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Corporate Gossip

Nitetoast media·Hosted by Becca Platsky and Robby Slowik·70 episodes

BusinessSocietyCultureCo-hostedBusiness scandalsComedy analysisCEO dramaStandalone deep divesWeekly

Business news for gossip lovers. From boardroom shakeups to c-suite scandals, the Corporate gossip podcast brings you all the Wall Street tea. CPA scorned Becca Platsky and OOO Reply Guy Robby Slowik are your hosts.

Why listen

Corporate Gossip turns business scandals into funny, well-researched stories about CEOs, billionaires, tech founders, frauds, monopolies, and the strange psychology of corporate power. Becca Platsky and Robby Slowik bring the energy of friends unpacking elite drama, but with enough reporting and context that you come away understanding how the mess happened. It is a strong fit for listeners who like business stories, scams, politics, and pop-culture-style commentary without the dry boardroom tone.

Series(4)

Episodes

1 hr 3 min
May 22, 2026Episode 9
CaaStle: The Devil Rents Prada

If you're in the mood for a classic true crime beach read look no further than the CaaStle fraud! In 2024 Christine Hunsicker was a leather jacket wearing, mohawk donning, Forbes cover girl who made headlines for her clothing subscription service that boasted nearly a billion dollars in annual revenue. Investors were pumping her company full of cash on the promise of infinite hockey stick growth. But had those investors, including Bill Ackman and Peter Theil, used a single brain cell (!!) they would have discovered that Hunsicker's fashion business was a complete fabrication. By the end of the year she would plead guilty to a fraud worth $300m, one of the biggest financial frauds in recent history, and now faces up to 20 years in prison.  For TWO bonus episodes every month, ad-free main, and book club join us on Patreon Watch on Youtube Advertise with us Pictures from the episode Links:  This Startup Wanted to Revolutionize Fashion. Now It's Under Investigation for Fraud. The Tech Fashion Darling Accused of Swindling Investors Out of $300 Million SEC Indictment CaaStle let CEO remain after learning of alleged fraud Shareholder lawsuit Good News: Libraries are for Everyone: How immigrants are finding community in Massachusetts libraries

7 min
May 15, 2026
[Patreon Teaser] Heated Rivalry: Private Equity vs Human Decency

To hear the full episode, join the Corporate Gossip Patreon and get TWO bonus epiosdes every month! If you want even more Corporate Gossip in your life join at the Murdoch's Mates level for access to the group chat and the quarterly book club! Listen to the end for good news!! Imagine if Gordon Bombay never had a redemption arc. That's the story of Murry Gunty, owner of Black Bear Sports, a Private Equity company that professionalizes shaking kids down for their lunch money - but you're gonna LOVE how this movie ends. We'll also talk about Jeffrey Epstein associate Josh Harris and heir to the Smurf fortune David Blitzer who use their Blackstone connections and Wharton Business degrees to steal joy from children!! Don't worry, there's a comeuppance for them in this story, too! Links: Lord of the Rinks. Meet the hockey CEO cashing in on your kid's team Youth Sports Are a $40 Billion Business. Private Equity Is Taking Notice. Tennessee bill would criminalize harassment of student-athletes As Youth Sports Professionalize, Kids Are Burning Out Fast Private Equity Is Coming for Youth Sports Bill would ban private equity 'vulture investors' from youth sports.

1 hr 8 min
May 8, 2026Episode 8
World Liberty Financial: The Real House Sons of Fake Money

Now with enhanced audio!!!  Meet Steve Witkoff, a real estate investor and supreme Trump suck-up turned "peace guy" and his two failsons, Alex and Zach. They're in charge of World Liberty Financial, the "world's fastest growing crypto company" along with the Trump family and crypto hucksters Zak Folkman and Chase Hero. The WLF team might feel invincible, but this week one disgruntled investor filed a lawsuit that might take down the entire operation...  This episode has it ALL... a resurfaced body cam video of a Witkoff son being arrested for assaulting a bouncer and cocaine possession, a colon cleanse subscription business, a website called datehottergirls.com, and the 1954 Guatemalan coup!!!  Watch on YouTube For TWO bonus episodes every month, ad-free main, and book club join us on Patreon Advertise with us Links:  The Trump Family Business Empire Is Growing. We Mapped Out 268 Pieces of It In real estate, Witkoff is royalty. In DC, he's the president's man Where Mideast Envoy Pitched Peace, His Son Pitched Investors The 'Crypto Punks' Behind Trump's Murky New Business Venture Trump's entry into crypto opens new doors for those seeking political influence How Trump's crypto business p

9 min
Apr 30, 2026
[Patreon Exclusive] Musk V. Altman: Between a Grok and a hard place

To hear the full episode, join the Corporate Gossip Patreon and get TWO bonus epiosdes every month! If you want even more Corporate Gossip in your life join at the Murdoch's Mates level for access to the group chat and the quarterly book club! Tragic, the most annoying men on earth are fighting in federal court over "perfidy and deceit of Shakespearean proportions"!!! Robby and Becca crack open their piggy bank and spend all their money downloading electronic court records from the Northern California district court to bring you the juiciest nuggets you won't hear anywhere else! We recorded this episode on Wednesday evening and wanted to get it out quickly because this is an evolving story! Links:  Battle of the Billionaires: What's at Stake as Elon Musk and Sam Altman Face Off in Court The unflattering secrets revealed so far in Elon Musk's latest legal feud

1 hr 12 min
Apr 24, 2026Episode 7
Live Nation Ticketmaster: Swift Justice for bad Beyhavior

This is the potential breakup song of Ticketmaster & Live Nation: a toxic relationship that, according to one lawyer, "essentially defrauds everyone involved." Becca and Robby bring you up to speed on the outcome of the company's fight in a trust-busting trial and then go all the way back to the villain origin story of this Frankenstein of scams. It makes us feel better to know that the founder of Ticketmaster is now miserable and possibly broke! For TWO bonus episodes every month, ad-free main, and book club join us on Patreon Watch on Youtube Thanks to our sponsors Orange Marketing and Des Moines Con Advertise with us Timestamps:  00:00 - Live Nation anti-trust verdict 05:00 - Episode intro  14:00 - History / origin story of Ticketmaster 32:00 - Ticketmaster enabling / encouraging scalpers because "it's called CAPITALISM" 40:00 - Live Nation / Ticketmaster bribes every president EXCEPT Jimmy Carter 56:00 - Kid Rock is Live Nation's pain sponge  58:00 - Takeaways / Pearl Jam  1:09:00 - Good news!  Links:  Live Nation employee mocks customers as 'so stupid' in internal messages released in court case Train Wreck? A Mogul's Battle Against The Bel-Air Subway Ticketmaster's Dark History How Ticketmaster became the most hated name in music 'A public relations nightmare': Ticketmaster recruits pros for secret scalper program Live Nation reaches settlement in US monopoly case Jury Finds Live Nation Acts as a Monopoly in a Victory for States <

12 min
Apr 17, 2026
[Patreon Exclusive] Full Body Scam: The Longevity Influencers!

