Planet Money

Business & Finance

About

The economy, explained, with stories and surprises from NPR.

Episodes

  • Diary of a WNBA negotiator

    WNBA player Alysha Clark shares her journal detailing the high-stakes contract negotiations that led to a $3.1 billion media rights deal for the league. This episode explores the evolution of the WNBA and the player-led bargaining process.

  • How we got free agents in baseball

    This episode recounts how Curt Flood, a baseball player, sued Major League Baseball to challenge the reserve clause, which bound players to teams. His fight ultimately changed the sport forever by leading to free agency for players.

  • How to make a BOOK into a bestseller

    This episode of Planet Money investigates the methods used to achieve a spot on the New York Times Best Seller List. It covers official playbooks and historical "hacking shenanigans" employed to boost book sales and manipulate rankings.

  • Spirit Airlines and the future of cheap flights

    This Planet Money episode examines how Spirit Airlines faced challenges from larger airlines, affecting the landscape of cheap flights. It covers Spirit's historical approach to air travel and the current state of budget airlines.

  • Battlefield rare earths: How the U.S. lost to China

    This episode recounts the history of the U.S. rare earths industry, from its monopolization by a single American company to its decline and China's subsequent rise to dominance. It discusses the importance of rare earths in modern technolo…

  • Live: Anthropic co-founder on AI and jobs

    This Planet Money episode features a live discussion with Anthropic co-founder Jack Clark and Redfin Chief Economist Daryl Fairweather. They explore the topics of AI and housing.

  • Do prediction market bettors make anything better?

    This episode discusses the rise of prediction markets and their claims of adding new knowledge to the world. It explores the arguments made to regulators and the public regarding their legality and potential impact on the future.

  • How to get through the Strait of Hormuz

    This episode of Planet Money discusses Iran's control over the Strait of Hormuz and its impact on global shipping. A source from inside Iran explains how ships are navigating the strait and the function of Iran's "tollbooth." The episode a…

  • BOOKstore Economics

    This episode of Planet Money investigates the economics of bookstores, focusing on how books are selected for shelves and the secrets publishers use to get books into stores. The episode also follows Planet Money's own book through this pr…

  • A pro-worker experiment in private equity

    This episode discusses an experiment in private equity where a private equity executive gives workers equity in their companies. The experiment aims to see if worker ownership can improve outcomes in the private equity industry.

  • Reese’s heir vs. chocolate skimpflation

    This episode of Planet Money discusses "skimpflation" in Reese's candies, where Hershey's is allegedly using ingredients that cannot legally be called milk chocolate or peanut butter. It features Brad Reese, a grandson of the inventor of R…

  • Dark times for Cuba’s economic experiment

    This episode discusses Cuba’s economic strategies, which involve alliances with communist and socialist countries alongside capitalist approaches. The U.S. is reportedly hindering both strategies by restricting oil supplies to the island,…

  • The skyscrapers that NIMBYs and zoning couldn't stop

    The Squamish Nation reclaimed urban real estate, bypassing zoning restrictions to build a new development. This episode explores the 100-year history of this project, including legal battles and the Squamish Nation's decisions, offering in…

  • Our BOOK vs. the global supply chain

    This Planet Money episode delves into the journey of creating a book, from writing and design to manufacturing. It examines the intricate global supply chains and numerous decisions that contribute to a book's physical form and success.

  • Inside a BOOK auction

    This episode explores the opaque world of book publishing, detailing the process of securing a book deal. It covers the interactions between literary agents and book editors, highlighting the financial stakes involved in the industry.

  • The little pet fish that saved a town in the Amazon

    This episode explores the economy of a small town in the Brazilian Amazon that relies on catching cardinal tetras, a popular pet fish. It examines the challenges facing this industry and different ideas for its preservation.

  • Chef vs. Robot

    This episode of Planet Money discusses the impact of robot automation on the restaurant industry. It features a comparison between a human chef and a robot chef, and an interview with an economist about automation's effect on jobs.

  • The laws of the office revisited

    This episode of Planet Money revisits well-known workplace laws, including Parkinson's Law and the Peter Principle. The hosts discuss these concepts and apply them to their own experiences.

  • Planet Money vs. the NBA’s tanking problem

    Planet Money examines the NBA’s tanking problem, where teams lose games to improve their draft position. The episode explores potential solutions to this issue, which has been acknowledged by NBA Commissioner Adam Silver.

  • The Business of Heated Rivalry

    This Planet Money episode examines the Canadian approach to television and movie production. It uses the show "Heated Rivalry" as an example to highlight differences from the U.S. system and discuss the current state of both industries.

  • Don't hate the replicator, hate the game

    This episode of Planet Money discusses the "replication crisis" in science, where previous findings are difficult to replicate. It also examines economist Abel Brodeur's "Replication Games" as a potential solution to this issue.

  • The ICE hiring boom

    This Planet Money episode examines the rapid hiring increase by ICE and the potential changes in officer training. It also explores the economic impact of planned immigrant detention centers, featuring a rural Georgia town interested in ho…

  • The Supreme Court struck down a bunch of Trump's tariffs. Now what?

    The Supreme Court has ruled on tariffs imposed by President Trump. This episode discusses why the tariffs were struck down, potential refunds, and newly announced tariffs, while also exploring the market for tariff refunds.

  • How to get what Greenland has, with permission

    This episode of Planet Money discusses Greenland's geopolitical importance, focusing on its valuable minerals and strategic location. It explores how the U.S. has approached acquiring strategic locations and its current relationship with G…

  • Betty Boop, Excel Olympics, Penny-isms: Our 2026 Valentines

    This Planet Money episode covers Betty Boop after her copyright liberation, competitive spreadsheeting, and the language of the penny. The team dedicates the episode to things they love for Valentine's Day.

