After weathering an investigation by the government for their EVs catching on fire, Tesla is hit by another probe after things get deadly. But the company is dedicated to Autopilot, its self-driving system. And once again, nearly every iconic brand in Detroit is following along. Elon Musk amps up his Twitter commentary, offending multitudes and putting fear into investors. But company value skyrockets. As Tesla moves into the 2020s, its' facing hurdles that were unimaginable just a few years ago...
May 03, 2023•35 min•Ep 4•Transcript available on Metacast The battle to dominate the EV market is on. Tesla’s market value is now around $20 billion. At this rate, Tesla could wipe the floor with GM in a decade. Ford, Toyota, Nissan, Honda and Chevrolet are taking notes. No one wants to be bringing up the rear. After near-devastating production issues, Tesla is finally churning out hundreds of its Model S every week from its newly acquired, five-acre factory, on par with any plant in Motor City. But Tesla has serious problems to solve. Like how to get ...
May 03, 2023•36 min•Ep 3•Transcript available on Metacast In 2010, Tesla Motors has already experienced tremendous highs and devastating lows. Elon Musk is a polarizing figure whose goal is to change the way the traditional auto industry works. It’s been a struggle, but Detroit is finally bowing to the Tesla vision, moving electric vehicles to the top of production slates. But now Motor City wants to control the EV market. The limited run Tesla Roadster brought attention and kudos. Now ,Musk is pinning his hopes on the new Model S. But he still needs s...
Apr 26, 2023•36 min•Ep 2•Transcript available on Metacast While the U.S. government pushed automakers to make low-emission vehicles in the 1990s, consumers loved their gas-guzzling trucks and SUVs. But in 2003, Elon Musk's Tesla Motors arrives with environmentally friendly, high-performance cars that people actually want. Motor City smirks as Musk pilots Tesla through crushing financial crises, spectacular quality control disasters and his own shocking public displays of bad behavior. But his pricey cars are catching on. Detroit is taking notice. Musk ...
Apr 26, 2023•39 min•Ep 1•Transcript available on Metacast The AI revolution is here and the tech behemoths are building and releasing their own chatbots. To talk about their victories and blunders, we're joined by Vox journalist Shirin Ghaffary and comedian and podcast host Jolenta Greenberg. Binge all episodes early and ad-free with Wondery+. Join Wondery+ for exclusives, binges, early access, and ad free listening. Available in the Wondery App https://wondery.app.link/businesswars . Support us by supporting our sponsors! See Privacy Policy at h...
Apr 20, 2023•33 min•Ep 6•Transcript available on Metacast First there was Weight Watchers, then there was Noom, and now there’s…Wegovy? Bloomberg health reporter Emma Court helps us understand the evolution of dieting programs and where they’re going next. Later, Matthew Schnier of New York Magazine and The Cut walks us through his article “Life After Food,” which explores the latest wave of weight loss drugs, like Ozempic, that are sweeping through the nation’s elite. Binge all episodes early and ad-free with Wondery+. Join Wondery+ for exclusiv...
Apr 19, 2023•39 min•Ep 5•Transcript available on Metacast It's the 2010s and the weight-loss industry's battling intensifying headwinds. Calorie-counting smartphone apps are attracting millions of users and the diet backlash is getting louder by the day. As the pressure mounts, Weight Watchers realizes it needs to move with the times and reinvent itself. But it soon finds itself facing a conundrum: how to change convincingly without alienating the dieters the business depends on? This episode was originally released as a Wondery+ exclusive Binge all ep...
Apr 12, 2023•35 min•Ep 4•Transcript available on Metacast It's the early 1990s and the diet boom is over. Weight Watchers is now a millstone around Heinz's neck, Jenny Craig's advance has stalled, and Nutri/System's bankrupt and broken. Faced with tanking sales, the diet giants home need new tricks to get people back on their weight-loss plans. And soon all three are homing in on the same answer – paying celebrities big bucks to convince the public that they're just a diet away from happiness. This episode was originally released as a Wondery+ exclusiv...
