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Former Allergan exec heads to Revance as it challenges Botox; Mark Pruzanski surrounds himself with more teammates

David Hollander
→ Revance feels like it has a competitive advantage over AbbVie’s blockbuster Botox with only biannual injections of its freshly approved…

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David Hollander

Revance feels like it has a competitive advantage over AbbVie’s blockbuster Botox with only biannual injections of its freshly approved Daxxify, as opposed to the injections every three or four months that Botox requires. But you come at the king, you best not miss, and to bolster the executive team, Revance has now tapped David Hollander as CMO. Hollander was previously the chief R&D officer at Aerie Pharmaceuticals, which was sold to Alcon a couple months ago in a $770 million deal, and he has familiarity with the Botox developer through his 10 years at Allergan. From 2011-16, he was Allergan’s VP, global therapeutic area head in clinical development for anterior segment and consumer eye care.

Kenneth Attie

→ Now under the leadership of ex-Intercept CEO Mark Pruzanski and part of this year’s Endpoints 11 class, obesity startup Versanis Bio has welcomed Kenneth Attie as CMO and Aditya Venugopal as SVP, corporate development and strategic planning. Attie was one of the staffers left out in the cold at Imara as it whittled down to a six-person company in April but turned around its fortunes by reverse merging with Enliven Therapeutics last week. Before he was Imara’s medical chief, Attie spent 11 years at Acceleron as VP, medical research. In a mini-reunion, Venugopal worked for Pruzanski at Intercept as head of strategic planning, and since 2020 he had been VP of business development for Luca Santarelli at VectivBio.

Marco Taglietti

→ Wholesale changes are being made at Scynexis, and not just with a slimmed-down pipeline as it shops around for a commercialization partner with Brexafemme. CEO Marco Taglietti will retire on Dec. 31, setting up CMO David Angulo to replace him as we ring in 2023. Ex-Eisai and Athersys finance chief Ivor Macleod’s first day as CFO will be Oct. 24, while chief commercial officer Christine Coyne’s job has been phased out. Scynexis will also be making more cuts to a staff that stood at 56 employees as of March 1, but the exact number wasn’t revealed. Kyle LaHucik has more on a company in flux.

Lyn Baranowski

Lyn Baranowski has taken over for Bruce Montgomery as CEO of Seattle-based pulmonary disease outfit Avalyn Pharma, once known as Genoa Pharmaceuticals. Since 2018, Baranowski knows the pulmonary space well from her four years as operations chief at Altavant, and from 2013-18, the Novartis alum was SVP of corporate development & strategy with Melinta Therapeutics. Avalyn’s lead program is an inhaled version of pirfenidone named AP01 for idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis.

→ The CEO situation has taken a turn at Maravai LifeSciences, where former Danaher SVP Trey Martin had succeeded Carl Hull earlier this month — or so we thought. Three Danaher subsidiaries have a bone to pick with the appointment, suing Martin and Maravai, and “alleging that Martin is in breach of a noncompetition agreement.” With a temporary restraining order in place, Hull didn’t hide his displeasure as he retakes his old position. “We have complete confidence in Trey and are appalled that Danaher would seek to leverage a noncompetition agreement to prevent Trey from advancing his career,” Hull said in a statement.

John Applegate

Alice Zhang’s AI drug discovery shop Verge Genomics has installed 14-year Biogen vet John Applegate as CFO. Formerly the VP of finance & accounting with Valo Health, Applegate closed out his Biogen career in 2019 as head of R&D finance. Zhang just contributed to Ochre Bio’s $30 million Series A, while Verge’s latest round of funding totaled $98 million in December 2021. In another Biogen connection, ex-R&D chief and current Voyager CEO Al Sandrock joined the board of directors at Verge in February.

Zentalis Pharmaceuticals has been relentless with its leadership moves since the Kim Blackwell era began in May with a $200 million cash infusion, promoting co-founders Cam Gallagher and Kevin Bunker while picking up a CMO and general counsel in that span. This week Zentalis returns to Peer Review with Mark Lackner as chief translational officer, head of biomarker strategy. Before he was head of biology and translational sciences for Ideaya Biosciences, Lackner led the oncology early-stage biomarker group as part of his 13 years at Genentech.

