We Study Billionaires - The Investors Podcast

In this episode, we dive into SAB 121’s implications on Bitcoin, discuss BNY Mellon’s crypto custody services, and explore how regulatory changes and institutional adoption could shape Bitcoin's future value. We also examine BlackRock’s demands on Coinbase, changes in M2 money supply, and Basel III’s risk weight requirements for cryptoassets. IN THIS EPISODE YOU’LL LEARN: 00:00 - Intro 01:32 - The significance of BNY Mellon’s approval for custody services. 02:01 - Michael Saylor's three prerequisites for Bitcoin reaching $5M per coin. 16:06 - The impact of BlackRock’s 12-hour settlement window requirement for Coinbase. 21:41 - ESG trend changes driven by AI advancements. 24:36 - How SAB 121 requires banks to treat Bitcoin deposits as liabilities. 25:26 - The 1,250% risk weight requirement for Bitcoin under Basel III regulations. 30:37 - Why Silvergate’s bankruptcy may have been influenced by government actions. 34:38 - How stablecoins interact with traditional banking systems. 46:29 - Why Ethereum is current

On today’s episode, Kyle Grieve discusses the investing philosophy and concepts from the Nomad Investment Partnership, how they created their fund structure to align themselves with partners, why they settled on inactivity, the powerful effects of businesses that share profits with customers rather than shareholder, how they ended up focusing on the scale economies shared business model, how they dealt with commitment bias, and a whole lot more! IN THIS EPISODE YOU’LL LEARN: 00:00 - Intro 04:17 - How Nomad Investment Partnership created their ground rules to succeed in the long term 05:37 - The rare and unconventional way that Nomad wanted to be evaluated by their partners 09:13 - Why inactivity only works with certain businesses, and NOT all businesses 13:48 - The extraordinary returns of Costco, Amazon, and Berkshire Hathaway since the depths of the GFC, and a great insight into what Nomad said about that particular time 15:26 - Why Nomad focused on the scaled economics shared business model 20:29 - How No

On today’s episode, Clay is joined by Ted Seides to discuss his new book — Private Equity Deals: Lessons in investing, dealmaking, and operations from private equity professionals. Over the past 20 years, the private equity industry has gone from a cottage industry to a powerful juggernaut that touches every corner of the global economy — now totaling over $6 trillion. Ted is the former president and Co-CIO of Protege Partners, and prior to that, he was a senior associate, working under investing legend David Swensen at Yale. He is the host of the popular podcast — Capital Allocators. IN THIS EPISODE YOU’LL LEARN: 00:00 - Intro 02:04 - What has led to the growth in private equity over the past few decades? 06:39 - Why David Swensen referred to private equity as a superior form of capitalism. 08:47 - Why private equity has outperformed public equities as an industry. 14:19 - How the lock-up period in private equity impacts returns. 18:03 - Ted’s take on why private equity has been given a poor reputation. 28:

Join us as Calle, the creator of Cashu Protocol, explores how Cashu enhances the Bitcoin Lightning Network by offering a privacy-focused solution for micropayments. We delve into key topics such as custodial vs. non-custodial Bitcoin solutions, Cashu’s impact on network growth, and the future of Nostr integration with Bitcoin. Calle also explains how Cashu balances security with usability while aiming to promote global scalability and decentralization. IN THIS EPISODE YOU’LL LEARN: 00:00 - Intro 05:04 - What motivated the creation of Cashu and its core value to the Bitcoin Lightning Network. 08:22 - How Cashu works on a basic level and its role in simplifying micropayments. 15:11 - How Cashu enhances privacy compared to other solutions within the Lightning Network. 22:26 - The challenges Cashu faces in driving user adoption and how they might be overcome. 22:49 - The difference between custodial and non-custodial Bitcoin solutions and why this matters. 30:13 - Why micropayments are more scalable with custodi

On today’s episode, Kyle Grieve discusses an underrated book called “Warren Buffett’s Ground Rules” by Jeremy Miller, he’ll discuss how to avoid being taken advantage of by Mr. Market, how to maximize the effects of compounding, how Warren thinks about tracking investment performance, how Buffett aligned himself with his partners, why contrarianism is such a good trait in investing, the challenged of scaling capital and a whole lot more! IN THIS EPISODE YOU’LL LEARN: 00:00 - Intro 04:34 - How to think about the time lag between a businesses changing fundamentals and its market price 10:30 - The story that taught Warren Buffett about the magic of compounding 15:07 - Why avoiding frictional costs is so crucial to maximizing your ability to compound your money 35:25 - The five characteristics to avoid if you want to outperform the market 36:15 - The four investing buckets that Buffett invested in 40:04 - Warren's strategies for investing in generals, merger arbitrage, and controls 41:04 - Contrasting contrarian