Apr 05, 2023•37 min•Ep 3•Transcript available on Metacast It's 1983 and civil war's broken out within Nutri/System. But while CEO Harold Katz fights his franchisees, his former colleague Jenny Craig has grand designs on Australia. Craig wants to use Australia as a staging post on the way to becoming a U.S. heavyweight, but first she's got to convince women Down Under to diet like Americans. And that's going to be anything but easy. This episode was originally released as a Wondery+ exclusive Binge all episodes early and ad-free with Wondery+. Join Wond...
Mar 29, 2023•39 min•Ep 2•Transcript available on Metacast It's 1961 and in a supermarket, housewife Jean Nidetch is about to get a shock that will send her on desperate quest to get thin. But when her new diet gets tough, she turns to friends for help and inadvertently starts what will become Weight Watchers. And as Weight Watchers rakes in big bucks from weight-loss, a street-tough Philadelphia businessman grabs his chance to become a millionaire. This episode was originally released as a Wondery+ exclusive Binge all episodes early and ad-free with Wo...
Mar 22, 2023•38 min•Ep 1•Transcript available on Metacast We're celebrating the five-year anniversary of Business Wars with a special episode that takes you behind the scenes. We'll delve into how we chose our host and how the first season got off the ground (time code: 1:19). Then we'll explore how we bring the story to life with sound (time code: 17:26). And comedian Josh Gondelman will give David Brown a bit of a grilling (time code: 32:45). Binge all episodes early and ad-free with Wondery+. Join Wondery+ for exclusives, binges, early access, and a...
Mar 16, 2023•48 min•Ep 1•Transcript available on Metacast We’re going behind the scenes of your favorite Disney animated movies with Andrew Millstein, former president of Disney Animation. He helped lead the company’s transition to 3D computer animation, working on some of Disney’s biggest hits of the 2010s — Frozen, Tangled, and Zootopia, to name a few. Later, Polygon reporter Petrana Radulovic dissects DreamWorks, whose edgy animated films have become cult classics. Petrana also shares what’s new in animation online and around the world. Binge all ep...
Mar 15, 2023•39 min•Ep 5•Transcript available on Metacast It’s 2006 and with Pixar part of Disney, Ed Catmull and John Lasseter now face the task of fixing Disney Animation Studios. And they need to fix it fast, because DreamWorks is winning at the box office. But while they strive to turn Disney Animation from has-been to hero, Hollywood’s other big studios are gearing up to take a bite out of the animated movie pie and that’s only going to dial up the competitive pressure on DreamWorks and Disney-Pixar. Binge all episodes early and ad-fre...
Mar 08, 2023•42 min•Ep 4•Transcript available on Metacast It’s the 2000s and Disney and Pixar are locked in a high-stakes game of chicken. Disney’s deal with Pixar is about to end and renewal talks are snarled up. The dream team that introduced the world to computer animated movies is careening towards divorce. And with neither Disney CEO Michael Eisner nor Pixar boss Steve Jobs willing to cede ground, DreamWorks boss Jeffrey Katzenberg is about to forget tradition and go all out to become Hollywood’s new animation champ. Binge all episodes early and a...
Mar 01, 2023•40 min•Ep 3•Transcript available on Metacast It’s 1995 and Pixar’s Toy Story is just months away from release. But as the premiere of the first computer-animated feature nears, all-out war breaks out between Disney and DreamWorks. Jeffrey Katzenberg raids Disney’s talent to build DreamWorks’ animation studio. Disney rearranges its releases schedules to undermine DreamWorks’ movies. And as Disney and DreamWorks’ tit-for-tat battle intensifies, Pixar will get caught in the crossfire. Binge all episodes early and ad-free with Wondery+. Join W...
