Follow the Money: The Podcast

Far-right groups in Europe are using PayPal to sell merchandise and raise money, despite the payment giant’s own rules prohibiting transactions that promote hate or discrimination. This highlights a broader failure by Big Tech, which is not just turning a blind eye but allowing extremist content to remain on its platforms. Reporting by: Polina Bachlakova.

The controversial US company Palantir supplies crucial software to intelligence services, armies and police forces in Europe. European governments are growing nervous about the US firm. Meanwhile, European investors have scaled up their investment in the company.

When Portuguese investigators looked into a suspicious smartphone trader, they thought they were dealing with an €80 million VAT fraud case. But that small-town raid soon grew into one of Europe’s biggest VAT fraud investigations, involving thousands of companies, hundreds of suspects, and an estimated €2.9 billion in lost tax revenue. Journalist Salsabil Fayed retraced the steps of the alleged fr...

When the EU passed its corporate sustainability legislation in 2023, it was hailed as a game-changer for holding companies accountable for abuses in their supply chains. But the law was quickly diluted after industry lobbying. Journalist Hans Wetzels obtained leaked documents suggesting that the U-turn was largely driven by pressure from Washington.

The Iran war has upended oil and gas markets and disrupted global supply chains. But the fallout may affect something more fundamental: the price of food. Journalists Ties Gijzel, Remy Koens, and Jan Daalder found that investors have bet billions on agricultural commodities. What could this mean for global food security?

Manfred Weber is one of the most powerful lawmakers in Brussels. Under his leadership, Europe’s top political family hired two consultants with close ties to Greece’s ruling party. Journalist Simon Van Dorpe found that more than €500,000 was spent in six months, yet results were limited. The affair has raised questions about political spending in the EU and oversight by the European Parliament.

The Dutch economy runs on low-paid temporary workers, including large numbers of migrants from countries such as Bulgaria, Poland, and Ukraine. But journalist Lise Witteman found that employment agencies may have underpaid them, in breach of EU law. The sector could now face a bill worth billions of euros as a mass lawsuit looms.

For years, Senegalese community leaders Cheikh Sy and Njouda Ndiaye warned people about the deadly risks of migration to Europe. Then they themselves were arrested for migrant smuggling. Reporter Andrei Popoviciu uncovered that their case is part of a wider EU-funded crackdown on migration.

A decade ago, Volkswagen was caught cheating emissions tests, putting far more toxic cars on the road than anyone knew. Journalist Peter Teffer got a rare glimpse into corporate emails and uncovered how Dieselgate wasn't the only time that carmakers tried to outsmart regulators.

Europe’s lucrative flower market is rooted in a colonial past, built on genetic material taken from the Global South and commercialised by Western companies. While the multi-billion-euro industry continues to flourish, virtually nothing flows back to the developing nations where the plants originated. Journalist Dylan Carter investigates the imbalance behind the blooms in our homes. Related storie...

In the midst of war, Russian oligarchs are suing Ukraine – not in Moscow, not in Kyiv, but through European trade treaties and arbitration courts in Washington. What might sound like a legal technicality is actually part of a powerful global mechanism known as ISDS, which allows corporations to sue governments for billions over lost profits. Journalists Alistair Keepe and Hans Wetzels take us insi...

Alcohol and tobacco are both linked to serious disease, yet the industries have spent decades casting doubt on the risks. Journalist Irene van den Berg revealed how cigarette giants invested heavily in treatment for smoking-related conditions and funded scientific research to widen their influence. Just months later, she uncovered how Big Booze has used the same playbook as Big Tobacco to downplay...

Carbon credits are marketed as a simple solution to climate change: companies can offset CO₂ by funding green initiatives such as forest protection and tree planting. Yet many of these offsets have been exposed as ineffective at cutting emissions, or even harmful. Follow the Money reporters Mira Sys and Ties Gijzel explain how this market really works – and why we shouldn’t bank on it to protect o...

Hungary is heading into a pivotal election. After 16 years in power, Viktor Orbán faces his most serious challenger yet. Péter Magyar emerged out of the blue and quickly transformed himself into the face of the opposition. But who is he really? Hungarian journalist Patrik Galavits traces the rise of the man expected to become the country’s next premier – and explains what that could mean for Hunga...

As the European Commissioner for Justice, Didier Reynders was tasked with defending the rule of law across the EU. But days after leaving office, his home was raided as part of a money laundering probe. Journalist Simon Van Dorpe unpacks the story of one of Europe’s most influential politicians – and his fall from grace. Related stories ➪ https://www.ftm.eu/articles/reynders-charged-in-money-laund...

Before Hungarian premier Viktor Orbán dismantled Hungary’s independent press, before media tycoons conglomerated power across Europe, there was a chance to stop it all. Our podcast goes behind the scenes of an investigation that found secret letters and lobbying that killed a plan to protect Europe’s media.

Microloans were meant to lift people out of poverty. But in Cambodia, they’ve pushed families into crushing debt – and in some cases, even to suicide. Reporters Leila Goldstein and Phon Sothyroth travelled across the country to investigate how European development institutions helped fuel a system that profits from desperation. Content warning: This episode discusses suicide.

Soldiers are no strangers to danger. But what if they’re putting themselves, and national security, at risk by swiping on Tinder? Journalists Dimitri Tokmetzis, Sebastiaan Brommersma, and Martijn Reuvers revealed how data from Tinder can be used to track where soldiers are and even find out where they live.

We’re taking a short podcast break and will be back early next year! Got any tips, feedback, or comments? Email us at emma.du.chatinier@ftm.eu Related stories ➪ https://www.ftm.eu/articles/bitcoin-mining-in-congo-rainforest-thanks-to-eu https://www.ftm.eu/articles/europe-health-data-us-firm-israel-spies https://www.ftm.eu/articles/google-antitrust-eu-us-regulators? Follow the podcast https://www.f...

Donating old clothes or buying second-hand is widely seen as eco-friendly. Yet an FTM investigation reveals a more complicated – and polluting – reality. Journalists Helena Rodríguez Gómez, Raluca Besliu, and Vittoria Torsello tracked clothes donated across the EU. The garments travelled thousands of kilometres, passed through special economic zones, and in some cases even returned to Europe – exp...

Think tanks present themselves as neutral institutions shaping Europe’s policy debates. But an investigation by FTM paints a different picture. Journalists Salsabil Fayed, Alistair Keepe and Ada Homolova found that Brussels’ most influential think tanks receive a third of their funding from U.S. sources – from philanthropists to major tech firms. This gives American interests a little-known but si...

Money shapes nearly every part of our lives, but few of us understand how it really works. In his upcoming book Plenty of Money (But Not for You), journalist Thomas Bollen exposes the hidden machinery of money, and the power wielded by commercial banks. His research demonstrates why real reform has stalled, and what it would take to regain control of the financial system.

Google is under growing pressure from EU regulators, who are considering breaking up the tech giant over its market dominance. An investigation by FTM revealed how the company’s controversial business strategies helped it cement its grip on the internet. Journalists Alexander Fanta and Simon Van Dorpe explain how Brussels set its sights on Google – and why the U.S. may block efforts to dismantle o...

When Italy arrested an alleged Libyan war criminal wanted for torture and crimes against humanity earlier this year, it made international headlines. Forty-eight hours later, Osema Habish Najim Almasri was flown home as a free man. Lorenzo Bagnoli and Paolo Riva reveal how migration politics seem to have trumped international justice.