Corporate Gossip

Discover the scandal of the Houston Astros cheating in baseball with the help of McKinsey consultants, leading to fines and threats to their championship. Uncover the corporate influence, lack of attention to rules, and controversial decision-making within the team. Learn about the whistleblowers and the role of team owners in baseball business.

Meet Les Moonves, CBS CEO known for turning the network into a ratings powerhouse. Dive into the controversies surrounding him, from sexual assault allegations to power struggles at CBS. Explore his feud with Donald Trump, his daughter Sarah's glamorous life, and the lavish executive compensation in the media empire. Unpack the allegations of sexual misconduct and corporate fallout that ultimately led to Moonves' resignation. Learn about the importance of shareholder engagement and board accountability in the entertainment industry.

Listen to the shocking tale of Paramount / Viacom's CEO, Sumner Redstone, a horny billionaire in a crusty old man's body. Discover the scandalous story of executive-level lowlifes taking advantage of their absent boss, leading to elder abuse and financial exploitation. Join Becca and Adam as they unravel the rise and fall of Redstone and Paramount Global, filled with drama, power struggles, and scandal.

Insys was the startup unicorn of the opioid crisis, and boy did they know how to party.  Becca & Adam meet Insys CEO John Kapoor and his rowdy band of crooked pharmaceutical reps as they slither their way through doctors offices across the country, pushing their marquee product: Fentanyl! The shady sales reps unleashed the powerful opioid on unsuspecting patients and bribed their doctors to increase dosages through an illegal kickback scheme. Eventually their shameless conspiracies and criminal shakedowns lead to a public meltdown and federal racketeering charges, but not before Kapoor could be crowned Forbes coverboy!  CW: Drug abuse  Links:  Pictures on our Substack The Pain Hustlers - NYT Expose  Read Pain Hustlers - the book An Opioid Spray Showered Billionaire John Kapoor In Riches. Now He's Feeling The Pain A potent painkiller, and the drug maker’s marketing, are faulted in a woman’s death Pharmaceutical Executive John Kapoor Sentenced To 66 Months In Prison In Opioid Trial Tracking the Opioid Settlement Cash

IT’S A BONUS EPISODE, BROTHER!  Becca and Adam talk with the author of Ringmaster, Josie Riesman Read Ringmaster by Josie Riesman Follow Josie on Instagram, her website josie.zone, or the book website Josie’s article mentioned in the interview: Wrestling turned me cis, then it turned me trans

Welcome back brother!! Season 4 is here and ready to SMACKDOWN! WWE style. Binge ALL of Season 4 NOW on Patreon! We’ve seen this story before - a deeply traumatized child inherits their father’s business and fills the void left by the adults that failed them with, what else… MONEY!!!! Rather than spend time examining his emotional shortcomings, Vince McMahon creates an alter ego, Mr. McMahon, to live out his darkest fantasies. But what happens when the CEO of a public company is also the greatest heel of all time? Find out as Becca and Adam step into the Hell in a Cell of the business of professional wrestling and battle through 60 years of the stinkiest secrets of World Wrestling Entertainment.  CW: Drugs, Sexual Abuse  Links:  Support the podcast Pics in our Substack Read Ringmaster by  Josie Riesman Now It Can Be Told: Those Pro Wrestlers Are Just Having Fun  2003 Vince McMahon on Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel Federal Prosecutors Investigate Vince McMahon Sex-Trafficking Allegations  

