DELVE

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Dec 17, 2024 • 32min

S5 | Powder Keg | Ep 10: The Chase To Medellin

We’ve come 12,000 kilometres from Auckland to Medellín, on the trail of Chris Ashenden, the chief executive of AG1. We don’t have his number or his address, but we think he lives here. Today’s Medellín is a vibrant city that’s attracting new investment and faces from around the world – but the legacy of drug lord Pablo Escobar and the paramilitaries still echoes in violence on the streets. You might expect us to pack Kevlar body armour for our visit. Instead, we pack our gym gear – because one thing we do know about Chris the Kiwi, is where he works out.Each episode is available first to subscribers to DELVE+. To listen early and ad-free to this show, to our bonus episodes, and to award-winning podcast The Boy in the Water and Melanie Reid’s latest investigation, Fractured, sign up to DELVE+.Sign up to DELVE+ to get early access to new episodes and listen to all four seasons of our award-winning The Boy in the Water podcast, both seasons of Fractured, the explosive Powder Keg and Satanic Panic: Peter Ellis, the Creche Case & Me, all ad-free. Presented by investigations editor Melanie Reid. Discover more at Newsroom.co.nz and search for Melanie Reid Investigates on Facebook and Instagram. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Dec 17, 2024 • 40min

S5 | Powder Keg | Ep 9: Chopped Liver

The US Food and Drug Administration reveals it’s received 118 adverse event complaints from AG1 users – this year alone. In particular, there are 30-plus reports of liver harm in 2023 and 2024.  The billion dollar company dismisses the liver harm complaints as “extremely rare”, saying it can be caused by a range of things such as alcoholic liver injury, viral hepatitis and autoimmune disease. The FDA hasn’t investigated the complaints to confirm whether they are indeed caused by AG1 – but some consumers and scientists are calling for an official investigation into this glamour product championed by superstar influencers.Each episode is available first to subscribers to DELVE+. To listen early and ad-free to this show, to our bonus episodes, and to award-winning podcast The Boy in the Water and Melanie Reid’s latest investigation, Fractured, sign up to DELVE+.Sign up to DELVE+ to get early access to new episodes and listen to all four seasons of our award-winning The Boy in the Water podcast, both seasons of Fractured, the explosive Powder Keg and Satanic Panic: Peter Ellis, the Creche Case & Me, all ad-free. Presented by investigations editor Melanie Reid. Discover more at Newsroom.co.nz and search for Melanie Reid Investigates on Facebook and Instagram. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Dec 10, 2024 • 29min

S5 | Powder Keg | Ep 8: The Powder Of Science

We talk to people like Andy and Lisa who’ve used AG1 – and they’re not happy. They want to know what’s in the green powder supplement, in what quantities – and whether there’s any scientific evidence it has any health benefits. That’s a good question. So we bring in four world-leading university nutritionists and toxicologists to critique the research. They’re concerned there’s no gold standard large-scale clinical trial – and most of AG1’s published research is in a few controversial pay-to-play journals. The professors warn consumers can have little confidence there’s any credible science underpinning this expensive daily supplement.Each episode is available first to subscribers to DELVE+. To listen early and ad-free to this show, to our bonus episodes, and to award-winning podcast The Boy in the Water and Melanie Reid’s latest investigation, Fractured, sign up to DELVE+.Sign up to DELVE+ to get early access to new episodes and listen to all four seasons of our award-winning The Boy in the Water podcast, both seasons of Fractured, the explosive Powder Keg and Satanic Panic: Peter Ellis, the Creche Case & Me, all ad-free. Presented by investigations editor Melanie Reid. Discover more at Newsroom.co.nz and search for Melanie Reid Investigates on Facebook and Instagram. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Dec 3, 2024 • 40min

S5 | Powder Keg | Ep 7: Played In NZ

For years, AG1 has boasted of being ‘Made in New Zealand’. But where is its mystery factory? We track down a little-known contract manufacturing company in the sunny city of Nelson – and discover a much darker story. Despite trading off New Zealand’s clean, green brand, AG1 has been quietly shifting its production to America. In the past year, this has cost nearly 180 New Zealanders their jobs – and piqued the interest of the country’s commerce regulator. If AG1’s 700,000 customers can’t trust the ‘Made in New Zealand’ claim – how can they trust the other claims on the label? Each episode is available first to subscribers to DELVE+. To listen early and ad-free to this show, to our bonus episodes, and to award-winning podcast The Boy in the Water and Melanie Reid’s latest investigation, Fractured, sign up to DELVE+.Sign up to DELVE+ to get early access to new episodes and listen to all four seasons of our award-winning The Boy in the Water podcast, both seasons of Fractured, the explosive Powder Keg and Satanic Panic: Peter Ellis, the Creche Case & Me, all ad-free. Presented by investigations editor Melanie Reid. Discover more at Newsroom.co.nz and search for Melanie Reid Investigates on Facebook and Instagram. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Nov 26, 2024 • 41min