To hear the full episode, join the Corporate Gossip Patreon and get TWO bonus epiosdes every month! If you want even more Corporate Gossip in your life join at the Murdoch's Mates level for access to the group chat and the quarterly book club! So you want live forever and make a TON of money doing it???? May we suggest starting a longevity company to charge rich people having a midlife crisis $50,000 to make themselves medical guinea pigs?? After all, if billionaires have optimized their own bodies than certainly that perfect health will dribble down onto the rest of us!! TW: we talk about Epstein stuff starting around 52:00 (but right before that we genuinely find ourselves in a fit of hysterics the likes of which have never been seen on this podcast!!) Links: How to Live Forever and Get Rich Doing It The Billionaires Fueling the Quest for Longer Life Kara Swisher Wants to Live Forever - CNN Why Bryan Johnson, Dave Asprey, and the Other Longevity Bros Are Obsessed With Penises The Phoenix Device Reviews The Longevity Influencer Who Went Into 'Withdrawal' Without Jeffrey Epstein

44 min
Apr 15, 2026
Inside the busted brains of billionaires with Therapy Jeff!

I love to psychoanalyze billionaires AS A HOBBY! But when I saw that viral video of Marc Andreessen explaining how he practices "zero" introspection it was like the spirit of Jack Welch's ex-wives took over my body and wrote an email to today's guest. I asked Therapy Jeff talk with me about what the actual HELL is going on inside the busted brains of billionaires. We want a class-based season of Survivor, Larry Ellison!! Who do you think would win?? Article: What Does Extreme Wealth Do to the Brain? Join us on Patreon for bonus content, episode discussion, early access to episodes like this one and more!  Advertise with us Follow Therapy Jeff!   Watch on YouTube

1 hr 15 min
Apr 10, 2026Episode 6
Palmer Luckey & The Gundo Bros: America Runs on Drunken Drone Nuts

"Wars would be more effective and less destructive if the people in charge were stupider and hornier" - Donald Rumsfeld  Robby and Becca swallow a fistfull of zyns and party with the teenaged Gundo Bros at the center of America's booming defense tech sector. Then, they meet the movement's spiritual leader, Palmer Luckey, whose Power Ranger fantasy company Anduril just secured a $20b contract with the US Army!!! Move fast and break things, America!  Due to a technical glitch this epsiode is audio only, but click this link for Pics from the episode Thanks to our sponsor Orange Marketing Advertise with us Links:  The Tech Bros Powering Silicon Valley's Military Fever Dream With Energy Drinks, God And Nicotine AMERICA HAS NEVER BEEN SO BACK Investors Gave A Teenager $85 Million To Build Hydrogen Weapons. It's Not Going Well Palmer Luckey: Millennial slayer of U.S. defense giants The Pentagon's Favorite Tech Guy Is This Hawaiian Shirt-Wearing Founder Palmer Luckey's Suicide Headset Is Insane—and a Grim Part of VR's Future Silicon Valley is coming for the Pentagon's $1T budget The Year of the Trillion-Dollar US Military Budget Begins Ma

1 hr 7 min
Apr 7, 2026Episode 5
Trevor Milton: Pardon My Fraud

If you like what you hear, consider joining us on Patreon for bonus episodes, ad-free listening, group discussions, book club, and MORE! Our independent podcast is made possible by support from listeners like you!  Trevor Milton is BACK with a brand new scam... a jet with the world's largest toilet (it's true). He's just a human Secretariat living the American Dream baby!! Watch on YouTube Links: Original Hindenberg Nikola report Nikola Board Member Says Startup's Skeptics Are Too Focused on Past Nikola founder Trevor Milton is facing criminal fraud charges. Insiders say a history of lies brought down the billionaire once considered the new Elon Musk. Long Before Nikola Trucks, Trevor Milton Sold Investors on Startups That Faded Pardoned for Fraud, a CEO Mounts His Comeback: 'We Can Trust You Now'' The People Trump Pardoned Are on a Crime Spree

1 hr 9 min
Mar 27, 2026Episode 4
Larry Ellison's ABCs: Always Be Colonizing (PLUS a huge announcement!)

Larry Ellison has been weirdly lurking in the background for decades, but then he turned 80 and decided that being the second richest man in the world wasn't enough, he also needed attention! Becca and Robby psychoanalyze baby Larry, visit his failed NOBU lettuce farm in Hawaii, and fall into the family's shiny new money pit. We think this could have all been avoided if Larry never discovered samurai swords...  TW: mention of suicide, death  Welcome to the NEW CO-HOST OF CORPORATE GOSSIP Robby Slowik  Thanks to our sponsor Orange Marketing Watch on YouTube Advertise with us Pictures from today's episode For bonus episodes, ad-free main-feed, and book club join us on Patreon Streaming alternatives  Cut off the Spigot Timestamps:  (00:00) Introducing ROBBY!  (05:00) The myth of Oracle & Larry Ellison (20:00)  I actually think I can fix Larry Ellison! (30:00) Hi, My name is Larry Ellison, I invented colonization and it's actually not that bad (44:00) Larry's shiny new money pit (Paramount WBD)  Links:  Larry Ellison's Half-Billion-Dollar Quest to Change Farming Has Been a Bust Oracle CEO Larry Ellison Is Stepping Down to Spend More Time With His Yachts <a href= "https://www.nytimes.com/2014/04/13/business/still-no-1-and-doi

11 min
Mar 20, 2026
[Patreon Exclusive] Amazon's $40B Lobotomy: Bezos, Ratner, & The Melania Movie

To hear the full episode, join the Corporate Gossip Patreon and get TWO bonus epiosdes every month! If you want even more Corporate Gossip in your life join at the Murdoch's Mates level for access to the group chat and the quarterly book club!  Brett Ratner's Indecent proposal: $40 million for 20 days with your wife! Robby Slowik joins the Corporate Gossip Podcast for this certified hogleg (official announcement coming next week!). We discuss all the drama surrounding the $75m bribery payment from Jeff Bezos to the Trump family in the form of a 105-minute piece of trollaganda. Yes, we unfortunately both watched the movie! TW: SA Links: Melania: The Movie. The Bribe. The Shame. How the Trumps Turned an Election Victory Into a Cash Bonanza Bezos Cornered by Own Reporters on $75M 'Melania' Deal How once-exiled filmmaker Brett Ratner staged a Hollywood comeback with 'Melania' Rush Hour 4 Will Shoot in Saudi Arabia Trump's Save America PAC, which raises money to push election fraud claims, paid $60,000 to Melania's stylist Steven Mnuchin's wife's inexplicable movie trailer

58 min
Mar 12, 2026Episode 3
Amway & The DeVos Family: Working Overtime at the Stupid Factory

