Big Take

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Latest Episodes:

How a Libertarian Island Experiment Became an $11 Billion Nightmare Feb 17, 2025

Show notes

Prospera is a city-state operated by a private company on the Honduran island of Roatan. It offers businesses single-digit tax rates and the ability to choose their own regulations. Its proponents have touted it as a poverty relief initiative for the country and as the most ambitious experiment in self-governance ever undertaken.
But that dream is now facing an existential crisis. A little more than a decade after Honduras changed its constitution to allow for places like Prospera, a new political party is in charge — and they’re looking to shut the whole thing down.
On today’s Big Take podcast, Bloomberg Industry Group’s Umar Farooq and Bloomberg’s Michael McDonald join host Sarah Holder to break down the $11 billion battle over the fate of a special economic zone in the Caribbean.

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It’s Not You. There’s a Dating Recession Happening Right Now Feb 14, 2025

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This Valentine’s Day, as many as 13 million more Americans are single than before the pandemic.

On today’s Big Take podcast, Bloomberg reporter Ben Steverman shares what he’s learned about the cause of this love slump and how it’s taking a toll on Americans’ hearts and on the US economy. And host Sarah Holder meets a group of singles taking matters into their own hands.

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How Intel Lost Its Edge Feb 12, 2025

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Intel invented computer processors and was a dominant supplier of chips for decades. Now AI is fuelling record demand for next-generation chips. But Bloomberg’s Ian King says Intel is no longer the go-to partner for the global tech industry, and the company is at risk of disappearing. What went wrong?

Today on the show: The rise and fall of Intel, and where it could go from here.

Read Ian King’s coverage of Intel.

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China’s New Game Plan for Dealing With Trump Tariffs Feb 11, 2025

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As US President Donald Trump imposes new tariffs on China, Xi Jinping's government has had a far more muted response than it did during the trade war in Trump’s first term.

On today’s Big Take Asia Podcast, host K. Oanh Ha is joined by Bloomberg editor Jenni Marsh and Bloomberg Opinion columnist Shuli Ren to unpack China’s response to Trump’s barrage of tariffs and discuss what’s at risk for both countries if they find themselves in another trade war.

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For European Start-Ups, Valuation Depends On Location, Location, Location Feb 10, 2025

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Financial markets in Europe have long been fragmented and constrained, driving home-grown startups to list and raise capital in the US. Now, Europe is trying to reverse the trend. Can it hold onto innovative firms — and talent?

Today on the show, host Sarah Holder talks to Bloomberg’s Sagarika Jaisinghani about why location matters so much for startups and what Europe’s challenges mean for the region’s economic outlook.
Read more: Broken Markets Hold Back Europe as Trump Amps Up the Pressure

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How Much Is a Wall Street Bonus Really Worth? Feb 07, 2025

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It’s bonus season on Wall Street. But if you work for a bank, you know that the number you’re quoted is almost never the number you get when it comes time for that bonus to pay out.

On today’s Big Take podcast, global finance reporter Laura Noonan shares what she learned by crunching the numbers on which banks deliver more or less than they promised.

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What Economists Talk About When They Talk About AI Feb 05, 2025

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Silicon Valley tech leaders have been brimming with optimism in recent years about the future of artificial intelligence — and investors have bet big on the transformational power of the technology.

Then last week, China’s DeepSeek emerged as a disruptive force and the value of Nvidia Corp. fell by half a trillion dollars. More than ever, investors are wondering about whether big bets on AI will pay off in the long run.
Bloomberg Economics Chief Economist Tom Orlik sees three cases for how AI could reshape the global economy, ranging from the rosy to the dystopian. On today’s Big Take podcast, he and host David Gura break them down and explore what that future may hold not just for companies and investors — but for us all.
Read more: AI Has Rocked the Stock Market, But What Will It Do for the Economy?

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What's Behind Gold's Record Rally Jan 31, 2025

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Shuibei, in southern China, is home to one of the world's biggest retail markets for gold. Over the past year, it's seen a boom in demand for the jewelry, sold by thousands of stallholders, as the Chinese property crisis and slowing economy spurred a flight into gold. So much so that Chinese consumers helped propel the global gold price to record highs in 2024.

On today's Big Take Asia podcast, K. Oanh Ha talks to Bloomberg's Chongjing Li about the enduring appeal of the precious metal in China, and what lies ahead.

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A Uranium Mine, the Navajo Nation and a Six-Month Standoff Jan 30, 2025

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On Wednesday, the Navajo Nation and the mining company, Energy Fuels Inc., announced a new agreement detailing how uranium could be transported through tribal lands.

The agreement ends a stalemate between the two parties. And it comes at a time when interest in nuclear energy — and the cost of the uranium that fuels it — is surging.

On today’s Big Take podcast, Bloomberg’s Jacob Lorinc joins host Sarah Holder to break down the painful history of uranium mining in the Navajo Nation and what the dispute reveals about the human costs of “clean power.”

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How Trump and Musk Are Testing Boeing’s Path to Recovery Jan 29, 2025

Show notes

It’s been a tough stretch for Boeing. Its new CEO Kelly Ortberg is trying to rebuild public trust and turn the company’s finances around, all while navigating pressure from President Trump to deliver new Air Force One jets and working with the founder of one of Boeing’s chief rivals, Elon Musk.

On today’s Big Take podcast, Bloomberg senior aerospace reporter Julie Johnsson joins host David Gura to explain the turbulent road ahead for the US planemaker.

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