Who Wants to Be a Trillionaire?

Who Wants to Be a Trillionaire?

Elon Musk is officially the world's first trillionaire. Cue the outrage. But Lou and Phil aren't exactly reaching for the pitchforks. That’s because when you actually look at where that wealth comes from, the story gets a lot more complicated than the internet would have you believe. From Starlink satellites spooking people in the night sky to SpaceX cafeteria workers sitting on surprise fortunes, there's more going on here than a greedy villain origin story. Join Lou and Phil as they unpack what a trillion dollars actually means, and whether the people most upset about it have done the math on the almost $40 trillion the government owes. Welcome to Happy Hour Econ from Free To Choose Network, where comedian Lou Perez and economist Phil Magness serve up weekly shots of economic reality with a chaser of sanity. No PowerPoints, no pretense—just two guys who've figured out that the best way to understand why everything costs more is to stop taking it so seriously. Pour yourself a drink, pull up a stool, and join Happy Hour Econ—because understanding the economy shouldn’t require a Ph.D. or a hangover.

No Taxation Without Representation (We Mean It)

Happy Birthday, America! What better way to celebrate 250 years than by arguing about taxes? Turns out the Founders had some thoughts on the matter. Lou and Phil dig into the surprisingly economic origins of the American Revolution, and why the tariff debate happening right now looks a lot more familiar than anyone in D.C. wants to admit. Also, was the Revolution actually just class warfare against billionaires? AOC thinks so. Phil has receipts. Welcome to Happy Hour Econ from Free To Choose Network, where comedian Lou Perez and economist Phil Magness serve up weekly shots of economic reality with a chaser of sanity. No PowerPoints, no pretense—just two guys who've figured out that the best way to understand why everything costs more is to stop taking it so seriously. Pour yourself a drink, pull up a stool, and join Happy Hour Econ—because understanding the economy shouldn’t require a Ph.D. or a hangover.

In Fed We Trust (Sort Of)

The Federal Reserve: everyone's heard of it, nobody really knows what it does, and somehow it controls your mortgage rate. Lou and Phil crack open the black box of America's central bank—what it's supposed to do, and its, uh, mixed track record of actually doing it. Also: is there a world where it just… doesn't exist? Welcome to Happy Hour Econ from Free To Choose Network, where comedian Lou Perez and economist Phil Magness serve up weekly shots of economic reality with a chaser of sanity. No PowerPoints, no pretense—just two guys who've figured out that the best way to understand why everything costs more is to stop taking it so seriously. Pour yourself a drink, pull up a stool, and join Happy Hour Econ—because understanding the economy shouldn’t require a Ph.D. or a hangover.

Lights, Camera, No Thanks

Hollywood has a problem. Star Wars just posted its worst domestic opening in the Disney era, the cost of an afternoon or night out at the multiplex keeps climbing, and somewhere in a boardroom, nobody seems to be connecting the dots. Lou and Phil grab a seat to break down why the movie industry keeps flooding the market with slop, ignoring the sovereign consumer, and acting surprised when nobody shows up. Welcome to Happy Hour Econ from Free To Choose Network, where comedian Lou Perez and economist Phil Magness serve up weekly shots of economic reality with a chaser of sanity. No PowerPoints, no pretense—just two guys who've figured out that the best way to understand why everything costs more is to stop taking it so seriously. Pour yourself a drink, pull up a stool, and join Happy Hour Econ—because understanding the economy shouldn’t require a Ph.D. or a hangover.

That’ll Cost You

Vacations? In this economy? Rising inflation, spikes in fuel prices, airline closures (RIP Spirit Airlines), and a whole host of other factors have people feeling the budget crunch as schools let out and summer looms. But we all need a break sometimes, so we just put the plane tickets—or admission fees or tanks of gas or nice lunches—on the credit card. Convenient, sure, but at what cost? Join comedian Lou Perez and economist Phil Magness as they chat about debt, summertime, and you on this week’s episode of Happy Hour Econ. Welcome to Happy Hour Econ from Free To Choose Network, where comedian Lou Perez and economist Phil Magness serve up weekly shots of economic reality with a chaser of sanity. No PowerPoints, no pretense—just two guys who've figured out that the best way to understand why everything costs more is to stop taking it so seriously. Pour yourself a drink, pull up a stool, and join Happy Hour Econ—because understanding the economy shouldn’t require a Ph.D. or a hangover.