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BMW’s Electric i3 and iX3 Raise the EV Standard With a 400-Plus-Mile Range

The current BMW i5 electric sedan has an official range of 278 to 310 miles, and it might be closer to 250 to 270 in the real world. 

That is why the coming 2027 BMW i3 50 xDrive—the first of the “Neue Klasse” cars coming to the U.S. early next year and just revealed to the world—is such a game changer.  

The range is estimated at 440 miles, beating most EVs on the road now, and it is coupled with exciting performance, including zero-to-60 estimated at 3.8 seconds and an impressive 463 horsepower (with 476 pound-feet of torque) from a pair of electric motors, delivering xDrive to all four wheels.  

A single-motor version is down the road. The price isn’t out yet, but it is likely to begin between US$55,000 and $65,000.  

If sedans aren’t your thing, the electric 3-Series will also be offered as an approximately $60,000 iX3 crossover SUV, which has a similar powertrain and performance.  

The twin-motor iX3 50 xDrive has a slightly lower 400 miles of range, due in part to its less-aerodynamic shape compared with the i3. It is also not quite as speedy, getting to 60 mph in 4.7 seconds.  

BMW design has been iffy lately, and virtually no one loves the cars with the huge kidney grilles, but the “Neue Klasse” turns the page, and the i3 and iX3 are both strikingly handsome.  

The i3 isn’t a particularly lightweight vehicle, at approximately 4,850 pounds, which is why both the i3 and iX3 need a huge 108-kilowatt-hour battery pack.  

The drawback could be longer charge times, but up to 400-kilowatt plug ins are available here.  

At a DC fast charger, a charge from 10% to 80% should take only 21 minutes.  

A 19.2-kilowatt home charger is available. The pack supports standard bidirectional charging, which means it could theoretically provide power to your home during an outage.  

A bonus is that the big battery can also supply 3,700 watts for whatever you have in mind, from tailgating to camping.  

The cars share basic suspension, but on the sedan an adaptive M-branded suspension is available.  

Both BMWs introduce the new Panoramic iDrive, which features an 18-inch touch screen angled at the driver.  

Early users say it is incredibly responsive. Inside, the standard trim features Econeer upholstery that is 100% fabricated from recycled PET bottles.  

M Design cars upgrade to black Veganza (aka vegan leather). The top trim is BMW Individual with black Merino leather.  

It is standard for automakers to introduce their fully loaded models out of the gate, with the more bread-and-butter versions appearing later.  

BMW is certainly doing that here, but i3s and iX3s priced below $50,000 are expected fairly soon.  

The momentum for electrics has certainly slowed, but cars like these—offering performance, dynamics and features superior to the conventional alternatives—should help EVs get back on track. 

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NEW DESIGN-LED SAFARI LODGE TO OPEN IN KENYA’S AMBOSELI REGION

Luxury safari operator  Abercrombie & Kent  has announced the opening of Kitirua Plains Lodge, a new design-led property in Kenya’s Amboseli region that aims to redefine traditional safari accommodation. 

Set on a 128-acre private concession bordering Amboseli National Park, the lodge has been designed to blend into its natural surroundings rather than dominate them.  

Developed in partnership with architecture firm Luxury Frontiers, the property reflects a broader shift towards environmentally responsive and community-integrated safari experiences. 

Positioned within sweeping savannah landscapes and offering uninterrupted views of Mount Kilimanjaro, the lodge features 13 standalone suites oriented to frame the iconic peak.  

The design draws on vernacular architecture and local artistic traditions, with an undulating black roof inspired by traditional Maasai buildings and lath screens based on indigenous construction methods to enhance ventilation and shade. 

The project marks a return to Amboseli for Abercrombie & Kent, where founder Geoffrey Kent first introduced clients to luxury safari travel in 1962, establishing a model of adventure by day and comfort by night that continues to influence the industry. 

Materials used throughout the lodge have been sourced locally where possible.  

According to the company, 90 per cent of the furniture was made in Kenya using mango wood and African teak, while Mazeras stone quarried nearby has been used for cladding and flooring. 

Interior finishes, including rough-plaster walls mixed with soil from the site, reflect the colours and textures of the surrounding terrain. 

Sustainability measures have been embedded into the design from the outset.  

The lodge operates on 100 per cent solar power, uses passive cooling strategies to reduce reliance on air-conditioning and recycles greywater for irrigation. 

