Rephonic
Artwork for Capitalisn't
Capitalism
Social Media
Poverty
Influencer Industry
Income Inequality
Banking
Propaganda
Transfer Payments
Academia
Personal Branding
Federal Government Spending
Labor Market
Housing Market
Journalism
Openai
Authenticity
Private Equity
Index Funds
Universal Basic Income
Educational Equity

Is capitalism the engine of destruction or the engine of prosperity? On this podcast we talk about the ways capitalism is—or more often isn’t—working in our world today. Hosted by author and journalist Bethany McLean and world renowned economist Luigi Zingales, we explain how capitalism can go wrong, and what we can do to fix it. Cover photo attributions: www.chicagobooth.edu/research/stig... more

PublishesTwice monthlyEpisodes226Founded8 years ago
Number of ListenersCategories
GovernmentBusiness

Listen to this Podcast

Artwork for Capitalisn't

Latest Episodes

There’s a word that’s gained a lot of popularity in the last year: “ensh*ttification”. It refers to a trajectory many see with digital platforms: they initially offer immense value to users, only to systematically degrade that quality over time in or... more

A recent proposal by Lina Khan, co-chair of Zohran Mamdani's mayoral transition team, to cap the price of beer at stadiums in New York City sparked a debate on X last month. At the center of that debate was Matthew Yglesias, editor and author of the ... more

Did you know Amazon makes $37 billion a year—more than double the revenue of all the newspapers in the world combined—from its sponsored results alone? Yes, the same, spammy, sponsored results at the top of a search that bilk shoppers with fake or lo... more

Recently, Bethany and Luigi joined economist and wealth inequality expert Branko Milanovic in front of a live audience at the Aspen Ideas Festival to explore how capitalism, democracy, and income inequality interact. Together, the three discussed the... more

Key Facts

Accepts Guests
Contact Information
Podcast Host
Number of Listeners
Find out how many people listen to this podcast per episode and each month.

Similar Podcasts

People also subscribe to these shows.

The Pie: An Economics Podcast
The Pie: An Economics PodcastBecker Friedman Institute at UChicago
Big Brains
Big BrainsUniversity of Chicago Podcast Network
Odd Lots
Odd LotsBloomberg
Macro Musings with David Beckworth
Macro Musings with David BeckworthMercatus Center at George Mason University
Conversations with Tyler
Conversations with TylerMercatus Center at George Mason University

Recent Guests

Matthew Yglesias
Co-founder of Vox, columnist at Bloomberg, and author of One Billion Americans
Bloomberg
Episode: Why Matthew Yglesias Is Skeptical Of Anti-Monopoly Policies
Tim Wu
Author and professor at Columbia Law, former special assistant to the president for technology and competition policy
Columbia Law School
Episode: Are Big Tech’s Regulators “Cowards”? ft. Tim Wu
Branko Milanovic
Global expert on inequality and former lead economist at the World Bank
Episode: Why Economists Should Care About Inequality, with Branko Milanovic
Richard Thaler
Nobel Prize-winning economist known for his work in behavioral economics
University of Chicago
Episode: Nobel Economist Reveals Why Economic Models Keep Failing Us, ft. Richard Thaler
Arvind Narayanan
Professor of Computer Science at Princeton University and co-author of AI Snake Oil
Princeton University
Episode: What Everyone’s Getting Wrong About AI, with Arvind Narayanan
Takeo Hoshi
A professor of economics at the University of Tokyo and an expert on Japan's financial system and economic stagnation
University of Tokyo
Episode: Why Capitalism Stopped Working In Japan, with Takeo Hoshi
John Ioannidis
Physician scientist and professor at Stanford University, known for his work on research reliability.
Stanford University
Episode: How Profit and Politics Hijacked Scientific Inquiry, with John Ioannidis
Dan Rasmussen
Founder of Verdad Advisors and author of The Humble Investor
Verdad Advisors
Episode: Trump's Great Private Equity Bailout, with Dan Rasmussen
Sal Khan
Founder of Khan Academy, dedicated to providing free education globally
Khan Academy
Episode: Should Chatbots Teach Our Children? With Khan Academy CEO Sal Khan

Hosts

Bethany McLean
Co-host and author focused on financial journalism with expertise in capitalism and its socio-economic implications.
Luigi Zingales
Co-host and renowned economist with a focus on capitalism, financial markets, and corporate governance.

Reviews

4.6 out of 5 stars from 1.2k ratings
  • A other libtard podcast !!!

    Podcast Addict
    1
    Michel Bordeleau
    a month ago
  • A must-listen show for today’s times

    Issues around corporate power and democracy are at the center stage of today’s world.

    This show does an amazing job discussing the key topics at the intersection, always with excellent guests, and the hosts are funny and very insightful.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    PHL132l
    United States6 months ago
  • Significance served in dialogue format

    Zingales and McLean adds their unique combined perspective to matters of strategic significance. A must-hear for decision makers with personal involvement in their businesses, humanizes topics, methods, models. Makes you a better leader and participant, whether you agree or not.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    A_Andersen
    Denmark7 months ago
  • Content 👍 audio 👎

    Interesting and well argued content (whether you agree or not). But the audio content is terrible. Dogs barking. Notification pings. Ugh.

    Apple Podcasts
    3
    Andrew O of London
    United Kingdom7 months ago
  • Essential Listening for Anyone Navigating Business, Brand, and Culture

    As someone who works at the intersection of brand, marketing, and creative strategy, Capital Isn’t is an invaluable resource. Luigi Zingales and Bethany McLean break down the forces shaping our economy in a way that goes beyond theory—it’s about how power, policy, and capital impact the real world, from business decisions to cultural trends.

    In my work, understanding these dynamics helps me think more critically about everything from market positioning to corporate responsibility and the shifti... more

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Eric_Sow
    United States9 months ago

Listeners Say

Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.

