A weekly roundup of the most important stories from the worlds of business and finance, hosted by Felix Salmon.Want more Slate Money? Subscribe to Slate Plus to unlock weekly bonus episodes. Plus, you’ll access ad-free listening across all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe now on Apple Podcasts by clicking “Try Free” at the top of our show page. Or, visit https://slate.com/moneyplus to get access wherever you listen.
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This week: Tesla offered Elon Musk an incentive package worth a trillion dollars. Felix Salmon , Elizabeth Spiers , and Emily Peck discuss Tesla's motivation and why Musk, already the richest man in the world, would be tempted by the outrageous number. Then, the big antitrust case against Google went out with a whimper, with the Judge ruling that they are a monopoly but they don’t need to break up the company if they follow a few new rules. The hosts discuss the logic behind the decision and wha...
In this Money Talks: Felix Salmon is joined by author and New York Times reporter David Gelles to discuss his new biography of enigmatic Patagonia founder Yvon Chouinard, Dirtbag Billionaire . David does a deep dive into what makes the brand and its founder so unique, including the paradoxes of a wildly successful company trying to remain environmentally sustainable and a billionaire who believes all billionaires to be “policy failures.” Join Slate Plus to unlock weekly bonus episodes. Plus, you...
This week: Fed governor Lisa Cook is suing the Trump administration over her dismissal. Felix Salmon , Elizabeth Spiers , and Emily Peck , along with guest Kashmir Hill of The New York Times , discuss the weak fraud case being used to oust the Biden-appointed Fed governor and its significance in the fight to preserve the independence of the Federal Reserve. Then, Kashmir goes in depth on the many stories she’s reported on lately of people forming intense relationships with AI chatbots that lead ...
This week: We got more details on the ATM scam that swept New York City thanks to a teen summer job program and an infinite money glitch last month. Felix Salmon , Elizabeth Spiers , and Emily Peck discuss the mechanics of the scam, the fallout for the many parties involved, and the tragic irony that a program meant to teach teen financial literacy led them straight into a harsh real world lesson. Then, Yieldstreet is part of a growing trend of startups that want to democratize private investing...
In this Money Talks: Elizabeth Spiers is joined by professors Matt Sekerke and Steve H. Hanke, coauthors of Making Money Work: How to Rewrite the Rules of Our Financial System . They’ll lay out how the money supply in the US is misunderstood and underweighted in monetary policy, how that flawed system contributed to the global financial crisis, and what policymakers can do to fix it all. Want to hear that discussion and hear more Slate Money? Join Slate Plus to unlock weekly bonus episodes. Plus...
In this special episode of Slate Money Travels, Felix Salmon , Emily Peck and Elizabeth Spiers discuss what extras are really worth paying for when you travel. Airlines, especially want to nickel and dime for every little thing. But is the extra leg room worth it? What about getting off the plane sooner? Can you put a price on not waiting in line? Want to hear that discussion and hear more Slate Money? Join Slate Plus to unlock weekly bonus episodes. Plus, you’ll access ad-free listening across ...
This week: Trump continues to involve himself in the operations of large US companies. Felix Salmon , Elizabeth Spiers , and Emily Peck discuss this slide toward state capitalism, which seemingly goes against the GOP’s usual stance on government involvement in business. Then, so called “ wrench attacks " are on the rise wherein wealthy crypto holders are being targeted with real life violence for their digital wallets. The hosts discuss NYMag’s cover story about a particularly wild crypto kidnap...
In this special episode of Slate Money Travels, Felix Salmon , Emily Peck and Elizabeth Spiers discuss whether traveling can really “broaden your mind.” They dig into the distinction between ‘traveling’ and actually living somewhere; why you need to do more than tick places to see off a list to really have an experience; and how you can travel within the US and still have a mind-bending experience. Plus, Emily builds an army of Straw Men and somehow Elizabeth and Felix agree on something? Want t...
This week: Planet Money’s Mary Childs wrote about why we should all care about the growing national debt right now. Felix Salmon , Elizabeth Spiers , and Emily Peck are joined by Mary to help them understand why the arguments we’ve heard before about why we don’t need to worry about the national debt are falling short. Then, they discuss the statistical crisis that was exacerbated by Trump firing the head of the Bureau of Labor Statistics after an unfavorable jobs report. And finally, they cover...
