1) Over $150B in M&A have been delayed or fizzled out since June, per Bloomberg. Rising interest rates, crypto crashes, and worries over inflation and the economy play a role.
2) A new LendingTree report found that, in the 50 top US metro areas, Black homebuyers face an average mortgage denial rate of 18% compared to 9% overall — and even higher in cities like St. Louis and Boston.
3) The winner of the $1.34B Mega Millions jackpot has yet to claim it. Apparently, this isn’t uncommon, as winners often consult legal and financial professionals first. This winner still has until next July.
4) Researchers found 47.3k+ malicious plugins used across 24.9k WordPress sites, 94% of which are still active. Some people even paid for bad plugins, with $41.5k spent on malware.
5) Christie’s will auction off 150+ paintings from the collection of late Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen. Valued at over $1B, it may be the largest art auction ever — and it’s all going to charity.
