Billion Dollar Moves™ with Sarah Chen-Spellings | Global Venture Capital

Tubi is the most-watched free TV and movie streaming service in the U.S. to date, with the world's largest content library of over 200,000 movies and TV episodes, a growing collection of originals, and nearly 250 Fox channels.

The powerhouse behind Tubi’s success is no stranger to the media industry: Anjali Sud, CEO of Tubi. Prior to Tubi, Anjali led Vimeo to become a public company following its spin-off from Barry Diller's IAC Internet Conglomerate.

When Anjali took over as CEO of Vimeo, she halted all prior initiatives to reinvent Vimeo as a software company serving the B2B market. Under her leadership, Vimeo achieved around $400 million in annual recurring revenue when she left.

Now, as Anjali takes on the role of CEO at Tubi, will she apply the same strategic disruption to her leadership of Tubi? In this week’s episode, we discuss her rise to leadership, the role of media and culture, and much more.

0:00 - Intro

03:14 - Who is Anjali Sud? Crucible moments that led Anjali onto entrepreneurial journey

08:22 - Being rejected by investment banks; Anjali’s career path in her 20s and pivoting into media

10:08 - Filling the market gap as Vimeo CEO; “I was willing to bet on myself and on the idea”

12:21 - Vimeo’s transition from ad-free version of YouTube to B2B SaaS model; the challenges and how to see the “signals”

18:06 - Vimeo going public as a spinoff; the tradeoffs of IPO

21:38 - Anjali’s advice to CEOs getting ready to be listed or for an exit event; importance of revenue predictability

23:44 - Changes are the only constant; growth strategies that worked for Vimeo

25:40 - The virality opportunity and word of mouth

26:31 - Anjali’s nine years in Vimeo and her transition to Tubi; “Media is going through significant disruption.”

29:10 - The future of media and content; Tubi as the free entertainment for the cordless generation

31:29 - The product-led mindset; strategy to combat stereotypes towards media ads

33:49 - Quality content with cultural relevance amidst the competition for attention; Tubi original series: Boarders & Big Mood

35:26 - The role of media and culture; influence of AI on media and content

39:31 - Billion Dollar Questions

“I believe in the power of video. No other medium has the ability to bring stories to life in a deeply personal way, while simultaneously reaching every corner of the globe."

Anjali Sud is an American businesswoman and technology and media executive. She is the CEO of Tubi, the entertainment platform and free ad-supported streaming service owned by Fox Corporation. Sud was previously CEO of Vimeo for six years, until August 2023.

FOLLOW ANJALI:

https://www.instagram.com/anjsud/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anjali_Sud

https://www.linkedin.com/in/anjalisud

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PODCAST INFO:

Podcast website: https://billiondollarmoves.com

Watch on Youtube: https://tinyurl.com/sarahchenglobal

Join the community: https://sarah-chen.ck.page/billiondollarmoves

FOLLOW SARAH:

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In the age of AI and rapid technological advances, what does it mean to leverage data for good? And in the face of the digital divide, what can we as investors do to address it?

With over 20 years of experience in founding multiple start-ups and leading initiatives across diverse sectors, Danil is dedicated to exploring and innovating at the intersection of technology, culture, and society. As the Executive Director of data.org, he drives the platform’s mission to build partnerships committed to advancing the field of data science for social impact.

This week's episode we had the honor to discuss topics from combating climate change to promoting equitable access to education and healthcare. Danil and his team at data.org are catalyzing positive change through data-driven solutions. You don’t want to miss this.

0:00 - Intro

02:51 - Who is Danil Mikhailov? Background in computer science and anthropology

03:54 - Merging impact: human centricity in data and technology; Wellcome Trust and DataDotOrg

09:41 - DataDotOrg’s mission as a collaboration between Rockefeller Foundation and MasterCard Center for Inclusive Growth.

