Crystal Nicole never imagined she could build a career as a content creator. Nicole’s foray into content creation started while attending the University of New Orleans, she told AFROTECH™. She studied civil engineering, a field encouraged by her mother, after originally aspiring to study fashion and design. Her mother believed there was no “true career” in those creative fields, ultimately steering Nicole toward a more traditional course of study. “She said, ‘You have cousins who are engineers, why don’t you look up engineering?’ I also am a math head; I love math. So it wasn’t a terrible idea … And I found the one sector of engineering that felt the most [like] design, and that was civil,” she told AFROTECH™. “I was like, ‘Oh, I’ll be designing buildings or highways instead of clothes.'” While pursuing her studies, Nicole was also navigating her natural hair journey. She had a relaxer for more than a decade and was going to a hairstylist every two weeks before she decided to go...

Simone Biles walked away from a Nike deal that paid her more than $1 million a month. Nike Deal As AFROTECH™ previously reported, the most decorated gymnast in history signed an endorsement deal with Nike in 2015, believing the brand was a great fit for women athletes. Nike has represented some of the greatest athletes in the world, including Michael Jordan, Serena Williams, LeBron James, and Kevin Durant, per the outlet. As an Olympian, Biles represented Nike at the 2016 Rio Games and was featured in its video and print advertisements, WWD reported. She was making as much as $1.6 million a month through the deal, according to Essentially Sports. In 2021, Biles made it clear why she decided to part ways with Nike just three months before the Tokyo Olympics. She wasn’t chasing a check. Instead, she was seeking alignment with her personal values, more support, and greater creative input, according to Marca. Athleta This led to her signing a long-term partnership with Gap Inc.–owned...

TikTok will remain operational in the United States following an agreement by its Chinese parent company, ByteDance , to create a majority American-owned joint venture, TikTok USDS Joint Venture LLC. The company announced the deal’s finalization in a news release on Thursday, Jan. 22, 2026, averting a potential U.S. ban on the popular social media platform. The deal allows more than 200 million American users and 7.5 million U.S. businesses “to continue to discover, create, and thrive as part of TikTok’s vibrant global community and experience,” per the release. “The majority American-owned Joint Venture will operate under defined safeguards that protect national security through comprehensive data protections, algorithm security, content moderation, and software assurances for U.S. users,” the news release states. Under the agreement, three managing investors — including cloud computing company Oracle , private equity firm Silver Lake, and Abu Dhabi-based MGX — will each hold a 15%...

Content creator Khaby Lame has just made a major move that will ensure his global presence is long-lasting. Lame was the 10th-highest-earning creator of 2025, earning $20 million, according to Forbes. The TikToker, who was once a factory worker in Chivasso, Italy, has found success by creating content without saying a word, as AFROTECH™ previously reported. “You should not be in a rush to make money,” Lame said, according to Forbes. “Start by making the content you like.” Content creation has led Lame to work with major Hollywood studios and secure brand deals with Hugo Boss, Holafly, LEGO, Mr. Pink Beverages, and more, per AFROTECH™. He has at least 360 million followers across social media, and he is viewed as a “global-tier traffic entrance,” driving attention in many major regions at once, say industry observers, according to a Jan. 11 press release. Rich Sparkle Holdings, a Hong Kong-based company that also trades in the U.S. under ANPA.US, is looking to propel Lame’s brand...

Beyoncé Knowles may be a superstar, but she understands she’s not above losing. In a video on YouTube labeled “Self-Titled: Part 2. Imperfection,” the Houston-born singer admitted she didn’t have measured expectations around losing at the start of her career. Before Destiny’s Child, Knowles was part of Girl’s Tyme. When Knowles was nine years old, the group performed on a show called “Star Search.” She admitted in the video that, at the time, her dream was to win the show and land a record deal; losing was never an option. “At the time, you don’t realize that you can actually work super hard and give everything you have and lose. It was the best message for me,” she expressed in the video. “The reality is: sometimes you lose. And you’re never too good to lose. You’re never too big to lose. You’re never too smart to lose. It happens. And it happens when it needs to happen, and you have to embrace those things,” Beyoncé added. Beyoncé learned to become resilient, and is now the most...

