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US presidents' approval ratings when they left office, ranked

U.S. President Donald Trump attends a press conference during the G7 Leaders' Summit on June 17, 2026 in Evian-les-Bains, France.
President Donald Trump has faced some of the lowest approval ratings among modern presidents, mirroring Joe Biden's polling results while he was in office.

Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images

  • Polls in June estimated Trump's approval rating at between 30% and 37%.
  • Gallup tracked presidential approval ratings for nearly 90 years until earlier this year.
  • Bill Clinton had the highest approval ratings when he left the Oval Office.

For nearly 90 years, the Gallup presidential approval polls measured Americans' public opinion on the president's job performance, but now, they're a thing of the past.

In February, Gallup, the analytics and polling company that pioneered presidential approval ratings, confirmed they were ending the practice, which, since the 1930s, had asked Americans: "Do you approve or disapprove of the way [the current president] is handling his job as president?"

The company cited a "shift in corporate strategy" as the driving force behind the decision, The New York Times reported. Instead, Gallup will "focus more on issues and policy polling."

In Gallup's most recent poll, conducted in early December 2025, 36% of respondents said they approved of Trump's performance, down from 47% in early 2025 after he took office for the second time.

In the poll, 59% of respondents said they disapproved of his handling of the presidency, slightly down from 60% in late November 2025.

While the Gallup polls may no longer be conducted, other polling firms continue to release approval-rating polls.

The American Research Group, a New Hampshire-based pollster, asked the exact same question as Gallup and found that 30% of respondents approved of Trump's job performance in mid-June, while 66% disapproved. It also found that 70% of respondents disapproved of the president's handling of the economy, a defining issue during the 2024 election.

A larger poll conducted by the Associated Press and NORC Center for Public Affairs Research in mid-June put his approval rating at 37%, while 62% disapproved.

During his first term, Trump was the first president since Gallup began tracking presidential approval in the 1930s to never have a job approval rating above 50%.

The American Presidency Project at the University of California, Santa Barbara, compiled the final Gallup ratings for each presidential term over the past 70 years — from Harry Truman to Joe Biden — and indicated how popular each leader was when they left the Oval Office.

See how the last 13 US presidents ranked in their end-of-term polling, from the lowest to the highest final approval ratings.

Richard Nixon
Richard Nixon

AP Images

Final approval rating: 24%

While Richard Nixon won the 1972 election in a historic landslide, the end of his presidency was tainted by the Watergate scandal that led him to resign on August 9, 1974, when facing the threat of impeachment and removal.

Surveyed between August 2 and 5, 1974, after the House Judiciary Committee had passed articles of impeachment against the president, but before Nixon resigned, 66% of respondents to the Gallup poll said they disapproved of Nixon's presidency — the highest disapproval rate of any president on the list.

Harry S. Truman
harry truman

Bettmann/Getty Images

Final approval rating: 32%

Assuming the presidency after Franklin D. Roosevelt's death, Harry Truman served two terms that covered the aftermath of World War II and the beginning of the Cold War, including the Korean War, which was widely unpopular and contributed to his low approval rating by the end of his second term in 1953.

When asked December 11 to 16, 1952, 56% of poll respondents said they disapproved of his handling of the presidency during his term.

Jimmy Carter
Jimmy Carter sits in the Oval Office during his presidency
More than half of the poll respondents in December 1980 said they disapproved of Carter's presidency.

Original Caption

Final approval rating: 34%

Jimmy Carter had high approval ratings — and a disapproval rating in the single digits — during the early days of his term, but his handling of international affairs, such as the Iran hostage crisis in 1979, along with a struggling economy, ultimately made him widely unpopular by the end of his term.

He lost the 1980 presidential election to Ronald Reagan and faced a disapproval rating of 55% in polling conducted December 5 to 8, when he was readying to leave the White House.

George W. Bush
george w bush

Getty

Final approval rating: 34%

Despite uniting the nation in the wake of the 9/11 attacks, George W. Bush saw his public approval fade during his second term. His approval rating spiked after the 2001 terrorist attacks, the beginning of the Iraq War in 2003, and the capture of Saddam Hussein.

After his reelection, his popularity began to decline as the Iraq War extended. His handling of Hurricane Katrina in 2005 and the onset of the 2008 financial crisis also contributed to his low approval ratings.

From January 9 to 11, 2009, as Bush prepared to hand over the presidency to Barack Obama, 61% of poll respondents said they disapproved of his handling of the presidency during his second term.

Donald Trump
Donald Trump addresses reporters from the Oval Office during his second term.
Trump's disapproval rating at the end of his first term came second only to Richard Nixon's before he resigned.

Doug Mills-Pool/Getty Images

Final approval rating: 34%

Donald Trump's first presidency was divisive from the start, as he entered the White House with an approval rating below 50%. He's the first president in modern history to never exceed 50% approval on the Gallup polls during his entire presidency.

While his approval ratings dwindled over the course of his four years in office, his handling of the COVID-19 pandemic in particular came under scrutiny ahead of his loss in the 2020 election.

His lowest approval rating in office came during his final Gallup poll, conducted January 4 to 15, 2021.

Most of that polling period took place immediately after the Capitol insurrection on January 6, and Trump faced a disapproval rating of 62%, the second-worst only after Richard Nixon's at the time he left office.

Joe Biden
Joe Biden adresses the nation from the White House's Oval Office during his presidency.
Biden's approval rating was 40% by the time he left the White House.

Mandel Ngan - Pool/Getty Images

Final approval rating: 40%

While Joe Biden saw approval ratings above 50% during his first six months in office, rising inflation, illegal immigration, and the wars in Ukraine and Gaza contributed to a decline in his approval ratings.

His lowest-ranking Gallup poll, in which 36% of respondents said they approved of his handling of the role, came in July 2024, a month after his debate performance against Trump shifted focus toward his age and fitness for office.

As he left office, in polls collected January 2 to 16, 2025, Biden received a disapproval rating of 54%.

Lyndon B. Johnson
lyndon baines johnson lbj
Lyndon Baines Johnson, President of the United States, at his desk in the White House in Washington on August 26, 1966.

AP Photo

Final approval rating: 49%

After assuming the presidency because of John F. Kennedy's assassination, Lyndon B. Johnson won the 1964 election in a historic landslide, but he faced decreasing approval ratings over his handling of the Vietnam War.

Low approval ratings, along with a divided party, led Johnson to withdraw from the 1968 presidential race.

At the time of his withdrawal, only 36% of poll respondents said they approved of his handling of the presidency.

By the time he left the office, however, his approval rating had risen to 49%. In polling conducted January 1 to 6, 1969, 37% of respondents said they disapproved of his handling of the role, and 14% said they had no opinion, one of the higher percentages among the listed presidents.

Gerald Ford
gerald ford

AP Photo

Final approval rating: 53%

Assuming the presidency upon Nixon's resignation, Gerald Ford served as US president from August 1974 until January 1977, after losing the election to Jimmy Carter.

During his presidency, Ford faced mixed reviews, with his approval dropping after he pardoned Nixon and introduced conditional amnesty for draft dodgers in September 1974.

Polled December 10 to 13, 1976, after he had lost the reelection to Jimmy Carter, 32% of respondents said they disapproved of Ford's handling of the presidency, and 15% said they had no opinion on it, the highest percentage of the listed presidents.

George H. W. Bush
George H.W. Bush
President George H.W. Bush addresses the nation on February 27, 1991 from the White House Oval Office.

AP

Final approval rating: 56%

Though the elder Bush lost his reelection bid in the 1992 presidential election against Bill Clinton, the public opinion of him was generally positive by the end of his term.

In the weeks before his 1992 nomination as the Republican presidential candidate, however, George H. W. Bush had only a 29% approval rating, the lowest of his presidency. A recession and a reversal of his tax policy contributed to his drop in popularity.

In polling conducted January 8 to 11, 1993, 37% of respondents said they disapproved of his handling of the presidency, while 56% said they approved.

Barack Obama
President Barack Obama adresses the nation from the Oval Office in the WHite House during his Presidency
At his lowest polling, Obama had a 37% approval rate, which rose to 59% by the time he left the Oval Office.

Brendan Smialowski-Pool/Getty Images

Final approval rating: 59%

Since the beginning of his presidency in 2009, Barack Obama had a high approval rating for a modern-day president; he averaged nearly 47% approval over eight years.

At his lowest point, in polling conducted September 8 to 11, 2011, 37% of poll respondents said they approved of his presidency, a decline most likely influenced by the president's healthcare policies and his handling of the 2008 economic crisis and the subsequent rise in unemployment rates.

In polls conducted January 17 to 19, 2017, when Obama was leaving office, 37% of respondents said they disapproved of his handling of the role, with 59% saying they approved.

Dwight D. Eisenhower
dwight eisenhower

Fox Photos/Getty Images

Final approval rating: 59%

After winning the 1952 election in a landslide, Dwight D. Eisenhower saw high approval ratings throughout his presidency, never dropping below the disapproval rating.

Holding office during the critical Cold War years, Eisenhower saw his approval remain positive through the end of his second term, with only 28% of respondents polled December 8 to 13, 1960, saying they disapproved of his handling of the presidency, the lowest among the presidents listed.

Ronald Reagan
President Roand Reagan addressing the nation from the White House during his presidency.
Reagan enjoyed high approval ratings during his presidency, leading to the election of George H. W. Bush as his successor.

Arnie Sachs/CNP/Getty Images

Final approval rating: 63%

Ronald Reagan's strong leadership toward ending the Cold War and implementing his economic policies contributed to consistently positive ratings during his presidency and the subsequent election of his vice president, George H. W. Bush, as his successor to the presidency.

By the time he left office, 29% of respondents in a Gallup poll conducted December 27 to 29, 1988, said they disapproved of his handling of the presidency.

Bill Clinton
President Clinton In The Oval Office After His Television Address To The Nation On Nato Bombing Of Serb Forces In Kosovo, March 24, 1999 In Washington Dc.

Pool/Getty Images

Final approval rating: 66%

After winning the 1992 elections against the incumbent George H. W. Bush, Bill Clinton saw high approval ratings throughout his presidency, though he faced mixed opinions at times during his first term because of his domestic agenda, including tax policy and social issues.

Despite being impeached in 1998 by the House of Representatives over his testimony describing the nature of his relationship with Monica Lewinsky, Clinton continued to see positive approval ratings throughout his second term.

