Bold Names

Affirm’s Max Levchin: Why ‘Buy Now, Pay Later’ Beats Credit Cards

Is "buy now, pay later" a debt trap or the future of finance? Affirm CEO Max Levchin says the real problem is the credit card in your wallet. On this week’s episode of Bold Names, Levchin joins WSJ’s Tim Higgins [https://www.wsj.com/news/types/tim-higgins?mod=WSJ_BNPOD] to discuss how his early days as a co-founder of PayPal led him to his latest venture: using “buy now, pay later” loans to reinvent how people buy things. We talk about why he thinks financing is more transparent than credit, the personal reason he hates late fees and how AI is changing shopping. To watch the video version of this episode, visit our WSJ Podcasts YouTube channel [https://www.youtube.com/@WSJPodcasts/podcasts?mod=WSJ_BNPOD] or the video page [https://www.wsj.com/video/series?mod=WSJ_BNPOD] of WSJ.com [http://wsj.com?mod=WSJ_BNPOD]. Check Out Past Episodes: The Boldest Ideas of 2025 — And What’s in Store for 2026 [https://www.wsj.com/podcasts/wsj-the-future-of-everything/the-boldest-ideas-of-2025-and-whats-in-store-for-2026/A39702D5-B3B7-4409-8E13-E47C6BC21B82] Inside Visa’s Tech-Charged Future: From Crypto to AI [https://www.wsj.com/podcasts/wsj-the-future-of-everything/inside-visas-tech-charged-future-from-crypto-to-ai/502E9917-76DD-49E6-8386-1CA4E32A4A1E] This CEO Says Global Trade Is Broken. What Comes Next? [https://www.wsj.com/podcasts/wsj-the-future-of-everything/this-ceo-says-global-trade-is-broken-what-comes-next/44B7B466-1693-4ABB-8970-8C84F5231448] Why Bilt’s CEO Wants You To Pay Your Mortgage With a Credit Card [https://www.wsj.com/podcasts/wsj-the-future-of-everything/why-bilts-ceo-wants-you-to-pay-your-mortgage-with-a-credit-card/8C2A0062-AB6E-4C7A-BD71-14BAC8DFBCF0] Let us know what you think of the show. Email us at BoldNames@wsj.com. Sign up for the WSJ's free Technology newsletter [https://www.wsj.com/newsletters/technology?mod=WSJ_BNPOD]. Read Christopher Mims’s Keywords column. [https://www.wsj.com/news/types/keywords?mod=WSJ_BNPOD] Read Tim Higgins’s column [https://www.wsj.com/news/types/tim-higgins?mod=WSJ_BNPOD]. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices [https://megaphone.fm/adchoices]

