Reasonably Happy with Paul Ollinger

Barry Meier is a former investigative reporter at The New York Times and the author of the book, Pain Killer: An Empire of Deceit and the Origin of America's Opioid Epidemic, which explores how the Sackler family's greed catalyzed a plague of addiction and death that has destroyed families and whole communities across the country.Between 1999 and 2000, 564,000 Americans died from an opioid overdose. In 2020, the most recent year for which statistics are available, there were over 68,000 opioid overdoses in the U.S. That's 188 per day and each one of these deaths represents a son or daughter, a brother or sister or a mother or father, who is not coming back. People died of opioid overdoses before the 1996 launch of OxyContin, but it’s clear that Oxy and Purdue Pharma’s (owned by the Sacklers) aggressive and deceptive marketing practices threw gasoline on a spark that has turned into a raging wildfire. In 2023, Netflix will launch a miniseries based on Pain Killer.In our conversation today, Barry and I discuss the Sacklers’ family legacy of ethically dubious marketing of pharmaceuticals and how they made tens of billions of dollars selling OxyContin using the same techniques, like pushing free samples, knowing that the drug was quite addictive. We discuss how and why the FDA approved claims that OxyContin was less prone to addiction in the complete absence of evidence proving that it actually was. And lastly, we discuss the extent to which OxyContin kicked off this opioid epidemic for which there is no clear way out.🎧Listen on Apple Podcasts here 🎧✍️Get Paul’s Substack newsletter here.✍️🔥Subscribe to us on YouTube here. 🔥Follow Barry Meier:barrymeier.comnytimes.com/by/barry-meierPain Killer: The Book - https://a.co/d/b9cEPHS This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit words.paulollinger.com/subscribe

Where do you sit on the social hierarchy?You might not think about it daily, but if I asked you to compare your status to that of one of your friends, you'd probably know the answer: above some, below others, and probably on about the same level as most. Perhaps you'd follow up with questions like “Do you mean who has more money? Or who has more recognition in the community or who's more attractive or physically fit?” This request for clarification demonstrates the nature of status, and how we go about gaining it and retaining it, whether or not we are conscious of our efforts to do so.My guest this week is Will Storr. He's the author of a fascinating book called The Status Game. The author of six critically acclaimed books, including The Status Game, Selfie, and The Science of Storytelling, Will’s writing has appeared in The Guardian, The Sunday Times, The New Yorker and the New York Times. And his journalism has been recognized with awards from the National Press Club, the One World Press and Amnesty International. If I haven't yet convinced you of his status, I’ll also share that he's a great looking guy who grows giant yams. (You'll understand that reference about 20 minutes into the episode.)In this conversation, Will and I discuss why status matters; Whether the pursuit of status is a fool's game for small minded people with totally fragile egos; We talk about a totally bizarre source of status in Polynesia that demonstrates the arbitrariness and locally relative nature of status. We talk about whether it's better to be a big fish in a small pond or a small fish in a big pond. We talk about how the quest for status shows up in politics and religion and boy does it ever and lastly, we discuss how the thirst for status among even the most rich and famous among us, like Sir Paul McCartney, demonstrate the insatiable need for this elusive and addictive drug that is STATUS.🎧Listen on Apple Podcasts here 🎧✍️Get Paul’s Substack newsletter here.✍️🔥Subscribe to us on YouTube here. 🔥Follow Will Storr:Twitter - https://bit.ly/3D84YVg (@wstorr)The Status Game: The Book - https://amzn.to/3TnazNi This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit words.paulollinger.com/subscribe

This episode is Part Two of our Money in College Sports: NIL series. Until last year, college athletes were prohibited from collecting any compensation. But today, thanks to Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) deals, the stakes are high and getting higher. To make sense of this issue, I speak with A J Vaynerchuck from Vayner Sports and Laine Higgins from the Wall Street Journal.A J Vaynerchuk is the co-founder of sports management agency, Vayner Sports where he has been a part of several NIL deals for some of the top athletes in the country. We talked about what brands are looking for when they partner with college athletes, how big the deals have gotten, the specifics of the deals he's done with Dr. Pepper and Kool-Aid, and we go down the road and think about just what college sports are going to look like in the next five to ten years.Laine Higgins is a former college athlete and is now a sports reporter for The Wall Street Journal where she covers, among other things, college sports. She and I discuss Title IX and its implications for the NIL deals, and what responsibility schools have for ensuring equal access for both men and women to these kinds of deals. We talk about how and why brands are structuring deals with athletes from non-revenue sports like volleyball, swimming, and track and field, and to what degree attractiveness and sex appeal drives followership on social media and thus, the potential value of an NIL deal. (Be sure to listen to that part because–even though I ask the question sincerely–I still manage to come across like a complete creep!)🎧Listen on Apple Podcasts here 🎧✍️Get Paul’s Substack newsletter here.✍️🔥Subscribe to us on YouTube here. 🔥Follow AJ Vaynerchuk:Twitter - https://bit.ly/3SZtPjt (@ajv)Instagram - https://bit.ly/3Vq0Rec (@ajv)Website - https://vaynersports.comFollow Laine Higgins:Twitter - https://bit.ly/3EJJWxh (@lainehiggins17)WSJ Articles - https://on.wsj.com/3VwSRrW This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit words.paulollinger.com/subscribe

