Corporate Gossip

We're BACK and starting off with an absolute banger! Sit back and enjoy the messy escapades of a bunch of horned up teenagers trapped in adult bodies: 23&Me Founder Anne Wojcicki, Google co-founder Sergey Brin, and A Bald Eagle's worst nightmare, Elon Musk. With cameos from RFK Jr (POST Brain Worm) and the corporate scandal Forrest Gump, Diane von Furstenberg, this episode is the WHOSE WHO of Silicon Valley hanky panky. We also update our listeners on the state of the podcast, including exciting changes around 1:11:00 Catch bonus episodes on Patreon View pictures on our Substack Support the pod by buying us a coffee Check out Mike's new studio!  Links:  The Doyenne of DNA Says: Just Chillax With Your Ex O.K., Glass: Make Google Eyes As 23andMe Struggles, Concerns Surface About Its Genetic Data

Don't forget to rate and review!  Becca and Adam talk about the Giggly Gain Grandpa: Bob Moore of Bob's Red Mill. But don't toss your oats just yet, this is a good episode. We'll teach you how to have a Bob Moore Summer (Perfecting your porridge, socializing the means of production, hyperfixating on hobbies, and being jolly) and restore your faith in CEOs.  Then we answer listener questions (37 min mark). THANK YOU! For another great season - we'll see you soon :)  Support the pod  Pics on substack Links: Bob's Red Mill: Securing The Future Through Employee Ownership Bob Moore, Who Founded Bob's Red Mill, Is Dead at 94 Executive greed is driving the labor shortage, says 93-year-old leader whose workers own 100% of the company

Put on your flower crowns and don your skinniest jeans and join us at the center of the Millennial universe: Coachella 2007!  Adam & Becca meet the personification of the turn of the century hipster entrepreneur, Dov Charney. Sitting atop a pile of v-neck t-shirts ethically made in the USA, Charney was somewhat of a renegade business oddity on wall-street. But for the 20-something dreamers that clamored for the brand's clothing, he was a captivating revolutionary. Their devotion, along with a bevy of young corporate employees, easily exploited under the guise of “a greater purpose,” allowed American Apparel to rapidly expand and IPO in 2007. The stores were everywhere you wanted to be… until they weren't.  Eventually, abuse allegations coupled with financial mismanagement threatened Charney's reign as king of t-shirt mountain. With the walls closing in on him, he spiraled out of control… taking the company he founded with him.  CW: Sexual abuse  Pics on substack Support the pod  Links:  Read Strip Tees: A Memoir of Millennial Los Angeles Watch Big Rad Wolf  The Young Garmentos (and the If Books Could Kill episode on Malcom Gladwell) Meet Your New Boss  Dov Charney's Sleazy Struggle for Control of American Apparel  

NO ONE does fraud like Eddie Antar, and Crazy Eddie is the bizarre story that got Becca hooked on fraud!  Adam, Becca, and their Dad Jeff pop a few ludes and drop down the rabbit hole into a 1970's New York City punk rock fever dream. They meet a young Eddie Antar scamming tourists in a seedy Time Square clip joint and follow his journey to become the eccentric millionaire founder of Crazy Eddie Electronics. Antar was a marketing genius, and by the mid 1980's commercials for the chain were inescapable, shoppers were practically screamed at to rush out to Crazy Eddie's because ‘HIS PRICES ARE INSANE!!!!'  The insane prices, of course, were facilitated by an elaborate criminal racket. Money laundering, insurance fraud, tax evasion, bribery, insider trading… Eddie Antar did it all! But when the cash begins to dry up, Eddie's increasingly desperate and brazen behavior puts him in the crosshairs of the SEC. That's when Eddie Antar became an international fugitive and left his family, who enabled and benefited from his behavior, holding the bag.  Support the pod  Pics on our Substack Links:  Read Retail Gangster: The Insane, Real-Life Story of Crazy Eddie  Crazy Eddie commercial from 1982 Remembering Crazy Eddie: His Prices Were Insane  

Why does doing taxes suck so much? Because Capitalism! Over the past 20 years, the lovable dweebs at the IRS have been on a quest to make filing personal taxes free and easy. They say America should be like other countries, where the government sends you a pre-filled tax return and all you have to do is sign-off. Seems like a no-brainer, right? Like what kind of deranged psychopath wouldn't want that?  Enter Intuit, maker of tax preparation software Turbo Tax, and their disgruntled band of lobbyists. Their entire business model depends on you being afraid to screw up your taxes. So they bribe lawmakers to over-complicate tax laws, threaten the government into underfunding the IRS, and run dubious misinformation campaigns alleging that free tax filing is somehow… racist?  The nefarious knuckleheads at Intuit would have gotten away with it too if it weren't for the determined efforts of Propublica journalists. They joined forces with the unlikely heroes at the IRS, and from a muggy basement office in Washington they stood up to Big Tax and won.  We

ANOTHER BONUS EPISODE! Becca & Adam talk to Evan Drellich, the author of Winning Fixes Everything: How Baseball's Brightest Minds Created Sports' Biggest Mess Read Winning Fixes Everything: How Baseball's Brightest Minds Created Sports' Biggest Mess Support the pod   

America's pastimes: Baseball and Fraud!  What happens when a bunch of fleece-vested jabronis take over a Major League Baseball team? Becca and Adam hop the fence at the stadium formerly known as Enron field and bring you the tea from the front-office of the Houston Astros.  Two years after the Astros won the World Series, the Athletic dropped a bombshell: the team had cheated. The public fallout was swift - fines were levied, rules were changed, and championships were threatened. The players and coaches bore the brunt of the blame, while the true schemers at the root of the scandal evaded scrutiny. That is until a group of tenacious reporters uncovered how Astros leadership were infected by the MBA-pilled corporate villains at McKinsey.  If you listened to our episode on McKinsey you know what happens next. Values were trashed as profits were maxed by any means possible. Ultimately, the Astros clubhouse became an environment where cheating was acceptable. Because after all, Winning Fixes Everything.  Listen to all of Season 4 on Patreon  Support the pod  Links:  Pics on our Substack Read Winning Fixes Everything: How Baseball's Brightest Minds Created Sports' Biggest Mess Watch The Astros Edge  The Astros opened baseball ops to McKinsey consultants, from scouting to R&D and the farm The Astros stole signs electronically in 2017 — part of a much broader issue for Major League Baseball  

