Slate Money

Slate Money episodes:

• 06.01.2024

  Nobody’s Gonna Stop Nvidia

  This week, Felix Salmon, Emily Peck, and Elizabeth Spiers are joined by Alex Kantrowitz of the Big Technology podcast. They discuss why the Nvidia juggernaut isn’t going to slow down any time soon, the man, myth, and legend of OpenAI...

  
• 05.28.2024

  Money Talks: Business is Bad for Lesbians

  Lesbian businesses are great for the queer women’s community, but making them profitable is a different matter. For this Money Talks, Felix Salmon chats with June Thomas, author of A Place of Our Own: Six Spaces That Shaped Queer Women's...

  
• 05.25.2024

  Endless Shrimp In This Economy!?

  This week, Felix Salmon, Emily Peck, and Elizabeth Spiers are joined by Kyla Scanlon, author of the new book In This Economy?: How Money & Markets Really Work to talk about the disconnect between reality and perception that lead what...

  
• 05.18.2024

  Biden Zaps Chinese EVs

  This week, Felix Salmon, Emily Peck, and Elizabeth Spiers discuss the motivations and impacts of new tariffs plus the cultural forces behind China’s economic policy. Also: Congress is trying to figure out what to do with AI, and Melinda French...

  
• 05.14.2024

  Money Talks: Can Math Really Crack the Stock Market?

  The “Fama–French model” is a Nobel laureate-designed tool for predicting the stock market. It guides hundreds of billions in investments. The problem? Its numbers keep shifting. For this Money Talks, Felix Salmon chats with Planet Money host Mary Childs about...

  
• 05.11.2024

  How Neoliberalism Scammed America

  This week, Felix Salmon, Emily Peck, and Elizabeth Spiers are joined by legal scholar Mehrsa Baradaran, author of The Quiet Coup: Neoliberalism and the Looting of America. Mehrsa explains the roots of the neoliberalism movement and how the myth of...

  
• 05.04.2024

  Will New DEA Rules Light Up the Weed Business?

  This week: A new DEA designation for cannabis means high times for pot smokers, but what about the industry? Felix Salmon, Emily Peck, and Elizabeth Spiers discuss the future of the cannabis business, Binance founder Changpeng “CZ” Zhao’s lax, four-month...

  
• 04.30.2024

  Money Talks: How to Get Fit Like the 1%

  Too busy running the rat race to…run? Former Wall Street Journal fitness columnist Jen Murphy has some advice. She chats with host Emily Peck about making time for diet and exercise and the value of investing in your health at...

  
• 04.27.2024

  The Rich People Restaurant Crisis

  Correction, April 29, 2024: In the audio of this podcast, Emily Peck originally misstated that the FTC sued to block the Penguin Random House–Simon and Schuster deal. It was the Department of Justice. This week: a reservation at Carbone New York...

  
• 04.20.2024

  Tesla’s Toxic Relationship With Musk

  This week: Elon Musk wants his colossal, court-blocked pay package, and Tesla’s board wants to give it to him. Felix Salmon, Emily Peck, and Elizabeth Spiers also chat with Alicia Montgomery, current Slate audio VP and veteran of NPR, to...

  
• 04.16.2024

  Money Talks: Felix Wins His Crypto Bet

  Five years ago, tech investor Ben Horowitz of Andreessen Horowitz bet our own Felix Salmon a 100-year-old bottle of wine that 10% of Americans would be using Bitcoin to pay for something by now. Ben lost, of course, but he’s...

  
• 04.13.2024

  Why America’s Internet Sucks

  This week, Slate Money hacks the mainframe! Washington Post tech writer Shira Ovide joins Felix Salmon, Emily Peck, and Elizabeth Spiers to discuss what’s wrong with America’s internet industry, how YouTube became the media empire no one talks about, and...

  
• 04.06.2024

  EVs Need a Charge-Up

  This week: Americans are less revved up about EVs. Felix Salmon, Emily Peck, and Elizabeth Spiers discuss if Elon Musk’s mischief has played a role in slowing sales. Also: the crisis in the wine industry, and how a combination investigative...