Joseph Elassal

→ Co-founded and chaired by Tillman Gerngross, oncology outfit Ankyra Therapeutics has recruited Joseph Elassal as CMO. Elassal has two stints at Regeneron on his résumé: one from 2012-18, and the other as senior medical director, global medical affairs, oncology since 2020. In between, he was a deputy VP at PhRMA and a senior medical director for Replimune. Ankyra bagged a $45 million Series B in November 2021 with the help of Polaris, GV and a number of other investors.

→ Another Gerngross company, Invivyd, came out swinging when it was known as Adagio, with big aspirations for its Covid-19 monoclonal antibody along with bigger bucks. But the drug struck out against Omicron, and Gerngross was gone as CEO within a couple months. The name changed to Invivyd a few weeks ago, but the unease remains the same, as CFO/CBO Jane Henderson and chief commercial officer Eric Kimble have packed their bags. Fred Driscoll, a CFO with Renovacor, Flexion Therapeutics and Novavax, will bridge the gap as interim finance chief as Invivyd also says goodbye to an unspecified number of staffers.

Sandra Rojas-Caro

→ Pittsburgh’s NeuBase Therapeutics has also been beset by layoffs, dismissing 60% of its employees this week while pivoting to gene editing. Sandra Rojas-Caro, NeuBase’s CMO since May 2021 who also began another role as head of R&D this past April, handed in her resignation.

→ As George Church’s Colossal Biosciences continues its quest to bring back the woolly mammoth, its computational biology spinout Form Bio has locked in Mark Swendsen as chief revenue officer. Swendsen held the same position at DNAnexus before coming to Form Bio, which christened the boat with a $30 million Series A round in late September.

Caroline Köhrer

Flagship’s Alltrna has dipped into the talent pool of the incubator’s most famous creation to find its VP, discovery platform. Caroline Köhrer comes to the tRNA player after more than two years as Moderna’s director of RNA science — a key cog in the development of its Covid-19 vaccine — and five years overall. Alltrna chief Michelle Werner was part of Flagship’s rapid-fire CEO-partner appointments in April that included Margo Georgiadis and former AbbVie president Michael Severino.

Lori Rudolph-Owen

→ While we have Flagship companies on our mind, Senda Biosciences has pulled in two new execs with the appointments of Lori Rudolph-Owen as COO and Barbara Bispham as general counsel. Rudolph-Owen hails from Goldfinch Bio, where she most recently served as chief development officer. Prior to that, Rudolph-Owen held a number of roles at Pfizer, AMAG Pharmaceuticals, MGI Pharma, Vertex and Millennium Pharmaceuticals. Bispham joins Senda from BridgeBio, where she was VP, head of legal. Prior to that, Bispham was with Goodwin Procter, Cooley and Reed Smith.

→ Not to be confused with the great basketball Hall of Famer Bob Pettit, Robert Petit has become the head of early clinical development at Orionis Biosciences, a cancer biotech that racked up $55 million in financing this week. Petit chairs the scientific advisory board and is the ex-CSO of Advaxis, which happened to make news the same day as Orionis’ raise by merging with Ayala Pharmaceuticals. One more thing about Orionis: Cormorant Asset Management founder and chief executive Bihua Chen is now a member of the board.

Nigel Horscroft

Nigel Horscroft has settled in as CSO of German antiviral biotech Atriva Therapeutics, replacing current scientific advisory board chairman Oliver Planz. Horscroft brings Big Pharma credentials with him from Pfizer, and during his time at CureVac from 2012-20, he was promoted to area head, molecular therapy. Atriva has also picked up two other clinical execs this year: Stephan Witte (VP, clinical science and operations) in January and Tim Overend (VP, clinical development and regulatory) in July.

→ Staying in Germany, Boehringer Ingelheim and GSK alum Thomas Bogenrieder has joined adenovirus-based cancer biotech Abalos Therapeutics as CMO. Bogenrieder had held the role of chief clinical officer at Swiss-based AMAL Therapeutics since July 2020 and is the ex-medical chief of Evaxion Biotech. A year ago around this time, Abalos topped off its Series A with $37.6 million in additional funding.

Irene Knuesel

→ In September 2021, we told you about Roche vet Anja Harmeier taking the CEO job at Belgian remyelination biotech Rewind Therapeutics. Fast forward to this week, where Rewind has selected Irene Knuesel as CSO. Knuesel has Roche ties herself, closing out her six-year tenure in 2019 as the pharma giant’s head of the neuroimmunology and neurodegeneration section. Incidentally, Roche is under the microscope again in the Alzheimer’s space as we await data for its resuscitated drug gantenerumab.

