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IOWA CITY, IOWA- MARCH 3: Guard Caitlin Clark #22 of the Iowa Hawkeyes waves to the crowd during senior day festivities after the match-up against the Ohio State Buckeyes at Carver-Hawkeye Arena on March 3, 2024 in Iowa City, Iowa. (Photo by Matthew Holst/Getty Images)
Getty ImagesMarch Madness officially started today at 12:15pm ET (so I hope you’re reading this with a locked bracket!), and if you’ve been paying attention to the qualifying games and run-up to the Big Dance, you’ll know that this year feels a little different. I’m talking, of course, about the increased attention on the NCAA Women’s Tournament.
Historically, when we’ve talked about March Madness, we’ve talked about the men’s play. This year, however, thanks to the buzz around Iowa star (and all-time leading scorer for any gender) Caitlin Clark, the women’s tournament is taking center spotlight. It’s also garnering big money: Ticket prices for the women’s championship game are currently starting at $390, or 50% more than the $192 get-in price for the men’s championship game. To see a women’s Final Four game, consumers are looking at a $774 get-in price compared to $242 for the men.
“The fervor surrounding this year's NCAA Women's Tournament is a testament to the growing prominence and influence of women's sports in the global sporting landscape,” writes Forbes contributor Leonard Armato. “It's a triumph of skill over gender stereotypes, of perseverance over adversity, and of unity over division.”
Cheers to that!
Maggie McGrath
Featured Forbes Interview: How Sallie Krawcheck Lead Ellevest To $2 Billion In Assets Under Management
Former Wall Street executive Sallie Krawcheck founded investment platform Ellevest ten years ago after feeling like the traditional financial services industry was not focusing on women or their long-term wealth needs. She’s built Ellevest and its algorithms to take into consideration female career arcs (which can include breaks from the workforce for caregiving responsibilities) and longevity (women tend to live longer than men), and female customers are taking note: This month, Ellevest hit $2 billion in assets under management. Krawcheck sat down with ForbesWomen editor Maggie McGrath to talk about her strategy and why all women should be aware of what she calls “the great wealth transfer.”
ICYMI: News Of The Week
Judy Faulkner of Epic Systems photographed in March 2021 by Jamel Toppin for Forbes.
Jamel Toppin/The Forbes CollectionLed by billionaire founder and CEO Judith Faulkner, the $4.6 billion (revenue) health records giant Epic is betting big on generative AI and building a suite of 60 tools it’s hoping to sell to American hospitals. “We're really trying to decrease the burden on the clinicians,” Faulkner says, citing an example of a tool that helps doctors draft responses to patient portal messages.
On Tuesday, billionaire philanthropist MacKenzie Scott announced another round of donations: Her organization, Yield Giving, in partnership with the nonprofit Lever for Change, awarded $640 million to 361 nonprofits. The new donations bring her total lifetime philanthropic giving to $17.2 billion–all done in less than five years.
In news that is disappointing if not surprising: The gender pay gap is most egregious at the top of the pay scale, according to a new report from the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. Men constitute a whopping three-quarters of individuals earning over $208,000, and comprise 71% of the people who earn salaries between $163,000 and $207,000.
Opill, the first over-the-counter birth control pill approved for sale in the U.S., began its first sales this week, available in Wisconsin for Medicaid recipients—and the government-funded healthcare program will cover 100% of the medication’s cost, Gov. Tony Evers’ office said.
Being single and living alone has many benefits—but few of them are financial. In fact, according to a new study from Zillow, the nationwide “tax” on renters who are solely responsible for their housing costs is $7,110, meaning this is how much more (on average) single people spend annually on rent compared to their coupled counterparts. In cities like New York, the number surpasses $20,000.
The Checklist
1. Put a nap on your calendar. Despite the “sleepy girl” TikTok trend, daily napping isn’t (yet) a common part of American culture. Take a step in the direction of “well rested” by blocking out 20 minutes a day for a siesta.
2. Build trust and cut employee turnover. Are your highest-performing employees constantly walking out the door? It's not just about the money. New research reveals a surprising culprit behind employee turnover: trust.
3. See if you live in one of the happiest countries in the world. Spoiler alert: If you reside in the United States, you might be disappointed by the findings of the 2024 World Happiness Report…
The Quiz
Democratic House Rep. Katie Porter received fierce criticism earlier this month for how she reacted to her loss in California’s Senate primary, and expressed remorse in an interview released Tuesday. What did Rep. Porter do?
A. Detailed her opponents’ flaws on a whiteboard
B. Said the election was “rigged”
C. Condemned her state’s jungle primary system
D. Questioned Republican Steve Garvey’s political experience
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