The ”I hung up on Warren Buffett” Podcast by Wolfpack Research

Welcome to "The Wolf Den," in this episode we venture into the heart of the American opioid epidemic, exposing the dark underbelly of pharmaceutical sales and the devastating impact it has had on countless lives. In this special feature, we invite you to join us for an exclusive and emotionally charged interview with Alec Burlakoff, a former top executive at Insys Therapeutics. As we unravel the shocking details, brace yourself for Burlakoff's candid revelations, which lay bare the unethical practices that fueled the crisis. Insys Therapeutics, the Arizona-based manufacturer of the powerful opioid painkiller Subsys, faced bankruptcy after a groundbreaking criminal case brought to light a reckless conspiracy to illegally boost profits from the drug. Burlakoff, along with other executives, faced prison sentences, marking a significant turning point in holding pharmaceutical leaders accountable for their role in the epidemic. Join us as we delve into Burlakoff's tumultuous journey at Insys Therapeutics. Driven by personal struggles with illness and depression, Burlakoff initially sought to make a positive impact in the pharmaceutical industry. However, he found himself entangled in a ruthless world where success often came at the expense of moral integrity. In this emotionally charged interview, Burlakoff unveils the aggressive tactics employed to justify the sales of opioids, even amid legal controversies surrounding their marketing. His insider account paints a chilling picture of the unscrupulous practices that permeated the pharmaceutical industry during his tenure at Insys. Throughout the conversation, Burlakoff doesn't shy away from confronting his own culpability, acknowledging the insidious nature of greed and its impact on ethical decision-making. His raw and heartfelt introspection offers listeners a rare glimpse into the moral dilemmas faced by those within the pharmaceutical world. "The Wolf Den" doesn't just shed light on the devastation caused by the opioid crisis; it also raises crucial questions about the accountability of pharmaceutical executives and the role of regulatory bodies like the FDA. Burlakoff's emotionally charged testimony serves as a powerful reminder of the urgency for transparency, ethical conduct, and compassionate healthcare practices. Join us for a riveting exploration of the opioid epidemic and the individuals who played a part in perpetuating it. "The Wolf Den" presents this thought-provoking interview, encouraging us all to confront the harsh realities and seek meaningful solutions to combat the opioid crisis affecting communities nationwide. Get ready for an impactful journey that will leave a lasting impression on your understanding of this critical issue. Show Links  Narcotics Anonymous  https://www.na.org/

This week The Pack is joined by a man who needs no introductions to anyone in the world of finance. Barry Jay Minkow, former American businessman, pastor, and 2x convicted felon, is now turned, fraud hunter.      At 16, Minkow founded ZZZZ Best, an immensely successful carpet cleaning and restoration company. However, it was a front to attract investment for a massive mafia-funded Ponzi scheme. ZZZZ Best collapsed in 1987, costing investors and lenders $100 million in one of the largest investment frauds ever perpetrated by a single person and one of the largest accounting frauds in history. It is often used as a case study of accounting fraud.   After being released from jail, Minkow became a pastor and fraud investigator in San Diego and spoke at churches and schools about ethics. This ended in 2011 when he admitted to helping deliberately drive down the stock price of homebuilder Lennar and was ordered back to prison for five years. Three years later, Minkow admitted to defrauding his church and was sentenced to an additional five years in prison. He is subject to restitution requirements totaling $612 million.    With his sidekick from prison, "The Big Homie," Minkow now uses his abilities to expose fraud and launches a new podcast called “Fraud Factor” Sit back and enjoy some tales from a HOF of financial scams and a bad guy turned good. 

This Week The Pack is joined by Winston Sterzel, (on Twitter @serpentza) also known by his  YouTube pseudonym SerpentZA. We talk about his time in China, his need to flee, How China has changed, and the chilling effect they have on free speech in the US.  Russia, Ukraine, and Vietnam and how China has its hand in global events.   He lived in Shenzhen in the Guangdong province of China for fourteen years. His videos cover a variety of topics relating to life in China from a Westerner perspective. He moved to China to work as an English teacher after first visiting on business in 2005. In 2015, he was one of twelve South Africans in China profiled by China Radio International. He started uploading videos in China in 2007 and became a full-time vlogger in 2016. His videos primarily focus on life in China as viewed from a Western perspective. Sterzel has also made videos about motorcycle trips through China. With fellow YouTuber Matthew Tye (who goes by Laowhy86) and other friends, he has taken extended journeys and produced documentary series titled Conquering Southern China and Conquering Northern China. He and Tye operate the YouTube channel ADVChina, a motorcycle travel vlog. Sterzel was also co-founder of a small, China-based custom motorcycle business, Churchill Custom Motorcycles, that is no longer in business. In late 2018, he said he desired to create "positive content" about China, but that a negative interaction with the Chinese police spurred him to move out of China. In 2019, Sterzel moved to Los Angeles because he felt he would lose his life or be incarcerated in China following threats by ultranationalist Internet users, who accused Sterzel's wife of being a spy and a threat to national security. Sit back have a drink and let's talk about China since we can't go there.  Links https://www.youtube.com/c/ADVPodcasts https://www.youtube.com/@serpentza https://twitter.com/serpentza https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Winston_Sterzel  

This week The Pack is joined by an American business icon.  David Sokol, David is the director and chairman of Atlas. David founded three companies in his career to date, taken three companies public, and as Chairman and CEO of MidAmerican Energy Holdings Company, he sold the company to Berkshire Hathaway, Inc. in 2000. David continued with Berkshire Hathaway, Inc. until he retired in March 2011, when he left in order to manage his family business investments, Teton Capital, LLC, as Chairman and CEO. Teton Capital, LLC is headquartered in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, and is a family-holding company that oversees investments in the banking, manufacturing, consumer products, energy, real estate, and technology businesses. Over Mr. Sokol's 40-year career, he has chaired five corporate boards and over a dozen charitable or community boards. David Sokol's business philosophy, based upon vision, strategy, and six operating principles, is described in a book he authored in 2008, Pleased But Not Satisfied. It is a simple business model with a definite focus on developing future leaders. Links America in Perspective: 1776 | Episode 1 https://www.amazon.com/America-Perspective-Defending-American-Generation/dp/1637588135 https://atlascorporation.com/leadership/ https://www.breitbart.com/podcast/2022/07/17/exclusive-david-sokol-explains-the-forces-behind-woke-capital/    

This week The Pack is joined by friends to remember one of the teams, a remarkable and unique individual, someone who was always behind the scenes helping but a person who will always be at the forefront of our thoughts... Author, Poet, Artist, Investigator, Marine,  and my friend    In Matt's words -Ruthless, secretive, and sometimes seedy buy-side analyst, dedicated qualitative/investigative short-seller, and activist-short in small- and mid-cap US-listed sometimes global equity. Links   https://www.linkedin.com/in/matt-farrell-74492199/ https://www.reddit.com/r/Charlottesville/comments/yebrdo/rip_matthew_farrell/?utm_source=BD&utm_medium=Search&utm_name=Bing&utm_content=PSR1   https://dailyprogress.com/news/stony-point-slaying-victim-was-author-and-arts-provocateur/article_571176f4-5574-11ed-badd-87dc80cd98cb.html   https://www.institutionalinvestor.com/article/b1f6yg8n93jyfh/The-Ruthless-Secretive-and-Sometimes-Seedy-World-of-Hedge-Fund-Private-Investigators    

This week The Pack is joined by  Dr. Art Laffer. (on Twitter @LafferCenter) His economic acumen and influence in triggering a worldwide tax-cutting movement in the 1980s earned him the distinction in many publications as “The Father of Supply-Side Economics.” The Laffer Curve is one of the primary theoretical constructs of supply-side economics, illustrating the tradeoff between tax rates and actual tax revenues. We talk about politics, Taxes - his new book Taxes Have Consequences.  Why Michigan sits above Ohio and more.  Dr. Laffer tells stories from the past and how it relates to where we are now.   Sit back have a drink and call the accountant.     Links Taxes Have Consequences: An Income Tax History of the United States   https://laffercenter.org/   https://twitter.com/LafferCenter      

This week The Pack is joined by Lars Emmerich (Twitter @Lars_Emmerich), Lars is an American thriller, crime, and mystery author who enjoys reading a good story as much as he does writing it. He was a fighter pilot before going full-time into writing. Then came Crypto, Lars became a miner and investor in some of our favorite non-fiat currencies. Almost like a character from one of his books, there is nothing that this guest can not do well. We dig into everything from his best-selling books, China & Russia, Crypto, Celebrity Alcohol, Some of the worst pilot "call signs" and why he won't watch Top Gun Maverick.  Sit back have a drink and make sure that enemy MIG does not get tone.     Links https://store.ljemmerich.com/ @Lars_Emmerich

This week the Pack is joined by Attorney Zachary Greenberg, Senior Program Officer, Student Organizations, Campus Rights Advocacy at FIRE, the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression.  Their mission is to defend and sustain the individual rights of all Americans to free speech and free thought. The Pack discusses why every college professor believes the exact same thing and why you need to be a liberal to work at any state university in California. Sit back, have a drink, and enter our free speech zone.   LINKS    https://www.thefire.org/ https://twitter.com/TheFIREorg https://www.youtube.com/thefireorg  