Even More Bold Names in 2026

Bold Names is gearing up to be bigger and bolder than ever in 2026. Get ready for another year of the best minds in business and tech going deep on the latest industry moves. From the C-suite of tech companies like SAP, Qualcomm and Affirm, to leaders from Lamborghini, Southwest Airlines and Chobani, WSJ’s Christopher Mims [https://www.wsj.com/news/author/christopher-mims?mod=WSJ_BNPOD] and Tim Higgins [https://www.wsj.com/news/types/tim-higgins?mod=WSJ_BNPOD] will be back next week to kick off a new year of conversations with the leaders shaping tomorrow. To watch the video version of this episode, visit our WSJ Podcasts YouTube channel [https://www.youtube.com/@WSJPodcasts/podcasts?mod=WSJ_BNPOD] or the video page [https://www.wsj.com/video/series?mod=WSJ_BNPOD] of WSJ.com [http://wsj.com?mod=WSJ_BNPOD]. Check Out Past Episodes: The Boldest Ideas of 2025 — And What’s in Store for 2026 [https://www.wsj.com/podcasts/wsj-the-future-of-everything/the-boldest-ideas-of-2025-and-whats-in-store-for-2026/A39702D5-B3B7-4409-8E13-E47C6BC21B82] McLaren CEO Zak Brown On F1 And Business Strategy At 200 Miles Per Hour [https://www.wsj.com/podcasts/wsj-the-future-of-everything/mclaren-ceo-zak-brown-on-f1-and-business-strategy-at-200-miles-per-hour/95407E52-D163-4560-9197-F5548C82F636] This Tech Founder's $1.3 Billion Company Is Taking On Apple and Samsung [https://www.wsj.com/podcasts/wsj-the-future-of-everything/this-tech-founder-13-billion-company-is-taking-on-apple-and-samsung/B4967FA2-365A-4EAF-B6B5-0B5F830FB673] This CEO Says Global Trade Is Broken. What Comes Next? [https://www.wsj.com/podcasts/wsj-the-future-of-everything/this-ceo-says-global-trade-is-broken-what-comes-next/44B7B466-1693-4ABB-8970-8C84F5231448] Let us know what you think of the show. Email us at BoldNames@wsj.com. Sign up for the WSJ's free Technology newsletter [https://www.wsj.com/newsletters/technology?mod=WSJ_BNPOD]. Read Christopher Mims’s Keywords column. [https://www.wsj.com/news/types/keywords?mod=WSJ_BNPOD]Read Tim Higgins’s column [https://www.wsj.com/news/types/tim-higgins?mod=WSJ_BNPOD]. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices [https://megaphone.fm/adchoices]

Encore: This CEO Says Humanoid Robots Are The "Space Race" of Our Time

Who will take care of you in old age? Jeff Cardenas, the CEO and co-founder of Apptronik, says the answer is robots [https://www.wsj.com/tech/ai/humanoid-robot-workers-ai-brain-08027439?gaa_at=eafs&gaa_n=ASWzDAi_62XbXEt2iX5B7NSWdGyJb6QQYMCNxVixViKP009TlGecbxIf1wys1EnZ_uo%3D&gaa_ts=68d2b6b5&gaa_sig=RHou1q76xXfEMP3pQdSWSgeZsCnVg4j2aIfCJD0Om7BBSzM8kJAhkIK8hOt9yE_wfiWlNXk-J3rN8ZvMjyIlZQ%3D%3D?mod=WSJ_BNPOD]. The startup founder set out to build a smart, dexterous robot after watching his grandfathers grow old and dependent in their later years. Beyond healthcare, Cardenas sees robots as essential to U.S. economic growth and national security with applications across industries. Even with the latest advances in artificial intelligence and hardware, what will it take for humanoid robots to make the leap from science fiction to reality [https://www.wsj.com/podcasts/wsj-the-future-of-everything/humanoid-robot-startups-are-hot-this-ai-expert-cuts-through-the-hype/4911ec21-54e6-4137-8a1a-fa4feca4ff25?gaa_at=eafs&gaa_n=ASWzDAguO7KO967uS97v_i8ARoO5LdKya317a7ay44Bl_Sxs-fOwF-0TPDe4cBK_r8o%3D&gaa_ts=68d2c2c9&gaa_sig=t8vGegezCuatcPLijWJ0KeTduyjC-cnJK0K5-mBJ_9IZHcPV1UNeRw0R5NvWHj4lE8PJBFfMD_WRZTuRtlcm1A%3D%3D?mod=WSJ_BNPOD]? On the latest episode of the Bold Names podcast, Cardenas tells WSJ’s Christopher Mims [https://www.wsj.com/news/author/christopher-mims] and Tim Higgins [https://www.wsj.com/news/author/tim-higgins] why Apptronik is betting it will create the home robot helper that everyone will want. To watch the video version of this episode, visit our WSJ Podcasts YouTube channel [https://www.youtube.com/@WSJPodcasts/podcasts?mod=WSJ_BNPOD] or the video page [https://www.wsj.com/video/series?mod=WSJ_BNPOD] of WSJ.com [http://wsj.com?mod=WSJ_BNPOD]. Check Out Past Episodes: Condoleezza Rice on Beating China in the Tech Race: 'Run Hard and Run Fast' [https://www.wsj.com/podcasts/wsj-the-future-of-everything/condoleezza-rice-on-beating-china-in-the-tech-race-run-hard-and-run-fast/cdcc8a41-ed63-4e2d-a972-df91c0541cbe?mod=WSJ_BNPOD] Reid Hoffman Says AI Isn’t an ‘Arms Race,’ but America Needs to Win [https://www.wsj.com/podcasts/wsj-the-future-of-everything/reid-hoffman-says-ai-isnt-an-arms-race-but-america-needs-to-win/EAFAB54F-65D6-4A7D-BBC1-49660196A89D?mod=WSJ_BNPOD] Why This Investor Says the AI Boom Isn’t the Next Dot-Com Crash [https://www.wsj.com/podcasts/wsj-the-future-of-everything/why-this-investor-says-the-ai-boom-isnt-the-next-dot-com-crash/66de6d84-2319-45b2-bfc5-0ac1b892d1a5?mod=WSJ_BNPOD] How the U.S. Stacks Up to China’s ‘Engineering State’ [https://www.wsj.com/podcasts/wsj-the-future-of-everything/how-the-us-stacks-up-to-chinas-engineering-state/9da72c53-df4d-4ff8-b107-f3c8f707fc8e?mod=WSJ_BNPOD] Let us know what you think of the show. Email us at BoldNames@wsj.com. Sign up for the WSJ's free Technology newsletter [https://www.wsj.com/newsletters/technology?mod=WSJ_BNPOD]. Read Christopher Mims’s Keywords column. [https://www.wsj.com/news/types/keywords?mod=WSJ_BNPOD]Read Tim Higgins’s column [https://www.wsj.com/news/types/tim-higgins?mod=WSJ_BNPOD].  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices [https://megaphone.fm/adchoices]