  
• 04.02.2024

  Money Talks: How to Escape the Invisible Factory

  For this edition of Money Talks: Are you feeling trapped in Zoom/Teams/Slack purgatory? Author Cal Newport’s book Slow Productivity: The Lost Art of Accomplishment Without Burnout has a way forward. Host Emily Peck speaks with him about how the digital...

  
• 03.30.2024

  How Do You Bribe a President? Meme Stocks.

  This week: Truth Social is the latest meme stock, and buying it could win favor with a president. Felix Salmon, Emily Peck, and Elizabeth Spiers discuss what Truth Social means for Trump, whether Sam Bankman-Fried’s 25-year sentence is too harsh,...

  
• 03.23.2024

  Is Apple’s Monopoly Good for Us?

  This week: Biden’s comin’ for your iPhone! Or at least, his administration wants to make it less restrictive to third-party developers. Felix Salmon, Emily Peck, and Elizabeth Spiers discuss the new Apple DOJ lawsuit, how Reddit can leverage its massive...

  
• 03.19.2024

  Money Talks: What Happens When a Country Won’t Pay Its Debt?

  For this edition of Money Talks, Felix Salmon chats with Jay Newman, the former hedge fund manager who helped Elliot Management recover $2.4 billion from Argentina after that country defaulted on its loans. Jay shares his philosophy on sovereign debt...

  
• 03.16.2024

  Work is Mid

  This week: Americans don’t care as much about work. They have better things to do. Felix Salmon, Emily Peck, and Elizabeth Spiers discuss the prospect of a four-day workweek and what it could mean for the economy. Also: How Liquid Death...

  
• 03.12.2024

  Money Talks: Her Boyfriends Couldn’t Handle Her Success

  In a special episode of Money Talks, Emily Peck chats with writer/director Chloe Domont, whose feminist thriller Fair Play explores what happens when an ambitious woman outshines her well-meaning but insecure partner. It was inspired by Chloe’s experience surpassing the...

  
• 03.09.2024

  Are Wallets Obsolete?

  The New York Times declared that physical wallets are on the outs. But is digital enough? Felix Salmon Emily Peck and Elizabeth Spiers discuss! Also: Steve Mnuchin’s heroic $1 billion bailout of New York Community Bank, and new rules requiring...

  
• 03.05.2024

  Money Talks: Citibank’s Kid Millionaire

  In this Money Talks. Felix Salmon chats with former trader Gary Stevenson, author of The Trading Game: A Confession. In the book and conversation, Gary tells how a card game made him Citibank’s youngest trader…and how betting on economic downfall...

  
• 03.02.2024

  Musk vs. the AI Overlords

  This week, Felix Salmon, Emily Peck and Elizabeth Spiers ponder the future of computers, cars, and…fast food? They discuss why Elon Musk is suing Sam Altman and OpenAI and the altruistic origins of ChatGPT. Also: Wendy’s “surge pricing” gaff had...

  
• 02.24.2024

  Is Capital One’s Discover Deal Doomed?

  This week, Felix Salmon, Emily Peck and Elizabeth Spiers come with 0% interest and no fees! They discuss what the proposed merger between Capital One and Discover would mean for the rest of us and why the government probably won’t...

  
• 02.20.2024

  Money Talks: I Was a Billionaire’s Right Hand

  Felix Salmon sits down with Carrie Sun, whose book Private Equity: A Memoir recalls her life as the right-hand woman of a billionaire hedge fund manager. Burnt out on corporate life, Carrie wanted a low-key day job while she pursued...

  
• 02.17.2024

  America is Beating Everyone

  This week, Felix Salmon, Emily Peck and Elizabeth Spiers explain why factories, energy, stimulus money, and immigration have helped the U.S. economy succeed where its rivals struggle. Also: The failed Universal Music deal that silenced Taylor Swift music on TikTok,...