An earlier version of this episode was uploaded with only the good news segment - please refresh if you suspect you have the older version. Apologies!!!! Stop your protesting! Stop your organizing! The only thing we need is 🤑 MANIFESTATION 💸 It's time to talk about the Pyramidschemification of America. This episode has so many fun characters: 17th century Puritans, Tammy Faye Baker, Amanda Frances, an MLM hun on a regional jet somewhere over Sandusky, Ohio, and Elizabeth Holmes??? Thanks to our sponsor Orange Marketing Watch on YouTube Advertise with us For bonus episodes and book club join us on Patreon Timestamps: 10:30 - The Puritanical roots of Mulitilevel Marking 21:00 - Stop organizing! Start manifesting! 30:00 - Turns out, Regan pyramidschemified America 35:00 - Betsy Devos putting in 40 hours at the Stupid Idea Factory Links: Little Bosses Everywhere 2023 FTC report on MLMs The Unkillable Appeal of Multilevel Marketing They Spent Their Life Savings on Life Coaching The 'Exciting Business Opportunity' That Ruined Our Lives The Miseducation of Betsy DeVos These Activists Want to Dismantle Public Schools. Now They Run the Education Department. DeVos held in contempt for violating judge's order on student

57 min
Feb 27, 2026Episode 2
Life, Liberty, Polymarket & Kalshi

Please rate and review this podcast!! For bonus episodes and book club join us on Patreon Advertise with us We're willing to bet that there's a 92% chance that Prediction Markets are a pyramid scheme! Prediction markets like Kalshi and Polymarket are EVERYWHERE. Are the the future of democracy powered by collective wisdom? OR just another product of the 30 under 30 grift factory? Thanks to our sponsor Orange Marketing You should hire Jennifer Tisdale! Pictures Watch on YouTube Timestamps: 00:00 - An orgy at a SF Area tech convention?? WHO COULD HAVE GUESSED!!! 11:30 - BREAKING NEWS: A group of isolated white 20 something men with a high risk appetite have it all figured out! 21:00 - It's not called insider trading, it's called "having an edge" 35:00 - Do you like my new app? I designed it on the toilet 53:00 - Good News: Meta on trial Links: Resources for problem gambling The Wager That Betting Can Change the World The CEOs of Kalshi and Polymarket Are Betting On the Most Hated Experiment in Business They quit their day jobs to bet on current events. A look inside the prediction market mania Polymarket shouldn't allow people to profit by betting on the L.A. firestorm

1 hr 9 min
Feb 13, 2026Episode 1
Palantir, Alex Karp & The Right Wing History of Silicon Valley: Standing on J*zzness

Palantir - a new custom hellscape or same sh*t different toilet? Has Silicon Valley gone completely red-pilled or was technofacism in the valley's DNA all along? Adam and Becca trace the cookie crumbs from a pioneering mid-century nobel prize winning white supremacist to the post-9/11 origins of Palantir and ultimately meet CEO Alex Karp. Lately, he's been hitting the eject button on his own brain and twisting himself into pretzels both physically and metaphorically to justify his belief that he personally should be rich and successful! Toronto Copy Editing (Use code OLD-F for 10% off!)  Join us on Patreon Watch on YouTube Pictures on Substack  Advertise on the Corporate Gossip Podcast Submit a good news story by email to our good news correspondent [email protected] Links:  Democrats Drove Silicon Valley Into Trump's Arms How a racist genius created Silicon Valley by being a terrible boss Headed for technofascism': the rightwing roots of Silicon Valley Unlocking Secrets, if Not Its Own Value Trump Taps Palantir to Compile Data on Americans 'ELITE': The Palantir App ICE Uses to Find Neighborhoods to Raid Palantir CEO Alex Karp Recorded a Video About ICE for His Employees Alex Karp Goes to War CEO of Palantir Says He Spends a Large Amount of Time Talking to Nazis. Tech Workers Coalition <a href= "https://www.dispatch.com/story/news/local/2026/01/31/columbus-mutu

58 min
Jan 31, 2026
Ghosts of Strike-mas Past and Larry Ellison Lore (Full Bonus Episode!)

We'll be back with season 7 on February 13th! This Patreon episode is free for all (no paywall) in solidarity with the National Strike on January 31st. If you like what you hear, please consider joining us on Patreon. It seems that for every person energized to activism this year, there's another three ready to shit on their efforts (it's not organized enough! it's not widespread enough! You'll never make a difference!). They're wrong. We're going to prove it by getting on our mumus and night caps and becoming the ghosts of general strikes past. We take you with us to the Minneapolis General Strike of 1934 (05:50), the Bahamas General Strike of 1958 (16:00), and the NYC Hard Hat Riot of 1970 (27:30). Three events that are essential to understanding where we are today. Hopefully when we deposit you back to the present, you feel jacked up on history and ready to rip in 2026. Then, we'll wash it all down with an investigation into Larry Ellison and the biggest AI deal of 2025 (37:00). Was it a shrewd business move? Or a foolish plot by an old man desperate to conquer his inner demons before he croaks? Links: Watch on YouTube Advertise on the Corporate Gossip Podcast Pictures from the episode Join me in Albany on Feb 25 Q1 Book Club: Little Bosses Everywhere Minneapolis: Labor then and now: 90 years after the Minneapolis Teamsters' strikes Minneapolis Teamsters Strike Documentary Part 1 Minneapolis Teamsters Strike Documentary Part 2 The Citizens Alliance of Minneapolis Bahamas: 60th Anniversary of The General Strike: 19 Days That Changed The Bahamas <a href= "https://web.archiv

1 hr 27 min
Nov 21, 2025Episode 9
Zappos / Tony Hsieh: The Dark Side of Happiness

Thank you for listening to another season of the podcast! We'll be back in February with new episodes. Got suggestions / thoughts / feedback? Email [email protected] For bonus episodes, book club, and the aftershow, join us on Patreon Advertise with us Watch on YouTube Trigger warning: suicide, drug use, overdose  Tony Hsieh had a life other entrepreneurs dreamed of. He was the wealthy CEO of a wildly successful ecommerce company with a legion of devoted customers and employees, currently on a bus tour to spread the gospel of his unique management style. But under the surface, cracks were starting to show, and Tony was falling into a severe drug and alcohol addiction. Years after his death that bus tour was a clear turning point in Tony's story, but for those around him at the time, it was just Tony being Tony. They had no clue how much darker things could get.  See pictures from today's episode on Substack Thank you to our episode sponsors:  New York Interventionist Goodword Email our good news correspondant with tips: [email protected] Timestamps:  2:00 - Intro / show notes  6:00 - Zappos / Tony Hshei story  1:20:00 - Good News & Adam breaks a chair Links:  Wonderboy (Book) Internal Memo: Zappos is offering severance to employees who aren't all in with Holacracy How Tony Hsieh Tried to Single-Handedly Transform Downtown Las Vegas The Rise and Fall of the Management Visionary Behind Zappos The

7 min
Nov 15, 2025
[Patreon Exclusive] Sonder: It's official, everything's a scam now :)