If you thought Sumner Redstone was a degenerate, just WAIT until you meet his pervy protege, Les Moonves!  CBS CEO Les Moonves, aka “Mr. TV” is one of the most powerful men in Hollywood. He transformed CBS from a sleepy granny network into a ratings powerhouse with shows like Survivor, Big Brother, Criminal Minds, and The Big Bang Theory. The business part of this story is one Cheezy Blaster away from being a 30 Rock episode. The action behind closed doors on the other hand, feels more like Law & Order: SVU.  CW: Sexual abuse  Listen to all of Season 4 on Patreon  Support the pod Pics on substack Links:   Read Unscripted: The Epic Battle for a Media Empire and the Redstone Family Legacy Les Moonves' spectacular rise before his fall from grace Why Sumner Redstone's men; Leslie Moonves and Philippe Dauman; made a king's ransom Les Moonves and CBS Face Allegations of Sexual Misconduct Paramount+'s Existential Questions Leslie Moonves Fined $11K by L.A. City Ethics Commission for His Role in LAPD Scandal  

The Paramount / Viacom story is just like Bravo's Summer House, but SCARIER!  Our main character, Paramount CEO Sumner Redstone, is a horny teenager trapped in the body of a crusty old billionaire. At 92, despite being barely conscious, he was still chairman of TWO publicly traded companies.This real life  Weekend at Bernie's scheme was made possible by a group of executive-level lowlifes who took advantage of their absent boss and enriched themselves at the expense of shareholders. It wasn't until a group of unlikely heroes exposed the elder abuse taking place at Sumner's mansion that someone finally pulled the plug. But by then, the stench emanating from the geriatric bachelor pad was too strong for even the most devoted Paramount / Viacom supporters to ignore.  Join Becca and Adam as they tell the story of the unlikely rise and fall of Sumner Redstone and Paramount Global.  CW: Elder abuse, Sexual abuse  Listen to all of Season 4 on Patreon  Support the pod Pics on substack Links:  Read Unscripted: The Epic Battle for a Media Empire and the Redstone Family Legacy  The Cringey Sexcapades of a Horny Billionaire  Who Controls Sumner Redstone?  Viacom Is Having A Midlife Crisis   Spring Owl Activist Investor Deck  

Insys was the startup unicorn of the opioid crisis, and boy did they know how to party.  Becca & Adam meet Insys CEO John Kapoor and his rowdy band of crooked pharmaceutical reps as they slither their way through doctors offices across the country, pushing their marquee product: Fentanyl! The shady sales reps unleashed the powerful opioid on unsuspecting patients and bribed their doctors to increase dosages through an illegal kickback scheme. Eventually their shameless conspiracies and criminal shakedowns lead to a public meltdown and federal racketeering charges, but not before Kapoor could be crowned Forbes coverboy!  CW: Drug abuse  Links:  Pictures on our Substack The Pain Hustlers - NYT Expose  Read Pain Hustlers - the book An Opioid Spray Showered Billionaire John Kapoor In Riches. Now He's Feeling The Pain A potent painkiller, and the drug maker's marketing, are faulted in a woman's death Pharmaceutical Executive John Kapoor Sentenced To 66 Months In Prison In Opioid Trial Tracking the Opioid Settlement Cash

IT'S A BONUS EPISODE, BROTHER!  Becca and Adam talk with the author of Ringmaster, Josie Riesman Read Ringmaster by Josie Riesman Follow Josie on Instagram, her website josie.zone, or the book website Josie's article mentioned in the interview: Wrestling turned me cis, then it turned me trans

Welcome back brother!! Season 4 is here and ready to SMACKDOWN! WWE style. Binge ALL of Season 4 NOW on Patreon! We've seen this story before - a deeply traumatized child inherits their father's business and fills the void left by the adults that failed them with, what else… MONEY!!!! Rather than spend time examining his emotional shortcomings, Vince McMahon creates an alter ego, Mr. McMahon, to live out his darkest fantasies. But what happens when the CEO of a public company is also the greatest heel of all time? Find out as Becca and Adam step into the Hell in a Cell of the business of professional wrestling and battle through 60 years of the stinkiest secrets of World Wrestling Entertainment.  CW: Drugs, Sexual Abuse  Links:  Support the podcast Pics in our Substack Read Ringmaster by  Josie Riesman Now It Can Be Told: Those Pro Wrestlers Are Just Having Fun  2003 Vince McMahon on Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel Federal Prosecutors Investigate Vince McMahon Sex-Trafficking Allegations  

Hold on to your suspenders - Season 4 of the Corporate Gossip Podcast premieres June 7th! Don't want to wait for weekly episodes? Binge the whole season on June 7th at Patreon.com/corporategossip

It's the Season 3 Finale! We answer listener questions and meet the Yogurt King of New York:  Chobani's founder, Hamdi Ulkaya. From nomadic Turkish farmer to millionaire milk mogul, Ulkaya became known as the Anti-CEO, prioritizing people over profit and creating one of the fastest growing food companies in America.  If you liked this season don't forget to RATE AND REVIEW THE PODCAST  Support the pod by buying us a coffee Check out our reading list  Follow us on youtube, instagram, and tiktok Hosts: Becca Platsky (Becca@nitetoast.com) Adam Platsky (Adam@nitetoast.com)  Produced by: Michael Albanese @bigmanmike Support the pod by buying us a coffee Check out our reading list  Follow us on youtube, instagram, and tiktok Hosts: Becca Platsky (Becca@nitetoast.com) Adam Platsky (Adam@nitetoast.com)  Produced by: Michael Albanese @bigmanmike Timestamps & Links:  01:30 - Listener Questions How did you guys come up with this idea for the podcast? What's the best / juiciest piece of corporate gossip that didn't make the cut? Why are your seasons so short? I would pay for a subscription to get a weekly episode until the end of time! I'm a final year student in finance and I'm worried I have made a terrible mistake studying this degree, as it seems that corporations mostly cause more harm than [good], and benefits an elite few. is there any field you would recommend where I could use my degree for good? Is there a way that finance can be a force for good? Given the intricate web of corporate scandals involving entities like FTX, McKinsey, Koch Industries, SVB, etc. I'm curious to know: What common threads or distinct patterns have you observed across these cases, and how do these scandals reflect broader issues within the corporate landscape? Have there been any surprising twists or unique aspects in these stories that stand out to you guys, providing deeper insights into the world of corporate misconduct 18:00 - Chobani's Anti CEO  Links:  The Profile Dossier: Hamdi Ulukaya, the Shepherd-Turned-Billionaire CEO Chobani CEO says pulling IPO was one of the best decisions company has made Chobani hired hundreds of refugees at its plants. Average tenure now exceeds industry average Chobani's CEO is giving up to 10 percent of his company to employees Capitalism and Humanitarianism Can Coexist. Chobani's CEO Is Trying to Prove It  