Waste management systems, including recycling and composting, were incorporated during construction. 

Community engagement also formed a central part of the development, with local workers employed during construction and traditional techniques used to encourage skills transfer and economic benefit. 

Features such as hand-woven sisal ceilings, clay bead pendants and sculptural grass art highlight the role of regional artisans in shaping the property’s aesthetic identity. 

Kitirua Plains Lodge is scheduled to open on June 1, 2026, joining A&K Sanctuary’s existing Kenyan properties Olonana Lodge in the Maasai Mara and Tambarare Camp in Ol Pejeta Conservancy.  

The lodge will be available as part of the brand’s Tailor Made and Small Group journeys.

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Saudi Arabia Sees a Spike to $180 Oil if Energy Shock Persists Past April

Saudi Arabia’s oil officials are working frantically to project how high oil prices might go if the Iran war and its disruption of energy supplies doesn’t end soon—and they don’t like what they are seeing. 

The base case, several oil officials in the Gulf’s biggest producer said, is that prices could soar past $180 a barrel if the disruptions persist until late April. 

While that would sound like a bonanza for a kingdom still heavily leveraged to oil revenue, it is deeply concerning. Prices that high could push consumers into habits that slash their oil use—potentially for the long term—or trigger a recession that also hurts demand. They also would risk casting Saudi Arabia in the role of profiteer in a war it didn’t start. 

“Saudi Arabia generally does not like too-rapid increases in oil, because that then creates long-term market instability,” said Umer Karim, an analyst of Saudi foreign policy and geopolitics with the King Faisal Center for Research and Islamic Studies. “For Saudis, the ideal equation is a relatively modest increase in prices while their market share remains stable.” 

Saudi Aramco, the country’s national oil company, which handles production, sales and pricing, declined to comment. 

This week’s strikes targeting energy facilities have pushed oil prices higher . In retaliation for an Israeli strike Wednesday on Iran’s South Pars gas field , Tehran hit facilities in Qatar’s Ras Laffan energy hub and attacked other Gulf infrastructure including Saudi facilities at Yanbu, the Red Sea end of a pipeline that can take crude around the chokepoint in the Strait of Hormuz . 

Iran also continued to hit ships in the Gulf, extending a string of attacks that have all but shut the strait, the narrow conduit for 20% of the world’s oil shipments. 

Attacks sent benchmark Brent futures as high as $119 a barrel before easing back Thursday. The contract’s all-time high, reached in July 2008, was $146.08.  

“$200 a barrel is not outside the realms of possibility in 2026,” analysts at energy consulting firm Wood Mackenzie said. 

Gulf futures tied to Oman crude, which are less liquid but which quickly reflect local supply disruptions, shot past $166 a barrel. Oman is a benchmark for much of the oil sold by Middle East producers such as Saudi Arabia, with tankers of physical crude priced at a fixed spread to the benchmark, which floats up and down each day with the market. 

Some Saudi customers are balking at using the benchmark given its volatility, the oil officials said. Aramco, however, is insisting it is a true reflection of supply in the market, they said. 

The war has already removed millions of barrels of oil from global supply. Prices are up by around 50% since the conflict began Feb. 28. 

Modellers at Saudi Aramco need to assess the direction of the market in time to release the official selling prices for their crude by April 2. They pull in a number of inputs, including soundings on customer demand from staff who handle oil sales.  

Saudi Arabian light crude is already being sold to Asian buyers via its Red Sea port for around $125 a barrel. As extra oil in storage—some of which was shipped out of the Gulf ahead of the war—is used up, physical shortages will bite more deeply next week, causing prices to close in on $138 to $140, the officials said. 

By the second week of April, with no easing of the supply disruptions and the Strait of Hormuz remaining closed, the Saudi officials said they expected prices could hit $150 before stepping up to $165 and $180 in the weeks ahead. 

Oil traders are also putting bets on much higher prices, though many remain far lower than Aramco’s most dire scenario. Wagers that Brent futures will hit $130, $140 or $150 a barrel next month were among the most popular positions in the options market on Wednesday, according to Intercontinental Exchange data. A smaller but growing number of traders are betting prices could shoot up even further. 

“The market isn’t acting like this is an end-of-March thing any more,” said Rebecca Babin, a senior energy trader for CIBC Private Wealth, referring to an ending for the war. “I don’t think $150 is out of the question in another month…You start talking about June, I’ll give you $180.”  