In this Money Talks: Slate ’s own Cheyna Roth joins Emily Peck to break down how HBO’s Sex and the City revival And Just Like That… has taken the fantasy of being fabulous in New York City into a whole new tax bracket. They’ll discuss the curious dimensions of the kitchen in Carrie’s Manhattan mansion among other real estate mysteries within the show, examine why it’s so annoying to watch incredibly wealthy people be happy on TV, and ask if there really is any such thing as a “hate watch.” Want ...
In this special episode of Slate Money Travels, Felix Salmon , Emily Peck and Elizabeth Spiers discuss the constant question on travelers’ minds: should you check your bag? They dig into how to make your carry-on count, the beauty of Air Tags, and Felix offers an alternative to checking a bag that isn’t a carry on. Want to hear that discussion and hear more Slate Money? Join Slate Plus to unlock weekly bonus episodes. Plus, you’ll access ad-free listening across all your favorite Slate podcasts....
This week: Trump’s big trade deal deadline expired. Felix Salmon , Elizabeth Spiers , and Emily Peck discuss where the global tariffs stand now, how they relate to the abysmal jobs report, and the Federal Court of Appeals’ challenge on the tariffs’ legality. Then, Nathan Bomey of Axios joins to break down the ways the sports betting boom could be threatening the integrity of major leagues sports and help answer the question of whether it even matters. In the Slate Plus episode: The big beautiful...
This week: The redditors have found a fresh batch of meme stocks. Felix Salmon , Elizabeth Spiers , and Emily Peck examine the so called DORK stocks – Krispy Kreme (DNUT), Opendoor (OPEN), Rocket Mortgage (RKT) and Kohl’s (KSS) among others – and what this resurgence of meme stocks says about the state of the market. Then, the Trump administration’s laissez-faire attitude toward financial regulation has encouraged a return of crypto ventures like Polymarket to the US. The hosts discuss this sea ...
In this Money Talks: Elizabeth Spiers is joined by Emily Mester to discuss her book American Bulk: Essays on Excess . They’ll get into the dopamine-driven appeal of haul videos and Costco, the comforts and horrors of retail chains, the variable signifiers of wealth among classes, and other ways in which overconsumption shapes and reflects our lives as Americans. Want to hear that discussion and hear more Slate Money? Join Slate Plus to unlock weekly bonus episodes. Plus, you’ll access ad-free li...
This week: A judge has blocked a Biden era rule that would prevent medical debt from affecting credit scores. Felix Salmon , Elizabeth Spiers , and Emily Peck discuss the logic behind the proposed rule and the economic consequences of this decision. Then, the French Prime Minister has proposed eliminating two national holidays as a way of reducing the national debt. The hosts discuss the likely efficacy of the plan, as well as Trump’s similar suggestion about axing Juneteenth. Finally, Trump mad...
This week: Trump's supersized “One Big Beautiful Bill” is now one big BS act. Felix Salmon , Emily Peck and Elizabeth Spiers the economic ramifications of congress passing the controversial megabill. Then, Trump’s trade war continues to shock and confuse. The hosts discuss the logic, or lack thereof, of his latest tariff proposals. And finally, buried in the big ol’ spending bill is something called a Trump Account which includes $1,000 for newborns. Should you open one? In the Slate Plus episod...
In this Money Talks: Elizabeth Spiers is joined by journalist Brian Goldstone to discuss his book There is No Place for Us on the rising homelessness crisis and how a huge swath of the US population can be working and still lack stable housing. They’ll dive into the misconceptions around who makes up the homeless population, the many ways people like the subjects of Brian’s book were put into precarious situations beyond their control, and what it would take to finally end this expanding crisis....
This week: The US stock market has reached a new all time high. Felix Salmon , Emily Peck and Elizabeth Spiers are joined once again by investments expert Barry Ritholtz who talked us through the market turmoil of Trump’s tariff spree back in April . Barry helps the hosts break down the behavior of the markets right now, examine the historical context of record breaking highs, and theorize why the price of the US dollar is still falling. In the Slate Plus episode: Should we just let kids have th...
Felix Salmon, Emily Peck, and Elizabeth Spiers discuss the reactions to Zohran Mamdani winning the NYC Democratic primary, examining why business leaders' fears of socialism may be overblown given the city's political realities and the mayor's limited power. They also analyze Donald Trump's strategy of potentially naming a future Fed chair in advance and whether this "shadow chair" tactic could undermine the central bank's independence. Finally, the hosts ponder Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez's lavish wedding in Venice, reflecting on the apparent shift from "stealth wealth" to conspicuous consumption among the ultra-rich.
