logo
episode-header-image
May 2024
46m 33s

587. Should Companies Be Owned by Their ...

Freakonomics Radio + Stitcher
About this episode

The employee ownership movement is growing, and one of its biggest champions is also a private equity heavyweight. Is this meaningful change, or just window dressing?

 

  • SOURCES:
    • Marjorie Kelly, distinguished senior fellow at The Democracy Collaborative.
    • Corey Rosen, founder and senior staff member of the National Center for Employee Ownership.
    • Pete Stavros, co-head of Global Private Equity at KKR.

 

 

Up next
Yesterday
640. Why Governments Are Betting Big on Sports
The Gulf States and China are spending billions to build stadiums and buy up teams — but what are they really buying? And can an entrepreneur from Cincinnati make his own billions by bringing baseball to Dubai? SOURCES:Simon Chadwick, professor of afroeurasian sport at Emlyon Bus ... Show More
50m 12s
Jul 9
How to Make Your Own Luck (Update)
Before she decided to become a poker pro, Maria Konnikova didn’t know how many cards are in a deck. But she did have a Ph.D. in psychology, a brilliant coach, and a burning desire to know whether life is driven more by skill or chance. She found some answers in poker — and she’s ... Show More
58m 7s
Jul 4
639. “This Country Kicks My Ass All the Time”
Cory Booker on the politics of fear, the politics of hope, and how to split the difference. SOURCES:Cory Booker, senior United States Senator from New Jersey. RESOURCES:"'When Are More Americans Going to Speak Up?'" by The New Yorker Radio Hour (2025)."Cory Booker’s Marathon Floo ... Show More
53m 46s
Recommended Episodes
Apr 2024
193. Are You as Conscientious as You Think You Are?
Is it really that important to make your bed? What’s the benefit of hiring a lazy person? And how many cups of spinach can Mike fit in a red Solo cup?  Take the Big Five inventory: freakonomics.com/bigfive SOURCES:David Barack, philosopher and neuroscientist at the University of ... Show More
39m 28s
Apr 2024
Should You Get Out of Your Comfort Zone?
What do the most creative people have in common?  How open-minded are you, really? And what’s wrong with ordering eggs Benedict? Take the Big Five inventory: freakonomics.com/bigfive SOURCES:Max Bennett, co-founder and C.E.O. of Alby.David Epstein, author and journalist.Ayelet Fi ... Show More
40m 24s
Mar 2024
186. Do You Need a Routine?
Would you be more adventurous if you had more structure? Do you multitask while brushing your teeth? And what would Mike’s perfect brother Peter do?  SOURCES:David Brooks, opinion columnist for The New York Times.Colin Camerer, professor of economics at the California Institute o ... Show More
38m 34s
Feb 2024
184. Are You Doing Too Much?
How can you strive for excellence without overworking yourself? Why is perfectionism on the rise? And is Angela part of the problem? SOURCES:Kristin Andrus, philanthropist.Aaron (Tim) Beck, professor emeritus of psychiatry at the University of Pennsylvania.Thomas Curran, professo ... Show More
40m 51s
Aug 2019
Workplace Culture Conflicts
Are you at odds with your company’s culture? Dan and Alison answer your questions with the help of Alicia Tillman, the CMO of SAP. They talk through what to do when your company celebrates one kind of worker and ignores others, everyone seems to fit in but you, or a hard-charging ... Show More
30m 51s
May 2024
195. Can You Be Too Nice?
Where is the line between a good guy and a doormat? Do people with sharp elbows make more money? And why did Angela’s mother give away her birthday present?Take the Big Five inventory: freakonomics.com/bigfive SOURCES:Kristen Bell, actor.Jeff Bezos, founder and executive chairman ... Show More
38m 48s
Nov 2023
170. Are We Getting Lonelier?
How can you be lonely when so many people showed up at your birthday party? Can you fight loneliness by managing expectations? And where can you find company while enjoying the best garlic cheeseburger in the greater Salt Lake City metro area? RESOURCES:"Surgeon General: We Have ... Show More
30m 15s
Mar 2018
Does America Have a Monopoly Problem?
“Politicians from both parties publicly worship the solemn dignity of entrepreneurship and small businesses. But by the numbers, America has become the land of the big and the home of the consolidated,” writes The Atlantic’s Derek Thompson. In a time when Americans have lost fait ... Show More
47m 6s
Apr 2021
Ownership Is Key (with Sam Polk)
Everytable founder, Sam Polk, wants to change the way we do business by not only creating jobs, but going a step further to create wealth-building, ownership opportunities through a social franchise model. In this episode, we follow Sam’s journey from Wall Street tycoon, to nonpr ... Show More
33m 39s
Oct 2022
4 Business Ideas That Changed the World: Shareholder Value
The idea that maximizing shareholder value takes legal and practical precedence above all else first came to prominence in the 1970s. The person who arguably did the most to advance the idea was the business school professor Michael Jensen, who wrote in Harvard Business Review an ... Show More
43m 46s