Many variables could keep prices from going that high, among them an end to the fighting or freed-up barrels from sanctioned producers such as Russia contributing to global supply. Demand could also fall, which would bring prices back down but potentially only in tandem with a recession. 

Energy producers are scrambling to figure out how high prices can go before buyers start cutting back, a phenomenon called demand destruction. 

“Generally, $150 Brent is where people will really start to put their pencils down and do the math,” Babin said.  

At that price, analysts say, Americans might start taking the bus, working from home or rethinking their summer vacations. Manufacturers could slow down rather than operate uneconomically.  

The more relevant price for most consumers is at the pump. Gasoline demand tends to start declining once prices exceed $3.50 a gallon, according to James West of Melius Research. 

For many, prices are already there. Americans’ average retail prices for gasoline jumped to $3.88 a gallon Thursday, according to AAA, up from $2.93 a month ago. Drivers in Arizona, New Mexico and Colorado have faced the starkest sticker shock. 

Diesel’s even more rapid price surge, to $5.10 a gallon, is already hitting companies that rely on the fuel to move everything from produce to semiconductors to steel nationwide.  

“Higher fuel costs act like a tax on consumers and businesses, forcing households to spend more on energy and less elsewhere,” said Philip Blancato, chief executive at Ladenburg Asset Management. 

Another big risk to demand comes from industrial users curtailing consumption and from the broad economic contraction that can accompany oil shocks, according to Wood Mackenzie. 

That pullback in demand would likely initially hit energy-poor countries in Asia and Europe, where prices for jet fuel, diesel and more already are skyrocketing. 

An adviser working with Saudi Aramco said the company is weighing a scenario in which the rapidly rising cost of oil imports in Europe, Japan and Korea puts downward pressure on their currencies, raising their effective cost of energy, driving inflation and interest rates up, and eventually slowing their economies and demand. 

Analysts warn that a continued run-up in U.S. prices could eventually hit the U.S. , the world’s largest oil producer. 

Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell said Wednesday that persistently higher energy costs would buoy price pressures and ding growth. 

While the U.S. has become a major energy exporter in recent years, Powell said, “The net of the oil shock will still be some downward pressure on spending and employment and upward pressure on inflation.” 

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Gen X Is Stuck in the Middle and Financially Squeezed. How One Financial Adviser Is Helping.

Gen X families, including affluent ones, face a hornet’s nest of financial challenges, from helping out their adult children to providing care for ageing parents to managing careers in a perilous job market.

Zach Mangels, a senior vice president at Wealthspire Advisors in San Rafael, Calif., estimates a quarter of his clients are in the Gen X demographic.

“Mortgage rates are higher, carrying costs are higher, educational costs are higher, groceries are higher, eldercare is higher—all of that stuff eats into cash flow. And even people with higher incomes are feeling that,” says Mangels, 40.

Barron’s Advisor spoke with Mangels about the financial challenges facing his Gen X clients, people between the ages of 46 and 61.

Mangels touched on how he creates short-term plans for clients concerned about career setbacks, why he recommends boundaries for Gen X parents who want to financially support adult kids, and how he guides clients with ageing parents.

How has financial planning for Gen X clients changed?

Typically, when you create a financial plan, you’re looking at long-range goals.

But now I look at more immediate needs because of the pressures Gen X families are dealing with.

For example, I see more clients whose children are coming back home after graduating from college, needing financial support for a much longer period of time than previous generations expected to receive.

How should help for adult children be structured?

If they need to support their child, I want to understand the nature of what the support will look like.

I have a client whose kids just graduated and whose majors don’t lend themselves to a high income right now.

They knew their kids would be coming back home after graduation and we talked about what the nature of their help would look like.

First we looked at their financial plan to see what kind of support they could provide and we defined the maximum amount.

Then we designed the support in a way that would be planned, explicit, and with purposeful boundaries.

That’s very important for the younger generation. Parents need to know how to help their kids without them becoming dependent.

The children need to have agency and to know they don’t have access to an unlimited piggy bank.

What was the plan?

The clients had a conversation with their kids about what to expect.

The kids could live rent-free for three years, with a small stipend, an amount that didn’t disincentivise them from looking for a job.

In this environment, entry-level jobs are increasingly hard to come by, but any job that moves you closer to a career you want is worth looking at. In this case, their daughter got a job as an assistant to a personal shopper, which was related to the direction she wanted to follow.

Do you help the parents practice what to say?