Leah Neufeld

→ Targeting solid tumors, Immuneeringone of many biotechs that took the Nasdaq plunge at the zenith of IPOs in 2021 — has brought in Leah Neufeld as chief people officer. Neufeld has worked in human resources for companies of all sizes, with J&J, Daiichi Sankyo and Prevail packing her résumé. The one-time head of HR at Intercept was recently the chief human resources officer for Jiangsu Hengrui subsidiary Luzsana Biotechnology.

Ashvattha Therapeutics, a hydroxyl dendrimer (HD) biotech based in the Bay Area, has pegged Steve Maricich as CMO. Maricich recently held the CMO post at ScrippsCalibr, and he’s been the medical chief at Allievex, the developer of a drug for Sanfilippo syndrome type B that was once in BioMarin’s hands.

Jessica Atkinson

Jessica Atkinson has been appointed CBO of ImmuneID, a biotech out of Stephen Elledge’s lab at Harvard that’s zeroing in on antibodies with its AI platform, called aiSPIRE. Atkinson rose to VP, business development at Foundation Medicine in 2019 after Roche’s $2.4 billion takeover, and she just had a brief run as SVP, business development of Glympse Bio.

→ Plainly-named IO Biotech, a Nasdaq newcomer in 2021 that’s going after IDO and PD-L1 with its cancer drugs IO102 and IO103, has enlisted Amy Sullivan as CFO. Sullivan had a seat at the negotiating table as chief strategy officer of Kiadis when it was purchased by Sanofi for $358 million. The ex-SVP of corporate affairs at Keryx Biopharmaceuticals was also VP, investor relations and corporate communications with AMAG Pharmaceuticals.

Marc Dechamps

→ Belgian biotech Bioxodes is changing up the top exec seat with the appointment of Marc Dechamps as CEO. Dechamps takes over the reins from company founder Edmond Godfroid, who is transitioning into the roles of COO and CSO. Dechamps brings with him experience from his times at GSK and ViiV Healthcare to the new role.

→ San Diego RNA editing biotech ADARx Pharmaceuticals is a busy bee in Peer Review too, naming Feriandas Greblikas as VP of clinical development after hiring CFO Chris Prentiss and CMC VP Christopher Claeboe this year. A veteran of Novo Nordisk, Biogen and Baxter, Greblikas comes to ADARx from Travere Therapeutics, where he was a senior medical director and clinical development lead. And in a previous gig, he worked for JJ Bienaimé as BioMarin’s medical director of phenylketonuria clinical trials.

Paul Smith

→ Coming up on a year since its $60 million Series A, STAT3- and STAT6-focused Recludix Pharma is back in Peer Review with Paul Smith as SVP of biology. Smith, the ex-global research lead for Gilenya with Novartis, has also been senior director of inflammation and autoimmunity at Incyte. He held the role of VP, discovery biology at Connect Biopharma before pivoting to Recludix, a company out of San Diego that introduced CBO Matthew Caldemeyer in late September.

Heinrich Farin

→ Transpacific oncology biotech AnHeart Therapeutics, which secured a $61 million Series B round last year, has welcomed aboard Heinrich Farin as senior medical director, clinical research and Michael Humphries as VP, head of US medical affairs. Farin hails from Mirati, where he served as senior medical director and has a prior stint as global senior medical director, clinical research and development at BeiGene. Earlier in his career, Farin had roles at Ariad Pharmaceuticals and Baxalta. Meanwhile, Humphries brings expertise from his time at Takeda Oncology, where he served as senior scientific director of global medical affairs. Prior to Takeda, Humphries had gigs at Bayer Healthcare Pharmaceuticals and Array Biopharma.

→ Swiss LILRB (leukocyte immunoglobulin-like receptor subfamily B) biotech ImmunOs Therapeutics has pegged Hilmar Ebersbach as VP, antibody development and protein engineering. Ebersbach had spent the last 15 years in biotherapeutic engineering and gene therapy at the Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research.

Daniel Ripley

→ Believe it or not, Daniel Ripley has ventured off to HighTide Therapeutics as SVP, business development. Ripley is an Ionis BD vet who led global business development for the last two years at Alpha Biopharma, and as the brave souls of HighTide give NASH a whirl with its lead program HTD1801, he also has experience in the space as SVP of business development, program and alliance management at Conatus Pharmaceuticals, a Novartis partner plagued by NASH failures that merged with Histogen in 2020.

