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Nicole Einbinder

@nicoleeinbinder

Investigations @ Business Insider neinbinder@insider.com. Send tips on Signal from a non-work device: neinbinder.70

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05.02.2025
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Latest posts by Nicole Einbinder @nicoleeinbinder

Preview
Sam Altman's eye-scanning Orb startup told workers not to care about anything outside work Tools for Humanity CEO Alex Blania said that "if you should care about something else, and if you want something else, you should just not be here."

A former employee said that challenges with company culture and leadership contributed to the departures.

We've written previously about the startup's hardcore culture, including CEO Alex Blania telling staff not to care about anything outside of work: www.businessinsider.com/sam-altman-t...

10.02.2026 19:07 πŸ‘ 0 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0

Scoop for @businessinsider.com: Sam Altman's eye-scanning startup Tools for Humanity is bleeding high-level employees, including two C-suite executives and several senior staff who have departed in recent months.

10.02.2026 19:06 πŸ‘ 0 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 0
Preview
Sam Altman's eye-scanning Orb startup told workers not to care about anything outside work Tools for Humanity CEO Alex Blania said that "if you should care about something else, and if you want something else, you should just not be here."

A former employee said that challenges with company culture and leadership contributed to the departures.

We've written previously about the startup's hardcore culture, including CEO Alex Blania telling staff not to care about anything outside of work: www.businessinsider.com/sam-altman-t...

10.02.2026 19:05 πŸ‘ 0 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0

Do you work at Tools for Humanity or have a tip? I'd love to chat. I can be reached via email at neinbinder@businessinsider.com, or the encrypted messaging app Signal at neinbinder.70.

11.11.2025 20:59 πŸ‘ 1 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0
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Meanwhile, former employees and experts expressed concern about the company's practices abroad. "They started in countries quite often where people really are desperate for money," said Martha Bennett, vice president and principal analyst at the global research and advisory firm Forrester.

11.11.2025 20:59 πŸ‘ 0 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 0

The push for growth comes as the company, Tools for Humanity, faces pushback from global regulators, as well as questions over its business model and underlying purpose.

As one former employee said about Altman, "he is creating the disease but he also wants to create the cure."

11.11.2025 20:59 πŸ‘ 0 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 0
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Sam Altman's eye-scanning Orb startup wants to hit a billion users. It's less than 2% of the way there. Sam Altman's startup, Tools for Humanity, wants its Orb to scan a billion irises to create a "World ID." Regulators worldwide are sounding the alarm.

NEW: Sam Altman's iris-scanning startup has raised hundreds of millions of dollars on a futuristic premise: proving someone is human in the age of AI. Its goals are ambitious β€” a billion users across the world.

So far, it's less than 2% of the way there. www.businessinsider.com/sam-altman-o...

11.11.2025 20:57 πŸ‘ 0 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 0
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A founder said her $200 million newsletter empire had over a million subscribers. Her own records tell a different story. Daniella Pierson is a darling of the business press and made Forbes 30 Under 30. But do her company's subscription numbers add up?

Great story, showing yet again that many of the stars of the "news" business are, in fact, bullshitters. www.businessinsider.com/daniella-pie...

07.08.2025 16:18 πŸ‘ 55 πŸ” 13 πŸ’¬ 3 πŸ“Œ 4
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CNBC's 'The Profit' ended with legal acrimony and an $11 million payout. Its host is now back on TV. CNBC's "The Profit" resulted in a sprawling mess of lawsuits, arbitrations, and confidential settlements. Its host is back on the air with "The Fixer."

Do you have a tip about reality tv, Hollywood, or the networks? I can be reached via email at neinbinder@businessinsider.com, or via the encrypted messaging app Signal at neinbinder.70.

www.businessinsider.com/the-profit-m...

05.08.2025 14:18 πŸ‘ 1 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0

In an interview with BI, Lemonis said he had won "any claim that was ever brought against me.”

