We Study Billionaires - The Investors Podcast

William Green welcomes back bestselling author Brad Stulberg to chat about his new book, The Way of Excellence: A Guide to True Greatness & Deep Satisfaction in a Chaotic World. IN THIS EPISODE YOU’LL LEARN: 00:00:00 - Intro 00:01:27 - How Brad Stulberg became obsessed with the pursuit of excellence 00:18:49 - Why excellence requires a combination of guts & vulnerability 00:22:51 - How “algorithmic mass distraction” blocks us from a life of excellence 00:30:10 - Why the best performers lead lives that often look mundane & boring 00:38:00 - How to identify your core values & align your career with them 00:42:22 - How we drive ourselves crazy pursuing the illusion of balance 00:53:18 - Why periods of rest & renewal are integral to success & creativity 01:07:30 - Why the key to greatness is consistency—especially on bad days 01:13:43 - Why excelling at hard things requires “fierce self-kindness” 01:21:19 - How Brad structures his daily, weekly & monthly routines 01:25:33 - What he’s learned about deep work fr

In this episode, Clay explores Zero to One by Peter Thiel, a foundational book on innovation, monopolies, and what it truly takes to build an enduring business. Thiel challenges the idea that progress comes from incremental improvement, arguing instead that the greatest companies are created by going from zero to one, building something entirely new and escaping competition altogether. IN THIS EPISODE YOU’LL LEARN: 00:00:00 - Intro 00:04:18- What it means for a company to go from zero to one and why true innovation creates outsized value 00:11:35 - Why competition often destroys profits, while monopolies enable long-term value creation 00:13:04 - How to distinguish between creating value and capturing value as an investor 00:15:27 - The key characteristics that allow businesses to build and sustain monopolies 00:38:30 - Why small, focused markets are often the best starting point for building dominant companies 00:54:01 - How Peter Thiel’s framework applies to modern businesses like Uber Disclaimer: Slig

Parker and Preston explore the implications of the Clarity Act on Bitcoin's legal protections and public understanding. They examine how AI could both distract from and inform Bitcoin adoption, unpack the foundational economic value of Bitcoin, and delve into the "ribeye index" as a real-world inflation measure. IN THIS EPISODE YOU’LL LEARN: 00:00:00 - Intro 00:01:19 – Why the Clarity Act may pose risks to Bitcoin developers and self-custody 00:08:21 – How Texas is strategically investing in Bitcoin 00:13:26 – How AI could both mislead and inform the public on Bitcoin 00:21:43 – The economic interplay between AI and Bitcoin energy consumption 00:24:49 – Three core reasons behind Bitcoin’s long-term opportunity 00:29:56 – Why Bitcoin’s success is viewed as binary and what that means 00:35:16 – What the "ribeye index" reveals about real inflation 00:39:52 – Why understanding Bitcoin is crucial to protecting against hyperinflation 00:40:35 – The relationship between changing health perceptions and financia

In this episode, Stig Brodersen shares personal reflections on money, life, and happiness. He explores how money magnifies who we already are, why lifestyle creep can quietly erode happiness, and how growing wealth may change relationships. IN THIS EPISODE YOU’LL LEARN: 00:00:00 - Intro 00:01:13 - Why money magnifies who you are 00:02:42 - How to think about lifestyle creeps and incremental happiness 00:10:02 - Why you shouldn’t try to change others 00:14:47 - Why you should be around people who play cricket 00:22:58 - Why you can have anything but not everything 00:27:29 - Why you should lean into your unfair advantage 00:32:12 - Some welcome and uncoming surprises of wealth 00:50:25 - Why you should be useful Disclaimer: Slight discrepancies in the timestamps may occur due to podcast platform differences. BOOKS AND RESOURCES Join the exclusive ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠TIP Mastermind Community⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ to engage in meaningful

