Acquired
Business & Finance
About
Every company has a story. Acquired tells them with deep research from Ben Gilbert and David Rosenthal.
Episodes
- Ferrari
This episode explores the history of Ferrari, from its origins as a luxury car manufacturer to its status as a company also known for its Formula 1 racing team. It discusses how these two seemingly contradictory aspects coexist and reinfor…
- Formula 1
This episode of Acquired discusses Formula 1, covering its history as a racing series, its growth under Bernie Ecclestone, and its professionalization after being acquired by Liberty Media.
- The NFL
This episode of Acquired discusses the business history of the NFL, detailing its growth, financial success, and recent developments. It covers aspects from its early days to its current record-setting valuations and shifts in its business…
- Rolex
This episode of Acquired discusses Rolex, a company known for its luxury mechanical watches. It covers Rolex's production volume, market demand, and ownership by a charitable foundation in Geneva.
- Costco
This episode of Acquired examines Costco, highlighting its business model that combines low prices with a wealthy customer base, high employee wages, and a focused inventory. It also notes that many of Costco's C-suite executives began the…
- 10 Years of Acquired (with Michael Lewis)
In this episode, Michael Lewis joins the Acquired podcast to discuss its decade of success. He explores the show's journey, its unique business model, and lessons learned, with the recording taking place at the historic Google founding gar…
- Coca-Cola
This episode of Acquired discusses the history of The Coca-Cola Company, its transformation from a beverage into a cultural icon, and its development into a significant scale economy business. The episode also touches on various historical…
- Trader Joe’s
This episode of Acquired discusses Trader Joe's, a grocery chain known for its unique retail approach. It examines how the company, which deviates from modern retail norms, achieved significant success and customer loyalty.
- Google Part III: The AI Company
This episode of Acquired details Google's history and development in the field of AI, including the creation of the Transformer, the company's AI talent, and their current AI initiatives. It also touches on how Google is addressing the cha…
- Acquired Live at Radio City Music Hall (Presented by J.P. Morgan)
Acquired presents a live show recorded at Radio City Music Hall. The event features Jamie Dimon, Andrew Ross Sorkin, Meredith Kopit Levien, and Barry Diller. The full video recording is available on Spotify.
- Google Part II: Alphabet
This episode of Acquired discusses Google's journey from its foundational Search product to the development of numerous other billion-user products like Gmail, Maps, YouTube, Chrome, and Android. It covers the strategic decisions and innov…
- The Jamie Dimon Interview
Jamie Dimon discusses his career, including his journey from Citigroup to building JPMorgan Chase. He covers the fortress balance sheet strategy and the bank's response to financial crises.
- Google Part I: Origins of Search
This episode of Acquired discusses the origins of Google Search, tracing its development from the BackRub project at Stanford to its current position as a dominant search engine. It examines how Google became a highly profitable company de…
- The Steve Ballmer Interview
This episode features an interview with former Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer. He discusses his 34 years at Microsoft, covering topics such as the IBM DOS deal, the growth of Microsoft's enterprise business, and his thoughts on mobile and sea…
- Epic Systems (MyChart)
This episode of Acquired discusses Epic Systems, a software company that is a central part of the American healthcare system. It covers the company's origins, its founder Judy Faulkner, and its widespread use through applications like MyCh…
- Indian Premier League Cricket
This episode discusses the Indian Premier League (IPL), highlighting its rapid growth and current valuation. It examines the league's disruptive force within the sports industry.
- TSMC Founder Morris Chang
Acquired features an interview with TSMC Founder Morris Chang. The episode delves into key moments in TSMC's history, including how the company acquired Apple's iPhone and Mac chip business and a past issue with NVIDIA.
- TSMC (Remastered)
This episode of Acquired delves into the history of Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC). It covers the company's founding in 1987 by Morris Chang and its rise to become a major manufacturer of leading-edge chips for prominent…
- Mars Inc. (the chocolate story)
This episode of Acquired discusses Mars, Inc., a company that owns brands like M&M's, Snickers, and Pedigree. It covers the company's history and its connection to the Mars family, highlighting its entrepreneurial journey in the candy and…
- IKEA
This episode of Acquired examines IKEA, a company with a distinct business model. It explores IKEA's global presence, annual revenue, and market share, as well as its product strategy and financial structure.
- Meta
This episode of Acquired delves into the company Meta, examining its various products and its history. The discussion includes products like Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, Threads, AI, Oculus, and Orion.
- Acquired LIVE from Chase Center (with Daniel Ek, Emily Chang, Jensen Huang and Mark Zuckerberg)
Acquired held a live show at the Chase Center in San Francisco. The episode documents the event, which included multiple guests.
- The Mark Zuckerberg Interview
Mark Zuckerberg, CEO of Meta, discusses company strategy, early Facebook history, and his thoughts on AI, VR, and AR. This episode features a live conversation with Zuckerberg.
- Chase Center + Summer Update
Acquired announces a live show at Chase Center in San Francisco, featuring special guests such as Mark Zuckerberg. The podcast also provides a summer update to its listeners.