GSK India has named Bhushan Akshikar as managing director, succeeding Sridhar Venkatesh, who is transitioning to a senior role within the GSK Group. Akshikar joined GSK India in September 2011. Prior to GSK, Akshikar had a 15-year stint at J&J’s Janssen.

Brian Pereira

→ Ex-AMAG Pharmaceuticals CEO Brian Pereira has been named chairman at KalVista following the resignation of Martin Edwards and a resounding trial failure. Earlier this month, KalVista had to stop a Phase II trial of its hereditary angioedema drug KVD824 after issues with liver enzymes were detected throughout all three treatment groups. Pereira has been president and CEO of Otsuka sub Visterra since 2013.

→ Proteomics biotech SomaLogic, which reverse-merged onto Nasdaq with Eli Casdin’s SPAC with a $1.2 billion valuation last April, has tapped Troy Cox as executive chair of the board of directors, taking over from Chuck Lillis, who will remain on the board. Cox formerly served as president and CEO of Foundation Medicine and was SVP and officer at Genentech and held roles at UCB, Sanofi-Aventis and Schering-Plough.

Gaurav Shah

Rocket Pharmaceuticals chief Gaurav Shah is now chairman of the board at Swiss gene therapy developer Anjarium Biosciences, which unveiled a $61 million launch round in September 2021 thanks to such big-name investors as Pfizer and Abingworth. And after joining the board at Oncorus in June, ex-Dicerna CEO Doug Fambrough also has a place in Anjarium’s boardroom.

→ Cell processing shop Curate Biosciences has reserved space for Shah’s chief technical officer at Rocket, Mayo Pujols, on the board of directors. Pujols was in charge of global manufacturing for liso-cel (now Breyanzi) as Celgene’s VP of global CAR-T operations and technology.

Jeanne Bolger

→ Belgian infectious disease biotech ExeVir has appointed Jeanne Bolger to chair the board of directors. After 13 years at GSK, Bolger switched to another pharma giant as VP of scientific licensing at J&J, later becoming the VP of venture investing at Johnson & Johnson Innovation (JJDC).

Theseus Pharmaceuticals — a TKI player from OrbiMed whose stock $THRX recently hit its nadir practically a year to the day that it joined Nasdaq in a none-too-shocking development in this market — has added Incyte CMO Steven Stein to the board of directors. Stein is a former clinical development exec with GSK and Novartis Oncology.

Anil Kapur

Geron’s EVP, corporate strategy and chief commercial officer Anil Kapur is making his way to the board of directors at Verastem Oncology. Kapur is the former head of early assets, biomarkers and external innovation for worldwide oncology commercialization for Bristol Myers Squibb and the ex-CCO at Actinium.

→ China-based Hangzhou Qihan Biotech has brought on Tony Ho to its board of directors. Ho joins after a four-year stint at CRISPR Therapeutics, where he most recently served as EVP and head of research & development. Ho’s prior experience includes roles as SVP and head of oncology integration and innovation at AstraZeneca, head of neurology and ophthalmology at Merck and co-founder and CSO at Neuronyx.

Nanna Lüneborg

→ Following a recent Series C financing round, Inversago Pharma has reeled in Ed Mathers and Nanna Lüneborg to its board of directors. Mathers is a general partner at New Enterprise Associates and has previously served as EVP, corporate development and venture at MedImmune. Mathers currently serves as a director to a host of companies, including Rhythm Pharmaceuticals, Synlogic, Senti Bio, Inozyme, Akouos and Affinia. Meanwhile, Lüneborg is a general partner at Forbion and formerly served a decade-long stint as a partner at Novo Ventures.

→ The Illinois Biotechnology Innovation Organization (iBIO) has added three new faces to its board of directors with the appointments of: Rahul Jerath (senior director, head of oncology business development & acquisitions at AbbVie), Phil Tennant (SVP and head of oncology business unit at Astellas), and Joe Whalen (SVP, alliances & international business development at Horizon Therapeutics).

Illustration: Kim Ryu for Endpoints News

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Shakira’s net worth

After 12 albums, a tax evasion case, and now a towering bronze idol sculpted in her image, how much is Shakira worth more than 4 decades into her care…

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Shakira’s considerable net worth is no surprise, given her massive popularity in Latin America, the U.S., and elsewhere. 

In fact, the belly-dancing contralto queen is the second-wealthiest Latin-America-born pop singer of all time after Gloria Estefan. (Interestingly, Estefan actually helped a young Shakira translate her breakout album “Laundry Service” into English, hugely propelling her stateside success.)

