Desperate Acts of Capitalism Podcast

Latest Episodes:

77: Soylent Jun 26, 2026

Show notes

Soylent had a moment in the mid 2010s, but now its star is falling. But why are so many Soylent copycats succeeding today, when the original meal replacement brand continues to flounder? Have the Soy Boys won the long march through the institutions? Join us on today's epic soyventure. Edited and thumbnail by Braden JOIN US ON PATREON FOR EARLY EPISODE RELEASES, BONUS CONTENT, AND MORE: www.patreon.com/desperateactsofcapitalism BIG THINGS ARE COMING Sources: Soylent: How I Stopped Eating for 30 Days https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t8NCigh54jg One of the Calif. tech world’s saddest inventions has been hemorrhaging cash https://www.sfgate.com/food/article/california-tech-world-soylent-scrambling-adapt-21219237.php The End of Food https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2014/05/12/the-end-of-food Let Them Eat Goo https://www.nytimes.com/2026/02/02/dining/food-pouches-soylent.html Admit It, That Protein Shake Is Basically Soylent https://www.theatlantic.com/health/2026/05/soylent-protein-shake/687120/ Know Your Meme: Two Soyjaks Pointing https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/two-soyjaks-pointing

76: Private Equity Mar 27, 2026

Show notes

What is private equity anyway? This week, DAOC goes back to basics, to discuss the history and function of private equity. Edited by Braden JOIN US ON PATREON FOR EARLY EPISODE RELEASES, BONUS CONTENT, AND MORE: www.patreon.com/desperateactsofcapitalism BIG THINGS ARE COMING Sources: https://www.nytimes.com/2002/01/02/news/markets-investing-junk-bonds-still-have-fans-despite-a-dismal-showing-in-2001.html https://www.nytimes.com/2002/09/01/business/investing-time-to-jump-back-into-junk-bonds.html https://www.cnbc.com/video/2024/02/12/global-entrepreneur-tony-robbins-talks-investing-in-private-equity.html https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=3623820

75: Vine Jan 09, 2026

Show notes

Vine spawned some of the internet's most memorable videos, many of which are still circulating the meme economy today. So why did it collapse so quickly? And how could its current reincarnation, Divine, solve the AI slop crisis plaguing other platforms? Edited and thumbnail by Noah JOIN US ON PATREON FOR EARLY EPISODE RELEASES, BONUS CONTENT, AND MORE: www.patreon.com/desperateactsofcapitalism BIG THINGS ARE COMING Sources: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1M4eIphOKInXXC2ZcSQOAvU_slyfApBsfAhJpG_pyeZc/edit?usp=sharing

74: Action Park Dec 05, 2025

Show notes

What if there was an amusement park where management literally did not care about safety? What if the danger of dying was part of the allure? What if millions of people flocked to the park to experience a culture of lawlessness, free from the harsh rules and draconian safety precautions of most theme parks? Today we’re going to explore the history of Action Park. Edited and thumbnail by Noah JOIN US ON PATREON FOR EARLY EPISODE RELEASES, BONUS CONTENT, AND MORE: www.patreon.com/desperateactsofcapitalism BIG THINGS ARE COMING Sources: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Action_Park Class Action Park Directed by Seth Porges and Chris Charles Scott III, HBO Max, 2020.

73: The Dotcom Bubble Nov 07, 2025

Show notes

Radical dude! On this week's episode we dive in to the world of crooked IPOs, the birth of retail investing, and explore the second most famous stock market crash in recent history. Edited and thumbnail by Noah JOIN US ON PATREON FOR EARLY EPISODE RELEASES, BONUS CONTENT, AND MORE: www.patreon.com/desperateactsofcapitalism BIG THINGS ARE COMING Sources: https://companiesmarketcap.com/cisco/stock-price-history/ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TnazfW1T-ks https://archive.org/details/digitalphoenixwh00abra

72: Jane Street Oct 10, 2025

Show notes

What happens when you give 3,000 Magic the Gathering nerds billions in capital, a dream, and a poorly regulated options market? Crime. This episode is about Jane Street. Edited and thumbnail by Noah JOIN US ON PATREON FOR EARLY EPISODE RELEASES, BONUS CONTENT, AND MORE: www.patreon.com/desperateactsofcapitalism BIG THINGS ARE COMING Sources: Why Jane Street, a US trading giant, is in trouble in India https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c5y0zgrevl1o Jane Street invested in start-up turning China’s noodle shop sales into securities https://www-ft-com.ezp-prod1.hul.harvard.edu/content/112bd653-35c0-4d12-b9af-2c1d38d0e90d Jane Street Strategy and Product Internship, May-August https://www.janestreet.com/join-jane-street/position/7828490002/ How the hell did Jane Street alumni end up creating FTX? https://www.ft.com/content/679d0fa9-8491-44f5-8336-f390d6c877fe Jane Street: the top Wall Street firm ‘no one’s heard of’ https://www.ft.com/content/81811f27-4a8f-4941-99b3-2762cae76542 Jane Street is big. Like, really, really big https://www.ft.com/content/54671865-4c7f-4692-a879-867ef68f0bde Wealthy Wall Street recluse claims he was duped by Harvard fellow into funding weapons for alleged coup in South Sudan https://www.the-independent.com/news/world/americas/crime/south-sudan-coup-peter-ajak-b2777162.html

