Today’s guest is David McWilliams, an economist, podcast host and author. David worked at the Central Bank of Ireland, UBS and BNP Paribas and is the founder of the Kilkenomics Festival, a unique blend of economics and stand-up comedy. His book is called The History of Money: A Story of Humanity, which is my favorite book from 2025.
In today’s episode, David walks through the evolution of money over the last 5,000 years. He explains why money is a foundational social technology that is central to every aspect of our civilization, from the political to the artistic. He delves into historical anecdotes—from clay tablets in Mesopotamia to Gutenberg’s printing press to Martin Luther’s disruptive influence on the church. Throughout the episode, he emphasizes that economists need to do a better job helping people understand money and its role in navigating modern economic principles.
(0:00) Starts
(1:26) David explains the Kilkenomics Festival
(3:41) David McWilliams on "Money, The History of Money, A Story of Humanity"
(9:55) Evolution and trust in money throughout history
(26:28) Impact of the Gutenberg printing press and Martin Luther
(36:42) Historical perspectives on speculation and losing money
(43:18) Future of economics, storytelling, and equity culture differences
(49:18) Educating youth on finance and investing
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Past guests include Ed Thorp, Richard Thaler, Jeremy Grantham, Joel Greenblatt, Campbell Harvey, Ivy Zelman, Kathryn Kaminski, Jason Calacanis, Whitney Baker, Aswath Damodaran, Howard Marks, Tom Barton, and many more.
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Meb's invested in some awesome startups that have passed along discounts to our listeners. Check them out here!
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Editing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant (https://thepodcastconsultant.com).
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Ad Disclaimer: This information does not constitute advice or a recommendation or offer to sell or a solicitation to deal in any security or financial product. Certain information contained herein has been obtained from third party sources and such information has not been independently verified by The Idea Farm. No representation, warranty, or undertaking, expressed or implied, is given to the accuracy or completeness of such information by The Idea Farm or any other person. While such sources are believed to be reliable, The Idea Farm does not assume any responsibility for the accuracy or completeness of such information. The Idea Farm does not undertake any obligation to update the information contained herein as of any future date.
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Great business model! Brilliant ideas and an informative podcast. Thanks!
starts at 2:50
I really liked this one.
👍
am i hearing Jeff on this episode? welcome back.
like the concept but. but the expense ratio for Swan funds very high..not necessarily "cost effective'. 174bp to over 200 bp in expense ratio's is excessive.
awesome
Please forgive me if this is a stupid question, but is "negative 52 week momentum" the same as negative 52 week return?
Would like to know your thoughts on Vanguard's Financial Planning process which is essentially a one size fits all. Problem is the concentrated equity risk. They don't develop portfolios that mitigate the risk while achieving the same objective. And they will not discuss alternatives period, unless going thru their external Advisors where you pay a much higher % assets.