identity anonymous but acknowledged the new owner is a Saudi billionaire. Peter Wetherell, founder and chairman of the agency, described the home in a press release as a "trophy property" — London properties that appeal to the global elite.

The apartment has yet to be restored since it was used by Onassis clan, and restoration could bump up its value even higher, to $35 million. At 5,000 square feet, the home spans nearly the whole width and depth of the building, and it's the only apartment in the building to have a 63-foot balcony overlooking Grosvenor Square.

Here's a look inside.

SEE ALSO: The iconic 'Golden Girls' house just sold for $1 million over its asking price — take a look inside the TV landmark

DON'T MISS: This whimsical cottage in a historic Chicago neighborhood looks like something out of 'The Hobbit' and comes with a 'secret' garden — take a look inside

A residence at 47 Grosvenor Square was listed at $29.6 million and sold in less than 24 hours for $22 million to a Saudi billionaire.

The billionaire bought the home for his daughter, according to Wetherell, the real-estate agency behind the deal.

It's the highest price paid for a single, unmodernized apartment in Mayfair this year. The last time a piece of Mayfair property listed above $10 million sold in less than 24 hours was 10 years ago.

Source: Wetherell

Grosvenor Square has been a well-known enclave in London's affluent Mayfair neighborhood since the 18th century.

Over the years, aristocrats and politicians have flocked there. It was once home to Oscar Wilde and the US embassy. The building that housed the latter is now being transformed into a luxury hotel.

Source: Mansion Global

The residence used to be the London home of Artemis Onassis. It was used as a London pied-à-terre by members of the Onassis family, including Jackie Kennedy Onassis, in the 1960s and '70s.

It's the first time in over 28 years that the Onassis family's Mayfair property hit the market and sold.

Before the Onassis family, it was first owned by Sir John Anderson, 1^st Viscount Waverley, who was chairman of the Royal Opera House.

Source: Wetherell

The building itself was erected in the late 1930s, designed in a palatial neo-Georgian style.

Source: Wetherell

The residence has yet to be restored since its glamorous early days. A restoration could bring its value up to $35 million, according to Wetherell.

Source: Wetherell

The first-floor apartment boasts 5,000 square feet of living space and is nearly as wide and deep as the building itself, with 10.3-foot ceilings.

Source: Wetherell

When you first walk in, there's a vast entrance hall.

Source: Wetherell

It leads to three adjacent reception rooms facing the square, comprising 60 feet in length combined.

Source: Wetherell

That includes the dining room and study, pictured here.

Source: Wetherell

There's also a library with built-in shelves to keep the books you'll take to the study.

Source: Wetherell

And there's a spacious family kitchen, as well as a bar.

Source: Wetherell

There are two large bedroom suites. One consists of three bedrooms off of the kitchen. The other includes one bedroom next to the library.

Source: Wetherell

Each has its own ensuite bathroom. There's also a guest bathroom and powder room in the apartment.

Source: Wetherell

There are a total of four ensuite bathrooms in the apartment. The other two are his-and-hers bathrooms as part of the master bedroom suite.

Source: Wetherell

They're each flanked by matching dressing rooms. The "his" dressing room features light wood and dark green marble accents ...

Source: Wetherell

... while the "hers" dressing room is more light and airy with a white palette.

Source: Wetherell

Outside, there's also a terrace overlooking the south side and a 63-foot-plus balcony. The apartment is the only one in the building that has a balcony overlooking Grosvenor Square.

Source: Wetherell

• New York City's Central Park Tower became the world's tallest residential building when it topped out at 1,550 feet in the fall of 2019. 
• The luxury building is still under construction, but the first residents will move in later this year. 
• Developer Extell has released photos of a $17.5 million model residence on the 43rd floor.
• The 3,401-square-foot condo, which sits on Manhattan's so-called Billionaires' Row, has 3 bedrooms, 3.5 bathrooms, and sweeping Central Park views. 
• The tower's other current listings range from a $6.9 million two-bedroom unit to a $63 million residence that spans more than 7,000 square feet.
• Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

Last fall, Central Park Tower in New York City reached its full height of 1,550 feet, becoming the world's tallest residential building, according to the Skyscraper Center, a global tall building database from the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat.

The 98-story luxury condo building sits on Manhattan's Billionaires' Row, a neighborhood overlooking Central Park that's traditionally been home to some of the city's priciest real estate.

The tower is still under construction, but the developer, Extell, has released photos of a $17.5 million model residence on the 43rd floor designed by Pembrooke & Ives. The three-bedroom condo features wraparound floor-to-ceiling windows that offer spectacular views of Central Park. 