In 2017 Carlos Ghosn was on top of the world, he was a Japanese national hero, renowned for bringing Nissan back to life from the brink of failure. His face was on the cover of magazines, his story was depicted in Manga, he even carried the torch at the Olympics in his home country of Brazil. His sudden arrest in 2018 for financial crimes was an unexpected twist in his story that made him the center of international intrigue. As extraordinary as his life had become, no one could have imagined what would come next...  Pictures & links on our substack Support the pod by buying us a coffee Check out our reading list  Follow us on youtube, instagram, and tiktok Hosts: Becca Platsky (Becca@nitetoast.com) Adam Platsky (Adam@nitetoast.com)  Produced by: Michael Albanese @bigmanmike Timestamps:  5:40 - CG#1: Carlos Ghosn joins the growing number of wayward CEOs with daddy issues  9:15 - CG#2:  Meet carlos's car daddy: Francois Michilin  17:40 - CG#3: It's time for Carlos' Makover montage!  31:25 - CG#4: Carlos Ghosn enters his dwight schrute era 36:50 - CG#5: Ghosn follows the CEO playbook - time for an ostentatious company sponsored personal party that definitely will have no negative PR implications whatsoever 49:00 - CG#6: All Partied out!!  52:33 - CG#7: What do they say? You either die a hero or live long enough to be smuggled out of Japan in an equipment box? 56:30 - CG#7: What do they say? You either die a hero or live long enough to be smuggled out of Japan in an equipment box?  

Becca is joined by Corporate Gossip startup correspondent Aaron Cohn to dip our tube-socked toes into the FTX trial. We meet Sam Bankman-Fried (SBF), a rumpled 28-year-old-grown-adult-boy-genius who built a $40 billion crypto empire in less than three years. But his meteoric rise to crypto kingpin was followed quickly by his fall to the bottom of shit-coin mountain.  And now, SBF is facing up to 115 years in federal prison for fraud.  Check "build a website" off your to-do list with realnice website builder!  Pictures & links on our substack Support the pod by buying us a coffee Check out our reading list  Follow us on youtube, instagram, and tiktok Hosts: Becca Platsky (Becca@nitetoast.com) Adam Platsky (Adam@nitetoast.com)  Produced by: Michael Albanese @bigmanmike Timestamps:  17:40 - Corporate Gossip #1: Sam Bankman Fried raises $420.69m from 69 founders in a “meme” funding round and raises zero red flags 33:45 - Corporate Gossip #2: This guy can't be a criminal… I mean, come on, have you ever seen a criminal in wrinkly cargo shorts??? 45:00 -  Corporate Gossip #3:  To the moon!  50:00 - Corporate Gossip #4: FTX: Fraud on top of shit mountain  1:09:40 - Corproate Gossip #5: When people stop being polite, and start getting indicted 1:13:30 - Corporate Gossip #6: Will the Smol bean / Widdle baby defense work for Sam?

A very haunted episode of the Corporate Gossip Podcast! Becca and adam talk about the House of Villains that is Pacific Gas and Electric. The collection of CEOs that have lead the utility company over the past two decades are are more dubious than Omarosa and more dimwitted than Jax Taylor. On the upside, this episode should cure even the most chronic cases of imposter syndrome.  Pictures & links on our substack Support the pod by buying us a coffee Check out our reading list  Follow us on youtube, instagram, and tiktok Hosts: Becca Platsky (Becca@nitetoast.com) Adam Platsky (Adam@nitetoast.com)  Produced by: Michael Albanese @bigmanmike Timestamps:  11:00 - “You guys need to stop talking about Enron” - said no one ever  15:00 - Peter Darabee is possessed by the ghost of Jack Welch and then gets scammed by Accenture  22:00 - Stay humble Tony Early 31:00 -Geisha Williams is rewarded for her job as pain sponge after the San Bruno explosions and is crowned CEO  46:00 - Bill Johnson, blink and you'll miss him   53:00 - Patti Poppe: New decade, same bullshit 

It's hard to talk about corporate gossip without talking about McKinsey. They're everywhere! They advise the biggest companies in every industry in practically every company in America (90% of the Fortune 100 companies use Mckinsey). From Las Vegas Casinos to the Vatican, McKinsey consultants, armed with their Thinkbooks and Tumi rollerbags, dispense their advice on maximizing the bottom line under a veil of secrecy. That is until recently, when dogged reporters sifted through thousands of documents made public as part of a series of lawsuits and criminal investigations into the firm. Becca and Adam read through it all and are bringing you the juiciest stories. They find out that when it comes to systemic corporate malfeasance, McKinsey isn't the one who lit the match, but they're often found fanning the flames. Pictures & links on our substack Support the pod by buying us a coffee Check out our reading list  Follow us on youtube, instagram, and tiktok Hosts: Becca Platsky (Becca@nitetoast.com) Adam Platsky (Adam@nitetoast.com)  Produced by: Michael Albanese @bigmanmike Timestamps:  10:00 - Corporate Gossip #1: McKinsey, this is why we can't have nice things (Intro and background)  30:00 - Corporate Gossip #2: If Jack Welch is Theresa Giudice, McKinsey is Juicy Joe and today's billionaire boss-boys are 4 year-old Melania (How McKinsey influences the world's largest companies)  52:00 - Corporate Gossip #3: McKinsey: Our consultants are happy to provide clean pee for your patients who are addicted to heroin!! (McKinsey's role in the Opiod Crisis)  1:05:00 - Corporate Gossip #4: Enron is basically a McKinsey spinoff in which Jeff Skilling visits Ken Lay at the summer house in Montauk (McKinsey's role in the Enron rise & fall)  1:09:00 - Corporate Gossip #5: If you're looking for the Lizard people controlling the American economy it's not the west coast elites… it's McKinsey! (McKinsey as a Corporate Villian)  1:15:00 - Corporate Gossip #6: Clarence Thomas really went - guys know what would make McKinsey better??? If they had access to more white men!! Hey now… white men who can take me on Yachts. (How the overturning of affirmative action plays into McKinsey's ability to continue weaponizing capitalism)   