Listeners appreciate the insightful analyses and critical perspectives on capitalism and socio-economic issues.
The combination of humor and serious subjects makes the hosts relatable and engaging.
Reviews highlight that the content is valuable for professionals looking to understand economic and political dynamics more deeply.
Many listeners find the expert guests highly knowledgeable and the discussions thought-provoking, though some criticize audio quality.

Chart Rankings

How this podcast ranks in the Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube charts.

Apple Podcasts
#35
United States/Government
Apple Podcasts
#27
Canada/Government
Apple Podcasts
#60
United Kingdom/Government
Apple Podcasts
#7
Italy/Government
Apple Podcasts
#30
France/Government
Apple Podcasts
#44
Germany/Government

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

Why Matthew Yglesias Is Skeptical Of Anti-Monopoly Policies
Q: What should the goal of antitrust be?
Protecting consumers and preventing larger corporate entities from harming competition.
Why Matthew Yglesias Is Skeptical Of Anti-Monopoly Policies
Q: Are there simplistic rules we can follow?
Each case has to be looked at on a case by case basis without simplistic rules.
Are Big Tech’s Regulators “Cowards”? ft. Tim Wu
Q: Does a platform inevitably become a monopoly without some form of societal oversight?
Many factors push platforms toward monopolistic behavior, but there can be exceptions where specialized markets exist.
Are Big Tech’s Regulators “Cowards”? ft. Tim Wu
Q: How would you argue to someone why all of this matters, not just as the economy and antitrust, but core to our society?
There's a concern that today's platforms, rather than promoting democracy and prosperity, are extracting wealth and contributing to societal inequality.
Why Economists Should Care About Inequality, with Branko Milanovic
Q: If inequality is a flaw of current Capitalism, is it fixable under Capitalism as practiced in a Western democracy?
Yes, but I have become skeptical about the ability to do big changes that have been discussed for years without significant policy updates occurring.

Audience Metrics

Listeners, social reach, demographics and more for this podcast.

Listeners per Episode
Gender Skew
Location
Interests
Professions
Age Range
Household Income
Social Media Reach

Frequently Asked Questions About Capitalisn't

What is Capitalisn't about and what kind of topics does it cover?

The show explores the multifaceted nature of capitalism, highlighting both its potential for prosperity and its pitfalls. The hosts engage in-depth discussions on timely economic issues, scrutinizing how capitalist frameworks affect diverse aspects of society, governance, and individual lives. Episodes often feature expert guests who provide unique insights into complex subjects such as private equity, housing crises, educational reforms, and the influence of technology on economics. By combining humor with rigorous analysis, the hosts aim to uncover the underlying truths of capitalism's functionality and failures, making it an engaging listen for those interested in economic theory and its real-world applications.

Where can I find podcast stats for Capitalisn't?

Rephonic provides a wide range of podcast stats for Capitalisn't. We scanned the web and collated all of the information that we could find in our comprehensive podcast database. See how many people listen to Capitalisn't and access YouTube viewership numbers, download stats, audience demographics, chart rankings, ratings, reviews and more.

How many listeners does Capitalisn't get?

Rephonic provides a full set of podcast information for three million podcasts, including the number of listeners. View further listenership figures for Capitalisn't, including podcast download numbers and subscriber numbers, so you can make better decisions about which podcasts to sponsor or be a guest on. You will need to upgrade your account to access this premium data.

What are the audience demographics for Capitalisn't?

Rephonic provides comprehensive predictive audience data for Capitalisn't, including gender skew, age, country, political leaning, income, professions, education level, and interests. You can access these listener demographics by upgrading your account.

How many subscribers and views does Capitalisn't have?

To see how many followers or subscribers Capitalisn't has on Spotify and other platforms such as Castbox and Podcast Addict, simply upgrade your account. You'll also find viewership figures for their YouTube channel if they have one.

Which podcasts are similar to Capitalisn't?

These podcasts share a similar audience with Capitalisn't:

1. The Pie: An Economics Podcast
2. Big Brains
3. Odd Lots
4. Macro Musings with David Beckworth
5. Conversations with Tyler

How many episodes of Capitalisn't are there?

Capitalisn't launched 8 years ago and published 226 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

How do I contact Capitalisn't?

Our systems regularly scour the web to find email addresses and social media links for this podcast. We scanned the web and collated all of the contact information that we could find in our podcast database. But in the unlikely event that you can't find what you're looking for, our concierge service lets you request our research team to source better contacts for you.

Where can I see ratings and reviews for Capitalisn't?

Rephonic pulls ratings and reviews for Capitalisn't from multiple sources, including Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Castbox, and Podcast Addict.

View all the reviews in one place instead of visiting each platform individually and use this information to decide if a show is worth pitching or not.

How do I access podcast episode transcripts for Capitalisn't?

Rephonic provides full transcripts for episodes of Capitalisn't. Search within each transcript for your keywords, whether they be topics, brands or people, and figure out if it's worth pitching as a guest or sponsor. You can even set-up alerts to get notified when your keywords are mentioned.

What guests have appeared on Capitalisn't?

Recent guests on Capitalisn't include:

1. Matthew Yglesias
2. Tim Wu
3. Branko Milanovic
4. Richard Thaler
5. Arvind Narayanan
6. Takeo Hoshi
7. John Ioannidis
8. Dan Rasmussen

To view more recent guests and their details, simply upgrade your Rephonic account. You'll also get access to a typical guest profile to help you decide if the show is worth pitching.

Find and pitch the right podcasts

We help savvy brands, marketers and PR professionals to find the right podcasts for any topic or niche. Get the data and contacts you need to pitch podcasts at scale and turn listeners into customers.
Try it free for 7 days