11:23 - The Epiverse and the pandemic

16:16 - The gap in data science related investments between the private and the public sectors; partnership with universities

19:21 - The role of DataDotOrg as a consortium: philosophy of localism

23:23 - Takes on ChatGPT and large language models

26:50 - Digital divide and biases in generative AI tools

29:17 - Nurturing data science talents in emerging countries

31:25 - The next “gray rhino” obvious risk in society from the perspective of data

34:25 - Billion Dollar Questions

data.org is a platform for partnerships committed to building the field of data science for social impact.

https://www.linkedin.com/company/datadotorg/

https://data.org/news/from-data-for-good-to-data-for-impact/

FOLLOW DANIL:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/danilmikhailov/

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PODCAST INFO:

Podcast website: https://billiondollarmoves.com

Watch on Youtube: https://tinyurl.com/sarahchenglobal

Join the community: https://sarah-chen.ck.page/billiondollarmoves

FOLLOW SARAH:

https://linkedin.com/in/sarahchenglobal

https://instagram.com/sarahchenglobal

https://twitter.com/sarahchenglobal

“As long as you're open to what's next, as long as you're open to the unknown, then there's an opportunity for you to improve yourself.” - Kimberly Yao, Co-Founder & CEO of CloudEats.

From selling booze online and working in Philippine F&B to creating a revolutionary cloud kitchen concept, Kimberly Yao’s entrepreneurial journey has not been a walk in the park, to say the least.

Fueled by her passion and interest in food and e-commerce, Kim continues to evolve and adapt as the leader of CloudEats, which, simultaneously, is on a strong growth trajectory since its establishment.

How can you become the CEO that your company really needs? And what are the differences when you’re growing from 10 to 100, and then 100 to 1000?

Tune in now to learn more about Kim’s leadership at each stage of her entrepreneurial journey!

0:00 - Intro

02:50 - Takeaway #1: Passion-fueled vision

05:45 - Takeaway #2: Each experience you have is building you up for the next

08:31 - Takeaway #3: You need to be ready to grow and evolve as a CEO.

10:56 - Takeaway #4: The power of the Time Machine theory, but don’t forget to adapt in building in other markets.

13:26 - Sub-takeaway: Be sure of your local advantages 

16:56 - Takeaway #5: Not taking a risk, is the biggest risk

19:26 - Closing remarks

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Full Episode | Becoming the CEO Your Company Actually Needs to Scale & The Future of Virtual Kitchens with Kim Yao, CloudEats

🌐 Website: https://www.billiondollarmoves.com/future-of-virtual-kitchens-kim-yao-cloudeats/

🎞️ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=68-0ifhk3ZI

Co-founder and CEO, CloudEats

Kim is building the leading tech-powered food service ecosystem in Southeast Asia through digitally native restaurant brands and proprietary smart kitchen technology. By revolutionizing a massive yet traditional food service industry, her mission at CloudEats is to create the largest cloud restaurant group in the region, challenging brick and mortar heavyweights in F&B. With almost $14m in funding for CloudEats to date, Kim is known to have raised the largest amount of venture capital for a female Filipina led startup. She hopes to inspire female, underrepresented founders to keep dreaming big and work together to pave the way for more women entrepreneurs. 

Already a veteran in the food and beverage industry, Kimberly Yao opted to “evolve and futureproof” her career by going digital. CloudEats eschews physical restaurants and focuses its 50-plus in-house brands and customised kitchens on delivery. Established in May 2019, the company was recognised by Tech in Asia as one of Southeast Asia’s top 50 rising startups. CloudEats has thrived during Covid-19, opening a new kitchen and donating 55,000 meals to first responders.

FOLLOW KIM:

https://ph.linkedin.com/in/kimberlyyao

https://www.instagram.com/kimyaoza/

https://www.instagram.com/cloud.eats/

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PODCAST INFO:

Podcast website: https://billiondollarmoves.com

Watch on Youtube: https://tinyurl.com/sarahchenglobal

Join the community: https://sarah-chen.ck.page/billiondollarmoves

FOLLOW SARAH:

LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/sarahchenglobal

Instagram: https://instagram.com/sarahchenglobal

Twitter: https://twitter.com/sarahchenglobal

As of January 2024, Canva’s design platform attracted around 170 million monthly global users from 190 countries. BUT it was not too long ago that now 36-year-old Canva founder Melanie Perkins was rejected by 100 VCs. 