By the time he left the White House, he had an approval rating of 66%, the highest of all the presidents on this list.

In the poll conducted January 10 to 14, 2001, only 29% of respondents said they disapproved of his handling of the presidency.

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Trump plans to build a giant 250-foot arch in Washington, DC. See how he has changed the capital during his second term.

WASHINGTON, DC - MAY 19: U.S. President Donald Trump speaks to the media alongside posters of his proposed White House ballroom amid construction at the White House on May 19, 2026 in Washington, DC.
Trump's ballroom plans have sparked legal backlash.

Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

  • President Donald Trump is reshaping Washington, DC, from the White House to federal buildings.
  • A proposed 250-foot triumphal arch celebrating America's anniversary would be the world's largest.
  • His $400 million White House ballroom plan has sparked legal battles and backlash.

During his second term, President Donald Trump has left an increasingly visible mark on Washington, DC, from department name changes to 30-foot-tall banners of his portrait.

Another plan taking shape is a 250-foot triumphal arch, which was approved by a federal board on Thursday.

It's the latest on Trump's growing list of changes to America's capital. Among them, the president's remodeling of the White House — including his proposed 90,000-square-foot, $400 million ballroom and the subsequent demolition of the East Wing — has drawn the most attention so far.

The ballroom project faced legal pushback after a judge ordered the administration to halt construction until it received congressional approval. The judge's order was later put on hold by a federal appeals court, which allowed construction to continue while the case proceeds.

Trump has defended the project by pointing to past presidents' renovations, expansions, and modernizations of the White House, and by emphasizing the ballroom's importance for hosting large events. The administration has also dismissed criticism of the construction as "manufactured outrage."

While many of his projects remain ongoing or in legal limbo, the changes the president has already made to the White House and its surrounding areas have altered the face of the nation's capital. Reasons given for the changes include government efficiency, beautifying the city, and marking America's 250th birthday.

See some of the ways in which Trump has remodeled the White House, US government buildings, and beyond during his second term.

The shuttering of USAID was one of the first physical signs of the Trump administration's remodeling of the nation's capital.
A worker removes the signage for US AID.
WASHINGTON, DC - FEBRUARY 07: A worker removes the U.S. Agency for International Development sign on their headquarters on February 07, 2025 in Washington, DC. President Donald Trump and Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) abruptly shutdown the U.S. aid agency earlier this week leaving thousands unemployed and putting U.S. foreign diplomacy and aid programs in limbo.

Kayla Bartkowski/Getty Images

Shortly after taking office, Trump's Department of Government Efficiency spearheaded a sweeping dismantling of the US Agency for International Development, or USAID.

The department froze the agency's foreign aid, slashed its staff and programs, and ultimately moved to dismantle much of the agency's operations and shift remaining functions to the State Department.

Former presidents Barack Obama and George W. Bush joined critics in condemning the move, with Obama calling it a "travesty."

Administration officials framed it as a cost-cutting and accountability effort, with Secretary of State Marco Rubio saying USAID had "strayed from its original mission" and that "the gains were too few and the costs were too high" around the time of its effective shuttering.

The agency, founded in 1961 to counter the influence of the Soviet Union during the Cold War, was housed in the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center in DC, alongside other government agencies.

Following the agency's formal folding into the State Department on July 1, 2025, its staff, offices, and signage were removed from the building that once housed it.

In May 2025, the US Department of Agriculture debuted banners showing Trump alongside Abraham Lincoln.
US Department of Agriculture building with Trump banner

Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

By the first spring of his second term, Trump's portrait started appearing on government buildings, with the first being the US Department of Agriculture building, the Jamie L. Whitten Building, in the National Mall.

The 31-foot-tall banners, which were installed to honor USDA's 163rd birthday, cost the department an estimated $16,400, the Washingtonian reported.

They "acknowledge the vision and leadership of USDA's founder, Abraham Lincoln, and the best advocate of America's farmers and ranchers, President Trump," USDA's then-director of communications, Seth W. Christensen, told The Washington Post in May 2025.

There is little modern precedent for the banners, which raised concerns about the politicization of federal buildings. Instead, the norm is for presidential portraits to be displayed inside government buildings and updated between administrations.

The Department of Labor building also features portraits of Trump alongside Theodore Roosevelt.
A banner depicting US President Donald Trump is seen on the face of the Labor Department building near the US Capitol ahead of Trump's State of the Union speech in Washington, DC, on February 24, 2026.

Ken CEDENO / AFP

In August, the US Department of Labor debuted its own Trump banners, initially to commemorate Labor Day but kept up throughout the nation's 250th anniversary celebrations after receiving a "tremendous positive response," a department spokesperson told The New York Times.

The Department of Labor's banners read "American Workers First" and depict the president alongside Theodore Roosevelt, who helped lay the groundwork for the modern Labor Department.

A September report by Sen. Adam Schiff of California also mentioned that the US Department of Health and Human Services had solicited 88-foot-tall banners promoting health secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr's "Make America Healthy Again" slogan for an estimated cost of $33,726.

In February, a similar banner was hung at the Department of Justice's building.
A new banner featuring an image of US President Donald Trump with the slogan 'Make America Safe Again' is displayed on the facade of the US Department of Justice headquarters in Washington DC, United States on February 20, 2026

Anadolu/Anadolu via Getty Images

The latest federal department to showcase the president's portrait is the Department of Justice, which has traditionally operated somewhat independently of the White House to curb political influence.

The banner, hung in February, features the president's portrait and reads "Make America Safe Again."

Among its critics, Gov. Gavin Newsom called the display "beyond parody," while New Jersey Sen. Andy Kim wrote on X, "The Department of Justice is supposed to work for and represent you, not him."

A DOJ spokesperson said, "We are proud at this Department of Justice to celebrate 250 years of our great country and our historic work to make America safe again at President Trump's direction."

The Kennedy Center board voted in December to add Trump's name to the institution.
The John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts has added President Donald J. Trump's name to the building on December 19, 2025

Marvin Joseph/The Washington Post

In December, the John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts was renamed by its board to the Donald J. Trump and the John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts.

The name change came after a unanimous vote by the center's board of trustees, which was largely reshaped by the president.

"I was honored by [the renaming]," Trump said in the days following the name change. "Its board, it's a very distinguished board, most distinguished people in the country. And I was surprised by it."

Renaming the center, created by Congress as a memorial to US President John F. Kennedy, would require congressional approval. The board's decision to rename it has faced criticism, including from some members of the Kennedy family. Some performers have canceled booked appearances in the center, while legal battles have emerged as Democratic members of Congress seek to block the name change.

In March, the center announced it would undergo renovations starting this summer, during which it would temporarily pause operations, with work expected to last two years.

The US Institute of Peace building also had Trump's name added to it in December.
U.S. President Donald Trump's name is seen recently placed on the outside of the United States Institute of Peace (USIP) building headquarters

Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images

The US Institute of Peace was another DC institution that saw Trump's name added to it.

The Congress-funded, nonprofit think tank was renamed by the administration in a State Department announcement that described Trump as "the greatest dealmaker in our nation's history," per a social media announcement.

"Marco named it after me," the president said at a Board of Peace meeting in February, referring to Secretary of State Marco Rubio. "I had nothing to do with it, I swear I didn't. I swear. I had no idea."

Rubio showed his support on X, posting, "President Trump will be remembered by history as the President of Peace. It's time our State Department display that."

The president plans to build the world's largest triumphal arch.
An artist's rendering of US President Donald Trump's planned Triumphal Arch during a news conference in the James S. Brady Press Briefing Room of the White House in Washington, DC, US, on Wednesday, April 15, 2026.

Bloomberg/Getty Images

In October, Trump first proposed the building of a monumental arch, dubbed the "Independence Arch," to commemorate America's 250th anniversary.

The arch, proposed to be 250 feet tall, would sit across the Potomac River from the Lincoln Memorial on the Memorial Circle roundabout near Arlington National Cemetery.

While construction on the arch has not yet begun, surveying of the land plot has started, even amid an ongoing lawsuit in which a group of Vietnam veterans sued to block the administration from building the monument.

The group argued that the structure "would dishonor their military and foreign service and the legacy of their comrades and other veterans buried at Arlington National Cemetery," per the lawsuit.

In response to a legal challenge from congressional Democrats, a White House spokesperson told The Washington Post of the structure, "It will enhance the visitor experience at Arlington National Cemetery for veterans, the families of the fallen, and all Americans alike, serving as a visual reminder of the noble sacrifices borne by so many American heroes throughout our 250 year history so we can enjoy our freedoms today,"

On May 21, the Trump-appointed US Commission of Fine Arts approved the arch's design, partly clearing the way for its construction.

The approved revised design for the arch — which some have nicknamed "Arc de Trump" — features a figure reminiscent of Lady Liberty atop the structure, gilded eagles, gold-lettering inscriptions, and a 360-degree observation deck open to visitors.

The arch, which would be nearly half as tall as the Washington Monument obelisk, would dwarf France's historic Arc de Triomphe, the world's most famous triumphal arch, and be the tallest triumphal arch in the world.

The demolition of the East Wing has already begun to give the People's House a new face.
East Wing demolition March 2026

Bloomberg/Getty Images

In October 2025, the White House's East Wing was demolished, leaving only rubble behind and clearing the way for the president's ballroom project.

Previously, the largest event space in the White House was the East Room, which had a capacity of around 200 people. For larger events, tents were erected on the South Lawn.

"For more than 150 years, every President has dreamt about having a Ballroom at the White House to accommodate people for grand parties, State Visits, etc.," Trump wrote on Truth Social in October. "I am honored to be the first President to finally get this much-needed project underway — with zero cost to the American Taxpayer!"

The president has said the project will be funded by private donors, including Big Tech companies and wealthy individuals.

The demolition of the wing, originally added in the early 20th century and expanded in 1942, altered the facade of the president's mansion and forced the relocation of the first lady's staff offices.

It was also met with criticism from preservationists, who said the president needed to obtain congressional approval for the project.

"It's not his house. It's your house. And he's destroying it," former Secretary of State and presidential candidate Hillary Clinton wrote on X after photos of the demolition emerged.

When completed, the president's proposed ballroom will further transform the White House.
President Donald Trump speaks to the media alongside posters of his proposed White House ballroom amid construction at the White House on May 19, 2026 in Washington, DC.

Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

The 90,000-square-foot, $400 million ballroom will be the largest change Trump has made to the White House — others include Rose Garden renovations, new marble floors, and gold embellishments. The new ballroom will also impede the South Lawn's historic driveway, making it no longer circular.

The president's ballroom project has sparked controversy and legal battles. The project was temporarily blocked by a federal judge on March 31, who ruled that the president must seek congressional approval before proceeding with the renovation.

A federal appeals court later paused the judge's order, allowing construction to continue while the case proceeds.

As of May, the ballroom construction is projected to be completed by September 2028, the president told reporters.

Renovations to the Rose Garden have already changed the White House's exterior.
Remodeled White House Rose Garden under Trump's second administration

ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS / AFP

In July 2025, the president renovated the White House's Rose Garden, which is often used for press conferences and larger gatherings.

The renovation paved over the grass with light-colored stone while keeping the garden's namesake rose bushes, citing the foot traffic during events as the main reason for the project.

It wasn't the first time the Rose Garden had changed looks, as it famously did under the Kennedy administration, when roses, magnolia trees, and other perennial and annual flowers were added.

In 2020, Melania Trump oversaw a garden renovation that included the addition of limestone walkways along the open lawn.

In the Potomac River's Tidal Basin, Trump has pushed changes to the East Potomac Golf Links.
Golfers play hole six as trucks unloads debris and soil from the demolition of the White House's East Wing at East Potomac Golf Course on October 24, 2025 in Washington, DC.

Tasos Katopodis/Getty Images

Also on the riverside, alongside the Potomac River, is the East Potomac Golf Links, a public golf course that the president has also set his eye on for a potential takeover.

In December 2025, the Trump administration issued the National Links Trust — a nonprofit that operates and maintains public golf courses in Washington, DC, under a 50-year lease with the National Park Service — with a termination notice, The Athletic reported.

The National Links Trust said it was "devastated" by the decision, saying it "has consistently complied with all lease obligations as we work to ensure the brightest possible future for public golf in DC."

Of Trump's involvement with public golf courses, White House spokesperson Taylor Rogers told Golf Digest, "As a private citizen, President Trump built some of the greatest golf courses in the world, and he is now extending his unmatched design skills and excellent eye for detail to D.C.'s public golf courses."

In May, the Trump administration and the National Links Trust reached a deal keeping the nonprofit in charge of DC's three municipal golf courses while clearing the way for the renovations at East Potomac, Golf Digest reported.

During the demolition of the White House East Wing and the construction of the new ballroom, locals have reported that the park has been turned into a dump for construction rubble and debris.

A lawsuit filed in February sought to restrict Trump's takeover of the golf courses. It said that dumping the rubble on the course grounds is "unlawful and possibly hazardous" due to the possible presence of asbestos.

Testing results later released by the National Park Service found that the debris dumped on the fields contained harmful chemicals like lead, chromium, PCBs, pesticides, and petroleum byproducts.

Directly north of the White House, Lafayette Square was fenced off in January for a renovation project.
Pedestrians view ongoing construction in Lafayette Park on the north side of the White House complex, as part of a months-long "beautification" project which includes repairing the fountains, on Tuesday, March 10, 2026 in Washington, DC.

The Washington Post/The Washington Post via Getty Images

Lafayette Square, a 7-acre public park directly north of the White House, has also seen changes during the second Trump administration.

The park is a popular attraction for visitors thanks to its views of the People's House, but in recent months it has undergone a makeover.

In late January, the Washington Post reported that the park had been fenced off as part of an improvement project and that it had been designated a National Historic Landmark since 1970.

The work, expected to last through May, will focus on fixing fountains, sprinklers, benches, and curbs. It is part of a broader initiative undertaken by the National Park Service to "beautify," restore, and upgrade public parks in the nation's capital.

The New York Times also reported that the president was interested in replacing the park's brick walkways with granite to prevent protesters from removing bricks and throwing them.

A statue garden dedicated to American heroes is planned to take over West Potomac Park.
The Washington Area Frisbee Club "Team Wun" starts a point during their weekly game on June 20, 2019 at West Potomac Park in Washington.

Marlena Sloss/The Washington Post via Getty Images

West Potomac Park, located just west of the Jefferson Memorial along the Potomac River, serves as a public multipurpose field, where locals often organize sports and other events.

Trump's Garden of Heroes, a planned 250-statue monument commemorating American icons, is another of the president's many projects around Washington, DC.

In May, the president announced that the riverside park would soon be the location of the Garden of Heroes, despite lingering questions about project approval, timeline, and costs.

Trump described the existing park as a "totally BARREN field of Prime Waterfront Real Estate along our Mighty Potomac River" on a post on Truth Social.

A sudden repainting of the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool also raised legal concerns.
The Lincoln Memorial reflecting pool as it is painted blue in Washington, DC, US, on Friday, May 15, 2026. The Trump administration unlawfully began painting the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool basin blue without conducting the required consultations before altering a registered historic landmark, a new lawsuit alleged Monday.

Bloomberg/Getty Images

In April, the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, which stretches between the Lincoln Memorial and the World War II Memorial, started undergoing a makeover.

The renovation involves resurfacing the pool, which has long had leaks and algae blooms, with a waterproof compound and painting the formerly gray pool an "American flag blue," as the president described the color.

The administration has defended the renovation as an expedited repair ahead of America's 250th anniversary celebrations, with a Department of the Interior spokesperson saying that the blue surface "will enhance the visitor experience by making the pool reflect the grand Lincoln Memorial and Washington Monument."

There have been questions about the cost and process of the project, which was reportedly awarded under a no-bid contract. The Cultural Landscape Foundation, a DC-based preservation nonprofit, sued the administration days after the project began, alleging that the renovation was conducted without completing the proper reviews required under federal preservation law.

Additionally, the renovation, initially described as a $1.8 million project, was later reported by The New York Times to cost over $13 million.

An Interior Department spokesperson told the Times that the higher price tag "reflects the effort necessary to expedite the timeline of completing the leak prevention coating project — more people, more materials, more equipment and longer hours ahead of our 250th."

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The coolest building in every US state, from historic landmarks to modern marvels

Dalí Museum in St. Petersburg, Florida
The Salvador Dalí art museum in St. Petersburg, Florida, is one of America's coolest buildings.

: Jeffrey Greenberg/Universal Images Group via Getty Images

  • The US has diverse architecture across its 50 states.
  • History, art, and local aesthetics are all reflected in some of America's coolest buildings.
  • From prehistoric dwellings to kitschy designs, these buildings make for unique attractions.

Throughout its nearly 250-year history, the United States has produced some striking and unique architecture.

From preserving local history to showcasing each region's unique cultural quirks, these 51 buildings across the US are worthy destinations for your next travel list.

Defining what we consider to be the "coolest" is hard. We evaluated every state on its own terms and found that the architecture across all 50 states and Washington, DC, can be as diverse as the country's population.

In states like California and Massachusetts, it meant picking buildings that look futuristic and elegant, like something out of a science-fiction movie.

In other states, like Maine and the Carolinas, we found that the coolest buildings are distinctive because of their place in history or the state's culture.

Whether you're looking for a piece of history or a glimpse into the future, these buildings can show you what different worlds look like.

James Grebey and Jacob Shamsian contributed to an earlier version of this story.

ALABAMA: Gulf, Mobile, and Ohio Passenger Terminal
Gulf, Mobile and Ohio Passenger Terminal

Cavan-Images/Shutterstock

The Gulf, Mobile, and Ohio Passenger Terminal in Mobile, Alabama, which has Spanish influences with its cream walls and red clay tiles, was designed by P. Thornton Marye. It was completed in 1907 and has undergone restoration since passenger train service ceased in the 1950s.

ALASKA: The University of Alaska's Museum of the North
The University of Alaska Museum of the North

Kit Leong/Shutterstock

The University of Alaska Museum of the North is home to numerous exhibits showcasing the native cultures, natural wonders, and wildlife of our nation's largest state. It's also a stylish refuge from the cold.

ARIZONA: Chapel of the Holy Cross
Chapel of the Holy Cross

Angel DiBilio/Shutterstock

The Chapel of the Holy Cross in Sedona was completed in 1956, and it juts majestically from a red stone butte, some 200 feet above the ground.

ARKANSAS: Thorncrown Chapel
thorncrown chapel

barrywright/Shutterstock

The beautiful Thorncrown Chapel in Eureka Springs looks like an open-air structure, but it's actually a serene, glass-enclosed architectural marvel.

CALIFORNIA: The Chemosphere
Chemosphere House designed by Taylor Lautner in 1960 on April 03, 2017

FG/Bauer-Griffin/GC Images

It was designed in 1960, but the Chemosphere still looks futuristic. It's a house with 2,200 square feet of space, perched atop a 30-foot concrete pole. And it's survived every major Californian earthquake in the San Fernando Valley since it was built.

COLORADO: Cliff Palace in Mesa Verde National Park
Mesa Verde National Park

Laima Swanson/Shutterstock

Mesa Verde National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, features some of the best-preserved prehistoric landscapes of the Ancestral Puebloan people. These ancient dwellings, where the Ancestral Puebloans once lived, were constructed on the sides of natural cliffs.

While most dwellings had only one to five rooms, the Cliff Palace, the largest known cliff dwelling in North America, had 150 rooms, 23 sacred meeting spaces, and housed about 100 people, according to the National Park Service.

CONNECTICUT: Grace Farms
Grace Farms

365 Focus Photography/Shutterstock

The main feature of Grace Farms in New Canaan is a serpentine wooden pavilion that links glass-walled rooms, including a library, stage, tea room, and a gym with a full basketball court. Completed in 2015, it's open to the public for free.

DELAWARE: Wilmington's Grand Opera House
Wilmington's Grand Opera House

JHVEPhoto/Shutterstock

The country's oldest state has some classic buildings that stand the test of time. Wilmington's Grand Opera House, built in 1871, is as classic as it gets.

FLORIDA: The Salvador Dalí Museum
Exterior of Salvador Dali Museum in St. Petersburg, FL, USA. The museum has one of the largest collection of works of Salvador Dali in the world.

travelview/Shutterstock

The Salvador Dalí Museum in St. Petersburg is a fittingly unique tribute to the beloved master of surrealism. The museum boasts the largest collection of Dalí's work outside Europe.

GEORGIA: The Earth Lodge on Ocmulgee Mounds National Historical Park
Ocmulgee National Monument

Jeffrey M. Frank/Shutterstock

This might not look much like other buildings in this list, but the Ocmulgee Mounds National Park's Earth Lodge dates back to the year 1015, per the National Park Service.