This is part two of a two part episode.  This week, Billy Koch turns into a corporate vigilante, as he takes the Department of Justice and the FBI on a private tour of the grounds where all the Koch corporate secrets are buried. We then tell the story of courtroom fight as dramatic as a Beverly Hills housewives reunion, with siblings rehashing decades-old conflicts and clawing at their share of billions of dollars. Then, Charles Koch continues his campaign to be voted “most-miserly” in the 2008 Billionaire Yearbook by funding an artificial-grassroots organization to promote his libertarian big business-first policies. Meanwhile, Bill Koch's son Wyatt asks the Sharks to invest $100,000 for a 10% stake in his palm-beach-boroque men's blouse line.  See the Koch family tree Pictures & links on our substack Support the pod by buying us a coffee Check out our reading list  Follow us on youtube, instagram, and tiktok Hosts: Becca Platsky (Becca@nitetoast.com) Adam Platsky (Adam@nitetoast.com)  Produced by: Michael Albanese @bigmanmike Timestamps:  02:00 - Corporate Gossip #5: Woke up this mornin' and I got myself some oil from Native American reservations  11:30 - Corporate Gossip #6: Law and Order - Special Boss Bois Unit  21:00 - Corporate Gossip #7: Profit is my religion and regulation is the devil!!   24:15 - Corporate Gossip #8: It's a 45-day plan. 45 days! To get us back, on track. 45 points! It's a 45-day, 45-point, one point per day. We get 45 points, we're back in business! [cheers] And you can take that to the bank! And limo lady! We are going to completely destroy Barak OBAMA! [more cheers] I love you New York! 29:30 - Corporate Gossip #9: Charles Koch: Ooops! Did I do that???? 33:00 - Corporate Gossip #10: Okay That was dark, let's end on a high note - Bill Koch's son's quest to create the ugliest t-shirts of all time

The only thing more toxic than the emissions spewing from the smokestacks at Koch industries are the relationships between the four adult heirs to the family fortune. This story has EVERYTHING: court battles, private investigators, homosexual blackmail, ANNA NICOLE SMITH, sibling rivalry, and libertarian summer camp! Join Becca and Adam as they wade into the stinky, polluted waters of the Koch family dynasty in this two part episode!! See the Koch family tree Pictures & links on our substack Support the pod by buying us a coffee Check out our reading list  Follow us on youtube, instagram, and tiktok Hosts: Becca Platsky (Becca@nitetoast.com) Adam Platsky (Adam@nitetoast.com)  Produced by: Michael Albanese @bigmanmike Timestamps:  09:00 - Corporate Gossip #1: Duck, duck, Fred Koch Sr. dies of a heart attack  16:15 - Corporate Gossip #2: Growing up Koch  39:00 - Corporate Gossip #3: Charles is our daddy now and you better believe he's gonna take his unresolved trauma and unexamined political beliefs and make all of our lives miserable  48:00 - Corporate Gossip #4: At the Koch family christmas party, Bill confronts David & Charles over stealing his Dolce & Gabanna lifestyle and wagers a war that will destroy the family

David Zaslav is having the worst summer ever. He was heckled by thousands of graduates during his Boston University commencement address, publically shamed for holding a hunger games style gala in france, and had to fire his best friend! Oh and to top it all off, all of the workers he extracts his wealth from are on strike. Why doesn't anyone want to work anymore!!  Pictures & links on our substack Support the pod by buying us a coffee Check out our reading list  Follow us on youtube, instagram, and tiktok Hosts: Becca Platsky (Becca@nitetoast.com) Adam Platsky (Adam@nitetoast.com)  Produced by: Michael Albanese @bigmanmike Timestamps:  6:30 - Corporate Gossip #1: With friends like David Zaslav, who needs enemies? Zas fires his pain sponge, Chris Licht, on their morning walk in Central Park under the apocalyptic orange-haze of the Canadian Wildfires.  15:00 - Corporate Gossip #2: In the year 2023 - the same year that CEOs have pissed away $44bn on a social media app, killed 5 people in an ill fated trip to the Titanic, and challenged each other to a cage match, David Zaslav is STILL in the running for dumbest CEO of the year… 27:00 - Corporate Gossip #3: I think David Zaslav is just here for the zipline 40:15 - Corporate Gossip #4: C'mon guys, don't strike, I had plans this summer! I was gonna hang out!  52:45 - Corporate Gossip #5: You can't keep getting away with this Zaslav *shakes fist in air*