I didn’t provide a ton of details to the parents with what exactly to say. But I coached them on the basics—having a clear, purposeful, intentional conversation and getting buy-in from their kids.

How do you advise clients with ageing parents?

The cost of long-term care for seniors has increased dramatically.

One of the conversations I have with my clients is how they perceive their parents’ financial circumstances and to what degree they might have to provide a layer of financial support. My dad was in memory care for a few years and we paid maybe 15 grand a month.

My clients’ parents are usually relatively stable financially. But the most important issue is the use of the family residence to help provide support. A lot of people in California who have owned homes a long time have a lot of equity in those homes. That’s the ultimate backstop, the last line of defence.

What about the job market?

Gen X is also dealing with career and income volatility. We’ve seen all the headlines about tech layoffs and the rise of AI. A lot of my clients work in the tech industry.

The conversations I have more frequently focus on clients’ concerns about their ability to continue earning at the same level.

We look at diversifying their equity component more quickly, getting it out of company stock, especially for those in tech.

For example, some clients at Amazon have restricted stock units they can sell periodically. But now they’re selling those (Amazon) stocks and then deploying the [cash into other equities] more slowly.

We’re hearing about how quickly AI is going to change things. For people in software on the front lines, they’re pretty anxious about it.

Can you provide an example?

One client who works at Google told me he expected a lot of change with AI as the disruptive force.

A few companies will benefit, he feels. A lot won’t. So he’s actively selling his company shares.

Historically we would reinvest the proceeds as they’ve come in. But now he wants to slow that down. Hold cash a little bit longer and slowly deploy it.

His perception is that change is coming quickly. He doesn’t know what that will look like but it probably won’t be good.

In behavioural finance, we know you feel a loss much more significantly than you feel a gain. And he’s trying to avoid putting money in the market right before there is a big correction.

It sounds stressful.

It’s super stressful. And as we go into 2026, especially in the tech sector and among those with high incomes, I see a lot of anxiety.

I have another client who works in finance, but the nature of his job moves with economic cycles.

He was laid off at the start of Covid and he’s getting nervous again. It’s a “vibecession” that a lot of people are feeling right now.

How do you help someone worried about a job loss?

Over a year ago, we restructured where his investments are held, so that if he gets laid off and ends up spending his emergency fund, the next thing he’ll tap is a more conservative account we created.

It’s not that we took his overall asset allocation and made it more conservative. We just put more investments in this other account. It’s a matter of asset location and it gives him peace of mind knowing he has a fallback he can tap.

That strategy would be helpful for anybody today. The challenge is if you have accounts with a lot of capital gains.

Does multigenerational planning help?

My work with baby boomer clients often involves conversations about supporting their Gen X and older millennial children.

I’ve seen a lot of parents and grandparents of Gen Xers looking for ways to accelerate their generational wealth transfer, trying to provide assistance now when it’s more impactful on their kids’ lives.

For example, a baby boomer client was looking for ways to help her Gen X son, who is married with a child in middle school, but had started accumulating a lot of debt after he was laid off.

We worked together to model the level of support she could provide and how to structure the assistance so it wouldn’t impact her son’s sense of independence.

Ultimately, she decided on a one-time gift that would cover about six months of living expenses. I call this indirect Gen X planning.

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Las Vegas Power Couple Lists Home in the Nevada Desert for $19.5 Million

Jenna and Michael Morton have created some of the best-known nightclubs and restaurants in Las Vegas.  

But when building a home in the area for their family, they veered away from the glitzy excess of the Strip in favour of a calming, desert retreat.  

That’s not to say entertainment was an afterthought: The roughly 2-acre property in the Summerlin neighbourhood has a 60-foot outdoor slide and a DJ booth.  

“We are in Las Vegas,” Jenna said. “It’s part of what we do in this town. We do fun.”  

Now, after about 20 years of fun, the Mortons’ three children are out of the house, and they are listing the home for $19.5 million.  

Michael is a son of Chicago restaurateur Arnie Morton, who founded Morton’s The Steakhouse, which has more than 50 locations nationwide.  

His brother Peter Morton co-founded the Hard Rock Cafe, and Michael and Jenna operate restaurants including Crush at the MGM Grand and La Cave Wine and Food Hideaway at Wynn Resorts . 

The couple paid $1.25 million for the vacant Summerlin site in 2003. At the time, they were living in Chicago but planning to move to Las Vegas to be closer to their work.  