SPECIAL WSJ’s Take On the Week: How This Fed Hawk Views the Economy, Inflation, AI and Jobs

As a special bonus, we’re bringing you an episode of WSJ’s Take On the Week. Co-host Telis Demos and guest host WSJ Chief Economics Correspondent Nick Timiraos are joined by Beth Hammack, president of the Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland, to discuss the state of the U.S economy, interest rates and the central bank itself. Hammack shares her views on what she’s hearing from businesses in her district and what that could mean for consumer prices and the labor market. She emphasizes the importance of Fed independence and the chairman’s role in fusing differing viewpoints to create stable monetary policy. She also offers her perspective on the so-called neutral rate as well as artificial intelligence. If you like what you hear, subscribe to WSJ’s Take On the Week [https://www.wsj.com/podcasts/take-on-the-week?mod=WSJ_BNPOD] for weekly market previews and analysis. Visit our WSJ Podcasts YouTube channel [https://www.youtube.com/@WSJPodcasts/podcasts?mod=WSJ_BNPOD] or the video page [https://www.wsj.com/video/series?mod=WSJ_BNPOD] of WSJ.com [http://wsj.com?mod=WSJ_BNPOD]. Check Out Past Episodes: Inside Visa’s Tech-Charged Future: From Crypto to AI [https://www.wsj.com/podcasts/wsj-the-future-of-everything/inside-visas-tech-charged-future-from-crypto-to-ai/502E9917-76DD-49E6-8386-1CA4E32A4A1E] Why This Investor Says the AI Boom Isn’t the Next Dot-Com Crash [https://www.wsj.com/podcasts/wsj-the-future-of-everything/why-this-investor-says-the-ai-boom-isnt-the-next-dot-com-crash/66DE6D84-2319-45B2-BFC5-0AC1B892D1A5] This CEO Says Global Trade Is Broken. What Comes Next? [https://www.wsj.com/podcasts/wsj-the-future-of-everything/this-ceo-says-global-trade-is-broken-what-comes-next/44B7B466-1693-4ABB-8970-8C84F5231448?mod=WSJ_BNPOD] Further Reading: Cleveland Fed’s Beth Hammack Skeptical of Further Cuts [https://www.wsj.com/articles/cleveland-feds-beth-hammack-skeptical-of-further-cuts-e36f3589?mod=WSJ_BNPOD] Let us know what you think of the show. Email us at BoldNames@wsj.com. Sign up for the WSJ's free Technology newsletter [https://www.wsj.com/newsletters/technology?mod=WSJ_BNPOD]. Read Christopher Mims’s Keywords column. [https://www.wsj.com/news/types/keywords?mod=WSJ_BNPOD]Read Tim Higgins’s column [https://www.wsj.com/news/types/tim-higgins?mod=WSJ_BNPOD].  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices [https://megaphone.fm/adchoices]

