Behind the Money

Economists like to model people as rational creatures who make self-interested decisions. But humans don’t act that way. Why do investors, politicians and ordinary people act against their best interests – and how can they be nudged into making better decisions? To find out, FT economics commentator Chris Giles speaks to Richard Thaler, the founding father of behavioural economics. Thaler is a professor at the University of Chicago who won the 2017 Nobel Prize in Economics for his work on how humans make (often irrational) decisions.This is a repeat of an episode published on The Economics Show, a sister podcast of Behind the Money, on November 7, 2025. Subscribe to The Economics Show on Apple, Spotify, Pocket Casts or wherever you listen.Presented by Chris Giles. Produced by Mischa Frankl-Duval. Manuela Saragosa is the executive producer. Original music by Breen Turner. Sound design by Breen Turner and Samantha Giovinco. Our broadcast engineer is Andrew Georgiades. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Despite its relatively low profile, Fidelity Investments is a sprawling beast when it comes to financial services. Last year, the firm’s revenues surpassed the world’s largest asset manager, BlackRock, by more than 50 per cent. The FT’s Emma Dunkley explains how Fidelity has come to dominate the sector, the secrets behind its success, and what hurdles it may have to jump through in the coming years as new challenges for asset managers arise. The FT does not use generative AI to voice its podcasts.- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - For further reading:Can Fidelity keep its grip on America’s investments?The quiet queen of American financeHow Fidelity’s Ned Johnson defied the curse of the boss’s sonTrump opens US retirement plans to crypto and private equity investments- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Follow Emma Dunkley on X (@EmDunks). Michela Tindera is on X (@mtindera07) and Bluesky (@mtindera.ft.com), or follow her on LinkedIn for updates about the show and more.Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In the UK, whistleblowers are encouraged to report wrongdoing, but often at cost to their livelihoods and careers. One solution would be to pay corporate whistleblowers for coming forward. However, many in government have held the idea for years that doing so is not very “British.” But now, longtime opposition to the idea seems to be shifting. Suzi Ring, the FT’s legal correspondent in London, explains how and why. Plus, we speak with Nick Ephgrave, the director of the UK’s Serious Fraud Office, who is taking inspiration from his decades spent with London’s Metropolitan Police Service to try to change the system. Clips from ITVIf you missed part one of this series, listen to it here. The FT does not use generative AI to voice its podcasts.- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - For further reading:Should corporate whistleblowers get paid?Whistleblowers could earn millions as HMRC targets tax fraudUK SFO director pushes to pay whistleblowers and use covert tacticsCorporate whistleblowing in the UK needs a shake-up Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Behind the Money host Michela Tindera is on X (@mtindera07) and Bluesky (@mtindera.ft.com), or follow her on LinkedIn for updates about the show and more. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this special episode of Behind the Money, the FT’s senior business writer Andrew Hill interviews author Stephen Witt about his book The Thinking Machine: Jensen Huang, Nvidia, and the World’s Most Coveted Microchip. Witt and his book won the FT and Schroders Business Book of the Year for 2025. The FT does not use generative AI to voice its podcasts.- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - For further reading:In future ‘books could respond’ says winning author Stephen Witt FT and Schroders Business Book of the Year 2025 — the shortlist FT and Schroders Business Book of the Year 2025 — the longlist Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Follow Andrew Hill on X (@andrewtghill) or on Bluesky (@andrewtghill.ft.com) and Stephen Witt (@stephenwitt) on X. Michela Tindera is on X (@mtindera07) and Bluesky (@mtindera.ft.com), or follow her on LinkedIn for updates about the show and more. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

For years, corporate whistleblowers in the UK have found themselves in an unenviable predicament. They’re encouraged to report wrongdoing, but at the same time they often feel like they’ve risked everything: their careers and livelihoods in exchange for little. In this special two-part series, we explore why critics think this system is failing whistleblowers and what the UK can do to change things.In part one: We hear from two whistleblowers who share why they blew the whistle and what went wrong after. Plus, the FT’s financial regulation editor Martin Arnold and Mary Inman, the attorney who represented well-known whistleblowers such as Frances Haugen of Meta and Tyler Shultz of Theranos, discuss the systemic issues whistleblowers have faced in the UK. Part two airs next Monday, December 15.The FT does not use generative AI to voice its podcasts.- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - For further reading:Should corporate whistleblowers get paid?Whistleblowers could earn millions as HMRC targets tax fraudCorporate whistleblowing in the UK needs a shake-upAsset management: inside the scandal that rocked GAM - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Behind the Money host Michela Tindera is on X (@mtindera07) and Bluesky (@mtindera.ft.com), or follow her on LinkedIn for updates about the show and more.Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.