S5 | Powder Keg | Ep 6: Marketing Mania

Joe Rogan is one of the world’s wealthiest influencers – and we’re told AG1 is one of his best clients, paying him about $10 million a year to promote its popular green powder. Scientist Dr Andrew Huberman gets about $2 million. Gwyneth Paltrow, Formula 1’s Sir Lewis Hamilton, Olympic champion Allyson Felix … the list goes on. AG1 is the OG of influencer marketing; it spends more on audio than just about any other company in the world. But are the company and its well-paid ambassadors being upfront? Some customers say they’ve been persuaded to drink a supplement that they now believe has impacted their health. The Food and Drug Administration has had 118 reports of harm from AG1 users and their doctors, this year alone. Each episode is available first to subscribers to DELVE+. To listen early and ad-free to this show, to our bonus episodes, and to award-winning podcast The Boy in the Water and Melanie Reid’s latest investigation, Fractured, sign up to DELVE+.Sign up to DELVE+ to get early access to new episodes and listen to all four seasons of our award-winning The Boy in the Water podcast, both seasons of Fractured, the explosive Powder Keg and Satanic Panic: Peter Ellis, the Creche Case & Me, all ad-free. Presented by investigations editor Melanie Reid. Discover more at Newsroom.co.nz and search for Melanie Reid Investigates on Facebook and Instagram. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Nov 19, 2024 • 40min

S5 | Powder Keg | Ep 5: A Flop And A Skip

A leaked recording reveals the Kiwi founder of billion-dollar supplements firm AG1 misrepresented his criminal history in public statements and in a meeting with the company’s president and staff, just this year. Chris Ashenden’s high-powered American lawyer claimed he had never been charged with a crime, or convicted of a crime, or been the subject of an arrest warrant – but none of those things was correct.  We listen to the recording alongside Anita Mika, who lost her home in Chris’s property scheme. Her sister also lost her home – but she died without seeing justice done. ‘We can forgive, but we never forget,’ Anita says. Each episode is available first to subscribers to DELVE+. To listen early and ad-free to this show, to our bonus episodes, and to award-winning podcast The Boy in the Water and Melanie Reid’s latest investigation, Fractured, sign up to DELVE+.Sign up to DELVE+ to get early access to new episodes and listen to all four seasons of our award-winning The Boy in the Water podcast, both seasons of Fractured, the explosive Powder Keg and Satanic Panic: Peter Ellis, the Creche Case & Me, all ad-free. Presented by investigations editor Melanie Reid. Discover more at Newsroom.co.nz and search for Melanie Reid Investigates on Facebook and Instagram. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Nov 12, 2024 • 29min

S5 | Powder Keg | Ep 4: The Antagonists

Travelling to New Zealand’s southernmost city, with a chill wind that feels like it’s blowing off Antarctica, we discover it was a woman named Dee Chisholm who first blew the whistle on Chris the Kiwi’s criminal property schemes.  But tracking her down won’t be easy…until we drive out to a small remote mining village called Nightcaps. Everyone has secrets. And in this episode, we finally meet the protagonists – some might call them antagonists – who faced off in former police officer Chris Ashenden’s first clash with the law. It won’t be his last…the story of AG1, the world’s favourite green powder supplement, is blowing up big. Each episode is available first to subscribers to DELVE+. To listen early and ad-free to this show, to our bonus episodes, and to award-winning podcast The Boy in the Water and Melanie Reid’s latest investigation, Fractured, sign up to DELVE+.Sign up to DELVE+ to get early access to new episodes and listen to all four seasons of our award-winning The Boy in the Water podcast, both seasons of Fractured, the explosive Powder Keg and Satanic Panic: Peter Ellis, the Creche Case & Me, all ad-free. Presented by investigations editor Melanie Reid. Discover more at Newsroom.co.nz and search for Melanie Reid Investigates on Facebook and Instagram. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Nov 5, 2024 • 31min

S5 | Powder Keg | Ep 3: The Asshole Of The World

We track down families who lost their homes in 'Chris the Kiwi’ Ashenden’s property dealings. And what happens next is what Powder Keg, the podcast, is all about – Ashenden, his unorthodox billion-dollar business and his magical mystery powder.  All we know is that his company AG1 is headquartered at an address in Carson City, Nevada. If it comes to the crunch and he doesn’t front, we’ll need to go there to talk with the company’s founder. What we didn’t know is the story of criminal offending that will emerge – a story that Chris the Kiwi didn’t want told. Listen to the first 3 episodes now. Episode 4 is available first to subscribers to DELVE+. To listen early and ad-free to this show, to our bonus episodes, and to award-winning podcast The Boy in the Water and Melanie Reid’s latest investigation, Fractured, sign up to DELVE+.Sign up to DELVE+ to get early access to new episodes and listen to all four seasons of our award-winning The Boy in the Water podcast, both seasons of Fractured, the explosive Powder Keg and Satanic Panic: Peter Ellis, the Creche Case & Me, all ad-free. Presented by investigations editor Melanie Reid. Discover more at Newsroom.co.nz and search for Melanie Reid Investigates on Facebook and Instagram. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Oct 30, 2024 • 27min

S5 | Powder Keg | Ep 2: The Untold NZ Story

Mike Wesley-Smith, investigative journalist and former criminal defence lawyer, joins the investigation. He helps dig into Athletic Greens’ rise, the product’s 75-ingredient mystery and celebrity hype. They probe founder Chris Ashenden’s hidden past, bankruptcies and commerce prosecutions. The team plans on-the-ground reporting in Invercargill to interview people affected by property and legal fallout.
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Oct 30, 2024 • 27min

S5 | Powder Keg | Ep 1: Meet Chris Ashenden

Chris Ashenden, entrepreneur and founder of Athletic Greens (AG1), built a billion-dollar green supplement brand backed by celebrities. The conversation traces AG1’s meteoric rise, its marketing pivot from athletes to mainstream America. It digs into PR evasiveness, advertising ubiquity on podcasts, regulatory complaints and a journalist’s personal trial of the product.

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