This week the Pack is joined by Nick Reid, a film producer and executive vice president of the Moving Picture Institute a production company and talent incubator that creates high-impact films designed to entertain, inspire, and educate audiences with captivating stories about human freedom. Nick is responsible for fundraising and working on MPI Original productions, and serving as a member of the executive team. His executive producer credits include MISS VIRGINIA, PINBALL: THE MAN WHO SAVED THE GAME, A PIECE OF CAKE (Official Selection Tribeca Film Festival 2020, Nominated for Best Narrative Short), THE PERFECT ONE, and MPI's forthcoming Original feature documentary PROJECT HOME: 3D PRINTING THE FUTURE. Nick is currently executive producing MPI's forthcoming narrative features FREEDOM HAIR and KEMBA. Sit back have a drink and put some extra butter on the popcorn.   LINKS    https://www.thempi.org/ 

This week the Pack is joined by Retired General Paul Kern, who wisely avoids social media. We discuss Russia's military prowess, vital rare earth minerals and the CCP eyeballing Taiwan.   General Paul Kern graduated from West Point in 1967 with a Bachelor of Science degree. He holds master's degrees in civil and mechanical engineering from the University of Michigan and was elected to the National Academy of Engineering in 2006. He was a National Security Fellow at the J.F. Kennedy School, Harvard University and was a member of the Defense Science Board for 15 years. General Kern commanded operational units as a platoon leader in the Blackhorse Regiment in Vietnam receiving the Silver Star for valor and three Purple Hearts.  He retired after 38 years with the US Army as the Commanding General of the Army Materiel Command. The command of more than 50,000 personnel has worldwide responsibility for supply and maintenance support to the Department of Defense, manages the Army depot system, and conducts research for all the ground and rotary wing equipment. In June 2004, the Secretary of Defense tapped General Kern to lead the military's internal investigation into the abuses at the Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq. He has a unique career which blends technical expertise, combat operations, program management, policy development, and advisor to senior political leaders. He currently serves as a Senior Counselor at The Cohen Group and serves on multiple advisory boards including US Rare Earth LLC, a company focused on developing domestic supplies of strategic materials. Sit back, have a drink and mine your back yard for lithium.    SHOW LINKS   https://cohengroup.net/who-we-are/team/paul-j-kern

This week The Pack is joined by SEC Commissioner Hester M. Peirce (@HesterPeirce on twitter).  Commissioner Peirce was appointed to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission by the President and was sworn in on January 11, 2018. Prior to joining the SEC, Commissioner Peirce conducted research on the regulation of financial markets at the Mercatus Center at George Mason University. She was a Senior Counsel on the U.S. Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs and served as counsel to SEC Commissioner Paul S. Atkins. She also worked as a Staff Attorney in the SEC's Division of Investment Management. Commissioner Peirce earned her bachelor's degree in Economics from Case Western Reserve University and her JD from Yale Law School. Commissioner Peirce offers insights into crypto regulation and shares her regulatory philosophy.  In addition to discussing SPACS, stablecoin, and the proliferation of passive investing, she answers the age-old question, Who is better Michigan or Ohio State? Sit back have a drink and get ready to invest in the Wolf SPAC. SHOW LINKS Commissioner Pierce Twitter   https://www.sec.gov/biography/commissioner-hester-m-peirce    

This week the Pack is joined by Dr. Matthew Hamill, a man with 14 letters after his name.  We discuss Monkeypox, HIV treatments and other infectious diseases. Dr. Hamill is a UK-trained physician in internal medicine and an expert in sexual health and HIV. He spent 3 years conducting research in Soweto, South Africa. In addition to his primary affiliation with Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, he is also affiliated with the Department of Population, Family, and Reproductive Health at the Bloomberg School of Public Health. Sit Back have a drink and remember to use protection.   Links https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/profiles/details/matthew-hamill

This week The Pack is joined by Michael E. O'Hanlon @MichaelEOHanlon, a Sr. fellow at The Brookings Institution and best-selling author, regarding Russian aggression in the Ukraine, China policy and the future of NATO. The Pack taps into Michael's expertise on Eastern Europe and explores the past, present and future of China's newest vassal state and its Governor, Vladimir Putin.  We talk military tactics and the potential for nuclear war.  Sit back in your bomb shelter and add iodine to your Bourbon. Links  https://www.brookings.edu/experts/michael-e-ohanlon/

This week The Pack is joined by someone who has as much knowledge of China and the CCP as we do. Matthew Tye is known by his millions of loyal Youtube followers as Laowhy86 (@laowhy86 on Twitter). Laowhy86 lived in China for 10 years. He and his friend SerpentZA were among the first Youtubers in China to gain popular recognition. They started by filming and posting their travels around China, originally to promote their custom motorcycle shop. This led to the creation of two movies they released, “Conquering Northern China” and “Conquering Southern China”   However, as Xi Jing Ping took power, they noticed that China was changing fast, and not at all for the better. Laoway86 and his family were forced to leave, or face off against the CCP. Laoway86's work is now banned in China. His films and posts expose the CCP for what it is, leveling tough criticism in exposing China's ongoing crimes against humanity. From genocide to state-sponsored human trafficking, we get confirmation of everything we thought was horrible about Xi and the Party. Links ADV Podcasts Laowhy86 | YouTube Laowhy86 | Twitter Laowhy86 | Instagram Laowhy86 | Facebook How Does China's Social Credit System Work? by Laowhy86 | YouTube Is China's Social Credit System Real? I Found Out by Laowhy86 | YouTube Chinese Girl Tries American Chinese Food by Laowhy86 | YouTube SerpentZA | YouTube Conquering Southern China | IMDb Conquering Northern China | IMDb China Doesn't Want You to Know About This Place by Laowhy86 | YouTube Uncovering China's Uyghur Propaganda Campaign by Laowhy86 | YouTube Is China Rich or Poor? by Laowhy86 | YouTube Black Mirror | Amazon The Real Reason John Cena Apologized For Calling Taiwan a Country | Esquire How China's TikTok, Facebook Influencers Push Propaganda | AP News Chained Woman in China – The True Story by Laowhy86 | YouTube How I Escaped from China – The Untold Story by Laowhy86 | YouTube How I Got My Family Out of China by Laowhy86 | YouTube  

This week the Pack is joined by Joseph LaVorgna (on Twitter @Lavorgnanomics) who is a Managing Director and Chief Economist for the Americas at Natixis. Joe formerly worked for the White House as a Special Assistant to the President and Chief Economist of the National Economic Council where he was responsible for advising the President and the NEC Director on developments in the financial markets and the broader economy. Joe's resume also includes time at Deutsche Bank where he was one of the leading economists on Wall Street. Joe also holds a Senior Fellow position at the America First Policy Institute, a Washington, D.C. based think tank. He was ranked as a top economist in the prestigious Institutional Investors' All-Star Fixed Income Survey for over a decade, so he knows the world of finance inside and out. Joe gives us insight on topics ranging from stagflation to a pending recession and tackles the important questions like, “Why is my gas so damn expensive and how can we fix it.” We also touch on the Fed and the Treasury and the dangers of their new policies that many consider overreaching and creeping away from its mission statement. Sit back and have a couple of drinks, because even if the news current might not be good, nobody wants to get “Mushed”.   Show Links Joe LaVorgna Twitter National Environmental Protection Act (NEPA) U.S. Treasury Department Mission Statement

This week The Pack is joined by cyber supercop Joe Marasco.  Joe spent two decades with the FBI where he held several posts focusing on counter-intelligence, cyber-terrorism, human intelligence gathering (HUMINT). This segment is especially relevant now that so much of our lives and prosperity is online, and so many bad actors are out there targeting it.  Joe kept you safe while you looked at memes and slept. He was on the front lines fighting crooks and terrorists of the virtual world, and also often stepped with his blue windbreaker and tactical boots into the real world of those cyber criminals and cyberterrorists, ruining their days and kicking down their doors for your internet safety.  We ask Joe about what feels to him like a war of attrition, and what the public and government can do and is doing. We ask him why we don't hear more about what we are doing to fight back.  From warnings about TikTok to drone strikes on cyber-terrorists, Joe lets us know (what he can) about the government's response capabilities. Joe is currently a critical infrastructure director, responsible for North America and Latin America for software company SAP. Sit back, have a drink, and enjoy.       Links  https://www.cisa.gov/critical-infrastructure-sectors https://www.linkedin.com/in/joseph-marasco-110ba9174/