The lodge is a reconstructed council chamber of the native Mississippian culture. While the walls and ceiling were reconstructed in the late 1930s, the clay floor remains the same as the original, dating back over a thousand years.

HAWAII: ʻIolani Palace
ʻIolani Palace in Honolulu is the only royal palace on United States soil. David Kalākaua, the last reining king of Hawaii and the first monarch to travel around the world, was inspired by European palaces he saw on his 1881 voyage.

Michael Warwick/Shutterstock

ʻIolani Palace in Honolulu is the only royal palace on United States soil. David Kalākaua, the last reigning king of Hawaii and the first monarch to travel around the world, was inspired by the European palaces he saw during his 1881 voyage.

IDAHO: The Dog Bark Park Inn
dog bark park inn cottonwood

Martyn Skorkin/Shutterstock

The Dog Bark Park Inn in Cottonwood is a delightful piece of American kitsch. The bed and breakfast is shaped like two charming beagles.

ILLINOIS: Bahá'í House of Worship
Bahá'í  Wilmette, Illinois

Leotakespictures/Shutterstock

Although there are between 5 and 6 million adherents to the Bahá'í Faith, there are only eight continental houses of worship worldwide. The one in Wilmette, Illinois, is the oldest still standing, and the only one in the United States.

INDIANA: West Baden Springs Hotel
West Baden Springs Hotel

IN Dancing Light/Shutterstock

When the West Baden Springs Hotel opened in 1902, it was billed as the Eighth Wonder of the World. While enjoying the view from inside the massive domed atrium — at one point the largest in the world — it's easy to see why.

IOWA: Grotto of the Redemption
Father Paul Dobberstein promised to build a shrine to the Virgin Mary as she helped cure his grave case of pneumonia. His resulting Grotto of the Redemption in West Bend is made of rocks, shells, fossils, and gems pressed into concrete. It's the size of a football field.

Tom Robertson/Shutterstock

Father Paul Dobberstein promised to build a shrine to the Virgin Mary as she helped cure his grave case of pneumonia. His resulting Grotto of the Redemption in West Bend is made of rocks, shells, fossils, and gems pressed into concrete. It's the size of a football field.

KANSAS: Big Well in Greensburg
Big Well in Greensburg

Mark Reinstein/Corbis via Getty Images

The Big Well in Greensburg is a museum that rests atop its titular main attraction: the largest hand-dug well in the world, spanning 32 feet in diameter and reaching a depth of 109 feet.

KENTUCKY: Churchill Downs
Churchill Downs

Chad Robertson Media/Shutterstock

Churchill Downs, most famously the host of the Kentucky Derby, can hold 120,000 excited, sometimes rowdy, racing fans at max capacity.

LOUISIANA: The Pontalba Buildings
The Pontalba Buildings, which make up two sides of New Orleans' Jackson Square, are emblematic of the French Quarter. Some of the residences on the upper floors are thought to be the oldest continuously-rented apartments in the country.

Page Light Studios/Shutterstock

The Pontalba Buildings, which make up two sides of New Orleans' Jackson Square, are emblematic of the French Quarter. Some of the residences on the upper floors are believed to be the oldest continuously rented apartments in the country.

MAINE: The Portland Head Light
Portland Head Light

Juliany's Torres/Shutterstock

The Portland Head Light — one of the state's many lighthouses — has been around since 1791. It was built under the directive of George Washington himself.

MARYLAND: The American Visionary Art Museum
American Visionary Art Museum in Baltimore

Stoniko/Shutterstock

The American Visionary Art Museum in Baltimore showcases outsider art. All the works within its wonky exterior were made by inspired, self-taught creators.

MASSACHUSETTS: Simmons Hall at MIT
Simmons Hall at MIT

f11photo/Shutterstock

Simmons Hall at MIT is the coolest dorm building in the US. It looks like a monstrous Tetris piece combined with underground caverns.

MICHIGAN: Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History
Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History

Aaron J. Thornton/Getty Images for Elley Orem

The museum, one of the oldest and largest dedicated to African American history, is a three-story building designed with influences of African and local Detroit architecture. The building features a stunning 55-foot-tall glass dome ceiling.

MINNESOTA: The Marjorie McNeely Conservatory
Marjorie McNeely Conservatory

Ken Wolter/Shutterstock

The Marjorie McNeely Conservatory at Saint Paul's Como Park was opened to the public in 1915 and features Japanese, Bonsai, and butterfly gardens, among others.

MISSISSIPPI: Gehry's Pods at the Ohr-O'Keefe Museum of Art
Ohr-O'Keefe Museum of Art

EQRoy/Shutterstock

Designed by Frank Gehry — whose striking work also includes the Louis Vuitton Foundation in Paris, the Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles, and the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao in Spain — the curved metal pods, which house pottery at Biloxi's Ohr-O'Keefe Museum of Art, are meant to look as if they were "dancing with the trees," per the museum's website.

MISSOURI: The Community Bookshelf
Community Bookshelf missouri

Matt Fowler KC/Shutterstock

The parking garage at the Kansas City Library is called the Community Bookshelf. It displays the giant spines of 22 classic books that were suggested by Kansas City readers.

MONTANA: Montana State Capitol building
Montana State Capitol

Mihai_Andritoiu/Shutterstock

Construction started on the Montana State Capitol in 1896. The inside of the rotunda salutes four types of people central to the state's early history: a native American, an explorer, a gold miner, and a cowboy.

NEBRASKA: Nebraska State Capitol Building
Nebraska State Capitol Building in Lincoln, Nebraska

Faina Gurevich/Shutterstock

The Nebraska Capitol in Lincoln is one of the greatest state capitol buildings in the US. Built between 1922 and 1932, the building features artworks representing the development of law and the state of Nebraska.

NEVADA: Ward Charcoal Ovens
Ward Charcoal Ovens

Kit Leong/Shutterstock

The distinctive beehive-shaped Ward Charcoal Ovens in Ely were built for silver mining back in the 1870s, and they still look like nothing else on the landscape.

NEW HAMPSHIRE: Mount Washington Hotel
Mount Washington Hotel

Wangkun Jia/Shutterstock

Built in 1902, the Mount Washington Hotel — today operating as the Omni Mount Washington Resort — is one of the last remaining grand hotels in the state, and is rumored to be haunted.

NEW JERSEY: Nassau Hall at Princeton University
Nassau Hall is the oldest building at Princeton University. While today it contains the school's administrative offices, during the Revolutionary War it was held by both British and American forces, and was damaged during the battles.

Hansonl/Shutterstock

Nassau Hall is the oldest building at Princeton University, dating back to the 1750s. While it now houses the school's administrative offices, during the Revolutionary War it was occupied by both British and American forces and suffered damage during the battles.

NEW MEXICO: Taos Pueblo
Taos Pueblo
This October 2012 photo shows adobe dwellings at the Taos Pueblo in Taos, N.M., a UNESCO World Heritage site where the Taos native people have lived for 1,000 years. Tours of the pueblo describe the community’s survival and challenges across the centuries. The picture-perfect dwellings are multi-level, often with ladders to reach upper floors and round ovens outside.

AP Photo/Beth Harpaz

Hundreds of years old, the Taos Pueblo is a multi-story complex built by Native Americans from the region. It looks like one big, molded piece, and it's still used as a residence.

NEW YORK: The Chrysler Building
Chrysler Building, Manhattan, aerial view with skyscrapers. View from Empire State Building

Nikolas_jkd/Shutterstock

The Empire State Building gets all the hype, but it's the Chrysler Building that's really the most magnificent skyscraper in New York City. The Art Deco-style building was the tallest in the world when it was built, but it was beaten out by — you guessed it — the Empire State Building just 11 months later.

NORTH CAROLINA: The Executive Mansion
north carolina Executive Mansion

Dee Browning/Shutterstock

Give it to North Carolina for having its most beautiful building designated as a civil landmark. The state's Executive Mansion in Raleigh is the home of the governor and a high-profile event venue that's open to public tours.

NORTH DAKOTA: The North Dakota Heritage Center
North Dakota Heritage Center

Nagel Photography/Shutterstock

At the center of the North Dakota Heritage Center in Bismarck is a great glass cube flanked by two copper-colored wings. It's the home of the state's greatest treasures, including Native American historical artifacts and lots of dinosaur fossils.

OHIO: The Longaberger Company building
Longaberger Company

CJM Grafx/Shutterstock

The Longaberger Company, which makes baskets, made a building in Newark that perfectly matches its brand. The building was closed in 2016, and it has largely sat idle since.

Plans for the property have included a hotel, a coworking space, and, most recently, a mixed-use development, but it still has an unclear path for the future.

OKLAHOMA: First Americans Museum
First Americans Museum

Kit Leong/Shutterstock

The First Americans Museum's 175,000-square-foot building in Oklahoma pays homage to the state's indigenous populations and their history. The design is inspired by the importance placed on the rising and setting sun by Native populations, with the Remembrance Walls being aligned with the sunrise.

The central half-dome is supported by 10 pillars of various stones, each representing a 10-mile stretch traveled by Native people during forced removal from their original homelands, according to the museum's website.

OREGON: The Portland Building
The Portland Building

EQRoy/Shutterstock

In 2009, Travel + Leisure famously called The Portland Building "one of the most hated buildings in America," and its reputation is split among architecture critics. But its shapes, strange geometric clashes of glass and stone, make it the weird building that Portland most deserves.

PENNSYLVANIA: Frank Lloyd Wright's Fallingwater
Frank Lloyd Wright's  Fallingwater

WillAshley/Shutterstock

Frank Lloyd Wright's 1935 masterpiece Fallingwater remains Pennsylvania's greatest work of architecture. Water falls from each level of the building into the one below, perfectly integrating with the landscape.

RHODE ISLAND: The Breakers
The Breakers

LEE SNIDER PHOTO IMAGES/Shutterstock

Built as a summer residence for Cornelius Vanderbilt II, The Breakers mansion in Newport has 70 rooms across 138,300 square feet, making it one of the largest houses in the US and an icon of Gilded Age architecture.

SOUTH CAROLINA: The International African American Museum
the international african american museum south carolina

Sean Rayford/Getty Images

In South Carolina, the International African American Museum stands on top of 18 13-foot pillars that keep the museum from touching the sacred ground on which it was built.