Since releasing her first record at age 13, Shakira has spent decades recording albums in both Spanish and English and performing all over the world. Over the course of her 40+ year career, she helped thrust Latin pop music into the American mainstream, paving the way for the subsequent success of massively popular modern acts like Karol G and Bad Bunny.

In late 2023, a 21-foot-tall bronze sculpture of Shakira, the barefoot belly dancer of Barranquilla, was unveiled at the city's waterfront. The statue was commissioned by the city's former mayor and other leadership.

Photo by STR/AFP via Getty Images

In December 2023, a 21-foot-tall beachside bronze statue of the “Hips Don’t Lie” singer was unveiled in her Colombian hometown of Barranquilla, making her a permanent fixture in the city’s skyline and cementing her legacy as one of Latin America’s most influential entertainers.

After 12 albums, a plethora of film and television appearances, a highly publicized tax evasion case, and now a towering bronze idol sculpted in her image, how much is Shakira worth? What does her income look like? And how does she spend her money?

Related: Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson's net worth: How the new TKO Board Member built his wealth from $7

How much is Shakira worth?

In late 2023, Spanish sports and lifestyle publication Marca reported Shakira’s net worth at $400 million, citing Forbes as the figure’s source (although Forbes’ profile page for Shakira does not list a net worth — and didn’t when that article was published).

Most other sources list the singer’s wealth at an estimated $300 million, and almost all of these point to Celebrity Net Worth — a popular but dubious celebrity wealth estimation site — as the source for the figure.

A $300 million net worth would make Shakira the third-richest Latina pop star after Gloria Estefan ($500 million) and Jennifer Lopez ($400 million), and the second-richest Latin-America-born pop singer after Estefan (JLo is Puerto Rican but was born in New York).

Shakira’s income: How much does she make annually?

Entertainers like Shakira don’t have predictable paychecks like ordinary salaried professionals. Instead, annual take-home earnings vary quite a bit depending on each year’s album sales, royalties, film and television appearances, streaming revenue, and other sources of income. As one might expect, Shakira’s earnings have fluctuated quite a bit over the years.

From June 2018 to June 2019, for instance, Shakira was the 10th highest-earning female musician, grossing $35 million, according to Forbes. This wasn’t her first time gracing the top 10, though — back in 2012, she also landed the #10 spot, bringing in $20 million, according to Billboard.

In 2023, Billboard listed Shakira as the 16th-highest-grossing Latin artist of all time.

Shakira performed alongside producer Bizarrap during the 2023 Latin Grammy Awards Gala in Seville.

Photo By Maria Jose Lopez/Europa Press via Getty Images

How much does Shakira make from her concerts and tours?

A large part of Shakira’s wealth comes from her world tours, during which she sometimes sells out massive stadiums and arenas full of passionate fans eager to see her dance and sing live.

According to a 2020 report by Pollstar, she sold over 2.7 million tickets across 190 shows that grossed over $189 million between 2000 and 2020. This landed her the 19th spot on a list of female musicians ranked by touring revenue during that period. In 2023, Billboard reported a more modest touring revenue figure of $108.1 million across 120 shows.

In 2003, Shakira reportedly generated over $4 million from a single show on Valentine’s Day at Foro Sol in Mexico City. 15 years later, in 2018, Shakira grossed around $76.5 million from her El Dorado World Tour, according to Touring Data.

Related: RuPaul's net worth: Everything to know about the cultural icon and force behind 'Drag Race'

How much has Shakira made from her album sales?

According to a 2023 profile in Variety, Shakira has sold over 100 million records throughout her career. “Laundry Service,” the pop icon’s fifth studio album, was her most successful, selling over 13 million copies worldwide, according to TheRichest.

Exactly how much money Shakira has taken home from her album sales is unclear, but in 2008, it was widely reported that she signed a 10-year contract with LiveNation to the tune of between $70 and $100 million to release her subsequent albums and manage her tours.

Shakira and JLo co-headlined the 2020 Super Bowl Halftime Show in Florida.

Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images)

How much did Shakira make from her Super Bowl and World Cup performances?

Shakira co-wrote one of her biggest hits, “Waka Waka (This Time for Africa),” after FIFA selected her to create the official anthem for the 2010 World Cup in South Africa. She performed the song, along with several of her existing fan-favorite tracks, during the event’s opening ceremonies. TheThings reported in 2023 that the song generated $1.4 million in revenue, citing Popnable for the figure.