Content warning: this episode references child abuse and suicide Ted Turner has more BDE in his pencil mustache than Zuck and Musk combined.  In the span of 5 years he captained a champion sailing yacht through the deadly celtic sea, pulled out an underdog win in the America's cup, bought two professional sports teams, and created the first ever 24-hour news network: CNN. His life is what LinkedIn Lunatics fantasize about. He created TBS, TNT, TCM, Cartoon Network, AND the iconic environmental superhero cartoon, “Captain Planet.” He is cherished by unproblematic icons Jimmy Carter and Jane Fonda and despised by degenerate psychopath Rupert Murdoch.  Turner disrupted the media industry and spent years on top, but like so many of the characters in our podcast, he couldn't conquer his inner demons. Deep pain from a traumatic childhood and unaddressed mental health issues destroyed his marriage and threatened his fortune. In this episode, Becca & Adam attempt to trace the life of the chaos cowboy while expertly pronouncing the word "documentary."  Pictures & links on our substack Support the pod by buying us a coffee Check out our reading list  Follow us on youtube, instagram, and tiktok Hosts: Becca Platsky (Becca@nitetoast.com) Adam Platsky (Adam@nitetoast.com)  Produced by: Michael Albanese @bigmanmike Cover art:  Creative director @laurensubers Photographer @danielcanophoto @instajasp Props / Wardobe @__julesrose__ @mellerycellery Makeup / Hair @mardeaubeauty Timestamps:  8:40 - Corporate Gossip #1: In terms of Corporate Villains, David Zaslav, who we'll discuss next week, is the straight up evil, sociopathic type. But the other Corporate Villian in this story, Ted Turner, is more like the villain with a heart of gold.  36:50 - Corporate Gossip #2: Would you believe that the reason we have a 24 hour news cycle in America is because of Ted Turners undiagnosed mania? 48:10 - Corporate Gossip #3: Now it's time for Jimmy Carter to make an appearance as the empathetic king and Ted Turner's daddy figure (by the end of this segment, Jimmy Carter will be all of our dads).  59:10 - Corporate Gossip #5: As Ted's professional life is unraveling, Queen Jane Fonda throws in the towel and Ted lives out our collective fantasy - taking revenge on a boss that did you dirty.  1:04:20 - Corporate Gossip #6: Let's meet back up with Ted in present day as David Zaslav is meticulously picking apart his legacy with his hands and licking his little fingies like he's elbow deep in a pile of buffalo ribs.  

Becca & Adam are back to spill more corporate tea on September 22nd! Listen for a sneak peak of the gossip of season 3.  Love the pod? Rate us 5 stars! Support the pod by buying us a coffee Check out our reading list  Tiktok: @corporategossippod Instagram: @corporategossippod Hosts: Becca Platsky (Becca@nitetoast.com) Adam Platsky (Adam@nitetoast.com)  Produced by: Michael Albanese @bigmanmike Podcast cover art: Creative director @laurensubers Photographer @danielcanophoto @instajasp Props / Wardobe @__julesrose__ @mellerycellery Makeup / Hair @mardeaubeauty

Bonus Episode!!  It's like Jaws if everyone in Jaws worked for Jaws! It's the true story of Rupert Murdoch's main hustle (News Corp) and his side hustle (emotionally and financially manipulating his children). We trace Rupert's (aka RuMu) rise from under the thumb of his father, the original Murdoch Megalomaniac, to become an Australian media mogul. Then, he journeys to the UK and the US, leaving a stinky trail of editorial corruption wherever he goes. Strapped on his back are three of his grown children, Elisabeth, Lachlan, and James, who are pulling and poking at one another as they battle for daddy's treasure: the top spot of the Murdoch Empire! We're on Youtube!!  Pictures of the Murdochs and research links are on our  Substack!! Support the pod by buying us a coffee Check out our reading list  Instagram: @corporategossippod Tiktok: @corporategossippod Hosts: Becca Platsky (Becca@nitetoast.com) Adam Platsky (Adam@nitetoast.com)  Produced by: Michael Albanese @bigmanmike  

SEASON 2 FINALE!! Thanks for your support this season, we'll be back with Season 3 later this summer!!  Don't forget to rate and review this podcast. Becca and Adam flew close to the sun last week and decided to end the season on a high note. We answer some listener questions and crown our 2023 Corporate Cutie before getting into some feel-good Corporate Gossip. The Costco story (18:45) is straight from a Jack Welch nightmare. Low CEO pay, a modest corporate headquarters, and no private jets?!!! Despite skimping on executive perks, Costco became a retail giant, peaking at #11 on the Fortune 500 list. And they did it without layoffs, downsizing, or offshoring… suck it McKinsey!! This episode has no strip clubs, accounting fraud, or subterfuge…  BUT it does have threats of MURDER!! We're on Youtube  Support the pod by buying us a coffee Check out our reading list  Tiktok: @corporategossippod Instagram: @corporategossippod Hosts: Becca Platsky (Becca@nitetoast.com) Adam Platsky (Adam@nitetoast.com)  Produced by: Michael Albanese @bigmanmike Timestamps: 01:00 - Intro (Confirmation that John Flannery is, in fact, still alive and thriving!! and our close encounter with Andy Cohen and why we're wrapping season 2 06:00 - Listener Questions 15:00 - Corporate cutie awards 2023 18:45 - Costco: Kings of Kirkland Links: Weddings by Costco Costco foodcourt challenge Costco CEO Craig Jelinek Leads the Cheapest, Happiest Company in the World Link to chart with revenue / salary Amazon and Walmart have raked in billions in additional profits during the pandemic, and shared almost none of it with their workers (Brookings institute expose)

Don't forget to rate and review this podcast!!  This is a true Corporate Gossip Exclusive: The ONLY comparative exploration of Enron and Vanderpump Rules.  On a summer day in 2012 in a restaurant garden in Weho, waitress Schena Shay confronts Housewife Brandi Glanville about the rumors of infidelity surrounding Brandi's husband, Eddie Cibrian. Narratively, this scene breaks the seam between the women of Real Housewives of Beverly Hills and the servers who tend to them. And television's crown jewel is born: Vanderpump Rules.   Few know that there was another cosmic seam that ripped at the same moment, and merged two dimensions along thematic parallels: cheating, fraud, topless bars, uppers, women's rights, and women's wrongs. If you're a Vanderpump girlie who wants to get into Enron or an Enron bro who wants to get into Vanderpump - this is ENRON RULES!  We explore the Enron collapse by meeting each of the main players and following them throughout the Enron story. We'll start with the villains who commanded the corporate clusterfuck and then meet the heroes who had the guts to defy them.  This episode also features our DAD! @Jeffplatsky We're on Youtube  Support the pod by buying us a coffee Check out our reading list  Tiktok: @corporategossippod Hosts: Becca Platsky (Becca@nitetoast.com) Adam Platsky (Adam@nitetoast.com)  Produced by: Michael Albanese @bigmanmike Timestamps / Cast of characters:  6:00 - Introducing our DAD, the original corporate gossiper! 10:00ish - The Enron Scandal as told through the eys of the villains and the heroes:  The Villains:  Enron CEO Ken Lay aka Tom Schwartz Enron COO / CEO Jeff Skilling aka Jax Taylor Enron CFO Andy Fastow aka Tom Sandoval Bonus Villain! The Analysts aka Ken Todd and Lisa Vanderpump The Heroes:  Enron Whistleblower Sherron Watkins aka Kristen Doute Enron Whistleblower Margaret Ceconi aka Lala Kent Fortune Journalist Bethany McLean aka Schena Shay Links: How Enron Blew It The Smartest Guys in the Room: The Amazing Rise and Scandalous Fall of Enron (Book) The Smartest Guys in the Room (Movie) You're Wrong About: Enron (Podcast) JUST DESERTS? / A year ago, Francine Cavanaugh tossed a pie at Jeffrey Skilling for gouging Californians now the former Enron CEO is under fire in Washington  