The museum is situated on the historic site of Gadsden's Wharf in Charleston's Cooper River, which was the last and most significant disembarkation point in North America for enslaved Africans during the transatlantic slave trade, per the US Civil Rights Trail website.

SOUTH DAKOTA: The Corn Palace
The Corn Palace

Dennis MacDonald/Shutterstock

The walls of the Corn Palace in Mitchell are adorned with complex murals and art that's all been made out of, you guessed it, corn. The design changes every year.

TENNESSEE: Parthenon in Centennial Park
Parthenon in Centennial Park

jdross75/Shutterstock

Built in 1897 for the Tennessee Centennial Exposition — and then reconstructed between 1921 and 1930 — the Parthenon in Centennial Park is a full-sized replica of the Parthenon in Athens, Greece. Today, it's open to the public as an art museum.

TEXAS: James Turrell's Twilight Epiphany skyspace
James Turrell Skyspace

The Washington Post/The Washington Post via Getty Images

Designed by renowned artist James Turrell, the "Twilight Epiphany" Skyspace in Houston is a performance space that makes you feel as though you've entered another dimension.

UTAH: Natural History Museum of Utah
Utah's Natural History Museum in Salt Lake City looks like it could have been carved out of the landscape. It was designed by Todd Schliemann of Ennead Architects.

JHVEPhoto/Shutterstock

The Natural History Museum of Utah in Salt Lake City looks like it could have been carved out of the landscape. It was designed by Todd Schliemann of Ennead Architects.

VERMONT: The Old Round Church
The Old Round Church in Richmond is technically a 16-sided polygon, but it's still enough of a circle to lend credence to a rumor that it was built in that shape so that the Devil had no corners to hide in.

Wirestock Creators/Shutterstock

The Old Round Church in Richmond is technically a 16-sided polygon, but it's still enough of a circle to lend credence to a rumor that it was built in that shape so that the Devil had no corners to hide in.

VIRGINIA: Dulles International Airport
Dulles International Airport building

Cheryl Lynn Photography/Shutterstock

If they're done wrong, airports can be the most insufferable place to spend a few hours. But we have to admire Virginia's Dulles International Airport, which almost looks like a futuristic aircraft itself.

WASHINGTON: Seattle Central Library
Seattle Central Library
SEATTLE - MAY 19: An exterior view of Seattle's new Central LIbrary on May 19, 2004 in Seattle, Washington. The glass and steel structure was designed by the Office for Metropolitan Architecture of the Netherlands and Seattle-based LMN Architects and cost $165.5 million to build. It is set to open to the public May 23.

Photo by Ron Wurzer/Getty Images

Forget the idea of a dusty old home for books nobody reads. The Seattle Central Library is a miracle of modern architecture.

WASHINGTON, DC: The United States Capitol
United States Capitol in Washington
Construction on the Capitol started in 1793.

Andrea Izzotti/Shutterstock

Construction on the Capitol started in 1793.

The United States Capitol is such a mainstay of nightly news and political pop culture that it's easy to take for granted. It's nice to step back once in a while and take in the grandeur and historical significance of this government building that reflects on America's complicated past.

Construction on the Capitol began in September 1793, and much of the structure was built by enslaved workers working alongside free Black and white laborers, per the White House Historical Association. In 2012, a marker was added to the Capitol Visitor Center commemorating the unpaid labor of enslaved people who built the nation's Capitol.

WEST VIRGINIA: The Palace of Gold
New Vrindaban west virginia

Daniel L. Locke/Shutterstock

The Palace of Gold is a majestic memorial shrine located in the Hare Krishna community of New Vrindaban.

WISCONSIN: The Burke Brise Soleil
The most striking feature of the Milwaukee Art Museum is the Burke Brise Soleil, a towering sunscreen with a 217-foot wingspan. It folds and unfolds twice a day.

Photo Spirit/Shutterstock

The most striking feature of the Milwaukee Art Museum is the Burke Brise Soleil, a towering sunscreen with a 217-foot wingspan. It folds and unfolds twice a day.

WYOMING: Smith Mansion
smith mansion wyoming

Grossinger/Shutterstock

This wacky-looking building is in the middle of the remote Wapiti Valley. In 1971, architect Francis Lee Smith started building the structure by hand as his and his family's home. After completing the first floor in 1973, he could not stop building. He died after falling from one of the balconies in 1992.

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Inside Miami's billionaire rush: Every major company and CEO that has recently relocated — and who might be next

Split image of Howard Schultz, Jeff Bezos, and Mark Zuckerberg
Starbucks' former CEO Howard Schultz, and Jeff Bezos have recently relocated to Miami, while figures like Mark Zuckerberg have recently purchased property in the city.

Pier Marco Tacca/Getty Images/Alexander Tamargo/Getty Images for America Business Forum/Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC

  • Tax proposals in California and New York are pushing billionaires to Florida.
  • Aside from the tax benefits, lifestyle perks are also fueling the trend.
  • Mark Zuckerberg, Larry Page, and Sergey Brin have all recently purchased homes in the city.

Move aside, Wall Street and Silicon Valley: Miami is vying to be the new epicenter of US business, tech, and wealth.

The city has long been seen as a gateway to Latin America and the Caribbean, but recent developments in its business landscape are helping turn it into a larger American business hub.

Finance firms, tech companies, and consumer brands have expanded their presence in the city, from opening new offices to relocating headquarters.

And their executives have joined the wave.

Ken Griffin recorded Miami-Dade County's first-ever nine-figure home sale after Citadel announced its relocation in 2022; Jeff Bezos spent $147 million on two Indian Creek homes after leaving Seattle for Miami; and Palantir CEO Alex Karp quietly bought a $46 million mansion on the Venetian Islands ahead of the company's headquarters shift to Aventura.

This comes as states like New York and California are considering or proposing policies aimed at increasing the taxation of the ultrawealthy. This includes California's proposed Billionaire Tax Act, which would impose a one-time 5% tax on the net worth of California residents and certain trusts worth at least $1 billion, and New York's pied-à-terre tax bill, which would impose an added tax on certain non-primary New York City homes, including second homes owned by people whose primary residence is elsewhere.

But beyond the tax benefits, the ultrawealthy are flocking to Miami for the lifestyle.

"You can't beat the lifestyle," Manny Varas, a luxury homebuilder who works with billionaire clients in South Florida, told Business Insider.

Varas, who has built and renovated homes for the likes of Jennifer Lopez, Lil Wayne, and the Bezos family, said that the city's "pro-work and creative environment," as well as its culinary, hospitality, arts, and events scene, are among the biggest drivers of billionaires' decisions to move to Miami over other tax-friendly states.

Some of these leaders have officially announced they or their companies will be moving to the Sunshine State, while others have quietly snapped up property in the city in recent months, signaling a potential expansion of their presence there. While some have cited business interests, others have publicly shared factors such as family proximity and Miami's culture.

Here are some of the most notable people and companies that have recently relocated or bought up property in Miami.

Ken Griffin
Ken Griffin, chief executive officer and founder of Citadel Advisors LLC, during the America Business Forum in Miami, Florida, US, on Wednesday, Nov. 5, 2025.

Bloomberg/Getty Images

Leading Miami's billionaire migration is Ken Griffin. In June 2022, Citadel and Citadel Securities announced they would move their global headquarters from Chicago to Miami.

In April 2022, an entity tied to Citadel paid a then-record $363 million for a waterfront Brickell office development site.

Citadel now lists Miami as its global headquarters, and its new Brickell location is expected to have 1.2 million square feet of office space, according to its plans.

Meanwhile, Griffin purchased the $107 million, 4-acre Adrienne Arsht Estate in Coconut Grove in 2022, setting a Miami-Dade record at the time and becoming the first nine-figure home sale in the county's history.

While Citadel's permanent Brickell tower is still in development, Griffin has been one of the biggest figures betting on Miami as the next center of US commerce.

The company told Business Insider that the city was home to about 400 Citadel-affiliated employees, including some senior executives.

Jeff Bezos
Blue Origin CEO Jeff Bezos speaks onstage ahead of US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth at Blue Origin in Cape Canaveral, Florida, on February 2, 2026.

Miguel J. Rodriguez Carrillo / AFP via Getty Images

In 2023, the Amazon founder announced via an Instagram post that he was leaving Seattle for Miami

That fall, Bezos bought neighboring mansions in Miami's Indian Creek Island for $79 million and $68 million, in what was one of the highest-profile moves in Miami's billionaire era.

Bezos cited Blue Origin's operations in Cape Canaveral, Florida, and his parents' relocation back to the city as reasons for his return to Miami, where he attended high school.

Peter Thiel
APRIL 7: Peter Thiel, co-founder of PayPal, Palantir Technologies, and Founders Fund, holds hundred dollar bills as he speaks during the Bitcoin 2022 Conference at Miami Beach Convention Center on April 7, 2022 in Miami, Florida. The worlds largest bitcoin conference runs from April 6-9, expecting over 30,000 people in

Marco Bello/Getty Images

On December 31, 2025, Thiel Capital — Peter Thiel's private investment firm — announced that it had opened a Wynwood office, saying the space would complement its Los Angeles operations.

The firm also said Thiel has maintained a personal residence in Miami since 2020, when he purchased an $18 million mansion in Miami's Venetian Islands.

In 2024, Thiel moved his voter registration to Florida, further formalizing his move to the state.

Michael Ferro
Michael Ferro, chairman and chief executive officer of Merrick Ventures LLC, speaks at the annual Milken Institute Global Conference in Beverly Hills, California, U.S., on Monday, May 2, 2016

Bloomberg/Getty Images

In March 2025, Michael Ferro Jr., chairman of the private equity firm Merrick Ventures, bought a 2.5-acre estate on Star Island for $120 million, setting what was then a record for a home sale in Miami-Dade County.

He also moved Merrick Ventures to Florida. The investment firm Ferro, founded in 2007 and previously based in Chicago, is now described on its website as a Florida-based private equity company focused on technology.

FC Barcelona
Ronald Araujo of FC Barcelona lifts the Spanish Super Cup following their side's victory in the Spanish Super Cup Final between FC Barcelona and Real Madrid at King Abdullah Sports City Hall Stadium on January 11, 2026 in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

Yasser Bakhsh/Getty Images

Along with Miami's influx of billionaires, the city has also become the American capital of soccer, with international figures like Lionel Messi and David Beckham investing in the sport's presence there.

