duPont REGISTRY Group (DRG) is putting the pedal to the metal with its recent appointment of Michael Chapin as the Chief Executive Officer of Petrolicious, the iconic platform celebrated by classic car enthusiasts worldwide. Known for producing cinematic-quality content that brings to life the artistry of automotive culture, Petrolicious has long been a fixture for collectors and car lovers alike, amassing millions of views on its YouTube channel and expanding its legacy through exclusive automotive documentaries and series.

With Chapin’s leadership, the future of Petrolicious looks poised for a new chapter—one that blends his entrepreneurial expertise with the enduring passion of car culture. But this isn’t just about reviving an established brand; it’s about ushering it into a new age, a time when digital content, community engagement, and storytelling are more vital than ever before.

A Vision for Growth and Revival

The duPont REGISTRY Group’s acquisition of Petrolicious in 2024 marked a turning point for the storied brand, which had seen a series of ownership transitions over the past few years. The brand, which started in 2012, became known for its emotive and visual celebration of classic automobiles, with its original videos touching the hearts of car enthusiasts and setting industry standards for automotive content.

With Chapin at the helm, Petrolicious is set for a revival that blends nostalgia with innovation. Antoine Tessier, CEO of duPont REGISTRY Group, expressed his confidence in Chapin’s leadership, citing his background in both entrepreneurship and media as the perfect fit to reinvigorate the brand’s core values of storytelling and high-quality production.

“Michael’s experience in media, e-commerce, and startups, combined with his deep-rooted passion for automotive culture, makes him uniquely qualified to bring Petrolicious back to its roots,” Tessier said. “This is not just about rebooting a brand; it’s about reigniting a community and a way of telling stories that resonates deeply with car lovers everywhere.”

Chapin’s Automotive Journey: A Career Built on Passion

For Chapin, the road to leading Petrolicious has been a lifelong journey—one that started with a passion for understanding the intricacies of vehicles. From a young age, he was captivated by the mechanics of cars, often found dismantling engines to understand how they worked. This fascination with engineering naturally evolved into a career as a race mechanic during his college years. But over time, his focus shifted from working with cars to building businesses—particularly in the digital space.

As the founder and former CEO of PartsHub, a cloud-based software company for the automotive aftermarket, Chapin gained invaluable experience in media and e-commerce. His company’s eventual acquisition by the Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) only further cemented his status as a key player in the automotive industry.

Now, Chapin’s vision for Petrolicious is clear: to embrace the brand’s legacy while steering it into the future with modern-day storytelling techniques that will captivate a new generation of enthusiasts.

“Petrolicious inspired car enthusiasts around the world, and it’s important that we return to those core values of emotional storytelling,” said Chapin. “The love between a driver and their car transcends all cultures and backgrounds. That connection unites us, and we’ll continue to celebrate that bond in ways that resonate with both longtime fans and newcomers alike.”

The Intersection of Passion and Innovation

As Petrolicious transitions under Chapin’s leadership, the platform is poised to leverage the growing interest in luxury and classic cars while tapping into digital spaces where collectors and enthusiasts engage. With duPont REGISTRY Group’s extensive portfolio—spanning Canossa Events, Cavallino, FerrariChat, and Sotheby’s Motorsport—Petrolicious is poised to offer even more exclusive access to high-end car culture. The content will expand beyond documentaries and short films to incorporate new formats that engage digital audiences on multiple platforms.

Given the accelerating digital transformation in the automotive industry, Petrolicious’s ability to innovate and adapt is crucial. In 2025, content that blends storytelling with immersive experiences (think virtual reality, live-streaming events, and interactive car showcases) is becoming increasingly popular. Chapin’s strategic vision aims to expand Petrolicious’s offerings by leaning into these trends while preserving the essence of the brand’s heart: the emotional connection people have with cars.

With Chapin’s leadership, Petrolicious will continue its legacy of excellence, merging traditional automotive storytelling with cutting-edge technology to capture the passion and excitement of the classic car community. It’s about combining history with innovation, nostalgia with progress, and car culture with the future of media.

A Fresh Start for an Iconic Brand

In February 2025, Petrolicious is more than just a brand relaunch—it’s an opportunity for the automotive world to reconnect with the stories that make car culture so special. Under Chapin’s direction, the platform will celebrate the nuances of automotive art while expanding its reach and tapping into the next wave of car enthusiasts.

The road ahead for Petrolicious is as thrilling as the vehicles it celebrates—full of potential, driven by passion, and fueled by innovation. As the brand accelerates into this new era, it will continue to captivate the hearts of collectors and fans, offering a front-row seat to the world’s most cherished and legendary automobiles.