A SUPERSIZED EPISODE!! Two pods in one!!!  Jack Welch is our collective Corporate Villain origin story. Potentially the most famous American CEO, Welch, like so many of the leaders we cover on this pod, possesses a dangerous combination of ruthlessness and incompetency. Adam and Becca trace his meteoric rise and salacious downfall before passing the reins of turd mountain (GE) to a series of doomed successors. Our apologies in advance to the fine people of Massachusets for our repeated unsuccessful attempts at a Boston accent.  P.S. John Flannery if you're reading this right now we love you please come on the pod

If Theresa Giudice opened a mediocre fast casual sandwich shop it would look like Subway restaurants. Founded in part by a 17 year old from the Bronx named Fred Deluca, Subway would become the world's largest fast-food chain. But while Deluca's family was raking in that sweet meatball money, their franchisees were in honey ham hell. Once the sandwich king, Subway now faces serious lawsuits and FTC investigations amid dwindling sales. How did this chain, known for its "definitely 100% real, seriously guys I promise it really is tuna" sandwiches tumble to the bottom of the food chain? Find out on this episode of Corporate Gossip! Don't forget to rate and review this podcast! We're on Youtube  Support the pod by buying us a coffee Check out our reading list  Tiktok: @corporategossippod Hosts: Becca Platsky (Becca@nitetoast.com) Adam Platsky (Adam@nitetoast.com)  Produced by: Michael Albanese @bigmanmike Timestamps:  1:50 - Fred Deluca opens the first Subway with $1,000 and a bag of tuna and quickly realizes that making franchise royalties is wayyyyy easier than making a hot italian sandwhich.    5:15 - Deluca is Tiny Time vibes with a Scrooge personality.    7:40 - The most haunted calendar of all time is created by Deluca and his colleagues. They literally take pictures of themselves shirtless around the office. Deluca is Mr. January.  12:30 - Subway becomes the LuLaRoe of fast food restaurants.  16:00 - Wokeup this mornin' and I got myself a sub.... Subway's hitmen set their targets on francisees. 22:30 - J*red F*gle, I don't think I need to say anymore.  26:00 - After his death, Deluca gives his estranged wife the ultimate anniversary present... half of a dying sandwhich company!  31:50 - Subway's requirement for a new CEO? Sharing the majority of the founder's DNA.  37:00 - You know what they say about mixing business with family? It literally always works every time! You should def do it!  40:00 - Subway spends millions of dollars on a rebrand and a ton of celebrity influencers but their sandwhiches still suck.  44:20 - Subway's future looks as grey as their tuna.  45:45 - Find out what fast food restaurant you are based on your zodiac sign. Links:  SubCon 2023! (Subway Convention)  Subway cofounder Fred DeLuca ruled the company like a demigod and pursued wives of franchisees. How one man sent the world's biggest fast-food chain into a tailspin Subway does franchisee damage control after John Oliver segment: memos Subway Got Too Big. Franchisees Paid a Price Inside the 2 secretive billionaire families that own Subway, as they face backlash from furious franchisees Judge rules Subway can be sued over claims that its tuna sandwiches contain other fish species or animal products New Subway sandwich menu items taste just as vile as the old ones What fast food are you based on your zodiac

This episode is Not Safe For Work / Your Harvard MBA class  Professional Canadian... sorry, Professional COMEDIAN, Nathan Macintosh joins Becca to fix capitalism. It's so easy it literally took us less than an hour guys. We discuss a few interesting proposals to address capitalism's systemic problems, AND plan the first EVER Corporate Gossip Cruise / Davos for the rest of us.  Don't forget to rate and review this podcast!  We're on Youtube Support the pod by buying us a coffee Check out our reading list  Tiktok: @corporategossippod Hosts: Becca Platsky (Becca@nitetoast.com) Adam Platsky (Adam@nitetoast.com)  Produced by: Michael Albanese @bigmanmike Timestamps:  10:00 You Better Work Betch: Full employment guarantee  20:00 Go back in time and destroy Reagan!  31:00 YOU can get a house without waiting for your parents to unalive 42:00 A cult classic: The Four Day Work Week!  Links:  Nathan Macintosh: Money Never Wakes  National Industrial Recovery Act of 1933 (Aka the Works Progress Administration) The Accountable Capitalism Act of 2018 Investment Firms Aren't Buying All the Houses. But They Are Buying the Most Important Ones Opinion: Bernie Sanders is right about capitalism

Join Becca and Adam on a journey that starts in in a smoky Texas hotel lobby in 1967. We'll pass trough a decomposing sportatorium off the Dallas freeway in 1992 and end at a contentious company sponsored JoJo concert in 2022. Once a shining star in the skies over the Texas Plains, Southwest experienced a slow and then sudden descent after the departure of it's distinctive founder. Executive would try to repair the damage, but for many it was "Too Little, Too Late." Don't forget to rate and review this podcast!  We're on Youtube Support the pod by buying us a coffee Check out our reading list  Tiktok: @corporategossippod Hosts: Becca Platsky (Becca@nitetoast.com) Adam Platsky (Adam@nitetoast.com)  Produced by: Michael Albanese @bigmanmike Links:  Video of the Malice in Dallas Southwest Airlines Engine Explodes in Flight, Killing a Passenger Column: The guilty parties evading blame for the Southwest meltdown are its board members Southwest store  Southwest Airlines Faces Tough Questions From Senators Video of Pilots walking out of the Southwest Employee Rally

