640. Why Governments Are Betting Big on ...

... of bad reviews, meager financing, or artificial intelligence. But he is worried that the world is full of sloppy thinkers who mistake facts for the truth. SOURCES: Werner Herzog, writer, filmmaker, and actor. RESOURCES: The Future of Truth, by Werner Herzog (2025). Every Man ... Show More

Existing drugs can sometimes be repurposed to treat rare diseases. But making that match can be hard — and the financial incentives are weak. Guest host Steve Levitt tries to solve the puzzle. SOURCES: Chris Snyder, professor of economics at Dartmouth College. David Fajgenbaum, c ... Show More

When Richard Thaler first published Nudge, the world was just starting to believe in his brand of behavioral economics. In this 2021 episode, we ask: How has nudge theory held up in the face of a global financial meltdown, a pandemic, and other existential crises? SOURCES:Richard ... Show More

Mohammed bin Salman may be the most influential person in global football, even though he doesn’t seem to like the game. In 2021, the Saudi millennial crown prince became the ultimate owner of Newcastle United, when the Premier League club was bought by Saudi Arabia’s sovereign w ... Show More

Rio Ferdinand is a former professional footballer, television pundit, and entrepreneur, widely regarded as one of the greatest defenders of his generation.Over a stellar career spanning nearly two decades, he rose to prominence at Manchester United, where he won six Premier Leagu ... Show More

It's been confirmed the FIFA World Cup will be returning to the Middle East in 10 years' time after FIFA awarded Saudi Arabia the hosting rights to the 2034 tournament. Securing football’s most high-profile tournament is just the latest example of the Kingdom’s growing influence ... Show More

Ben is an American investor and owner of Saudi football club Al-Kholood. He made history for being first non-Saudi to acquire a team in the Saudi Roshn League. Ben is also the founder of MSA Capital, a global investment firm managing over $2 billion in assets. On this episode, Mo ... Show More

The de facto ruler of Saudi Arabia Mohammed Bin Salman Al Saud buys Newcastle United Football Club from Mike Ashley via P.I.F investment vehicle. The Public Investment Fund is the sovereign wealth fund of Saudi Arabia. It is among the largest sovereign wealth funds in the world w ... Show More

Sovereign wealth funds, private equity, Hollywood actors; the world of sports has been undergoing an investing revolution.  The last few years have seen a quantum increase of new investors, investing both in sports and even their governing bodies, raising questions about potentia ... Show More

On this week’s episode of Stumped, should cricket care where its funding comes from?The International Cricket Council have announced a partnership with a Saudi state-owned oil company, raising issues of both sustainability and an association with a country that has a poor human r ... Show More

A multi-million pound takeover of the English Premier League team Newcastle United by Saudi Arabia's sovereign wealth fund could be in the works.BBC Sports reporter Alistair Magowan explains what we know so far about the deal. In the meantime Ellen R Wald, author of Saudi Inc, sp ... Show More

The sports ecosystem has exploded as an area of investment, with professional leagues loosening rules on private equity ownership, the value of media rights deals skyrocketing, and the many sports-adjacent businesses taking on new dimensions. In the first episode of a four-part s ... Show More

There's been two football tournaments in the United States this summer, the Club World Cup and the Gold Cup. Both with an ostensible Saudi feel, all part of grand plan to invest heavily in sport backed by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.Adam Leventhal has travelled to Miam ... Show More