Feb 22, 2023•37 min•Ep 2•Transcript available on Metacast It’s 1985 and Steve Jobs is fuming after being fired from Apple. He wants a second act, and he thinks he’s found one in Lucasfilm’s unwanted computer division. But when Jobs buys it and founds Pixar, it soon becomes clear that visions aren't aligned. Jobs wants to create the next-generation of personal computers. But Pixar’s leaders Ed Catmull and John Lasseter have different plans. They want Pixar to make animated movies using computers. But to make that happen, they need to persuade Jobs to bu...
Feb 15, 2023•36 min•Ep 1•Transcript available on Metacast We're talking about Disney's pivot to streaming and the hurdles ahead for the legacy media company as new rivals emerge. We're joined by Parrot Analytics strategist Julia Alexander and comedian Chase O'Donnell. Binge all episodes early and ad-free with Wondery+. Join Wondery+ for exclusives, binges, early access, and ad free listening. Available in the Wondery App https://wondery.app.link/businesswars . Support us by supporting our sponsor! See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy a...
Feb 09, 2023•42 min•Ep 6•Transcript available on Metacast The personal computer is no longer the talk of the town. Between new AI tools, sleek smartphones and web-based apps, your laptop is just one small slice of the technology pie. But where does that leave Apple and Microsoft? Are we about to undergo a regime change? Here to help answer that question are WIRED’S Senior Editor Mike Calore and Senior Writer Lauren Goode. The pair co-host the Gadget Lab podcast, where they break down the latest technology trends and how they shape our lives. ...
Feb 08, 2023•39 min•Ep 5•Transcript available on Metacast The government sues Microsoft for allegedly violating antitrust laws, providing just the distraction Apple needs to launch a comeback. But Jobs is already planning another war – on a battlefield that doesn’t even exist yet. Binge all episodes early and ad-free with Wondery+. Join Wondery+ for exclusives, binges, early access, and ad free listening. Available in the Wondery App https://wondery.app.link/businesswars . Support us by supporting our sponsor! See Privacy Policy at https://art19....
Feb 01, 2023•35 min•Ep 4•Transcript available on Metacast Turmoil at Apple rots the company from the inside out, just as Microsoft’s Windows operating system starts ruling the computer world. Microsoft and Apple’s relationship reaches a breaking point when Microsoft allegedly steals company secrets, and the student… becomes the master. Binge all episodes early and ad-free with Wondery+. Join Wondery+ for exclusives, binges, early access, and ad free listening. Available in the Wondery App https://wondery.app.link/businesswars . Support us by supp...
Jan 25, 2023•35 min•Ep 3•Transcript available on Metacast This episode, we dive into the backstories of the inventors behind the home computer revolution. Bill Gates and Steve Jobs begin with mutual respect and see themselves reflected in each other. But soon their ambition and business choices rip them apart. Binge all episodes early and ad-free with Wondery+. Join Wondery+ for exclusives, binges, early access, and ad free listening. Available in the Wondery App https://wondery.app.link/businesswars . Support us by supporting our sponsor! See Pr...
Jan 18, 2023•37 min•Ep 2•Transcript available on Metacast Apple launches the groundbreaking Macintosh after a long delay. And Bill Gates' Microsoft team has made the software for the Mac. But pretty soon, Jobs grows worried about their partnership. He fears that Gates and Microsoft might be taking... more than they're giving. Binge all episodes early and ad-free with Wondery+. Join Wondery+ for exclusives, binges, early access, and ad free listening. Available in the Wondery App https://wondery.app.link/businesswars . Support us by supporting our...
Jan 11, 2023•36 min•Ep 1•Transcript available on Metacast We're talking about the challenges and chess moves of the biggest tech company in the world: Apple. We're joined by Wall Street Journal columnist Dan Gallagher and comedian Gianmarco Soresi. Binge all episodes early and ad-free with Wondery+. Join Wondery+ for exclusives, binges, early access, and ad free listening. Available in the Wondery App https://wondery.app.link/businesswars . Support us by supporting our sponsor! See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privac...
