Often when a corporation declares bankruptcy, that happens at the end of a long and difficult road. But entering bankruptcy proceedings also means setting out on a new and equally difficult road. That’s where Michael Lewis finds the subject of his next book, Sam Bankman-Fried. The company Bankman-Fried founded, FTX, entered bankruptcy late last year. For some perspective on what could be one of the messiest bankruptcy cases of recent times, Michael turns to David Skeel. Skeel is a professor of corporate law at the University of Pennsylvania and one of the foremost historians of bankruptcy in the US.

Send a question to Michael Lewis, and he might answer it on an upcoming episode of Against the Rules. Head to atrpodcast.com.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Why do people commit white-collar crimes? And how has the way we think about — and prosecute — white-collar criminals changed over time? As part of the background research for his next book, which is about Sam Bankman-Fried and FTX, Michael Lewis wants the historical view of financial fraudsters, embezzlers and Ponzi schemers. So he speaks with Eugene Soltes, professor at the Harvard Business School and author of Why They Do It: Inside the Mind of the White-Collar Criminal.

If you have a question for Michael Lewis about his writing process, head to atrpodcast.com.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

For his next book, Michael Lewis wants to find out how investigators manage to trace the murky trail of illicit crypto. Cryptocurrency started with the dream of cash changing hands without a trace. But that dream has turned into a nightmare for many would-be criminals. A new field has emerged of data geeks and law-enforcement experts trying to find out who’s behind transactions on the blockchain. Michael calls up Andy Greenberg, senior cybersecurity writer for WIRED and author of “Tracers in the Dark: The Global Hunt for the Crime Lords of Cryptocurrency” to find out how investigators crack the code of crypto. 

Questions for Michael? Submit them by visiting atrpodcast.com. 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Michael Lewis's next book is all about Sam Bankman-Fried, founder of the crypto-currency exchange FTX, who now faces federal charges. As with all of his books, Lewis is talking with experts to get background context on the world his characters inhabit. For the first time, these interviews will be recorded, on the record.In this special monthly series from Against the Rules, we'll hear Lewis in conversation with experts such as a tech wizard who traces secrets on the blockchain; a scholar of white-collar crime and punishment; a regulator who knows what crypto firms are – and aren’t – allowed to do with other people’s billions; and an insider who can follow the influence of crypto on campaign finance. “On Background” from Michael Lewis and Against the Rules drops monthly, starting February 14th, 2023.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Here’s a preview of a new Pushkin podcast, Story of the Week. Each week, journalist Joel Stein chooses an article that fascinates him, convinces the writer to tell him about it, and then interrupts a good conversation by talking about himself. Sometimes the story will be the one everyone is talking about, like the New Yorker article on smoking hallucinogenic toads. Other times, it’s a story you might have missed, like the one in the Verge about the rock groupie turned hacker who had huge corporations at her mercy. Stories that stick with you long after you forget whatever headline you just doom-scrolled through. In this preview, Joel is joined by Douglas Rushkoff to talk about his experience speaking to a group of tech billionaires in the middle of the desert. He thought he’d be chatting about the latest in tech advancements, but all these guys wanted to talk about was building doomsday bunkers.

Hear the full episode, and more from Story of the Week at https://podcasts.pushkin.fm/sotw?sid=atr.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We’re sharing a bonus episode from our friends at The Plot Thickens, a podcast from TCM about movies and the people who make them. Their new season is all about Pam Grier, the iconic Blaxploitation star of the 1970s. In this episode, we're taking you to Denver in the 1960s, where Pam grew up. She was a country girl during the Civil Rights era, and on her first trip to Los Angeles, she finds herself trapped there during the historic Watts Rebellion.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Michael Lewis is off working on a book about a guy who has been in the news this week: Sam Bankman-Fried, founder of the cryptocurrency exchange FTX.

Last week, in a matter of a few days, FTX collapsed and filed for bankruptcy, and Sam resigned. It's unclear if customers or investors will ever get their money back.

As it happens, our colleagues at the Pushkin show What's Your Problem? interviewed Sam earlier this year. 

We're all looking forward to the book about Sam. In the meantime, here is the interview from What's Your Problem?, along with a new analysis of what to make of the interview in light of the latest news.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This excerpt from Pushkin's new audiobook, The January 6 Tapes, features lawyer and legal analyst Preet Bharara's thoughtful breakdown of the January 6 Select Committee Hearings. The only compilation of the actual hearings, this audiobook is filled with the riveting testimonies that will define history. Go buy yourself a copy at pushkin.fm, Audible, Apple Books, Spotify or anywhere audiobooks are sold.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We’re sharing a bonus episode from another Pushkin podcast, Revisionist History. Revisionist History is Malcolm Gladwell’s podcast about things misunderstood and overlooked. This season, Malcolm’s obsessed with experiments – natural experiments, scientific experiments, thought experiments. In this preview, Revisionist History does a deep dive into the 90s sitcom, Will and Grace. Will and Grace was quietly revolutionary in changing our collective beliefs around gay marriage. Malcolm explores the show’s role in the widespread acceptance of gay marriage and looks at how television’s ability to change public opinion has changed with modern-day streaming. You can hear more from Revisionist History at https://podcasts.pushkin.fm/rh7?sid=atr.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Sharing a preview of Hot Money, a new podcast from our friends at the Financial Times and Pushkin. When Financial Times reporter Patricia Nilsson started digging into the porn industry, she made a shocking discovery: Nobody knew who controlled the biggest porn company in the world. Now, Nilsson and her editor, Alex Barker, have figured out who the guy was, and much more. Their reporting reveals a shadowy power structure that includes billionaires, tech geniuses and the most powerful finance companies in the world.

Follow the story and hear more Hot Money episodes at https://link.chtbl.com/atrhotmoney.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.