The wildfires raging through the Pacific Palisades and surrounding areas in Los Angeles have left a path of destruction that is difficult to fully comprehend. As the flames continue to burn, they have claimed the lives of at least 10 people and consumed entire neighborhoods. But perhaps the most striking aspect of this devastation is the toll it has taken on some of the priciest luxury real estate in the country, including homes owned by A-list celebrities like Paris Hilton, Billy Crystal, Jeff Bridges, and Eugene Levy.

The Pacific Palisades, a prestigious neighborhood known for its multimillion-dollar homes, has long been home to Hollywood’s elite. In 2021, actor Eugene Levy was even sworn in as the honorary mayor of the area—a testament to the enclave’s connection to the entertainment industry. However, this week, Levy’s own home was destroyed by the flames, a stark reminder that no property, regardless of wealth or fame, is immune to the ravages of these increasingly severe wildfires.

The total financial loss from celebrity homes in the area has already surpassed $155 million, and the tally continues to rise as the fire continues to devastate the region. High-profile residents like Hilton, Crystal, and Bridges are among those whose properties have been lost in the fires, highlighting the reach of the disaster beyond just the local community. These are not just celebrities who’ve lost their homes; these are people whose properties represent some of the most valuable and luxurious real estate in the country.

This loss is not just about financial value but also about the emotional and personal toll that comes with the destruction of a home. For these celebrities, as for anyone, a house is a place of memories, family, and personal sanctuary. While their wealth may provide them with resources to rebuild, the emotional strain of losing a home is something that cannot be measured in dollars.

The ongoing disaster in the Pacific Palisades serves as a painful reminder of the devastating effects of climate change. Wildfires have become an increasingly common and dangerous threat, particularly in California, where prolonged droughts and rising temperatures create the perfect conditions for these kinds of catastrophes. The destruction of luxury homes, even those owned by Hollywood’s elite, underscores the vulnerability of all people to the growing frequency and intensity of natural disasters.

While the recovery process will be long and costly, the devastation of this fire also calls attention to the broader issue of how we prepare for and respond to such events. As wildfires continue to rage, especially in areas that have historically been considered “safe,” it is clear that a more robust and proactive approach to disaster prevention and relief is needed. In particular, the growing number of homes lost in these fires, including those of the rich and famous, highlights the need for stronger building codes, more resilient infrastructure, and better fire management practices.

In the case of the Pacific Palisades, the destruction is also a testament to the deep social and economic divides that exist in communities prone to such disasters. While celebrities may have the resources to rebuild, for many residents in the surrounding areas, the loss is more than just a physical one; it is a financial blow that could take years to recover from. And yet, the media focus on celebrity homes, while understandable due to their public nature, risks overshadowing the plight of those who do not have the same resources.

The ongoing wildfires in the Pacific Palisades serve as a powerful reminder of the destructive power of climate change and the growing risk that these disasters pose to all communities, regardless of wealth or fame. As the flames continue to burn, the toll on both the emotional and financial well-being of residents—celebrity and otherwise—cannot be understated. The fire’s devastation is not just a Hollywood story but a reflection of the broader challenges society faces in adapting to a world where such disasters are becoming increasingly common. How we respond in the aftermath will determine the future resilience of our communities.

In a recent report, FOX Business correspondent Charlie Gasparino revealed that President-elect Donald Trump and JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon have been engaged in secret discussions for months regarding Trump’s policy agenda for a potential second term. According to sources close to Trump’s transition team, Dimon has served as a key “sounding board” for Trump, advising on critical issues such as reducing government spending, tax policy, trade, and banking regulations. One source even described Trump’s admiration for Dimon as a “man crush,” further underlining the close rapport between the two.

Despite these ongoing discussions, neither JPMorgan Chase nor the Trump transition team has responded to requests for comment regarding the talks. The revelation comes just two weeks after Trump publicly announced that Dimon, who runs the largest bank in the U.S., would not be joining his upcoming administration, effectively putting an end to speculation that Dimon might be nominated for the role of Treasury secretary.

In a post on his Truth Social platform, Trump acknowledged Dimon’s contributions but made it clear that he would not be part of his administration. “I respect Jamie Dimon, of JPMorgan Chase, greatly, but he will not be invited to be a part of the Trump Administration,” Trump wrote. “I thank Jamie for his outstanding service to our country!”

This announcement followed Trump’s naming of Key Square founder Scott Bessent as his pick for Treasury secretary. Despite their reported private discussions, Trump has been openly critical of Dimon in the past, including calling him a “Highly overrated Globalist” on Truth Social. Earlier this year, Trump had floated the idea of considering Dimon for Treasury secretary in a second term but later walked back those comments.