  • The Invention Invention

    This episode explores the history of inventions, including the sewing machine and a modern video communication invention. It also examines the role of the patent pool in connecting different inventions across time.

  • Iran, protests, and sanctions

    This episode of Planet Money discusses the economic hardship in Iran, partly caused by US sanctions, and how this contributed to recent protests. It also explores the effectiveness of sanctions as a tool of foreign policy.

  • Riding with the repo man (update)

    This episode of Planet Money discusses the increase in car repossessions. It revisits a 2019 story about delinquent car loans and provides an update from 2026, examining the situation from the perspectives of a salesman, driver, and repo m…

  • Can Trump make buying a home more affordable?

    This episode of Planet Money investigates the Trump administration's focus on housing affordability. It analyzes two new initiatives designed to make buying a home easier and assesses their potential effectiveness.

  • Can transforming neighborhoods help kids escape poverty?

    This episode discusses the HOPE VI program, which aimed to transform neighborhoods with concentrated poverty by replacing public housing projects and attracting residents with different income levels. It explores a new working paper invest…

  • A trip to the magic mushroom megachurch

    This episode of Planet Money explores the Zide Door Church of Entheogenic Plants, a church in Oakland, California, that uses psilocybin mushrooms as a central part of its religious practice. The episode examines the legal challenges faced…

  • BOARD GAMES 3: What’s in a name?

    Planet Money has teamed up with Exploding Kittens to create a board game inspired by "The Market for Lemons." This episode explores the difficulties of choosing a name and theme for the game, a crucial step for its retail success.

  • Chevron, Venezuela and the Paradox of Plenty

    This episode of Planet Money explores the intertwined histories of Chevron and Venezuela, focusing on Venezuela's development as the first petrostate and the economic complications that arose from its oil dependency.

  • How much money President Trump and his family have made

    This Planet Money episode investigates the financial gains of former President Donald Trump and his family after his presidency. New Yorker writer David Kirkpatrick discusses how the family made nearly $4 billion through business deals and…

  • So are we in an AI bubble? Here are clues to look for.

    Planet Money examines whether there is an AI bubble and how economists identify bubbles. The episode discusses the implications of bubbles for society.

  • How Black hair care grew Black power

    This episode of Planet Money explores the history of Johnson Products Company, a Black hair care company, and its influence on the Black community and the civil rights movement. It also details the company's rise and fall, focusing on its…

  • Venezuela’s recent economic history (Update)

    This episode of Planet Money discusses Venezuela's economic history, focusing on the collapse in 2016 and subsequent stabilization in 2024. It examines the economic decisions that led to the country's challenges.

  • Indicators of the Year, Past and Future

    This Planet Money episode reviews the economic indicators of 2025, such as tariffs, consumer sentiment, and stock market trends. The hosts also predict which indicators will be most significant for the economy in 2026.

  • Why economists got free trade with China so wrong

    This Planet Money episode examines why economists misunderstood the impact of free trade with China on U.S. manufacturing. It features an interview with MIT economics professor David Autor, who discusses his research on the costs of U.S. t…

  • The Rest of the Story, 2025

    This episode of Planet Money, titled "The Rest of the Story, 2025," revisits previous stories. It includes updates on an engineer and patent attorney, the Planet Money game, the economic situation in Gaza, and a diamond.

  • The summer I turned binge-y

    This episode of Planet Money discusses binge-dropped television shows, exploring the business decisions and impact of releasing entire seasons at once, and examines if the trend is coming to an end.

  • What AI data centers are doing to your electric bill

    This episode of Planet Money explores the impact of AI data centers on electricity consumption and residential electric bills. The hosts travel to Ohio to examine the causes of rising electricity prices and tour a data center hot spot.

  • PM does a pop culture draft: 1999 edition

    In this episode, Planet Money hosts Kenny Malone, Wailin Wong, and Jeff Guo conduct a pop culture draft centered around the year 1999. They each select a "team" of economic pop culture, including a movie, a song, and a wild card pick, all…

  • When Chicago pawned its parking meters

    In 2008, Chicago faced budget problems and decided to privatize its 36,000 parking meters. The city leased them for 75 years to a private company for $1.16 billion, a decision that later became controversial.

  • Strange threadfellows: How the U.S. military shaped what we all wear

    This episode of Planet Money examines the significant influence of US military research and development on everyday clothing, tracing the path from military surplus to popular outdoor brands. It explores how designs evolved from soldiers t…

  • How hurricanes became a hot investment

    The Jamaican government made a financial bet using catastrophe bonds to hedge against hurricanes. This episode investigates the growth of the catastrophe bond market and its effects on the insurance industry.

  • Is AI slopifying the job market? (Two Indicators)

    This episode of Planet Money investigates how AI is affecting the job market. It explores the impact of AI on job availability and recruitment practices, including a discussion on whether a robot recruiter could be preferable to a human.

  • Capitalism (Taylor's Version) (25-minute Podcast Version)

    This episode discusses Taylor Swift's recent album, highlighting the business decisions that have contributed to its success and impact. The content is sourced from Today Explained, a daily news podcast.

  • Saving lives with fewer dollars

    This episode of Planet Money explores GiveWell's process for deciding whether to fund projects, focusing on their rigorous research and their efforts to reconcile urgency with diligence. The episode features their decision-making regarding…

  • The Consumer Sentiment vs. Consumer Spending Puzzle

    This episode of Planet Money explores the puzzle of declining consumer sentiment alongside robust consumer spending. It examines whether the economy is healthy or if other factors are influencing these metrics.