Take a look at the first photos released of a residence in the world's tallest residential building. 

SEE ALSO: The world's skinniest skyscraper is almost complete. I toured its first luxury condo — take a look inside the NYC tower that's 24 times as tall as it is wide.

DON'T MISS: Miami's $300 million 'exoskeleton' skyscraper is complete after 7 years. Look inside the Zaha Hadid-designed tower, which comes with a private rooftop helipad.

Central Park Tower, a 1,550-foot luxury condo tower in New York City, is the world's tallest residential building, according to the Skyscraper Center, a global tall building database from the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat.

The 98-floor tower is still under construction and is expected to see its first residents move in later in 2020, a spokesperson for the developer, Extell, told Business Insider.

Now, the developer has released the first photos of one of the tower's completed luxury condos.

Unit 43C sits on the building's 43rd floor.

The designer, Pembrooke & Ives, created a dramatic entryway with blackened oak and a brushed metallic finish.

The grand salon has floor-to-ceiling windows and wraparound views of the city and Central Park.

Hidden LED strip lighting illuminates the edges of the windows in the evening.

The room was designed to maximize the views of Central Park from the seating areas and from the dining table.

Source: Pembrooke & Ives

The kitchen features custom cabinetry from Smallbone.

Source: Pembrooke & Ives

An eat-in breakfast area comes with a built-in banquette.

Source: Pembrooke & Ives

The condo's master suite also features floor-to-ceiling windows with downtown views rather than views of the park.

Source: Pembrooke & Ives

In the master bathroom is both a freestanding soaking tub and a walk-in shower.

Source: Pembrooke & Ives

The suite's walk-in closet includes concealed vertical LED strip lighting.

Source: Pembrooke & Ives

The guest suite features a view of One57, another supertall Billionaires' Row tower that was completed in 2014.

Source: Pembrooke & Ives

The study is outfitted with custom-designed pale oak wall panels.

Source: Pembrooke & Ives

The 43rd-floor residence may be the first Central Park Tower condo to have photos released to the public, but at $17.5 million, it's far from the priciest condo in the building.

The tower's current listings start at $6.9 million for a two-bedroom condo. The most expensive residence on offer spans more than 7,000 square feet and will cost you $63 million.

• A members-only wine club with locations throughout Europe is set to open its first stateside branch in Washington, DC's West End on September 8.
• Called wineLAIR, the leather couch-filled space will house 358 climate-controlled wine lockers where members can store their own wines to enjoy with close friends.
• WineLAIR individual memberships start at $300 per month with a $5,000 initiation fee and grant members access to sister wineBANK locations in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland.
• Founder Christian Ress told Business Insider that he's optimistic about opening wineLAIR in the US despite the pandemic, citing privacy as a large draw.
• Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

SEE ALSO: Stella Artois is getting into the 5-star virtual hotel business, offering wake-up calls from Liev Schreiber, room service delivery from Eva Longoria, and fluffy branded robes

NOW READ: Airbnb CEO Brian Chesky says treehouse and Airstream rentals are booming — and that it's a sign we're entering a more 'intimate' era of travel

Opening a new business in the middle of a pandemic presents a unique set of challenges, but winemaker and entrepreneur Christian Ress isn't deterred.

Source: wineBANK

Back in 2009 on the heels of the financial crisis, he launched wineBANK Frankfurt, a members-only space where people could store and drink their wine in a speakeasy-like space.

Source: wineBANK

Though the global economic outlook was dire and his bank skeptical, Ress felt in his gut that wineBANK would be a success, he told Business Insider.

Source: wineBANK

A decade later, wineBANK now has nine locations across Germany, Austria, Switzerland. A 10th location — the first one stateside — is set to open in Washington, DC, on September 8.

Source: wineBANK

Ress describes wineBANK as a mix between a wine storage facility, private members club, events space, and luxury travel network.

Source: wineBANK

Members pay between $120 and $1,540 per month plus an initiation fee for storage in a 'home' wineBANK depending on the location and can access any of the brand's locations when traveling.

Source: wineBANK

Each of the existing locations in Europe is accessible 24/7 by key card. The wineBANKs are made up of climate-controlled wine storage lockers plus wine tasting stations and lounge areas decorated with designer furniture.

Four locations — Baden, Pfalz, Rheingau und Cologne —  have a "wine by the glass" dispensing fridge for members who don't want to open up a full bottle.

WineBANK employs teams to clean and resupply locations each morning, but the spaces are otherwise self-service.

