Sophie Alexander

NYC’s newest billionaire status symbol: a double-wide townhouse.

Ultra-wealthy buyers are combining 2–3 historic townhomes into mega-mansions designed to feel like suburban estates — in the middle of the Manhattan.

Here's the latest with @sooophie.bsky.social www.bloomberg.com/graphics/202...

One in six small multi-family buildings in the West Village is now a huge single-family home, part of a mansion wave sweeping over NYC

www.bloomberg.com/graphics/202...

The Rise of the Manhattan Mega-Mansion In the West Village and other historic neighborhoods, buyers are consolidating apartments and combining townhomes, a sign of New York’s allure to the ultra-rich.

Ultra-rich buyers are consolidating New York townhouse apartments into giant single-family homes. Some are buying two, even three adjacent townhomes to build a franken-house.

Step inside a Manhattan mega-mansion, the latest status symbol in this second Gilded Age:

www.bloomberg.com/graphics/202...

US Spends Millions on Warehouses in Historic Expansion of ICE Detention Plans for ‘mega centers’ and jails in nearly two dozen communities have sparked protests over suitability, proximity to homes and schools.

NEW: ICE has spent at least $172 million this month on warehouses that it plans to convert into immigration jails

www.bloomberg.com/news/feature...

W/ @sooophie.bsky.social

ICE Plans Detention Expansion With Deal to Design 'Mega Centers' Agency envisions up to two dozen warehouses, some of which could hold 5,000 people or more.

NEW: The Trump admin is eyeing a massive expansion of its immigration detention capacity. It’s looking to convert up to two dozen warehouses into massive detention facilities, some of which could hold more than 5,000 people.

www.bloomberg.com/news/article...

US Military Explores Building Base for 10,000 People ‘Near Gaza’ The US military is exploring whether to build a temporary base capable of housing 10,000 people near Gaza, according to an internal contracting document, as the US pushes for a stabilization force to ...

NEW: The US Military is laying the groundwork for a 10,000 person temporary base “near Gaza,” according to an internal contracting document obtained by @bloomberg.com

From @sooophie.bsky.social and team: www.bloomberg.com/news/article...

America’s Tech Right Is Obsessed With Building Giant Statues With proposals for a 450-foot statue of Prometheus on Alcatraz and a 650-foot George Washington, MAGA adherents are racing to build America’s largest statue.

Conservative-leaning tech investors are racing to build a new American colossus, and they want something much, much bigger than the Statue of Liberty. Meet the new monuments men of the tech right and their plans for statue-maxing:

www.bloomberg.com/news/feature...

"Look upon my works, ye mighty, and subscribe!" @sooophie.bsky.social

Trump’s Border Czar Involved in Detention Contract Talks Despite Recusal Ethics experts say Tom Homan’s participation could violate rules meant to ensure impartiality. The White House says he has not crossed that line.

Tom Homan said he was recused from anything to do with government contracts.

Turns out he wasn't. He played a role in the process to move immigration detention contracts through the Defense Department

www.bloomberg.com/news/feature...

With @racheladhe.bsky.social and @sooophie.bsky.social

As Part of a $45 Billion Push, ICE Prepares for a Vast Expansion of Detention Space The Trump administration has tapped 41 vendors to compete for lucrative federal contracts.

ICE has tapped 41 companies to compete for some of the $45 billion earmarked for a massive expansion of immigration detention space, including at least 9 that offer tent facilities w/ @sooophie.bsky.social and @folaak.bsky.social

www.bloomberg.com/news/article...

Musk story with my favorite Musk expert @danahull.bsky.social !

Peter Thiel’s Network Is Quietly Shaping Trump’s Government The tech magnate has many links to the new Trump administration and the cost-slashing effort led by Elon Musk.

This is building on our reporting on billionaires' ties to the Trump administration. Here's our list of Peter Thiel allies from March.

“There is an ambition for a bottom-up renovation of how the government operates.”
🎁🎁🎁🎁🎁🎁

www.bloomberg.com/features/202...

The Musk Associates Running the Government — Even After He’s Gone The world’s richest man has dozens of allies dismantling the federal bureaucracy from within.

NEW: Here's all the people coming from Elon Musk's universe in the new administration.

Already, several of them have cycled in and out of government, landing back at Musk's companies. Others will likely stick around long after Musk is gone.

🎁 LINK: www.bloomberg.com/features/202...

🚨We know this list is incomplete. If you work in the government and notice any alumni of the companies named in this story, please reach out.

I’m on Signal at 240-350-9251

Peter Thiel’s Network Is Quietly Shaping Trump’s Government The tech magnate has many links to the new Trump administration and the cost-slashing effort led by Elon Musk.

NEW: We’re tracking the billionaires’ ties to the new Trump administration. It’s not just Musk.

Here’s a list of people from Peter Thiel’s orbit, now helping run our government.

Since the election, Thiel’s fortune has soared.

🎁 LINK: www.bloomberg.com/features/202...

Trump Hiring Freeze Spurs Hundreds of Cuts in VA Health Research President Donald Trump’s federal hiring freeze is forcing terminations at the US Department of Veterans Affairs research office, jeopardizing projects that advance treatments for cancer, drug withdraw...

