Behind the Money

Economists like to model people as rational creatures who make self-interested decisions. But humans don’t act that way. Why do investors, politicians and ordinary people act against their best interests – and how can they be nudged into making better decisions? To find out, FT economics commentator Chris Giles speaks to Richard Thaler, the founding father of behavioural economics. Thaler is a professor at the University of Chicago who won the 2017 Nobel Prize in Economics for his work on how humans make (often irrational) decisions.This is a repeat of an episode published on The Economics Show, a sister podcast of Behind the Money, on November 7, 2025. Subscribe to The Economics Show on Apple, Spotify, Pocket Casts or wherever you listen.Presented by Chris Giles. Produced by Mischa Frankl-Duval. Manuela Saragosa is the executive producer. Original music by Breen Turner. Sound design by Breen Turner and Samantha Giovinco. Our broadcast engineer is Andrew Georgiades.

Despite its relatively low profile, Fidelity Investments is a sprawling beast when it comes to financial services. Last year, the firm’s revenues surpassed the world’s largest asset manager, BlackRock, by more than 50 per cent. The FT’s Emma Dunkley explains how Fidelity has come to dominate the sector, the secrets behind its success, and what hurdles it may have to jump through in the coming years as new challenges for asset managers arise. The FT does not use generative AI to voice its podcasts.- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - For further reading:Can Fidelity keep its grip on America’s investments?The quiet queen of American financeHow Fidelity’s Ned Johnson defied the curse of the boss’s sonTrump opens US retirement plans to crypto and private equity investments- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Follow Emma Dunkley on X (@EmDunks). Michela Tindera is on X (@mtindera07) and Bluesky (@mtindera.ft.com), or follow her on LinkedIn for updates about the show and more.Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com

In the UK, whistleblowers are encouraged to report wrongdoing, but often at cost to their livelihoods and careers. One solution would be to pay corporate whistleblowers for coming forward. However, many in government have held the idea for years that doing so is not very “British.” But now, longtime opposition to the idea seems to be shifting. Suzi Ring, the FT’s legal correspondent in London, explains how and why. Plus, we speak with Nick Ephgrave, the director of the UK’s Serious Fraud Office, who is taking inspiration from his decades spent with London’s Metropolitan Police Service to try to change the system. Clips from ITVIf you missed part one of this series, listen to it here. The FT does not use generative AI to voice its podcasts.- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - For further reading:Should corporate whistleblowers get paid?Whistleblowers could earn millions as HMRC targets tax fraudUK SFO director pushes to pay whistleblowers and use covert tacticsCorporate whistleblowing in the UK needs a shake-up Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Behind the Money host Michela Tindera is on X (@mtindera07) and Bluesky (@mtindera.ft.com), or follow her on LinkedIn for updates about the show and more. 

In this special episode of Behind the Money, the FT’s senior business writer Andrew Hill interviews author Stephen Witt about his book The Thinking Machine: Jensen Huang, Nvidia, and the World’s Most Coveted Microchip. Witt and his book won the FT and Schroders Business Book of the Year for 2025.      The FT does not use generative AI to voice its podcasts.- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - For further reading:In future ‘books could respond’ says winning author Stephen Witt FT and Schroders Business Book of the Year 2025 — the shortlist FT and Schroders Business Book of the Year 2025 — the longlist Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Follow Andrew Hill on X (@andrewtghill) or on Bluesky (@andrewtghill.ft.com) and Stephen Witt (@stephenwitt) on X. Michela Tindera is on X (@mtindera07) and Bluesky (@mtindera.ft.com), or follow her on LinkedIn for updates about the show and more. 

For years, corporate whistleblowers in the UK have found themselves in an unenviable predicament. They’re encouraged to report wrongdoing, but at the same time they often feel like they’ve risked everything: their careers and livelihoods in exchange for little. In this special two-part series, we explore why critics think this system is failing whistleblowers and what the UK can do to change things.In part one: We hear from two whistleblowers who share why they blew the whistle and what went wrong after. Plus, the FT’s financial regulation editor Martin Arnold and Mary Inman, the attorney who represented well-known whistleblowers such as Frances Haugen of Meta and Tyler Shultz of Theranos, discuss the systemic issues whistleblowers have faced in the UK.   Part two airs next Monday, December 15.The FT does not use generative AI to voice its podcasts.- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - For further reading:Should corporate whistleblowers get paid?Whistleblowers could earn millions as HMRC targets tax fraudCorporate whistleblowing in the UK needs a shake-upAsset management: inside the scandal that rocked GAM - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Behind the Money host Michela Tindera is on X (@mtindera07) and Bluesky (@mtindera.ft.com), or follow her on LinkedIn for updates about the show and more.Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com

For years, corporate whistleblowers in the UK have found themselves in an unenviable predicament. They’re encouraged to report wrongdoing, but at the same time they often feel like they’ve risked their livelihoods in exchange for very little in the end. The fallout from whistleblowing can cost them their careers or worse. Starting next Monday, Behind the Money is launching a two-part special series on what, if anything, the UK can do to change this. Listen every Monday on Behind the Money. 

This week we’re sharing an episode from Business History, a podcast from Pushkin Industries. Former Planet Money hosts Jacob Goldstein and Robert Smith explore what the businesses of the past can teach us about commerce today. In this episode, Goldstein and Smith look at how Southwest Airlines developed a winning formula that forced its competitors to change how they did business — but then the Southwest model fell apart.Find Business History on YouTube or wherever you get your podcasts.

When international private equity groups first entered Japan at the turn of the 21st century, newspapers criticised them as vulture funds and politicians steered clear of public contact. Today, it’s a different story. Dozens of buyout groups have set up in the country and the establishment is courting them. The FT’s Tokyo correspondent David Keohane and Tokyo bureau chief Leo Lewis explain why there’s been a shift, and how private equity’s presence may rejuvenate Japanese corporates. Clips from Toho. The FT does not use generative AI to voice its podcasts.- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - For further reading:Is Japan private equity’s next frontier?Buyout firms play the long game beyond TokyoInvestors sense this time is different for JapanKKR-owned auto parts supplier Marelli files for US bankruptcy protection - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Follow David Keohane (@DavidKeo) and Leo Lewis (@Urbandirt) on X. Michela Tindera is on X (@mtindera07) and Bluesky (@mtindera.ft.com), or follow her on LinkedIn for updates about the show and more. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -  To sign up for free to the new FT Alphaville newsletter on substack, go to ftav.substack.comRead a transcript of this episode on FT.com

Investors are spending billions of dollars on novel ways to extend human life through inventive treatments, therapies, and even manipulating our genes. And increasingly, it seems as though anti-ageing efforts have moved from the super rich to a mass market consumer industry. In this series, we’re covering the past, present and future of the longevity movement. We’ll be looking at where the fixation on longevity is coming from, and trying to understand the practical and ethical issues at the heart of this cutting-edge field of research. From Silicon Valley fantasies, to Singaporean health spas, to Colombian genetic clinics and beyond, the FT’s Hannah Kuchler and Michael Peel ask whether breakthroughs in science and technology can really help us live longer, and even stop us aging altogether.Free to read: US ‘wellness’ industry scents opportunity to go mainstreamThe quest to make young blood into a drugThis season of Tech Tonic was produced by Josh Gabert-Doyon. The senior producer is Edwin Lane. Flo Phillips is the executive producer. Sound design by Breen Turner and Samantha Giovinco. Fact checking by Simon Greaves, Lucy Baldwin and Tara Cromie. Original music by Metaphor Music. Manuela Saragosa is the FT’s acting co-head of audio.The FT does not use generative AI to voice its podcasts.