How to Take Over the World - Ben Wilson

Latest Episodes:

Andrew Carnegie (Part 2) Dec 12, 2025

Show notes

Andrew Carnegie names his price. J.P. Morgan accepts. In a single moment, a poor Scottish immigrant becomes the richest man in the world. But that is just the beginning of Andrew Carnegie's story.

00:00 The Historic Deal: Carnegie and Morgan

02:50 Introduction to Part Two: Carnegie's Early Success

08:00 Navigating Recessions and Strategic Acquisitions

14:28 Labor Relations and Strikes

22:32 Carnegie's Reputation and Industry Dominance

30:39 Carnegie's Philanthropic Beginnings

31:45 The Sale to JP Morgan and US Steel Formation

40:54 Carnegie's Efforts for Peace and Anti-Colonialism

45:39 The Impact of World War I on Carnegie

47:33 Key Takeaways from Carnegie's Life

50:50 Conclusion

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Sponsors:⁠

David Senra Podcast

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Speechify⁠

The Classical Society

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Sources:⁠

Autobiography of Andrew Carnegie⁠⁠

Andrew Carnegie by David Nasaw

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Andrew Carnegie (Part 1) Dec 05, 2025

Show notes

The rise of Andrew Carnegie from a poor Scottish weaver's boy to becoming an American millionaire.
00:00 Introduction

03:00 Carnegie's Early Life and Inspirations

07:50 Coming to America

12:00 The Power of Self-Education

28:15 Becoming a Capitalist: The Adams Express Investment

36:30 Rapid Rise in the Railroad Industry

42:15 Carnegie's Role in the Civil War

50:30 Carnegie's Business Philosophy and Networking

56:15 Final Reflections and Takeaways
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Sponsors:
David Senra Podcast
Zashi Wallet
Speechify
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Sources:
Autobiography of Andrew Carnegie
Andrew Carnegie by David Nasaw

* This episode is brought to you by Helix Sleep. Go to HelixSleep.com/TakeOverPod for 20% off your purchase.

* This episode is brought to you by Incogni. Go to Incogni.com/takeover for 60% off.

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Ernest Shackleton (Remastered) Nov 20, 2025

Show notes

Description

This episode explores the extraordinary life of Ernest Shackleton and the impossible challenges he faced at the edge of the world. Through his failures, decisions, and unbreakable resolve, we uncover timeless lessons on leadership under extreme pressure.

00:00 The Endurance's Final Moments
02:19 Introduction to Ernest Shackleton
05:32 The Nimrod Expedition and Beyond
14:15 Setting Sail and Early Challenges
24:27 The Endurance is Crushed
35:10 Shackleton's Leadership and Shared Hardships
39:01 Launching the Boats to Elephant Island
47:17 Reaching Elephant Island
52:47 The Treacherous Voyage to South Georgia
01:05:27 Rescue and Return
01:07:05 Lessons from Shackleton's Expedition
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Founders Podcast

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Coaching⁠⁠

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Stay in touch:
Twitter/X: ⁠⁠⁠@BenWilsonTweets

⁠⁠⁠Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠@HTTOTW⁠⁠⁠

Email me: Ben@takeoverpod.com

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Sources:

Endurance: Shackleton's Incredible Voyage
South!: The Story of Shackleton's Last Expedition
Shackleton by Ranulph Fiennes

* This episode is brought to you by Helix Sleep. Go to HelixSleep.com/TakeOverPod for 20% off your purchase.

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Cleopatra (Part 2) Nov 14, 2025

Show notes

The latter half of Cleopatra's life, from the death of Caesar until her own death.
00:00 Cleopatra's Fall from Power
04:15 Meeting Mark Antony
11:00 Cleopatra and Antony's Alliance
21:40 The Birth of a New Dynasty
29:00 The Donations of Alexandria
35:00 The Final Civil War of the Roman Republic
38:00 The Battle of Actium
43:00 The Aftermath of Actium and Antony's Despair
47:38 The Tragic Deaths of Antony and Cleopatra
56:30 Cleopatra's Legacy and Final Reflections
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Sponsors:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
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GainsInBulk.com/ben⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ - Use code Ben for 20% off instantized creatine and more⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

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⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Founders Podcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Coaching⁠⁠
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Stay in touch:
Twitter/X: ⁠⁠⁠@BenWilsonTweets⁠⁠⁠

Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠@HTTOTW⁠⁠⁠

Email me: Ben@takeoverpod.com
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Sources:
⁠Plutarch's Life of Marc Antony⁠⁠

Cassius Dio Volumes V and VI⁠⁠

Cleopatra: A Life

* This episode is brought to you by Helix Sleep. Go to HelixSleep.com/TakeOverPod for 20% off your purchase.

