I wouldn’t make it obvious who my work besties are.
It’s assumed that you’ll gossip with that person, so you won’t get any info that they can’t hear.
If they’re more than 1 level junior to you, it will take longer to get promotions and raises since you’ll be “junior” by association.
If they’re the same level and in your team (and they’re a poor performer), you won’t get promoted because it’s assumed you’ll play favorites as their boss.
Sucks. Some of them were not professional and it impacted my optics. I need to pick better friends and set healthier boundaries.