Notes from James: I’ve been seeing a ton of misinformation lately about tariffs and inflation, so I had to set the record straight. People assume tariffs drive prices up across the board, but that’s just not how economics works. Inflation happens when money is printed, not when certain goods have price adjustments due to trade policies. I explain why the current tariffs aren’t a repeat of the Great Depression-era Smoot-Hawley Tariff, how Trump is using them more strategically, and what it all me...
Mar 06, 2025•27 min•Transcript available on Metacast Notes from James: What if I told you that we could eliminate the IRS, get rid of personal income taxes completely, and still keep the government funded? Sounds impossible, right? Well, not only is it possible, but historical precedent shows it has been done before. I know what you’re thinking—this sounds insane. But bear with me. The IRS collects $2.5 trillion in personal income taxes each year. But what if we could replace that with a national sales tax that adjusts based on what you buy ? Unde...
Feb 26, 2025•29 min•Transcript available on Metacast A note from James: I love digging into topics that make us question everything we thought we knew. Fort Knox is one of those legendary places we just assume is full of gold, but has anyone really checked? The fact that Musk even brought this up made me wonder—why does the U.S. still hold onto all that gold when our money isn’t backed by it anymore? And what if the answer is: it’s not there at all? This episode is a deep dive into the myths and realities of money, gold, and how the economy really...
Feb 21, 2025•33 min•Transcript available on Metacast A Note from James: Who's better than you? That's the book written by Will Packer, who has been producing some of my favorite movies since he was practically a teenager. He produced Straight Outta Compton , he produced Girls Trip with former podcast guest Tiffany Haddish starring in it, and he's produced a ton of other movies against impossible odds. How did he build the confidence? What were some of his crazy stories? Here's Will Packer to describe the whole thing. Episode Description: Will Pack...
Feb 18, 2025•55 min•Transcript available on Metacast A Note from James: You know what drives me crazy? When people say, "I have to build a personal brand." Usually, when something has a brand, like Coca-Cola, you think of a tasty, satisfying drink on a hot day. But really, a brand is a lie—it's the difference between perception and reality. Coca-Cola is just a sugary brown drink that's unhealthy for you. So what does it mean to have a personal brand? I discussed this with Nick Singh, and we also talked about retirement—what’s your number? How much...
Feb 14, 2025•1 hr 18 min•Transcript available on Metacast A Note from James: I've done about a dozen podcasts in the past few years about anti-aging and longevity—how to live to be 10,000 years old or whatever. Some great episodes with Brian Johnson (who spends $2 million a year trying to reverse his aging), David Sinclair (author of Lifespan and one of the top scientists researching aging), and even Tony Robbins and Peter Diamandis, who co-wrote Life Force . But Peter just did something incredible. He wrote The Longevity Guidebook , which is basically...
Feb 04, 2025•1 hr 7 min•Transcript available on Metacast A Note from James: "I have been dying to understand quantum computing. And listen, I majored in computer science. I went to graduate school for computer science. I was a computer scientist for many years. I’ve taken apart and put together conventional computers. But for a long time, I kept reading articles about quantum computing, and it’s like magic—it can do anything. Or so they say. Quantum computing doesn’t follow the conventional ways of understanding computers. It’s a completely different ...
Jan 28, 2025•1 hr 11 min•Transcript available on Metacast A Note from James: So we have a brand new president of the United States, and of course, everyone has their opinion about whether President Trump has been good or bad, will be good and bad. Everyone has their opinion about Biden, Obama, and so on. But what makes someone a good president? What makes someone a bad president? Obviously, we want our presidents to be moral and ethical, and we want them to be as transparent as possible with the citizens. Sometimes they can't be totally transparent—neg...
Jan 21, 2025•1 hr 2 min•Transcript available on Metacast A Note from James: Probably no president has fascinated this country and our history as much as John F. Kennedy, JFK. Everyone who lived through it remembers where they were when JFK was assassinated. He's considered the golden boy of American politics. But I didn't know this amazing conspiracy that was happening right before JFK took office. Best-selling thriller writer Brad Meltzer, one of my favorite writers, breaks it all down. He just wrote a book called The JFK Conspiracy . I highly recomm...
Jan 14, 2025•47 min•Transcript available on Metacast A Note from James: So, I’m out rock climbing, but I really wanted to take a moment to introduce today’s guest: Roger Reaves. This guy is unbelievable. He’s arguably the biggest drug smuggler in history, having worked with Pablo Escobar and others through the '70s, '80s, and even into the '90s. Roger’s life is like something out of a movie—he spent 33 years in jail and has incredible stories about the drug trade, working with people like Barry Seal, and the U.S. government’s involvement in the sm...