* This episode is brought to you by Incogni. Go to Incogni.com/takeover for 60% off.

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Cleopatra (Part 1) Nov 11, 2025

Show notes

Cleopatra took over a kingdom, expanded it, captured the heart of the world's most powerful man, and lived one of the most iconic and controversial lives of all time. On this episode, we explore how she did it.

00:00 Caesar's Egyptian Dilemma

02:40 Introduction to Cleopatra

04:30 Cleopatra's Early Life and Education

14:40 Cleopatra's Rise to Power

24:00 The Encounter with Julius Caesar

31:00 The Siege of Alexandria

34:00 Cleopatra's Strategic Moves

49:00 Cleopatra's Public Relations in Rome

54:00 Key Takeaways from Cleopatra's Story

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Sponsors:

⁠⁠⁠HTTOTW Premium⁠⁠⁠ - For part 2, all endnotes, takeaways, and bonus episodes, subscribe to How to Take Over the World Premium⁠⁠⁠

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⁠GainsInBulk.com/ben⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ - Use code Ben for 20% off instantized creatine and more⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠Speechify.com/ben⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ - Use code Ben for 15% off Speechify premium

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Founders Podcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠Coaching⁠

---

Stay in touch:

Twitter/X: ⁠⁠@BenWilsonTweets⁠⁠

Instagram: ⁠⁠@HTTOTW⁠⁠

Email me: Ben@takeoverpod.com

Sources:

Plutarch's Life of Marc Antony

Cassius Dio Volumes V and VI

Cleopatra: A Life

* This episode is brought to you by Helix Sleep. Go to HelixSleep.com/TakeOverPod for 20% off your purchase.

* This episode is brought to you by Incogni. Go to Incogni.com/takeover for 60% off.

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Lee Kuan Yew (Video Version) Nov 09, 2025

Show notes

Lee Kuan Yew took a crowded, dirty, poor port town, and turned it into one of the world's great cities. How was he able to lead such an incredible transformation of Singapore?

00:00 Introduction

03:50 Early Life and Education

12:00 The Japanese Occupation and Its Impact

17:30 Post-War Singapore and the Road to Independence

24:45 The People's Action Party and Early Governance

37:30 Operation Coldstore and the Fight Against Communism

40:00 Ethnic Tensions and Operation Cold Store

41:15 Formation of Malaysia and Rising Tensions

42:30 Singapore's Expulsion and Independence

43:50 Lee Kuan Yew's Emotional Address

46:40 Building a Defense Strategy

51:20 Lee Kuan Yew's Ideology and Governance

59:00 Economic Growth and Development

01:06:20 Social Progress and Urban Development

01:15:00 Conclusion and Legacy

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Sponsors:

⁠⁠Zashi⁠⁠ for Z Cash

⁠HTTOTW Premium⁠ - For all endnotes, takeaways, and bonus episode, subscribe to How to Take Over the World Premium

GainsInBulk.com/ben⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ - Use code Ben for 20% off instantized creatine and more⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠Speechify.com/ben⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ - Use code Ben for 15% off Speechify premium

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Founders Podcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠Coaching

---

Stay in touch:

Twitter/X: ⁠@BenWilsonTweets⁠

Instagram: ⁠@HTTOTW⁠

Email me: Ben@takeoverpod.com

Sources:

⁠No Man Is An Island: A Portrait of Singapore's Lee Kuan Yew by James Minchin⁠

⁠Lee Kuan Yew: The Grandmaster's Insights on China, United States, and the World by Graham Allison, Michael McConnohie, et al.⁠

⁠From Third World to First by Lee Kuan Yew⁠

⁠Singapore: A Modern History by Michael D Barr⁠

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Writing, research, and production by Ben Wilson.

