šŸŒ CEOsā€™ great resignation

Plus: Trump put his Trump Media stock in a trust.

An empty conference room inside the Presidential Palace in Damascus, Syria
An empty conference room inside the Presidential Palace in Damascus, Syria
Photo: Ali Haj Suleiman (Getty Images)

Good morning, Quartz readers!


HEREā€™S WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

The biggest banks in the U.S. are being sued for fraud happening on Zelle. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau is bringing the legal action.

American Airlines settled a racial discrimination suit from three black passengers. The passengers said they were singled out for removal from a flight under the guise of an odor complaint.

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Donald Trump moved all his Trump Media shares into a revocable trust. The stock is worth about $4 billion.

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Starbucks workers in three cities started a strike just before Christmas. Theyā€™re demanding the company present a ā€œcomprehensive economic packageā€ and clear up myriad unfair labor practice charges.

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A next-gen Ozempic falls short in a drug trial. Novo Nordisk stock plunged after its planned Ozempic successor, CagriSema, missed a key weight loss projection.


CEOsā€™ great resignation

Americaā€™s c-suites had a swiftly revolving door this year. A record number of CEOs quit or got fired in 2024, with nearly 2,000 of them exiting their companies.

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Many of them left their jobs amid difficult business environments for their employers. Others retired or sought better gigs elsewhere; at least one was ā€œreplacedā€ by an AI chatbot.

Just how many CEO jobs were vacated this year? Quartzā€™s William Gavin looks over the figures.

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Walmartā€™s next generation

The Walton family is one of Americaā€™s richest dynasties. Their wealth is synonymous with the massive retail footprint of Walmart.

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But now the clan is preparing its next generation to take over the empire. Eight of Walmart founder Sam Waltonā€™s grandchildren will be joining a key decisionmaking group for the company.

What does this development mean for the future of Walmart? Quartzā€™s Francisco Velasquez explains how the familyā€™s succession plans are unfolding.

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MORE FROM QUARTZ

šŸ˜¤ Trump to Europe: Buy more U.S. oil and gas or face ā€˜TARIFFS all the way!!!ā€™

šŸ›©ļø Boeing is about to get ā€˜aggressiveā€™ in building more 737 Max planes

šŸ§  OpenAI unveils o3, its next ā€˜reasoningā€™ model

šŸ’ How to give people crypto this holiday season

šŸ‘° These were 2025's top wedding trends

šŸ‘Ÿ Nikeā€™s new CEO started his reign with an earnings beat


SURPRISING DISCOVERIES

Drones arenā€™t the only annoyance in the east coast skies. Pilots are complaining that more people are pointing lasers at planes now, too. (paywall)

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Fashionā€™s fountain of youth might flow a little slower next year. Consumers 50 and up are expected to drive nearly half of global consumer spending gains in 2025.

More than $2 billion in crypto has been stolen this year. The majority of those funds were believed to have been spirited away to North Korea.

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The NFL is heading into a ratings battle with college football. An expanded college football playoff is encroaching on TV territory long held by pro contests.

China has a customer for steel shut out of the U.S. by steeper tariffs. India imported a record amount of the metal from China in 2024.

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Our best wishes on a safe start to the day. Send any news or comments to talk@qz.com. Todayā€™s Daily Brief was brought to you by Melvin Backman and Harri Weber.