Source: wineBANK

The allure of wineBANK is that it offers a refined space for drinking wine without the need to make reservations, Ress told Business Insider. If members wanted to head to a wineBANK at 1 a.m. and turn on music to wind down, they could.

Source: wineBANK

While the DC location will have all the trappings of the wineBANK brand, it will offer a more elevated experience due to its location in a major international city and go by the name wineLAIR, Ress said.

Source: wineBANK

Located next to the Ritz Carlton in DC's upscale West End, the 5,500-square-foot space will be staffed and operate between the hours of 11 a.m and 2 a.m.

Source: wineBANK

In addition to enjoying wines with friends in the dark-paneled, leather-couch-filled space, members will be able to order wine from the bar as well as charcuterie boards, cheese plates, and dishes prepared in partnership with local bistro RIS.

Source: wineBANK

Individual memberships start at $300 per month plus a $5,000 initiation fee for a 52-bottle wine locker, 2 members' cards, and 3 guest passes. Corporate memberships are also available.

Source: wineBANK

Like in Europe, wineLAIR's 358 climate-controlled lockers will be visible from behind bars for members to admire.

Source: wineBANK

The DC space also plans to host socially distanced events led by top winemakers. Previous wineBANK events have included appearances by Axe Gillery, export manager of Champagne Pol Roger, one of the world's most prestigious Champagne brands and a supplier of the British Royals.

Source: wineBANK

When the pandemic hit and sent Europe into lockdown, new membership applications came to a halt, and Ress was uncertain about the company's future, he told Business Insider.

Source: wineBANK

But since lockdowns lifted, sales have been booming, Ress said. He attributes this to people wanting to get out of their homes and socialize with friends in a safe way.

Source: wineBANK

WineBANKs are semi-private locations, which create a sense of security, he told Business Insider.

Source: wineBANK

Ress views the current success of his Europe business as a good sign for the DC opening.

Source: wineBANK

"I could imagine that we will experience a similar situation [to Europe] where people look for something which is not public, but still want to go out and meet people," he told Business Insider.

Source: wineBANK

• US tech giant Oracle is reportedly preparing a bid for the US operations of massively popular social media app TikTok.
• President Trump, expressing support for Oracle's bid, called it a "great company."
• Larry Ellison, the Oracle cofounder, is one of the richest people in the world and has previously hosted a fundraiser for Trump at his Coachella Valley home (he told Forbes he didn't attend).
• Representatives for Oracle declined to comment for this story. The Trump campaign did not immediately respond to request for comment. 
• Take a look inside their relationship. 
• Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

Oracle is reportedly eyeing a bid to take over popular social media app TikTok — with President Trump's support.

On August 14, President Trump released an executive order directing ByteDance, TikTok's parent company, to sell all of its US operations in the next 90 days and distance itself from any data collected through the popular app, citing a potential threat "to impair the national security of the United States."

Prior to that, he signed a different executive order on August 6 that would prevent China-based companies, like TikTok, from doing business in the US. Trump began discussing similar actions regarding TikTok in late July, when he told reporters onboard Air Force One: "As far as TikTok is concerned, we're banning them from the United States." 

Microsoft was the first major US tech firm to confirm, in an early August blog post, that it was considering acquiring TikTok's American assets. CNBC reported that it could go for as high as $30 billion. 

Earlier this week, the New York Times, Axios, Guardian, and others reported that Oracle is preparing a rival bid for TikTok's US operations. 

On August 19, President Trump said that Oracle is a "great company" and, regarding a TikTok takeover, said it "would be certainly somebody that could handle it."

Ellison stepped down as Oracle CEO in 2014 but continues to enjoy his position as one of the richest people in the world.

Ellison, ranked ninth in the list of richest people in the US and twelfth in the world, has a net worth of $64.6 billion. The number grew by just a hair short of $6 billion in the last year. His Bloomberg Billionaires profile credits him as being "self-made."

In 1977, Ellison and two colleagues at an electronic company cofounded the programming firm that evolved into Oracle Corp. Ellison stepped down as CEO in 2014 but remained at the company as executive chairman of the board and chief technology officer. 

He bought the Hawaiian Island of Lanai for $300 million in 2012, which Forbes later called "his petri dish of experimentation on health, wellness, and sustainability." During the coronavirus pandemic and shutdown, Ellison said he would pay his workers full wages and benefits through at least May 1.

He currently lives in Rancho Mirage in California's Coachella Valley. 

In a Forbes profile from April 2020, Ellison said he supports Trump and wants him to do well.