Just like some of the best companies today, Canva took awhile to get to an inflection point: between the first idea in 2006, to launching 2013, that was a span of 7 good years.

Today, Canva is a $26 billion design startup is ready to take on Microsoft and Google and compared to other behemoths; and people have created over 3 billion designs since.

This week, we are taking a deep dive into Melanie Perkin’s story of building the online designing empire Canva. 

0:00 - Intro

02:13 - Canva: from being rejected by over 100 VCs to a $26 billion design startup

05:00 - Lesson #1: Solve the problem you know intimately first: don’t be afraid to niche down, in the beginning

07:34 - Lesson #2: Good things take time—stay grounded, lean and persistent

11:19 - Lesson #3: Focus on what you can change, not what you can’t

15:07 - LESSON #4: Get comfortable going against the grain

17:44 - Lesson #5: You can do it all, but not all at once

21:17 - 3 Actionable Questions for You

Melanie Perkins is an Australian billionaire technology entrepreneur, who is the CEO and co-founder of Canva. 

Perkins is one of the youngest female CEOs of a tech start-up valued over A$1 billion. As of May 2021, Perkins was one of Australia's richest women.

Canva makes staff instant millionaires after $3.6b share sale

https://thenightly.com.au/business/canva-makes-staff-instant-millionaires-after-36b-share-sale-c-14205704

Guy Kawasaki's Remarkable People: Melanie Perkins: CEO of Canva

https://guykawasaki.com/melanie-perkins-canva-ceo/

Carmine Gallo and Canva CEO, Melanie Perkins

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xysjW_wZgxM

Sunrise Australia Day 1 - Melanie Perkins Keynote

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FXtGE811GCw

Melanie Perkins of Canva on Dealing with Rejection

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e31uR1WhrEQ

Melanie Perkins - Canva - Founder stories from The Sunrise

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h1uyh2IRWWM

How Canva CEO Melanie Perkins turned her small Australian college startup into global unicorn | E939

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8TBSg79Gf0M

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PODCAST INFO:

Podcast website: https://billiondollarmoves.com

Watch on Youtube: https://tinyurl.com/sarahchenglobal

Join the community: https://sarah-chen.ck.page/billiondollarmoves

FOLLOW SARAH:

LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/sarahchenglobal

Instagram: https://instagram.com/sarahchenglobal

Twitter: https://twitter.com/sarahchenglobal

You may have heard the news: as of January 2nd, 2024, Bumble founder Whitney Wolfe Herd has stepped down as chief executive after nearly a decade leading the dating app company.

Despite challenges ahead - a more conservative revenue forecast highlighting the need for a dating-app revamp - let’s not overlook the journey that brought Whitney and Bumble to this point.

Not to down play that Whitney Wolfe Herd is a recognizable name, at 31 years old becoming the youngest female CEO who had taken a company public in 2021.

To call her career trajectory a “comeback” is an understatement and this is why, Whitney makes first on the list of Billion Dollar Moves CEO Series - enjoy!

0:00 - Intro

2:18 - Whitney Wolfe Herd stepped down from Bumble CEO position; her exit from Tinder and then becoming the youngest women ever to take a company public

5:40 - Lesson #1 Don’t be afraid to make radical bets, especially on yourself

9:15 - Lesson #2 Success can be built on personal setbacks and challenges

10:27 - Lesson #3 Building and upholding a purpose-driven brand identity

14:11 - 3 actionable questions you can ask yourself to think like Whitney

Whitney Wolfe Herd is the founder, executive chair, and former CEO of publicly traded Bumble, an online dating platform, launched in 2014. Co-founded with Russian billionaire Andrey Andreev, Bumble, the dating app, was known for women making the first move. Whitney who owns a 17% stake in Bumble, became the youngest self-made woman billionaire after it went public in February 2021 for ten months.