In April 2025, FC Barcelona announced it would relocate its North American division's commercial offices from New York to Miami's One Biscayne Tower after receiving an incentive grant from the Miami Downtown Development Authority, an autonomous city agency focused on economic and business development.

Galderma
Cetaphil products skincare brand

Alex Tai/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images

Galderma, the parent company behind brands like Cetaphil and Differin, announced in June 2025 that it would establish its new US headquarters in Miami's Brickell neighborhood. The company said it expects roughly 150 employees to be based there by 2028.

The skincare company cited the concentration of med spas and dermatology clinics in the Miami metro area, the rapid growth of aesthetic procedures in the region, and the size of the Miami Health District as drivers behind the move.

Playboy
Ben Kohn, chief executive officer of Playboy Enterprises Inc., sits for a photograph during the grand opening of the Playboy Club in New York, U.S., on Wednesday, Sept. 12, 2018.

Bloomberg/Getty Images

In August 2025, Playboy announced it would relocate its global headquarters from Los Angeles to Miami Beach. At the same time, it announced plans for a new Playboy Club in Miami Beach and new content studios in the city.

The company hopes to open its offices by September 2026.

"Miami Beach is among the most dynamic and culturally influential cities in the country, making it the ideal home for Playboy's next chapter," Ben Kohn, CEO of Playboy Inc., said in the statement.

MSC Cruises
The Panamanian-flagged cruise ship MSC Fantasia remains moored in the port of Montevideo on February 7, 2026.

Ivanna INFANTOZZI / AFP via Getty Images

In January, MSC Group's cruise division opened its new North American headquarters in downtown Miami.

The 130,000-square-foot office, located near PortMiami, is a roughly $100 million investment that will house more than 400 employees across MSC entities under one roof, MSC said in its announcement.

Palantir
CEO of Palantir Technologies Alex Karp speaks during the World Economic Forum (WEF) annual meeting in Davos on January 20, 2026.

Fabrice COFFRINI / AFP via Getty Images

In February, Palantir announced it had moved its headquarters to Miami.

Regulatory filings placed the company's principal executive office at 19505 Biscayne Boulevard in Aventura, about 17 miles north of downtown Miami.

The address, which is also home to an Industrious coworking space, is located across from the sprawling Aventura Mall and sits above a Sweetgreen, a Starbucks, and a Lego store.

Months before, CEO Alex Karp quietly bought a $46 million mansion in Miami's Venetian Islands.

Howard Schultz
Former Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz testifies before the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee in the Dirksen Senate Office Building on Capitol Hill on March 29, 2023 in Washington, DC.

Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images

In March, former Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz said in a LinkedIn post that he and his wife were leaving Seattle for Florida after more than four decades in the city. He wrote that they had moved to Miami for their "next adventure together."

The announcement followed Schultz's purchase of a $44 million penthouse at the Four Seasons Private Residences, a waterfront residential tower in Surfside.

The executive, who had long-established ties in Seattle — the city where the coffee chain was founded — is one of the newest neighbors in Miami's high-profile circles.

Mark Zuckerberg
Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg walks through the U.S. Capitol following a meeting with Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) in Washington, DC on March 26, 2026.

Nathan Posner/Anadolu via Getty Images

While the social media tycoon has not formally announced a relocation to Miami, Mark Zuckerberg made Miami history in March when he and his wife, Priscilla Chan, purchased a $170 million property on the appropriately nicknamed "Billionaire's Bunker," Indian Creek Island — the most expensive home sale in Miami-Dade County's history.

The still-under-construction property spans about 2 acres on the exclusive island, where Zuckerberg will be neighbors with Jeff Bezos, Ivanka Trump, and other notable figures.

Google's Larry Page and Sergey Brin
Larry Page (L) and Sergey Brin (R), the co-founders of Google, at a press event where Google and T-Mobile announced the first Android powered cellphone, the T-Mobile G1.

James Leynse/Corbis via Getty Images

Google co-founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin have both made major moves into South Florida's luxury real-estate market in recent months.

Page, who has long been based in Palo Alto, California, spent roughly $173.4 million on two Coconut Grove properties — including a 4.5-acre waterfront compound on Biscayne Bay — in December and January.

In March, Brin, who has also been a longtime California resident based in the Bay Area, purchased the former Allison Island home of LVMH CEO Michael Burke for $51 million.

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I tried 14 high-protein drinks and ranked them from worst to best. Some had as much protein as a whole chicken breast.

protein drinks ranking
I compared 14 high-protein chocolate drinks, including Core Power, Muscle Milk, and Boost.

Kristine Villarroel/Business Insider

  • High-protein drink options have been expanding, from shakes to chips and even beer.
  • I ranked 14 high-protein drinks and thought Fairlife's Core Power, OWYN, and Nesquik were the best.
  • Some of the drinks had as much protein as a chicken breast.

It looks like the protein craze is here to stay, whether to help achieve personal fitness goals or to preserve muscle mass while taking GLP-1 medications.

Over the past few years, high-protein products have taken over grocery store aisles, from pasta to chips, and they don't seem to be slowing yet.

The US government's Dietary Guidelines for Americans, released earlier this year, emphasized the role of protein and dairy products in its recommended daily diet, although dietitians have cautioned against protein-maxxing at the expense of other nutrients.

More people are reaching for ultra-high-protein products, and if you remember the 1990s' meal-replacement milkshake craze, these drinks might feel a bit familiar.

Nutritional shakes — whether they're used by athletes seeking nutrients on the go, parents to supplement their growing children's diets, or adults with dietary needs seeking to pack in as many nutrients in a compact, easily digestible form — aren't new to everyone's diets.

To better understand the high-protein drinks on sale today, I visited two New York City grocery stores and picked up every drink that advertised its protein content, with the lowest having 12 grams of protein, which is as much as two eggs.

I tried every brand's chocolate flavor to best compare their tastes and ranked all 14 based on flavor, as well as considering their nutritional content and price-to-value.

In general, I looked for drinks that tasted chocolatey, were sweet enough to serve as a sweet treat without going overboard, and were overall enjoyable to drink on their own.

It's worth noting that many shakes on the market are considered ultra-processed foods, which the new government guidelines recommend avoiding.

Here's how I ranked them, from lowest to highest.

14. Remedy Organics Cacao Essentials Protein Shake
remedy protein taste test

Kristine Villarroel/Business Insider

Cost: $4.99 for 12 fluid ounces

Calories: 210 calories

Protein: 16 grams

Added sugar: 7 grams

The taste of the Remedy Organics Cacao Essentials Protein Shake was what I could best describe as healthy.

The date-sweetened drink is packed with plant-based ingredients, including adaptogens like ashwagandha and maca root powders as well as tapioca prebiotic powder.

But taste-wise, they weren't as sweet-treat-like as some of the other shakes. It tasted strongly of cacao, but it felt a little chalky, and seemed saltier than it did sweet.

While I liked the drink's ingredients, I really disliked the taste. If you're looking for a plant-based, adaptogen-full drink that will also help you reach protein goals, this could be an option for you — but don't go into it expecting a sweet chocolate milk type of drink.

Flavor rating: 1/10

Overall rating: 6/10

13. Muscle Milk Zero Sugar Chocolate Protein Shake
muscle milk zero sugar taste test

Kristine Villarroel/Business Insider

Cost: $3.99 for 14 fluid ounces

Calories: 170 calories

Protein: 25 grams

Added sugar: 0 grams

When I first poured the Muscle Milk Zero Sugar shake, I noticed just how dark and thick it was. Tasting it, I found that it was way too sweet for my taste. This, combined with the thick texture, made for a pretty interesting drinking experience — I had to wash down the shake with some water to follow up the sweet taste left in my mouth.

Although I couldn't finish drinking the small taste I'd poured myself, it also had the fewest calories and grams of sugar in the ranking, the highest fiber, and I felt like the protein payoff was great, which made the overly sweet taste feel more like a trade-off.

If you're trying to get half of your daily protein in as few calories as possible while also watching out for sugar content, this drink might be good to have on your radar … but you'll have to remind yourself of the nutrients in every sip.

Do it for the protein, bro.

Flavor rating: 3/10

Overall rating: 6/10

12. Koia Cacao Bean Protein Shake
koia protein drink taste test

Kristine Villarroel/Business Insider

Cost: $4.99 for 12 fluid ounces

Calories: 190 calories

Protein: 18 grams

Added sugar: 4 grams

Compared to some of the other protein drinks, I found Koia's Cacao Bean protein shake to be very thin and light in color when I first poured it.

Its flavor, as the name would indicate, is very cacao-bean forward. To me, it tasted exactly like cacao nibs, which can lean more nutty and earthy than chocolate-y.

In a statement to Business Insider, Koia said the Cacao Bean protein shake is "crafted to highlight cacao's naturally bold, slightly bitter profile rather than masking it with excessive sweetness or artificial flavoring," resulting in a flavor that "may be less sweet than traditional protein shakes."

The almond-based, monk-fruit-sweetened drink, which isn't too sweet and packs in plant-based ingredients like rice, pea, and chickpea protein and a prebiotic blend, wasn't one of my favorites for taste, although it was fairly competitive with the other options in terms of nutrients.

Flavor rating: 4/10

Overall rating: 5/10

11. Chocolate Sport Shake
sports shake protein drink taste test

Kristine Villarroel/Business Insider

Cost: $2.00 for 11 fluid ounces

Calories: 350 calories

Protein: 12 grams

Added sugar: 39 grams

I found the flavor of the chocolate Sport Shake to be one of the most enjoyable in the ranking, and it reminded me a lot of plain chocolate milk — it was very, very sweet. I also liked that it didn't taste too much like dairy, something that bothered me with other drinks in the lineup.

However, the drink's sweet and tasty flavor was overshadowed by its ultra-high added sugar content of 39 grams, or more than 9 teaspoons.

While the drink has some fiber in it, coming in with 3 grams, and it was the cheapest of the ranking, I couldn't justify that much sugar. I will probably not reach for this again.

Flavor rating: 8/10

Overall rating: 1/10

10. Nesquik Chocolate Low Fat Milk
nesquik drink taste test

Kristine Villarroel/Business Insider

Cost: $2.50 for 14 fluid ounces

Calories: 250 calories

Protein: 14 grams

Added sugar: 18 grams

I was shocked when I learned that Nesquik's classic chocolate milk could be considered a nutritional drink.

