Slate Money

This week: The company buying up legacy brands like AOL, Evernote, and Vimeo had a huge IPO with shares immediately surging by 40%. Felix Salmon , Elizabeth Spiers , and guest host Stacy-Marie Ishmael discuss the Milan-based company’s strategy and unexpected success. Then, the hosts look at how prediction markets are booming during the World Cup. And later: why Bitcoin’s plummeting price is costin...

In this Money Talks: Felix Salmon is joined by Nobel Prize winning-economist Alvin Roth to discuss his new book, Moral Economics , which uses controversial topics—like prostitution and organ sales—to explore how morality shapes a market … and how we can apply economics lessons to big ethical issues. Join Slate Plus to unlock weekly bonus episodes. Plus, you’ll access ad-free listening across all y...

Felix Salmon , Elizabeth Spiers , and Emily Peck are joined by Reuters Media Editor Edmund Lee to revisit their 2016 predictions for the Comcast/NCBUniversal merge r, now that the companies have announced their split. Then, they explore how the World Cup fits into our very American media landscape. And finally, the hosts look at Donald Trump’s latest mandatory earnings disclosure, which revealed t...

This week: Former Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan passed away at the age of 100. Today: Felix Salmon , Elizabeth Spiers , and Emily Peck examine Greenspan’s legacy and the way it’s being emulated by the Fed’s current chair, Kevin Warsh. Then, the hosts discuss succession at JPMorgan now that CEO Jamie Dimon’s latest heir apparent, Marianne Lake, has left the company. And finally they...

In this Money Talks: Emily Peck sits down with Soumaya Keynes and Chad P. Bown , co-authors of How to Win a Trade War , to discuss how recent conflicts have changed the rules of international trade and which strategy they believe is the key to “winning” a modern trade war.   Podcast production by Jessamine Molli. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week: We saw just how many people are willing to invest in Elon Musk. Felix Salmon , Elizabeth Spiers , and Emily Peck , look at what makes SpaceX’s massive IPO so strange and why investors are willing to overlook things like Musk’s obsession with going to Mars. Then, they discuss Donald Trump’s deal with Iran and what the war has done to Iran’s economy. And finally, Emily unpacks the origin...

This week: Inflation hit its highest rate in three years thanks to skyrocketing energy prices. Felix Salmon , Elizabeth Spiers , and Emily Peck , parse through what the various inflation numbers mean and discuss the Fed’s and Donald Trump’s blasé reaction to the situation. Then, with the trustees warning of its depletion by 2032, the hosts talk about the possible consequences of losing Social Secu...

In this Money Talks: Author and financial journalist Brendan Greeley tells Elizabeth Spiers about his new book The Almighty Dollar —and the astonishing power this currency held long before the founding of the United States. Join Slate Plus to unlock weekly bonus episodes. Plus, you’ll access ad-free listening across all your favorite Slate podcasts. You can subscribe directly from the Slate Money...

This week: Google’s parent company announced an unexpected move to raise $80 billion for their AI ventures. Felix Salmon , Elizabeth Spiers , and guest host Mary Childs – host of the new show Mary in America –discuss the logic behind Alphabet's stock-based fundraise, which includes a $10 billion share sale to Berkshire-Hathaway.  Then, Mary explains why it’s getting harder for investors to av...

This week: Ferrari revealed its new EV designed by Jony Ive and it looked so bad it became a meme. Felix Salmon , Elizabeth Spiers , and Emily Peck , discuss the reaction to the $640,000 Ferrari Luce and how this story fits into the overall state of the electric vehicle market. Then, the hosts dig into the stat dashboard the U.N. wants to replace GDP as the main prosperity metric and debate whethe...

In this Money Talks: Elizabeth Spiers is joined by David Epstein, author of Inside the Box: How Constraints Make Us Better , who explains his research into how limitations often lead to breakthroughs. Join Slate Plus to unlock weekly bonus episodes. Plus, you’ll access ad-free listening across all your favorite Slate podcasts. You can subscribe directly from the Slate Money show page on Apple Podc...

This week: It was revealed that Donald Trump’s investment portfolio made a stunning 3,600 trades in one quarter.  Felix Salmon , Elizabeth Spiers , and Emily Peck , discuss theories on why the hell anyone would do this and whether it’s just weird or actually sinister. Then, they’ll get into the question of if it’s actually possible to “vote with your dollars” in the wake of the news that the...

