Slate Money

In this Money Talks: Felix Salmon is joined by author and New York Times reporter David Gelles [https://www.nytimes.com/by/david-gelles] to discuss his new biography of enigmatic Patagonia founder Yvon Chouinard, Dirtbag Billionaire [https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Dirtbag-Billionaire/David-Gelles/9781668032268]. David does a deep dive into what makes the brand and its founder so unique, including the paradoxes of a wildly successful company trying to remain environmentally sustainable and a billionaire who believes all billionaires to be “policy failures.” Join Slate Plus to unlock weekly bonus episodes. Plus, you’ll access ad-free listening across all your favorite Slate podcasts. You can subscribe directly from the Slate Money show page on Apple Podcasts [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/slate-money/id876523888] and Spotify [https://open.spotify.com/show/2AgxNbNcUOckZSww9mk8mX]. Or, visit slate.com/moneyplus [https://slate.com/podcast-plus?utm_medium=link&utm_campaign=plus_pod&utm_content=Money&utm_source=episode_summary] to get access wherever you listen. Podcast production by Jessamine Molli and Cheyna Roth. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices [https://megaphone.fm/adchoices]

This week: Fed governor Lisa Cook is suing the Trump administration over her dismissal. Felix Salmon [https://bsky.app/profile/did:plc:zxqezqfhjwidbrsvk66ded57], Elizabeth Spiers [https://www.elizabethspiers.com/], and Emily Peck [https://www.axios.com/authors/epeck], along with guest Kashmir Hill [https://www.nytimes.com/by/kashmir-hill] of The New York Times, discuss the weak fraud case being used to oust the Biden-appointed Fed governor and its significance in the fight to preserve the independence of the Federal Reserve. Then, Kashmir goes in depth on the many stories she’s reported on lately of people forming intense relationships [https://docs.google.com/document/d/1m-4Q2SxtL1TAghbZJVGMDiGPYS6tny3bJdkzulmnMzQ/edit?tab=t.0#heading=h.lm9q3b2zuwmc] with AI chatbots that lead to dire consequences [https://www.nytimes.com/2025/08/26/technology/chatgpt-openai-suicide.html]including psychosis [https://www.nytimes.com/2025/06/13/technology/chatgpt-ai-chatbots-conspiracies.html] and death. She and the hosts discuss the role of this new technology in our society, the unknowable consequences of its unchecked ubiquity, and what can be done to protect users from potential dangers. From the Numbers Round: Emily’s Birthday Pancakes [https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1022931-lemon-ricotta-pancakes] PLEASE NOTE: There is discussion of suicide in this episode. If you are in need of help, 988 is the three-digit, nationwide phone number to connect directly to the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline [https://988lifeline.org/]. Text, call, or chat 988. In the Slate Plus episode: Big Money on Taylor & Travis Want to hear that discussion and hear more Slate Money? Join Slate Plus to unlock weekly bonus episodes. Plus, you’ll access ad-free listening across all your favorite Slate podcasts. You can subscribe directly from the Slate Money show page on Apple Podcasts [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/slate-money/id876523888] and Spotify [https://open.spotify.com/show/2AgxNbNcUOckZSww9mk8mX]. Or, visit slate.com/moneyplus [https://slate.com/podcast-plus?utm_medium=link&utm_campaign=plus_pod&utm_content=Money&utm_source=episode_summary] to get access wherever you listen. Podcast production by Jessamine Molli and Cheyna Roth. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices [https://megaphone.fm/adchoices]

