Gen Alpha expert Matt Britton on how the age of AI 'will change everything'
Gen Alpha expert and author Matt Britton joins the 2025 CNBC CEO Council Summit to discuss thoughts from his new book "Generation AI: Why Generation Alpha and the Age Of AI Will Change Everything."
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Yahoo
2 days ago
- Yahoo
Billionaire Telegram founder leaves his $14 billion fortune to the 100+ children he's fathered—which means $132 million for each lucky Gen Alpha kid
Telegram founder Pavel Durov said the over 100 kids he's fathered will inherit his fortune. That includes the six kids he's an 'official' dad to, at least 100 others born through his sperm bank donations. Each could inherit an eye-watering $132 million from Durov's estate currently worth nearly $14 billion. Others like Bill Gates, Laurene Powell Jobs, and Guy Fieri aren't being so generous with their offspring. Over 100 Gen Apha kids are set to one day become overnight millionaires—and they may not even know it. That's because the 40-year-old Telegram founder, Pavel Durov, has six 'official' children with three different partners; but he's also been donating to a sperm clinic for 15 years, which told him he has helped conceive over 100 babies across 12 countries. And luckily for them, they've just been included in Durov's $13.9 billion will, despite potentially not knowing their wealthy biological father. 'I wrote my will very recently,' Durov told French publication Le Point in a recent interview. 'I make no difference between my children: there are those who were conceived naturally and those who come from my sperm donations. They are all my children and will all have the same rights! I don't want them to tear each other apart after my death.' That means his at least 106 children could each earn around $132 million for being related to the Russian-born entrepreneur. But they'll have to wait a long time before inheriting that fortune. 'I decided that my children would not have access to my fortune until a period of thirty years has elapsed, starting from today,' Durov continued. 'I want them to live like normal people, to build themselves up alone, to learn to trust themselves, to be able to create, not to be dependent on a bank account.' Give Legacy, a sperm and fertility clinic, tells Fortune whether or not they know they're set for the windfall from their biological dad depends on whether Durov was a 'directed donor,' known to the birth parent, or an 'anonymous donor' with tighter regulations. 'Identity verification is reasonably straightforward. Paternity tests can confirm that Pavel is the father,' says Khaled Kteily, CEO of Give Legacy. 'Anyone who believes that Pavel is their biological father could submit a sample to verify. Depending on each country's laws as well as relationships with the birth mother, the child could already be made aware.' Russian-born Durov founded Telegram in 2013—a messaging app divorced from government-requested censorship. But he had to flee his home country in 2014 after refusing to comply with demands to shut down opposition communities on another popular communications platform he had founded, VKontakte. Once he left, he invested all his energy into building up Telegram. While boundless free speech can allow diverse political and social opinions to thrive, a lack of moderation on the platform has led to some serious issues. In August of 2024, the Telegram founder and CEO was placed under formal investigation in France. It was alleged that he was complicit in running a platform that enabled an organized gang to perform illicit transactions. Durov was also accused by French prosecutors of complicity in the organized distribution of sexual images of children on Telegram. Indicted on six charges in total, he was barred from leaving France without permission during the investigation, but was later authorized to move to Dubai in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), where he holds dual-citizenship and runs his platform. Durov's lawyer, David-Olivier Kaminski, told BBC that it was 'absurd' to accuse his client of being involved 'in criminal acts that don't concern him either directly or indirectly.' Telegram has also been criticized for reportedly allowing disinformation and extremism to spread, including neo-Nazi ideologies and pedophilic material. Fortune reached out to Telegram for comment. When it comes to passing immense wealth down to kids, Durov stands out in a crowd of nepotism-conscious leaders. Microsoft cofounder Bill Gates, worth $176 billion, plans to leave less than 1% of his fortune to his children. 'My kids got a great upbringing and education, but less than 1% of the total wealth because I decided it wouldn't be a favor to them,' Gates said on the Figuring Out With Raj Shamani podcast earlier this year. 'It's not a dynasty, I'm not asking them to run Microsoft. I want to give them a chance to have their own earnings and success.' Philanthropist and businesswoman Laurene Powell Jobs, who was married to late Apple cofounder Steve Jobs, also won't be forking over her $14.1 billion estate to her kids. And Guy Fieri—one of the wealthiest hosts in food TV history, with a $100 million Food Network contract—said his kids won't get a dime unless they work for it. 'If you want any of this cheese, you've gotta get two degrees,' Fieri said in an interview with Fox News this year. 'None of this, that I've been building, are you gonna get unless you come and take it from me.' This story was originally featured on