Located in the Ridges, a gated community about 15 minutes from the Strip, the property is at the end of a cul-de-sac abutting the Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area.  

“The first time we were there, there were wild burros behind us,” Michael said. 

The single-story house spans about 9,400 square feet and curves toward the canyon for privacy and mountain views.  

Photo: JPM Studios.

“The curve is an embrace of the mountains,” said Jenna during a video call as she walked outside, the vista framing her face. 

In contrast to the over-the-top vibe of Las Vegas hotels and casinos, the couple’s aesthetic at home is what Jenna described as “Japan meets desert,” with clean lines and neutral colours. 

The house has seven bedrooms; the primary bath has a soaking tub made out of a boulder. 

A wine room has colour-changing Lucite pegs that hold hundreds of bottles. A separate, roughly 530-square-foot guesthouse has a roof deck. 

The property is mostly flat, with the exception of a sloped section where the Mortons built the tiled slide, which drops into the pool.  

“I looked at it and said, ‘There will be a slide on that hill,’” Michael recalled. It isn’t just children who have enjoyed it—he and Jenna and many of their friends have taken a turn. “A lot of adults hit that slide,” he said. 

Photo: JPM Studios.

The Mortons said they entertained frequently, from fundraisers to a birthday party where their son filled an outdoor trampoline with bubbles.  

For Jenna’s 40th birthday, the couple hosted a 1960s-themed party that began with a 200-person sit-down dinner, followed by toasts and karaoke.  

Michael enlisted the rock band Cheap Trick to make a surprise appearance during karaoke.  

As Jenna took the microphone and started belting out their song “I Want You to Want Me,” the band began playing behind her. “We took the rods out of the reactor that night,” he said. undefined 

Although selling is bittersweet, the Mortons said they want something smaller now that their children are grown.  

The couple—he is 61, she is 59—have a second home in Manhattan Beach, Calif., and they plan to build a smaller house in Las Vegas.  

The luxury market in Las Vegas has exploded over the past few years, said listing agent Kristen Routh-Silberman of Douglas Elliman.  

There were 76 sales in the Las Vegas area above $10 million in 2025, up from 59 a year prior, she said. The record is held by a home at the Summit Club that traded for $35 million in 2024.  

A recent building boom means inventory is finally catching up to demand, according to Routh-Silberman.  

The spring market has started early this year, and there seems to be more activity thanks to demand from California and Washington transplants seeking tax advantages, she said. 

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Below 40? You Should Already Be Getting Screened for Cholesterol, Heart Attack Risks

Adults should be screened and treated for high cholesterol starting at age 30, if not sooner, according to new clinical guidelines, lowering the age by at least a decade at a time when heart attacks are becoming more common in younger adults. 

The goal is to shift to a more proactive approach to head off problems in younger years, rather than starting lifestyle changes and medical treatment in middle age when a patient may already have damage in their arteries, said Dr Roger Blumenthal, chair of the committee of cardiologists that wrote the new guidelines.  

Growing research shows how much damage can be done when levels of LDL, or “bad,” cholesterol stay high in the blood for years, he said.  

At the same time, more medicines have become available to lower cholesterol, along with screening tests and a new online tool that allows people 30 and older to calculate their risk of cardiovascular disease. 

“We need to pay attention much earlier,” said Blumenthal, director of preventive cardiology at Johns Hopkins Medicine.   

The guidelines, published Friday in two leading cardiology journals, were issued by 11 medical associations, including the American College of Cardiology and American Heart Association.  

These organisations set standards for medical professionals from family doctors to cardiologists. 

Approximately 25% of U.S. adults—and 20% of adolescents—have high LDL cholesterol. 

For adults, especially, that increases their risk of heart attacks and strokes because it causes plaque-forming particles to build up in their arteries over time, hardening and narrowing them.  

Doctors are being urged to counsel children and adolescents on diet and exercise, avoiding tobacco and other healthy lifestyle habits.  

More young people are being diagnosed with diabetes and other conditions that put them at higher risk of cardiovascular events. 

“If we want to talk about eliminating heart disease and heart attacks, treating cholesterol is one of the most important things,” said Dr Sadiya Khan, professor of cardiovascular epidemiology at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine. She wasn’t involved in writing the recommendations. 

The new guidelines offer a number of different ways doctors can determine whether a person’s at risk. 