This week The Pack is joined by retired Special Forces (Green Beret) Master Sergeant Scott Neil, the COO of Horse Soldier Bourbon (on Twitter @HorseSoldierUSA). We talk about his military career and his other endeavors up to his co-founding of Horse Soldier Bourbon. Scott was among the first to deploy after 9/11, and his exploits were featured in the blockbuster Hollywood movie ‘12 Strong'. After retirement, Scott wanted to help veterans and so oversaw and started several organizations dedicated to our Nation's service members and veterans. Later, a personal vision-quest took him on a world tour of whiskey distilleries. With some of the members of his former Special Forces A-Team, they decided to found Horse Soldier Bourbon. The process to start their own distillery was almost as difficult for them as when together they overthrew the Taliban from the backs of donkeys. Sit back, listen and savor your Commander Selection, neat. Links  https://horsesoldierbourbon.com/ https://twitter.com/HorseSoldierUSA https://www.facebook.com/horsesoldierbourbon https://greenberetfoundation.org/ https://www.facebook.com/GreenBeretFoundation https://twitter.com/Sept11Memorial https://www.taskforcedagger.org/  

The I Hung Up On Warren Buffett podcast returns this week to cover a special topic with two special guests, already familiar to some of our regular listeners.  Our panel today features Prof. Frank Partnoy and Soren Aandahl. Professor Partnory helps to mold future lawyers at Berkeley Law, while Soren is a reformed lawyer turned activist short. Together with The Pack, we dig into the fun and fraud of the founding first executive at the company formerly known as Theranos.  Elizabeth Holmes was convicted on 4 of 11 the charges leveled at her, perhaps surprising no one other than herself and her newly minted baby-daddy. We ask our two experts where the trial was done right, and where they think there may have been missteps by both prosecution and defense. Did Elizabeth Holmes convince the jury that she was victimized? Did the prosecution get a real win that will have a lasting impact on corporate law and help deter corporate crime? We also cover the yet pending prosecutions of her peers and discuss how much jail time Elizabeth Holmes and the others will do in stripes at federal tennis camp for former executives.   Sit Back have a drink and see who will win some tacos. Links https://www.blueorcacapital.com/ https://www.law.berkeley.edu/our-faculty/faculty-profiles/frank-partnoy/#tab_profile https://www.linkedin.com/in/frank-partnoy-a13525/   Books by Prof Partnoy Amazon  Fiasco: The Inside Story of a Wall Street Trader The Match King: Ivar Kreuger, the Financial Genius Behind a Century of Wall Street Scandals Wait: The Art and Science of Delay The Activist Manifesto Infectious Greed: How Deceit and Risk Corrupted the Financial Markets  

This week The Pack is joined by is author Evan Hughes. (@evanhughes on TWITTER) We dig into Evans's latest creation, talk about some really evil people and some people who got screwed the least of which are the people who Insys Therapeutics killed.  It's drugs, death, and strippers.    Evan has written for The New York Times Magazine, GQ, New York, The New Republic, Wired, the London Review of Books, and The New York Review of Books. He has also been published in the New York Times Book Review, n+1, Slate, The Awl, and Salon, among other publications. He is the author of Literary Brooklyn, a work of literary biography and urban history..   He is the author of several books, one of his books, turned major motion picture starring Matthew McConaughey, The Trials of White Boy Rick.    And his latest, soon to be released, The Hard Sell.   The Hard Sell. tells the inside story of a band of entrepreneurial upstarts who made millions selling painkillers--until their scheme unraveled, putting them at the center of a landmark criminal trial. I've read it, Carl read it and you should read it.   Sit back have a drink and enjoy.    Links https://www.evanhughes.co/ The Hard Sell

The week the pack is joined by a broadcast legend....  Jordan Harbinger,(@JordanHarbinger on Twitter) often referred to as “The Larry King of Podcasting,” is a former Wall Street lawyer turned interview talk show host, and a communications and social dynamics expert. A native of Detroit (Royal Oaks), and a University of Michigan graduate with a BA & JD. Jordan has hosted a Top-10 iTunes podcast for over 12 years. The Jordan Harbinger Show receives over eleven million downloads per month, making it one of the most popular podcasts in the world. His shows focuses on the skills of some of the most successful and interesting people on earth and shares their strategies, perspectives, and practical insights. He also does a fan-driven “feedback Friday” where he answers listeners' questions/problems.  Jordan Harbinger has always had an affinity for social influence, interpersonal dynamics, and social engineering. In the past, he helped private companies test the security of their communications systems. On one occasion, he even worked with law enforcement agencies before he was even old enough to drive. Jordan spent several years abroad in Europe and the developing world, including South America, Eastern Europe, Asia, and the Middle East. He speaks five languages. He has also worked for various governments and NGOs overseas, traveled through war zones. He has also been kidnapped — not just once, but twice. He'll tell you the only reason he's still alive and kicking is because of his ability to talk his way into (and out of) just about any type of situation. Links https://www.jordanharbinger.com/ https://www.jordanharbinger.com/dan-david-putting-muscle-on-the-china-hustle/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/jordanharbinger https://www.facebook.com/thejordanharbingershow https://www.jordanharbinger.com/courses/      

Peter Humphrey, The Man Who Loved China We jump right into the horrifying details of the arrest imprisonment, interrogation, and torture of Peter Humphrey.   Sit back have a stiff drink and cancel that trip to the CCP. Peter spent 46 years in business, education, media, investigations, and philanthropy in China. His story is something everyone needs to hear not because of the tragedy of it, Peter does not want you to feel sorry for him. It should be a cautionary tale. His story should be an alarm for anyone who thinks Western values mean anything to the CCP.   He currently wears many hats. He's a political analyst, journalist, commentator, documentary adviser, and expert witness focusing on business in China. Peter has worked with Harvard University, King's College London, and RUSI. He has spoken at many universities and think tanks. He is a contributor to The Diplomat, Sunday Times, and Financial Times, and has advised many news outlets on China stories and documentaries. Peter is a strident advocate campaigning against the PRC practice of forced televised confessions and donates his time to mentoring families of arbitrarily imprisoned foreigners in China. . What he may be best known for is when he and his wife were arbitrarily imprisoned in Shanghai for two years in 2013-2015 on false charges related to their work for GSK as a due diligence and anti-fraud consultancy. https://www.linkedin.com/in/peter-w-humphrey- https://www.cnn.com/2020/12/13/asia/peter-humphrey-china-prisoners-intl-hnk/index.html Recent activity: 4 Feb 2021: Successfully campaigned against Chinese Communist-Party owned TV CGTN leading to UK regulator Ofcom stripping CGTN's UK license, which had been illegally held. A historical first. 6 Dec 2020: Featured in a long article by CNN spotlighting arbitrary detention of foreigners in China and my pro bono role in mentoring their families. 6 July 2020: Successfully complained and campaigned against Chinese Communist-Party-owned TV CGTN over it airing forced confessions. UK regulator Ofcom upheld my complaint. Fines were subsequently imposed in March 2021, A historical first. April 2020: Testified, by invitation, to the UK Conservative Party Human Rights Commission, on forced prison labor and forced confessions in China. June 2019: Successfully testified as an expert witness against the extradition of a Chinese national from Sweden to China. Recent articles: Peter Humphrey was once locked up in China. Now he advises other prisoners and their families how to take on Beijing, CNN, 14 Dec 2020. Forced prison labor has foreign prisoners in China packing Christmas cards for Tesco and oats for Quakers. Exclusive. (Sunday Times, 22 & 29 Dec 2019, 19 Jan 2020) My Life Inside a Chinese Prison, by Peter Humphrey (Financial Times, 16 Feb 2018) https://www.ft.com/content/db8b9e36-1119-11e8-940e-08320fc2a277?desktop=true&segmentId=d8d3e364-5197-20eb-17cf-2437841d178a#myft:notification:instant-email:content

Peter Humphrey, The Man Who Loved China The Pack and Peter go through his history through his imprisonment in a Chinese gulag for the crime of investigating the wrong person.   Sit back have a stiff drink and cancel that trip to the CCP. Peter spent 46 years in business, education, media, investigations, and philanthropy in China. His story is something everyone needs to hear not because of the tragedy of it, Peter does not want you to feel sorry for him. It should be a cautionary tale. His story should be an alarm for anyone who thinks Western values mean anything to the CCP.   He currently wears many hats. He's a political analyst, journalist, commentator, documentary adviser, and expert witness focusing on business in China. Peter has worked with Harvard University, King's College London, and RUSI. He has spoken at many universities and think tanks. He is a contributor to The Diplomat, Sunday Times, and Financial Times, and has advised many news outlets on China stories and documentaries. Peter is a strident advocate campaigning against the PRC practice of forced televised confessions and donates his time to mentoring families of arbitrarily imprisoned foreigners in China. . What he may be best known for is when he and his wife were arbitrarily imprisoned in Shanghai for two years in 2013-2015 on false charges related to their work for GSK as a due diligence and anti-fraud consultancy. https://www.linkedin.com/in/peter-w-humphrey- https://www.cnn.com/2020/12/13/asia/peter-humphrey-china-prisoners-intl-hnk/index.html Recent activity: 4 Feb 2021: Successfully campaigned against Chinese Communist-Party owned TV CGTN leading to UK regulator Ofcom stripping CGTN's UK license, which had been illegally held. A historical first. 6 Dec 2020: Featured in a long article by CNN spotlighting arbitrary detention of foreigners in China and my pro bono role in mentoring their families. 6 July 2020: Successfully complained and campaigned against Chinese Communist-Party-owned TV CGTN over it airing forced confessions. UK regulator Ofcom upheld my complaint. Fines were subsequently imposed in March 2021, A historical first. April 2020: Testified, by invitation, to the UK Conservative Party Human Rights Commission, on forced prison labor and forced confessions in China. June 2019: Successfully testified as an expert witness against the extradition of a Chinese national from Sweden to China. Recent articles: Peter Humphrey was once locked up in China. Now he advises other prisoners and their families how to take on Beijing, CNN, 14 Dec 2020. Forced prison labor has foreign prisoners in China packing Christmas cards for Tesco and oats for Quakers. Exclusive. (Sunday Times, 22 & 29 Dec 2019, 19 Jan 2020) My Life Inside a Chinese Prison, by Peter Humphrey (Financial Times, 16 Feb 2018) https://www.ft.com/content/db8b9e36-1119-11e8-940e-08320fc2a277?desktop=true&segmentId=d8d3e364-5197-20eb-17cf-2437841d178a#myft:notification:instant-email:content   Recent Lectures and Speeches: * Cambridge University Human Rights Law Society 17 Feb 2020, "Shanghaied". * Oxford University China Centre, 18 Oct 2019, "Shanghaied: China from Inside" * Council on Foreign Relations, 18 June 2018 Washington DC, "Trapped in China"