Buzz Feed
4 days ago
- Buzz Feed
17 Horror Stories Teachers Have About Gen Alpha
Being a teacher can be a tough job as is, but when you add in the nonchalant attitudes of some parents, some students using AI, and issues caused by some students who can't detach themselves from social media, it becomes, well, tougher. Recently, Redditor u/MineTech5000 asked the teachers of the Reddit community to share their Gen Alpha student horror stories, and ohhhh boy: "A high school student asked me what it means to 'put it in his own words' instead of copying and pasting." —Outrageous_Owl_9315 "I left teaching in 2023. I taught an earth science class with mostly sophomores. One of the questions on a test about plate tectonics said, 'What do Chile, California, Alaska, and Japan have in common?' I was looking for anything related to the Ring of Fire — or anything mentioning that those places are on a fault line or get earthquakes. Well, one student answered, 'They're all in America.'" "We had a kid who didn't know that deserts are dry. Also, hardly any of my students know the difference between vowels and consonants." "I asked an undergraduate student for their opinion on a text, and they pulled out their phone, typed my question into ChatGPT, and then read aloud the answer it gave." "I'm currently studying to be a teacher. In one of my in-school placements, I had students come up to me and ask what time it was. I would always look at the clock on the wall (that they had a clear view of ) and tell them the none of the kids knew how to read a clock. I even explained how to read it, but they looked at me like I had two heads." —spookkish "This didn't happen in my class, but I was at a coffee shop, and two young girls didn't recognize a quarter. One asked the other, 'Is this a nickel? Wait, is a nickel only five cents?'" "I've taught high school for the last nine years. The scariest thing for me is that they can't THINK. Problem-solving, troubleshooting, reasoning, etc. — there are so many kids who have little processing power, and it seems to be getting rapidly worse in the last couple of years. I think it's TikTok. Kids these days don't even have time to think about the bite-sized piece of media they just consumed before the next one is up." "Elementary PE teacher here. The number of children who bite when angry is terrifying. I have several who will chase a kid down after they've been wronged, grab their arm, and bite them like a dog. So far, they're all under seven, but I'm up to four in different classes. It's a specific problem, but I'll add that, in general, we are doomed." "I work for a school transportation department, and when I'm not in the office, I'm a 'permanent substitute' who fills in for absent bus drivers. Each bus is parked in the same 'lane' at the school every single day, regardless of who's driving. Most students walk up to the bus, and if they see it isn't their regular driver, they'll look around in horror and start aimlessly wandering around. I tell them every time that their bus will always be in the same lane, yet some kids will wander around every time. It also doesn't help that many of them don't know their address, either. High school is the worst. I've done this for 11 years, and it gets worse every single year. Mind you, I drive for some of the top academic schools in the state." —oldatheart515 "I've spent almost a decade in education now. These kids have zero attention span — absolutely none. They need constant stimulation, nonstop engagement, and distraction after distraction shaped by far too much access to social media. It's both sad and frightening." "I had a pre-K student whose speech was unintelligible. He could not communicate. I told his mom he needed to be tested for speech therapy, and she replied, 'Aw, so he won't baby-talk anymore? I'm gonna miss hearing that!'" "I teach high school math. I've encountered many students who were operating at maybe a second-grade level of math. I've encountered high school seniors who couldn't do two times three in their heads, juniors who didn't know what a square root was, juniors who didn't know how to multiply by zero or one, etc. I had one sophomore this year who couldn't wrap her mind around '20 more than' in a certain problem. I tried to explain it for a few minutes, saying, 'Let's say you and I go into a store. I'm going to buy some apples, and you plan on buying 20 more apples than I do. If I buy five apples, how many would you buy?' She answered, '20?'" —get_your_mood_right "One of my fourth graders was provisionally promoted from third grade in the middle of the school year. He was reading at a first-grade level when he arrived in my class. He hit his 14-day suspension cap quickly because he was constantly fighting with other kids instead of actually trying to learn. The guidance counselor pulled him out to do a