Episode 8: Matryoshka

From The Financial Times: The Broker

In this special bonus episode from The Financial Times, "The Broker" tells the story of how a failed baseball hopeful and disgraced stockbroker reinvented himself as one of America’s most consequential modern arms dealers. From a family-run warehouse in Virginia Beach, Will Somerindyke built his company into a crucial conduit in the Pentagon’s covert supply chains — sourcing Soviet-era weapons for wars in Syria and Yemen before emerging as a central player in Ukraine’s fight against Russia. As artillery shells became the most sought-after commodity of the war, he placed a multimillion-dollar bet on reviving crumbling Cold War factories in the Balkans, transforming himself from middleman to manufacturer. Based on months of reporting, The Broker traces Somerindyke’s rise through the shadow world of privatized warfare — where geopolitics, profit and personal ambition collide — and reveals how modern conflicts are sustained not only by soldiers on the front lines, but by entrepreneurs who move the weapons behind the scenes. This piece, written by the FT’s Miles Johnson, host of Hot Money Season 2: The New Narcos, was originally printed [https://www.ft.com/content/d7f95899-d634-43c9-adac-da8da67f3cdb] in FT Weekend. See omnystudio.com/listener [https://omnystudio.com/listener] for privacy information.

Episode 8: Matryoshka

In our season finale, Sam discovers a different narrative about Marsalek’s life in Russia. And a tip from long ago resurfaces.  See omnystudio.com/listener [https://omnystudio.com/listener] for privacy information.

Episode 7: From Russia With Love

A Marsalek-backed ring of operatives goes on trial in the UK for espionage. A treasure trove of text messages reveals their inner workings. ---------------------------------------- Get ad-free access to the entire season of Hot Money: Agent of Chaos by subscribing to Pushkin+ on Apple Podcasts or Pushkin.fm [http://pushkin.fm/]. Access ad-free episodes, exclusive binges, full audiobooks, and bonus content for all Pushkin shows with Pushkin+. Subscribe on Apple: apple.co/pushkin [http://apple.co/pushkin] Subscribe on Pushkin: pushkin.fm/plus [http://pushkin.fm/plus] See omnystudio.com/listener [https://omnystudio.com/listener] for privacy information.

Episode 6: Maestro

Back in Vienna, Sam investigates another Marsalek plot. One that nearly toppled Austria’s intelligence agency. ---------------------------------------- Get ad-free access to the entire season of Hot Money: Agent of Chaos by subscribing to Pushkin+ on Apple Podcasts or Pushkin.fm [http://pushkin.fm/]. Access ad-free episodes, exclusive binges, full audiobooks, and bonus content for all Pushkin shows with Pushkin+. Subscribe on Apple: apple.co/pushkin [http://apple.co/pushkin] Subscribe on Pushkin: pushkin.fm/plus [http://pushkin.fm/plus] See omnystudio.com/listener [https://omnystudio.com/listener] for privacy information.

Episode 5: A Different Set of Rules

How does one become a spy? Sam speaks with a former Russian intelligence officer about how Marsalek might have been recruited. And to what ends. ---------------------------------------- Get ad-free access to the entire season of Hot Money: Agent of Chaos by subscribing to Pushkin+ on Apple Podcasts or Pushkin.fm [http://pushkin.fm/]. Access ad-free episodes, exclusive binges, full audiobooks, and bonus content for all Pushkin shows with Pushkin+. Subscribe on Apple: apple.co/pushkin [http://apple.co/pushkin] Subscribe on Pushkin: pushkin.fm/plus [http://pushkin.fm/plus] See omnystudio.com/listener [https://omnystudio.com/listener] for privacy information.