The Room Where It Happened

Who is Sam Altman, and what is the real story behind OpenAI? Award-winning journalist Karen Hao takes us inside one of the most secretive companies in the world, drawing on the reporting behind her book to explore the growing influence of OpenAI over governments, the environmental cost of the race for artificial intelligence, and what some former colleagues revealed about Sam Altman's leadership a...

From Top Gear to The Grand Tour and Clarkson’s Farm, Andy Wilman has spent decades redefining what car television can be, and learning a few hard lessons along the way. In this episode, Andy opens up about the high-stakes Amazon deal that launched The Grand Tour, the legal and creative gymnastics of building something “like Top Gear, but not Top Gear,” and the spontaneous tent idea that became the...

Football finance expert Kieran Maguire exposes the volatile economics of the modern game, where Premier League revenue has risen 3,100% since 1992, yet spending has climbed even faster, leaving the sport structurally loss-making. He unpacks the 2025/26 season's biggest financial shockwaves, from Arsenal’s £200m+ Champions League windfall to how Spurs’ brush with relegation rattled multi-billion-do...

Journalist and founder of DealBook Andrew Ross Sorkin cuts through the hype to expose the high-stakes reality of the AI boom and how a single technology is currently holding up the entire US economy. Drawing parallels to 1929, the dot-com era, and 2008, he unpacks a dangerous paradox: for AI's massive valuations to make sense, it must replace human labour, but if everyone loses their jobs, who's l...

CEO of CSME James Johnson takes us behind the scenes of hosting the most successful Women's World Cup in history, revealing why major events need strategic purpose, not just political visibility. He shows how real legacy isn't a buzzword, it's a measurable strategy that must begin years before the first whistle. From the Matildas' historic run becoming the most-watched television event in Australi...

Former F1 driver Nico Rosberg traded the adrenaline of the racetrack for the high-stakes world of venture capital, leveraging his unique F1 access to build a powerhouse fund managing over €200M.  In this episode, Nico breaks down the brutal reality of reinventing his identity after reaching the absolute peak of elite sport, and how a lifetime of racing failures completely inoculated him again...

Why do good companies go bad? Eric Ries reveals forces corrupting companies right as they are at their most successful - from Blockbusters activist shareholders inadvertently setting the company on a path to bankruptcy, to the British health company forced to sell to a cigarette giant. Incorruptible: Why Good Companies Go Bad and How Great Companies Stay Great  by Eric Ries is publishing on 2...

Award winning author and entrepreneur Daniel Priestley joins us to reveal how AI has become the ultimate power shift, turning global knowledge into a universal commodity. He introduces the "AI Cake", a strategic internal nervous system every business must build, to explain why traditional information gatekeepers are becoming obsolete. We go behind the scenes of a £170k legal dispute where Daniel b...

The ambition of a family business meets the influence of the A-list in a story that redefined British advertising.  In this episode, Warburtons chairman Jonathan Warburton reveals how a bakery from Bolton bypassed the traditional corporate playbook to land global icons like Sylvester Stallone, Robert De Niro, and Samuel L. Jackson. Jonathan breaks down the high-stakes world of celebrity negot...

Venture capital legend Bill Gurley joins Jake to challenge the "AI doomerism" narrative and expose the high-stakes power play defining our future. He argues that AI anxiety is a low-agency response to an unstoppable shift, warning that the real risk isn’t the technology itself, it’s the choice to ignore it. Bill pulls back the curtain on the "safety" movement, questioning why the leading AI giants...

PDC Chief Executive Matt Porter has spent over a decade transforming Darts from a smoke-filled niche into a global entertainment powerhouse. He did it by flipping the traditional sports model on its head: instead of telling fans what to want, he listened to them, removing the stress of the result to create the most authentic atmosphere in live events. In this episode, Matt explains why the "Luke L...

Joe Wicks built a multi-million-pound empire on a £147 workout plan, creating a cash-rich, self-funded business with no investors.  In this episode, Joe shares the journey that led to his success, from launching his first PDF to building a brand rooted in purpose over profit. He also reveals the brutal truth about today’s market, admitting that starting his career now would be “impossible” du...

