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Nov 2021
45m 35s

482. Is Venture Capital the Secret Sauce...

Freakonomics Radio + Stitcher
About this episode

The U.S. is home to seven of the world’s 10 biggest companies. How did that happen? The answer may come down to two little letters: V.C. Is venture capital good for society, or does it just help the rich get richer? Stephen Dubner invests the time to find out.

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