Dimon, for his part, has had a complicated relationship with Trump. Although he condemned the January 6th Capitol attack, he has also praised some of Trump’s positions and policies. Dimon acknowledged that Trump had been “kind of right” about NATO, immigration, and China, and praised his economic policies, including trade tax reforms. Dimon’s candid and balanced remarks appear to have resonated with Trump, who reportedly “greatly appreciated” Dimon’s honest assessment.

While Dimon did not endorse any candidate in this year’s presidential election, his ongoing influence and his role as an advisor to Trump indicate the complex, evolving relationship between the business world and politics. The continued private conversations between Dimon and Trump suggest that, even without a formal position in the administration, Dimon may remain a significant figure in shaping future policy discussions under a second Trump term.

Bye-Bye, Bear Market? The Worst Could Be Over for Stocks.

As a woman in AI, Rana has always been very aware of being “the only woman in the room” and, moving on from Affectiva, she has decided to do something about this. To this end, she is seeking out opportunities to support and encourage diversity in the tech world with the AI Fund, which is helping to invest in and build the next generation of tech giants.

“I realize how hard it is for women, under-represented founders and even under-represented ideas. I’ve become used to it and now found my voice but it took years,” she reveals.

“It’s actually awesome to be different because we need diverse people to solve problems in our world and diverse teams actually do better, financially and economically.”

Rana recounts the moment she realized she needed to work as hard on herself as her company. After starting Affectiva in 2009, she hired an experienced CEO to please investors. When he left in 2013, she didn’t put herself in the running for the role as it was not one she had held before. It was several years later, when she really drilled down into what the position entailed, that she realized she was not only qualified for the job, she was actually already doing it.

“One of my mentors said, ‘You have to convince yourself first that you’re ready’, so we did a lot of visualization exercises,” Rana explains. “And once I believed that I was ready, we took it to the board for a vote and it was unanimous to have me step into the CEO role.

“That was a big lesson – you don’t want to be your own biggest obstacle. But often women don’t raise their hand for opportunities unless they check 100 per cent of the requirements, whereas sometimes men are ready to if they check 30 per cent. I encourage the women on our team to raise their hand even if they think they’re not ready.”

Perpetuating Bias

It is not just companies that are being held back by a lack of diversity. Rana highlights the wider ethical issues for society, which are caused by the lack of women and people from minority groups in the AI workspace.

“The biggest issue in AI today is data and algorithmic bias,” she points out. “If you train any AI algorithm on data that’s not diverse, it becomes bias, and then if you deploy it around the world, scale it, you’ve accentuated the bias that exists in society by thousands of times.

“I think business leaders have to be intentional about diversity, equality and inclusion. It’s not going to happen on its own.”

“The only way to solve this is to have diverse data – and the only way to have diverse data is to have diverse people around the table saying, ‘Have you thought about including data of women who wear the hijab or guys who have beards?’ I think the more diverse the people around the table are, the more robust the solution is going to be.”

A Seat at the Table

To ensure this change happens, Rana believes companies need to take a proactive stance in recruiting, rather than hoping the right candidates will come knocking on their door. “We as business leaders need to do a better job, to reach out to underprivileged minorities who might not think they could have a career in tech,” she stresses.

“Affectiva had an incredible internship program and would get 600-plus applications for five positions. But we realised we were getting kids from private universities and schools, so decided to seek out kids who would never think to apply. Sometimes they didn’t have any coding background and we were like, ‘It’s OK, we will teach you – you just have to be a hustler, be driven and motivated’.

The pace of change is something Rana finds frustrating as she launches the AI Fund. Since establishing her startup all those year ago, she says things have not moved on as much as she would have hoped. “It’s so hard to find women investors to put money in the fund. But I’m adamant there must be women out there; even if they put in smaller cheques, I want to bring women around the table as investors and as founders.”

However, the inspiration and joy Rana gets from working with those beginning their companies through the AI Fund makes it all worthwhile and she has achieved everything – and more – she ever hoped she would when she was a teen.

And Rana admits she too gains in addition to those the Fund supports. “One of my core values is lifelong learning,” she explains. “I’m an intellectual, curious human and love learning about new things, it just feeds my brain.

“It’s definitely key for any entrepreneur who has done well, because that stops you going stale and it pushes you – sometimes you have to look outside of yourself and your own business. You have to put yourself in a spot where you’re open to random connections, to open new doors.”

Letting that all-too-precious serendipity in once again.