In this episode, Clay reviews Devil Take the Hindmost by Edward Chancellor and explores three of the most infamous market bubbles in financial history: the South Sea Bubble of 1720, the Railway Mania of 1845, and Japan’s asset bubble of the late 1980s.  These case studies examine how greed, leverage, speculation, and misplaced faith in government or institutions repeatedly led investors to abandon fundamentals. IN THIS EPISODE YOU’LL LEARN: 00:00:00 - Intro 00:01:59 - Why financial bubbles repeat throughout history despite changing technologies and markets 00:03:14 - The key psychological forces that drive speculative manias 00:04:47 - How speculation differs from long-term investing, and where the line often gets crossed 00:25:25 - The role governments, institutions, and incentives play in fueling bubbles 00:34:35 - Why leverage amplifies both gains and losses during periods of extreme speculation 01:03:44 - Key lessons from history’s biggest bubbles Disclaimer: Slight discrepancies in the timestamps may

The Bitcoin mastermind group explores geopolitical tensions, including a potential U.S. response to Taiwan's defense and Venezuela’s strategic oil reserves. They analyze the revolutionary impact of AI on economic models, employment, and national security, while diving into crypto regulation, Bitcoin predictions, and market dynamics. A mix of serious insights and entertaining AI-generated music rounds out the session. IN THIS EPISODE YOU’LL LEARN: 00:00:00 - Intro 00:00:03 - Why the Venezuela raid could signify a new global power alignment 00:00:20 - The debate on whether the U.S. would defend Taiwan from a Chinese invasion 00:05:02 - Strategic importance of semiconductors in global power dynamics 00:17:58 - Elon Musk’s prediction about deflation and AI-driven economies 00:25:27 - Why “bullshit jobs” might emerge in an AI-dominated future 00:32:04 - Insights from Microsoft’s AI Economy Institute on global AI adoption 00:37:10 - How AI could disrupt white-collar work and content credibility 00:41:03

Kyle Grieve breaks down how Prem Watsa and Fairfax Financial compounded for decades through disciplined value investing, insurance float, and resilient capital allocation. IN THIS EPISODE YOU’LL LEARN: 00:00:00 – Intro 00:03:29 – How Prem Watsa accidentally found investing and never looked back 00:07:48 – Why insurance float became Fairfax’s secret compounding weapon 00:09:43 – The exact thinking that shaped Fairfax’s long-term value discipline 00:10:02 – How Fairfax set bold targets and held itself publicly accountable 00:13:27 – Why cheap businesses taught painful but critical quality lessons 00:23:53 – How downturns and mistakes strengthened Fairfax’s balance sheet mindset 00:18:18 – What the short seller siege revealed about culture and conviction 00:24:47 – How crisis hedging created survival capital and massive opportunity 00:28:46 – Why overprotection hurt returns and forced strategic humility 00:37:25 – How culture decentralization and capital allocation became Fairfax’s moat Disclaime

In this episode, Clay reviews the book Hidden Investment Treasures by Daniel Gladiš and explores how the rise of passive investing has created growing inefficiencies in today’s market. IN THIS EPISODE YOU’LL LEARN: 00:00:00 - Intro 00:02:37 - How the rise of passive investing has weakened the price discovery process 00:07:38 - Why price and value often diverge in overlooked parts of the market 00:15:37 - Why today’s market environment may be especially favorable for disciplined value investors 00:23:53 - Why paying the right price matters more than forecasting short-term market movements 00:29:43 - How capital allocation, balance sheet strength, and management quality reduce investment risk over time 00:59:33 - Key lessons from real-world case studies, including Markel, NVR, Japanese equities, and banks Disclaimer: Slight discrepancies in the timestamps may occur due to podcast platform differences. BOOKS AND RESOURCES Join the exclusive ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠TIP Mast

Preston and Seb unpack AI’s implications for safety, governance, and economics. They debate AGI risks, corporate centralization, Bitcoin's regulatory role, and Elon Musk’s ventures in space and autonomous tech. IN THIS EPISODE YOU’LL LEARN: 00:00:00 - Intro 00:04:37 - Why AI safety and autonomy are increasingly at odds00:11:30 - How AGI could reshape governance and policy-making00:07:40 - Preston’s skepticism about AI self-preservation claims00:15:18 - The unintended consequences of AI regulation00:22:15 - How Bitcoin could hold corporations accountable00:20:10 - The dangers of centralizing economic power via AI00:34:45 - Why generalist thinking matters in a post-pandemic world00:37:20 - The role of curiosity and deep reading in future-proofing00:41:59 - How SpaceX is redefining launch economics with reusable rockets00:57:41 - The hidden potential of Tesla’s AI chips and compute power Disclaimer: Slight discrepancies in the timestamps may occur due to podcast platform differences. BOOKS AND RESOU

In this episode, Stig Brodersen sits down with Clay Finck to reflect on Clay’s portfolio decisions, investment philosophy, and personal evolution as an investor. Clay walks through the rationale behind recent additions to his portfolio, how his thinking on valuation versus quality has matured, and why he increasingly prioritizes businesses led by exceptional operators with long runways for compounding. IN THIS EPISODE YOU’LL LEARN: 00:00:00 - Intro 00:01:48 - Which stocks Clay added to his portfolio in 2025 00:03:10 - How “sidecar investing” with exceptional founder-operators shapes Clay’s portfolio 00:19:34 - How short-term market narratives can diverge from changes in intrinsic value 00:26:24 - How Clay approaches position sizing, opportunity cost, and staying invested 00:14:27 - Why geography, currency risk, and capital flows matter in global investing 00:41:52 - How value investing principles influence Clay’s views on money, career, and happiness Disclaimer: Slight discrepancies in the timestam

Clay is joined by Shawn O’Malley and Daniel Mahncke to share their top stock ideas for 2026. Shawn is pitching Exor N.V. ($EXO), Daniel is pitching Mercado Libre ($MELI), and Clay is pitching Meta ($META).  IN THIS EPISODE YOU’LL LEARN: 00:00:00 - Intro 00:01:40 - Why Shawn is bullish on Exor NV 00:04:58 - Why Exor trades at a 60% discount to net asset value 00:11:22 - An assessment of Exor’s management team 00:39:57 - Why Daniel is bullish on Mercado Libre 00:49:49 - An overview of the competitive landscape for MELI 01:08:57 - Why Clay is bullish on Meta Disclaimer: Slight discrepancies in the timestamps may occur due to podcast platform differences. BOOKS AND RESOURCES Join the exclusive ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠TIP Mastermind Community⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ to engage in meaningful stock investing discussions with Stig, Clay, Kyle, and the other community members. Learn how to join us in Omaha for the Berkshire meeting ⁠⁠here⁠⁠. Check out

Dr. Richard Wallace, creator of ALICE and AIML, shares his journey from 1990s chatbot innovation to today’s AI frontiers. He and Preston also explore AI’s learning methods, human vs machine intelligence, and the evolving role of creativity in artificial minds. IN THIS EPISODE YOU’LL LEARN: 00:00:00 - Intro 00:02:46 - How a 1990 New York Times article inspired Richard Wallace’s AI journey 00:03:42 - What made the ALICE chatbot revolutionary in its time 00:07:20 - The principles behind minimalist robotics and their influence on AI 00:12:00 - How AIML works and why it was crucial to early chatbot success 00:16:30 - The contrast between supervised and unsupervised learning methods 00:17:20 - Why LLM decision-making processes remain hard to interpret 00:20:33 - How humans and chatbots use language in surprisingly robotic ways 00:24:43 - The philosophical roots of the Turing Test and its modern critiques 00:40:19 - Insights on combining symbolic and neural approaches in AI today 00:41:18 - What Wallac