Jan 05, 2023•44 min•Ep 5•Transcript available on Metacast Get your paddles ready, because we’re diving into the art of the auction. First up is Vanity Fair art columnist Nate Freeman, who’s taking us inside New York high society with a look at auction culture today — including a record-breaking sale that raked in over $1 billion. Later, digital artist Refik Anadol introduces us to the world of NFT art, which is turning the industry on its head. His collections have been auctioned at both Christie’s and Sotheby’s, and are featured in museums across the ...
Jan 04, 2023•41 min•Ep 4•Transcript available on Metacast It’s 1996 and Christie’s Christopher Davidge is disgruntled he hasn’t personally benefited more from his role in the price-fixing scheme, especially as DeDe Brooks, his Sotheby’s counterpart, thrives. But when subpoenas are issued by the Department of Justice and a high-profile investigation begins, they are both faced with an impossible choice: cooperate, or risk losing everything they’ve worked for. Binge all episodes early and ad-free with Wondery+. Join Wondery+ for exclusives, binges, early...
Dec 28, 2022•38 min•Ep 3•Transcript available on Metacast It’s 1993 and Sotheby’s DeDe Brooks and Christie’s Christopher Davidge, at the behest of their bosses Alfred Taubman and Sir Anthony Tennant, begin meeting secretly to discuss fixing prices in a way that will benefit both auction houses. But as the collusion plot starts to pay off and profits begin to rise, both their colleagues and the feds begin to sense something is amiss. Binge all episodes early and ad-free with Wondery+. Join Wondery+ for exclusives, binges, early access, and ad free liste...
Dec 21, 2022•32 min•Ep 2•Transcript available on Metacast It’s 1983 and shopping mall tycoon Alfred Taubman buys a struggling Sotheby’s, excited by the opportunity to revitalize the art auction market and increase competition with the company’s longtime rival, Christie’s. But when the 1990s dawn, a slumping economy spells trouble for both auction houses. Sotheby’s and Christie’s hatch a plan to surreptitiously work together to increase profits for both companies, a decision that will have fateful consequences. Binge all episodes early and ad-free with ...
Dec 14, 2022•36 min•Ep 1•Transcript available on Metacast We're talking about corporate blunders at unicorn tech companies and how they recover — or don't. We're joined by Vanity Fair's Caleb Ecarma, Victoria Song from the Verge and comedian Matt Braunger, who's just released the new comedy special "Doug." Binge all episodes early and ad-free with Wondery+. Join Wondery+ for exclusives, binges, early access, and ad free listening. Available in the Wondery App https://wondery.app.link/businesswars . Support us by supporting our sponsor! See Privac...
Dec 08, 2022•43 min•Ep 6•Transcript available on Metacast The car market is changing rapidly. The race for the next big all-electric vehicle is on! American automakers like Ford and GM are ramping up their EV production — but so are South Korean car brands like Hyundai and Kia. So where does that leave Toyota and Honda, who have been notoriously late to the EV party? Wall Street Journal Autos Editor Christina Rogers joins us to explore whether these powerhouse Japanese companies can defend their spot at the top, or if their American and South Korean co...
Dec 07, 2022•37 min•Ep 5•Transcript available on Metacast The Year 2000 is approaching and Toyota’s new boss Hiroshi Okuda’s looking to the future. After years of cautious success, he wants to be bold and take the fight to the world’s motor king, General Motors. And to kickstart Toyota’s new direction, he wants Toyota to deliver the world’s first gasoline-electric hybrid. But Honda’s also working on an eco-car of its own and it’s about to crash the party. Binge all episodes early and ad-free with Wondery+. Join Wondery+ for exclusives, binges, early ac...
Nov 30, 2022•39 min•Ep 4•Transcript available on Metacast 
