Bacardi is now America’s favorite rum, but two former French spirits rivals -- Ricard and Pernod -- have joined forces to challenge Bacardi. And to gain the upper hand in security rights to Havana Club, the French company turns to Bacardi’s arch enemy for help: Fidel Castro. Listen to new episodes 1 week early and to all episodes ad free with Wondery+. Join Wondery+ for exclusives, binges, early access, and ad free listening. Available in the Wondery App https://wondery.app.link/businesswar...
Jul 21, 2021•23 min•Season 57Ep. 3
Before they were billion-dollar behemoths owning many of today’s biggest booze brands, Bacardi and Pernod Ricard were three tiny, family-run companies. Pernod makes absinthe so well it became synonymous with the substance that causes a frenzy in Europe before being banned. Ricard steps in with an absinthe substitute and causes its own craze before merging with Pernod. Meanwhile, Bacardi gets enormously rich and fantastically famous at an odd time for a distiller — Prohibition. All that success, ...
Jul 19, 2021•24 min•Season 57Ep. 2
When family-run rum maker Bacardi was kicked out of Cuba in 1960, it vowed to go to extremes to get revenge on Fidel Castro. So when French spirits conglomerate Pernod Ricard cuts a deal with Castro’s government to share in the fortunes of Cuban-made Havana Club rum, Bacardi declares war on Pernod Ricard, too. Listen to new episodes 1 week early and to all episodes ad free with Wondery+. Join Wondery+ for exclusives, binges, early access, and ad free listening. Available in the Wondery App https...
Jul 14, 2021•25 min•Season 57Ep. 1
Thanks to deregulation, no-frills knock offs of Southwest take to the skies like crows. About 120 airlines have gone out of business or filed for bankruptcy since the industry was deregulated in 1978. American’s SABRE system optimizes...everything. It manages ticket pricing so flights are always full, and American is building new hubs and terminals. Meanwhile, Southwest company culture is shifting from sex appeal to backyard barbecue vibe. Is it enough to attract families to fly? Listen to new e...
Jul 12, 2021•25 min•Season 56Ep. 6
Everyone loves Herb Kelleher—even FAA regulators. The onetime corporate counsel-turned-CEO is coming into his own at the helm of Southwest. But his latest challenge is coming up with a way to skirt the FAA’s pesky “slot” system, designed to limit air traffic by rationing takeoffs and landings. Kelleher has a business to run. So he embarks on a crazy plan to snag a few extra slots for Southwest. It may not work, but one thing’s certain: it will be a whole lot of fun. Listen to new episodes ...
Jul 07, 2021•23 min•Season 56Ep. 5
As deregulation dawns, Southwest Airlines’ founder and CEO are locked in a power struggle. In the middle is Herb Kelleher, Southwest’s corporate attorney. And after 18 months serving as a punching bag for the company’s top brass, he’s had enough. But as Southwest deals with a succession crisis, American Airlines is facing another emergency. It needs money, fast. The company is cash-poor after investing in its proprietary online reservation system, SABRE. The situation is so dire CEO Al Cas...
Jul 05, 2021•24 min•Season 56Ep. 4
The computer age is on the horizon, and American Airlines has a secret weapon: SABRE. Sure, the airline is top of the heap under the current pen-and-paper reservation system — the one where travel agents use a massive phonebook to look up flights, then call individual airlines to book a ticket. But they’re tired of playing phone tag. The American Society of Travel Agents has plans to roll out a new electronic system, one that could force American to lose its unofficial preferred status. The comp...
Jun 30, 2021•20 min•Season 56Ep. 3
Baniff and Southwest battled in court for domination over the skies. Southwest came out on top for a little while, but Baniff pushed back with prices Southwest just couldn't beat. The only way Southwest could fight back was to give the mostly male, mostly businessmen clientele something they couldn't refuse: free booze. For the first time ever, Southwest is in the black. With Baniff tamed, there's more turbulence. This time, it's a national airline. American Airlines is here to play. Please note...
Jun 28, 2021•22 min•Season 56Ep. 2
In Texas in the 1960s, Rollin King had a crazy idea. He wanted to create a no-frills airline service that served San Antonio, Dallas and Houston. All he and his lawyer had to do was convince the Federal Regulations Bureau that they had no jurisdiction on flights that never left Texas. Of course getting Southwest off the ground would have been a lot easier if they had any planes… Please note, this episode originally aired in 2018. Listen to new episodes 1 week early and to all episodes ad free wi...
Jun 23, 2021•24 min•Season 56Ep. 1
In the wake of the unexpected jolt of the COVID-19 pandemic, food delivery app businesses are looking for stability and profitability any way they can find it. With Uber’s purchase of Postmates and DoorDash buying Caviar, consolidation has become all the rage. And the apps are diversifying into prescription fulfillment, groceries, and third-party logistics. But the razor-thin profit margins, rising costs of doing business, and withering relationships with labor and restaurants are tak...