Each quarter, Stig Brodersen sits down with his friend and co-host William Green, author of Richer, Wiser, Happier. Together, they explore the ideas, stories, and timeless principles from the power of the subconscious mind to the universal human longing for appreciation, love, and meaning. This conversation invites you to slow down, reflect, and reconnect with what matters most.  IN THIS EPISODE YOU’LL LEARN: 00:00:00 - Intro 00:05:49 - How to tap into your subconscious mind through a flow state 00:17:12 - How and why Arnold Van Den Berg hypnotized William to prime him for success 00:52:33 - How to show gratitude in a world full of confusion and anger 01:12:08 - Whether we all want the same things in life, including respect, appreciation, love, and independence 01:36:51 - Why you should treat adversity as a gift to behave well Disclaimer: Slight discrepancies in the timestamps may occur due to podcast platform differences. BOOKS AND RESOURCES Join the exclusive ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Kyle discusses the most important investing lessons he learned in 2025. IN THIS EPISODE YOU’LL LEARN: 00:00:00 - Intro 00:03:01 - Why “strong convictions, weakly held” is one of the most powerful default frameworks 00:09:05 - Why customer loyalty is an underappreciated signal of long-term business quality 00:13:42 - Sleuthing a business 00:17:15 - Why reflecting on your own emotions is essential 00:23:35 - Why intelligent investing always involves incomplete information 00:31:17 - Intentional inactivity 00:37:09 - How understanding company culture helps identify true long-term compounders 00:42:25 - Why founders matter 00:53:56 - Focusing on fragility and downside risk 00:59:01 - Why incentive structures are one of the most critical drivers of business performance Disclaimer: Slight discrepancies in the timestamps may occur due to podcast platform differences. BOOKS AND RESOURCES Join the exclusive ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠TIP Mastermind Community⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Ken and Preston examine whether robotics has lost its way, echoing Rodney Brooks’ concerns. They dissect the gap between AI language models and physical robotics, focusing on dexterous manipulation, tactile sensing, and visual feedback. IN THIS EPISODE YOU’LL LEARN: 00:00:00 - Intro 00:02:37 - Why Ken agrees that robotics may have “lost its way” 00:03:37 - The critical gap between AI language skills and robotic manipulation 00:04:33 - How robot mobility is advancing, but dexterity still lags 00:08:15 - Why tying shoelaces is still too complex for robots 00:12:37 - The role of tactile sensing vs. vision in robotic surgery 00:14:45 - How camera placement in robotic hands affects manipulation 00:20:18 - Why the robot data gap could be 100,000 years behind language models 00:25:13 - Why simpler grippers often outperform human-like robotic hands 00:27:03 - The engineering behind Dex-Net and Ambi Robotics’ success 00:34:37 - How real-world testing exposed unexpected robotic limitations Disclaimer: Sli

William Green talks with Nima Shayegh of Rumi Partners about Lou Simpson’s investing wisdom and the power of ignoring noise to achieve outstanding returns. IN THIS EPISODE YOU’LL LEARN: 00:00:00 - Intro 00:06:41 - How Nima Shayegh came to see investing as the ultimate intellectual adventure. 00:10:31 - Why investors must go beyond numbers to grasp deep truths about businesses. 00:16:56 - What riding in a Tesla taught him about the awesome experience of quality. 00:21:05 - Why investors should harness intuition & emotions but avoid ego. 00:36:31 - How to succeed by owning resilient businesses & ignoring macro forecasts. 00:39:26 - What qualities made Nima’s mentor, Lou Simpson, an investing legend. 00:49:27 - How Lou taught Nima to avoid noise, distractions & the lure of a flashy office. 00:59:03 - Why Nima’s portfolio is dominated by stocks like AppFolio & Brookfield. 01:13:08 - What he learned from having dinner with Charlie Munger. 01:30:26 - Why we should surrender to uncertainty & should welc