The Boldest Ideas of 2025 — And What’s in Store for 2026

In this special episode, Tim Higgins [https://www.wsj.com/news/types/tim-higgins?mod=WSJ_BNPOD] and Christopher Mims [https://www.wsj.com/news/types/keywords?mod=WSJ_BNPOD] revisit some of their favorite moments from the first year of Bold Names. We look back on conversations with guests including Microsoft AI CEO Mustafa Suleyman [https://www.wsj.com/podcasts/wsj-the-future-of-everything/how-microsofts-ai-chief-defines-humanist-super-intelligence/07b536c5-aedf-444e-87ee-6ad0e784f3f0?mod=WSJ_BNPOD] and former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice [https://www.wsj.com/podcasts/wsj-the-future-of-everything/condoleezza-rice-on-beating-china-in-the-tech-race-run-hard-and-run-fast/cdcc8a41-ed63-4e2d-a972-df91c0541cbe?mod=WSJ_BNPOD] on the explosive growth of AI and the complexities of the U.S.-China trade war. Then, Mims and Higgins flip the script to interview each other about the technological breakthroughs and geopolitical shifts that defined 2025 — and ask if the AI industry is heading toward a bubble burst next year. Plus, we answer your questions. To watch the video version of this episode, visit our WSJ Podcasts YouTube channel [https://www.youtube.com/@WSJPodcasts/podcasts?mod=WSJ_BNPOD] or the video page [https://www.wsj.com/video/series?mod=WSJ_BNPOD] of WSJ.com [http://wsj.com?mod=WSJ_BNPOD]. Check Out Past Episodes: How Microsoft’s AI Chief Defines ‘Humanist Super Intelligence’ [https://www.wsj.com/podcasts/wsj-the-future-of-everything/how-microsofts-ai-chief-defines-humanist-super-intelligence/07b536c5-aedf-444e-87ee-6ad0e784f3f0?mod=WSJ_BNPOD] This CEO Says Global Trade Is Broken. What Comes Next? [https://www.wsj.com/podcasts/wsj-the-future-of-everything/this-ceo-says-global-trade-is-broken-what-comes-next/44B7B466-1693-4ABB-8970-8C84F5231448?mod=WSJ_BNPOD] Condoleezza Rice on Beating China in the Tech Race: 'Run Hard and Run Fast [https://www.wsj.com/podcasts/wsj-the-future-of-everything/condoleezza-rice-on-beating-china-in-the-tech-race-run-hard-and-run-fast/cdcc8a41-ed63-4e2d-a972-df91c0541cbe?mod=WSJ_BNPOD]  Why IBM's CEO Thinks His Company Can Crack Quantum Computing [https://www.wsj.com/podcasts/wsj-the-future-of-everything/why-ibm-ceo-thinks-his-company-can-crack-quantum-computing/411A8140-F157-441F-9FB4-C1C0D928DB4D?mod=WSJ_BNPOD] Let us know what you think of the show. Email us at BoldNames@wsj.com. Sign up for the WSJ's free Technology newsletter [https://www.wsj.com/newsletters/technology?mod=WSJ_BNPOD]. Read Christopher Mims’s Keywords column. [https://www.wsj.com/news/types/keywords?mod=WSJ_BNPOD] Read Tim Higgins’s column [https://www.wsj.com/news/types/tim-higgins?mod=WSJ_BNPOD].  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices [https://megaphone.fm/adchoices]