71: Woodstock '99 Sep 12, 2025

Show notes

Content warning: This episode contains a couple brief sections discussing sexual assault and rape, so listener discretion is advised. As you stand in the 100 degree heat, finishing the last sip of your $28 water bottle, covered in mud and suffering from trench foot, the music of Limp Bizkit echoes in the distance. "Am I in hell?" You ask yourself. No, you're at Woodstock '99. And the chaos is just getting started. Today we'll explore the insane history behind one of the most infamous music festivals of all time. Edited and thumbnail by Noah JOIN US ON PATREON FOR EARLY EPISODE RELEASES, BONUS CONTENT, AND MORE: www.patreon.com/desperateactsofcapitalism BIG THINGS ARE COMING

70: Klarna Aug 15, 2025

Show notes

In a world where hot dogs are harder to buy, and brands drown in the muck of online retail, a hero rises from the ashes to offer predatory unsecured loans through an app. That hero's name? Klarna. Edited and thumbnail by Noah JOIN US ON PATREON FOR EARLY EPISODE RELEASES, BONUS CONTENT, AND MORE: www.patreon.com/desperateactsofcapitalism BIG THINGS ARE COMING Sources: 1) https://www.expressen.se/ekonomi/klarna-miljardaren-berattar-om-de-skakande-anklagelserna/ 2) https://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/technology-startup100/8428669/Start-Up-100-A-Z.html 3) https://owp.klarna.com/legacy/assets/sites/15/2021/05/28054804/Financial-Update-Q1-2021.pdf https://techcrunch.com/2021/06/04/as-buy-now-pay-later-startups-keep-raising-capital-a-dive-into-klarna-afterpay-and-affirms-earnings/ 4) https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2022/jul/11/klarna-sees-its-value-slashed-by-85-in-latest-round-of-fundraising https://www.reuters.com/business/finance/klarnas-valuation-slumps-67-bln-with-800-mln-raise-2022-07-11/ 5) https://www.theguardian.com/business/2022/may/04/klarna-to-start-reporting-uk-customer-debts-to-credit-agencies 6) https://www.theguardian.com/money/2018/nov/17/klarna-buy-now-pay-later-system-that-is-seducing-millennials 7) https://techcrunch.com/2025/05/21/klarna-used-an-ai-avatar-of-its-ceo-to-deliver-earnings-it-said/ 8) https://techcrunch.com/2025/05/21/klarna-used-an-ai-avatar-of-its-ceo-to-deliver-earnings-it-said/ 9 ) https://www.paymentsdive.com/news/cfpb-buy-now-pay-later-bnpl-use-debt-research-report/737285/

69: The Salad Oil Scandal Jul 18, 2025

Show notes

His grease stains menaced warehouse shelves from Brazil to Calcutta. He was elusive man, an oil man, whose mob ties were debated in hushed tones in New York country clubs. This is how Anthony "Tino" De Angelis swindled America to the brink of recession. Edited and thumbnail by Noah Sources: https://pastebin.com/ixvnrcSZ JOIN US ON PATREON FOR EARLY EPISODE RELEASES, BONUS CONTENT, AND MORE: www.patreon.com/desperateactsofcapitalism BIG THINGS ARE COMING

68: Katy Perry Jun 20, 2025

Show notes

Content warning: This episode contains descriptions of sexual assault and racism. Do you ever feel already buried deep? Six feet under screams, but no one seems to hear a thing. Today we explore the strange and often controversial history of Katheryn Elizabeth Hudson, better known as Katy Perry, and examine her legacy both on earth and beyond. Edited and thumbnail by Noah Sources: https://pastebin.com/TfTXt8UD JOIN US ON PATREON FOR EARLY EPISODE RELEASES, BONUS CONTENT, AND MORE: www.patreon.com/desperateactsofcapitalism BIG THINGS ARE COMING

Our TOPPODCAST Picks

Follow Us

Stay Connected

Desperate Acts of Capitalism Podcast

Related Podcasts

Links

Stay Connected