Prior to Bumble, she was the co-founder of Tinder and was previously its Vice President of Marketing. 

Calling out inappropriate user behavior on Bumble:

“An Open Letter to Conner” 

Whitney's journey from Tinder to Bumble, then IPO:

“She sued Tinder, founded Bumble and now, at 30, is the CEO of a $3 billion dating empire”

“How Whitney Wolfe Herd Turned a Vision of a Better Internet Into a Billion-Dollar Brand”

Stepping down from CEO position as of January 2024: “Whitney Wolfe Herd Is Stepping Down as Bumble’s C.E.O. After a Decade”

Bumble Founder's Business Lessons For Entrepreneurs | Forbes

Bumble's Whitney Wolfe Herd: The Story of Bumble

Former Billionaire Whitney Wolfe Herd Out As Bumble CEO

Rewriting the Rules of Business and Life With Whitney Wolfe Herd - Official Trailer - MasterClass

Bumble Founder: The Truth About My Explosive Tinder Exit

Secrets To Dating And Making A Billion By 31 From Bumble’s Whitney Wolfe Herd | MSNBC Summit Series

Revisiting a clip from the LP Summit co-hosted by Beyond the Billion and Arctic15 in Helsinki in 2023, we have curated this brief but insightful episode for GPs, LPs, or even founders.

This week’s guests are two European LP veterans - Marko Hara, formerly the director of Elo, one of Finland's largest employee pensions, and Tomi Viia, currently the head of investments at OP Financial Group, managing assets totaling €14.2 billion.

Our conversation delved into the trends and opportunities in private equity and highlighted the winning strategies for LPs during uncertain times. Let’s get started!

0:00 - Intro

03:57 - Takes on current market conditions; advice for LPs during venture slumps

07:48 - The shifts in portfolio diversity; the weighing in private equity

12:28 - Opportunities in US market for European LPs

15:14 - Advice for LPs and portfolio construction during uncertain times

17:25 - The winning factors in investment opportunities

20:22 - Huge platform shift with the explosion of AI; emerging managers are not off the table

23:02 - Q&A: Where are the best soft skills and hard skills that you are looking for in GPs in this environment?

24:53 - Key takeaway for LPs and GPs

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PODCAST INFO:

Podcast website: https://billiondollarmoves.com

Watch on Youtube: https://tinyurl.com/sarahchenglobal

Join the community: https://sarah-chen.ck.page/billiondollarmoves

FOLLOW SARAH:

LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/sarahchenglobal

Instagram: https://instagram.com/sarahchenglobal

Twitter: https://twitter.com/sarahchenglobal

"Goodwill should mean a whole lot more than accounting concept, is earned and cannot be bought; but if done correctly, can be worth a whole lot."

As we step into Q2, there's no better time to pause, reflect, and realign our goals for the year ahead.

This week, we revisit an episode that continues to inspire, which talks about creating real value with kindness and math, as advocated by James Rhee and his new book red helicopter.

In this conversation, we talked about money, reality, true alpha and transformation -- leveraging kindness. This as he saw in his tenure as the unlikely “least qualified CEO” of Ashley Stewart, where he reinvented the company from the brink of bankruptcy.

Ahead of your full read, here are some key takeaways from our conversation last year. Enjoy!

0:00 - Intro

02:30 - Takeaway #1: You don't make money with just zeros and ones.

06:07 - Takeaway #2: Kindness is one of the things you never have to hedge. It's never wrong to be kind.

10:14 - Takeaway #3: Don’t underestimate the power of appreciating the quiet leaders.

12:00 Takeaway #4: “I'm more proud of the way we did it than what the result was.”

13:44 - Takeaway #5: The scarcity mindset and why the richest aren’t always the happiest

17:23 - Closing remarks: the red helicopter

Leading with Kindness | James Rhee

🎙️Podcast: https://link.chtbl.com/bdm-jamesrhee 

🎞️ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5YYr6ZRQPdI

Imagine, a clear path forward told as a deeply felt human story. A poignant and uplifting celebration of humanity, red helicopter—a parable for our times is a tale of struggle and triumph, compelling for its honesty and relatability as much as for the instructions we can all use to balance the books of our lives.

