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And that’s “How It’s Done.”Netflix capitalized on its chart-topping “KPop Demon Hunters” over the weekend with a two-day theatrical release of its new sing-along version.Box office analysts spent much of Sunday trying to determine exactly how well the animated feature performed, relying on anonymous executives from rival studios and scraped data from ticket sales sites. Estimates range from $16 million to $20 million for the sing-along’s domestic run.That’s smaller than recent domestic theatrical re-releases like “Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith” and the 15th anniversary screenings of “Coraline” — which generated $25 million and $33 million, respectively — but higher…

The total effective tax rate for the 400 wealthiest Americans was lower than the general population, according to a new study.The study, from UC Berkeley economists Akcan Balkir, Emmanuel Saez, Danny Yagan, and Gabriel Zucman and published by the National Bureau of Economic Research, compared data from the Forbes 400 list with statistics from the Internal Revenue Service on individual, business, estate and gift tax returns 2010-2020. “In our benchmark estimate, the total effective tax rate—all taxes paid relative to economic income—of the top 0.0002% (approximately the “top 400”) averaged 24% in 2018–2020 compared with 30% for the full population and…

An aerial view of a cargo ship being loaded with shipping containers at the Port of Baltimore in Baltimore, Maryland, on August 7, 2025. Jim Watson | Afp | Getty ImagesPostal carriers across Europe are planning to suspend some shipments to the U.S. as the nations prepare for the end of a longstanding trade rule.Certain shipments from Germany, Spain, France, Belgium, Sweden, Denmark, Finland, Norway and Switzerland are due to be paused in the coming days and weeks after President Donald Trump signed an executive order ending the century-old “de minimis” exemption.The trade policy, sometimes referred to as a “loophole,”…

The pitch went like this: Good, safe drinking water has become such a scarce resource that Americans will pay to fill up jugs — 30 or 40 cents to the gallon — at dispensers all across the country.Hundreds of investors bought thousands of units, believing in the vision laid out by Ryan Wear, founder of a startup called WaterStation Management. They plunked down $8,500 for each vending machine and then waited for the dispensers to throw off a steady stream of cash. Among those lured in was a product manager in Oregon in 2021 and then, several months later, a…

Labubu toys packaging are seen at a souvenir store in Krakow, Poland on August 21, 2025. Jakub Porzycki | Nurphoto | Getty ImagesEven Confucius is getting in on China’s “blind box” craze.At the main temple in Beijing to China’s greatest sage, the souvenir shops sell a range of “blind boxes,” gifts packaged in such a way that buyers don’t know exactly what variety of the item they’re purchasing until after they commit.One popular blind box at the store is an ice cream treat with a blessing from Confucius. Worshippers pay $4.50 and, only after unwrapping the dessert, read that they…

Canadian investor Kevin O’Leary revealed on CNBC on Monday that he was one of three buyers to snap up the record-breaking Kobe Bryant and Michael Jordan sports card at auction over the weekend.The card, a signed collectible featuring both NBA legends, sold for nearly $13 million, surpassing the previous record for the most-expensive trading card sold at auction, a 1952 Topps Mickey Mantle #311, which went for $12.6 million in August 2022, according to auction house Heritage, which sold both cards.As of the completion of the Bryant-Jordan sale, the buyers remained anonymous. O’Leary told CNBC he bought the card along…

Snake oil; how to succeed in business; don’t bet on it; and other highlights of recent tax cases.Sicklerville, New Jersey: Chung “Alex” Lam has been sentenced to 40 months in prison for conspiring to defraud the IRS by concealing cash wages paid to employees.In 2018, Lam pleaded guilty to failing to pay over federal payroll taxes; he received an 18-month prison sentence, which he served during parts of 2019 and 2020. Prior to serving that sentence and upon his release from custody, Lam conspired with the owners of various temporary staffing companies to defraud the IRS.The companies provided temporary workers…