Listen to the full episode on Patreon. Join today at the Murdoch's Mates level and get FOUR bonus epiosdes every month plus the Corporate Gossip Book Club and group chat!  On Monday morning thousands of travelers were locked out of their Sonder hotel rooms and told: Sorry! Our business isn't businessing anymore :) Executives at both Marriott and Sonder turned their phones on Do Not Disturb as frazzled front line employees tried to manage fuming customers. At first glance, this just seems like a mismanaged PR crisis, but there's SO much more to the story: A bay area unicorn led by a Forbes 30 under 30 wunderkind, co-opted by VC maniacs speeding down the the 2021 SPAC super highway, bailing right before the crash and leaving unwitting investors holding the bag. INTO THE CORPORATE DUMPSTER!!! Links: Hospitality Startup Sonder Raises $170 Million At A $1.3 Billion Valuation During Covid-19 Travel Collapse Gores SPAC's High Redemptions Signal Worsening Sector Sentiment Sonder faces class action investigation after delaying financial results due to errors in past statements Sonder Seeks Room in Post-Covid-19 Lodging San Francisco property-tech company, once worth $1.9B, suddenly goes belly-up Dear Sonder Guest, Your Hotel Is Closed

1 hr 5 min
Nov 8, 2025Episode 8
Outdoor Voices: Ty Haney's Groundhog Day (UNLOCKED!)

This is an updated and unlocked version of an episode that was earlier published exclusively on Patreon. Join now and enjoy FOUR extra episodes a month for as little as $5!  Ty Haney is back at Outdoor voices, the cult athleisure brand she founded. Can she successfully suck us all into her time machine back to 2014? Or will this company's death rattle be loud enough to convince the brand's private equity investors to put OV out of its misery.  Today, Adam and Becca try to figure out how the once beloved brand got so weird and shitty and how Ty Haney fell off the top of the Abby Lee Miller girl boss pyramid.  All pics can be found on Substack Watch on Youtube  Email our good news correspondant with tips: [email protected] Advertise on the Corporate Gossip Podcast Links:  Outdoor Voices Became A Staple For Millennial Cool Girls Thanks To Its Chill Aesthetic. Employees Say They Were Drowning. Outdoor Voices Founder Ty Haney Has Moved On. Mostly. Three years after her dramatic exit as CEO, she still has some things she'd like to say. How Outdoor Voices, a Start-Up Darling, Imploded Ty Haney is Elon Musk's Reply Guy Outdoor Voices founder Ty Haney accused of defrauding investors in $3M energy drink deal

1 hr 9 min
Oct 24, 2025Episode 7
Victoria's Secret: Sex pests all the way down

The demon living inside Les Wexner's head brings us into the Victoria's Secret gremlin lair! Adam and Becca go back to the early 2000s to tell the story of the rise and fall of this retail behemoth and the corporate crooks who drove it into the ground.  CW: Sexual Assault, Suicide  Join us on Patreon for bonus episodes and the aftershow Pics from this episode on Substack Watch on YouTube Thanks to our sponsor, Manager Method. Use code GOSSIP for 10% off!  Visit the Pullman National Historical Park  Email our good news correspondant with tips: [email protected]  Timestamps:  00:00 - Intro & Ed Razek's creep club  16:30 - The toxic culture inside Victoria's Secret  25:00 - Les Wexner's childhood & mommy issues 42:00 - Jack Fucking Welch shows up!!! The fall of Victoria's Secret  Links:  Selling Sexy: Victoria's Secret and the Unraveling of an American Icon 'Angels' in Hell: The Culture of Misogyny Inside Victoria's Secret The Mogul and the Monster: Inside Jeffrey Epstein's Decades-Long Relationship With His Biggest Client

15 min
Oct 19, 2025
[Patreon Exclusive] Scams in the Manosphere part 2: Tai Lopez's Ponzi Scheme

Listen to the full episode on Patreon. Join today at the Murdoch's Mates level and get FOUR bonus epiosdes every month plus the Corporate Gossip Book Club and group chat!  On a chilly October night, I like to cuddle up with a good ponzi scheme. It's my comfort fraud Links: 'Do You Believe I'm a Scam? Haha' Tai Lopez became YouTube famous promising men they too could own a Lamborghini. Then came the alleged Ponzi scheme. Tai Lopez's RadioShack Ponzi Scheme Read the SEC complaint This Clown Is Still Around its always the guy you suspect the most

1 hr 23 min
Oct 10, 2025Episode 6
Activision Blizzard's Final Boss

Please Rate and Review this Podcast!!  CW: Suicide, Sexual Assault  Join the Patreon for the aftershow and tons of bonus content  No game developer would even think to create a dungeon troll as sinister as Bobby Kotick. Bobby's life is a video game where gobbling up cash is the mission and when it comes to retribution there is no side quest too small!  When the WSJ drops a bombshell report about years of sexual harassment and toxic culture at Activsion Blizard, will Bobby Kotick finally run out of lives? Or will he respawn in the form of a trash goblin who gets bonus points for punching down? Thanks to our sponsor Borough House Creative Advertise on the Corporate Gossip Podcast Watch on YouTube Time Stamps:  00:00 - Background on Activision Blizzard 09:30 - Bobby Kotick meets Daddy Wynnbucks and becomes an adopted nepo baby, starts game publisher Activision and develops expert level skill in suing people less rich than him 29:30 - Blizzard origin story, early reports of sexual harassment  51:00 - Activision Blizzard merger, Bobby Kotick turns the company into the Triangle Shirtwaist factory while board members look the other way  56:00 - Bobby Kotick completes the CEO right of passage - bending over for the CCP!  60:00 - The lights come on and everyone realizes Bobby Kotick is a little dungeon troll  Note:  Activision Blizzard denied any wrongdoing, and the settlement confirms California Civil Rights Department (CRD) could not substantiate those claims. As part of the settlement, the CRD withdrew the claims related to harassment from its complaint. Links:  Play Nice (book)  'Scorched earth' and big profits: How embattled gaming titan Bobby Kotick outlasts his opponents At Blizzard, groping, free-flowing booze and fear of retaliation tainted 'magical' workplace Blizzard Sets Off Backlash for Penalizing Hearthstone Gamer in Hong Kong <a href= "https://www.wsj.com/tech/activision-videogames-bobby-kotick-sexual-misconduct-allegations-11637075680?gaa_at=eafs&gaa_n=ASWzDAjUp5jpj3KJbEam7hj0r8b7X1rIQRcCM_5GDJTiEvUh0PaVSGC0UzhLlH_

7 min
Oct 2, 2025
[Patreon Exclusive] Starbucks: Reverse Engineered Vibes (PLUS Charlie Javice Sentencing)

Listen to the full episode on Patreon. Join today at the Murdoch's Mates level and get FOUR bonus epiosdes every month plus the Corporate Gossip Book Club and group chat!  In this episode:  Brian Niccol TRIES HIS HARDEST to get us to like Starbucks again as he tries to escape the living ghost of Howard Shultz. I also went to the Charlie Javice Sentencing yesterday - my report starts at 48:15. 7 YEARS!!! I was shocked - I was certain she'd be sentenced to no more than 5. Links: Starbucks is closing more stores and laying off 900 workers Starbucks CEO's turnaround isn't happening fast enough for Wall Street Howard Schultz says he is a big fan of Brian Niccol's 'brilliant' Starbucks revival strategy Starbucks enters the protein wars with test of new drink option  Starbucks to use AI to track inventory, free up baristas to connect Starbucks seeks to slash million-dollar store upgrade costs Write to Starbucks Corporate: https://customerservice.starbucks.com/sbux Starbucks Customer Contact Center: 1 (800) 782-7282 Charlie Javice Sentenced to 85 Months in Prison for Fraud

1 hr 27 min
Sep 26, 2025Episode 5
Johnson & Johnson: Is the ethical company in the room with us?

