Day: August 24, 2025

• Andrew Anagnost, CEO of Autodesk left high school as a teenager.
• He said he “hit rock bottom” after a high-speed police chase that nearly killed his friend.
• Anagnost said the experience helped him learn the importance of honest feedback.

At 17, Andrew Anagnost — who is now the CEO of Autodesk — was on probation and using drugs to self-medicate.

“I never saw myself as a CEO,” Anagnost told Business Insider, adding that there was nothing in his background that “preordained anything that was interesting.”

He said he likely had undiagnosed ADHD and once high school came around, he “went off the rails.” Anagnost said he was expelled from school and was dealing with anxiety and the “storm” in his head.

He said life didn’t turn around for him until he hit “rock bottom.”

“I got involved in a high-speed chase with a police car, and ran into a telephone poll, and came very close to killing the passenger in the car,” Anagnost said. “It was a blow.”

Flash forward about a decade and Anagnost was wrapping up his Ph.D. in aeronautical engineering and computer science at Stanford. While he followed a more traditional path after grad school, turning around his life after the accident wasn’t easy, he said.

The advice that he remembered

Anagnost said the car crash was a turning point in his life that made him realize how serious things had become.

In that moment, he looked back at what people had told him over the years. One of the comments that stuck out was when a teacher said “you can ruin your life all you want, but I’m not going to let you ruin the lives of the people in this classroom.” At the time, Anagnost said he didn’t think much of it.

“This teacher’s voice came back to me the night that I crashed the car,” Anagnost said.

The CEO said that following his accident, remembering his teacher’s words helped him find more productive ways to manage the “storm” in his head. It also made him realize that the most important people in life are the ones who tell you what you need to hear, not what you want to hear.

Anagnost said he stopped self-medicating in his late teens, and that since hitting rock bottom, he’s been focused on telling people what they need to hear, and delivering it in a way that they can listen to it.

“The people that tell you what you want to hear — they don’t actually make a difference in your life. They may make you feel good in the moment, but they’re not transformative,” Anagnost said.

Anagnost said he took that learning and applied it to the business world by remembering that he never knows where he’ll find “the next great idea.” Sometimes, the people you think are going to bring it are the least creative people, he said.

“Feedback is a gift,” Anagnost said. “It’s not just a cliché. And so many people in the working world are unwilling or unable to give tough feedback.”

His advice to others

Anagnost said that while a lot of people suggest following your passion, it’s more important to follow your impact.

“When we feel like we’re doing something, and the work we’re doing is meaningful and reflecting back some kind of meaningful outcome, we feel a sense of passion for that work,” Anagnost said.

He said figuring out where you have impact is a “really important part of your life journey,” and one that requires experimentation. The CEO said if he could go back in time and talk to his younger self, he’d tell himself to “look for the truth in every piece of criticism.”

“Don’t take it all in. It’ll crush you. But always look for the truth in it,” Anagnost said. “Learn from that truth and grow from that truth, and then apply that truth in a courageous way to risks and things that make you uncomfortable.”

Anagnost said people should strive to “do that aggressively,” early in life so that they have the skills to adapt to new situations when they’re older.

Oslo – The Norwegian government announced on Sunday that it will provide approximately 7 billion Norwegian crowns (around $696.12 million) to support air defense systems for Kyiv, reports 24brussels.

In a statement, Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store emphasized, “Together with Germany, we are now ensuring that Ukraine receives powerful air defense systems.” He added, “Germany and Norway are working very closely together to support Ukraine in its fight to defend the country and protect the civilian population against Russian air attacks.”

Cooperation Between Norway and Germany on Patriot Systems

Norway and Germany are financing the acquisition of two air defense systems known as Patriot systems, including missiles. Furthermore, Norway is assisting in the procurement of air defense radar from the German company Hensoldt and air defense systems from Kongsberg. This collaboration aims to bolster Ukraine’s air defense capabilities, protecting military units, infrastructure, and civilians from Russian aerial threats.

Earlier this summer, Prime Minister Store and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz announced their intention to contribute two complete Patriot systems, which Germany currently possesses, to Ukraine. These systems will be delivered as soon as possible, with the United States confirming it would supply replacements, supported financially by Norway.

Countering Ballistic Missile Threats with Patriot Systems

The Patriot system is designed to counter various threats, especially tactical ballistic missiles that evade standard air defenses. With long-range radar and high-speed missiles, it ensures effective interception of ballistic threats, providing comprehensive protection.

Significance of Hensoldt’s TRML-4D Radar Contract

Germany is also financing a significant contract with Hensoldt for the advanced TRML-4D radar, enhancing sensor coverage and fortifying other air defense systems. Additionally, it is backing the short-range Typhon-2 system from Kongsberg, a progression from the earlier Typhon-1, following Norway’s donation of ten units last year. Norway further adds to its support by donating essential components from Typhon-2 from its Armed Forces, reinforcing its commitment to Ukraine’s air defense and military equipment procurement.

Norway’s Commitment to Ukraine Since 2022

Since 2022, Norway has consistently provided robust support to Ukraine through military, humanitarian, and financial assistance. In January 2025, the Norwegian government approved an expanded support package to Ukraine, estimating its total contributions at 85 billion Norwegian kroner (approximately $7.8 billion). This includes 22.5 billion kroner (about $2 billion) in military support and 12.5 billion kroner ($1.1 billion) in humanitarian and civilian aid, effectively tripling its military support compared to prior levels.

