Infinite Loops Jonathan Tepper - Growing Up in the Heroin Capital of Europe (Ep. 303)
21 snips
Feb 26, 2026 
Jonathan Tepper, author and investor who grew up in Madrid where his missionary parents started a drug rehab, recounts a childhood among recovering addicts. He discusses growing up in San Blas, the rise of a grassroots rehab movement, the arrival of AIDS, writing and revising his memoir, and how those experiences shaped his outlook on grief, empathy, and investing.
AI Snips
Chapters
Books
Transcript
Episode notes
Inspire The Desire To Learn With Books At Home
- Foster a home environment that inspires curiosity rather than just delivering lessons; encourage self-directed learning through abundant books.
- Jonathan credits homeschooling and parents who read at meals for his lifelong habit of voracious reading.
AIDS Stigma Hit Addicts First In Spain
- In Spain the early HIV/AIDS outbreak concentrated among intravenous heroin users, who became social pariahs and were widely shunned.
- Jonathan recalls hospitals and families avoiding contact, amplifying stigma despite emerging medical knowledge in 1985.
One Resident's Move Turned An Apartment Into A Global Program
- The first formal recovery housing began when Raul moved into missionary Lindsay McKenzie's apartment and then invited eight friends, expanding into a 30-person farm community.
- That chain reaction from one resident grew Battelle into a global network in 20 countries with ~2,000 residents.