Jan 07, 2025•2 hr 37 min•Transcript available on Metacast A Note from James: "Couldn't believe it was possible. I thought the reality show of Election 2024 could not be beat, but it turns out that was just season one, and season two is incredible. Right now, I don't know whether this is insane or the smartest thing possible. So we're going to figure this out right now. Trump just announced that he wants to buy Greenland and so many things to unpack there. The deeper I go, the more of a rabbit hole it became, and the deeper I went." Episode Description:...
Dec 30, 2024•26 min•Transcript available on Metacast A Note from James: The world's completely changing. Young people, including my five kids, are no longer planning on that one-job, one-career trajectory where you start at General Motors or Procter & Gamble and retire 45 years later with a gold watch. Instead, they’re hustling. They're building side hustles, working from home, and finding ways to make money while traveling. And where do all these opportunities come from? Micha Kaufman, the founder and CEO of Fiverr, joins me today. Fiverr has...
Dec 24, 2024•53 min•Transcript available on Metacast Episode Description: Eric Jorgenson’s story with Scribe Media is one of the rare second chances in business. In this episode, James sits down with Eric to discuss how he saved Scribe from its dramatic downfall, brought it back to stability, and is leading it into a promising future. Eric shares the inner workings of the acquisition, the lessons learned from Scribe’s collapse, and how the company is redefining professional self-publishing. Together, they also explore why self-publishing is a vita...
Dec 18, 2024•59 min•Transcript available on Metacast A Note from James: Money GPT. I mean, we've all heard about the incredible potential of AI, and I’ve shared my optimism about its future in many episodes. But today, we have Jim Rickards back on the show, and he’s here to offer a more skeptical perspective. You might remember our earlier discussion where Jim laid out a masterclass on the economy, its history, and what might unfold over the next few years. Now, he’s back with insights from his new book, Money GPT , diving into what we should watc...
Dec 10, 2024•52 min•Transcript available on Metacast A Note from James: If my kids asked me, "What is the one podcast we should listen to to create financial security, wealth, whatever?"—this is the one I’d recommend. Codie Sanchez is so smart, thoughtful about business, and open about her journey to success, including the failures she's overcome. Her book, Main Street Millionaire, highlights how the most boring businesses—laundromats, car washes, and other everyday enterprises—are the true wealth creators. Codie shares her strategies for buying t...
Dec 03, 2024•2 hr 57 min•Transcript available on Metacast A Note from James:"Over a billion people play chess. Even if you're not into it, think about this: two armies on a board, going to war. It's the game of kings, and back in the day, kings played chess to strategize without any bloodshed. Although, if you've ever lost a chess game, you might feel like someone just wiped you off the board. I've been there-sitting for hours, putting your whole brain into it, and then losing. It feels like death. People cry. I've cried.But here's the thing: it's also...
Nov 26, 2024•1 hr 14 min•Transcript available on Metacast A Note from James:"Oh my gosh, so many things going on with Bitcoin. Let me just summarize it. Obviously, Gary Gensler resigning is huge for Bitcoin. He was the head of the SEC, and this is the end of a regulatory cloud over crypto. Another major development is the proposal for Bitcoin to be included in U.S. strategic reserves. If the U.S. starts buying Bitcoin, which Senator Carol Loomis has proposed in a bill, Bitcoin could hit a million. I'm not even being too hyperbolic here. Plus, companies...
Nov 22, 2024•1 hr 28 min•Transcript available on Metacast A Note from James:This week, there's a lot happening with Iran. Some strategies the U.S. has tried with them are just mind-boggling. My guest, Ken Timmerman, says it best: Iran is the biggest issue we face right now, and the closest we've been to World War III. What went wrong? What could go wrong next?Ken has been covering Iran and terrorism for 40 years. In this episode, we unpack his early days as a hostage of terrorists, the state of Iran's nuclear ambitions, and some downright shocking conc...
Nov 19, 2024•1 hr 6 min•Transcript available on Metacast A Note from James: Oh my gosh. I always feel like my IQ goes up when I talk to Jim Rickards. He has so much knowledge about so many things, but particularly, he's been there, done that when it comes to all things in the economy. Some of his stories about what he's personally seen and done are tied to some of the most famous events in the economy over the past 50 years. Anyway, he wrote a new book, Money GPT, which is about the financial aspects of AI and how it could affect the economy. But we s...
Nov 13, 2024•1 hr 8 min•Transcript available on Metacast A Note from James:"So in a few hours, as I am saying this. The election of 2024 will begin. I'm doing this podcast on Monday evening, and I wanted to address a couple of important issues that people don't seem to know about in terms of how a presidential election in the United States works. And in particular, there are a couple of loopholes where I think it is possible to legally cheat in this election, and I'm not talking about either candidate but the big question that has been on my mind and ...