- Microsoft Volume II
This episode of Acquired, titled "Microsoft Volume II," discusses the company's history between 1999 and 2019. It covers key events such as the browser wars, the DOJ case, the evolution of Windows, and the development of products like Xbox…
- Starbucks (with Howard Schultz)
Howard Schultz, former CEO, discusses the story of Starbucks, detailing its journey from a small Seattle roaster to a global company with nearly 40,000 locations worldwide. He shares insights into the company's growth and evolution over th…
- Microsoft Volume I
This episode of Acquired covers Microsoft's history from 1975 to 1995, detailing its growth into a dominant technology company. It explores the company's influence on the PC era and its development of foundational software such as BASIC, D…
- Renaissance Technologies
This episode explores Renaissance Technologies, an investment firm that utilizes math, computers, and artificial intelligence. The firm is known for its Medallion Fund, which has posted significant annual returns.
- Hermès
This episode explores the history of Hermès, a French luxury brand. It details the company's unique strategy, including its approach to supply and marketing, and its reinventions over 187 years. The episode also covers how Hermès responded…
- Novo Nordisk (Ozempic)
This episode of Acquired covers Novo Nordisk, the Danish pharmaceutical company known for Ozempic and Wegovy. It explores the company's history, its disruption of the insulin market, and its current position as a leading pharmaceutical com…
- Holiday Special 2023
The Acquired Holiday Special 2023 reflects on the show's performance in 2023, discussing listener numbers and looking ahead to 2024. The hosts also share extended carve-outs for holiday gift ideas.
- Visa
This episode explores the history and strategy of Visa, a company with a significant global presence. It delves into how Visa started, its governance, headquarters, and business model.
- Charlie Munger
This episode features an interview with Charlie Munger. He discusses his career, his partnership with Warren Buffett, and provides advice for investors.
- NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang
Jensen Huang, CEO of NVIDIA, is interviewed on this episode of Acquired. He shares insights into the company's beginnings, its datacenter business, and the development of its platform strategy. The discussion also covers his approach to ma…
- Nvidia Part III: The Dawn of the AI Era (2022-2023)
Acquired discusses Nvidia's journey through a significant stock market crash to becoming a trillion-dollar company. The episode covers how Nvidia is powering the emergence of AI.
- Nike
This episode of Acquired discusses the history and business lessons of Nike. It examines the brand beyond popular depictions, highlighting its drama, twists, and business insights.
- Porsche (with Doug DeMuro)
This episode of Acquired features Doug DeMuro discussing the history of Porsche, including its origins and its evolution into a luxury brand and mass-market vehicle producer. The discussion also touches on the company's family drama and ta…
- Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi
Dara Khosrowshahi, CEO of Uber, joins Acquired for a discussion. He talks about his career, the Uber CEO search process, and the recent transformation of Uber, including its financial improvements and increased revenue.
- Lockheed Martin
This episode of Acquired discusses Lockheed Martin, focusing on its Skunk Works division responsible for aircraft like the U-2, Stealth Fighter, and SR-71 Blackbird. The episode also explores Lockheed's role in the origins of Silicon Valle…
- Spotify CEO Daniel Ek
Spotify CEO Daniel Ek discusses Spotify's evolution from a music company to an audio company. Topics include the company's growth in the podcasting market and its expansion into audiobooks.
- Benchmark’s Mitch Lasky and Blake Robbins on The Art of Business in Gaming
Mitch Lasky and Blake Robbins from Benchmark discuss the evolution of business models in the gaming industry. They cover how the industry has changed from arcade games to modern forever games and platform-based publishers.
- Short: The Death of Sega
This episode of Acquired Shorts discusses the history of Sega, focusing on its rise in the early 90s with the Genesis console and its eventual departure from the hardware market. It explores the factors that led to Sega's decline after ach…
- Nintendo: The Console Wars
This episode of Acquired explores Nintendo's journey from dominating the home video game market in the 1980s with the NES, to experiencing a significant drop in market share. The discussion highlights how Nintendo rebuilt its success, larg…
- Interview: Hamilton Helmer & Chenyi Shi on How to Build an AWS-Like Second Business
Hamilton Helmer and Chenyi Shi join to discuss their research on building a second business line. They share a research-based playbook on how companies should approach this decision.
- Sessions: David Senra (Founders Podcast)
David Senra of the Founders Podcast joins Acquired for an extended discussion. They share stories, swap life and podcast advice, and discuss the history of entrepreneurship.
- Nintendo's Origins
This episode details the history of Nintendo, tracing its transformation from a playing card company to a global media monopoly. The narrative explores the company's 130-year journey, including its connections to the Yakuza and family dyna…
- LVMH
This episode covers the history and business model of LVMH, detailing how Bernard Arnault transformed a textile company into a leading luxury group. It examines the strategies that led to its success in the luxury sector.
- Holiday Special 2022
The Acquired Holiday Special 2022 features an annual strategic review of the show, including a recap of big moments from the past year and commentary on the current state of the tech ecosystem. The hosts also discuss their plans for 2023 a…
- Stratechery (with Ben Thompson)
Ben Thompson joins Acquired to discuss the business of Stratechery and its 10-year history. The episode covers how Stratechery pioneered the subscription internet media business model and its evolution to include podcasting and the Stratec…
- Enron
This episode of Acquired discusses the Enron scandal, focusing on the 2001 bankruptcy, which was the largest in US history at the time. The podcast draws parallels between Enron and the recent FTX fraud, highlighting similarities in the tw…