This week The Pack is thankful for American Hero Matt Eversmann (@EversmannMatt on Twitter). The former Army Ranger was featured in several books and films depicting his time in the Military and was the lead protagonist portrayed by Josh Hartnett in the hit "Black Hawk Down".  Matt now writes with James Patterson and helps veterans who are struggling to transition to civilian life.   First Sergeant (ret) Matt Eversmann personifies the qualities of duty, courage, and selfless service to succeed when ordinary circumstances become extraordinary challenges. On October 3, 1993, Matt was placed in charge of a group of Army Rangers to lead a daytime raid against an eager enemy militia. His inspiring story of survival was immortalized in the epic film, Black Hawk Down, which recounts the harrowing experience. For his actions on the battlefield, he was awarded the Bronze Star Medal with Valor device. During his remaining time in uniform, he worked at the Army War College, taught at The Johns Hopkins University, and was finally deployed to Iraq where he lived with the Iraqi Army for 15 months during The Surge. He remained on active duty until May of 2008 when he retired after 20 years of service. His frustration with the typical hiring process for veterans fueled his desire to help others avoid the “veterans predicament,” where great servicemen and women are overlooked because of a broken hiring system. Since his retirement from active duty, Matt has worked in several industries in mid-level to senior-level positions. He was an operations officer in healthcare, an executive director in a non-profit, and a VP of leadership development for a data management company.   Eversmann Advisory is a veteran-owned and operated organization with a diverse range of strategic partners who develop employment initiatives and strategically embed talent. We train exceptionally talented men and women to be more competitive in the market.   Matt is also the co-author of two books with James Patterson yes that James Patterson E.R. Nurses: True Stories from America's Greatest Unsung Heroes They save our lives every day, and we've never heard their stories.  The life-or-death intensity of working on the front lines, from America's greatest unsung heroes.   Walk-in My Combat Boots: True Stories from America's Bravest Warriors These are the brutally honest stories usually only shared amongst comrades in arms. Here, in the voices of the men and women who've fought overseas from Vietnam to Iraq and Afghanistan, is a rare eye-opening look into what wearing the uniform, fighting in combat, losing friends, and coming home is really like   Matt is featured in the 2008 PBS documentary “Send Me” "Send Me" follows as he returns to combat with the U.S. military in the fight against ISIS and the Taliban. The film provides an insider's look into the lives of active-duty U.S. military personnel stationed in far-flung outposts overseas.   But what Former first Sergeant Eversmann is known for and detailed in two books and a movie you may have heard of   The Battle of Mogadishu: First-Hand Accounts from the Men of Task Force Ranger with Dan Shilling   Day of the Rangers: The Battle of Mogadishu 25 Years On by Leigh Neville,   The Movie You May have heard of – Black Hawk Down  The story of 160 elite U.S. soldiers who dropped into Mogadishu in October 1993 to capture two top lieutenants of a renegade warlord but found themselves in a desperate battle with a large force of heavily-armed Somalis. https://www.linkedin.com/in/matt-eversmann-a7647b4/ https://eversmannadvisory.com/

This week The Pack is joined by returning champion Sam Reynolds (On Twitter @thesamreynolds & @blockworks), a journalist with Blockworks based in Taipei. With Blockworks he covers digital assets and institutional investors in the world's most exciting economies.  Prior to Blockworks, he was an editor with Taipei-based Forkast News, where he covered blockchain throughout Asia. Sam also contributes to Wccftech, one of the largest technology news websites in the world.  Sam is The Pack's go-to guy when it comes to questions on Crypto and the Microsemi industry. We dig into how microchips are being made, who the major players are, what is causing the bottleneck, what are the threats and when we will see a change.   We also touch on crypto and how microchip manufacturers and miners have a frenemies-type relationship.  It all gets wrapped up with some basic rationale of why the supply chain isn't helping anyone.    https://blockworks.co/ - Understand the crypto markets in just 5 minutes.

On this week's episode, The Pack gets a little weird for Halloween. We are joined by former UK Ministry of Defense Undersecretary in Charge of UFOs, Nick Pope (@nickpopemod on Twitter). Nick Pope ran the British Government's UFO Project from 1991 to 1994. Among his other duties, he led research on and investigations of UFOs, alien abductions, crop circles, and other strange phenomena. The media called him “The Real Fox Mulder”. His government background and his level-headed views have made him the media, film, and TV industry's go-to guy when it comes to UFOs, the unexplained, and alien conspiracy theories. Nick Pope has consulted on and helped to promote a number of alien-themed movies, TV shows, and video games. He has hosted, consulted on, and contributed to numerous TV shows, has written six best-selling books, and lectures all around the world. The Pack asks Nick one of the most important questions for mankind: “Are we alone?” We dig into what Nick is allowed to discuss, hear which counties are helping us in the search for alien life, and learn what would be the worst-case scenario should aliens exist... or visit. From crop circles to government admissions, we cover it all.  Pour yourself a tall brimming glass of Romulan Brandy, sit back, and enjoy. Links   https://www.linkedin.com/in/nickpopeofficial/   http://nickpope.net/wpte19/   https://www.amazon.com/Encounter-Rendlesham-Forest-Best-Documented-Incident/dp/1250038103

On this week's episode, The Pack is joined by a former punk-rocker and current Senior Contributing Writer for Institutional Investor magazine. Richard Teitelbaum (@rteitelbaum100 on Twitter) is a journalist and author specializing in the financial markets. Richard is the author of The Most Dangerous Trade: How Short Sellers Uncover Fraud, Keep Markets Honest, and Make and Lose Billions (John Wiley, 2015), about the life and lore of the short selling community, a must-read for any who follow The Dark Side. Currently he is writing in-depth profiles and fascinating investigative stories for Institutional Investor. Previously, he oversaw corporate finance coverage as News Editor at The Wall Street Journal. At Bloomberg News Richard covered hedge funds, investment banks, and the financial crisis. His investigative reports examined the TARP bailout, the disclosure of nonpublic information by the U.S. Treasury Department to market participants, and the New York Federal Reserve Bank's role in the AIG takeover. On this podcast, we talk about Richard's book, the obvious mental issues you need to have to be an activist short seller, and some potential topics for a new book for Richard that range from the history of short selling to a biography of AOC. The Packs also uncovers some of Richard's investigative techniques, and hears who were the most memorable interviews he's done, and others that he would like to forget.    Sit back, have a drink, and enjoy.. Links   https://www.linkedin.com/in/richard-teitelbaum-17b27517/   https://www.amazon.com/Most-Dangerous-Trade-Billions-Bloomberg/dp/1118505212  

On this week's episode, The Pack is joined by Todd Cipperman (@Cipperman on Twitter). Todd is the founding principal of Cipperman Compliance Services (CCS) and author of the book, The Compliance Advantage: Ten Must-Know Trends to Protect Your Investment Firm. We dig into the exciting world of compliance and discuss how many executives try to find that grey area between what is legal and what will put them in the crosshairs of the SEC. We talk about Theranos and Elizabeth Holmes, and about insider trading cases involving Mark Cuban, Martha Stewart, Kelly Loeffler, and Diane Feinstein. Who should go to jail and what is legal? Todd has over 25 years of experience in the investment management and financial services industries. He has represented a wide range of investment management clients, always with a focus on distribution issues facing investment managers and broker-dealers. He previously served as general counsel of SEI Investments, a public mutual fund and financial technology firm, including its $65 billion proprietary mutual fund family. He has also served as general counsel of one of the largest international equity managers. Prior to that, Todd spent several years in private practice on Wall Street, representing both buy- and sell-side clients in investment management and capital markets transactions.   Sit back, have a drink, and enjoy.     Links   https://twitter.com/CippermanCS   https://www.cipperman.com/todd-cipperman/   The Compliance Advantage: Ten Must-Know Trends to Protect Your Investment Firm Available on Amazon  