The news from the economic world is pretty bad right now. Inflation up and the stock market’s down, which means we're all experiencing some degree of financial stress. Here to help us put it all in perspective is Ken Honda. Known as Japan’s Zen millionaire, Ken’s book Happy Money has sold over 8 million copies worldwide.In this, his second visit to Crazy Money, we talk about: What economic fear, uncertainty and doubt can do to our health and our relationships; How we can maintain peace of mind when those around us are losing their minds; How to be a good spouse during times of financial trouble; The games that shame and guilt play with our minds; How inflation can actually help us get clarity around our priorities, and lastly, we talk about a few of the lessons from Japan's lost decades of economic stagnation.🎧Listen on Apple Podcasts here 🎧✍️Get Paul’s Substack newsletter here.✍️🔥Subscribe to us on YouTube here. 🔥Follow Ken:Instagram - https://bit.ly/3el1xAQFacebook - https://bit.ly/3T8vhzHWebsite - https://kenhonda.com/Read Ken's book:Happy Money - https://amzn.to/3T86LPo This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit words.paulollinger.com/subscribe

Spencer Jakab is the editor of The Wall Street Journal's Heard on the Street column and the author of a fascinating new book called The Revolution That Wasn't: Gamestop, Reddit, and the Fleecing of the Retail Investor. In January of 2021, a large group of small investors from the WallStreetBets subreddit rallied around the stock of video game retailer GameStop, which they believe had been unfairly attacked by short-selling hedge fund Melvin Capital. The subsequent and totally unexpected rally in the stock made millions for several WallStreetBets members and crippled Melvin Capital which was lost up to a billion dollars *per day* during the worst of the short squeeze.On this week's episode, Spencer and I talk about the perfect storm of market, societal, and technological factors that catalyzed the Gamestop phenomenon, why the Robinhood stock trading app (which played a major role in this whole scenario) was designed to function exactly like a sports gambling app. We talk about how WallStreetBets and Robin Hood “investors” are different from boring old etrade or Schwab customers like me, the difference between investing and gambling and lastly, what Melvin Capital’s profound losses mean for hedge fund managers in the future. That is, in addition to market, political, and climate-based factors, these hedge fund managers also have to take into consideration the potential madness of crowds.🎧Listen on Apple Podcasts here 🎧✍️Get Paul’s Substack newsletter here.✍️🔥Subscribe to us on YouTube here. 🔥Follow Spencer Jakab:Twitter - https://bit.ly/3SqtqpIFacebook - https://bit.ly/3fnalq0Read Spencer's Book:The Revolution That Wasn't - https://amzn.to/3xUUC8g This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit words.paulollinger.com/subscribe

Up until last year, no college athlete could legally, officially accept compensation for playing a sport at his or her college. That changed last year with a Supreme Court ruling that now allows college athletes to be compensated for the use of their Name, Image and Likeness (NIL).On today's show, I talk to Darren Rovell, a sports reporter who spent 18 years on the air with CNBC and ESPN and now a senior executive producer at the Action Network. I also talk to John Staton, who is the Director of Operations at Classic City Collective, an organization of donors and alumni dedicated to helping the athletes at the University of Georgia, which John used to be. We discuss how the transfer portal effectively makes every college player a free agent. We talk about how many NIL deals are happening, who they're happening for and how big they're getting. We discuss how collectives interface with athletic departments. We talk about whether money might poison relationships in the locker room within teams, and just what this world might look like five years down the road. It has already changed college sports so much in just like a year and a half. Who knows what the future holds.💰If you enjoy Crazy Money, please leave us a rating here. 💰✍️Get Paul’s Substack newsletter here.✍️🔥Subscribe to us on YouTube here. 🔥Follow Darren Rovell:Twitter - https://bit.ly/3f50WUdInstagram - https://bit.ly/2yflj86Follow John Staton:Twitter - https://bit.ly/3xzBLzwInstagram - https://bit.ly/3Bs1zyy This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit words.paulollinger.com/subscribe

