The Oracle of Oxford
Larry Ellison, who surpassed Elon Musk last week to become the world’s richest man, is transforming the city into the new Silicon Valley
Death Becomes Them
Now even funerals are a scene for the social climbing and peacocking of the Instagram age
The New Fountain of Youth
Forget red-light therapy and intermittent fasting: a new study finds the secret to staying young is being ageist
Finding Love, the Old-Fashioned Way
From backgammon clubs to cornhole speed dating, Gen Z–ers with app fatigue are looking for their other halves in real life
Is the Gulf Art Boom a Mirage?
The art market is abuzz over the Middle East—but when autocrats are footing the bill, how long can it last?
What Does Your A.I. Say About You?
There was a time when a person’s bookshelf or record collection betrayed their soul. Today, it is their sidebar of A.I. tabs—be it ChatGPT, Claude, or Grok
Dude, Where’s My Tote?
From listening to Lana Del Rey to reading Sally Rooney, straight men are making a point of rejecting toxic masculinity and embracing feminine tastes in order to find love. Behold the rise of the “performative male”
The Good, the Bad, and the Bunny
Puerto Rican rapper Bad Bunny has brought local fans and international stars together for his concert residency, which doubles as one big party
Politicians in Diapers!
“Our nation’s finest leaders … where they belong”: inside the infantile world of Diaper Diplomacy, a video-shorts series taking the Internet by storm
A Pop Star’s Best Friend
Travis Kelce and Taylor Swift’s engagement this week has broken the Internet, but her ring—purportedly worth $1 million—is breaking the scale
A Blood Sport with Blow-Dries
On social media, college girls are treating sorority rush like reality TV—and earning millions in the process
The Great Waterlily Weigh-Off
From Junior’s cheesecakes to Ted Drewes frozen custards, gardens across the world are competing for how much weight their Victoria waterlilies can hold—and getting creative with their measuring tools
A New Twist in the U.K. Phone-Hacking Scandal
Was Will Lewis—now publisher of The Washington Post—complicit in covering up the crimes that brought down an infamous British tabloid?
Sex Sober
Dating-app fatigue, the fall of Roe v. Wade, heterofatalism: Do Gen Z women need any more reasons to be celibate?
ACK-on-ACK Violence
On Nantucket, summer is more than just a time for the ultra-rich to visit their second homes. It’s also when the picture-perfect island’s cracks begin to show
A Diet of TikTok and Tequila
The U.S. Open women’s champion Aryna Sabalenka has won over the New York crowds by embracing the tournament’s boozy spirit—and never being too tired to hit the town
Who’s Afraid of Bushcore?
Glossing over the bungling of Katrina and the disastrous wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, younger generations are recasting George W. Bush as America’s most lovable grandfather
Faulty Tower
The closure of New York’s historic Hotel Carter—where $99 a night got you bloodstained sheets and moldy ceilings—marks the end of Times Square’s seedy side, for better or worse
A Clubhouse with a View
Through a discreet door in the Uffizi and down a maze of vaulted tunnels sits Florence’s most exclusive social club
Clowning Around
In Los Angeles, an underground comedy scene draws audiences into chaotic, squirm-in-your-seat shows—an antidote for the social-media-weary
The Age of the D.I.Y. Proposal
Popping the question has officially lost its romance, with brides deciding exactly when, how, and with what ring their grooms will get down on one knee
Love in the Time of Reality TV
Bachelor in Paradise! Love Island! Love on the Spectrum! Why is everyone so obsessed with dating shows?
The Boats That Rocked
In Monaco, 50-knot, all-electric boats owned by Tom Brady, Rafael Nadal, and Will Smith raced against a glimmering backdrop of Birkins and the Mediterranean
Fancy Feast
Does your cocktail party lack heft and grandeur? Enter the dînatoire, an entertaining trend that’s sweeping New York
