Today, James welcomes Kelly Richmond-Pope, a forensic accountant and professor at DePaul University, to discuss her new book Fool Me Once: Scams, Stories, and Secrets from the Trillion-Dollar Fraud Industry.The book explores the world of financial fraud and provides insights into how fraudsters operate, the damage they cause, and the techniques used to catch them. James and Kelly dive into some examples from the book to examine the three types of financial fraudsters: Intentional Perpetrators, R...
Mar 14, 2023•1 hr 4 min
In this episode, James welcomes back Matt Ridley, an acclaimed author & journalist who co-wrote the book Viral: The Search for the Origin of COVID-19. The book delves into the origins of the COVID-19 pandemic and explores the various theories that have emerged about how the virus started.With recent reporting suggesting that the Department of Energy and FBI are now considering the possibility that the pandemic began from a lab leak, Ridley returns to the show for the third time since the book's ...
Mar 12, 2023•44 min
Are you tired of always losing arguments? Do you find it challenging to persuade others to your point of view? Look no further than today's episode with Mehdi Hasan, renowned news anchor and author of Win Every Argument: The Art of Debating, Persuading, and Public Speaking.Mehdi reveals the secrets to mastering the art of persuasion using the proven techniques from the book, emphasizing the importance of empathizing with your audience and tailoring your arguments to their needs and desires. By u...
Mar 09, 2023•52 min
In this episode of The James Altucher Show, James sits down with producer Jay Yow to discuss eight fascinating and unusual facts James learned that day. From tips on marriage and happiness to surprising historical trivia and neuroscience, this conversation is packed with exciting and thought-provoking tidbits that are sure to spark your curiosity.The duo begins by discussing the declining birth rate in many countries and what it means for their future. They then dive into statistics on various a...
Mar 07, 2023•43 min
In today's episode, James is sharing some great tips on how everyday people can write interesting books that really grab their readers' attention. Everyone has a really interesting story to tell, and personal narratives are the most powerful stories out there. He goes on to stress the importance of not relying solely on scientific proof to make your point, and instead focusing on crafting a compelling story that your readers can connect with. To illustrate this point, James talks about how Annie...
Mar 03, 2023•37 min
Today's episode is going to be incredible because we have a very special guest: Jonah Berger, author of "Magic Words: What to Say to Get Your Way" Are you looking for ways to improve your persuasion skills, whether in business or your personal life? Then you won't want to miss this one!During this episode, James and Jonah will be revealing the seven magic words that are proven to be highly persuasive. Imagine being able to use words like "you," "because," "free," "imagine," "if," "how," and "ins...
Feb 28, 2023•50 min
"You have the ideal life," I said. "You think about things. And people pay attention. And you get paid for it." I was talking to Jordan B. Peterson. His YouTube channel has tens of millions of views. He's a clinical psychologist, professor, and author of 12 Rules for Life: An Antidote to Chaos, and now a guest on this podcast.People stop him on the street. They say "Thank you." They say, "You've changed my life.""What did you say that helped their life?" I asked.But I already knew the answer...B...
Feb 26, 2023•1 hr 25 min
In 2003, Jason Wright was feeling utterly miserable after spending six years job-hopping through corporate America. Wanting more out of life, he decided to become his own boss and operate his own small business. At the age of 28 and with no clue where to start, Jason was determined to make it happen.After a year of hard work, Jason successfully purchased an existing real estate company without any money down. His secret? A compelling story as to why he was the right buyer and an ability to convi...
Feb 23, 2023•1 hr 33 min
Steven Kotler believes that middle-aged adults are better learners than kids, and he has the Ivy League studies to back it up.In this episode, we had the pleasure of speaking with Kotler, the bestselling author of Gnar Country: Growing Ould, Staying Rad, and a true expert in the field of peak performance and human potential.In Gnar Country, Kotler explores the world of extreme sports and the science behind what drives these athletes to push themselves to their limits. But what's really interesti...
Feb 21, 2023•1 hr 9 min
Frank Shamrock calls himself "The First Super Athlete" in the sport of Mixed Martial Arts (MMA). Some might say that Frank lacks humility, but he was the first UFC Light Heavyweight Champion and retired undefeated from the organization. He revolutionized MMA and went deeper than anyone else, studying the body and optimizing his performance. While others focused on technical fighting, Frank dug into the biomechanics and truly became a force to be reckoned with.But get this, Frank didn't start off...
