
Understood
Know more, now. Understood is an anthology podcast that takes you out of the daily news cycle and inside the events, people, and cultural moments you want to know more about. Over a handful of episodes, each season unfolds as a story, hosted by a well-connected reporter, and rooted in journalism you can trust. Driven by insight and fueled by curiosity…The stories of our time: Understood.Season 1 - The Naked Emperor: the rise and fall of bitcoin king Sam Bankman-Fried.Season 2 - The Pornhub Empire: the story of how a Montreal-founded company came to dominate the adult industry.Season 3 - Modi’s India: how one man rose from poverty to the peak of political power.Season 4 - Céline: the surprising cultural, political and business alchemy that created a superstar.
Latest episodes

Apr 24, 2024 • 2min
Modi's India: Season 3 of Understood
How did one man rise from poverty to the peak of political power and secure the adoration of nearly one billion people? And how did he overcome accusations — that he denies — of complicity in religious violence and alleged international assassination plots?In the latest season of Understood, Mumbai-based journalist Salimah Shivji examines the remarkable rise, and incredible power that Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has acquired. And as his country embarks on a massive election, Shivji asks the pressing question: what’s at stake if he wins again? Coming May 13, 2024.

Apr 1, 2024 • 39min
The Pornhub Empire Episode 4: Cleanup crew
New name, new owners, new rules. Can Pornhub rebuild its reputation and remain one of the world’s biggest porn sites? Or will the company be disrupted out of business by a new crop of online porn entrepreneurs?This is episode 4 of The Pornhub Empire: Understood. Hosted by Samantha Cole.Full transcript here.

Mar 25, 2024 • 32min
The Pornhub Empire Episode 3: Pornhub’s disgrace
Jane was coerced into making a pornographic film, and told it would never be shared online. Then, it was posted on Pornhub, over and over again. How did a scandal involving the hosting of sexual abuse material seriously damage the lives of many and nearly destroy the company? This is episode 3 of The Pornhub Empire: Understood. Hosted by Samantha Cole.Full transcript here.

Mar 18, 2024 • 24min
The Pornhub Empire Episode 2: Pornhub goes mainstream
Not only did Pornhub become a massive moneymaker, it also helped push porn into the spotlight by using data, clever PR, and the power of celebrity. How did Pornhub make itself a household name? This is episode 2 of The Pornhub Empire: Understood. Hosted by Samantha Cole.Full transcript here.

Mar 11, 2024 • 27min
The Pornhub Empire Episode 1: Free porn for everyone
Discover how a group of foosball players created the largest online porn site. From VHS tapes to the subprime mortgage crisis, uncover the intriguing origins of Pornhub. Explore the impact of user-generated content and piracy on the adult film industry. Learn about the effects of free porn on artists' self-worth and industry consolidation in the tube site era.

Feb 22, 2024 • 2min
Introducing: The Pornhub Empire
Pornhub — that site you only access on your browser’s incognito mode? It gets way more views than Netflix. But because of the sheepishness and stigma around porn, it’s treated as if it’s fringe, instead of what it really is: one of Canada’s largest cultural exports.In The Pornhub Empire: Understood, hear the story of how a Montreal-founded company came to dominate the adult industry — only to have its reputation obliterated in a massive scandal — and where it stands today.The Pornhub Empire is a new season of Understood, from the CBC. Four episodes, starting March 11.
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Feb 21, 2024 • 28min
Bonus: Click Here from Recorded Future News
A former American IRS investigator responsible for some of the earliest dark market takedowns has been in Nigerian custody since February. Neither Nigerian nor the US authorities seem to be distinguishing Tigran Gambaryan from Binance, the company where he works. The Click Here podcast from Recorded Future News is a bi-weekly tech news podcast and this episode features Jacob Silverman, the host of The Naked Emperor: Understood to help dive into this story. More episodes of Click Here are available at: https://therecord.media/podcast

Nov 6, 2023 • 27min
The Naked Emperor BONUS | Guilty: The fall of Sam Bankman-Fried
A jury has found FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried guilty on seven counts, from conspiracy to fraud, following the collapse of his crypto exchange last year. Speaking with Front Burner host Daemon Fairless, Jacob Silverman walks us through Bankman-Fried’s trial and explains what the verdict means for FTX customers and the cryptocurrency industry.

Oct 2, 2023 • 26min
The Naked Emperor BONUS: The Trial of Sam Bankman-Fried
Today we bring you a bonus episode of The Naked Emperor. As Sam Bankman-Fried’s criminal trial kicks off in New York, host Jacob Silverman is back to bring you up to speed on the latest. What’s happened at the courthouse in the lead-up to the trial? And what’s expected in the weeks to come? Joining Jacob is Zeke Faux, an investigative reporter at Bloomberg, and the author of “Number Go Up: Inside Crypto’s Wild Rise and Staggering Fall.”

Jun 8, 2023 • 24min
The Naked Emperor BONUS: Binance and its CEO sued in major crypto case
Jacob Silverman sits down on CBC's Front Burner podcast to discuss how the biggest crypto exchange in the world is being sued by an American regulator accusing Binance and its billionaire founder of breaking a string of laws and misusing investor funds. Changpeng Zhao and his company say they will fight back "vigorously."
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