Everyone should get a blood test once to measure their levels of lipoprotein(a), another type of “bad” cholesterol linked to heart disease.  

Researchers say Lp(a), which is genetic, significantly increases the risk of cardiovascular disease, and a test can identify risks for people who are otherwise healthy.   

Testing for another protein, apolipoprotein B, can also be performed for those with high triglycerides, diabetes or other conditions, the guidelines say.  

Research suggests it is a better predictor of heart disease risk than LDL cholesterol. undefined undefined Men aged 40 and older and women aged 45 and older with a borderline risk of heart attack or stroke may also get a coronary artery calcium scan to check for plaque buildup in arterial walls.  

Children should be screened for cholesterol and other lipids once between ages 9 and 11, backing an existing recommendation by the American Academy of Pediatrics.  

As part of the new guidelines, young adults should be screened beginning at age 19 and every five years after that.  

People should be screened for their risk of cardiovascular disease starting at age 30, using an AHA online calculator called  

Prevent that measures risk based on a person’s cholesterol, blood pressure, and other indicators. Screening was previously recommended beginning at age 40, using a different tool. 

Young adults should be offered cholesterol-lowering medications if their LDL cholesterol is 160 milligrams per deciliter, according to the guidelines.  

The same is true if they have a family history of atherosclerotic disease at an early age or a high risk of developing it over the next three decades as measured by the Prevent calculator.  

Adults with genetically high cholesterol should also be put on medication. undefined undefined  

While the end result of additional screening may mean more people end up on cholesterol-lowering drugs, younger people may be able to avoid high doses. 

“If you identify someone at risk earlier in life, you may not need to treat them with as intensive a statin regimen because you have time on your side,” said Dr Steven Nissen, a preventive cardiologist at the Cleveland Clinic, who wasn’t involved in writing the new guidelines. 

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Oyster Yachts unveils epic 16-month global sailing rally

British luxury yacht builder Oyster Yachts has announced plans for its next flagship global adventure, the Oyster World Rally 2030–31, a fully supported circumnavigation designed exclusively for owners of its bluewatersailing yachts.

The 16-month voyage will cover about 27,000 nautical miles across three oceans, beginning in Antigua in January 2030 and taking participants through some of the world’s most celebrated cruising destinations, including Australia’s east coast.

Limited to just 30 yachts, the rally is positioned as both a structured and flexible experience, allowing owners to explore independently while benefiting from comprehensive logistical, technical and safety support from a dedicated Oyster team.

Photo: Fabian Fisahn

Richard Hadida, Owner and Chairman of Oyster Yachts, said: “The Oyster World Rally represents the very essence of our brand.

“Oyster yachts are built to cross oceans in safety, comfort and style, and the Rally is the ultimate expression of that capability.

“But beyond the yachts themselves, it is about enabling extraordinary life experiences.

“To see owners commit to a dream that may have been decades in the making, and to support them as they realise it, is something very special. The Rally embodies our belief that time is the greatest luxury of all.”

Unlike competitive sailing events, the rally is non-racing and does not require yachts to travel in close formation.

Participants are free to diverge from the main fleet to explore remote anchorages or sail in smaller groups before reconnecting at designated ports.

Preparation begins well before departure, with an extensive training programme launched 18 months in advance.

Workshops, masterclasses and online seminars cover meteorology, navigation, yacht systems, medical and safety readiness, provisioning and passage planning, helping crews build the confidence required for a full circumnavigation.

Photo: Fabian Fisahn

Allie Smith, Director of Oyster Rallies and Training, said: “The Oyster World Rally is about community above all else.

“Every owner joins for a different reason, and every Rally develops its own character shaped by those taking part.

“Our team are all experienced sailors, from logistics to technical support, and that shared experience builds real trust.

“What makes this Rally so special is the balance it offers: complete freedom to explore at your own pace, combined with the reassurance that our team is with you every step of the way.

“Watching owners grow in confidence, form lifelong friendships and complete a circumnavigation remains one of the most rewarding parts of what we do.”

Owners planning to commission a new yacht for the rally are advised to allow a three- to four-year lead time, reflecting Oyster’s limited production capacity and the importance of a thorough shakedown period before departure.

Entries for the Oyster World Rally 2030–31 opened on March 3, with strong demand anticipated following the success of previous editions and growing momentum behind the brand’s global circumnavigation programme.

