American Express president died suddenly. AmEx president Ed Gilligan became ill on a flight to New York Friday morning and passed away, according to an internal company memo. The 55-year-old began working at the company 35 years ago as an intern, before becoming president in 2013.
Blatter reelected. Amidst the FIFA controversy, president Sepp Blatter was reelected for a fifth term Friday. Blatter fell seven votes shy of the required 140 needed to secure the presidency, driving voting into a second round. Blatter’s only opponent, Prince Ali bin al-Hussein of Jordan, conceded before a second round of voting could begin. Politico
Snapchat raises new venture capital funds. Snapchat raised $537.6 million in new venture capital funding, and could raise more than $100 million more. Earlier this week, the young CEO Evan Spiegal said that his photo/video-messaging app has plans for an initial public offering and likely won’t be considering an acquisition offers. Forbes
The end of the road. Ross Ulbricht, founder of the online drug market Silk Road, was sentenced to life in prison Friday. Ulbricht must also forfeit $184 million. The Silk Road made more than $187 million before its closure in 2013. Upward of $1.2 billion in illegal drug transactions happened on the site. Yahoo!Finance
“I didn’t really say everything I said.” The 90-year-old Yogi Berra deserves a Presidential Medal of Freedom, Steve Forbes is arguing. The New York baseball great is known for his witty quips, but also for serving in the Navy in WWII and participating in the D-Day invasion, as well as his positive effect on baseball, New York, and the U.S. Forbes
Puck it up with hockey all weekend. The Rangers and the Lightning played Friday night, and the Blackhawks and Ducks are up Saturday as the National Hockey League closes in on the Stanley Cup Final.
Prefer classier sports? Veuve Clicquot champagne is hosting its annual polo classic in New York City Saturday. Pop those collars and sip bubbly while watching a match with the Statue of Liberty in the background. Not a bad way to spend a summer weekend.
Monday is June 1, so expect May economic reports next week.
Photo: iStockPhoto.com.