Cover image of show Business History

Business History

Podcast by Pushkin Industries

English

History & religion

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About Business History

It’s the history of business. How did Hitler’s favorite car become synonymous with hippies? What got Thomas Edison tangled up with the electric chair? Did someone murder the guy who invented the movies? Former Planet Money hosts Jacob Goldstein and Robert Smith examine the surprising stories of businesses big and small and find out what you can learn from those who founded them.

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29 episodes

episode The Dumbest Business Ever... Shipping Melting Ice to Calcutta. artwork

The Dumbest Business Ever... Shipping Melting Ice to Calcutta.

Frederic Tudor could get ice any time he wanted. He lived in chilly Boston and his family had a lake that froze over in the winter. Harvesting ice and storing it was a normal thing in New England in the 1800s, but Frederic decided he'd make a fortune if he could ship ice to the warmest places on earth. And everyone thought this was the dumbest business idea of all time! No one would back Frederic's plan - no one would even let him rent a ship to carry his ice. For decades he tried and failed to get his ice business running. He even ended up broke and in jail. But finally he prevailed and became a wealthy and celebrated figure - who changed the world.      Write to us at businesshistory@pushkin.fm [businesshistory@pushkin.fm] See omnystudio.com/listener [https://omnystudio.com/listener] for privacy information.

20 May 2026 - 47 min
episode The Match Maker Who Nearly Burned Down Wall Street artwork

The Match Maker Who Nearly Burned Down Wall Street

Swedish entrepreneur Ivar Kreuger built a fortune selling matches. He used this money to build a world famous financial empire that bankrolled whole countries. France borrowed from Kreuger. Germany borrowed from Krueger. He was crowned "The Match King" and ruled Wall Street in the 1920s.  But Kreuger's business was about to burn to the ground. The Swede had been using shady - even criminal - methods to move money around his empire and the good times came to an end. The discovery of Kreuger's crimes created chaos, but also proved pivotal in the creation of America's modern financial safeguards.   Write to us at businesshistory@pushkin.fm [businesshistory@pushkin.fm] See omnystudio.com/listener [https://omnystudio.com/listener] for privacy information.

13 May 2026 - 48 min
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