In this Money Talks: Felix Salmon is joined by author James Frey to discuss his new novel, Next to Heaven , set among America’s ultra-ultra-rich, the real life billionaires he knows who inspired it, and why he thinks money is addicting. Want to hear that discussion and hear more Slate Money? 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 Podcasts and...
This week: We become cheerleaders for crypto regulation, AI, and…Cheerleaders. Felix Salmon , Emily Peck and Elizabeth Spiers discuss the GENIUS act, the major crypto regulation bill which recently passed the Senate, and its implications for regulating stable coins and how it could upend payment processing as we know it in the United States. Then, the hosts discuss the Dallas Cowboys cheerleaders, who recently received a 400% raise as chronicled on the Netflix series America’s Sweethearts. And f...
This week: Warner Brothers and Discovery breakup again. Felix Salmon , Emily Peck and Elizabeth Spiers examine the undoing of the three-year-old merger. Then, the hosts discuss runaway AI valuations as Meta spends billions on AI and xAI raises equity off a multi-billion dollar valuation. And finally, what effects are Trump’s aggressive immigration policies having on the economy? In the Slate Plus episode: What happened to happy hour? Want to hear that discussion and hear more Slate Money? Join S...
In this Money Talks: Felix Salmon is joined by Barry Lam, host of Slate’ philosophy podcast Hi-Phi Nation to help him explain how the GOP sees the budget deficit in the “Big Beautiful Bill” using philosophical arguments. Want to hear that discussion and hear more Slate Money? 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 Podcasts and Spotify . Or, v...
This week: Prices are going up, but inflation data has become unreliable under Trump. Felix Salmon , Emily Peck and Elizabeth Spiers discuss how staffing cuts at The Bureau of Labor Statistics have called economic data into question, and what that means for our economy. Then, someone went ahead and told Trump what TACO stands for and he’s pissed. The hosts discuss how a markets term coined by finance journalist Robert Armstrong went mainstream and whether Trump knowing about it changes anything....
In this special episode of Slate Money, Felix Salmon , Elizabeth Spiers , and Emily Peck discuss how long is too long for a vacation. They dig into how time zones should factor into travel plans, how much recovery time you need on the back end of a vacation, and why you should sometimes plan a trip to do absolutely nothing. Want to hear that discussion and hear more Slate Money? Join Slate Plus to unlock weekly bonus episodes. Plus, you’ll access ad-free listening across all your favorite Slate ...
This week: Felix Salmon left Axios. He, Emily Peck and Elizabeth Spiers discuss the opaque language and politics around parting ways with an employer and the motivation behind giving severance packages. Then, it seems the threat of AI taking over jobs is becoming real as the hosts examine the role state of AI in tech and other industries and its effect on the job market. Finally, major stablecoin issuer Circle is going public. So what is a stablecoin and why do people want them? In the Slate Plu...
In this Money Talks: Hillary Frey joins Emily Peck to discuss the kind of rich people that populate the Apple TV+ show Your Friends & Neighbors, Jon Hamm’s Don Draper-esque charm, and whether there’s any real point to having a murder plot line. Want to hear that discussion and hear more Slate Money? 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 ...
In this special episode of Slate Money, Felix Salmon , Emily Peck and Elizabeth Spiers . They talk discuss why you should never get the hotel breakfast, whether locals should get discounts at popular spots, and whether you should avoid tourist traps. Want to hear that discussion and hear more Slate Money? 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 Appl...
This week: The bond vigilantes are being summoned by Trump’s take bill. Felix Salmon , Emily Peck , and Elizabeth Spiers discuss the contents of the controversial bill and how the bond markets are reacting. Then, Julian Sanchez of the WatchCats podcast joins to discuss Elon Musk’s announcement that he’s stepping back from the government and break down what he did with DOGE. Then, has the rise of GLP-1s created a dilemma for group dinners ? In the Slate Plus episode: Are We in The Slop Era? Want ...
In this special episode of Slate Money, Felix Salmon and Emily Peck are joined by Slate editor in chief, Hillary Frey . They talk all things Disneyland, including why Disneyland is better than Disney World, the need to let go of the inevitable costs ahead of your trip, why it makes for a great vacation with teenagers, and more. Podcast production by Cheyna Roth. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....
