Intro

This chapter explores the complex history of General Electric, tracing its roots from Thomas Edison and financial patronage of JP Morgan to its recent transformation into three distinct companies. Key leadership figures and the challenges faced during Jeff Immelt's tenure are highlighted, along with important lessons from GE's 130-year legacy.

Transcript

chevron_right

Play full episode

chevron_right

Transcript

Episode notes

Trey talks to New York Times bestselling author William Cohan about GE's history, including founder Thomas Edison, Jack Welch's controversial career & successes, Warren Buffett's investment on GE, and much more!

William Cohan's latest book, titled "Power Failure: The Rise and Fall of an American Icon," chronicles the incredible history of General Electric, which was often the largest and most esteemed company in the world over its 130-year existence.

IN THIS EPISODE YOU’LL LEARN:

0:00 - Intro

07:31 - The origin story of GE, starting with founder Thomas Edison with backing from JP Morgan.

11:19 - Why Charlie Coffin might be the best CEO of all time.

23:54 - The dark side of Jack Welch and his career at GE, as well as the many successes.

56:37 - How Jeff could have saved the company by listening to Bill Gross and Jim Grant.

59:55 The debate on whether Jack handed his successor, Jeff Immelt, a “royal flush” or an open grenade.

63:49 - Warren Buffett’s bet on the company.

63:15 - Why the company has now been deconstructed into 3 separate entities.

67:18 - The many cycles that repeated over its 130 year history.

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, and the other community members.
Visit William Cohan website.
Check out Power Failure book.
Check out GE website.
Trey Lockerbie's Twitter.
William Cohan's Twitter.

NEW TO THE SHOW?

Check out our We Study Billionaires Starter Packs.
Browse through all our episodes (complete with transcripts) here.
Try our tool for picking stock winners and managing our portfolios: TIP Finance Tool.
Enjoy exclusive perks from our favorite Apps and Services.
Stay up-to-date on financial markets and investing strategies through our daily newsletter, We Study Markets.
Learn how to better start, manage, and grow your business with the best business podcasts.

SPONSORS

Support our free podcast by supporting our sponsors:

River
Toyota
Sun Life
The Bitcoin Way
Range Rover
Sound Advisory
BAM Capital
Fidelity
SimpleMining
Briggs & Riley
Public
Shopify

HELP US OUT!

Help us reach new listeners by leaving us a rating and review on Apple Podcasts! It takes less than 30 seconds, and really helps our show grow, which allows us to bring on even better guests for you all! Thank you – we really appreciate it!

Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://theinvestorspodcastnetwork.supportingcast.fm

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://theinvestorspodcastnetwork.supportingcast.fm

The AI-powered Podcast Player

Save insights by tapping your headphones, chat with episodes, discover the best highlights - and more!

Get the app

Home Top podcasts Popular guests