This week: Kevin Warsh took over as Federal Reserve Chair, while Jerome Powell will remain on the board. Felix Salmon , Elizabeth Spiers , and Emily Peck , discuss how the Donald Trump appointee will deal with pressure from the president to lower rates despite rising inflation. Then, they cover Trump’s visit to China and what it could mean for the US-China power balance, particularly within the AI...

In this Money Talks: Felix Salmon is joined by futurist Scott Smith who breaks down his theory of “risk-maxxing” and why it’s on the rise in economics, politics, and other spheres at this particular moment in history. Join Slate Plus to unlock weekly bonus episodes. Plus, you’ll access ad-free listening across all your favorite Slate podcasts. You can subscribe directly from the Slate Money show p...

This week: CEOs and investors at the Milken Institute Global Conference projected optimism about the economy despite the overall feeling of uncertainty brought on by Donald Trump. Felix Salmon , Elizabeth Spiers , and Emily Peck , discuss Emily’s reporting from the conference, and the way capitalists have adapted to thrive amid the unpredictability of this administration. Then, they discuss GameSt...

This week: Google’s parent company Alphabet announced an incredible $110 billion in first-quarter revenue thanks, in part, to the computing needs of the AI boom.   Felix Salmon , Elizabeth Spiers , and Emily Peck , discuss the shocking earnings report and the reasons to doubt it as a sign of future growth, including the internet’s ever-evolving information economy. Then, they get into Bill Ac...

In this Money Talks: MIT professor Daron Acemoglu joins Emily Peck to explain his research into pro-worker technologies and how we can not only avoid the AI job apocalypse but also improve workers' lives by shifting the goal of AI from automation to collaboration.  Join Slate Plus to unlock weekly bonus episodes. Plus, you’ll access ad-free listening across all your favorite Slate podcasts. Y...

This week: Tim Cook announced he was stepping down as Apple’s CEO after 15 years. Felix Salmon , Elizabeth Spiers , and Emily Peck , unpack his unique legacy as the leader of the very beloved, very visible brand. Then, Axios’ Senior Health Care Editor Adriel Bettelheim joins to explain what peptides are and how  RFK Jr. is trying to throw the doors open for the undertested wellness trend. And...

This week: Sneaker company Allbirds announced a pivot into A.I. infrastructure. Felix Salmon , Elizabeth Spiers , and Emily Peck explain why this absurd-sounding venture is actually a pretty clever piece of financial engineering. Then, the hosts get into the market surge that put the S&P 500 at a record high. And finally, the courts confirmed what we all knew: Live Nation and its subsidiary Ti...

In this Money Talks: Elizabeth Spiers is joined by psychologist Dr. Leanne ten Brinke whose new book, Poisonous People , explores the impact that people with psychopathic and related personality traits have on our everyday lives. Leanne explains her research on “dark personality traits” and success in the business world, how to spot a true psychopath, and what to do if you find yourself working wi...

This week: Retail investors usually stick to the stock market, but many are rushing to make bets on oil futures. Felix Salmon , Elizabeth Spiers , and Emily Peck discuss Emily’s piece about “dumb money” moving into more sophisticated trading markets —thanks to new crypto-driven platforms—and what’s motivating the trend.  Then, the hosts examine Bill Ackman’s grand plan to take over Universal...

This week: OpenAI completed a $122 billion investment round. Felix Salmon , Elizabeth Spiers , and Emily Peck discuss what this deal says about the private and public markets and try to wrap their heads around the astronomical valuations of OpenAI and SpaceX.  Then, Maryland-based spice company, McCormick, announced it will merge with Unilever’s food division to create a new spice and sauce m...

In this Money Talks: Journalist Bridget Armstrong joins Emily Peck to discuss this moment of reckoning for the iconic reality show America’s Next Top Model and what she learned in reporting for her podcast Curse of: America’s Next Top Model . They explore how Top Model ’s central promise — a fast track to a career in the fashion industry — was ultimately an illusion used to make great television a...

This week: Just minutes before Trump posted about talks with Iran, oil markets saw a flurry of activity. Conspiracy theories followed. Felix Salmon , Elizabeth Spiers , and Emily Peck dissect the suspicious timing of those trades and the possibility of insider trading within the Trump administration. Then, the hosts react to the surprising ruling on Meta and social media addiction. And: OpenAI’s s...

 Welcome to a very special Money On Film miniseries! Over three episodes, Slate Money’s Felix Salmon and Slate culture writer Nadira Goffe revisit three films at the intersection of culture and finance. On this episode, Nadira and Felix take a trip to a bathhouse for spirits in 2001’s Spirited Away . Directed by Hayao Miyazaki, the film follows a girl named Chihiro, who becomes trapped in the...