IShowSpeed hit a major milestone for his 21st birthday. As AFROTECH™ previously reported, IShowSpeed, born Darren Jason Watkins Jr., caught the streaming bug while in high school, and he never looked back, even amid pushback from his mother after his first stream went viral with 30,000 views. “My sophomore year, I kind of gave up on school. I kind of gave up on everything that I had in my old life and just put everything on my stream. I streamed every day. I didn’t care about nothing else except YouTube streaming,” IShowSpeed said on the “Club Shay Shay” podcast with Shannon Sharpe. By the time he was 16, he had already become a millionaire, per AFROTECH™. Forbes reported that IShowSpeed’s streams started primarily around him playing video games such as “NBA 2K,” and in 2023, he took his streams worldwide, beginning in Europe and then Southeast Asia. In Indonesia alone, he made history during a single livestream, garnering 1 million concurrent viewers, the outlet noted. “When I...

Student loan borrowers in default will have additional time to bring their accounts current before involuntary collections on federal loans resume. The U.S. Department of Education announced on Thursday, Jan. 16, 2026, that it is delaying collection efforts for defaulted federal student loans, including wage garnishment and the Treasury Offset Program (TOP). Per the news release, the temporary pause will remain in effect through July 2026, giving the Education Department more time to implement major student loan repayment reforms under the Working Families Tax Cuts Act signed in 2025. This will also provide borrowers with more time to consider the new repayment options, loan consolidation, or a rehabilitation program. In addition to a single standard repayment plan, the reforms include a new income-driven repayment (IDR) plan that waives unpaid interest for borrowers who make on-time payments but those payments do not fully cover accrued interest. In some instances, the Department...

Netflix, Inc. has amended its acquisition agreement with Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) to an all-cash offer at $27.75 per share, replacing the previously proposed cash and stock deal, the company announced in a press release on Tuesday, Jan. 20, 2026. Financing for the transition will come from a combination of cash on hand, available credit facilities, and committed funding, notes the release. “Today’s revised merger agreement brings us even closer to combining two of the greatest storytelling companies in the world and, with it, even more people enjoying the entertainment they love to watch the most,” WDB president and CEO David Zaslav said in the release. Per the press release, Netflix said the all-cash structure provides “enhanced certainty” for WBD shareholders, easing concerns about fluctuations in Netflix’s stock price. The company added in the release that the revised offer is expected to accelerate the transaction timeline, with a shareholder vote anticipated by April 2026....

Derrick Rose has launched a new business in his hometown alongside his family. The Chicago native was the NBA “Rookie of the Year” when he splashed on the scene in 2008, and was later named the league’s MVP for the 2010-11 season, according to a press release. In 2024, Rose retired from the NBA. Now, he will be honored by the Chicago Bulls during a postgame ceremony to retire his jersey on Jan. 24, 2026. Reflecting on his career, he told ABC7 Chicago, “I feel like I practiced my butt off. I feel like, only if people knew how much I sacrificed before every game. I wasn’t just trying to be good. I wanted to be great. Once I got done, I felt that pressure off my shoulders of trying to be perfect.” Rose’s Flower Shop After finishing his NBA career with $166.1 million in earnings, per Spotrac, Rose has become the owner of Rose’s Flower Shop. The company’s website shares the journey started on Sept. 26, 2024, when Rose retired and sent roses to loved ones who were instrumental in the...

Megan Thee Stallion opened her first location as a Popeyes franchisee. The Houston-born rapper has pursued ownership across various ventures. As an artist, she secured full ownership of her master recordings and publishing through her 2024 Warner Music Group deal, as AFROTECH™ previously reported. As an entrepreneur, she is now a Popeyes franchisee. “Popeyes’ one-of-a-kind partnership with Megan Thee Stallion goes well beyond the average marketing collaboration. We are unifying two pop culture icons, and Megan’s innovative, creative, and entrepreneurial vision is at the core of everything we’re doing,” Sami Siddiqui, president of Popeyes Americas, said in a news release. “We are thrilled to welcome Megan to the Popeyes franchisee family and look forward to working closely with her over many years as she begins her journey as a restaurateur,” he added. Megan Thee Stallion’s first Popeyes location is now officially open in South Beach, Miami. It is located at 1427 Washington Avenue,...