• For Love & Money is a column from Business Insider answering your relationship and money questions.
• This week, a reader feels she’s the only one working hard while her husband pursues his dream job.
• Our columnist spoke with personal finance author Ramit Sethi, who suggested having a series of conversations.
• Have a question for our columnist? Write to For Love & Money using this Google form.

Dear For Love & Money,

Up until four years ago, I was strictly a stay-at-home parent who coached seasonally. Now I am a teacher, a student, still a coach, and the primary “everything” parent. My money is intended for our three kids and my activities, a structure my husband and I agreed to before I started working.

Well, since then, my husband, who works in sales, has had more zero-dollar months in the last two years than the rest of his 17-year career. He’s also decided to pursue his dream job. I’m all for the dream job, but in the meantime, I think he needs to earn something to help.

I’ve taken on yet another job that I hope to maintain when the school year begins. I shouldn’t be the only one working this hard. I don’t make enough to cover our day-to-day expenses, so it’s been me, our church, and food stamps getting us through.

I don’t feel it’s OK when capable people aren’t doing their part. How do I make him see that I’m doing my part, so he needs to do his?

Sincerely,

Overworked Harpy

Dear Overworked,

As absurd as it may seem, it’s not hard to see why there’s a societal pressure to figure out what we want to do for a living by as early as 18 years old— it feels a lot less financially practical to do so once you’re a few kids in, with a mortgage to pay.

While that may be the ideal, I know from personal experience it doesn’t always go that way. Sometimes, it takes time to figure out our careers. When that happens, we have to make chasing our dreams and surviving financially work alongside one another.

I know this better than most; my husband and I started our family before either of us graduated from college, and we’ve had to take turns being primary income earners and caregivers, to help finance each other’s schemes. It isn’t easy and has taken self-awareness, honesty, and constant communication. From what you’ve written, it sounds like these three traits are largely missing from how you and your husband navigate your current financial situation.

Fortunately, learning how to communicate with your partner about this balance is the specialty of Ramit Sethi, author of the New York Times bestseller “Money for Couples” and host of a podcast of the same name. Every week on his podcast, Sethi helps families figure out how to achieve their “rich lives” together. “Rich life” is his term for a lifestyle that reflects your values, goals, and the things that bring you joy. When I shared your story with him to seek his advice, he emphasized that the most important thing is for you and your husband to have a shared vision. Right now, it doesn’t seem you’re on the same page.

Even as your circumstances changed, your agreements did not. Now, you’re responsible for all the bills, lifestyle expenses, and caregiving duties, and your husband apparently takes this arrangement for granted even as his income dries up. Sethi said it’s essential to begin with how you both want your life to look and feel before drawing an arbitrary line down the middle of your bills. As Sethi explained, “Once you have a vision of your rich life, you’re going to see if it’s possible. If it’s not possible, you’re going to have to make some decisions about what to do.”

Only after you’ve done this should you run the numbers.

Sethi suggested that the best way to address this unfair arrangement is through a series of conversations. It can be scary to get vulnerable with our partners, admit our limitations, lay out what we expect from them, and share our hopes and dreams for the future. So, we avoid having these hard discussions by getting it all done with one big “money talk,” where we eyeball our finances and come up with solutions that seem basically fair.

Instead, Sethi said, the topic of money needs to be an ongoing, enjoyable conversation between you and your partner. It doesn’t need to be painful; his book contains several scripts for having these conversations. Sethi offered these opening statements:

• “I want us to be able to talk about money. I think it will be amazing for us to be on the same page and not stressed.”
• “Right now, when we talk about money, I feel stressed and resentful. How does it feel for you?”
• “When we talk about money, I want to feel confident and connected. How about you?”

Once you’ve started this conversation, it’s important to find a shared vision for your rich life. You can get there by saying, “Here’s how I want our life to feel. How about you?”

Sethi’s scripts aren’t accusatory. They are honest, curious, and non-judgmental, treating marital finances as a team effort rather than a battleground. Only when you have this shared vision with your husband can you strategize together how to achieve it.

Sethi has a conscious spending plan you can use to do this. This is where your husband may find real direction. If your conscious spending plan says that a partner and father doing his fair share should be bringing in $5,000 a month, your husband can problem solve how to come up with that amount — saving you from quietly doing it all, or being a “harpy”.

Sethi suggests the first conversation in the series should be a short one that focuses on honesty and connection, but always end your conversations by scheduling your next. As ominous as a standing “money talk” with your husband may sound, remember that, handled well, it can be empowering and life-changing. Not to mention, as Sethi says, getting to talk about money is a “gift you will have for the rest of your life.”

All of this hinges, of course, on whether your husband is open to talking with you about money. If he isn’t, I would look into couples therapy. Or, if it’s more his style, sitting down with a financial planner to figure out how to make things between you more equitable. Your exhaustion and resentment matter. So far, this arrangement has worked for your husband because of your grace and work ethic. You deserve the same in return.

Rooting for you,

For Love & Money

Looking for advice on how your savings, debt, or another financial challenge is affecting your relationships? Write to For Love & Money using this Google form.