Join the Patreon for the aftershow and tons of bonus content  It's the quintessential American company - gaslighting the public, twisting regulators by the balls, and killing consumers in the name of shareholder value! This story is a smorgasbord of deviance - lies, fraud, corruption, cults, and a very sweaty CEO. So put on your lab coats and take out your popcorn as we dive into the pharmaceutical trash heap known as Johnson & Johnson - and yes, we're going to talk about Tylenol.  Watch on YouTube Pics from today's episode Thank you to our sponsors: Twin Cities Comic Con Studio Govan Hear YOUR ad on the pod Submit a good news story to our good news correspondent [email protected]  Timestamps:  00:00 - History of J&J  12:15 - Busting the myths of the 1982 Tylenol cyanide murders 24:00 - Tylenol, liver failure, and the cost of doing business 38:30 - FDA 46:00 - The J&J credo on opposite day (Risperdal kills nursing home patients and gives young boys breasts!)  01:08:00 - Oops! Extra Asbestos (J&J Talc based baby powder)  Links:  No More Tears: The Dark Secrets of Johnson & Johnson  Dose of Confusion How Independent is the FDA How Johnson & Johnson has somehow survived scandal after scandal   $8 Billion Verdict in Drug Lawsuit Is Reduced to $6.8 Million Johnson & Johnson knew for decades that asbestos lurked in its Baby Powder

8 min
Sep 17, 2025
[Patreon Exclusive] JP Morgan's Big Time Oopsie (It's about Jeffery Epstein)

We are an independent podcast with no corporate sponsors. The Patreon helps keep the lights on, please consider joining at the Skillling's Sweeties level and get FOUR bonus episodes every month or the Murdoch's Mates level to join our live book club and group chat! Hear the rest of the episode on Patreon TW: Sexual Assault Wallstreets skankiest trash goblin, Jamie Dimon, has had the worst week EVER after a mind-blowing investigation was published by the NYT last week. Some truly flabbergasting revelations had us asking, can Dimon widdle baby his way out of this one? Links (please DM me if you need a gift link!): How Jeffrey Epstein Used the Billionaire Behind Victoria's Secret for Wealth and Women How JPMorgan Enabled the Crimes of Jeffrey Epstein THE TALENTED MR. EPSTEIN Why Didn't Vanity Fair Break the Jeffrey Epstein Story? "She Was Shaking Uncontrollably": Powerful Men, Disturbing New Details in Unsealed Jeffrey Epstein Documents Senators Call for Hearings About JPMorgan's Ties to Jeffrey Epstein

1 hr 12 min
Sep 12, 2025Episode 4
AOL: Dotcom Dummies

Please rate and review this podcast! What ever happened to AOL?! We go all the way back to 1999 (home video included) and meet Steve Case, the CEO of, at the time, the largest technology company in America. High on his own supply, he wrangles Time Warner CEO Jerry Levin into a business noogie and manages to destroy  a third of a TRILLION DOLLARS in shareholder value almost instantly.  TW: murder  Pictures Watch on Youtube  Join the Patreon for the aftershow and tons of bonus content  Thank you to today's sponsors:  Aster + Lupine RainBao Food Truck  Links:  Stealing Time (book) Fools Rush In (book) There Must be a Pony in here Somewhere (book) Gerald M. Levin, Time Warner Chief in a Merger Debacle, Dies at 84 How the AOL-Time Warner Merger Went So Wrong

6 min
Sep 5, 2025
[Patreon Exclusive] Solving the Male Loneliness Epidemic one Crypto Kidnapping at a Time!

Listen to the full episode on Patreon Have you ever been a young Italian man who just wants to make new guy friends and then you end up being tortured in a SOHO townhouse by wanna-be army guys for your crypo password? Regardless, this episode has something for EVERYONE! NYC night clubs & Eric Adams, the former child star from First Kid, Caroline Biden, Bitcoin Jesus, and Air-fryer crack!! The Crypto Maniacs and the Torture Townhouse How two men charged with an outrageous kidnapping scheme introduced a new kind of crime to the city.

1 hr 21 min
Aug 29, 2025Episode 3
Sam Altman & Open AI Part 2: King D*ck of Liar Mountain

Please rate and review this podcast! We're back with part two of our series on Open AI (we're done after this one for a while). Everyone's making everything up all the time and no one has any idea what will happen in the future. In this episode, we cover the wild claims made about AI and AGI and how those predictions are being used to justify environmental destruction and human exploitation. Also Sam Altman stands on his tippytoes.  Listen to the aftershow on Patreon Today's sponsors are Darling Beasts, a book by Michelle Gable and The Talent Spot Advertise with us!   Pictures from this episode Submit a good news story by email to our good news correspondent [email protected]  Links:  Empire of AI (Book)  'There was all sorts of toxic behaviour': Timnit Gebru on her sacking by Google, AI's dangers and big tech AI is draining water from Areas that need it most Small Oregon county reckons with fallout from data center scandal Arizona city defeats massive data center project over water, energy concerns <a href= "https://www.w

9 min
Aug 20, 2025
[Patreon Exclusive] Outdoor Voices: Ty Haney's Groundhog Day

Listen to the full episode on Patreon Become a listener-advertiser on the podcast! Ty Haney is back at Outdoor voices, the cult athleisure brand she founded. Can she successfully suck us all into her time machine back to 2014? Or will this brand's death rattle be loud enough to convince the brand's private equity investors to LET IT GO!??? In this highly-requested episode, we figure out how the once beloved brand got so weird and shitty. Links: Outdoor Voices Became A Staple For Millennial Cool Girls Thanks To Its Chill Aesthetic. Employees Say They Were Drowning. Outdoor Voices Founder Ty Haney Has Moved On. Mostly. Three years after her dramatic exit as CEO, she still has some things she’d like to say. How Outdoor Voices, a Start-Up Darling, Imploded Ty Haney is Elon Musk's Reply Guy

1 hr 48 min
Aug 16, 2025Episode 2
OpenAI & Sam Altman's Sad Sack Band of Goons

Please rate and review this podcast! CW: Child Sexual Assault  Meet Sam Altman, one of the most powerful men in tech (also maybe evil Pete Buttigieg??) and his posse of boy pests. We take you deep into the bunkers of Silicon Valley to Sam's inner circle to figure out how he became so rotted. Was it insecurity? Napoleon syndrome? OR SCURVY INDUCED PSYCHOSIS ???  Listen to the aftershow on Patreon Watch on Youtube  Today's sponsors are Brick of Chicago and Neurorenew PT Advertise with us!  Pictures from the episode Submit a good news story by email to our good news correspondent [email protected]  Links:  You look like a thing and I love you (Book) Empire of AI (Book)  The Worst Hard Time (Book)  Sam Altman Is the Oppenheimer of Our Age Sam Altman's Manifest Destiny Sam Altman on His Plan to Keep A.I. Out of the Hands of the "Bad Guys"  Leaked OpenAI documents reveal aggressive tactics toward former employees Know Your Rights Virtual Workshop