Some claims from the show were dismissed, and Lemonis and NBCUniversal secured multimillion judgments in their favor in others. He declined to discuss the settlement agreement.

05.08.2025 14:18 πŸ‘ 0 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 0

Now, Lemonis is back on air with a new show β€” β€œThe Fixer” on Fox, with a similar premise to that of "The Profit."

05.08.2025 14:18 πŸ‘ 0 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 0
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β€œIf the narratives presented in these interviews reflect what actually happened to those whom I interviewed, I can see how they were injured and how and why their symptoms arose,” the psychiatrist wrote.

05.08.2025 14:18 πŸ‘ 0 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 0

In one record we reviewed, prepared by a psychiatrist who interviewed 48 of the owners or their family members, he described how many suffered intense damage to their self-trust and alienation. At least five people said they had been suicidal or engaged in suicidal ideation.

05.08.2025 14:18 πŸ‘ 0 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 0

According to emails among the business owners discussing the settlement, one person said they took the money because they feared that otherwise, "NBC and Lemonis will throw $millions at us and in the end squash us.”

05.08.2025 14:18 πŸ‘ 0 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 0

Of the roughly 100 businesses featured on β€œThe Profit,” more than 50 filed lawsuits, engaged in mediation talks, or settled. We interviewed more than a dozen people involved with the show and reviewed thousands of pages of records, including confidential settlement documents.

05.08.2025 14:18 πŸ‘ 0 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 0
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CNBC's 'The Profit' ended with legal acrimony and an $11 million payout. Its host is now back on TV. CNBC's "The Profit" resulted in a sprawling mess of lawsuits, arbitrations, and confidential settlements. Its host is back on the air with "The Fixer."

NEW with @dakincampbell.bsky.social: we’ve learned that NBCUniversal, CNBC, Comcast, and Marcus Lemonis β€” celebrity host of CNBC’s β€œThe Profit” β€” settled with 40 small businesses that appeared on the show for $11 million, over harm they say they endured.

www.businessinsider.com/the-profit-m...

05.08.2025 14:18 πŸ‘ 2 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 0
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AWARD ENTRIES OPEN UNTIL 7/31

Visit our website for details + interviews with past winners including:

πŸ₯‡Margie Mason @robinmcdowell.bsky.social @apnews.com

πŸ₯ˆ@nicoleeinbinder.bsky.social‬ @dakincampbell.bsky.social @businessinsider.com

πŸ₯‰Sharon Lerner @propublica.org

businessjournalism.org/awards/

15.07.2025 19:33 πŸ‘ 0 πŸ” 1 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0
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The PLRA was meant to end frivolous prisoner lawsuits. It's stymied most legitimate Eighth Amendment cases too. The Clinton-era law created a separate, unequal justice system for prisoners, placing obstacles in their way before civil rights claims can be heard court.

As we reported late last year, the Prison Litigation Reform Act β€” pitched as a common-sense law to curb trivial prisoner lawsuits β€” has instead largely stymied cases claiming serious harm. www.businessinsider.com/plra-frivolo...

23.06.2025 14:24 πŸ‘ 0 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0
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Few prisoners claiming abuses have access to a jury trial. The Supreme Court could soon change that. A Clinton-era law, the PLRA, stymied prisoner lawsuits claiming serious harm. The Supreme Court is set to hear arguments over whether certain prisoners deserve jury trials.

The Supreme Court last week expanded prisoners' access to jury trials, for cases related to the Prison Litigation Reform Act under the Seventh Amendment.

Re-upping the story from @hannahbeckler.bsky.social and I about the stakes of the case: www.businessinsider.com/supreme-cour...

23.06.2025 14:23 πŸ‘ 1 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 0
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The Eighth Amendment is meant to protect against prisoner abuse. Less than 1% of cases succeed. The Eighth Amendment is meant to protect prisoners against abuse. BI has found that Supreme Court decisions and federal laws have obliterated it.

You can check out the series here: www.businessinsider.com/eighth-amend...