NEW: Hundreds of VA researchers who work on things like cancer treatment, opioid withdrawal and veteran homelessness are being effectively fired because they are no longer exempt from Trump’s hiring freeze as contracts come to an end. w/ @josheidelson.bsky.social www.bloomberg.com/news/article...

Musk’s DOGE Begins Firing Workers at Federal IT Department Elon Musk’s DOGE team is sending termination notices to staffers at the US Digital Services Office, a group of federal IT workers that Musk’s group is taking over, according to two people who were aff...

NEW: Musk’s DOGE is now gutting the office he’s latched onto, USDS. www.bloomberg.com/news/article...

Thanks to my wonderful co-reporters @rileyraygriffin.bsky.social @danahull.bsky.social @josheidelson.bsky.social @jamietarabay.bsky.social

If you’re a federal worker at any of the agencies being hit by DOGE or with any Musk or Thiel related appointees, please reach out via Signal

Musk’s Top DOGE Staffer at VA Worked Quietly Before Its Layoffs Justin Fulcher, co-founder of telemedicine startup RingMD, is leading Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency effort at the US Department of Veterans Affairs, according to two people familiar ...

Lastly, some details on the DOGE member DOGE-ing Veterans Affairs: www.bloomberg.com/news/article...

Ex-Palantir Veteran to Run Data, IT Security for RFK Jr.’s Health Department A longtime Palantir Technologies Inc employee is now overseeing data at the US health department.

Next, a longtime employee of Peter Thiel’s Palantir is now managing the data security of all of the HHS, a major contractor with Palantir. www.bloomberg.com/news/article...

Trump Vows to End Education Department. DOGE Has Already Started Elon Musk’s budget-slashing team is auditing contracts and grant programs, including the federal student loan portfolio, in search of spending cuts.

I've been covering billionaires for 6+ years. Now I'm covering DOGE and more.

A thread of 🎁stories I worked on this week. Signal is in my bio.

First off: DOGE has been dismantling the Education Department for a week+ : www.bloomberg.com/news/article...

Musk’s DOGE Teen Was Fired By Cybersecurity Firm for Leaking Company Secrets Edward Coristine posted online that he had retained access to the firm’s servers. Now he has access to sensitive government information.

🚨BIG SCOOP: Musk’s DOGE Teen Was Fired By Cybersecurity Firm for Leaking Company Secrets

Edward Coristine posted online that he had retained access to the firm’s servers. Now he has access to sensitive government information.

🎁 www.bloomberg.com/news/article...

Thanks Ellen!

How a Billionaire’s ‘Baby Project’ Ensnared Dozens of Women Disgraced tycoon Greg Lindberg built a network of egg donors and surrogates. Several say he conned them—and that US fertility clinics helped him do it.

a terrifying investigation everyone should read, from @jackiedavalos.bsky.social and @sooophie.bsky.social

www.bloomberg.com/news/feature...

Florida, California Home Insurance Market Infused by Riskier Carriers A lightly regulated insurance market is offering coverage to homeowners in states that saw withdrawals of major insurers.

"For those whose policies have been dropped, non-admitted insurance is one of their only options for coverage. It means regular homes in some parts of the country are now viewed by the industry as the equivalent of a fireworks factory" - from @sooophie.bsky.social & @leslieatlarge.bsky.social

Elon Wants You to Have More Babies Musk, father of at least 12, has been quietly buying mainstream respectability for fringe theories about a coming population collapse.

Hi Jeska! My colleague @danahull.bsky.social and I broke the story on musk’s gift to UT Austin. It is a research group— not a clinic. You can read more here: www.bloomberg.com/features/202...

How a Billionaire’s ‘Baby Project’ Ensnared Dozens of Women Disgraced tycoon Greg Lindberg built a network of egg donors and surrogates. Several say he conned them—and that US fertility clinics helped him do it.

! www.bloomberg.com/news/feature...

How a Billionaire’s ‘Baby Project’ Ensnared Dozens of Women Disgraced tycoon Greg Lindberg built a network of egg donors and surrogates. Several say he conned them—and that US fertility clinics helped him do it.

A disgraced billionaire farmed dozens of women in an effort to have 50 kids — and US fertility clinics helped him do it

An investigation with @jackiedavalos.bsky.social

GIFT LINK 🎁 www.bloomberg.com/news/feature...

How a Billionaire’s ‘Baby Project’ Ensnared Dozens of Women Disgraced tycoon Greg Lindberg built a network of egg donors and surrogates. Several say he conned them—and that US fertility clinics helped him do it.

Jaw-dropping story about a billionaire who duped women into donating their eggs so he could have a brood of blonde, blue-eyed children. The "project" continued even when he was behind bars (and he's probably going back to prison, leaving the kids' care to nannies). Free link:

Silicon Valley’s Elite Pour Money Into Blotting Out the Sun Venture capitalists, startup founders and tech executives are funding studies, experiments and small deployments of controversial technology that could cool the planet.

One more for now! A feature on how blocking the sun to cool the planet is gaining interested funders in Silicon Valley and why that may (or may not) be a bad thing: www.bloomberg.com/news/feature...