Jun 21, 2021•24 min•Season 55Ep. 5
It's July 2019. DoorDash is finally bigger than Grubhub, but it's coming under fire for pocketing tips from its drivers. Now DoorDash needs to rehab its image, or risk losing customers to its competitors. When a California proposition threatens to alter how food delivery companies classify their drivers, DoorDash and Uber join forces to fight it. Six months later, the pandemic marks a boon for food delivery companies, but can the boost last? Listen to new episodes 1 week early and to all e...
Jun 16, 2021•29 min•Season 55Ep. 4
It's December 2014, and Grubhub's Matt Maloney is feeling the heat. Competitors are eating away at his market share, so he decides to change direction. Grubhub finally starts delivering food with its own drivers. But will it be enough to outpace the other fast-growing upstarts? DoorDash, meanwhile, struggles to raise funds at a steep valuation. And the company comes under fire for some less than savory business practises. Postmates has cornered the high-end market and Uber Eats expands from an U...
Jun 14, 2021•28 min•Season 55Ep. 3
It's 1990 in Champaign, Illinois, and 15-year-old Tony Xu is washing dishes in the Chinese restaurant his mother manages. He wants to help people like his Mom, but it'll be many years before he hits on his solution for small businesses. Across the Atlantic, Bastian Lehmann forgets his snowboard while moving house. He can't find a way to get it shipped to him cheaply, and the idea for Postmates is born. Meanwhile, Grubhub founders Matt Maloney and Mike Evans have decided local pizza should ...
Jun 09, 2021•23 min•Season 55Ep. 2
It's December 2011 in San Francisco. Bastian Lehmann is getting ready to launch his courier app, Postmates. But when he and his co-founders discover people want food delivered, not objects, they pivot to a business already cornered by Grubhub. Meanwhile, 30 miles away in Palo Alto, a business school student called Tony Xu is trying to figure out how to help a small macaroon shop fulfill delivery orders. His solution? DoorDash. Along with UberEats and Postmates, it will help pioneer the gig...
Jun 07, 2021•26 min•Season 55Ep. 1
WWE might have thwarted WCW’s effort to claim the pro wrestling crown, but after 20 years of unchallenged supremacy, a new competitor has entered the ring. Bankrolled by a billionaire sports owner and airing weekly on TNT, All Elite Wrestling is, in many ways, the second coming of WCW. But have they learned the lessons of their dearly departed predecessor? And how will Vince McMahon respond to this new threat to his kingdom? We’re joined by former WWE writer and comedian Matt McCarthy to d...
Jun 02, 2021•23 min•Season 54Ep. 7
It’s 1998 and the slugfest between Vince McMahon’s WWF and Ted Turner’s WCW is reaching a critical juncture. McMahon’s on a mission to pull wrestling fans back to his TV shows with a strategy focused on maximum controversy. And to help him in his mission, he’s getting back-up from a high-flying TV executive and a bunch of Wall Street bankers. WCW chief Eric Bischoff is determined to stop WWF’s comeback at all costs. But he’ll soon discover that his most dangerous enemy isn’t McMahon — it’s the e...
May 31, 2021•30 min•Season 54Ep. 6
It’s 1996 and with Monday Nitro topping the TV ratings, WCW is out to end WWF’s time as the biggest player in the wrestling business. It’s plotting to establish two brands: one that WCW boss Eric Bischoff hopes can suck away WWF’s family audience, another that will seek to capture the young males who crave more violent and outrageous entertainment than the WWF offers. But Vince McMahon has a plan of his own. He’s going to push the WWF in a new direction by embracing controversy. But it’s a strat...
May 26, 2021•27 min•Season 54Ep. 5
It’s 1995 and the Monday Night Wars are underway. WCW’s new show Monday Nitro is grappling with the WWF’s Monday Night Raw to win TV viewers’ attention. WCW isn’t pulling its punches either. Under the command of Eric Bischoff, WCW is dropping spoiler bombs, luring away WWF’s top wrestlers and trashing the WWF brand. And as WCW gains momentum, Bischoff is plotting a killer blow – a shock role reversal that will force WWF boss Vince McMahon to rethink how his wrestling promotion works. Listen to n...
May 24, 2021•27 min•Season 54Ep. 4
It’s 1994 and WCW is stepping up its game. To get the jump on WWF, Ted Turner is writing big checks to steal away the WWF’s biggest stars and sponsors. And as WCW’s star power increases, so does its popularity with wrestling fans. But the WWF is in no position to fight back. It’s struggling to keep the lights on, there’s discontent among its roster of wrestlers, and Vince McMahon is preoccupied with staying out of prison. And now Turner wants to deliver a killer blow. A new Monday night wrestlin...
May 19, 2021•27 min•Season 54Ep. 3
It’s the dawn of the 1990s and Vince McMahon’s WWF is the king of wrestling. But trouble’s brewing: a steroids scandal is about to deal a body blow to the WWF and its family-friendly reputation. The scandal will leave WWF stuck in damage control mode as it fights to stem the losses from falling TV ratings, ticket sales, and pay-per-view buys. Meanwhile, Ted Turner’s trying to get World Championship Wrestling fighting fit with help from a former Pizza Hut regional manager, a self-proclaimed Cowbo...