A decade later, 2020’s Superbowl halftime show featured Shakira and Jennifer Lopez as co-headliners with guest performances by Bad Bunny and J Balvin. The 14-minute performance was widely praised as a high-energy celebration of Latin music and dance, but as is typical for Super Bowl shows, neither Shakira nor JLo was compensated beyond expenses and production costs.

The exposure value that comes with performing in the Super Bowl Halftime Show, though, is significant. It is typically the most-watched television event in the U.S. each year, and in 2020, a 30-second Super Bowl ad spot cost between $5 and $6 million.

How much did Shakira make as a coach on “The Voice?”

Shakira served as a team coach on the popular singing competition program “The Voice” during the show’s fourth and sixth seasons. On the show, celebrity musicians coach up-and-coming amateurs in a team-based competition that eventually results in a single winner. In 2012, The Hollywood Reporter wrote that Shakira’s salary as a coach on “The Voice” was $12 million.

Related: John Cena's net worth: The wrestler-turned-actor's investments, businesses, and more

How does Shakira spend her money?

Shakira doesn’t just make a lot of money — she spends it, too. Like many wealthy entertainers, she’s purchased her share of luxuries, but Barranquilla’s barefoot belly dancer is also a prolific philanthropist, having donated tens of millions to charitable causes throughout her career.

Private island

Back in 2006, she teamed up with Roger Waters of Pink Floyd fame and Spanish singer Alejandro Sanz to purchase Bonds Cay, a 550-acre island in the Bahamas, which was listed for $16 million at the time.

Along with her two partners in the purchase, Shakira planned to develop the island to feature housing, hotels, and an artists’ retreat designed to host a revolving cast of artists-in-residence. This plan didn’t come to fruition, though, and as of this article’s last update, the island was once again for sale on Vladi Private Islands.

Real estate and vehicles

Like most wealthy celebs, Shakira’s portfolio of high-end playthings also features an array of luxury properties and vehicles, including a home in Barcelona, a villa in Cyprus, a Miami mansion, and a rotating cast of Mercedes-Benz vehicles.

Philanthropy and charity

Shakira doesn’t just spend her massive wealth on herself; the “Queen of Latin Music” is also a dedicated philanthropist and regularly donates portions of her earnings to the Fundación Pies Descalzos, or “Barefoot Foundation,” a charity she founded in 1997 to “improve the education and social development of children in Colombia, which has suffered decades of conflict.” The foundation focuses on providing meals for children and building and improving educational infrastructure in Shakira’s hometown of Barranquilla as well as four other Colombian communities.

In addition to her efforts with the Fundación Pies Descalzos, Shakira has made a number of other notable donations over the years. In 2007, she diverted a whopping $40 million of her wealth to help rebuild community infrastructure in Peru and Nicaragua in the wake of a devastating 8.0 magnitude earthquake. Later, during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, Shakira donated a large supply of N95 masks for healthcare workers and ventilators for hospital patients to her hometown of Barranquilla.

Back in 2010, the UN honored Shakira with a medal to recognize her dedication to social justice, at which time the Director General of the International Labour Organization described her as a “true ambassador for children and young people.”

On November 20, 2023 (which was supposed to be her first day of trial), Shakira reached a deal with the prosecution that resulted in a three-year suspended sentence and around $8 million in fines.

Photo by Adria Puig/Anadolu via Getty Images

Shakira’s tax fraud scandal: How much did she pay?

In 2018, prosecutors in Spain initiated a tax evasion case against Shakira, alleging she lived primarily in Spain from 2012 to 2014 and therefore failed to pay around $14.4 million in taxes to the Spanish government. Spanish law requires anyone who is “domiciled” (i.e., living primarily) in Spain for more than half of the year to pay income taxes.

During the period in question, Shakira listed the Bahamas as her primary residence but did spend some time in Spain, as she was dating Gerard Piqué, a professional footballer and Spanish citizen. The couple’s first son, Milan, was also born in Barcelona during this period. 

Shakira maintained that she spent far fewer than 183 days per year in Spain during each of the years in question. In an interview with Elle Magazine, the pop star opined that “Spanish tax authorities saw that I was dating a Spanish citizen and started to salivate. It's clear they wanted to go after that money no matter what."