"We only have one president at a time. I don't think he's the devil — I support him and want him to do well," Ellison told Forbes writer Angela Au-Yeng. He added that he would support anyone who's currently in the Oval Office.

Ellison also told the magazine that he had never donated to the Trump campaign. The Desert Sun reported that Ellison didn't donate in 2016 or 2020, citing federal campaign reports. 

Ellison held a fundraiser for Trump at his Rancho Mirage home in February, with the contributions going to a fundraising committee created in collaboration between his campaign and the state and national chapters of the Republican Party.

The Desert Sun's Sam Metz reported that Ellison's Rancho Mirage property hosted supporters of the president's reelection bid on a golf outing. 

A $100,000 donation guaranteed golf with the president and a photo to commemorate the occasion. With $250,000, supporters got everything in the previous bracket as well as a round-table conversation. 

As for whether he was present during the fundraiser, Ellison told Forbes, "Be absolutely precise. I said President Trump could use the property. I was not here." 

Barack Obama visited the same golf course in 2015. Theodore Schleifer wrote for Recode that Ellison was previously known to be close to Bill Clinton and attended fundraisers for his reelection in the '90s. 

Though Ellison has maintained that he wasn't physically present at the fundraiser, his hosting didn't sit well with some of his employees.

After news broke that Ellison was hosting the fundraiser, a Change.org petition started circulating online, asking senior Oracle leadership to condemn Ellison's actions. The petition gathered close to 10,000 signatures.

The day after the fundraiser, about 300 Oracle employees staged a walkout called "No Ethics / No Work."

Nico Grant reported for Bloomberg that employees stopped working at noon local time, wherever they were located, and devoted the rest of the day to volunteer work. 

Per Forbes, Ellison and Trump had a phone call in the initial days of the coronavirus pandemic in the US. It is unclear who called whom.

The New York Times reported in April that Ellison was the first person Trump heard from about hydroxychloroquine and chloroquine as possible treatments for the novel coronavirus.

The president has repeatedly touted the two anti-malaria drugs, even saying that he's taken one of them himself, despite scientists and doctors warning against it.

In June, the Food and Drug Administration revoked approval for emergency use of the two drugs, citing their lack of effectiveness and warning they could have potentially "serious side effects."

Dr. Carlos Del Rio, an infectious disease physician at Emory University School of Medicine at Emory University, told NBC News in July that "it does not work for treatment or for prevention. I have no idea why there is still talk about it, but it's wrong."

Ellison brought together engineers at his own company and federal agencies to create a far-reaching coronavirus database.

Per his April Forbes profile, Ellison brought together Oracle engineers and officials from federal agencies including the FDA and the National Institutes of Health to build a database of COVID-19 cases in the US where doctors could log treatments used and their effectiveness. 

The Washington Post reported that, among other drugs, hydroxychloroquine and chloroquine were being tested through this system.

Trump put Ellison on the tech cohort of his Great American Economic Revival Industry Groups.

In April, Ellison joined industry bigwigs such as Mark Zuckerberg, Tim Cook, and Satya Nadella on a tech committee to advise President Trump on how to safely reopen the economy.

In February, the Trump administration argued before the Supreme Court that Microsoft's decade-long legal case against Oracle be dismissed. This recommendation came on the same day as Trump's fundraiser at Ellison's Coachella Valley home.

The lawsuit has been in the court system for a decade and began when Oracle sued Microsoft for use of copyrighted programming in Android devices. The Trump administration asked the Supreme Court to disregard Microsoft's appeal.

Bloomberg reported that this would potentially allow Oracle to collect $8 billion in royalties.

Ellison isn't the only top Oracle employee to show President Trump support. In 2016, co-CEO Safra Catz joined the transition team.

While maintaining her position at the tech company, Safra Catz joined the president-elect's transition team in December 2016.

An executive who had been at Oracle on and off for longer than two decades resigned soon after in response. 

• UK-based luxury brand Burberry announced on Thursday that it will release face masks.
• The masks haven't been officially released yet but customers can sign up on the brand's website for updates. Each mask will cost £90 (about $120).
• With this launch, Burberry becomes the first major luxury house to release a face mask collection amid the pandemic.
• The brand said that 20% of the proceeds from this mask collection will be given to the Burberry Foundation COVID-19 Community fund.
• Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

Burberry is officially the first major luxury house to launch a collection of high-end masks. 

On Thursday, the brand announced the mask release, though the exact date they'll be made available to the public has yet to be revealed. As reported by The Guardian's Hanna Marriott, Burberry says their face masks have been sustainably produced, made from excess fabric and "enhanced with an antimicrobial technology." 