May 17, 2021•28 min•Season 54Ep. 2
This episode is brought to you by Wondery in partnership with Dell Technologies. In honor of small businesses, we're featuring inspiring stories of successful companies that started out small. It’s 1970 and Gert Boyle’s life is in ruins. Her husband’s just died, and now, as a middle-aged stay-at-home single mom, she’s become the boss of the family’s debt-ridden outerwear company. No one – herself included – thinks she can save the business. But she’s about to find an inner strength that wi...
May 14, 2021•31 min•Season 53Ep. 2
It’s the early 1980s and there’s peace in the wrestling business. For years regional wrestling companies have maintained order by sticking to their own slices of US and Canadian territory. But that’s all about to change. Vince McMahon has just taken over the World Wrestling Federation, and he wants war. He’s on a mission to crush all opposition and establish the WWF as the only wrestling game in town. But his assault on the wrestling status quo will also make him a powerful enemy: cable TV mogul...
May 12, 2021•30 min•Season 54Ep. 1
This episode is brought to you by Wondery in partnership with Dell Technologies. In honor of small businesses, we're featuring inspiring stories of successful companies that started out small. It’s 1961 and Tom Monaghan is about to drop out of college and put his all into the hole-in-the-wall pizzeria he founded with his brother. But the recipe for success is going to prove elusive. To make it, he’ll have to overcome flaky business partners, a devastating fire, and run-ins with debt collectors. ...
May 11, 2021•32 min•Season 53Ep. 1
BioNTech, Moderna, Johnson & Johnson, AstraZeneca. These companies are now household names thanks to their COVID-19 vaccines. The gambles these businesses took are paying off. The pharmaceutical giants are in line to profit heavily from their life-saving work, but the system of distributing the vaccines has seen its fair share of hiccups and controversy . We spoke to Annalisa Merelli, a healthcare reporter for Quartz about the pandemic, the economic effects of the vaccine rollout...
May 10, 2021•23 min•Season 52Ep. 7
It’s late 2020 and the first vaccines are going into arms across the world. With supplies tight, the nations of the world are pushing and shoving to get their shots, and investors are salivating at the thought of the profits to be made now that humanity’s got Covid’s on the run. But this virus isn’t going down without a fight. And in South Africa, one geneticist is about to make an alarming discovery. Listen to new episodes 1 week early and to all episodes ad free with Wondery+. Join Wondery+ fo...
May 05, 2021•32 min•Season 52Ep. 6
It’s fall 2020 and the world’s waiting for the first results from the vaccine trials. But as the moment of truth nears, the pressure on the vaccine makers intensifies. And while AstraZeneca and Johnson & Johnson get hit with curveballs, Pfizer finds itself caught in the crossfire of the U.S. Presidential election. Listen to new episodes 1 week early and to all episodes ad free with Wondery+. Join Wondery+ for exclusives, binges, early access, and ad free listening. Available in the Wondery A...
May 03, 2021•28 min•Season 52Ep. 5
It’s summer 2020 and with Covid infections surging across America, the Trump administration’s ready to spend billions to get a vaccine fast. For vaccine makers — who face the enormous costs of rapidly upscaling manufacturing and pushing their shots through large-scale human trials — the government funding is a lifeline. But as the push to create vaccines hits warp speed, there’s a growing need to reassure the public that science, not politics, is in the driver’s seat. Listen to new episodes 1 we...
Apr 28, 2021•26 min•Season 52Ep. 4
It’s February 2020 and drugmaker Moderna’s sprinting ahead – its Covid vaccine is already poised to enter human trials. But Moderna and its rivals know plenty of vaccines never make it out of trials alive. It’s also going to take a lot of manufacturing muscle to inoculate the world. All of which costs a lot of moolah. And if the vaccine makers can’t secure a deep-pocketed partner in time, they’re going to get disqualified from the race. Listen to new episodes 1 week early and to all episodes ad ...
Apr 26, 2021•28 min•Season 52Ep. 3
It’s 25 years before the pandemic and at the University of Pennsylvania a Hungarian biochemist is fighting a one-woman campaign to figure out how to create mRNA vaccines. But no one wants to fund her research and every lab rat she injects with mRNA dies. Now, she must decide between her career and her belief in mRNA’s medical potential. And her choice will change the world. Listen to new episodes 1 week early and to all episodes ad free with Wondery+. Join Wondery+ for exclusives, binges, early ...
Apr 21, 2021•28 min•Season 52Ep. 2
It’s early January 2020, and a mysterious new virus is overtaking the city of Wuhan, China. At first the outbreak barely makes the news, but as the threat comes into focus, scientists spring into action to make a vaccine. But the outlook’s grim – vaccines take years to create, test and approve. No one expects one to arrive anytime soon. But for two ambitious biotech start-ups, this is a chance to show the world what their cutting-edge tech can do. Listen to new episodes 1 week early and to all e...
Apr 19, 2021•26 min•Season 52Ep. 1