This week The Pack is joined by Aaron Task (@aarontask on Twitter). Aaron is a podcaster and journalist based in New York. He has written articles for Fortune Magazine, Business Insider, Muck Rack, Investment U, and others. He is currently the host of Alpha Trader Podcast for Seeking Alpha.   Aaron was the digital editor at Fortune Magazine and the host of Fortune's first podcast, Fortune Unfiltered. Prior to that Aaron was Editor-in-Chief at Yahoo Finance and host of the “Dailey Ticker” from 2008 until 2015.  He also was Executive Editor at the Street.com in the early days from 1998 to 2007. Aaron was often a substitute host for Jim Cramer's Real Money Radio and The John Batchelor Show on ABC Radio. He was also editor of the book Bailout Nation, by Barry Ritholtz.  Arron and The Pack swap stores from the 2008 recession forward. We cover some of his interviews that include the former President of South Korea, three US Presidents, and rock-and-roll legends Gene Simmons and Dee Snider. In this journey with Aaron we cover a multitude of topics, including how unfunny SNL's Pete Davidson is and the punch-ability of his face.  Sit back, have a laugh, and enjoy.   Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/alpha-trader/id1481726535   Social Networks: aarontask.net  https://twitter.com/aarontask https://www.linkedin.com/in/aarontask/ https://www.facebook.com/aarontask Publications and Interviews Alison Task books: https://allisontask.com/books/ Al Gore interview: https://finance.yahoo.com/video/daily-ticker-al-gore-154841205.html Bailout Nation: https://www.amazon.com/Bailout-Nation-New-Post-Crisis-Update/dp/0470596325     *** One Note in our recording It was Ann Coulter trolling George Soros NOT Laura Ingraham 

This week the Pack goes outside the world of finance. We are joined by constitutional scholar and Emeritus Professor of Law at Harvard, Alan Dershowitz (@alandersh on Twitter). Alan speaks freely and comfortably about a little bit of everything, his past, his beliefs, current events, past clients, the scourge of woke-ism and cancel-culture, the rough texture and dissonant tone of our times. Alan Dershowitz has long been celebrated for his work in U.S. constitutional and criminal law. The youngest full professor ever at Harvard Law School, he taught from 1964 through 2013, where he was appointed as the Felix Frankfurter Professor of Law in 1993. Dershowitz is a regular media contributor, political commentator, and legal analyst. Throughout his long career, he has written more than two-score books, at least one every year. His latest is coming soon, The Case For Color Blind Equality In The Age Of Identity Politics. Dershowitz has always believed in maintaining his sharpness in the courtroom as well as classroom, and has always undertaken complex, high-profile, and often unpopular cases, causes, and clients. He has represented a long list of luminaries on both sides of popular sentiment, including Mike Tyson, Patty Hearst, Leona Helmsley, Julian Assange, Jim Bakker, O.J. Simpson, Jeffery Epstein, and Harvey Weinstein.  In 2018 he agreed to represent President Donald Trump, Dershowitz winning his latest landmark case. This and many of his recent pronouncements rubbed wrong the American Left, which had always been his fan-base, neighbors in New York, and social peers. What so many of them misunderstood, and what Alan explains so well in this wide-ranging conversation, is that he took and won the case in defense of the US Constitution, the protections and rights provided by which he sees as increasingly under dire threat from that same Left that once so warmly embraced and now so churlishly scorns him. So often the great among us are left to walk alone... join the Pack as we keep this brilliant mind and brave man company for a while  in comfortable conversation.

This week on the podcast the pack visits with Gordon G. Chang.  We cover just about every area that China is eating our lunch in from having all our DNA, the future and some say the inevitable fall of Taiwan to the duplicity of US universities and corporations.  Sit back have a hot tea and brush up on your Mandarin.   Gordon is an attorney, the author of several books on China, a columnist, and public intellectual.  He lived for several decades in China and greater Asia, working for major US law firms Baker & Mackenzie and Paul, Weiss. Gordon has given briefings at the National Intelligence Council, the CIA, the State Department, and the Pentagon, and has appeared before the United States House Committee on Foreign Affairs. He is a former contributor at The Daily Beast. His writings on China and North Korea have appeared in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, the International Herald Tribune, Commentary, National Review, and Barron's among others He has appeared on CNN, Fox News, MSNBC, CNBC, PBS, Bloomberg Television, and others, as well on as The Daily Show with Jon Stewart. Gordon has spoken at Columbia, Cornell, Harvard, Penn, Princeton, Yale, and other universities.   Show Links http://www.gordonchang.com/index.html https://twitter.com/GordonGChang  

This week, The Pack visits with Cory Johnson, @CoryTV on Twitter. Cory is host of the daily Drill Down Podcast, @DrillDownPod, of the BizPod Network Cory illuminates the business behind daily stock movers with in-depth analysis and conducts daily interviews with powerful CEOs and investors. His peripatetic career has seen him in prominent roles as a technology journalist, broadcaster, hedge fund portfolio manager, and investor. But fundamentally he's an entrepreneur -- helping to start media companies such as the Industry Standard, Slam (the world's largest basketball magazine), and Vibe. He was CNBC's first Silicon Valley correspondent, and helped create TV, radio, and podcasts for Bloomberg. He has also worked as the managing member of Epistrophy Capital, as a senior executive at the blockchain startup Ripple, and at several other prominent ventures. The Pack digs into Cory's history, from college to his current endeavor, The Drill Down Podcast. Nothing was off-limits, and Cory gives his unvarnished opinion on CNBC, Mike Bloomberg, and the state of business reporting. Sit back, pour yourself a drink, and enjoy.   Links for Cory Johnson & topics covered on the podcast. https://www.bizpod.net/ https://twitter.com/DrillDownPod https://twitter.com/CoryTV https://www.linkedin.com/in/cory-j-600718/ https://thedrilldown.podbean.com/   2:43   A log rolling in our time. 3:10   Cory makes up his own major at NYU. 4:41   New York Magazine, Wall Street, Courts & Crime and Wall Street, Courts & Crime and a call from Jim Cramer. 12:04 CNBC and the value of stability. 13:21 Business Journalism & CNBC, a stock is not a story. 16:51 The Human Experience. 20:53 Why this medium. 22:53 Ackman, Ichan, Herbalife and getting it shoved up your ass. 27:40 Elon doesn't call me anymore. 30:40 I hate it here. 33:45 The Drill Down and why its different. 35:48 Business literacy and getting sued. 37:58 Mike Wilkins, Bill Maher sucks at hoops and the Smithsonian. 41:30 A little bit of Bitcoin. 44:02 Wrapping up and some Felonious Munk.

This week, The Pack visits with Dr. Marian Tupy (@HumanProgress  on Twitter) of the Cato Institute Educated in South Africa and England, Dr. Tupy is a Senior Fellow at the Cato Institute's Center for Global Liberty, a contributor to the Financial Times, Wall Street Journal, The Atlantic, the U.K. Spectator, and Foreign Policy, He is a frequent guest on CNN, CNBC, Fox, and others. Dr. Tupy is also editor of Human Progress, and author of the book, “Ten Global Trends Every Smart Person Should Know: And Many Others You Will Find Interesting.” He is a specialist in “globalization and global well‐being”, and indeed in his book and on this podcast appearance he brings us a hearty helping of hope... things may not be as socially, culturally, and economically awful as they seem.  We dig deep into his book and think you will come away as surprised as we did.  It just may not be so bad. Sit back and enjoy the podcast. Pour yourself a half-empty glass, and hear Dr. Tupy make it half-full for you.   Links for Marian Tupy & topics covered on the podcast.   https://store.cato.org/products/ten-global-trends-every-smart-person-should-know https://twitter.com/HumanProgress https://www.humanprogress.org/   1:54   Marian Tupy gives the reasons why he wrote this book. 4:02   The American education system and the lack of critical thinking. 5:07   The evolution of skepticism and every thing is great in Holland.  11:41 The reception of facts, where the facts came from and where to read the book. 16:20 Global happiness is rising and the Easterlin Paradox. 20:49 The top ten in no order but starting with number 1. 26:10 The kings progress, Versailles and Mel Brooks. 27:39 The cost of electricity and absurdity of period pieces. 32:07 The end of poverty. 35:49 Running out of resources. 40:42 Elephants, Polar bears, Wolves, and Pandas having sex. 49:03 More green then Alaska and Montana combined. 57:11 Leaving the rural communities for the freedom of the big city and the drop in global reproduction. 1:05:16 Decarbonizing the economy, nuclear energy and the birds. 1:11:26 The end of famine and Israeli engineering. 1:19:44 Global peace, kind of. Welcome to America and here is your part of the national debt. 1:26:23 Torture is dead and let's bring back duels. 1:29:40 Less crime unless you watch the news. 1:31:37 More democracy and the guiding hand. 1:35:00 The 20th century, it was the best of times it was the worst of times. 1:39:21 A big win for humanity. 1:41:00 Real bravery and The US is the best.