  
• 02.10.2024

  Disney's Wish Upon a (Pop) Star

  BREAKING NEWS: Felix Salmon paid money to watch the Taylor Swift concert movie, he reveals it in a tell-all chat with Emily Peck and Elizabeth Spiers. They discuss CEO Bob Iger’s efforts to keep Disney the fairest entertainment company in...

  
• 02.06.2024

  Money Talks: You Should Buy Art

  In this Money Talks, Bianca Bosker, author of “Get the Picture,” chats with Felix Salmon about her adventures going undercover in the fine art world. Bianca worked as a museum security guard and gallery assistant, among other gigs, and got...

  
• 02.03.2024

  Why Musk Lost $56 Billion

  This week, Felix Salmon, Emily Peck, and Elizabeth Spiers discuss why a Delaware judge blocked Tesla’s $55 billion compensation package for Elon Musk and what it means for his Mars dreams. Also: the meteoric rise and catastrophic fall of DNA...

  
• 01.30.2024

  Money Talks: Is Pop Finance Rubbish?

  In an off-week bonus episode of Money Talks, Felix Salmon, Emily Peck, and Elizabeth Spiers chat with Yale finance professor James Choi, who has cross-referenced the advice of more than 50 pop finance books with actual economic theory. How much...

  
• 01.27.2024

  The Rent is Still Too Damned High

  This week, Felix Salmon, Emily Peck, and Elizabeth Spiers discuss record-breaking rents that see most renters forking over more than 30% of their dough. Also: Infant apparel brand Kyte Baby’s maternity leave scandal, and why Josh wine is such a...

  
• 01.23.2024

  Money Talks: Live in an Empty Office

  For this edition of Money Talks, Grace Rauh, director of the 5BORO Institute, makes the case for office-to-residential conversion. The pandemic pushed people out of offices, and they don’t want to come back. Meanwhile, demand for affordable, urban housing is...

  
• 01.20.2024

  Antitrust, Boomer Style

  This week, Axios tech and policy reporter Ashley Gold joins Felix Salmon, Emily Peck, and Elizabeth Spiers to discuss the scuttled Spirit/Jet Blue merger and the ambitious anti-trust efforts of Trade Commission chair Lina Kahn. Also: how hybrid work won...

  
• 01.13.2024

  Apple Maps is Finally Good

  Last week, Felix Salmon, Emily Peck, and Elizabeth Spears asked you to weigh in on your preferred map app: Reigning champ Google, or late bloomer Apple? This week, they reveal your answers and discuss the merits of each. Also: Boeing’s...

  
• 01.09.2024

  Money Talks: Glossier’s Glamorous Girl Boss

  In our inaugural edition of Money Talks, Felix Salmon sits down with veteran fashion writer Marisa Meltzer, author of Glossy: Ambition, Beauty, and the Inside Story of Emily Weiss's Glossier. Marisa discusses the real-life woman behind Glossier’s iconic CEO, the...

  
• 01.06.2024

  Is Billionaire Charity a Sham?

  This week, Felix Salmon, Emily Peck, and Elizabeth Spears debate the value of massive, tax-deductible donations that spend years in administrative limbo. Also: Biden is cranking up production in American factories, and private equity may be making healthcare sick. In...

  
• 12.30.2023

  America’s Boring Superweapon

  This week, Felix Salmon, Emily Peck, and Elizabeth Spiers chat with Henry Farrell, author of Underground Empire: How America Weaponized the World Economy. Henry explains how American hegemony shifted from guns and tanks to SWIFT codes and internet policies. Can...

  
• 12.23.2023

  Our Surprisingly Great Year

  This week, Felix Salmon, Emily Peck, and guest host Edmund Lee, media reporter for the New York Times, recap the 2023 economic year, which saw strong growth, reduced inflation, and soaring stocks. Also: What a potential Warner Bros.-Paramount merger means...

