Business History

33 episodes · 3 with AI analysis

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.

AI Intelligence · across all analyzed episodes

People · top 20

Companies · top 12

Lloyd's of London×2 Solomon Brothers Royal Society Traveler's Insurance Equitas Hanover Trust Company London Stock Exchange Wharton School of Business Boston Post National Gallery Securities Exchange Company Allstate

Topics · top 10

Lloyd's of London history and structureUnlimited liability and investor riskAsbestos litigation and mass tortsReinsurance and retrocession marketsInsurance market systemic riskFinancial crisis management and restructuringEquitas bad bank creationNames and syndicate systemInsurance underwriting standardsRegulatory reform in insurance

Analyzed Episodes

Apr 15, 2026

Sinking the Global Economy: The Lloyds of London Story Part II

Lloyd's of London history and structureUnlimited liability and investor riskAsbestos litigation and mass torts

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Apr 8, 2026

The Insurers Who ALWAYS Paid Out: The Lloyds of London Story Part I

Marine Insurance HistoryRisk Quantification and PricingInsurance Market Structure

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Apr 1, 2026

From SNAFU with Ed Helms: Adam Grant and The OG Ponzi Scheme

Ponzi Schemes and Financial FraudCharisma as a Manipulation ToolOrganizational Psychology and Human Behavior

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