Oregon Ducks quarterback Dante Moore has turned down the NFL draft to remain in college. Fortune reports he has decided to remain another year at the University of Oregon. He was projected to be the No. 2 draft pick. In 2025, No. 2 pick Travis Hunter secured a $46.7 million deal to play four years with the Jacksonville Jaguars. Fortune reports that this year’s earnings are projected to increase. Why He Turned Down The Pros “This year, I’ve had many great throws, many great plays, but at the end of the day I feel I can still learn so much more,” Moore said in an interview with ESPN on Wednesday. “As a kid, since I was 4 years old, I’ve dreamed about being in the NFL — but this team, we’ve been through a lot, a lot of people are returning, so we’ve got some exciting things to come this year. I’m excited to keep pushing my team.” Moore’s decision prevents him from earning an NFL salary. However, Moore is still doing well for himself as a result of name, image, and likeness deals,...

Atlanta Dream star Brittney Griner has launched a company that is inspired by her time in Russian custody. In February 2022, Griner was detained at Sheremetyevo International Airport outside of Moscow, USA Today reports. She was preparing to play for the Russian club team UMMC Ekaterinburg, a team she had joined for several seasons during the offseason of the WNBA. It’s not uncommon for players to go overseas, as players can earn up to four times their base salary for the league, according to NBC News. Griner, who is an Olympian and had played for the Phoenix Mercury at the time, had 0.7 grams of medically prescribed cannabis oil that was found in vape cartridges. She was sentenced to 10 years for possessing it in Russia but was released in a prisoner exchange with the U.S. after pleading guilty and serving 293 days. She admitted she was “never going overseas to play again” in 2023 unless it was for Team USA in the Olympics. Zennjet Since then, Griner has addressed the pain points...

NFL player Ja’Marr Chase is stepping into ownership. Flerish Hydration Flerish Hydration is a beverage company launched in the fourth quarter of 2024 that provides watermelon-based products supporting performance and recovery. Beverages are packed with electrolytes, real ingredients, and vitamins E, B6, and B12, as well as L-Theanine, Zinc, and Magnesium, as AFROTECH™ previously told you. The company was co-founded by former Division I athlete Avery Johnson Jr. and Nick Nevins, son of Bruce Nevins, who launched Perrier Water in North America. Flerish Hydration can be purchased on Amazon and TikTok Shop, and has more recently expanded to Kroger. “What started as a vision to create a better hydration solution for Gen Z and Alpha has quickly turned into a movement,” Johnson said in a post shared on LinkedIn. “ When Nicholas N. and I founded Flerish, we wanted to create a hydration product that not only delivered on functionality but also offered incredible taste. We began with familiar...

Saks Global has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, Business Insider reports. The luxury retailer that owns Neiman Marcus, Bergdorf Goodman, Saks Fifth Avenue, and Saks OFF 5TH owes millions to several companies, including Chanel ($136 million), Gucci’s parent Kering ($59 million), and Michael Kors’ parent Capri Holdings ($33 million), per the outlet. ABC News cited several factors that have contributed to the filing: an increase in online shopping, direct-to-consumer sales outside department stores, and a decrease in interest in high luxury price points. “Over the last five years, luxury prices have gone so high that there’s really a question of perceived value,” Marie Driscoll, a professor at The New School who studies luxury retail, told ABC News. “People are thinking, ‘This is not worth it.’” Additionally, Saks Global’s 2024 acquisition of Neiman Marcus created financial strain for the company, notes Business Insider. In a press release at the time, Richard Baker, executive...

Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson plans to make Shreveport, LA, the flagship city for his film and television production company, G-Unit Film & Television. As AFROTECH™ previously reported, in 2024, the company secured a 30-year lease in the former Millennium Studios, which was subsequently renamed the G-Unit Studio. Now, G-Unit Film & Television plans to invest more than $124 million in three entertainment venues in Northwest Louisiana, KSLA News 12 reports. This will include renovating the former Stageworks facility, upgrading Millennium Studios, and constructing G-Dome in downtown Shreveport. Louisiana Economic Development (LED) will work alongside G-Unit to support the project through $50 million in performance-based funding, which can be applied to infrastructure revitalization and improvements across the multi-phase project, notes the outlet. The Shreveport Film & Entertainment Economic Development Corporation will manage LED for accountability. “This project is the realization of the...