On today’s episode, Clay is joined by Richard Lawrence. Richard is the Founder and Executive Chairman of Overlook Investments, a leading value-oriented investment firm in Asia that he founded in 1991. Over a 30-year time period, Overlook compounded capital at 14.3% per year — a remarkable record of growth that is a testament to their consistent ability to find and invest in Asia’s best companies. IN THIS EPISODE YOU’LL LEARN: 00:00 - Intro 01:53 - Why the 1980s was the most transformative period in Asia’s history. 04:03 - Key lessons that Richard learned from his father, who owned an investment firm in New York. 07:10 - Why Richard prefers to invest in the most simple businesses. 12:23 - What Richard learned from having his apartment ransacked after publicly calling out a management team his firm invested in. 13:17 - What was happening during the Asian financial crisis that made it an economic nightmare for businesses all throughout Asia? 22:33 - Why Richard regrets ever listening to Buffett’s advice on igno

In this episode, Matthew Mežinskis shares insights from his 6 years of research on base money trends, inflation vs. deflation, and the growth of Bitcoin. We delve into historical examples like Kublai Khan, examine the impact of population growth, and explore why central bank actions now face greater scrutiny. Mežinskis also explains why he views CBDCs as mere imitations of Bitcoin's success and sheds light on Bitcoin’s long-term growth potential. IN THIS EPISODE YOU’LL LEARN: 00:00 - Intro 02:37 - What "base money" is and its current trends in the global economy. 05:17 - Why people are scrutinizing central banks more now than in past decades. 21:03 - How Bitcoin’s compound annual growth rate compares to traditional assets. 31:15 - The role of population growth in monetary trends. 35:08 - The potential impact of Bitcoin adoption on the global economy. 38:59 - Bitcoin’s supply dynamics during price stability and what that signals for the future. 43:03 - Why Matthew refers to CBDCs as "LARPing" on Bitcoin’s suc

In today's episode, Stig Brodersen speaks to Tobias Carlisle and Hari Ramachandra. Stig only owns five individual stocks, and in this episode, he outlines why Betsson is one of them. Hari’s pick, Nintendo, is at an attractive spot in the console cycle, and Tobias pitches Virtu, a value stock trading at an appealing valuation.  IN THIS EPISODE YOU’LL LEARN: 00:00 - Intro 02:04 - Why Toby has invested in Virtu Financial (Ticker on NASDAQ: VIRT). 13:23 - The bear case for Virtu, including a discussion of whether their service is superior. 24:44 - Why Hari is bullish on Nintendo (Ticker on the Japanese Stock Exchange: 7974). 26:19 - The bear case of Nintendo, including their valuation.  43:14 - Stig’s bull case is for Betsson (Ticker on the Swedish Stock Exchange: BETS).  55:56 - The bear case for Betsson, including their exposure to Turkey. Disclaimer: Slight discrepancies in the timestamps may occur due to podcast platform differences. BOOKS AND RESOURCES Join the exclusive TIP Mastermind Community to engag

On today’s episode, Clay is joined by Shree Viswanathan for a stock deep dive on Hermès. Hermès is a luxury goods manufacturer renowned for its high-quality craftsmanship. The brand is known for its iconic products, such as the Birkin and Kelly bags, silk scarves, and equestrian-inspired items. Since the IPO in 1993, shares of Hermès have compounded at 20.6% (excluding dividends), while the S&P 500 had a total return of just 10.4%.  Shree Viswanathan is the founder and portfolio manager of SVN Capital. IN THIS EPISODE YOU’LL LEARN: 00:00 - Intro 02:38 - A business overview of Hermès. 10:28 - Examples of Hermès thinking exceptionally long-term in their business strategy. 30:16 - The attempted takeover of Bernard Arnault. 37:59 - The strength of Hermès’ moat. 56:01 - The growth opportunities ahead for Hermès and the luxury industry more broadly. 01:03:22 - How Hermès approaches capital allocation. 01:14:15 - Shree’s thoughts on Hermès’ valuation. 01:29:51 - Risks that investors should monitor for Hermès. And s

This episode covers key real estate market trends amid rising inflation and interest rates, particularly in city centers. We discuss the markdown of commercial properties, the impact on rental vs. ownership rates, and regional pricing variations. The conversation also explores how Bitcoin can serve as collateral for real estate development, acting as a hedge against inflation, and the potential of Bitcoin-backed loans. IN THIS EPISODE YOU’LL LEARN: 00:00 - Intro 02:08 - How rising inflation impacts real estate, particularly in city centers. 03:12 - The effect of higher inflation on CAPEX and operational expenses for developers. 05:08 - Key reasons for the markdown of commercial real estate and its potential evolution. 08:42 - Predictions for rental rates vs. ownership rates in a high-interest environment. 13:15 - Regional variations in real estate pricing and how they affect investment strategies. 19:35 - How Bitcoin can serve as a hedge against inflation in real estate development. 27:38 - The potential for