Nov 05, 2024•41 min•Transcript available on Metacast A Note from James:"That was insane. Kevin Shipp, 17 years with the CIA, then, he had some wild experiences that led to him leaving the CIA. He wrote, just published a book that he published without the CIA's permission. It's called Twilight of the Shadow Government. And I got almost scared during this interview that maybe I shouldn't even release this podcast episode. I don't want to say anything. He didn't say anything that was like crazy or off the deep end. I just got scared. And when you lis...
Oct 29, 2024•1 hr 8 min•Transcript available on Metacast A Note from James:"Oh my gosh. What a podcast with Naveen Jain. I first had Naveen on in 2014 or 2015, and he remembered it perfectly. That conversation was so fun, I still remember it like it was yesterday. It's crazy because I've done over 1,500 episodes, but that one stuck with me.Back then, we talked about Moon Express and his journey building rockets to the moon. Now, almost ten years later, Naveen has built several other companies, including Viome, which uses cutting-edge technology to ana...
Oct 23, 2024•1 hr 4 min•Transcript available on Metacast A Note from James:"I do think that the most important use case for AI is in extending our lifespans. And I think if this isn't five or ten years in the future-this is right now. Things are happening in AI that are going to change healthcare overnight. Today, I'm continuing my discussion with Hamed Shahbazi, founder of Well Health. This is a publicly-traded company in Canada, and it's already impacting millions of lives by applying AI to healthcare.HealWell, one of Hamed's companies, has processe...
Oct 15, 2024•1 hr 5 min•Transcript available on Metacast A Note from James:"Are you a member of the river or the village? That's the question we're diving into today. Nate Silver-yes, the Nate Silver from 538-joins us with Maria Konnikova, a master of poker and decision-making. Members of the 'river,' as Nate describes, are rational thinkers. They make decisions based on probabilities and data, not emotions. So, are you in the river or the village? Because today, we're talking about how to think differently about risk-whether it's betting on an electi...
Oct 09, 2024•1 hr 14 min•Transcript available on Metacast In this episode, I engage in a detailed discussion on various geopolitical issues, reflecting my optimism even in challenging times. We revisit historical events such as the Great Recession and 9/11 and discuss the current global situation involving tensions between nations, particularly the roles of the U.S., Israel, Iran, Russia, and China in the context of emerging proxy wars. I express concerns about the potential for World War III, influenced by proxy conflicts and the global arms trade. Th...
Oct 08, 2024•33 min•Transcript available on Metacast A Note from James:Oh my gosh, every time, this is the second time I've talked to Gladys McGarey. Last year she was 102 years old, this year she's 103 years old. She wrote a book, The Well Lived Life: A 102-Year-Old Doctor's Six Secrets to Health and Happiness at Every Age, and it's coming out in paperback. And every time I read this book, I've read it twice now, and I talk to her, I almost feel like crying, and I don't really know why. It's almost as if she was born with wisdom, but then kept ev...
Oct 05, 2024•1 hr 8 min•Transcript available on Metacast A Note from James:You know, I first had Chris Voss on in 2016. Out of the 1500+ podcasts I've done, his is one of the few where I've really followed all the advice. His book Never Split the Difference wasn't just any negotiating book-it's a survival guide for life, built from his time as the FBI's lead hostage negotiator. And trust me, if you're going to take advice from anyone on negotiation, take it from Chris. His tactics don't just work in life-or-death situations-they work in everyday busin...
Oct 01, 2024•1 hr 23 min•Transcript available on Metacast A Note from James:"Oh my gosh, I am really interested in the history of the presidents of the United States. These are the guys who have not only shaped the country but to some extent have shaped the world. And I say 'these guys' because, let's be honest, it's been all men so far. Who knows? There's a woman running for president now. We'll see. Kamala Harris, right? Anyway, today I'm excited because we have someone on the show who knows a ton about presidents-Bill O'Reilly. He's written about so...
Sep 24, 2024•33 min•Transcript available on Metacast Here's a draft of your podcast show notes based on the Wilbur Ross episode:A Note from James:Wilbur Ross, the man, the myth, the legend. I'm going to be honest, back in 1999, I remember playing a lot of poker at the Mayfair Poker Club in New York City. There was a guy there who worked for Wilbur Ross, who was running huge private equity funds back then. I was jealous because I wanted to work for Wilbur Ross. He's been a consistent feature in building businesses decade after decade. Most recently...
Sep 17, 2024•1 hr 1 min•Transcript available on Metacast Here are the podcast show notes with all the chapters included:A Note from James:"Sometimes, if you just read the news, it doesn't always seem like it, but being President of the United States is the highest calling. You have responsibility over the entire economy, the lives of millions, and the direction of the country in war and peace. I'm excited to talk to David Rubenstein today-he's the head of the Carlyle Group, a $500 billion private equity firm. He also worked for Jimmy Carter, has had p...
Sep 10, 2024•1 hr 3 min•Transcript available on Metacast 