Is the next global financial crisis not just possible, but overdue? Former Goldman Sachs Chairman and CEO Lloyd Blankfein didn’t just survive the 2008 financial crash; he steered the firm through it by trading the ego of a "warrior" for the "professional paranoia" of a worrier. In this episode, Lloyd explains why the "kindling" for the next global crisis is already building on the forest floor and...

When football meets finance, the real story often sits behind the headlines. In this episode, Stefan Borson takes us inside the financial reality of the Premier League, from Everton's point deduction to the ongoing Manchester City case and what a “win” actually means for the league. Drawing on his background advising clubs and now analysing them from the outside, Stefan breaks down the decisions,...

Before athletes became global brands, there were a handful of people shaping the strategy behind the scenes. In this episode, founder and CEO of ARETÉ Simon Bayliff takes us inside the decisions that built “Brand Beckham,” and the close working relationship that underpinned it; built on trust, alignment, and a shared focus on performance first. He breaks down how Beckham’s brand was carefully cons...

How does a £20,000 family loan turn into a £300 million global brand? For Tom Beahon, it all began with his parents remortgaging their home to support him and his brother’s dream of creating Castore. That early sacrifice sparked a relentless drive to succeed and made failure not an option. Tom Beahon takes us through the early hustle, from hiding in train toilets to avoid paying fares, to camping...

Spencer Matthews’ journey from reality TV star to the founder of a £100M business is a story of transformation, grit, and resilience. In this episode, Spencer talks about his personal evolution from battling alcohol to building Clean Co, a brand that’s revolutionizing the alcohol-free space.  He takes us through the defining moments that changed everything, including the £1M investment offer...

With Toy Story 5 & Hoppers releasing this year, The Chief Creative Officer of PIXAR, Pete Docter, joins The Room Where It Happened to break down 40 years of Pixar's history. Pete directed Monsters Inc., Up, Inside Out, & Soul, and has worked with some of animation and technology's biggest icons, including, John Lasseter, Steve Jobs, and Andrew Stanton, just to name a few. In this episode w...

What’s stopping Gen Z from becoming millionaires? In this eye-opening conversation, Tim Armoo uncovers the harsh realities young entrepreneurs face, from crushing competition to a rapidly shifting landscape. Have side hustles truly replaced traditional entrepreneurship, or are they just a distraction? Tim reveals why the road to success is harder than ever and how the game is changing for the next...

Jeff Mostyn didn’t set out to become the savior of a football club, but that’s exactly what he did when a single nod saved Bournemouth from liquidation. In this episode, Jeff takes us back to that moment, when he committed another £100,000 despite promising his wife he wouldn’t, and reflects on how that spontaneous decision set the course for a 17-year journey with the club. From the highs of crea...

Victor Bengtsson’s journey with Sidemen began with a single, unexpected interview, where instead of touting credentials, he cracked a joke that showed he understood their world. In this episode, Victor takes us through how he went from that first conversation to building Side+ in just 75 days, a challenge that became the blueprint for a new approach to content creation and distribution. From the r...

CEO of Kurt Geiger Neil Clifford reflects on the moments and challenges that shaped his journey from a department store floor to leading a global fashion brand. He shares how early setbacks, including the loss of his father and living with dyslexia, influenced his leadership style, turning perceived limitations into creative strengths. Neil also discusses the lessons learned through private equity...

How does a personal space flight spark a mission to reshape humanity’s future? For Dylan Taylor, it started with a transcendent experience in orbit, which led him to found Space for Humanity, a non-profit dedicated to expanding access to space travel. His vision grew from a desire to unlock space’s transformative potential for solving Earth’s most pressing issues, and today, he’s helping to shape...

From washing dishes in a chaotic hotel kitchen at 13 to leading a global software company, Mark Moffat traces a leadership journey shaped by humility, curiosity, and learning from the ground up.. Mark opens up about his evolving relationship with AI, from early scepticism to using it practically in everyday life and high-stakes business decisions, and why industrial AI represents one of the bigges...

Long before cybersecurity became a daily concern for businesses, Danny Jenkins encountered a moment that changed his entire trajectory. A ransomware attack on a small company didn’t just expose a technical failure, it revealed how easily a lifetime of work could vanish overnight. In this episode, Danny unpacks the unlikely experiences that shaped his worldview, from a childhood where learning to c...