On today’s episode, Kyle Grieve discusses the importance of simplicity and understanding for investment success, why you can succeed in investing while being wrong often, cloning characteristics too many investors follow that should be avoided to improve investing success, the significant differences in analyzing large and small businesses, how to treat stock tips with caution to avoid risky investments, why separating your investments into subtypes can be a helpful investing tool, and a whole lot more! IN THIS EPISODE YOU’LL LEARN: 00:00 - Intro 03:44 - Why investing in things that you understand well is still such a big competitive advantage in investing. 04:59 - The vital interplay between fundamentals, momentum, value, and price. 11:18 - How to succeed in investing while being dead wrong 40% of the time. 16:12 - Why market timing is one of the quickest ways to decrease returns. 18:18 - The crucial connection of contrarianism and patience that Peter says makes a successful investor. 21:05 - The significan

On today’s episode, Clay shares the most important lessons he’s learned from Morgan Housel. Morgan Housel is a partner at The Collaborative Fund. He's the New York Times Bestselling author of The Psychology of Money and Same As Ever. His books have sold over 4.5 million copies and have been translated into more than 50 languages. He also serves on the board of directors at Markel. IN THIS EPISODE YOU’LL LEARN: 00:00 - Intro 01:24 - Why the best story wins. 09:35 - Why the biggest risk is the one nobody sees coming.  23:03 - The seduction of pessimism and why it pays to be an optimist. 27:18 - The importance of understanding ‘enough’. 44:42 - The importance of patience and investing with a long time horizon. 52:34 - The impact of debt.  And so much more! 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 commu

In this episode, Preston interviews Max Kei and Pascal Hugli, diving deep into how Bitcoin's unique characteristics position it as the ultimate collateral for institutional lending. The discussion covers key topics such as risk management, the role of stablecoins, peer-to-peer lending versus traditional finance, and the future of Bitcoin in institutional portfolios. Max and Pascal share their perspectives on the barriers to institutional adoption, the evolving regulatory environment, and the innovations shaping the future of Bitcoin lending and borrowing platforms. IN THIS EPISODE YOU’LL LEARN: 00:00 - Intro 09:47 - How Bitcoin’s 24/7 liquidity and decentralized nature make it the most pristine collateral for lending and borrowing. 16:59 - The impact of Bitcoin’s deep liquidity on risk management strategies for institutions. 20:45 - The challenges and opportunities for institutions in adopting Bitcoin compared to traditional assets. 24:45 - Insights into Bitcoin’s performance in institutional portfolios and

In this episode, William Green chats with Harold J. (“Jay”) Bowen III, President & CIO of Bowen, Hanes & Company. Jay & his late father generated dazzling returns for their biggest client, the Tampa Firefighters’ & Police Officers’ Pension Fund. The fund’s stock portfolio has achieved an annualized return of 14.4% over 50 years & a cumulative return of more than 81,000%. Here, Jay explains how they pulled this off, sharing one of the great untold stories of the investment world.  IN THIS EPISODE YOU’LL LEARN: 00:00 - Intro 08:37 - What makes the Tampa Firefighters’ & Police Officers’ Pension Fund special. 17:54 - How Jay Bowen’s father came to run the fund half a century ago. 29:09 - How to thrive by slashing fees, shunning consultants, & thinking long term. 38:54 - Why Jay takes a top-down thematic investment approach. 43:03 - How the fund made a fortune buying Coca-Cola before Buffett. 47:15 - Why it pays to bet on extraordinary CEOs. 51:09 - Why truly long-term investors shouldn’t bother with bonds. 1:05:

On today’s episode, Clay offers a detailed guide on creating an investment checklist to help you avoid picking losing stocks. An investment checklist, paired with thorough fundamental analysis, is crucial for making informed and intelligent decisions in the investing world. Great investment opportunities are rare, and a well-crafted checklist is key to distinguishing exceptional companies from mediocre ones. IN THIS EPISODE YOU’LL LEARN: 00:00 - Intro 01:44 - Why fundamental research is essential to invest successfully. 04:47 - How to generate new investment ideas. 06:47 - How to understand the basics of a business. 08:31 - How to understand the customer base. 10:32 - How to determine the primary risk factors of a business. 19:19 - How to evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of a company. 28:25 - Which financial and operating ratios investors should monitor? 32:53 - How to determine the quality of a company’s earnings and management team. 01:06:51 - How to evaluate growth opportunities. And so much more! D