Grab your copy here!

Learn more about James Rhee and red helicopter: 

https://www.redhelicopter.com/

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PODCAST INFO:

Podcast website: https://billiondollarmoves.com

Watch on Youtube: https://tinyurl.com/sarahchenglobal

Join the community: https://sarah-chen.ck.page/billiondollarmoves

FOLLOW SARAH:

LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/sarahchenglobal

Instagram: https://instagram.com/sarahchenglobal

Twitter: https://twitter.com/sarahchenglobal

Muslims are projected to constitute more than 25% of the world's total population this year. To many in the industry, this isn't just a statistic; it represents a vast array of opportunities for the markets.

This week, we had the pleasure of speaking with Fara Abdullah, CEO of Bitsmedia, the brains behind the immensely popular Muslim lifestyle app, Muslim Pro. 

With a fresh injection of $20 million from its recent Series A funding round, featuring participation from Gobi Partners, alongside continued backing from existing investors CMI Capital Partners and Bintang Capital Partners, Bitsmedia is poised to enhance the faith experience through cutting-edge technologies. 

Our discussion today delves into various aspects, including the business landscape, the potential in faith-driven markets, and the interception of faith, finance, and technology. 

0:00 - Intro

02:52 - Market opportunities in the Muslim community; Bitsmedia’s business model

07:39 - Challenging the misconceptions and templatization of Muslims

10:49 - Thesis behind the 160 million annual downloads of Muslim Pro: faith in challenging times and the modern Muslim lifestyle

15:13 - Bitsmedia’s ideal consumer profile and the growth of user base

20:30 - Business models and the biggest revenue drive for Bitsmedia

24:11 - Decision making and resource distribution as the CEO

26:52 - The role of technology in shaping faith and vice versa

30:31 - The idea of moderation and ethical interpretations with use of technologies

32:41 - Bitsmedia’s role in the interception of faith, finance and technology

34:35 - Observed trends of religious behaviors and attitudes; the socialization of faith

37:01 - Fundraising and choosing the right partners

39:46 - Billion dollar questions

Bitsmedia is a Singapore-based, technology company known globally as the developer and publisher of the Muslim Pro app – a highly-rated and comprehensive Muslim lifestyle app with more than 150 million downloads globally to date.

The company is also the publisher of Qalbox, a global subscription video on demand (SVoD) entertainment streaming service aimed at the global Muslim community.

Muslim Pro's journey started with its inception as a utility app dedicated to fulfilling the daily spiritual and practical needs of Muslims worldwide. Under Fara's guidance, Muslim Pro has undergone a significant transformation, evolving from its original utility focus to become a pioneering platform catering to the diverse facets of the Muslim community.

Fara's strategic foresight has been vital to transitioning Muslim Pro into a holistic ecosystem for Muslims. Beyond spiritual and religious guidance, the platform now encompasses educational resources, AI-driven tools, and robust partnerships with key enablers, brands, and organizations within the Muslim sector.

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PODCAST INFO:

Podcast website: https://billiondollarmoves.com

Watch on Youtube: https://tinyurl.com/sarahchenglobal

Join the community: https://sarah-chen.ck.page/billiondollarmoves

FOLLOW SARAH:

LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/sarahchenglobal

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“We believe an inclusive and optimal asset management industry will be the cornerstone of an equal and equitable future.” - Illumen Capital

While organizations explore ways to embody diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI), authenticity and clear, measurable outcomes are essential for effectiveness. 

This week, we're joined by Joanna Kuang, Senior Vice President of Product Development and Impact at Illumen Capital. We delve into the significance of impact investing and strategies to ensure tangible efforts are made to drive meaningful change in venture, in our society.