Prosecutors in the case sought a fine of almost $26 million and a possible eight-year prison stint, but in November of 2023, Shakira took a deal to close the case, accepting a fine of around $8 million and a three-year suspended sentence to avoid going to trial. In reference to her decision to take the deal, Shakira stated, "While I was determined to defend my innocence in a trial that my lawyers were confident would have ruled in my favour [had the trial proceeded], I have made the decision to finally resolve this matter with the best interest of my kids at heart who do not want to see their mom sacrifice her personal well-being in this fight."

How much did the Shakira statue in Barranquilla cost?

In late 2023, a 21-foot-tall bronze likeness of Shakira was unveiled on a waterfront promenade in Barranquilla. The city’s then-mayor, Jaime Pumarejo, commissioned Colombian sculptor Yino Márquez to create the statue of the city’s treasured pop icon, along with a sculpture of the city’s coat of arms.

According to the New York Times, the two sculptures cost the city the equivalent of around $180,000. A plaque at the statue’s base reads, “A heart that composes, hips that don’t lie, an unmatched talent, a voice that moves the masses and bare feet that march for the good of children and humanity.” 

Related: Taylor Swift net worth: The most successful entertainer joins the billionaire's club

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Delta Air Lines adds a new route travelers have been asking for

The new Delta seasonal flight to the popular destination will run daily on a Boeing 767-300.

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Those who have tried to book a flight from North America to Europe in the summer of 2023 know just how high travel demand to the continent has spiked.

At 2.93 billion, visitors to the countries making up the European Union had finally reached pre-pandemic levels last year while North Americans in particular were booking trips to both large metropolises such as Paris and Milan as well as smaller cities growing increasingly popular among tourists.

Related: A popular European city is introducing the highest 'tourist tax' yet

As a result, U.S.-based airlines have been re-evaluating their networks to add more direct routes to smaller European destinations that most travelers would have previously needed to reach by train or transfer flight with a local airline.

The new flight will take place on a Boeing 767-300.

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Delta Air Lines: ‘Glad to offer customers increased choice…’

By the end of March, Delta Air Lines  (DAL)  will be restarting its route between New York’s JFK and Marco Polo International Airport in Venice as well as launching two new flights to Venice from Atlanta. One will start running this month while the other will be added during peak demand in the summer.

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“As one of the most beautiful cities in the world, Venice is hugely popular with U.S. travelers, and our flights bring valuable tourism and trade opportunities to the city and the region as well as unrivalled opportunities for Venetians looking to explore destinations across the Americas,” Delta’s SVP for Europe Matteo Curcio said in a statement. “We’re glad to offer customers increased choice this summer with flights from New York and additional service from Atlanta.”

The JFK-Venice flight will run on a Boeing 767-300  (BA)  and have 216 seats including higher classes such as Delta One, Delta Premium Select and Delta Comfort Plus.

Delta offers these features on the new flight

Both the New York and Atlanta flights are seasonal routes that will be pulled out of service in October. Both will run daily while the first route will depart New York at 8:55 p.m. and arrive in Venice at 10:15 a.m. local time on the way there, while leaving Venice at 12:15 p.m. to arrive at JFK at 5:05 p.m. on the way back.

According to Delta, this will bring its service to 17 flights from different U.S. cities to Venice during the peak summer period. As with most Delta flights at this point, passengers in all fare classes will have access to free Wi-Fi during the flight.

Those flying in Delta’s highest class or with access through airline status or a credit card will also be able to use the new Delta lounge that is part of the airline’s $12 billion terminal renovation and is slated to open to travelers in the coming months. The space will take up more than 40,000 square feet and have an outdoor terrace.

“Delta One customers can stretch out in a lie-flat seat and enjoy premium amenities like plush bedding made from recycled plastic bottles, more beverage options, and a seasonal chef-curated four-course meal,” Delta said of the new route. “[…] All customers can enjoy a wide selection of in-flight entertainment options and stay connected with Wi-Fi and enjoy free mobile messaging.”

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Stock Market Today: Stocks turn lower as factory inflation spikes, retail sales miss target

Stocks will navigate the last major data releases prior to next week’s Fed rate meeting in Washington.

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Check back for updates throughout the trading day

U.S. stocks edged lower Thursday following a trio of key economic releases that have added to the current inflation puzzle as investors shift focus to the Federal Reserve's March policy meeting next week in Washington.

Updated at 9:59 AM EDT

Red start

Stocks are now falling sharply following the PPI inflation data and retail sales miss, with the S&P 500 marked 18 points lower, or 0.36%, in the opening half hour of trading.