This week, The Pack visits with Chris Drose (@bleecker__st on Twitter) of the newly launched activist-short fund, Bleecker Street Capital. Chris published his first short-report in 2014 while he was still in college. He has since been a regular contributor to Seeking Alpha and was the man and mind behind the well-deserved market-based prosecution and ultimate destruction of American Addiction Centers (AAC).  Chris has worked for some of the best hedge and short funds in the county, and with many iconic figures in activist shorting. Previously operating as Bleecker Street Research when he was solo, he has just launched a fund, Bleecker Street Capital to continue his excellent activist work. Chris takes The Pack though some of his biggest reports, including his work on American Addiction Centers (AAC). AAC had ambitions to be a best-in-class national addiction help center. However, greed, accounting fraud, and criminal charges that included Second-Degree Murder laid them low (with Chris' help!). What is next for Bleecker Street, thoughts about the market, and the short world vs hedge funds; Chris tells us all about it, from the comfort of his bathroom.   Drugs, deaths, fraud and short selling. Sit back, pour yourself a drink, and enjoy.   Links for Chris Drose & topics covered on the podcast.   https://bleeckerstreetresearch.com/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/chris-drose-2a18245a/ https://twitter.com/Bleecker__St https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2017/12/27/business/drug-addiction-rehab.html   1:57     Chris gives the back story for Bleecker Street from his toilet. 3:16     Can a 20yo be taken seriously on Seeking Alpha. 4:59     Short selling skepticism and finding the talent to understand the world of shorts.  6:45     Dan meets Chris for the first time and dinner with the parents. 9:31     Chris, piss tests and the war with AAC 13:20     The analyst who will not be named. 14:30     Murder, money and greed. 19:57     Fake Attorneys, an 18 hour deposition and loving a killer. 25:30     So how much money did you make? 27:14     No one went to jail….. Buying land in the Bahamas. 28:46     What came next for Chris, a hedge fund. 32:39     Dan learns what will take The Pack to the next level. 34:04     The changing game. 38:10     Your research is only good if the market agrees with you. 39:11     Going back to Bleecker Street and what a tease. 42:10     GME, short squeeze, the meme stocks and we got blockchain. 43:46      Advise for the listeners. 44:44      A dire prediction. 50:35      Draft kings and 500K. 53:20      Wrapping it up.

This week, The Pack visits with Carol Roth (@caroljsroth on Twitter). Carol is a vociferous advocate for small business. She is also the Creator of the Future File®️ legacy-planning system, a national media personality, billion-dollar dealmaker, brand spokesperson, investor, board member and a bestselling author.   Carol takes The Pack though her upcoming book, talks about the NFL and names the greatest running-back of all time, and tackles government overreach and the devastating impact that both the government and Covid 19 have had on small business in America. Touching on China, PPE, supply chains, and the unemployment rate, Carol covers pretty much everything under the sun. Carol was named a Top-100 Small Business Influencer for 2011-2015 by Small Biz Trends. She has written hundreds of articles for a variety of outlets. Additionally, she is a sought-after emcee, speaker, and moderator at events that included the Virgin Atlantic Conference with Richard Branson, the Chicago Cubs Convention, VALIC, Entrepreneur, and many others. Carol is the creator of Future File. The Future File system provides you and your loved ones two roadmaps for legacy-planning. The first helps you to organize your wishes and provides important information for your loved ones. The second helps your loved ones know what to do when the time comes.   Sit back, pour yourself a drink, and enjoy.    Links for Carol Roth & topics covered on the podcast.   https://twitter.com/caroljsroth https://www.linkedin.com/in/caroljsroth/ https://bookshop.org/ https://www.futurefile.com/   3:83     Carol and The Pack talk about the NFL and getting her to be a Lions fan. 4:42     How Carol came up with “The war on small business” and the Pandemic. 8:51     Small business are the backbone of 99.9% of the world economy and lets just shut it down for 2 weeks. 11:49     Dan predicts the pandemic in 2018 and gets boo'ed. 13:28     China, Free Speech and Capitalism. 16:52     Empires, the crushing weight of debt and the attack on small business. 24:22     Small Business, the pandemic supply chain, and no booze in Pennsylvania. 30:14     Government Overreach and misspent funding during Covid 19. 34:39     The march towards UBI and Zombie Companies. 36:55     Passive Investment Vehicles and Frauds. 39:14     SPAC Jesus, RTO's and the golden age of IPO's. 42:32     Central planning – the soft takeover and dept we cannot service. 46:48     We don't have a revenue problem we have a spending problem. 51:27     Provident funds, let me invest my own money. 54:24     Why we need a viable 3rd party and inflation. 56:59     The Fed and faux independence. 1:01:50   Free Speech, social media, and censorship 1:04:53   What can people do to help small business. 1:09:43   I got an action figure. 1:12:13   An amazing summary and closing from Carol.

This week, The Pack visits with a friend of the show, Crocker Coulson (@crockercoulson on Twitter). Crocker is the CEO of AUM media and is an award-winning investor-relations and corporate communications advisor for the last two decades.   Crocker takes The Pack though his childhood watching avant-garde films, his time at Yale and his encounter with the “Skull and Bones Club”, his jump into journalism starting at The Yale Daily News, his first publication, and finally his time at CCG and what those initials really meant. Crocker was instrumental in bringing to US markets many of the Chinese RTOs that later became targets of Dan and the other China Hustle shorts. We also touch on what Crocker has been doing since the fall of the reverse-merger, including the most expensive divorce in billed hours in the history of New York.  Crocker is also Founder and Chairman of the MUSE Academy, a school focused on the performing arts, and of the 110-year-old Brooklyn Music School. Sit back, pour yourself a drink, and enjoy.    Links for Crocker Coulson topics covered on the podcast.   https://www.aummedia.org/ https://museacademybk.com/ https://crockercoulson.com/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/crocker-coulson-509675/ https://www.aummedia.org/crocker-coulson-bio

This week, The Pack visits with the great sage Joe Nocera, (@opinion_joe on Twitter). Joe is an award-winning and bestselling author, columnist, investigative journalist, and now podcaster. His latest work, “The Shrink Next Door”, has been turned into a series on Apple TV starring Will Ferrell, Paul Rudd, and Kathryn Hahn.   This Pulitzer Prize nominee pulls no punches in anything he says and does.   Joe takes us though some of his best and most amusing works and articles. These range from a car-bomb in Paris to his groundbreaking interview with the most famous man in Oklahoma, T-Boone Pickens. Joe has made friends and enemies in our small world of shorts and in the wider world of national politics. From MiMedx to Theranos: Joe does not care about feelings; he just gives the facts.     We visit everything with Joe, including his work, his sometimes-controversial politics, and some current events. Sit back, have a drink, and enjoy.     https://twitter.com/opinion_joe https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-shrink-next-door/id1459899275 https://www.nytimes.com/by/joe-nocera https://www.bloomberg.com/opinion/authors/AB5jPpvf5C4/joe-nocera  

This week The Pack is joined by Sam Reynolds (On Twitter @thesamreynolds & @blockworks), a journalist with Blockworks based in Taipei. With Blockworks he covers digital assets and institutional investors in the world's most exciting economies. Prior to Blockworks he was an editor with Taipei-based Forkast News, where he covered blockchain throughout Asia. Sam also contributes to Wccftech, one of the largest technology news websites in the world.  Sam takes us thorough the world of crypto, digital currencies like the e-yuan, and a bit of policy and politics.   https://blockworks.co/ - Understand the crypto markets in just 5 minutes.

In this week's episode, Carson Block and Roddy Boyd  (@muddywatersre & @RodBoydILM  on Twitter) join the pack for a special forum to discuss private investigator Derrick Snowdy.  Derrick has been the topic of recent articles by Institutional Investor Magazine & The Foundation for Financial Journalism. Sit back listen to Dan, Carson, and Roddy as they tell stories and give perspective on the inner workings of some of the top journalists and activist short sellers in the world.   https://www.institutionalinvestor.com/article/b1rtgl72qyzdw4/Shadowy-Private-Investigator-Promised-Catalyst-Intel-on-Short-Sellers-But-Came-Up-Short-New-Legal-Documents-Reveal https://ffj-online.org/2021/05/12/danny-guy-derrick-snowdy-and-the-strange-wars-of-confused-men/

This week, The Pack has a Bull vs Bear discussion on Root, Inc. (Nasdaq: ROOT) with Edwin Dorsey of “The Bear Cave”. ROOT is a provider of direct-to-consumer insurance products. Edwin Dorsey (@StockJabber on Twitter). Has published two reports on ROOT explaining why he believes they are not a viable long-term company. Even after a long-biased tweet & live stream from the “former” activist short seller Andrew Left, Edwin appears to be correct: ROOT's stock is still down since his first publication.  Sit Back, relax, have a drink and enjoy this special release. You can follow Edwin's work and subscribe to Edwin's email newsletter, “The Bear Cave” at https://thebearcave.substack.com/