According to Burberry's UK website, the masks will cost £90 (just under $120) each.

This isn't the first time Burberry has produced face masks, but it is the first time the brand has produced them for commercial use amid the pandemic

In April, Business Insider reported that Burberry was using its trench coat factory to produce  PPE, including hospital gowns and face masks, for health care professionals fighting the COVID outbreak in the UK. 

The brand also established the Burberry Foundation COVID-19 Community fund, which has been helping health care professionals and others who are being severely impacted by the coronavirus outbreak, and has donated funds toward vaccination research. Burberry was not alone among luxury brands in its charitable efforts — Gucci, Versace, Chanel, and Louis Vuitton also made sizeable donations to coronavirus relief efforts in Europe.

Since April, many smaller and younger independent brands have released pricey face masks for commercial use, INSIDER's Celia Fernandez previously reported. But heritage brands, like Chanel and Louis Vuitton, have shied away from producing their own high-end masks for commercial use. Until now, that is. 

Burberry's face masks will be available in two colors: beige and pale blue. Each mask comes with a small travel pouch, allowing one to carry their mask securely. The brand will also donate 20% of the selling price of each mask to the Burberry Foundation COVID-19 Community Fund.

SEE ALSO: 'I really don't care, do U?': How the act of refusing to wear a mask became the new symbol of American fear

DON'T MISS: Alpaca carpets, Saint Laurent surfboards, and Basquiat paintings: Meet the interior designer who worked with Kylie Jenner on her lavish mansion in one of LA's ritziest suburbs

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: We tested a machine that brews beer at the push of a button

• A 19th-century former county sheriff's home is on the market in Fayette, Missouri, for $350,000, and there's a jail inside.
• A door in the home's kitchen leads to the former jail, complete with nine cells, a booking room, and a half-bathroom.
• Renovated in 2005, the house features an electric fireplace, three floors of living space, and stained glass windows.
• Take a look inside the Missouri home. 
• Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

SEE ALSO: A 171-year-old church in Connecticut that was converted into a 3-bedroom home just hit the market for the first time in 50 years. Here's a look inside.

DON'T MISS: A historic Charleston mansion that survived over 200 years of wars, earthquakes, and hurricanes just hit the market. Take a look inside.

A house complete with an electric fireplace, a clawfoot tub, and nine jail cells is on the market for $350,000.

Source: House of Brokers Realty

The home, located on East Morrison Street in Fayette looks like an ordinary brick house from the front.

Source: House of Brokers Realty

Barred windows around the side of the building hint at its past as a county jail. Built in 1875, the house served as the Howard County Sherriff's house and was renovated in 2005.

Source: House of Brokers Realty

The renovator purchased the home from Howard County on eBay in 2005, the property's agents, Jeff and Justin Radel, told Forbes.

Source: House of Brokers Realty, Forbes

Near the home's entrance, there's a dining room that seats six people.

Source: House of Brokers Realty

The first floor features an electric fireplace in the living room.

Source: House of Brokers Realty

Up the stairs to the second floor ...

Source: House of Brokers Realty

... there are two bedrooms ...

Source: House of Brokers Realty

... and one full bathroom with a clawfoot bathtub and a stand-in shower.

Source: House of Brokers Realty

The laundry room is on the second floor too.

Source: House of Brokers Realty

To the right of the laundry room, there's another staircase leading up to the third floor ...

Source: House of Brokers Realty

... which is home to this large, open room.

Source: House of Brokers Realty

Back downstairs, the kitchen comes with stained glass windows and a kitchen island.

Source: House of Brokers Realty

The kitchen also has a less common and sought-after feature: an entrance to the home's jail, behind a hidden door.

Source: House of Brokers Realty

While it's in the same building as the living quarters, the home's jail is in a separate unit from the residence. It's accessible through the kitchen and two outdoor entrances.

Source: House of Brokers Realty

The first floor of the jail, which is connected to the kitchen, includes a half bathroom ...

Source: House of Brokers Realty

... and the jail's booking room.

Source: House of Brokers Realty

The stairs lead up to jail cells.

Source: House of Brokers Realty

The cell doors have operating locks, per Forbes.

Source: House of Brokers Realty, Forbes

Many of the cells feature barred windows, letting in natural light.

Source: House of Brokers Realty

The units look like something out of a movie.

Source: House of Brokers Realty

The house's listing agents told Forbes that potential buyers think the jail could serve as a themed Airbnb.

Sources: House of Brokers Realty, Forbes

Beneath the jail, there is an unfinished but well-lit basement, according to the listing.

Source: House of Brokers Realty