It's a bank run, dummies! The SVB collapse is true corporate gossip catnip, and we couldn't resist bringing you this ~very special~ episode about the biggest corporate shitshow of the year (so far). Aaron Cohn, business professor and scorned ex-lover of venture capital, joins Becca to recap the bank's meltdown and subsiquent VC temper tantrum. Aaron is fresh off the plane from SXSW and ready to spill all the tea on venture capital. It's a little bit cringe, a little bit spooky, but mostly a good reminder to never trust a billionare and that NOTHING MATTERS ANYMORE :)  Don't forget to rate and review this podcast!  We're on Youtube Support the pod by buying us a coffee Check out our reading list  Tiktok: @corporategossippod Hosts: Becca Platsky (Becca@nitetoast.com) Adam Platsky (Adam@nitetoast.com)  Produced by: Michael Albanese @bigmanmike Links:  The Incredible Tantrum Venture Capitalists Threw Over Silicon Valley Bank Silicon Valley Bank Fails After Run on Deposits EXCLUSIVE: Aloha suckers! Silicon Valley Bank's failed CEO Gregory Becker escapes to his $3.1million Hawaiian hideaway days after being fired, leaving the chaos of the collapse in the dust

Boeing is the quintessential american company. For decades it was the destination of choice for America's brightest minds in engineering. Pilots revered the institution, "if it aint Boeing, I'm not going," they'd often say. But by the turn of the century, Boeing's engineering supremacy was replaced with a relentless devotion to shareholder value. Passengers... you can kick rocks! Boeing execs have got a company to plunder in the name of shareholder value maximization!!!  Don't forget to rate and review this podcast!  We're on Youtube Support the pod by buying us a coffee Check out our reading list  Tiktok: @corporategossippod Hosts: Becca Platsky (Becca@nitetoast.com) Adam Platsky (Adam@nitetoast.com)  Produced by: Michael Albanese @bigmanmike   Timestamps:  9:30 The airline deregulation act: L or W? Becca's take will SHOCK you! 16:30 Boeing catches shareholder value maximiziation-itis and Boeing fish starts to rot from the nose down 20:00 Boeing execs are giving big Dr. Evil energy 27:00 Capitalism Kills - the Boeing 737 Max Crashes 30:00 Boeing: “Shareholders are my main chick and the flying public is my sidepiece” 35:30 The FAA & Boeing are like the Abby Lee Dance Company and the Candy Apple Dancers 33:00 The aftermath of the Boeing 737 Max crashes Spoiler alert - Boeing leadership = Dickless losers and a rare Ted Cruz W 49:30 If life couldn't get worse for the plane crash victims… here comes Tom Girrardi and all the other vultures 54:30 Latest updates on Boeing   Links:  Read Flying Blind: The 737 Max Tragedy and the Fall of Boeing  Watch Flight / Risk on Amazon  Report on Boeing 787 Dreamliner Battery Flaws Finds Lapses at Multiple Points Final report on Boeing 737 MAX crash sparks dispute over pilot error Boeing Reaches $200 Million Settlement With Regulators Over Its 737 Max Families of Boeing Crash Victims Can Challenge U.S. Settlement, Judge Rules Whistle-blower settles case (Gary Eastman)  House Committee on Transportation & Infrastructure members The Senate Subcommittee on Aviation Safety, Operations, and Innovation members   

Don't forget to rate and review this podcast!!  Carlos Watson has it all: an Ivy League pedigree, an electric personality, and a media empire called “Ozy.” There's only one problem… Watson is a prolific bullshit artist. When he and his co-founder are caught catfishing Goldman Sachs executives, his empire begins to crumble and his throne of lies is exposed. The Ozy story is truly wild and includes feuds with Sharon Osbourne, a Fyre Fest knockoff, and millennial-era side bangs! We're on Youtube!!  Support the pod by buying us a coffee Check out our reading list  Tiktok: @corporategossippod Hosts: Becca Platsky (Becca@nitetoast.com) Adam Platsky (Adam@nitetoast.com)  Produced by: Michael Albanese @bigmanmike Vignette edited by: Becky Nanns Beckysaysitall.com Timestamps:  03:33 - Ozy Media background and Becca's side bang regret 10:15 - Ozy becomes the most popular website of all time!! More readers than the Bible!!! 15:40 - Carlos Watson's catfish practice with A&E 24:15 - The Ozy Media Fyre Fest that almost was 31:25 - Don't F* with Sharon Osbourne 33:54 - Carlos Watson: World's Best Boss 38:00 - Carlos & Samir catfish Goldman Sachs & the Ozy downfall 44:35 - Ozy 2.0: The Return of the Carlosfish 50:50 - Takeaways Links:  Goldman Sachs, Ozy Media and a $40 Million Conference Call Gone Wrong Ozy Built a TV Show on a False Claim, Says Its Former Producer How Ozy Fest Was About To Become The Next Fyre Festival — Until A Heat Wave (And Insurance Claim) Bailed Them Out 18-hour days and panic attacks: Former Ozy staffers allege an abusive environment  

Don't forget to rate and review this podcast!!  Under Armour is what happens when a group of perpetually rowdy frat bros is at the helm of a multi-billion dollar company. Starting with a single sewing machine in his grandma's basement, Ken Plank grew the UA brand to market dominance over two decades, and then oversaw its demise over two years. This story has it all: A+ list athletes, strip club scandals, Twitter PR disasters, adulterous adventures on a private jet, and Becca's favorite: light accounting fraud!  We're on Youtube!!  Support the pod by buying us a coffee Check out our reading list  Tiktok: @corporategossippod Hosts: Becca Platsky (Becca@nitetoast.com) Adam Platsky (Adam@nitetoast.com)  Produced by: Michael Albanese @bigmanmike Vignette written by: Becky Nanns Beckysaysitall.com Timestamps:  06:16 - Kevin Plank creates the first moisture-wicking athletic T-shirt and founds Under Armour from his Grandma's basement. The company, with the help of lucrative movie cameos and athletic partnerships, is valued at $157m by 2005 and grows to $17B 10 years later.  15:34 - Under Armour produces a series of uggo shoes that are blasted on Twitter.  20:02 - As Plank becomes increasingly distracted with his side hustles, UA sales slump. The UA team employ a series of questionable accounting practices to hide the truth, and their actions result in a $9m class-action shareholder lawsuit.  27:00 - HR revokes one of the c-suite's favorite perks: free strip clubs. After that, it's one buzzkill after another for UA executives.  35:00 - Turns out the culture at the top of Under Armour wasn't exactly... conducive to not being a huge dirtbag.  43:15 - Has your boss ever brought his paramour - sorry - "strategic advisor" to a business meeting? If so, you might be working for Ken Plank!!  49:00 - Where does UA stand today? Links:  Steph Curry's new Under Armour sneakers lit Twitter on fire with Dad jokes, memes Under Pressure at Under Armour, CEO Says His Eye Is on the Ball Under Armour founder sold $138 million in stock during time period company allegedly misled investors about slowing sales Under Armour's #MeToo Moment: No More Strip Clubs on Company Dime Under Armour CEO Kevin Plank 'was allegedly having an affair with MSNBC host Stephanie Ruhle and sought her advice over that of his board while flying her around on private jet'    