Saudi-backed LIV Golf is throwing hundreds of millions of dollars at top pro golfers in an attempt to lure them away from the PGA Tour. The Tour is responding with massively-increased prize money and more player-friendly tournaments. Here to discuss these unprecedented changes and their unsavory ramifications is Rich Beem, winner of the 2002 PGA Championship and analyst for SKY Sports Golf. Rich shares his candid and often funny insights into where this crazy mess is headed, which league is in a stronger position, whether LIV golfers will be able to play major tournaments like the Masters or The Open Championship, whether PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan is sleeping well at night, and why his dog is named after a town in Minnesota. We also discuss the history of money in golf and how Tiger Woods changed the game forever.💰If you enjoy Crazy Money, please leave us a rating here. 💰✍️Get Paul’s Substack newsletter here.✍️🔥Subscribe to us on YouTube here. 🔥 Follow Rich Beem:Twitter - https://bit.ly/3xggZoqInstagram - https://bit.ly/3xg9gXm This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit words.paulollinger.com/subscribe

Maitland Ward is an adult film star and author of a new book called Rated X: How Porn Liberated Me from Hollywood. Best known for her role as Rachel Maguire on Boy Meets World, Maitland enjoyed a successful career as a Hollywood actress before making the transition into the adult film industry. Her videos and photos on OnlyFans now earn her over $1 million per year. And that's in addition to the money she makes making adult films. Rated X is her first book, and I gotta tell you, I found it to be surprisingly well written. She's a good writer. You're also going to find her both smart, articulate and disarmingly normal. She's like a regular person who just happens to have a very, very unique job.In today's interview, we discuss how she got into acting in the first place, Maitland's experience on Boy Meets World, the cold indifference of Hollywood, which she experienced as she approached her 30th birthday, how and why she got started on OnlyFans, how her husband (that's right, her husband) and her parents (that's right, her parents) feel about her burgeoning career in pornography. How having sex on camera is an expression of her true identity and what she gets out of her work besides an enormous amount of money.Hey friend (this means you), please rate and review this episode of Crazy Money here. 💰Get Paul’s Substack newsletter here.✍️Also be sure to check out and subscribe to our new YouTube channel. 🔥Follow Maitland Ward:Twitter - https://bit.ly/2HaiNFgInstagram - https://bit.ly/3BnokVHRead Maitland's Book: Rated X - https://amz.run/5unt This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit words.paulollinger.com/subscribe

I've got a great conversation to share with you today about international banking, massive drug cartels and billions and laundered money. My first guest is Chris Blackhurst. He's the author of a book called Too Big to Jail: Inside HSBC, the Mexican drug cartels and the biggest banking scandal of the century. And if you think about that, we've already had a couple of big banking scandals, so this is a big one. The book tells the story of how HSBC ignored money laundering laws and processed BILLIONS in dirty cash for notorious drug lord and murderer El Chapo in the early 2000s and into the 2010s.One of the characters we meet in the book is a guy named Everett Stern, who was an anti money laundering compliance officer at HSBC. Everett saw how intentionally lax HSBC's methods were for identifying and reporting to the government suspicious activity going on within its banks. He turned whistleblower and started sharing his story with the CIA, Everett has appeared in the Netflix documentary Dirty Money, and he's written a book about his experience called Dark Money and Private Spies.💰If you enjoy Crazy Money, please leave us a rating here. 💰✍️Get Paul’s Substack newsletter here.✍️🔥Subscribe to us on YouTube here. 🔥Follow Everett & Chris on Twitter -Everett Stern - https://twitter.com/EverettStern1Chris Blackhurst - https://twitter.com/c_blackhurstToo Big to Jail: The Book - https://amz.run/5tl4Dark Money and Private Spies: The Book - https://amz.run/5tl6 This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit words.paulollinger.com/subscribe

Carlos Ghosn is the former CEO of both Renault and Nissan. Japanese authorities arrested him for (allegedly) paying himself tens-of-millions in unreported income (and some other shady stuff). Carlos escaped the brutal Japanese judicial system by having himself smuggled out of the country in a box! My guests Nick Kostov and Sean McLain are Wall Street Journal reporters whose new book, BOUNDLESS: The Rise, Fall, and Escape of Carlos Ghosn chronicles the former globe-trotting executive’s meteoric rise up the corporate ladder, fall from grace, and stunning escape that has left him an international fugitive. This story is *bonkers* and you have to hear it to believe it.💰If you enjoy Crazy Money, please leave us a rating here. 💰✍️Get Paul’s Substack newsletter here.✍️🔥Subscribe to us on YouTube here. 🔥  Follow Nick & Sean-Twitter - Nick Kostov https://twitter.com/Nick_Kostov |Sean McLain https://twitter.com/McLainSean'Boundless': The Book - https://amzn.to/3pEMEM0 This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit words.paulollinger.com/subscribe