23.04.2025 20:40 πŸ‘ 1 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0

I'm honored to be named a a Livingston finalist with @hannahbeckler.bsky.social for our series exposing how the Eighth Amendment has been gutted for this nation's prisoners. These were tough stories to report, and I'm grateful to be recognized alongside such a stellar group of journalists.

23.04.2025 20:40 πŸ‘ 5 πŸ” 1 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 0

If you're a current or former federal worker and want to chat, I can be reached on the encrypted messaging app Signal at neinbinder.70.

31.03.2025 16:54 πŸ‘ 0 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0
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DOGE cuts have arrived at a federal weather agency. Air travel forecasts and hurricane alerts are at risk. As hurricane and tornado seasons ramp up, DOGE cuts have reached the federal agency that tracks extreme weather.

"I don't know if I'd trust getting on a plane."

We spoke to over a dozen current and former employees at @noaa.gov. They expressed concern over less accurate forecasts and aviation issues, among other things, amid steep cuts. www.businessinsider.com/doge-noaa-cu...

31.03.2025 16:54 πŸ‘ 0 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 0

Thank you, Jackie!

20.03.2025 14:46 πŸ‘ 0 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0
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'Thirsty for Elon': Local politicians across America are copying the DOGE playbook Officials in at least 18 states, including Florida and North Carolina, want their own mini DOGEs. The age of GOAT, FLOGE, and BullDOGEr is upon us.

I wrote about little DOGEs everywhere β€” from the GOAT committee in Wisconsin, to FLOGE in Florida.

www.businessinsider.com/state-doge-i...

14.03.2025 19:32 πŸ‘ 0 πŸ” 1 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0
Preview
The Eighth Amendment is meant to protect against prisoner abuse. Less than 1% of cases succeed. The Eighth Amendment is meant to protect prisoners against abuse. BI has found that Supreme Court decisions and federal laws have obliterated it.

You can check out the series here: www.businessinsider.com/eighth-amend...

13.03.2025 17:31 πŸ‘ 0 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0
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ABA names 2025 finalists for Silver Gavel Awards for Media and the Arts CHICAGO, March 12, 2025 β€” The American Bar Association today announced the 24 finalists for the 2025 Silver Gavel Awards for Media and the Arts, which recognize outstanding work that fosters the Ameri...

I'm thrilled to see that our reporting on "The Gutting of the Eighth Amendment" is a finalist for @americanbar.org's Silver Gavel Award.

This kind of reporting is difficult, and it means a lot to see the work recognized β€” especially among such impressive company. www.americanbar.org/news/abanews...

13.03.2025 17:30 πŸ‘ 0 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 1

"Recent reports from Business Insider show that many prisoners have been denied their basic legal rights," @schakowsky.house.gov told us. "Any abuse that happens inside our prisons must be allowed to reach the light of day."

24.02.2025 16:51 πŸ‘ 0 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0
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Few prisoners claiming abuses have access to a jury trial. The Supreme Court could soon change that. A Clinton-era law, the PLRA, stymied prisoner lawsuits claiming serious harm. The Supreme Court is set to hear arguments over whether certain prisoners deserve jury trials.

The Supreme Court is set to hear a case tomorrow, related to the 1996 Prison Litigation Reform Act, that could expand prisoners' access to jury trials.

@hannahbeckler.bsky.social and I wrote about the case here: www.businessinsider.com/supreme-cour...

24.02.2025 16:49 πŸ‘ 2 πŸ” 1 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 0
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We got a DOGE staff list. From a McKinsey alum to a former Clarence Thomas clerk, here are the workers powering Elon Musk's cost-cutting squad. A list showing White House DOGE staffers reveals around 30 young tech, finance and legal professionals remaking federal government.

We got a list of workers at the White House’s DOGE office, including some new names previously unreported. Among them, a McKinsey alum and a lawyer who clerked for Clarence Thomas www.businessinsider.com/doge-staff-l...

11.02.2025 12:23 πŸ‘ 2 πŸ” 2 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0