This week The Pack visits with a friend of the show Roddy Boyd (@RodBoydILM on Twitter). Roddy is the Editor and founder of the Foundation for Financial Journalism. I think Roddy is among the few remaining investigative journalists on the planet. Before FFJ, he was a reporter for Fortune, NY Post, NY Sun, and Institutional Investor News. In 2011 he published “Fatal Risk – A cautionary Tale of AIG's Corporate Suicide”, a McKinsey Business Book of the Year. In 2012, The Huffington Post named him “one of the most feared financial reporters in America.”  Roddy takes us through his upbringing, his early work, and events that shaped his career both personally and professionally. Sit back have a drink and enjoy!  When something like alcohol use is so intimately ingrained in the fabric of our society, it becomes extremely difficult to significantly alter its use and or abuse comprehensively and beneficially. It becomes extremely difficult for many individuals to realistically see the destructive, unhealthy, and sometimes fatal aspects of drug or alcohol abuse. If you need help or think you need help you are taking the first step.   https://www.aa.org and https://www.nami.org/Home 3:15 Roddy's background; growing up as the son of a hedge fund titan, being taught the importance of hard work, and graduating from Fordham University 10:18 Roddy's aspiration of becoming a journalist which was enhanced after the Watergate hearings, putting his dreams on pause to pay the bills for his new family, and working his way up from being a desk clerk 19:20 Roddy's attempt to get a job as a writer, landing a financial journalism gig at II and writing his biggest gets on Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae which led him to the NY Sun and eventually the NY Post.  Writing about overstock.com 30:00 Going after Fairfax Financial, overstock suing Rocker Partners which led to a wave of attacks on short-sellers and eventually journalists. 40:02 Roddy getting subpoenaed from the SEC for his Fairfax reporting, taking the case to the state supreme court and ultimately fighting off the suit, and how Dan and Roddy became in contact over the wave of Chinese fraud.   49:10 Where were you the first time you heard about Ben Wei and Freedom of Speech?   52:20 The time Roddy visited the China Media Express office, witnessed Jeffrey Toobin-esque activities and a sleeping R&D department, and the subsequent stop on trading the next day from the NASDAQ. 1:00:35 Roddy's work on Valeant and their ultimate demise, Bill Ackman's hypocritical stance on Valeant after playing the moral high ground on Herbalife. 1:12:40  Roddy's continuous work and personal sacrifice to help bring down Insys Pharmaceuticals, and ultimately being thanked personally by a senior DEA officer on the case. 1:20:00 How Roddy makes a living off of donations to the Foundation for Financial Journalism, doing honest work and still getting attacked for taking donations from short-sellers. 1:30:20 Roddy's journey towards sobriety and the moments that made him realize he needed to make a change, how drinking often becomes a problem for journalists and people on Wall Street.  How Roddy has helped numerous people reach sobriety.

This week, The Pack takes a trip back to the early days of short selling only to find out that, sadly, not much has changed. In 1970, Kurt Feshbach (@Kurt_Feshbach on Twitter) was a high school dropout, described in one article as a “typical SoCal surfer” sporting long hair, flipflops and a tank top. Based on appearance alone, nobody could have known that his small company in California, Feshbach Bros., was actually one of the most feared Activist Short Sellers in the world.   Kurt takes us through his first trade (which netted him $5k) and through some of the biggest hits that, in 9 years, had Feshbach Bros. managing a billion dollars - for those keeping score, that's an annualized return (IRR) of 232.4% - not bad for high school dropout.  Kurt went to war with journalists and banks while balancing a complicated relationship with the SEC and other regulators. He was criticized at the time for using what many considered to be unorthodox investigation techniques but has now become standard practice for top-tier Activist Shorts. Kurt now runs https://bindlepaper.com. The Bindle Paper is an independent boutique research firm which produces deep dive, single-stock short research for a discrete and limited group of institutional clients. bin·dle pa·per: A clean piece of standard-size, folded paper used to contain trace evidence. Sit back, grab a drink, and enjoy the trip through time, knowledge, and experience that Kurt imparts during our fascinating conversation. “We're doomed to repeat the past no matter what. That's what it is to be alive. It's pretty dense kids who haven't figured that out by the time they're ten.... Most kids can't afford to go to Harvard and be misinformed.” ― Kurt Vonnegut 1:05 Kurt talks about how he got started and the help he had from his partners and his father. 2:42 Go directly to jail, do not pass go, do not collect $200. Hear the long list of companies whose executives ended up in prison after dealing with the Feshbach Bros.  6:05 Kurt working on the sell side of Wall St, and meets a man that showed him the light, which led him to his first short idea. 12:26 A business is born; Kurt brings in his brothers and gets some seed money from a partner to start Feshbach Brothers. 15:03 Green energy was booming in the 1980's - the problem was that most of them were frauds. Kurt made a killing exposing them, including one that claimed to create "clean" energy from human waste… turns out they were full of shit. 17:40 Kurt takes us through the process that they employed to obtain SEC filings via 1980's technology. 28:06 Kurt talks about ZZZBest and Barry Minkow, one of the biggest and best shorts on his impressive track record, as well as a few others that were absolutely amazing finds. 34:55 All that swag, congressional hearings, and Robert Flaherty. 41:19 Picking through the trash, putting the puzzle together, and working with reporters to get your story out before the internet was invented. 48:48 How the market is essentially the same 40 years later, well except for the valuations... 58:57 Kurt addresses the "rumors" that Wells Fargo killed his business 1:06:38 The SEC and 20,000 pages of thermal paper. 1:19:39  The next big thing for Kurt: The Bindle Paper.

This week The Pack had the pleasure of speaking with Jordan Thomas. Jordan is widely recognized as being at the pinnacle of whistleblower law in the United States. He is currently serving as a partner and chair for the Whistleblower Representation Practice at Labaton Sucharow. Before that, he was a Naval judge, DOJ trial lawyer, and assistant director to the SEC.  At the SEC, he helped develop the original whistleblower program and laid the foundation for what it is today. Jordan goes into great detail about what whistleblowers mean to the financial ecosystem and how their cases must be handled in order to best protect investors. He also describes how he sees the regulatory system progressing, and addresses what he believes the SEC must accomplish in order to better enforce its regulations. Jordan is truly an expert on all aspects of financial regulation. Sit back, grab a drink, and enjoy the knowledge and experience that he imparts during our conversation. 1:34 Jordan breaks down his vast work experience and some of his accomplishments along the way. 4:00 Jordan's pretty unique background and upbringing – how he found his path toward fighting corruption with strong influences from his father who was a judge, and mother who was a nun and school teacher. 10:23 Why is it that nobody gets prosecuted for fraud anymore? Jordan's thoughts on using litigation as a deterrent. 23:49 Jordan addresses the regulatory gaps that he'd like to see corrected, and how Dodd-Frank still has a way to go. 30:30 If Jordan was in charge at the SEC - how the SEC should allocate its limited resources, and what he would do to increase the amount of trials. 41:10 Jordan's reasoning for suing the SEC, and how the SEC moves the goalposts by changing the rules pertaining to whistleblowers and why that hurts their cause. 48:00 How fighting the good fight goes beyond wins and losses, the need for bringing more cases to trial, and how companies take advantage of the SEC's lack of prosecution - such as Walmart's FCPA violations. 55:22 Jordan's thoughts on the increasingly pervasive fraud coming out of China and the difficulty in collecting from Chinese frauds. The difference between how corporations react to policy and enforcement - fines have become a slap on the wrist. 1:03:01 Jordan's advice for investors: either be diligent or look into index funds. How one becomes a client of his practice, and why the SEC is skeptical of short sellers' biases.

This week Dan and the Pack sit down with journalist, commentator, and investment researcher Herb Greenberg. Many listeners will recognize Herb from his work as a senior market commentator on CNBC, and also from his work at both TheStreet and MarketWatch.   Before his time on television, Herb got started in journalism writing for the Boca Raton News, the Chicago Tribune as a New York-based financial correspondent, and eventually landed his gig as a daily columnist for the San Francisco Chronicle. Currently, Herb and his partners run Pacific Square Research, a subscription-based research firm specializing in fundamental, investigative and forensic analysis.   Sit back, relax, and enjoy a conversation with veteran investigative financial journalist Herb Greenberg, as he dishes some great backstory about breaking some of the most memorable insider trading-stories, investigations, and SEC run-ins over his 40-year career

The Pack takes a break from the world of finance and spends some time on focusing on what may be the most important and misunderstood topic in the world today: COVID-19 vaccines.  Jessica Steier, DrPH, PMP and Andrea C. Love, Ph.D. take us from the origins of vaccination to the current global pandemic. Dr. Steier and Dr. Love have extensive experience in dealing with public health policies, as well as vaccines. Together they host the "Unbiased Science Podcast" - We encourage you to give their show a listen at  https://www.unbiasedscipod.com/.   They help us understand why some people are apprehensive when it comes to vaccinations and dispel some of the rumors and misinformation surrounding the new COVID-19 vaccines.  Get the truth, get the science and get vaccinated to help stop the spread of COVID-19.   5:11 - The science and history behind vaccines and how mRNA vaccines are different from traditional vaccines. 16:40 - Addressing falsehoods about the COVID-19 vaccines, why some people have mild adverse reactions to the vaccine, and how mRNA vaccines have developed over time. 24:23 - The different types of COVID-19 vaccines in the pipeline, why COVID-19 is more dangerous than the flu, and the long term disabling effects of the virus that are being overlooked. 34:02 - The different variants of COVID-19 that are emerging around the world, and whether or not the current vaccines will be effective against them. 39:33 - The importance of getting vaccinated, what the government needs to do in terms of distribution, and why some minority groups are especially suspicious of the vaccine.  