In this episode, Clay explores the dot-com boom and bust through Roger Lowenstein’s book, Origins of the Crash. The book unpacks how distorted incentives, financial engineering, and speculative excess reshaped markets. By studying this period in market history, investors can better recognize recurring patterns in behavior, incentives, and speculation, and apply those lessons to avoid future manias. IN THIS EPISODE YOU’LL LEARN: 00:00:00 - Intro 00:03:33 - Why stock options often misalign executives and long-term shareholders 00:08:51 - How financial engineering was abused in the 1990s market boom 00:12:45 - How distorted incentives fueled the dot-com bubble 00:27:51 - Why revolutionary technologies don’t guarantee successful investments 00:31:47 - The role Wall Street analysts and the media played in amplifying speculation 00:39:19 - How Enron’s deception exposed systemic failures in governance and oversight 01:11:34 - Clay’s lessons for avoiding hype-driven bubbles in the future Disclaimer: Slight discr

This episode explores the intersection of AI with healthcare, space innovation, and education. Preston and Seb discuss personalized genetic analysis, Google's space data centers, haptic touch tech, and the future of simulated realities. They also touch on AI bias, regulation, and how evolving tech might reshape society, purpose, and connection. IN THIS EPISODE YOU’LL LEARN: 00:00:00 - Intro 00:05:20 - How genetic data is used to create custom supplement plans 00:07:21 - The role of AI in interpreting genetic information 00:16:21 - Why Google's space-based data centers could revolutionize computing 00:19:55 - Technical challenges of Bitcoin mining in orbit 00:24:17 - The implications of space debris and Kessler Syndrome 00:26:11 - How AI is personalizing education through initiatives like "Learn Your Way" 00:30:35 - Pros and cons of VR and humanoid robots in classrooms 00:38:45 - Ethical concerns around AI bias and centralization of regulation 00:54:37 - Advances in haptic touch technology for VR

In this episode, William Green chats with multibillionaire investor Howard Marks, the co-founder & co-Chairman of Oaktree Capital Management. Since its launch 30 years ago, the firm has grown into a global powerhouse in alternative investments, with $218 billion in assets. IN THIS EPISODE YOU’LL LEARN: 00:00:00 - Intro 00:04:01 - Why Howard Marks aims for “steady excellence,” not shooting the lights out. 00:05:59 - What investors should learn from great (& not-so-great) tennis players. 00:13:13 - How to figure out the right “risk posture” for your investment portfolio. 00:20:12 - How he managed to pull off 5 major market calls in the course of his career. 00:33:24 - What makes Bruce Karsh, his long-time partner, a superb investor. 00:36:52 - How specialization can give you a powerful edge. 00:57:53 - How today’s investment environment resembles the dotcom bubble. 00:54:21 - Why Howard expects most AI companies to “end up worthless.” 00:58:55 - Why he’s deeply wary of investing in Bitcoin & gold. 01:1

On today’s episode, Clay is joined by Stig Brodersen to discuss the changes he’s made to his portfolio, why he sold out of Evolution AB, and why he’s bullish on Uber. Clay and Stig also discuss the mental models that Stig has picked up this year, and how our listeners can join us at our live events in Omaha during the Berkshire Hathaway shareholders’ weekend. IN THIS EPISODE YOU’LL LEARN: 00:00:00 - Intro 00:05:08 - The mental models that Stig has picked up this year 00:08:47 - Why Stig sold his position in Evolution AB 00:15:50 - Why Stig has continued to add to his new position in Uber 00:43:29 - The bear case for Uber, and what would break his investment thesis 01:04:52 - Stig’s take on the AI race, and where Alphabet fits into the bigger picture 01:25:19 - How our listeners can join us in Omaha during the Berkshire Hathaway shareholders’ weekend Disclaimer: Slight discrepancies in the timestamps may occur due to podcast platform differences. BOOKS AND RESOURCES Join the exclusive ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