Feb 17, 2023•1 hr 8 min
To be the best in the world at something requires a lot of skill, some talent, and a lot of hard work. In this episode, James sits down with Grand Master Avetik Grigoryan, the founder of ChessMood.com, to explore the importance of mindset in achieving peak performance at work. Avetik shares his experience as a professional chess player and coach, poker player, and entrepreneur, highlighting the role that mindset plays in achieving success on and off the board.As the founder of ChessMood.com, Ave...
Feb 15, 2023•2 hr 8 min
"If you're connected, there's always hope, there's always a solution. If you feel disconnected, man...it's all on you!"In this episode of the podcast, James Altucher sits down with Cal Fussman to discuss the need for human contact and social connectivity in a world that has been forever changed by the Covid-19 pandemic. Cal shares his personal experience of the daily breakfast group he was a part of for many years with his friend and confidant Larry King, where the motto was "Seize the Day".As t...
Feb 14, 2023•1 hr 5 min
Everybody is lying about the economy and I can't stand it anymore. Listen as I break down what people are misrepresenting, what is actually going on, and how I'm personally investing during this time.One stock that I own a good amount of is Wrap Technologies, which I've owned for years (as a co-founder). I plan on owning it for hopefully 10 more years, so I don't care if people will buy it or not. Here's why I'm talking about this: I don't particularly care about what happens in the economy when...
Feb 10, 2023•52 min
This interview blew my mind. I'm not going to inject stem cells into my penis, but I'm going to do everything else Ben Greenfield suggests. Human hacker - and New York Times bestselling author - Ben Greenfield joins the show as he shares the secrets from his book Boundless: Upgrade Your Brain, Optimize Your Body & Defy Aging. I have interviewed dozens of people on this topic; however, this episode and book sum them all up and then go 10x deeper! Ben explores cutting-edge science and strategies f...
Feb 09, 2023•1 hr 14 min
Sara Blakely is a self-made billionaire. She's the founder and creator of Spanx. I interviewed her in January 2017 - over 800 episodes ago! - but all of her advice (learned directly from DOING) is still impacting me today. I had to re-listen. And I hope you do too...Some people are inspirations for life. Sara is one of those people.Sara Blakely is weird. I wish I could think the way she does. I want to be weird like her."I look at any object and try to think of any use it has other than what peo...
Feb 07, 2023•1 hr 19 min
"Terrorists have moms," he said.Jeffrey Schilling was kidnapped in the Philippines and held hostage for 7 and a half months. The terrorists said they were torturing him.But Chris Voss didn't fall for it.Chris is a former FBI hostage negotiator and the author of Never Split the Difference: Negotiating As If Your Life Depended On It."Find a way to mention his mother's concern for him," Chris' boss said."I remember thinking, 'That's the dumbest idea I ever heard. A terrorist is going to care about ...
Feb 04, 2023•1 hr 14 min
Today, we're joined by the one and only Raymond Baker, author of the eye-opening book Invisible Trillions: How Financial Secrecy is in periling Capitalism and Democracy, and the Way to Renew our Broken System. That's a lot in the subtitle, but it's also a massive topic that's often swept under the rug because - as Raymond details - essentially every large corporation engages in the tax-dodging practices he details in depth in today's conversation. Raymond talks about the interweaving between cap...
Feb 02, 2023•1 hr 3 min
Brett Johnson committed tax fraud and credit card fraud from a desk inside the FBI offices for almost a year before going on a cross-country crime spree, stealing $600,000 in four months, making the US Most Wanted list, going to Disney World, getting sent to prison AND THEN ESCAPING! But let's back up...In today's episode of The James Altucher Show, we sit down with Brett Johnson, a man who has lived a double life. Once the leader of ShadowCrew & Counterfeit Library - precursors to the modern da...
Jan 31, 2023•1 hr 39 min
James sits down with legendary journalist Cal Fussman to discuss the life and career of the iconic Larry King. Cal, who knew Larry for over 30 years, shares personal anecdotes and insights into the man behind the microphone.Cal and James begin by discussing Larry's early days in radio, where he got his start as a disc jockey in Florida. From there, they delve into the story of how Larry landed his first national television gig on the Mutual Broadcasting System's "The Larry King Show." Cal descri...
Jan 27, 2023•2 hr 17 min
When Elon Musk tweets a one-character reply to your article and 2.3 million people view it, you've hit viral gold.That's what happened with Trung Phan's article about the worst tech predictions ever on the Sat Post substack; a retrospective look at some of the most inaccurate predictions in the technology industry. Some of the predictions discussed include the belief that the internet would be a passing fad, that smartphones would never catch on, and that social media would never be profitable. ...