In this episode, we dive into the challenges of Bitcoin payments and scaling, and how Fedi is addressing these issues. Obi Nwosu explains the concept of Fediments and guardians, while Renata Rodrigues shares her on-the-ground experiences in Africa, discussing the real-world impact of Fedi on communities. We also explore the tools within the Fedi app that empower users to earn sats and the potential of Fedi to unlock talent trapped by financial repression. Additionally, Obi and Renata discuss Fedi’s move towards open-source, social backup mechanisms, and their partnership with Save the Children. IN THIS EPISODE YOU’LL LEARN: 00:00 - Intro 03:54 - The major problem that Fediments solve for Bitcoin payments and scaling. 04:31 - How guardians function within the Fedi ecosystem and the role they play in protecting user privacy. 05:43 - The concept of the Fedi Order and how it supports the Fedi ecosystem. 15:33 - Insights from Renata Rodrigues on the conversations happening in Africa around Bitcoin adoption. 18:43

On today’s episode, Kyle Grieve discusses a wonderfully well-written autobiography, “Shoe Dog” by Phil Knight, the founder of Nike. He discusses the importance of identifying and pursuing true happiness while ensuring a stable income as a fallback, the value of hustle, the importance of trust with your suppliers, why focus is so vital to business success, the hidden downsides of issuing equity, the importance of maintaining cash reserves, the complexities of growing a business, and a whole lot more! IN THIS EPISODE YOU’LL LEARN: 00:00 - Intro 02:30 - The importance of being aware of what will make you happy in life, and pursuing it with deep focus 07:37 - Why happiness can't be fulfilled based purely on increased earnings power 09:42 - Why hustle and unconventionality is so important to getting a nascent business off of the ground 15:36 - The difficulties of aligning incentives between lenders and borrowers in fast-growing businesses 23:29 - The importance of creating an enemy in business to help motivate ex

On today’s episode, Clay Finck is joined by Aswath Damodaran to discuss his new book, The Corporate Life Cycle.  Aswath Damodaran is a professor at NYU of corporate finance and valuation and has taught thousands of students how to value companies and pick stocks. He has written numerous books on valuation and has also made all of his university courses available online for free. Aswath is one of the clearest teachers of finance and investing in the industry. IN THIS EPISODE YOU’LL LEARN: 00:00 - Intro 01:48 - What the corporate life cycle is and why it’s important. 01:48 - Why value investors should be open to investing at different points in the life cycle. 09:32 - Why the job of management is to maximize shareholder value. 17:21 - The difference in returns between value and growth investing. 27:44 - How the story and narrative around Tesla has changed over the past decade. 43:02 - How management’s skillset needs to change throughout the corporate life cycle. 50:41 - How companies should handle the decline

In this episode, we explore Will Reeves' Bitcoin journey and how it led to the creation of Fold, a company that has evolved from offering Bitcoin rewards through gift card purchases to becoming a comprehensive financial services app. We also discuss Fold’s recent decision to go public, the company's long-term vision as a Bitcoin-powered bank, and the expansion of its services, including credit, lending, and insurance. Additionally, Will shares insights into Fold's treasury management, partnerships, and the global adoption of Bitcoin. IN THIS EPISODE YOU’LL LEARN: 00:00 - Intro 07:55 - Will Reeves’ background and the defining moment that led him to Bitcoin. 09:35 - Key inflection points in Fold’s evolution from a Bitcoin rewards platform to a full-fledged financial services app. 14:45 - The "flywheel effect" of increasing Bitcoin reserves and its impact on Fold’s future growth.30:13 - The toughest challenges Fold faced during its transition. 16:57 - Insights into Fold’s decision to go public and expectations

In this episode, Stig Brodersen talks with Guy Spier about how he has achieved his impressive track record and whether you can adjust a track record for luck. Since 1997, Guy Spier’s fund has performed 9.3% vs. 8.7% annually for the S&P500.  IN THIS EPISODE YOU’LL LEARN: 00:00 - Intro 02:05 - What we can learn from royal families about moats in business.  26:43 - How Guy Spier’s track record would look if we adjusted to luck. 40:20 - If Guy would ever stop managing money. 49:49 - How to think about risk in your portfolio. 52:31 - Why it’s risky not to take risks. 56:40 - Why Guy wants to be truthful and honest and not present himself in the best possible light. 1:14:31 - How to think about position sizing. 1:21:53 - What is VALUEx? 1:37:23 - How Guy feels about being famous in the value investing community. 1:55:46 - How to live a life with givers, matchers, and takers. Disclaimer: Slight discrepancies in the timestamps may occur due to podcast platform differences. BOOKS AND RESOURCES Join the exclusive