The Pack is joined this week by Ambassador Dennis Shea. Ambassador Dennis Shea was the Deputy United States Trade Representative and Chief of Mission, Geneva where he represented the United States as Ambassador to the World Trade Organization (WTO).  Ambassador Shea takes us through his history serving on the U S China economic and security review commission. His time in Geneva where he became famous in China on Weibo, Chinas version of twitter.  Through the struggles at the WTO and some surprising allies as well as some allies that are more like frenemies. Ambassador Shea also talks about what his hopes are for the new administration and the future of the WTO.  Sit back and enjoy this special trip through the interworking's of the WTO and the challenges that the US faces.   2:32 Ambassador Shea's time serving on the US-China Economic and Security Review Commission and China's ability to export a chill on freedom of speech in America. 7:56 How Ambassador Shea became a US representative to the World Trade Organization, the ways other countries in the WTO have failed to hold China accountable, and  17:35 Where the WTO has failed in promoting free and fair trade, the issues of including China in the WTO, and Ambassador Shea's three main issues with the WTO. 29:29 China's demands for the WTO going forward, how China called themselves a “developing country” to get preferential treatment, and the need for allied countries to join the US in sanctioning China. 37:38 Jack Ma's disappearance, the Kennedy Bill's debacle with delisting Chinese Telecom companies, and Ambassador Shea's term for these sorts of companies: Ostensibly Private but State Influenced Corporations (OPSIC) 45:06 Ambassador Shea's ideal agenda for the WTO going forward under the Biden administration and his urgent plea for other countries to join the US in WTO reform. 53:07 What Ambassador Shea will be watching in the coming years and what events would be cause for concern for the US. 

Special guest Anne Stevenson-Yang, co-founder of J Capital Research Joins the  pack to discuss the BTBT Bit Digital report.

In this episode the pack travels back to China in search of Jack Ma. We bring back  China accounting expert Professor Paul Gillis and new to the pack, Herb Greenberg.  We dive into the reasons why, and not for the first time, Jack Ma has been removed from the public.   We also get an in-depth look at how Alibaba became the giant it is and was able to crush its competitors in China.  Paul and Herb share some of the details from the IPO, red flags that created the ongoing SEC investigation and the problems that Jack may have created with Ant Financial.   Enjoy this discussion from our panel of some of the worlds best in finance.   2:22 What the hell is going on with Jack Ma 5:32 History of the Tech in China and Alibaba 8:20 China starts to Evolve and attempts to reign in some of the bigger companies  10:16 Jack Ma gets his first billion and destroys EBAY 14:50 IPO's VIE's and are they really worth the paper they are printed on 18:30 Alibaba has some issues with their accounting and even MIT cant figure it out 28:00 The Ant Financial IPO 35:16 Trump now Biden and China what will happen 40:00 China, future frauds and will the SEC be a toothless tiger

In this episode The Pack continues it world tour speaking to the experts in the financial world.  We land in Beijing and visit with Professor Paul Gillis.  Paul is one of the foremost accounting experts in the world on China.  This former PWC partner and PCOAB advisory board member is the go-to guy for the US Government as well as Public and Private entities when they have questions on China and its accounting practices.    Hear about Paul's life and how he ended up in China.  How accounting has evolved and how China's accounting practices have evolved.  We touch on current events and some future predictions.   Sit back, have a drink, and enjoy a conversation with Dan and The Pack as they swap stories with the amazing Professor Paul Gillis. 2:28 Paul's backstory as an aspiring Olympic skier and his entrance into accounting and joining PricewaterhouseCoopers in its early stages in China 14:55 Gillis's problem with China's high tax rates and incompetent enforcement, Alibaba's dominate presence and the struggles facing Ant Group's IPO 29:14 Hong Kong's lack of market regulation and the dangers it poses to investors, Will Hong Kong will dissolve into China in 10-15 years? 40:01 How do you go on live Chinese state TV and balance your opinion, facts and not going to jail. 43:54 Students in China and Students in the US.  Rock Star Treatment  48:23 Free speech in the US, China and working the system.  50:08 How China utilizes AI on smartphones to contain COVID and the advantages of a totalitarian state in dealing with the virus 57:47 Paul's take on the age of activist shorts and whether there is still fraud in China 1:07:30 The incredibly convoluted accounting practices in China and how Chinese law frees them from accountability to foreign investors        

In this episode we travel across the pond to chat with internationally renowned forensic accountant and author Steven Clapham. Steven talks to us about life as a sell-side analyst, his due diligence work when vetting a company, and his book “The Smart Money Method.” When he's not providing research for private clients, Stephen is educating the next generation of analysts with his online investment research and analysis training course - Behind the Balance Sheet. Sit back, have a drink, and enjoy a conversation with Dan and The Pack as they swap stories with award-winning forensic accountant Stephen Clapham. • 3:55 – Have you ever wondered what qualifications you need to be a sell-side analyst? According to Stephen – none. • 11:20 - The importance of knowing a company's balance sheet and why Stephen thinks most investors pay little to no attention to it – at their own peril. • 12:46 - GAAP, Non-GAAP, and the real numbers in a company's books. • 17:44 – Stephen's independent view as a sell-side analyst doesn't go over too well with one of the large banking firms. • 21:44 – Stephen moves to the buy-side and finds telling the whole truth much more rewarding. • 25:32 – The repercussions of not trusting a company's CEO. • 33:55 – Why you “can't prove” Alibaba is a fraud. • 42:58 – Auditors: do they matter, and if so, how much? • 47:12 – “It's impossible for a company to commit fraud … people commit fraud.” Fraud – who's committing it and who pays for it? • 49:10 – “Would we be better off without audits?” • 52:53 – Trained and Equipped: the importance of understanding the equities. • 56:34 – “The Old Boys Club,” Jamie Dimon, and the lack of true independent directors. • 101:11 – Stephen develops Behind the Balance Sheet, providing research and consultancy, and educating the next generation of analysts.

On this episode, Dan and the Pack start to explore the world of cryptocurrency with well-known Bitcoin SV advocate Sir Toshi-Defender of Bitcoin. The Pack and Sir Toshi discuss the origin of Bitcoin, some of the advantages and disadvantages of blockchain,  and Sir Toshi drops his theory as to who he thinks Satoshi Nakamoto is. This is the first conversation in what will become a series of ongoing discussions as the Wolfpack begins to dig into all things crypto. 2:50 - Why Sir Toshi chooses to be pseudonymous, his theory on the true identity of “Satoshi Nakamoto,” and how Bitcoin contains value. 13:49 - How Satoshi Nakamoto allowed Bitcoin to build credibility through neutral growth and the Winklevoss twins' giant stake in Bitcoin. 28:25 - How blockchain remains independent by decentralizing the point of authority. 31:14 - Sir Toshi's belief in the future of Bitcoin, the benefits of decentralized currency, and how miners both compete and work together to maintain the network. 50:42 - The rise of blockchain in corporations and the internet, and the concern over data that can never be deleted. 56:27 - The rise of “fake” Bitcoins.

In this episode, Dan and The Pack visit with a friend of the show - Soren Aandahl from Blue Orca Capital. Soren goes in depth about his family history, their missionary work in Asia, and how that experience contributed to his success as a short activist overseas. Soren talks about how his time at Harvard Law School led to an apprenticeship where he witnessed the Enron bankruptcy first-hand. Soren tells us about his transition from law to finance, the origin story of Glaucus Research Group, and the move to his current firm, Blue Orca Capital. Finally, the former Kirkland & Ellis attorney shares some valuable lessons on contract negotiation. Sit back, have a drink, and enjoy a conversation with Dan and The Pack as they go inside the world of the seldom interviewed short activist, Soren Aandahl. 4:08 - Soren's global upbringing, his time in Canada, the U.S., and his deep familial connection with Asia. 15:45 - Soren talks about his time at Harvard Law School and how an apprenticeship got him a front-row seat to the legal aftermath of Enron's collapse. 33:40 - Getting the “last job on Wall St.” before the financial crisis and working insane hours during in his first year at Kirkland & Ellis. 50:50 – Soren's transition from law to finance, without any previous finance experience. 56:20 – Starting Glaucus Research Group and the story behind the name. 1:02:35 – Shorting China-based U.S listed companies and the legal “gray areas” that exist between the U.S. and China. 1:23:30 - Common misconceptions about short sellers, the grueling due diligence process Dan and Soren go through to protect investors, and the flaws of sell-side analysts and auditors. 1:47:30 - Who the top writers in the activist short space are and what differentiates their work from others. 1:52:40 - Dan and Soren's tips for highly sensitive contract negotiations.