9 min
Aug 8, 2025
[Patreon Exclusive] Uber Clown Car

To listen to the full episode  join us on Patreon Buckle up! We're covering the BOMBSHELL NYT investigation that dropped yesterday (August 6th) by Emily Steel called Uber’s Festering Sexual Assault Problem. Content warning: drug use, sexual assault, sexual violence Other links: Inside Uber’s Aggressive, Unrestrained Workplace Culture MTA crime report 2019 Uber Safety Reports 2017 - 2022 What unionization could mean for California Uber and Lyft drivers — and riders Support the SEIU!

1 hr 26 min
Aug 1, 2025Episode 1
Match.com / Tinder: Boy Boss Amateur Hour

Why is it that no one wants to see a hot guy succeed?!!!? This is the story of the three best friends, lead by Bell Air Boy Boss Sean Rad. They created Tinder and became the coolest millennials in LA, hosting parties with Jason Derulo and Kristen Doute and preparing their bank accounts for an influx of cash after being acquired by Match.com. But it's hard to read the fine print on a legal document by the light of a glow-stick! And while they were partying, Barry Diller was scheming from his megayacht. Soon, their viral app would be swiped from under them.  Join the Patreon for bonus episodes! Watch on Youtube  Advertise on Corporate Gossip Pictures from today's episode  10:00 - Intro  23:30 - Corporate Gossip #1: Here, put on this bedsheet and gladiator sandals, we're going to a COLLEGE TOGA PARTY!! FOR BUSINESS!!  37:00 - Corporate Gossip #2: Business daddy issues  46:00 - Corporate Gossip #3: Tinder founders - "we're stupid, BUT we're also sexual harassers, (allegedly)" 51:30 - Corporate Gossip #4: Nanci Jo Sales strikes  56:30 - Corporate Gossip #5: The VC urge to give a bunch of 20 somethings a million dollars and no oversight  1:04:00 - Corporate Gossip #6: Literally Match I Double dog dare you to find someone to be CEO who isn't a dumb creep 1:12:25 - Corporate Gossip #7: Nasty Grams from Blatt 1:15:00 - Corporate Gossip#8: Follow up & Takeaways  Links:  Mr. (Swipe) Right? 'Sodomy' and scandal: Tinder's thoroughly embarrassing stock-market debut  A Tinder Revenge Story The revolutionary d

32 min
Jul 18, 2025Episode 8
EMERGENCY EPISODE! The Astronomer CEO scandal and other messy executives

The CEO of tech company Astronomer was caught at a Coldplay concert canoodling with the head of HR in a video that has since gone mega-viral. And SUDDENLY everyone is interested in what I thought was a niche topic - CEOs behaving badly!!  In this emergency episode, I review the latest in the Astronomer scandal and recap my favorite executive cheating scandals that we've covered on the podcast.  Correction: In an earlier version of this epiosde, I said Friends and ER were on CBS. They were not, they were on NBC. I also said Rupert Murdoch's wife was "Jerry Halloway" not "Jerry Hall." That's because I'm a millenial and I'm always thinking about the Spice Girls.  Timestamps:  00:00 Astronomer  07:25 - Kevin Plank (Under Armour)  13:30 - Sergey Brin (Google) 20:00 - Les Moonves (CBS)  24:30 - SBF (FTX)  26:00 - Jack Welch (GE)  27:20 - Rupert Murdoch (NewsCorp / Fox News)  I also touch on Dov Charney (American Apparel), Eddie Antar (Crazy Eddie), The Insys Sales Reps, and Vince McMahon (WWE)

15 min
Jun 25, 2025
[Patreon Exclusive] Hos long to die in Boeing Plane

A sneak peak of this week's Patreon. Listen to the full episode here.  Are you a listener that wants to advertise on the Corporate Gossip Podcast? Let us know here We are a community-supported podcast, with no big corporate advertisers or sponsors - thank you for listening, sharing, reviewing, or contributing financially! We couldn't do it without you!

38 min
May 16, 2025Episode 8
State of the show: Summer break, Adam's brilliant idea, good news for birds, MBAs, Amphetamines and more!

Checking in before our OFFICIAL Corporate Gossip Summer Research Break! We'll be back in July with regular episodes. Join us on Patreon  Sign up for the Corporate Gossip Ad program here This Brain Had a Mouth: Lucy Gwin and the Voice of Disability Nation Audubon chapter rejects offer from The Hartford to reinstate coverage BTW - we forgot to mention, but after The Hartford said they'd reinstate coverage, the Audobon chapter told the company to kick rocks!

1 hr 37 min
May 3, 2025Episode 7
Facebook Part 2: Mark Zuckerberg & The Curse Of The Baby Bangs

For bonus content and discussions on each episode join us on Patreon We wrap up this absolute UNIT of a two part episode by examining the Facebook story by stepping into our proverbial blue sequined rompers and seeing the world behind Mark Zuckberg's baby bangs. BUCKLE UP as Becca and Adam try to figure out - did the accumulation of unchecked power and extraordinary wealth over 20 years take ice cream scoops out of Mark Zuckerberg's brain? OR did his unique position on top of business boy mountain give him the freedom to reveal the curly-haired gremlin that was always hiding within?? Links:  Pics from the episode The Zuckerberg Files It's Time to Break Up Facebook  How Mark Zuckerberg Led Facebook's War to Crush Google Plus Mark Zuckerberg Apparently Didn't Tell Congress the Whole Truth About Facebook An Ugly Truth Careless People Good News: Inside a Union's Fight Against Trump's Federal Job Cuts Got good news? Email our Good News Correspondent [email protected]

20 min
Apr 30, 2025
Patreon Teaser: Wealthy Men with No Friends Rule the World

This is a sneak peak of our bonus episodes available exclusively on Patreon We are an indie podcast made possible by support from listeners like YOU! For as little as $3.50 a month you get: Twice monthly bonus episodes covering hot topics and fresh corporate scandals PLUS extra deep dives like a rundown on Metas recent legal issues  On the ground reporting of the HOTTEST fraud trials in the SDNY (Becca is going to the opening arguments of the One Taste ‘Orgasm Cult’ next week)  Discussions with other Corporate Gossipers  And more!  What happens when friendless Uber rich business boys get together to influence the global economy? Find out on today's Patreon! 05:00 - Henry Blodget Invents, Hires, Sexually Harasses, Blogs About Nonexistent AI Subordinate 15:00 AI Is Making Us Dumber. Shocker. 22:30 The group chats that changed America 32:30 Sperm racing in LA: Inside the first-of-its-kind race that's taking the internet by storm Sperm racing instagram page Don't Die Tech Mogul Bryan Johnson Is in an Actual Penis-Measuring Contest—With His Teenage Son