It's the Season 3 Finale! We answer listener questions and meet the Yogurt King of New York:  Chobani's founder, Hamdi Ulkaya. From nomadic Turkish farmer to millionaire milk mogul, Ulkaya became known as the Anti-CEO, prioritizing people over profit and creating one of the fastest growing food companies in America.  Correction: We said the Chobani Idaho factory was in Idaho falls. It is actually in Twin Falls. Thanks to the listener who pointed that out!  If you liked this season don't forget to RATE AND REVIEW THE PODCAST  Support the pod by buying us a coffee Check out our reading list  Follow us on youtube, instagram, and tiktok Hosts: Becca Platsky (Becca@nitetoast.com) Adam Platsky (Adam@nitetoast.com)  Produced by: Michael Albanese @bigmanmike Support the pod by buying us a coffee Check out our reading list  Follow us on youtube, instagram, and tiktok Hosts: Becca Platsky (Becca@nitetoast.com) Adam Platsky (Adam@nitetoast.com)  Produced by: Michael Albanese @bigmanmike Timestamps & Links:  01:30 - Listener Questions How did you guys come up with this idea for the podcast? What’s the best / juiciest piece of corporate gossip that didn’t make the cut? Why are your seasons so short? I would pay for a subscription to get a weekly episode until the end of time! I'm a final year student in finance and I'm worried I have made a terrible mistake studying this degree, as it seems that corporations mostly cause more harm than [good], and benefits an elite few. is there any field you would recommend where I could use my degree for good? Is there a way that finance can be a force for good? Given the intricate web of corporate scandals involving entities like FTX, McKinsey, Koch Industries, SVB, etc. I'm curious to know: What common threads or distinct patterns have you observed across these cases, and how do these scandals reflect broader issues within the corporate landscape? Have there been any surprising twists or unique aspects in these stories that stand out to you guys, providing deeper insights into the world of corporate misconduct 18:00 - Chobani's Anti CEO  Links:  The Profile Dossier: Hamdi Ulukaya, the Shepherd-Turned-Billionaire CEO Chobani CEO says pulling IPO was one of the best decisions company has made Chobani hired hundreds of refugees at its plants. Average tenure now exceeds industry average Chobani’s CEO is giving up to 10 percent of his company to employees Capitalism and Humanitarianism Can Coexist. Chobani's CEO Is Trying to Prove It  

In 2017 Carlos Ghosn was on top of the world, he was a Japanese national hero, renowned for bringing Nissan back to life from the brink of failure. His face was on the cover of magazines, his story was depicted in Manga, he even carried the torch at the Olympics in his home country of Brazil. His sudden arrest in 2018 for financial crimes was an unexpected twist in his story that made him the center of international intrigue. As extraordinary as his life had become, no one could have imagined what would come next...  Pictures & links on our substack Support the pod by buying us a coffee Check out our reading list  Follow us on youtube, instagram, and tiktok Hosts: Becca Platsky (Becca@nitetoast.com) Adam Platsky (Adam@nitetoast.com)  Produced by: Michael Albanese @bigmanmike Timestamps:  5:40 - CG#1: Carlos Ghosn joins the growing number of wayward CEOs with daddy issues  9:15 - CG#2:  Meet carlos’s car daddy: Francois Michilin  17:40 - CG#3: It’s time for Carlos’ Makover montage!  31:25 - CG#4: Carlos Ghosn enters his dwight schrute era 36:50 - CG#5: Ghosn follows the CEO playbook - time for an ostentatious company sponsored personal party that definitely will have no negative PR implications whatsoever 49:00 - CG#6: All Partied out!!  52:33 - CG#7: What do they say? You either die a hero or live long enough to be smuggled out of Japan in an equipment box? 56:30 - CG#7: What do they say? You either die a hero or live long enough to be smuggled out of Japan in an equipment box?  

Sam Bankman-Fried, a 28-year-old crypto genius, went from building a $40 billion empire to facing 115 years in prison for fraud. Topics include meme fundraising, skepticism towards CEOs, Sam's extravagant spending, the downfall of FTX, and the legal proceedings against Sam.

A very haunted episode of the Corporate Gossip Podcast! Becca and adam talk about the House of Villains that is Pacific Gas and Electric. The collection of CEOs that have lead the utility company over the past two decades are are more dubious than Omarosa and more dimwitted than Jax Taylor. On the upside, this episode should cure even the most chronic cases of imposter syndrome.  Pictures & links on our substack Support the pod by buying us a coffee Check out our reading list  Follow us on youtube, instagram, and tiktok Hosts: Becca Platsky (Becca@nitetoast.com) Adam Platsky (Adam@nitetoast.com)  Produced by: Michael Albanese @bigmanmike Timestamps:  11:00 - “You guys need to stop talking about Enron” - said no one ever  15:00 - Peter Darabee is possessed by the ghost of Jack Welch and then gets scammed by Accenture  22:00 - Stay humble Tony Early 31:00 -Geisha Williams is rewarded for her job as pain sponge after the San Bruno explosions and is crowned CEO  46:00 - Bill Johnson, blink and you’ll miss him   53:00 - Patti Poppe: New decade, same bullshit