  
• 12.18.2023

  Slate Money Goes to the Movies: This Is Spinal Tap

  In ancient times, hundreds of years before the dawn of history, director Rob Reiner gave the world a band named Spinal Tap. No one knows who they were or what they were doing … except for legendary designer Paula Scher,...

  
• 12.16.2023

  Is Starbucks Still a Union Buster?

  This week, Felix Salmon, Emily Peck, and Elizabeth Spiers speculate on the Federal Reserve’s surprising new interest rates, whether Starbucks’ store closings are anti-union, and the financial machinations of Dodgers pitcher Shohei Ohtani. In the Plus segment, Felix and Emily hash...

  
• 12.11.2023

  Slate Money Travel: Hotels That Don’t Rip You Off

  This week, Pavia Rosati, founder of travel platform Fathom, chats with Felix Salmon and the hotel industry in the post-COVD era. They discuss why prices are so unpredictable, those exorbitant fees for coffee and yoga classes, and how the industry...

  
• 12.09.2023

  The War on Self-Checkouts

  This week, Felix Salmon, Emily Peck, and Elizabeth Spiers discuss their Christmas shopping strategies and whether it’s time for self-checkouts to check out. Also: What big airline mergers mean for those of us in economy class, and whether the podcast...

  
• 12.04.2023

  Slate Money Goes to the Movies: Jerry Maguire

  This week, sports journalist Mina Kimes joins the huddle with Felix Salmon, Emily Peck, and Elizabeth Spiers to discuss the 90s football rom-com Jerry Maguire. Mina explains how real-world sports agents do business, and the squad debates whether a young...

  
• 12.02.2023

  This Year, Give Cash

  Felix Salmon, Emily Peck and Elizabeth Spiers speak with Rory Stewart of GiveDirectly and the author of “How Not to Be a Politician.” They discuss the faults of many approaches to philanthropy, and why giving cash to those in need...

  
• 11.27.2023

  Slate Money Travel: Maybe We Should Walk

  In this episode of Slate Money Travel, Felix Salmon speaks with Craig Mod about why he loves to walk on vacation. Check out Craig Mod’s latest book, “Things Become Other Things”.  If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for...

  
• 11.25.2023

  The Big Crazy at OpenAI

  This week, Felix Salmon, Emily Peck, and Elizabeth Spiers discuss Sam Altman’s triumphant return to OpenAI and ponder the future of the artificial intelligence industry. They also discuss the legal woes of crypto exchange Binance and its CEO Changpeng Zhao....

  
• 11.20.2023

  Slate Money Goes to the Movies: Dumb Money

  In the first episode of Slate Money Goes to the Movies, Felix Salmon, Emily Peck and Elizabeth Spiers talk with Joe Nocera, author of “The Big Fail” about Dumb Money. Can you make a good movie about something that happened...

  
• 11.18.2023

  How Salt Built America

  This week, Felix Salmon, Emily Peck, and Elizabeth Spiers chat with Ed Conway, economics and data editor of Sky News, whose new book “Material World” tells how a handful of everyday resources built civilization — and remain incredibly important today....

  
• 11.13.2023

  Slate Money Travel: Jet-setting Like A Journalist

  In the first episode of Slate Money’s Travel series, Felix Salmon talks with The New York Times’ Lydia Polgreen about her time as a foreign correspondent and big-time business exec. What was it like to carry $10,000 in cash? And...

  
• 11.11.2023

  The Bully of Bridgewater

  This week, Felix Salmon, Emily Peck, and Elizabeth Spiers are joined by Rob Copeland of The New York Times to discuss his new book The Fund: Ray Dalio, Bridgewater Associates, and the Unraveling of a Wall Street Legend, which examines...

  
• 11.06.2023

  Slate Money Goes to the Movies: The Insider

  The Slate Money crew is joined by a familiar voice in Jordan Weissmann to discuss “The Insider”. They talk about the many conflicts of interest, how to make journalism look interesting, and the problem with Michael Mann movies. If you enjoy...