🐭 Disney Goes To Abu Dhabi

In today’s newsletter I discuss Disney is going to Abu Dhabi, Wikipedia embraces AI, rock legend Gene Simmons is selling his Beverly Hills mansion, celebrities are off the hook in the FTX case, Taylor Sheridan is launching a new “Yellowstone” spinoff called "Y: Marshals", and Denver Nuggets NBA star Russell Westbrook just co-founded a new AI-enabled startup called Eazewell to help with funeral planning

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WHAT WE’RE READING

🐭 Disney Is Going To Abu Dhabi

The Walt Disney Company and Abu Dhabi's Miral have officially announced they are creating a new Disney-branded theme park and resort set on Yas Island in Abu Dhabi. While Disney will lend its creative expertise in design and its extensive portfolio of intellectual property, the financial investment and operational responsibilities will fall under Miral. Disney's involvement includes licensing its valuable characters and concepts and providing design services, for which the company will receive royalties and service fees. This strategic move allows Disney to expand its global presence in a burgeoning tourism market without committing significant capital.

This announcement coincided with the release of Disney's second-quarter fiscal year 2025 earnings, which painted a brighter picture than anticipated. The company reported a surprise increase in streaming subscribers, adding 2.5 million across Disney+ and Hulu to reach a total of 180.7 million subscribers. Furthermore, Disney's adjusted earnings per share of $1.45 surpassed analyst estimates. The robust performance of the Experiences division, encompassing Disney's parks and resorts, played a significant role, generating $8.9 billion in revenue, a 6% increase year-over-year. Overall, Disney's revenue grew by 7% to $23.6 billion, prompting an upward revision of the full-year adjusted EPS guidance to $5.75.

Investors that choose to travel to Disney’s new theme park in Abu Dhabi better bring a lot of sunscreen.

🪙 Business

Just when you thought the FTX case was over, a Florida federal judge has rules that celebrities like Tom Brady and Steph Curry are not subject to investor lawsuits related to the now-bankrupt cryptocurrency exchange FTX, because these celebrities had no prior knowledge of FTX's fraudulent activities orchestrated by its CEO, Sam Bankman-Fried.

And with that, it continues to be good to be a celebrity!

🤖 Tech

Wikipedia has announced they are embracing a new AI strategy that will emphasize the use of AI to augment the work of its extensive network of human volunteers rather than replace them. The Wikimedia Foundation, the non-profit behind the online encyclopedia which operates on donations aims to use AI to automate repetitive tasks like content moderation and translation, thereby freeing up editors to focus on more complex tasks such as fact-checking and ensuring neutrality.

Now people can fight with an AI when they are over edits to favorite celebrity’s Wikipedia entry.

🐂 Entertainment

Taylor Sheridan is keeping his “Yellowstone” world spinning with the launch of a new series called "Y: Marshals", which will air on CBS, which is a departure from his home at Paramount+ where the majority of his other series are hosted.

The new "Y: Marshals" is centered on the character Kayce Dutton, portrayed by Luke Grimes,  as a U.S. Marshal, and will have 13 episodes in its first season. Production is scheduled to begin this Summer for a potential midseason 2026 premiere on Sunday nights.

I was thinking the other day about what the world needs more of, and I’m not even mad that I came to the conclusion that we all need more “Yellowstone” spinoffs.

🏡 Real Estate

Rock legend Gene Simmons, who has an estimated net worth of $400 million dollars, is selling his ultramodern Beverly Hills mansion for a cool $14 million dollars. Gene Simmons purchased the home in 2021 for $10.5 million dollars, so he could be sitting on a profit of 3.5 million dollars in only 4 years.

The home is 7,740 square feet, with 4 bedrooms, 5 bathrooms, a 40-foot infinity pool, and even a home theater, but there’s a catch. Gene Simmons has set strict rules for prospective buyers, including a ban on drugs and alcohol, stating he doesn't want anyone "who is going to destroy the place."

One can only assume that means no wild parties, which is rather ironic coming from a member of KISS.

🪦 Sports

Denver Nuggets NBA star Russell Westbrook just co-founded a new AI-enabled startup called Eazewell, with the goal of streamlining the complex and emotionally taxing process of funeral planning.

Eazewell uses artificial intelligence to assist with tasks such as contacting funeral homes, comparing prices, coordinating services, and managing necessary paperwork like death certificates. They also plan to offer payment solutions and handle other logistics.

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irl Media NEWSLETTER is written, edited, and published by Chris Thompson.