The zoo economy (classic)

In the early 90’s, a company called General Magic began working on a portable device that would allow people to check email, make phone calls, even play games. It was basically a smartphone. But it never caught on.On today’s show, a theory about why this device failed. General Ma ...  Show more

Prediction markets aren’t new. Election betting was common until the 1940s, then mysteriously faded away.There was an entire political era when party bosses were expected to conspicuously gamble on their candidates (even if they secretly hedged).And in the 1980s, a few economists ...  Show more

New owner of the Daily Mirror Robert Maxwell splashes the cash to expand his business empire, but when money becomes tight, he turns to unethical practices to make ends meet.Listen to Business Movers on the Wondery App or wherever you get your podcasts. Experience all episodes ad ...  Show more

We’re exploring how dollar stores went from Wall Street darlings to the problem children of the stock market. But first, we track how a re-energized Dollar General figures out how to make billions from small change, and its nearest-rival Family Dollar becomes a takeover target. B ...  Show more

PART 1: Offshore shadow money funds the global economy, but it lies in the shadows; it's off-balance sheet and off-the-regulatory-radar. A good place to get a sense of offshore shadow money is the Treasury International Capital report. Jeff Snider serves as our guide through J ...

The Smithsonian National Zoological Park in Washington, DC is sometimes called “the people’s zoo.” That’s because it’s the only zoo in the country to be created by an act of US Congress, and admission is free. But why did our federal government create a national zoo in the first ...  Show more