This week: We got more details on the ATM scam that swept New York City [https://nymag.com/intelligencer/article/syep-scam-atms-teenagers-nyc-17-million.html?ueid=4bcd72adc8f84a0177e2c411fb85cba7&utm_source=Sailthru&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Dinner%20Party%20-%20August%2015%2C%202025&utm_term=Subscription%20List%20-%20NYM-Daily] thanks to a teen summer job program and an infinite money glitch last month.  Felix Salmon [https://bsky.app/profile/did:plc:zxqezqfhjwidbrsvk66ded57], Elizabeth Spiers [https://www.elizabethspiers.com/], and Emily Peck [https://www.axios.com/authors/epeck] discuss the mechanics of the scam, the fallout for the many parties involved, and the tragic irony that a program meant to teach teen financial literacy led them straight into a harsh real world lesson. Then, Yieldstreet is part of a growing trend of startups that want to democratize private investing but it’s not proving to be a great bet. The hosts discuss the economy of private investment and ask whether or not it's a good idea to make it more public. And finally, the Wall Street Journal published an opinion piece from a 22-year-old about how you should sacrifice your youth to get rich [https://www.wsj.com/opinion/work-life-balance-will-keep-you-mediocre-25bdf073?mod=hp_opin_pos_1]. What’s the real value in trying to become a “thought leader” with pieces like this? In the Slate Plus episode:  Want to hear that discussion and hear more Slate Money? Join Slate Plus to unlock weekly bonus episodes. Plus, you’ll access ad-free listening across all your favorite Slate podcasts. You can subscribe directly from the Slate Money show page on Apple Podcasts [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/slate-money/id876523888] and Spotify [https://open.spotify.com/show/2AgxNbNcUOckZSww9mk8mX]. Or, visit slate.com/moneyplus [https://slate.com/podcast-plus?utm_medium=link&utm_campaign=plus_pod&utm_content=Money&utm_source=episode_summary] to get access wherever you listen. Podcast production by Jessamine Molli and Cheyna Roth. Get 50% Off Monarch Money, the all-in-one financial tool at ⁠www.monarchmoney.com/SLATE⁠ [http://www.monarchmoney.com/SLATE] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices [https://megaphone.fm/adchoices]

In this Money Talks:  Elizabeth Spiers [https://www.elizabethspiers.com] is joined by professors Matt Sekerke and Steve H. Hanke, coauthors of Making Money Work: How to Rewrite the Rules of Our Financial System [https://www.wiley.com/en-us/Making+Money+Work%3A+How+to+Rewrite+the+Rules+of+Our+Financial+System-p-9781394257270]. They’ll lay out how the money supply in the US is misunderstood and underweighted in monetary policy, how that flawed system contributed to the global financial crisis, and what policymakers can do to fix it all.  Want to hear that discussion and hear more Slate Money? Join Slate Plus to unlock weekly bonus episodes. Plus, you’ll access ad-free listening across all your favorite Slate podcasts. You can subscribe directly from the Slate Money show page on Apple Podcasts [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/slate-money/id876523888] and Spotify [https://open.spotify.com/show/2AgxNbNcUOckZSww9mk8mX]. Or, visit slate.com/moneyplus [https://slate.com/podcast-plus?utm_medium=link&utm_campaign=plus_pod&utm_content=Money&utm_source=episode_summary] to get access wherever you listen. Podcast production by Jessamine Molli and Cheyna Roth. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices [https://megaphone.fm/adchoices]

In this special episode of Slate Money Travels, Felix Salmon [https://www.axios.com/authors/fsalmon], Emily Peck [https://www.axios.com/authors/epeck] and Elizabeth Spiers [https://www.elizabethspiers.com/] discuss what extras are really worth paying for when you travel. Airlines, especially want to nickel and dime for every little thing. But is the extra leg room worth it? What about getting off the plane sooner? Can you put a price on not waiting in line?    Want to hear that discussion and hear more Slate Money? Join Slate Plus to unlock weekly bonus episodes. Plus, you’ll access ad-free listening across all your favorite Slate podcasts. You can subscribe directly from the Slate Money show page on Apple Podcasts [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/slate-money/id876523888] and Spotify [https://open.spotify.com/show/2AgxNbNcUOckZSww9mk8mX]. Or, visit slate.com/moneyplus [https://slate.com/podcast-plus?utm_medium=link&utm_campaign=plus_pod&utm_content=Money&utm_source=episode_summary] to get access wherever you listen.  Podcast production by Cheyna Roth. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices [https://megaphone.fm/adchoices]