0:00 - Intro

02:18 - Joanna’s backstory as the daughter of immigrants; living experience in Mississippi Delta that drove her to join Illumen Capital

04:02 - Genesis of Illumen Capital as a fund of funds

05:42 - Study alongside Stanford SPARQ: Race influences professional investors’ financial judgments (2019)

09:16 - Diversity efforts in venture today; DEI policies

13:10 - Quantitative data to drive accountability; best practices to remove biases in pitching and diligence processes

18:06 - Illumen Capital’s stand under the backdrop of many anti-DEI laws

21:19 - Diversity drives performance: investment strategies and performance measurements

24:41 - Established and emerging managers as the next key strategy for Illumen Capital

28:18 - Portfolio construction as a fund of funds and ticket sizes

30:42 - The winning factors versus common mistakes in diverse fund managers; impact washing

32:47 - Looking ahead 2024 private market; advice for fund managers

35:38 - Billion Dollar Questions

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Illumen Capital is an impact fund of funds addressing systemic inequity by reducing racial and gender bias in investing.

Working closely with the world’s leading social psychologists at Stanford SPARQ, they combine investment capital with evidence-based tools and training designed to reduce implicit racial and gender bias in order to unlock latent return and multiply impact.

More about Illumen Capital: https://www.illumencapital.com

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PODCAST INFO:

Podcast website: https://billiondollarmoves.com

Watch on Youtube: https://tinyurl.com/sarahchenglobal

Join the community: https://sarah-chen.ck.page/billiondollarmoves

FOLLOW SARAH:

LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/sarahchenglobal

Instagram: https://instagram.com/sarahchenglobal

Twitter: https://twitter.com/sarahchenglobal

Berkshire Hathaway and the famed investor Warren Buffett himself are often the topic of discussion when it comes to achieving success in the world of venture. 

Nevertheless, despite the almost unassuming marketing strategies compared to today’s eye-catching everything, Berkshire Hathaway illustrated incomparable strategic marketing that yielded loyalty and reputation.

This inspired today's Billion Dollar Bite, where we delve into the topic of strategic marketing and how us in the venture world can learn a thing or two.

Ross Simmonds is the founder of today's leading content marketing firm, Foundation. Ross leads the team at Foundation, specializing in helping B2B and SaaS brands build content marketing engines that generate millions of visits a year, resulting in millions worth of new business.

We covered a range of topics from A.I. and marketing reskilling your workforce to breaking down some amazing case studies from billion-dollar businesses like MasterClass and Berkshire Hathaway.

0:00 - Intro

2:47 - AI for marketer; takes on AI replacing marketer’s job

6:24 - Biggest lessons from MasterClass: building around Google search intent

10:33 - MasterClass’ marketing strategy

12:18 - Glassdoor’s content creation and SEO strategies

13:33 - Leveraging AI, the best approach to expand globally as B2B business

16:36 - Mr.Beast; Berkshire Hathaway; should all businesses be creators?

19:11 - Leaders as the voices on platform like LinkedIn

21:32 - Content creation in leadership position is a waste of time?

23:30 - How do we engage with public reaction on social media?

24:42 - Takes on nonpolitical versus political leader; common mistakes made by companies on social initiatives

28:00 - Billion dollar questions

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A marketer, keynote speaker, SaaS & B2B tech investor, writer and the CEO of Foundation. Ross is multitalented and devoted his work to help, inspire and teach the underdogs of the world how to use research, creation, distribution and optimization to unlock new levels of growth and opportunities.

Ross’ content marketing agency, Foundation, offers content marketing services to a diverse clientele spanning the globe. We’ve worked some of the most successful SaaS companies in the world and work as partners for multiple publicly traded cloud companies who have redefined entire industries. 

More about Ross and Foundation: https://rosssimmonds.com/

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PODCAST INFO:

Podcast website: https://billiondollarmoves.com

Watch on Youtube: https://tinyurl.com/sarahchenglobal

Join the community: https://sarah-chen.ck.page/billiondollarmoves

FOLLOW SARAH:

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Twitter: https://twitter.com/sarahchenglobal