The woes of the American health system have reached one of its former leaders after he received a high medical bill following a visit to the emergency room. According to Fortune, Dr. Jerome Adams, the former 20th U.S. surgeon general and Purdue University’s health equity initiatives director, took to social media platform X (formerly known as Twitter) to share the details of his medical trip to an out-of-town ER facility in Scottsdale, AZ, due to dehydration. The trip resulted in a hefty post-insurance bill. “Yes, folks. THIS is America. Land of the free, and home of the medical bankruptcy,” Dr. Adams told the outlet about the posted photo of the bill. The medical invoice ultimately totaled $4,896.43 after he underwent a few lab tests and three intravenous (IV) bags during his visit, though it’s unknown what was being administered to him in the IV. What’s more, he mentioned that he opted for monthly payments to tackle the large bill, but Dr. Adams knows this is not always an option...
Mar 14, 2024
The company you keep can make or break you, and artist Fat Joe found this out the hard way. According to Forbes, Fat Joe shared that he once lost out on $2 million because of the large entourage he rolled with during an earlier part of his career. “We fall into this trap all the time when we try to help everybody, and it’s detrimental to you and your finances,” Fat Joe told the outlet. What’s more, the Bronx native revealed that on a day-to-day basis, he surrounded himself with over 30 people, all of whom he took care of financially. However, Fat Joe’s commitment to his people would take an interesting turn when the chief financial officer (CFO) of a marketing company attempted to contact the “What’s Luv” emcee with an offer to promote a beer company. This offer would quickly fall short. To close the deal, the executive planned to present Fat Joe with a $2 million check “with Fat Joe’s name on the ‘pay-to-the-order-of’ line,” Forbes mentioned. Unfortunately, the business opportunity...
Mar 14, 2024
In light of recent news that Oprah Winfrey is stepping down from her position on the WeightWatchers board, the media mogul continues to use its impact to uplift the community, according to Variety. Per to a press release shared with AFROTECH™, Winfrey donated her shares of company stock to the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture (NMAAHC) in Washington, DC. “As our largest donor, Oprah Winfrey is, without a doubt, an essential champion of this museum,” said Kevin Young, the Andrew W. Mellon director of the NMAAHC. “Her legacy as a culture icon and supporter is a testament to her steadfast commitment to inspiring the next generation of philanthropists and preserving Black history.” No stranger to putting her support behind the entity, Winfrey made an initial financial pledge to the museum idea in 2007. What’s more, in 2013, per a report by NPR, after she pledged millions of dollars to help break ground to construct the building that now sits on the...
Mar 8, 2024
Ray J, the businessman, strikes again! According to The Jasmine Brand, the superstar has officially announced plans to sell his shares in Raycon to launch a television platform, Tronix Network. The move includes his departure from Raycon Global, the company responsible for taking him to greater heights as an entrepreneur. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Ray J (@rayj) Per sources, Ray J aims to reshape the entertainment landscape through the launch of Tronix Network. “This isn’t merely about transitioning from one venture to another; it’s about seizing control of destiny’s helm and steering it towards his ultimate vision,” a source told the outlet. No stranger to making deals to propel him to the next level, Ray J previously described the sale of his Scoot-E brand as a blessing in an interview with AFROTECH™. “It was an interesting deal,” Ray J told AFROTECH™. “It was right before the pandemic, we sold it to a company called LOOPShare, out of Canada. Really good...
Mar 8, 2024
Robinhood is embarking on a journey into sports and entertainment and tagging this businessman for assistance. According to CNBC, the financial services company will join forces with Rich Paul’s Klutch Sports Group as it looks to expand its reach. “We’re massive sports fans at Robinhood and we know our customers are as well,” said Robinhood CEO Vlad Tenev to CNBC. “Working with Rich and the team at Klutch Sports, it’s really a way to get the Robinhood brand out there to a wider audience and partner with athletes and organizations that are aligned with our customer needs.” Launched in 2012, Klutch is home to many athletes, including LeBron James. Since its inception, the company has expanded its reach across teams, leagues, properties, and more. As previously reported by AFROTECH™, despite people saying that Klutch was a company that “wasn’t gonna last,” Paul confirmed that the business has negotiated more than $2 billion in deals. “I look forward to helping guide Robinhood as they...
Mar 7, 2024
A salon that was born to fulfill the needs of people with textured hair and make them feel satisfied when going to the salon for their hair care desires continues to thrive, and the reason might be the intentionality behind the business. “I had a lot of really terrible salon experiences throughout my life,” said Piersten Gaines, founder and owner of Pressed Roots, in an interview with Fortune. After recognizing that this experience isn’t the same for patrons of hair businesses like Drybar, a chain of blow dry bars, Gaines reflected on her relationship with getting her hair done. She wanted to ensure that people who looked like her could afford to receive quality treatment. “When I learned about these blowout bars where people could just walk in and trust that no matter whose chair they sat in, they were in good hands – I had never had any experience like that,” she continued. After pitching the concept of Pressed Roots to investor Kevin O’Leary from the famous “Shark Tank” series...
Mar 6, 2024
As a visionary, Dr. D’Wayne Edwards is on a mission to immerse the Black community in more design spaces. Beyond just talking the talk, he has also walked the walk as a leader in the design arena, responsible for creating over 500 footwear styles for companies like Nike and entertainers such as Tupac, Snoop Dogg, Nas, and more. “When I started 35 and a half years ago, the technology wasn’t there. It wasn’t the Stone Age, but there was no Instagram and there was no Google,” Dr. Edwards said during an interview with AFROTECH™. “These things didn’t really exist, so we had to be much more resourceful. So, we were kind of almost creating in the dark… I think of that era as kind of the purity of creation and just raw talent because we didn’t have anything to compare it to.” In 2010, Edwards established the first U.S. academy solely dedicated to footwear design. Now, he’s sharing that same sentiment through the lens of students at a Historically Black College and University (HBCU). View...
Mar 1, 2024
Employers have officially begun to use artificial intelligence (AI) to track employees’ productivity rates while on the job.
Feb 27, 2024
One of the youngest Black women to own a McDonald’s franchise in the U.S. is also a graduate of a historically Black college and university (HBCU). How’s that for a Black History Month highlight?
Feb 21, 2024
The estate of legendary singer Donna Summer is not happy with a recent move by Kanye West to sample a song from the late Queen of Disco on his latest studio album.
Feb 20, 2024
LeBron James and Maverick Carter are taking their love for the barbershop another step further with the announcement of a new men’s grooming line.
Feb 15, 2024
Wallo267’s latest move is proof he’s still not allowing the odds to be stacked against him following a second chance at freedom.
Feb 14, 2024
Beyoncé partnered with Verizon to prove her ability to “break the internet” amid one of the culture’s biggest sports matchups during Super Bowl LVIII on Feb. 11.
Feb 13, 2024
Thanks to the popular sketch comedy TV series “In Living Color,” created by Keenen Ivory Wayans, the Wayans Brothers helped launch the careers of legendary stars, including Jamie Foxx, Tommy Davidson, Jim Carrey, Jennifer Lopez, and more.
Feb 9, 2024
As a journalist for the culture, Speedy Morman is no stranger to sparking conversations, posing the right questions, and creating viral moments — take his iconic moment with Ray J’s unbreakable glasses, for example.
Feb 9, 2024