* This episode is brought to you by Helix Sleep. Go to HelixSleep.com/TakeOverPod for 20% off your purchase.

* This episode is brought to you by Incogni. Go to Incogni.com/takeover for 60% off.

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Zero to One Oct 31, 2025

Show notes

Thoughts on Peter Thiel's Zero to One.

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00:00 Why this episode

05:15 Horizontal vs. Vertical Progress

09:19 The Importance of Startups and Monopolies

23:33 Definite Optimism vs. Indefinite Optimism

37:10 Power Laws and Their Impact

45:58 The Importance of Company Foundations

46:51 Building a Strong Company Culture

50:47 The Role of Vision

51:47 The Cult-Like Nature of Successful Startups

53:21 The Necessity of Sales and Marketing

55:25 The Paradox of Founders

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- ⁠⁠⁠⁠Speechify.com/ben⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ - Use code Ben for 15% off Speechify premium

⁠⁠⁠⁠- ⁠⁠⁠⁠Founders Podcast⁠⁠⁠⁠

- Zashi

- Coaching

- Buy Zero to One

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Stay In Touch

- Sign up for the newsletter at ⁠⁠⁠⁠takeoverpod.com⁠⁠⁠⁠

- Twitter/X - ⁠⁠⁠⁠@BenWilsonTweets⁠⁠⁠⁠

- Instagram - ⁠⁠⁠⁠@HTTOTW

* This episode is brought to you by Helix Sleep. Go to HelixSleep.com/TakeOverPod for 20% off your purchase.

* This episode is brought to you by Incogni. Go to Incogni.com/takeover for 60% off.

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Nietzsche and Eternal Recurrence (Part 3) Oct 17, 2025

Show notes

This episode explores Friedrich Nietzsche's philosophy on how to live a life worthy of eternity. It delves into Nietzsche's concept of eternal recurrence, where one's life would have to be lived over and over again, and asks if such a life would be fulfilling and self-justifying.
00:00 Introduction: Measuring a Good Life
03:30 Eternal Recurrence: Thought Experiment or Truth?
08:30 Nietzsche's Moment of Affirmation
13:00 Instinct vs. Reason: Nietzsche's Perspective
17:00 The Singular Vision: Striving for Greatness
21:15 Understanding the Higher Self
22:00 Defining Yourself by Your Best Moments
22:40 The Importance of Mastering a Craft
26:45 The Metaphor of Dance in Life
34:35 Nietzsche's Life Advice
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- ⁠⁠Austin AI Lab⁠⁠
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- ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Speechify.com/ben⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ - Use code Ben for 15% off Speechify premium
⁠⁠⁠⁠- ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Founders Podcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
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Stay In Touch
- Sign up for the newsletter at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠takeoverpod.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
- Twitter/X - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@BenWilsonTweets⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
- Instagram - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@HTTOTW

* This episode is brought to you by Helix Sleep. Go to HelixSleep.com/TakeOverPod for 20% off your purchase.

* This episode is brought to you by Incogni. Go to Incogni.com/takeover for 60% off.

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Nietzsche and the Superhuman (Part 2) Oct 08, 2025

Show notes

The second half of Nietzsche's life, and his teachings about the superhuman (ubermensch) the last man, and the will to power.

00:00 Nietzsche's Radical Response to the Death of God
02:20 Nietzsche's Life and Career
06:00 Nietzsche's Views on Nationalism and Antisemitism
17:00 Nietzsche's Personal Struggles and Relationships
19:00 Nietzsche's Major Works and Philosophical Contributions
33:00 Debating the Cause of Nietzsche's Death
38:00 The Philosophy of the Superhuman
51:00 The Aristocratic Society
57:30 Will to Power: Nietzsche's Core Doctrine
01:07:30 Nietzsche's Philosophy Summarized
01:15:00 Nietzsche's Popularity and Misinterpretations

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⁠⁠⁠⁠- ⁠⁠⁠⁠Founders Podcast⁠⁠⁠⁠

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Stay In Touch

- Sign up for the newsletter at ⁠⁠⁠⁠takeoverpod.com⁠⁠⁠⁠

- Twitter/X - ⁠⁠⁠⁠@BenWilsonTweets⁠⁠⁠⁠

- Instagram - ⁠⁠⁠⁠@HTTOTW