therapeutic art project one afternoon. That's how we discovered that he doesn't know his shapes, either. It was one of the worst cases of educational neglect that I've seen. Of course, the parent was upset that he kid was not on the Honor Roll and demanded to know why he was failing every subject. Oh, yeah, the regional superintendent overruled us and promoted the student to fifth grade." "Only 27% of the incoming sixth graders at the local middle school are proficient in math skills. They also have next-to-zero problem-solving or critical thinking skills. They have a 'do it for me or I'm not doing it' mindset for schoolwork. You could turn in zero work for a class and get passed, though. We don't require motivation anymore." "I teach high school seniors and am trying to bring back 'pen and paper schooling.' Kids don't know how to use staplers, and this is not an isolated incident. One broke my stapler trying to refill it because he didn't realize you could break/shorten the replacement staples. Many don't know which side to staple or how to line up pages. I had a student today claim that a stapler was broken because they didn't push it down hard enough until it, you know, stapled. With so many things done online, they can't do anything with paper. It's depressingly defeating at times." "I've had a student use AI on fully opinion-based questions several times. Kids aren't even reading the question or the internet answer. One quiz question asked students to share their comfort level with performing CPR. A student's response was, 'As an AI, I cannot perform CPR.' Someone even used AI to rank my classroom values (things like respect, integrity, and resilience). AI is so new, and no one knows how to use it as a learning tool. It's evolving faster than we can harness." —cumulobiscuit Lastly: "I teach high school, and I have kids about to be adults who don't know the difference between left and right without making the 'L' shape with their hands. I also have kids who Google basic math calculations, like four times two." *Sigh.* If you're a teacher, what's something completely shocking or unhinged that you've witnessed or experienced with your Gen Alpha students? Let us know in the comments, or you can anonymously submit your story using the form below!
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Yahoo
From pocket money to portfolio: Gen Alpha is rewriting the rules of financial literacy
Young, digital, and defining their financial future: Gen Alpha is learning to manage money as young as 7 From biometric security to agentic AI, Asia-Pacific consumers want smarter – not more – innovation SINGAPORE, June 18, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Gen Alpha (the digital-first generation born 2010 onwards) isn't waiting to grow up before engaging with money — they're already making their mark on the world of digital finance. In the Asia-Pacific (APAC) region, new research from Mastercard shows that 94% of Gen Alpha children[1] already have access to a financial account[2], while many hold digital wallets (58%), investment accounts (49%), and credit cards (48%). Nearly half (47%) of Gen Alpha parents say their children have introduced them to digital financial tools they did not know about, flipping the traditional script of financial education. Preparing Gen Alpha for a digital-first financial future Gen Alpha parents anticipate their children will grow up in a digital-first financial world—one where they may never own a physical wallet (72%) or carry cash. And while kids are gaining early exposure to money matters, many Gen Alpha parents in APAC are actively working to keep pace: 63% believe their children are more financially savvy than they were at the same age. 60% are unsure that their financial knowledge applies to their children's generation. 53% admit their kids know more about new payment methods than they do. 82% wish there were more tools available to teach children about finances. With the rise of digital wallets, mobile payments and virtual accounts, APAC families are calling for smarter, future-ready solutions that will set their children up for success. This gives visionary banks and financial institutions an opportunity to pave the way by delivering digital tools that not only simplify money management but also support how children learn about finances. For instance, Gen Alpha parents are showing strong interest in features like educational content (67%), parental controls (57%), seamless account transfers (55%), real-world learning simulations (48%), and gamified experiences (43%). "To truly connect with Gen Alpha—and their parents—the payments sector needs to speak their language. These kids aren't here to play—they're here to slay, save, and spend smart. They're low-key money bosses, tapping phones before they can tie shoes and turning budgeting apps into their playground. Cash? Not their go-to. Today, it's all Tap & Go. For banks and FIs, the signal's loud and clear: Gen Alpha expects payment experiences that match their vibe—seamless, savvy, and built-in from day one. Think custom digital wallets, in-app payments that just flow, and secure tools that level up as their finance game