Who were the people behind Facebook when it was just a startup? And where are they now?

Only two of Facebook’s first 20 employees still work at the company – and you can probably guess one of them.

Most left during the social network’s early days to work at other tech companies or start their own. Several have become successful investors at large VC firms. Out of Facebook’s first 20 employees, only two were women. Many are now absurdly rich, following Facebook’s IPO in 2012.

Click ahead to see where Facebook’s first 20 employees are now.

Article source: http://www.msn.com/en-ca/money/companies/heres-where-facebooks-first-20-employees-are-now/ss-BBD2x3F?srcref=rss

TORONTO – A group representing Tim Hortons franchisees who are unhappy with the management of the coffee-and-doughnut chain says it now has a U.S. chapter, a development that could put further pressure on the parent company.

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The Great White North Franchisee Association (GWNFA) said in a statement that the U.S. chapter was created to give a united voice to franchisees concerned about the management of Restaurant Brands International (TSX:QSR). It said the membership of the new chapter includes nearly half of all U.S.-based franchisees.

The Canadian chapter formed in March, with members complaining the parent company was using its power to extract more profit from franchisees. Last week one member sought a class-action lawsuit against RBI, alleging it improperly used money from a national advertising fund. The claims have not been proven in court and RBI has denied the allegations.

A GWNFA spokesman said in an email that the U.S. chapter has no firm plans at the moment to launch a similar suit, but will explore various measures to address the concerns they have.

RBI did not immediately return a request for comment. Its Tim Hortons unit said in a statement that the company is focused on working with its elected franchisee advisory board. The Canadian GWNFA has questioned the board’s effectiveness.

RBI CEO Daniel Schwartz, who recently assumed the responsibilities of Tim Hortons president, has previously said he would prefer if the

Article source: http://www.msn.com/en-ca/money/topstories/tim-hortons-franchisee-group-expands-south/ar-BBDhoVP?srcref=rss

© REUTERS/Kacper Pempel/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: Volkswagen logo is pictured at the newly opened Volkswagen factory in Wrzesnia near Poznan

The German transport ministry announced plans on Tuesday to set up a new institute to test vehicle emissions to try to restore consumer confidence after the Volkswagen (VOWG_p.DE) scandal.

The ministry said it would found a new testing institute involving the auto industry, ministries, consumer organizations and environmental groups.

However, the KBA motor vehicle authority, which reports to the transport ministry and currently oversees vehicle testing, will remain responsible for licensing new models.

Since Volkswagen admitted to cheating U.S. diesel emissions tests in September 2015, the German government has come under fire for not doing enough to crack down on vehicle pollution and for being too close to the country’s powerful car industry.

The ministry said the new institute would test about 70 car models a year in real road conditions rather than laboratory conditions, and the emissions and fuel consumption results would be made public to allow car buyers to make better comparisons.

On Monday, Reuters reported the transport ministry was also pushing carmakers to update the engine management software in up to 12 million diesel vehicles in the country, citing people familiar with the talks.

Volkswagen’s 2015 admission that it used software to cheat U.S. diesel emission tests

Article source: http://www.msn.com/en-ca/money/companies/germany-plans-new-emissions-testing-body-after-vw-scandal/ar-BBDko5S?srcref=rss

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FILE PHOTO — Eric Schmidt, chairman of Alphabet Inc., speaks during the SALT conference in Las Vegas

Google’s self-professed mission is to organize the world’s information. But a company known for engineering excellence is still trying to solve the very human problem of how to organize itself.

Nearly two years ago, Google co-founder Larry Page announced the tech giant would be remade as Alphabet, a holding company whose units would include Google and an array of unrelated pursuits in areas such as healthcare, self-driving cars and urban planning.

Wall Street cheered. Previously those riskier ventures had been lumped into Google’s overall financial results. Investors would now see Google’s performance independent of its so-called “Other Bets,” an eclectic collection of 11 ventures. They include Nest, a maker of Wi-Fi enabled thermostats; Calico, which seeks to prolong the human lifespan; and X, the company’s secretive research lab.

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Alphabet’s top management also aimed to boost accountability by appointing chief executives to head each of the Other Bets. Few people in Google’s constellation of ventures had ever held the title prior to that.

But so far Alphabet has failed to show it can convert its Other Bets from experiments to businesses with the reach, impact and money-making potential of Google’s core search and advertising operations.

Article source: http://www.msn.com/en-ca/money/companies/with-alphabet-google-faces-a-daunting-challenge-organizing-itself/ar-BBDkly7?srcref=rss

© REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: Euro coins are seen in front of a Google logo in this picture illustration

EU antitrust regulators slapped a record 2.42-billion-euro ($2.7 billion) fine on Alphabet unit Google on Tuesday by illegally favouring its shopping service.

The European Commission said the world’s most popular internet search engine has 90 days to end its anti-competitive practice or face penalty payments up to 5 percent of Alphabet’s average daily worldwide turnover.

The action came after a seven-year long investigation prompted by scores of complaints from rivals such as U.S. consumer review website Yelp, TripAdvisor, UK price comparison site Foundem, News Corp and lobbying group FairSearch.

This is the biggest fine for a single company in an EU antitrust case, exceeding a 1.06-billion-euro sanction handed down to U.S. chipmaker Intel in 2009.

($1 = 0.8890 euros)

(Reporting by Foo Yun Chee; editing by Philip Blenkinsop)

Article source: http://www.msn.com/en-ca/money/companies/eu-antitrust-regulators-hit-google-with-record-242-billion-euro-fine/ar-BBDkrki?srcref=rss