Hi, Hi, Hiya! The Disney Drama continues as Michael Eisner hires his Hollywood buddy, super-agent Michel Ovitz, as president of the company. 434 days later he's fired and a contentious lawsuit brings the executive suite to court where Eisner alleges that Ovitz was acting like a jerk at his Mom's funeral (seriously... you can't make this stuff up).  We then meet up with Bob Iger in 2022 as he's relentlessly trash talking Bob Chapeck over lunches in LA. Ultimately, a fairy grants him his wish and he's returned to the throne at Disney HQ. Will King Bob I be the hero Disney needs? Find out on this episode of Corporate Gossip!  P.S. We make a lot of Heavyweights references in this episode. You can watch it on most streaming platforms.  We're on Youtube!!  Support the pod by buying us a coffee Check out our reading list  Tiktok: @corporategossippod Hosts: Becca Platsky (Becca@nitetoast.com) Adam Platsky (Adam@nitetoast.com)  Produced by: Michael Albanese @bigmanmike Timestamps:  01:13 Michael Ovitz, hollywood honcho, becomes president of Walt Disney for 434 days  06:40 Bob Iger (aka Tony Perkis) takes over summer camp. Attention campers. Lunch has been canceled due to lack of hustle. Deal with it. 11:45 Bob Iger hastily departs Disney seconds before Covid hits the states and puts Bob Chapek at the helm for less than two years. After trash talking his successor for months, Bob Iger returns! Time to wake up, campers! Today is evaluation day. The key word here is 'value.' Do you have any? Not yet! But before summer's over, this camp's gonna be filled with skinny winners! 15:00 What's next for Iger & Disney. If the main players in this story were characters in Heavyweights, who would they be? Links:  Ovitz and Eisner: A Kids' Story Disney's Robert Iger Loomed Over Bob Chapek After Ceding CEO Role, Creating Tensions The Ride Of A Lifetime: Lessons Learned from 15 Years as CEO of the Walt Disney Company by Bob Iger  Remember to Rate and Review this podcast!

The drama in the C-suite at Disney's HQ in Burbank makes the Real Housewives of Orange County look like an episode of Mickey Mouse's clubhouse. Each CEO transition is messier than the next as these execs wrestle for the top spot in Cinderella's castle. This is part 1 of a 2 part episode.  We're on Youtube!!  Support the pod by buying us a coffee Check out our reading list  Tiktok: @corporategossippod Hosts: Becca Platsky (Becca@nitetoast.com) Adam Platsky (Adam@nitetoast.com)  Produced by: Michael Albanese @bigmanmike Timestamps:  03:47 Bob Chapeks sudden and surprise departure in November of 2022 08:40 Bob Igers complicated and codepedent relationship with Disney 17:00 Disney's price hikes makes vacation for the average family out of reach  22:05 Abigail Disney debuts a scathing documentary on Disney's employee experience  32:13 3 grown men getting in a fight for the top role at Disney that will ultimately cost the company half a billion dollars 37:00 Disney's epically bad theme park that almost was Links discussed:  Inside Bob Iger's return to Disney: A senior executive's outreach to the former chief followed months of complaints to the board about CEO Bob Chapek ‘Prison food': Disney fans slam skimpy, overpriced, ‘disgusting' grub at theme parks Abigail Disney turns critical lens on her family's company in new doc Ovitz and Eisner: A Kids' Story A Deep Dive Into the Bloody Battle for 'Disney's America', the Theme Park That Never Was Images from Bob Iger's book, The Ride of a Lifetime Send us a message becca@nitetoast.com  

No it's not an episode of succession, but it feels like one. This story has billionaires, nepotism, betrayal, criminal accusations, and COUPONS!  We're on Youtube!!  Support the pod by buying us a coffee Check out our reading list  Tiktok: @corporategossippod Hosts: Becca Platsky (Becca@nitetoast.com) Adam Platsky (Adam@nitetoast.com)  Produced by: Michael Albanese @bigmanmike Timestamps:  01:00 - Background  04:12 - BBBY CEO Steve Tamaras stupidly overpaid  08:00 - Activist investors kick out the CEO  14:15 - Nepotism!!  19:50 - Activist investors kick out ANOTHER CEO 26:50 - BBBY as a meme stock and r/wallstreetbets  40:50 - SEC investigations, death of BBBY CFO 44:50 - Takeaways Thank you for listening!! Please send me an email becca@nitetoast.com

Activist investors take a stake in Peloton and dunk on John Foley via powerpoint deck as loyal riders hang up their shoes and get back outside.  We're on Youtube!!  Support the pod by buying us a coffee Check out our reading list  Tiktok: @corporategossippod Hosts: Becca Platsky (Becca@nitetoast.com) Adam Platsky (Adam@nitetoast.com)  Produced by: Michael Albanese @bigmanmike  

Has Peloton spun off the track? How did this coveted brand crash and burn? And why didn't founder John Foley hit the breaks? In this two part episode, we follow the rise of this pandemic-era darling and identify how the wheels started to wobble.  We're on Youtube!!  Support the pod by buying us a coffee Check out our reading list  Tiktok: @corporategossippod Hosts: Becca Platsky (Becca@nitetoast.com) Adam Platsky (Adam@nitetoast.com)  Produced by: Michael Albanese @bigmanmike