Jan 26, 2023•1 hr 12 min
In this episode, James sits down with Mike Baker - a former CIA agent and author of the bestselling book Company Rules. With years of experience in covert operations and leadership, Mike shares his unique insights on strategy, corporate culture, and the importance of breaking the rules. Whether you're a startup founder or a seasoned CEO, this episode is a must-listen for anyone looking to gain a competitive edge.The book offers a candid look at the challenges and successes of the CIA, and how th...
Jan 24, 2023•1 hr 1 min
Is it possible to time the crypto market? I talked to Tascha from @TashaLabs, one of the smartest people I know in the crypto space. You definitely have to check out her website, Tasha Labs, and sign up for her newsletter. We talk in great detail, not only about how you value a cryptocurrency, not only how you can time the crypto market, but about what really are some of the future use cases of crypto that will lead to ultimately a billion users, and why this is not just a fad.Back in 1999, 2000...
Jan 20, 2023•1 hr 2 min
Uri Levine was frustrated by traffic jams on his commute and found validation that the problem was widespread. His solution was to co-found Waze, the crowd-sourced GPS navigation platform which became a major competitor to Google Maps before being acquired by Google for $1.4 billion.But Uri's new book, Fall in Love with the Problem, Not the Solution: A Handbook for Entrepreneurs is not the story of Waze. It's not one story about entrepreneurship. It's completely an A-to-Z handbook for entreprene...
Jan 19, 2023•1 hr 1 min
Steven Pressfield's newest book, Govt Cheese a memoir, must jump to the top of your reading list. Both gut-wrenching and laugh-out-loud funny, his brutally honest story is a compelling page-turner. Steven's writing career spans many genres and formats, but it almost never materialized. From US Marine to advertising copywriter, schoolteacher, tractor-trailer driver, bartender, oilfield roustabout, mental hospital attendant, migrant fruit-picker, and hack screenwriter, his debut novel - The Legend...
Jan 17, 2023•1 hr 16 min
Think of this as a step-by-step guide to building literally your own real estate empire! Roy "Rolly" Weaver did his first real estate transaction fresh out of college with ZERO dollars to his name and, leveraging his earnings, built a portfolio including an apartment building, a hotel, and resort-town cabins which continue to earn him hundreds of thousands of dollars in passive income annually!Listen on hear to Rolly describe his business ascent using other people's money and stick around for th...
Jan 13, 2023•1 hr 20 min
Alex Banayan's story would have made a perfect chapter in Skip the Line: A college student hacks his way onto a game show, uses his wit to win the showcase, sells the prizes, and uses the proceeds to fund his business ambitions!Alex's bestselling book The Third Door takes readers on an unprecedented adventure-from hacking Warren Buffett's shareholders' meeting to chasing Larry King through a grocery store to celebrating in a nightclub with Lady Gaga-as Alex Banayan travels from icon to icon, dec...
Jan 12, 2023•1 hr 19 min
Nassim Nicholas Taleb, author of Antifragile: Things That Gain from Disorder, joins The James Altucher Show to discuss technology and how different systems handle disorder. As humans evolve, technology is constantly being upgraded and replaced with new concepts and ideas. Today, we use technology in almost every aspect of our lives, but do we really understand the advantages and disadvantages of constantly being computerized?In Nassim's book The Black Swan, he highlighted for readers the unusual...
Jan 10, 2023•1 hr 41 min
Gabriella Rosen Kellerman, M.D., has served as chief product officer and chief innovation officer at BetterUp, founding CEO of LifeLink, and an advisor to healthcare, coaching, and behavior change technology companies. Martin Seligman, Ph.D. is a professor at the University of Pennsylvania, director of the Positive Psychology Center, and former president of the American Psychological Association. Together, they join James today to discuss their new book, Tomorrowmind.Tomorrowmind tackles the cha...
Jan 06, 2023•1 hr 20 min
Jon Morrow might be the most successful copywriter on the web, and he's definitely the best indexed on the web. Jon (the owner of Smart Blogger) and James take today's 80 minutes to unravel the current market conditions for getting paid to write content, how to learn to do it, and how rapidly the market is going to shift over the next 5 years.In Jon's words, "The future of AI isn't to replace all writers, I think it's going to replace the word processor. Instead of going into Google Docs or Micr...
Jan 05, 2023•1 hr 17 min
"If you listen to only one podcast this year, this has to be the one." That's what James wrote after interviewing Peter Thiel in 2014 and, to begin 2023, we've remastered this classic episode for a new audience to experience. To one degree, this time-capsule episode immediately dates itself: Discussion about whether Uber can grow outside of San Francisco; Facebook was the most important social media company; talk of "new banking systems" doesn't revolve around cryptocurrencies and DFi. Make it p...
Jan 03, 2023•1 hr 17 min