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Purpose-driven travel surges as Africa’s immersive safaris attract a new generation of explorers

Travellers are increasingly seeking deeper, more meaningful holidays, with Africa emerging as one of the world’s leading destinations for immersive and purpose-driven travel.

New industry figures suggest the global experiential travel market is projected to exceed $1.9 trillion by 2030, while around 70 per cent of travellers now say they prefer journeys focused on learning, culture and authentic engagement rather than traditional sightseeing.

Africa’s vast landscapes, wildlife and cultural heritage are helping to drive that shift, offering travellers opportunities to engage directly with conservation programs, local communities and ecosystems.

Across the continent, a growing number of lodges and reserves are designing experiences that move beyond the typical safari to provide education, conservation and cultural immersion.

Conservation in action at Shamwari

At Shamwari Private Game Reserve in South Africa, guests can spend several days working alongside conservation teams to gain a deeper understanding of wildlife protection.

Visitors are invited to learn about anti-poaching initiatives, wildlife rehabilitation and long-term conservation strategies while joining guided walks focused on animal tracking and sustainability.

The experience allows travellers to move beyond traditional game drives and witness the realities of wildlife conservation firsthand.

Discovering culture in Graaff-Reinet

In the historic Karoo town of Graaff-Reinet, the Drostdy Hotel offers guests a more cultural immersion experience.

Travellers can explore the dramatic landscapes of the Valley of Desolation with expert guides and visit the Karoo Origins Fossil Centre, home to one of the world’s largest generational fossil collections.

The property combines heritage architecture with tranquil gardens and spa experiences designed to reconnect visitors with the surrounding landscape.

Eco-luxury along the Maputaland coast

On South Africa’s remote Maputaland coastline, Thonga Beach Lodge blends luxury with conservation in a pristine coastal environment.

The eco-lodge offers opportunities to witness turtles nesting and hatching, guided by local experts, and also provides cultural tours to nearby homesteads, schools, and clinics.

Nearby Lake Sibaya, Southern Africa’s largest freshwater lake, adds another dimension to the experience, offering a rich ecosystem for exploration.

Protecting endangered vultures

At Cape Vulture Nature Reserve, travellers can participate directly in conservation programs to protect one of Africa’s most threatened bird species.

Visitors assist researchers in field studies, contribute to habitat restoration and join educational hikes led by naturalists.

The reserve also runs community outreach initiatives designed to raise awareness about the ecological role of vultures and the challenges facing their survival.

Wildlife and birdlife on the Zambezi

Tsowa Safari Island, located along the Zambezi River, offers a wilderness experience centred on one of Africa’s richest bird habitats.

Guests can observe rare species such as Schalow’s Turaco, Pel’s Fishing Owl and African Finfoot while exploring landscapes dotted with ancient baobab trees.

The island’s remote setting allows travellers to immerse themselves fully in the rhythms of the surrounding ecosystem.

A new luxury safari in the Masai Mara

In Kenya, The Ritz-Carlton, Masai Mara Safari Camp introduces travellers to the dramatic wildlife spectacle of the Sand River during the Great Migration.

Guests can also explore Masai culture through storytelling, music and beadwork while visiting historic sites such as the Kenya–Tanzania border marker that links two of Africa’s most iconic ecosystems.

A shift toward meaningful travel

Industry experts say experiences like these reflect a broader shift in global travel behaviour.

Rather than simply visiting destinations, travellers increasingly want to understand them, engaging with local communities, supporting conservation efforts and gaining deeper insight into the natural world.

As demand for experiential travel continues to rise, Africa’s combination of wildlife, culture and conservation is positioning the continent at the centre of this growing trend.

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Millennial Women Are Catching Up to Men by Leaps and Bounds When It Comes to Wealth, Report Finds

Millennial women’s wealth is outpacing men’s as a new generation inherits and grows their assets at a wider scale than ever before, according to RBC Wealth Management.

In a survey of roughly 2,000 men and women with at least $1 million in investable assets, millennial women respondents had an average of $4.6 million, compared with $3.8 million for women of all age groups and $4.5 million for all men.

Inheritance is one part of the picture, as baby boomers are expected to transfer $124 trillion to the next generation, but so is the progress millennial women have made in the world of business, investment and lucrative professional careers as they close the gap with men.

“Millennial women are catching up, or have outpaced the males as far as their wealth building,” said Angie O’Leary, head of wealth strategies at RBC. “We know that’s coming from a more diversified set of investments, such as entrepreneurship, real estate and of course, investments [in financial markets].”