evolves," said Sandeep Malhotra, Executive Vice President, Core Payments, Asia Pacific, Mastercard. Innovation without overload: APAC leads globally, but adoption is uneven Gen Alpha may be early adopters, but APAC consumers of all ages are embracing payment innovation: More than half (53%) prefer using new and innovative payment methods — such as Tap & Go mobile payments, biometric payments, QR codes and mobile wallets — over traditional methods like cash or manual card entry, reflecting a widespread appetite for innovation. This compares to just 25% in North America and 24% in Europe, underlining APAC's receptivity to adopting emerging digital payment solutions. Yet, this enthusiasm isn't evenly distributed across the region: 70% of consumers in Vietnam prefer new payment methods, while only 35% in Japan do, with the percentage even lower in Australia (25%). Several factors contribute to this trend: markets like Vietnam, Indonesia, and Malaysia are leapfrogging straight into mobile-first ecosystems, while more developed economies such as Australia and Japan still rely heavily on more entrenched payments infrastructure like physical cards and cash. This paradox extends to emerging technologies: Although 86% of APAC consumers are keen to use AI to manage their finances — particularly for fraud detection, payment automation, product personalization and predicting financial outcomes — eagerness varies across markets. In Australia and Japan, interest in AI is focused on practical applications like security rather than financial planning or personalization. These differences highlight the need for financial innovations that are relevant by design, not retrofitted from legacy systems. That's why Mastercard is investing in mobile-first and agentic AI-powered experiences like Agent Pay — which support decision-making at every step of the commerce journey. Convenience is now king: What APAC consumers expect As payment options grow, consumers are seeking hyper-convenient ways to manage money that fit seamlessly with their digital usage habits. They want flexibility to customize how they pay, tapping into digitally native methods like peer-to-peer or peer-to-merchant payments, QR codes, wearables and social commerce. Super apps are the new baseline: 70% of APAC consumers use or want all-in-one apps to manage payments, shopping, and more, with Indonesia (86%) and China (84%) leading the pack. As these platforms become mainstream, payment tools must meet consumers where they already are — not the other way around. Social shopping is shaping commerce: 39% of APAC consumers have bought through chat or social apps, with China (61%) and Vietnam (56%) in front. More than three in five consumers (64%) say influencers now shape their buying decisions. Embedding seamless payments into digital leisure spaces like social media apps is key to enabling this shift from browsing to buying. Trust and security are top of mind: While 74% of APAC consumers see biometric payments as more secure than traditional methods, 78% are concerned about who has access to their data. This tension highlights a broader challenge to simplify security without sacrificing control and convenience. Mastercard solutions like tokenization, Payment Passkeys and AI-driven authentication help bridge this trust gap. "Gen A's not just watching trends, they're setting them—and if your brand isn't flexing in their digital wallet or showing up in their feeds, you're basically invisible. They vibe with brands that keep it 100—authentic, ethical, and super aesthetic. And here's the real flex: when money tools are intuitive and secure, they don't just manage spending—they build confidence. That's when innovation hits different," added Malhotra. Research methodology The findings in this release are based on a global research study conducted by The Harris Poll on behalf of Mastercard. The survey gathered responses from 19,302 consumers across five global regions, including 9,131 consumers in Asia Pacific. The study was conducted via a quantitative online survey, administered from September 4 to September 20, 2024. It covered five regions: North America, Latin America and Caribbean, Europe, Middle East & Africa, and Asia Pacific. APAC markets included Australia, China, India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam. About Mastercard Mastercard powers economies and empowers people in 200+ countries and territories worldwide. Together with our customers, we're building a resilient economy where everyone can prosper. We support a wide range of digital payments choices, making transactions secure, simple, smart and accessible. Our technology and innovation, partnerships and networks combine to deliver a unique set of products and services that help people, businesses and governments realize their greatest potential. [1] The mean and median age of Gen Alpha children represented by their parents in this study is 7.24 years and 7 years respectively. [2] These include account(s) in their own names and account(s) owned by an adult such as their parent(s) or guardian(s). View original content to download multimedia: SOURCE Mastercard Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