1 hr 24 min
Apr 18, 2025Episode 6
Facebook Part 1: Sheryl Sandberg & The Curse of the BOB

For bonus content and discussions on each episode join us on Patreon If Sheryl Sandberg & Mark Zuckerberg never encountered one another at a Christmas party in Atherton in 2007 would the world have been a better place? Find out as we go ALLL the way back and trace the story of Sheryl Sandberg's Dr. Frankenstein and her Mark Zuckerberg monster. Was there sexual tension between the two of them (no one explicitly has said that but I PICKED UP ON A FEW THINGS!)??. Were either of them good people who were corrupted? Or were they destined to seek power and destroy once they reached the top? What about now? Do they feel ashamed about the lives they've destroyed, directly or indirectly? Do they hate themselves more than we could ever hate them? Are there ANY heroes in this story at all? What do you think?! Links: Pics from the episode Why Sheryl Sandberg Quit Facebook's Meta "When You Get That Wealthy, You Start to Buy Your Own Bullshit": The Miseducation of Sheryl Sandberg An Ugly Truth Careless People Got good news? Email our Good News Correspondent [email protected]

16 min
Mar 28, 2025
Patreon Teaser: Charlie Javice Guilty, the Mark Zuckerberg / Tom Sandoval Conspiracy Theory, Boeing's Fraud Trial and More!

For the full episode and so much more join us over on Patreon PLUS! 23&Me files for Bankruptcy and Anne Wojcicki's identity crisis, Zuckerberg Streisanding himself, an end to restaurant reservation scalping, and Becca's reflections on getting laid off. Links: 23andMe bankruptcy filing sparks privacy fears as DNA data of millions goes up for sale Delete your data from 23&Me Mark Zuckerberg Just Taught a Master Class in How Not to Handle a Crisis Careless People discussion on Glamorous Trash Bon Appetit! Governor Hochul Signs Legislation Cracking Down on the ‘Black Market’ for Restaurant Reservations US judge sets Boeing 737 MAX fraud trial for June 23 Dominic Gates, the Pulitzer Prize winning journalist at the Seattle Times

38 min
Mar 27, 2025
Bonus! Charlie Javice vs. PeePaw: The Final Chapter

This was going to be a Patreon exclusive but I decided to make it free for everyone! If you want to support this indie podcast, consider joining the Patreon. You'll get bonus content twice a month, discussion posts with me and other members, and extra juciy content that didn't make the cut on regular episodes!  The jury is now deliberating! What do you think? Guilty or Not Guilty? At the closing arguments of US vs. Charlie Javice, aka the Jose Baez oral rollercoaster. WEEE!!! Highlights include: The Monopoly Man is ACTUALLY J.P. Morgan Jamie Dimons "widdle baby" defense A scorned bank employee hopes to save bank daddies reputation As always, hyper realistic drawings that bring you into the belly of the lower Manhattan District Courthouse

1 hr 21 min
Mar 21, 2025Episode 5
Etsy: Hipster Bambi vs. VC Villains

In 2007, the mecca of hipster paradise was the Etsy headquarters in Brooklyn. Etsy epitomized elder-millennial quirk with a sprinkle of digital delusion, and no one personified the vibes quite like their CEO and founder, Rob Kalin.  But while Kalin and his friends were building a crafters utopia, a ruthless venture capitalist had another plan for the company: destroy it from the inside out and get SUPER rich doing it. Join the Patreon for bonus episodes and discussion!  Pictures now on Patreon (no paywall!) Links: Etsy Wants to Crochet Its Cake, and Eat It Too Etsy Was a Twee Culture Punchline. Now It's a Wall Street Darling. Etsy CEO says company is escaping 'race to the bottom' and getting back to its artisan roots

6 min
Mar 13, 2025
Patreon Teaser: "Orange Jumpsuits", Harvey Weinstein's Lawyer, and Pee Paw's Identity Crisis

Dispatches from the Charlie Javice Trial! You can find the full episode (along with my courtroom drawings) on Patreon.  Corproate Gossip is supported by listeners like you. We have no advertisers or Corporate sponsors. You can be part of the CGP community discussion board, get two bonus episodes a month (sometimes more), and lots of other jucy extras at Patreon.com/CorporateGossip

1 hr 14 min
Mar 7, 2025Episode 4
Charlie Javice & The Frank Fraud: Barely Legal

Please share this podcast with a friend!  Charlie Javice is another Forbes 30-under-30 uber-genius-startup-founder (see: SBF, Elizabeth Holmes, or Carlos Watson) who spent about 18 months in the warm center of the venture capital fake-it-till-you-make-it circle jerk before the sisal rug gets pulled out from under her. Once she was exposed as a total phony, every investor immediately covered their own ass and scrub the internet of any trace of themselves slobbering all over her. But one investor, JP Morgan's Jamie Dimon, took it a step further, and (in our opinion) weaponized the United States Justice Department to punish Javice for embarrassing him infront of his big bank friends!!!  Pictures from this episode on Substack We're an indie podcast supported by listeners like you! Support us by joining the Patreon, and get two bonus episodes every month! I'm also covering the trial in more detail over there.  Got an idea for a good news story? Send an email to our good news correspondant [email protected]  Links:  USA v. Javice How Charlie Javice Got JPMorgan to Pay $175 Million for … What Exactly? Charlie Javice, Millennial CEO Sued by JPMorgan, Was a 'Namedropping' Cool Boss The 8 Most Confusing Things About FAFSA Jamie Dimon Says Frank Acquisition 'Was A Huge Mistake' After JP Morgan Alleges Millions Of Fake Customers

1 hr 10 min
Feb 22, 2025Episode 3
eBay: Dorkfellas

This is an episode for our true crime lovers! we're talking about a 2019 GANG STALKING SCANDAL that involves the executives at a fortune 500 company criminally stalking a sweet old couple. What made these executives so mad? The chief executives at Ebay so deeply butthurt about a comment the couple made on their niche ecommerce blog that they crashed-out into a goodfellas-esque, rage fueled paranoid spiral, and orchestrated a highly illegal stalking and harassment campaign against them.  Pics on Substack Join us over on Patreon for bonus episodes twice a month. Right now I'm also attending the trial of Charlie Javice and providing regular debriefs from the courtroom. We are a 100% ad-free community supported podcast!  Links from today's episode (let us know if you need gift links)  Elliott Management letter puts eBay on notice to improve stock performance Inside eBay's Cockroach Cult: The Ghastly Story of a Stalking Scandal Silicon Valley elite defend nonprofit CEO with dark past - San José Spotlight A Special Message for EcommerceBytes Readers

8 min
Feb 14, 2025
Patreon Teaser: Scams in the Manosphere

We dive into the stinky-swindly waters of the scamandosphere and try to do what seemingly no one wants to do... GET IN DONALD TRUMP'S HEAD! You can hear the rest of the episode (along with TWO extra episodes a month!) over on Patreon