The Dow, meanwhile, was marked 92 points lower while the Nasdaq slipped 67 points.

Treasury yields are also on the move, with 2-year notes rising 5 basis points on the session to 4.679% and 10-year notes pegged 7 basis points higher at 4.271%.

Updated at 9:44 AM EDT

Under Water

Under Armour  (UAA)  shares slumped firmly lower in early trading following the sportswear group's decision to bring back founder Kevin Plank as CEO, replacing the outgoing Stephanie Linnartz.

Plank, who founded Under Armour in 1996, left the group in May of 2021 just weeks before the group revealed that it was co-operating with investigations from both the Securities and Exchange Commission and the U.S. Department of Justice into the company's revenue recognition accounting.

Under Armour shares were marked 10.6% lower in early trading to change hands at $7.21 each.

Source: Under Armour Investor Relations

Updated at 9:22 AM EDT

Steely resolve

U.S. Steel  (X)  shares extended their two-day decline Thursday, falling 5.75% in pre-market trading following multiple reports that suggest President Joe Biden will push to prevent Japan's Nippon Steel from buying the Pittsburgh-based group.

Both Reuters and the Associated Press have said Biden will express his views to Prime Minister Kishida Yuko ahead of a planned State Visit next month at the White House. 

Related: US Steel soars on $15 billion Nippon Steel takeover; United Steelworkers slams deal

Updated at 8:52 AM EDT

Clear as mud

Retail sales rebounded last month, but the overall tally of $700.7 billion missed Street forecasts and suggests the recent uptick in inflation could be holding back discretionary spending.

A separate reading of factory inflation, meanwhile, showed prices spiking by 1.6%, on the year, and 0.6% on the month, amid a jump in goods prices.

U.S. stocks held earlier gains following the data release, with futures tied to the S&P 500 indicating an opening bell gain of 10 points, while the Dow was called 140 points higher. The Nasdaq, meanwhile, is looking at a more modest 40 point gain.

Benchmark 10-year Treasury note yields edged 3 basis points lower to 4.213% while two-year notes were little-changed at 4.626%.

Stock Market Today

Stocks finished lower last night, with the S&P 500 ending modestly in the red and the Nasdaq falling around 0.5%. The declines came amid an uptick in Treasury yields tied to concern that inflation pressures have failed to ease over the opening months of the year.

A better-than-expected auction of $22 billion in 30-year bonds, drawing the strongest overall demand since last June, steadied the overall market, but stocks still slipped into the close with an eye towards today's dataset.

The Commerce Department will publish its February reading of factory-gate inflation at 8:30 am Eastern Time. Analysts are expecting a slowdown in the key core reading, which feeds into the Fed's favored PCE price index.

Retail sales figures for the month are also set for an 8:30 am release as investors search for clues on consumer strength, tied to a resilient job market. Those factors could give the Fed more justification to wait until the summer months to begin the first of its three projected rate cuts.

"The case for a gradual but sustained slowdown in growth in consumers’ spending from 2023’s robust pace is persuasive," said Ian Shepherdson of Pantheon Macroeconomics. 

"Most households have run down the excess savings accumulated during the pandemic, while the cost of credit has jumped and last year’s plunge in home sales has depressed demand housing-related retail items like furniture and appliances," he added.

Benchmark 10-year Treasury yields are holding steady at 4.196% heading into the start of the New York trading session, while 2-year notes were pegged at 4.628%.

With Fed officials in a quiet period, requiring no public comments ahead of next week's meeting in Washington, the U.S. dollar index is trading in a narrow range against its global peers and was last marked 0.06% higher at 102.852.

On Wall Street, futures tied to the S&P 500 are indicating an opening bell gain of around 19 points, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average indicating a 140-point advance.

The tech-focused Nasdaq, which is up 7.77% for the year, is priced for a gain of around 95 points, with Tesla  (TSLA)  once again sliding into the red after ending the Wednesday session at a 10-month low.

In Europe, the regionwide Stoxx 600 was marked 0.35% higher in early Frankfurt trading, while Britain's FTSE 100 slipped 0.09% in London.

Overnight in Asia, the Nikkei 225 gained 0.29% as investors looked to a key series of wage negotiation figures from key unions that are likely to see the biggest year-on-year pay increases in three decades.

The broader MSCI ex-Japan benchmark, meanwhile, rose 0.18% into the close of trading. 

Related: Veteran fund manager picks favorite stocks for 2024

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