At 14 grams of protein, as advertised on the bottle, the drink has more grams of protein per serving than other drinks labeled as protein drinks.

Tasting it was just as nostalgic as expected. Compared to some of the other drinks, however, I noticed it had a stronger dairy taste and was very sweet, with a total of 18 grams of added sugar.

I also noticed that the bottle recommended a portion of half a bottle, probably due to the drink's high sugar content, which would also result in half the protein intake overall.

I probably wouldn't have reached for this in adulthood if not to compare it here, and I probably won't really reach for it again.

Flavor rating: 6/10

Overall rating: 4/10

9. Muscle Milk Pro Knockout Chocolate Protein Shake
msucle milk protein taste test

Kristine Villarroel/Business Insider

Cost: $5.99 for 14 fluid ounces

Calories: 220 calories

Protein: 40 grams

Added sugar: 0 grams

Like its low-sugar version, the Muscle Milk Pro looked dark and thick. Taste-wise, the drink was sweeter than chocolate-y, and I didn't love the flavor.

Although the drink packs an impressive 40 grams of protein in 14 ounces and 220 calories, has the highest ratio of protein to fluid ounces, and also has the highest fiber content in the list, the taste was one of my least favorites, and I had to wash it down with some water after tasting, as it had such a lingering flavor on the tongue.

When considering the nutritional aspects of the drink, however, I felt like the taste was a solid trade-off for one of the most protein-efficient drinks in the ranking, having the second-highest amount of grams of protein in a single bottle.

But if you're strictly going for the ultra-high-protein option, the Fairlife Core Power Elite — which comes later in this ranking — might be a better bet for flavor.

Flavor rating: 4/10

Overall rating: 7/10

8. OWYN Pro Elite Chocolate Protein Shake
owyn protein taste test

Kristine Villarroel/Business Insider

Cost: $4.49 for 12 fluid ounces

Calories: 200 calories

Protein: 32 grams

Added sugar: 0 grams

When I first poured the OWYN — which stands for Only What You Need — Pro Elite Protein Shake, it looked much thicker than some of the other drinks in the ranking.

It tasted vastly different from the others, too. The ingredients gave some clues as to why: The main ingredients — water, pea protein, pumpkin protein, and flaxseed oil — were completely different from the other shakes.

The plant-based, dairy-, soy-, and wheat-free drink, which contains 3 grams of prebiotics, uses monk fruit extract to sweeten its cocoa-heavy flavor, and also has a greens blend that includes spinach, kale, and broccoli.

I figured that the odd flavor I experienced was perhaps due to some of its most health-forward ingredients, like the greens blend.

In a statement to Business Insider, OWYN said that the exclusion of artificial sweeteners and sugar alcohols in the formula "sometimes means a more natural, earthy taste profile," when compared to their regular shake, which uses a blend of organic cane sugar and monk fruit.

Ultimately, I wasn't a fan of the taste and probably wouldn't reach for this drink again, although nutrition-wise, it was a solid ultra-high-protein plant-based option.

Flavor rating: 5/10

Overall rating: 6/10

7. Fairlife Core Power Elite Chocolate High Protein Milk Shake
corepower elite shake taste test

Kristine Villarroel/Business Insider

Cost: $5.99 for 14 fluid ounces

Calories: 230 calories

Protein: 42 grams

Added sugar: 0 grams

One of three protein shakes in Fairlife's line, the Core Power Elite shake was a bit thinner than many of the other drinks I tried.

It was less sweet than Fairlife's regular chocolate milk, which I didn't mind. However, it had a much stronger dairy taste — I don't love the taste of dairy milk, so this worked against the drink for me.

Still, its insane amount of protein — as much as a whole chicken breast — earned it extra points in my ranking.

This drink was something I didn't mind drinking, even if I wouldn't usually go for it. Even as a non-gym-bro, I would probably reach for this drink if I were trying to get well over half of my needed protein for the day in a single serving.

Flavor rating: 5/10

Overall rating: 8/10

6. Chocolate Nutrament
nutrament protein drink taste test

Kristine Villarroel/Business Insider

Cost: $2.50 for 11 fluid ounces

Calories: 330 calories

Protein: 15 grams

Added sugar: 29 grams

When I poured the chocolate Nutrament, I noticed its consistency was among the runniest in the ranking.

The drink, the second-cheapest drink in the lineup, tasted just like chocolate milk, although it was still a bit too sweet for me.

I also noticed it had a long ingredients list with many unfamiliar terms, but on closer inspection, some seemed to be added vitamins and minerals. The drink also had the second-highest added sugar content at 29 grams.

The high sugar and comparatively low protein knocked this drink down a few points for me, and although I enjoyed it, I probably wouldn't reach for this.

Flavor Rating: 9/10

Overall Rating: 5/10

5. Fairlife Chocolate Ultra-filtered Milk
fairlife protein drink taste test

Kristine Villarroel/Business Insider

Cost: $3.29 for 14 fluid ounces

Calories: 250 calories

Protein: 23 grams

The second in Fairlife's line, its chocolate ultra-filtered milk, was another nostalgic offering.

It was very sweet, but if I were craving chocolate milk, this is definitely the option I would choose.

While it's not marketed as a protein drink, it contains 23 grams in a 14-ounce bottle and has the second-lowest cost per gram of protein.

Flavor rating: 7/10

Overall rating: 7/10

4. Rich Chocolate Boost Plus Nutritional Drink
boost protein drink taste test

Kristine Villarroel/Business Insider

Cost: $18.99 for a six-pack of 8-ounce bottles (or $3.17 for 8 fluid ounces)

Calories: 360 calories

Protein: 14 grams

Added sugar: 18 grams

While some of the drinks in this lineup are aimed at the ultra-protein-efficient crowd and others are more directed at children, the Boost nutritional drink line is marketed toward adults with specific nutritional needs. The Boost Plus product, specifically, is aimed at adults hoping to gain or maintain weight.

Taste-wise, this was one of my favorites. The sweet and rich drink was very chocolatey, and it felt like a nice sweet treat.

With the product's purpose in mind, the drink's higher calories didn't bother me, and I was pleased to see its nutrition label flooded with vitamins and minerals.

Out of many of the options, this is one I could see myself reaching for solely based on its taste, even though I wish it had a higher protein content.

Flavor rating: 9/10

Overall rating: 7/10

3. Nesquik Protein Power Chocolate Milk Beverage
nesquik protein taste test

Kristine Villarroel/Business Insider

Cost: $3.00 for 14 fluid ounces

Calories: 290 calories

Protein: 23 grams

Added sugar: 18 grams

When I poured this drink, I was surprised by how runny it was compared to some of the other options. I really enjoyed the taste, even if it wasn't exactly the same as the nostalgic chocolate-milk flavor of Nesquik's classic option.

In fact, I actually liked this one more, even before factoring in the added nutritional value. It was adequately sweet, not too dairy-tasting, and it didn't have the aftertaste that had put me off the classic option.

With 23 grams of protein, this drink could compete with some of its more nutrition-leaning counterparts. At $3 for a bottle, it was also one of the cheapest options with the highest protein content.

I could totally see myself reaching for this.

Flavor rating: 8/10

Overall rating: 8/10

2. OWYN Dark Chocolate Protein Shake
owyn taste test protein

Kristine Villarroel/Business Insider

Cost: $4.29 for 12 fluid ounces

Calories: 180 calories

Protein: 20 grams

Added sugar: 4 grams

Compared to the higher-protein drink on OWYN's line, the regular protein shake wasn't as dark or as thick when I poured it.

While the OWYN Pro Elite had a taste I didn't like, the OWYN Dark Chocolate Protein Shake had a simpler flavor that reminded me of chocolate milk.

It was very tasty and chocolatey, and I liked that it also had 3 grams of fiber.

Overall, this felt like a very solid option that I could see myself reaching for. It was also my favorite plant-based drink.

Flavor rating: 8/10

Overall rating: 10/10

1. Fairlife Core Power Chocolate High Protein Milk Shake
core power protein taste test

Kristine Villarroel/Business Insider

Cost: $4.99 for 14 fluid ounces

Calories: 170 calories

Protein: 26 grams

Added sugar: 0 grams

While this drink didn't exactly feel like a dessert or chocolate milk since it leaned more chocolatey and cocoa-tasting than sweet — and it did have somewhat of a dairy taste — I still found it very enjoyable and a very nice pick for both taste and protein.

Tied with the Muscle Milk Zero Sugar for the lowest calories in the ranking, I found the Fairlife Core Power shake much more enjoyable and even winning by a gram in the protein category.

Overall, this drink had the best balance between flavor and nutrition, and I can see myself reaching for it whenever I need a quick post-workout pick-me-up or just want to get a significant portion of my daily protein on the go.

Flavor rating: 8/10

Overall rating: 10/10

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15 Oscar wins you may have forgotten about

Eminem performing "Lose Yourself" at the Oscars in 2020.
Eminem won the Oscar for best original song in 2003 and performed at the ceremony in 2020.

Craig Sjodin/Contributor/ABC via Getty Images

  • On Sunday, Hollywood stars will gather at the Dolby Theatre to celebrate the Oscars.
  • While some names feel synonymous with Oscars' history, others have been forgotten over time.
  • Eminem won the Oscar for best original song in 2003 for "Lose Yourself."

On Sunday, March 15, Hollywood's elites will descend upon the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles for the biggest night in film: the Oscars.

The prestigious awards show has become somewhat synonymous with multi-time winners and repeat nominees like Meryl Streep, Viola Davis, and Steven Spielberg, but there are plenty of recipients whose wins you may not remember.

Take Eminem, for example. The 15-time Grammy-winning rapper wasn't even in attendance when he won the Oscar for best original song in 2003 for "Lose Yourself."

"Back then, I never even thought that I had a chance to win," he told Variety after his surprise Oscars performance in 2020.

"And also, back at that time, the younger me didn't really feel like a show like that would understand me. But then when I found out I won, 'That's crazy!' That to me shows how authentic and real that award is — when you don't show up and you still win," he added.

So, ahead of this year's ceremony, here's a look back at surprising wins in Oscars history you may have forgotten about.

Jim Rash
Jim Rash posed with his Oscar at the Vanity Fair Oscar Party in 2012.
Jim Rash won the Oscar for best adapted screenplay in 2012.

John Shearer/Staff/WireImage/Getty Images

Award won: Best adapted screenplay

For: "The Descendants"

Year: 2012

Jim Rash may be best known for playing Dean in "Community," but he's a writer, too.