1 hr 19 min
Feb 7, 2025Episode 2
JUUL: Puff Daddies

Please share this podcast with a friend :)  PLUS good news about a health care strike in Oregon! We emerge from the vapor haze of a high school bathroom (how are these kids blowing PERFECT smoke rings??) to tell the tale of two Stanford grads who did what every single-celled-business-ameoba-boy dreamed of doing but was too scared to actually commit to doing - MAKE SMOKING COOL AGAIN!! They undid decades of work by doctors and public health advocates and turned millions of kids who would have never smoked a traditional cigarette into nicotine dependent freakazoids. CA-CHING!! Riddled with RAGING CASES of silliconvalleyitis, Juul's founders market their powerful nicotine delivery device straight to kids while the FDA was taking a well-deserved half-decade nap. They BLITZSCALED their way to a $38billion valuation and made like 50 people a lot of money. But of course, after the BLITZSCALE comes the HYPERFLOP... Research: The Devil's Playbook by Lauren Etter Big Vape by Jamie DuCharme Commonwealth of Massachusetts v. JUUL Labs The Juul Is Too Cool How Juul Got Vaporized Links: See pics on our Substack Join the Patreon Support the pod by buying us a coffee  Record YOUR podcast at Producer Mike's studio! E-mail our Good News Correspondent with good news stories! [email protected]

1 hr 20 min
Jan 24, 2025Episode 1
23&Me (&Anne&Sergey&Elon) + State of the pod

We're BACK and starting off with an absolute banger! Sit back and enjoy the messy escapades of a bunch of horned up teenagers trapped in adult bodies: 23&Me Founder Anne Wojcicki, Google co-founder Sergey Brin, and A Bald Eagle's worst nightmare, Elon Musk. With cameos from RFK Jr (POST Brain Worm) and the corporate scandal Forrest Gump, Diane von Furstenberg, this episode is the WHOSE WHO of Silicon Valley hanky panky. We also update our listeners on the state of the podcast, including exciting changes around 1:11:00 Catch bonus episodes on Patreon View pictures on our Substack Support the pod by buying us a coffee Check out Mike's new studio!  Links:  The Doyenne of DNA Says: Just Chillax With Your Ex O.K., Glass: Make Google Eyes As 23andMe Struggles, Concerns Surface About Its Genetic Data

57 min
Aug 2, 2024Episode 11
S4 Finale! Bob's Red Mill: Porridge Daddy & Listener Questions

Don't forget to rate and review!  Becca and Adam talk about the Giggly Grain Grandpa: Bob Moore of Bob's Red Mill. But don't toss your oats just yet, this is a good episode. We'll teach you how to have a Bob Moore Summer (Perfecting your porridge, socializing the means of production, hyperfixating on hobbies, and being jolly) and restore your faith in CEOs.  Then we answer listener questions (37 min mark). THANK YOU! For another great season - we'll see you soon :)  Support the pod  Pics on substack Links: Bob's Red Mill: Securing The Future Through Employee Ownership Bob Moore, Who Founded Bob's Red Mill, Is Dead at 94 Executive greed is driving the labor shortage, says 93-year-old leader whose workers own 100% of the company

1 hr 12 min
Jul 26, 2024
American Apparel & the Millennial Cult of Dov Charney

Put on your flower crowns and don your skinniest jeans and join us at the center of the Millennial universe: Coachella 2007!  Adam & Becca meet the personification of the turn of the century hipster entrepreneur, Dov Charney. Sitting atop a pile of v-neck t-shirts ethically made in the USA, Charney was somewhat of a renegade business oddity on wall-street. But for the 20-something dreamers that clamored for the brand's clothing, he was a captivating revolutionary. Their devotion, along with a bevy of young corporate employees, easily exploited under the guise of "a greater purpose," allowed American Apparel to rapidly expand and IPO in 2007. The stores were everywhere you wanted to be… until they weren't.  Eventually, abuse allegations coupled with financial mismanagement threatened Charney's reign as king of t-shirt mountain. With the walls closing in on him, he spiraled out of control… taking the company he founded with him.  CW: Sexual abuse  Pics on substack Support the pod  Links:  Read Strip Tees: A Memoir of Millennial Los Angeles Watch Big Rad Wolf  The Young Garmentos (and the If Books Could Kill episode on Malcom Gladwell) Meet Your New Boss  Dov Charney's Sleazy Struggle for Control of American Apparel

1 hr 4 min
Jul 19, 2024
Crazy Eddie, Fraud Mother?

NO ONE does fraud like Eddie Antar, and Crazy Eddie is the bizarre story that got Becca hooked on fraud!  Adam, Becca, and their Dad Jeff pop a few ludes and drop down the rabbit hole into a 1970's New York City punk rock fever dream. They meet a young Eddie Antar scamming tourists in a seedy Time Square clip joint and follow his journey to become the eccentric millionaire founder of Crazy Eddie Electronics. Antar was a marketing genius, and by the mid 1980's commercials for the chain were inescapable, shoppers were practically screamed at to rush out to Crazy Eddie's because 'HIS PRICES ARE INSANE!!!!'  The insane prices, of course, were facilitated by an elaborate criminal racket. Money laundering, insurance fraud, tax evasion, bribery, insider trading… Eddie Antar did it all! But when the cash begins to dry up, Eddie's increasingly desperate and brazen behavior puts him in the crosshairs of the SEC. That's when Eddie Antar became an international fugitive and left his family, who enabled and benefited from his behavior, holding the bag.  Support the pod  Pics on our Substack Links:  Read Retail Gangster: The Insane, Real-Life Story of Crazy Eddie  Crazy Eddie commercial from 1982 Remembering Crazy Eddie: His Prices Were Insane

1 hr 7 min
Jul 12, 2024Episode 8
Intuit & Turbo Tax: Girlboss, Gaslight, Gatekeep

Why does doing taxes suck so much? Because Capitalism! Over the past 20 years, the lovable dweebs at the IRS have been on a quest to make filing personal taxes free and easy. They say America should be like other countries, where the government sends you a pre-filled tax return and all you have to do is sign-off. Seems like a no-brainer, right? Like what kind of deranged psychopath wouldn't want that?  Enter Intuit, maker of tax preparation software Turbo Tax, and their disgruntled band of lobbyists. Their entire business model depends on you being afraid to screw up your taxes. So they bribe lawmakers to over-complicate tax laws, threaten the government into underfunding the IRS, and run dubious misinformation campaigns alleging that free tax filing is somehow… racist?  The nefarious knuckleheads at Intuit would have gotten away with it too if it weren't for the determined efforts of Propublica journalists. They joined forces with the unlikely heroes at the IRS, and from a muggy basement office in Washington they stood up to Big Tax and won.  We Support the pod  Pics on our substack Links:  How Intuit Reinvents Itself (Fortune) The TurboTax Trap (ProPublica Investigation series) IRS makes free tax return program permanent and is asking all states to join in 2025