Millennial women, now in their 30s and 40s, tend to differ from earlier generations of women more than they do from men in terms of their source of wealth. While investments were the largest driver of wealth across all categories, millennial women cited business ownership, innovation, and executive roles far more than Gen X or boomer women.

More than 60% of millennial women cited business ownership and more than 40% mentioned executive roles, but neither exceeded 22% for either Gen Xers and Boomers. Younger women also grew their fortunes from professional sports or arts 39% of the time, compared with just 6% and 1% for Gen Xers and Boomers, respectively.

In terms of inheritance, the gap between generations was smaller. About 37% of men and 35% of women cited family money as a source of wealth overall, breaking down to 44% of millennials, 30% of Gen X and 33% of boomer women.

With women controlling so much wealth, their spending and investments as a group are evolving and extending into areas previously considered stereotypically male such as real estate, cars and watches, O’Leary said. “Women are starting to look a lot like their male counterparts when it comes to investments, real estate, philanthropy,” she said. “That’s a really interesting emerging female economy.”

In real estate, for example, single women made up 20% of home buyers in 2024  up from 11% in 1981, when the National Association of Realtors began tracking the data. By contrast, single men make up 8% of the market and have never exceeded 10%, according to NAR.

While men and women shared largely similar priorities overall in terms of well-being, relationships, legacy and personal drive, younger generations of women were successively more likely to value drive and personal power, and successively less likely to rank relationships and social bonds—though that could also be a function of age and stage of life.

“This generational shift suggests evolving societal norms and responsibilities, where younger women seek personal achievements, while older cohorts value nurturing connections and community stability, affecting their financial and lifestyle choices,” the report said.

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 Cash Bonus or More Vacation Time: Which Do You Choose—and Why?

When it comes to rewarding workers financially, cash isn’t always king.

Companies frequently give employees monetary bonuses, but a new study suggests that paid vacation time is a perk employers should also consider.

The study’s authors say that while they didn’t explicitly look into whether employees prefer time off, the study found that receiving extra vacation time rather than bonus money makes workers feel less like a mere cog in a wheel and more like people who are recognised and valued as individuals with a life beyond work.

It makes them feel more human, in the researchers’ terms.

And that feeling benefits employers as well as employees, says Sanford DeVoe, a professor at the Anderson School of Management at the University of California, Los Angeles, and one of the study’s authors.

Feeling more human is strongly correlated with higher job satisfaction, greater engagement with work, better relationships with colleagues and less inclination to leave a job, he says.

Feeling seen

In one experiment, the researchers asked about 1,500 participants to recall times when they received a monetary bonus or paid time off—all had received both—and how that made them feel.

Participants responded to the question on a 7-point scale, from feeling more like a robot on the low end of the scale to feeling more human on the high end. Monetary bonuses were given an average score of 5.04, compared with 5.4 for paid vacation time.

“While that difference may sound modest numerically, it represents a meaningful psychological shift,” says DeVoe. “It’s the difference between feeling neutral and feeling genuinely seen as a person.”

The authors then sought to better understand why paid vacation time made employees feel more human. In another experiment, about 500 participants were asked to imagine starting a new job where they might be awarded a bonus. Some were told the bonus would be an extra week of vacation, others were told it would be an extra week of pay.

Participants were then asked about their expectations for being able to keep their work and home lives separate in the new job. Those who could hope for a bonus of extra time off expected more separation between their work and personal lives than those whose potential bonus would be extra pay.

They also reported feeling more human on the 7-point scale. This suggested to the researchers that time off makes people feel more human because it creates a clearer psychological distance from work than a monetary bonus.

No interruptions, please

In a third experiment, the researchers further tested the idea that clear boundaries between work and personal lives were driving their results.

Two hundred participants were told to imagine being on a vacation and receiving two texts, including one from their mother. Half were told the second text was from a friend and half were told the second text was from their boss.

The authors then measured how human participants felt after each scenario. The average score for those receiving a text from a friend was 5.4 on the 7-point scale, compared with 4.16 for those receiving a text from the boss.

The difference in the scores “demonstrates that even minimal work intrusions can undo the psychological benefits of time off,” says DeVoe. “It shows that it’s not just time away that matters—it’s whether work actually lets go.”

All of this is important for employers looking to get the most out of their workers, he says. “For managers concerned with sustainable productivity, giving people uninterrupted time away from work can be a powerful lever.”