Rash put his skills to good use for "The Descendants," a dramedy starring George Clooney and Shailene Woodley. The film was nominated for five Academy Awards, including best picture, best actor, and best adapted screenplay, which Rash took home alongside cowriters Nat Faxon and Alexander Payne.

Peter Capaldi
Best live action short film winners Peter Capaldi, Ruth Kenley-Letts, Peggy Rajski, and Randy Stone posed with their awards in 1995.
Peter Capaldi won the Oscar for best live action short film in 1995.

AP Photo/Lois Bernstein

Award won: Best live action short film

For: "Franz Kafka's It's a Wonderful Life"

Year: 1995

Capaldi is internationally known for playing the Doctor in "Doctor Who," but fans might not realize he won an Oscar nearly two decades before taking on the role.

Capaldi won the award for best live action short film alongside Ruth Kenley-Letts for "Franz Kafka's It's a Wonderful Life." Their film actually tied for the award with Peggy Rajski and Randy Stone's "Trevor."

Stevie Wonder
Stevie Wonder accepting the Oscar for best original song in 1985.
Stevie Wonder won the Oscar for best original song in 1985.

ABC Photo Archives/Contributor/Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty Images

Award won: Best original song

For: "I Just Called to Say I Love You" from "The Woman in Red"

Year: 1985

In comparison to his 25 Grammy wins, it's easy to see how Stevie Wonder's Oscar win in 1985 could fly under the radar. The song itself was a massive hit upon its release in 1984, selling millions of copies.

Three 6 Mafia
Three 6 Mafia members Jordan Houston, Paul Beauregard, and Cedric Coleman posed with their Oscars for best original song in 2006.
Three 6 Mafia won the Oscar for best original song in 2006.

Steve Granitz/Contributor/WireImage/Getty Images

Award won: Best original song

For: "It's Hard Out Here For a Pimp" from "Hustle & Flow"

Year: 2006

Three years after Eminem's win, Three 6 Mafia became the first hip-hop group to take home the Oscar for best original song for "It's Hard Out Here For a Pimp" from "Hustle & Flow."

Eminem
Eminem performing "Lose Yourself" at the Oscars in 2020.
Eminem won the Oscar for best original song in 2003 and performed at the ceremony in 2020.

Craig Sjodin/Contributor/ABC via Getty Images

Award won: Best original song

For: "Lose Yourself" from "8 Mile"

Year: 2003

In 2003, Eminem became the first rapper to win the Oscar for best original song with "Lose Yourself" from Curtis Hanson's drama "8 Mile," which he also starred in. Though he wasn't present to accept the award back then, he gave a surprise performance of the song 17 years later, at the Oscars ceremony in 2020.

Anna Paquin
Anna Paquin posed with her Oscar for best supporting actress in 1994.
Anna Paquin won the Oscar for best supporting actress in 1994.

Ron Galella/Ron Galella Collection via Getty Images

Award won: Best supporting actress

For: "The Piano"

Year: 1994

Paquin's acting career started off with a bang, winning best supporting actress for her debut film, "The Piano," at just 11 years old.

Since then, she's appeared in the "X-Men" trilogy, "True Blood," and Martin Scorsese's "The Irishman," but hasn't received another Oscar nomination.

Mo'Nique
Mo'Nique posed with her Oscar for best supporting actress in 2010.
Mo'Nique won the Oscar for best supporting actress in 2010.

Jason Merritt/Staff/Getty Images

Award won: Best supporting actress

For: "Precious"

Year: 2010

Though Mo'Nique may be best known for her comedy, she had a standout role as abusive mother Mary Jones in Lee Daniels' "Precious" and took home the award for best supporting actress.

However, five years after her win, Mo'Nique told The Hollywood Reporter that Daniels told her she was "blackballed" because she "didn't play the game."

Mo'Nique famously did not campaign for her award, and in the opening line of her acceptance speech said, "First, I would like to thank the Academy for showing that it can be about the performance and not the politics."

In a statement to The Hollywood Reporter, Daniels said, "Her demands through 'Precious' were not always in line with the campaign. This soured her relationship with the Hollywood community."

Mo'Nique and Daniels reconciled in 2022, and she starred in his 2024 horror film, "The Deliverance."

Lionel Richie
Lionel Richie posed with his Oscar for best original song in 1986.
Lionel Richie won the Oscar for best original song in 1986.

ABC Photo Archives/Contributor/Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty Images

Award won: Best original song

For: "Say You, Say Me" from "White Nights"

Year: 1986

Richie has won one Oscar from three nominations for best original song. His win came in 1986 for "Say You, Say Me" from "White Nights," starring Mikhail Baryshnikov and Gregory Hines.

Mira Sorvino
Mira Sorvino posed with her Oscar for best supporting actress in 1996.
Mira Sorvino won the Oscar for best supporting actress in 1996.

Steve Granitz/Contributor/WireImage/Getty Images

Award won: Best supporting actress

For: "Mighty Aphrodite"

Year: 1996

Before she starred as the iconic Romy White in "Romy and Michele's High School Reunion," Sorvino was recognized by the Academy for her role as Linda Ash in Woody Allen's "Mighty Aphrodite."

Since then, she's appeared in other films and television projects, including "Norma Jean & Marilyn," "Human Trafficking," and, more recently, "Sound of Freedom."

In 2017, Sorvino was one of more than a dozen women to speak out against producer Harvey Weinstein in an article published by The New Yorker. She told the publication that she felt her career was hurt after rejecting Weinstein's advances and reporting the harassment she faced.

"There may have been other factors, but I definitely felt iced out and that my rejection of Harvey had something to do with it," Sorvino said.

In a statement in 2017, Weinstein denied he'd been involved in blacklisting Sorvino.

Weinstein was convicted of third-degree rape of one woman and of first-degree criminal sex act against another in 2020 and sentenced to 23 years in prison. His conviction was overturned in April 2024, and he was indicted on new charges in September; his retrial is set to begin in April.

Al Gore
Producer Laurie David, former vice president Al Gore, director Davis Guggenheim, and producer Lawrence Bender pose with the Oscar for best documentary feature in 2007.
Director Davis Guggenheim won the Oscar for best documentary feature in 2007 for "An Inconvenient Truth," starring Al Gore.

Vince Bucci/Stringer/Getty Images

Award won: Best documentary feature

For: "An Inconvenient Truth"

Year: 2007

OK, technically, the award for best documentary feature was given to director Davis Guggenheim, but former vice president and 2000 presidential nominee Al Gore was its subject, highlighting his educational presentation about the dangers of global warming.

He even took to the stage with Guggenheim after its win, telling the crowd, "My fellow Americans, people all over the world, we need to solve the climate crisis. It's not a political issue; it's a moral issue. We have everything we need to get started, with the possible exception of the will to act. That's a renewable resource. Let's renew it."

Fisher Stevens
Animal activist Ric O'Barry, director Louie Psihoyos, producers Paula DuPre Pesman and Fisher Stevens accept Best Documentary Feature award for 'The Cove' in the press room at the 82nd Annual academy Awards.

Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic

Award won: Best documentary feature

For: "The Cove"

Year: 2010

The "Short Circuit" and "Succession" actor won the best documentary feature award in 2010 after producing "The Cove," which detailed the dolphin-hunting industry in Japan and called for a change in Japanese fishing practices.

That same year, Stevens cofounded Insurgent Media, a documentary film company.

Kobe Bryant
Kobe Bryant poses in the press room with the Oscar for Best Animated Short Film for "Dear Basketball," during the 90th Annual Academy Awards on March 4, 2018, in Hollywood, California.

FREDERIC J. BROWN/AFP via Getty Images

Award won: Best animated short film

For: "Dear Basketball"

Year: 2018

The basketball legend made history when he took home an Oscar in 2018, becoming the first former professional athlete to do so.

Bryant narrated the animated short, which features a 2015 letter he wrote for The Players' Tribune announcing his retirement.

The short was directed and animated by Glen Keane, who had previously worked on Disney animated classics such as "The Little Mermaid," "Beauty and the Beast," and "Aladdin." John Williams, the 54-time Academy Award nominee behind the scores for films like "Jaws," "Star Wars," and "Jurassic Park," created the score.

Bryant's emotional acceptance speech ended with the athlete thanking his wife, Vanessa, and daughters, Natalia, Gianna, and Bianka, telling them, "ti amo con tutto il mio cuore," which means "I love you with all my heart" in Italian.

Sam Smith
Songwriter Jimmy Napes (L) and singer Sam Smith, winners of the award for Best Original Song 'Writing's on the Wall,' pose in the press room during the 88th Annual Academy Awards.

Jason Merritt/Getty Images

Award won: Best original song

For: "Writing's on the Wall" from "Spectre"

Year: 2016

Alongside cowriter Jimmy Napes, the British singer-songwriter won the award for best original song for their 2015 Bond theme for "Spectre."

In their acceptance speech, Smith talked about being the "first openly gay man to win an Oscar," which they weren't. Smith apologized, but the comments sparked backlash from the LGBTQ+ community, and the singer, who acknowledged the mistake, temporarily quit X (formerly Twitter).

Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross
Atticus Ross and Trent Reznor pose in the press room during the 83rd Annual Academy Awards held at the Kodak Theatre on February 27, 2011 in Hollywood, California.

Jeffrey Mayer/WireImage

Awards won: Best original score

For: "The Social Network," "Soul"

Years: 2011, 2021

Outside their work with Nine Inch Nails, Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross have been frequent collaborators on film scores, beginning in 2010 with their soundtrack for David Fincher's "The Social Network."

The duo won the best original score award for the movie in 2011. They won again in 2021 for their score of Disney's "Soul," which also features jazz tracks by Jon Batiste.

Bruce Springsteen
American singer and songwriter Bruce Springsteen at the 66th Academy Awards at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion in Los Angeles, USA, 21st March 1994. He won Best Original Song for 'Streets of Philadelphia', which featured in the film 'Philadelphia'.

Vinnie Zuffante/Getty Images

Award won: Best original song

For: "Streets of Philadelphia" from "Philadelphia"

Year: 1994

Bruce Springsteen won big in 1994 for his song "Streets of Philadelphia" from the drama film "Philadelphia." The song, which won the song of the year award at the Grammy Awards, also earned him an Academy Award for best original song.

He was nominated again in 1996 for "Dead Man Walkin'" from the movie with the same name, but lost.

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