Theo Kocken: Your Hundred Year Life

On 4-Quarter Lives this week Avivah Wittenberg-Cox talks with Professor Theo Kocken, about his fascinating new film ‘Your Hundred Year Life’. Theo comes to the issue of longevity with a business and academic background. He is professor of Risk Management at VU University Amsterdam, founder of the Anglo-Dutch pension investment & risk management firm Cardano and chairman of the Cardano Development Foundation. He is also an extraordinary professor at NWU University (South Africa). Before founding Cardano in 2000, he worked in the banking sector, including as head of Market Risk at ING and Rabobank.

Theo is not, however, your average economist or academic. In addition to writing several books on risk management and pension fund design, he uses alternative media to get his ideas across to a wider and more general audience. Together with Monty Python’s Terry Jones, in 2015 he produced the documentary “Boom Bust Boom” on financial crises and endogenous financial instability. Following this he identified the worldwide increase in longevity as a major issue for individuals and for society and in 2022 released his film ‘Your Hundred Year Life’. This documentary is a mind-blowing representation of the parlous state of old-age provision, all over the world. It mixes personal stories and expert analysis with humour and optimism. Highlighting the challenges for rich and poor countries alike, it argues that it is not too late to rethink the concept of retirement and old age.  

Some Relevant Links:

* Theo Kocken has generously made a link to his film ‘Your Hundred Year Life’ available free to paying subscribers to Avivah’s weekly ‘Elderberries’ blog. To access it, please send an email to queries@20-first.com, to receive access and password details.

* Trailer to ‘Your Hundred Year Life:

* Website to ‘Your Hundred Year Life’.

* Website of the Cardano Group.

* Cardano Development website.

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