Insightful Investor
Alex Shahidi
The Insightful Investor is a weekly podcast hosted by Alex Shahidi, Co-CIO of one of the nation’s leading RIAs. In a conversational, “fireside chat” format, Alex interacts with some of the world’s premier investors and business icons to share market insights rarely found elsewhere. While many investors echo common sentiments, our “insights” include concepts that we believe are counterintuitive, widely misunderstood, or underappreciated. With over two decades of experience managing billions of dollars in client assets, Alex offers unique access to some of the industry’s top thinkers. He has authored two investment books and contributed to leading journals, and he consistently ranks among the elite financial advisors by Forbes and Barron’s. As an independent and innovative voice, Alex offers a fresh take on investing. We invite you to tune in and would love to hear your feedback.
https://insightfulinvestor.org/
https://insightfulinvestor.org/
Episodes
Mentioned books
Dec 9, 2025 • 46min
#100 - Rajiv Jain: AI Hype Echoes Past Tech Bubble Risks
Rajiv, CIO and Founder at GQG, managing $167 billion in assets (as of 9/30/25), warns today’s AI boom echoes the dot-com bubble. From stretched valuations to unsustainable spending, he sees cracks forming beneath the surface.
8 snips
Dec 2, 2025 • 1h 11min
#99 - Joe Davis: Megatrends and the Tug-of-War Economy
Joe Davis, Global Chief Economist at Vanguard and author of *Coming Into View*, discusses the economic forces shaping our future. He emphasizes the tug-of-war between AI innovation and rising public debt, highlighting how consensus forecasts may be misleading. Joe explains his data-driven analysis of megatrends and argues that the typical growth/inflation expectations are unlikely. He provides practical guidance for asset allocation amid uncertainty and warns investors about potential market froth and valuation risks.
Nov 25, 2025 • 46min
#98 - Mark Sear: Industry Evolution
Mark is Co-Founder of Evoke Advisors, with more than three decades advising wealthy families and institutions. Mark reflects on his investing passions, client-first philosophy, and the lessons he’s drawn from both golf and decades in wealth management. He shares practical wisdom on industry evolution, and how adaptability, discipline, and trusted advice drive long-term success.
Nov 18, 2025 • 45min
#97 - Paul Pagnato: Inside the Longevity Revolution
Paul is a former scientist and longtime financial advisor turned longevity expert and founder of Humanaut Health and Transparency Global. In this episode, we explore the science of living longer, the misunderstood difference between healthspan and lifespan, and how transparency can be a powerful driver of trust and business growth.
Nov 11, 2025 • 1h 2min
#96 - Aakash Doshi: The Strategic Case for Gold
Aakash is the Global Head of Gold Strategy at State Street Investment Management, one of the world’s largest asset managers. He shares insights on gold’s historic resilience, its role as a portfolio diversifier, market dynamics, and how investors should approach strategic allocation in light of current global trends.
Nov 4, 2025 • 37min
#95 - Howard Levkowitz: The Past, Present, and Future of Private Credit
Howard is co‑founder of Tennenbaum Capital Partners, where he helped build one of the early success stories in private credit before leading its integration into BlackRock. In this episode, he shares how private credit grew from a niche strategy into a cornerstone of modern portfolios, the lessons learned through that evolution, and what innovations may define its future.
Oct 28, 2025 • 59min
#94 - Gabriel Caillaux: Growth Equity in a Tech-Driven Market
Gabe is Co-President at General Atlantic, a global growth equity firm managing approximately $114 billion in assets as of June 2025. He discusses growth equity investing and how GA partners with visionary entrepreneurs to build category-leading companies. The conversation explores technology, market evolution, and collaboration strategies that drive transformational growth.
Oct 21, 2025 • 1h 14min
#93 - Alex Ehrlich: The Leadership Pyramid, Team-Centered Culture
Alex is founder and CEO of Percapita and a longtime senior executive at Goldman Sachs, UBS, and Morgan Stanley. He shares four decades of insights—from his “Leadership Pyramid” philosophy and the value of a team-centered culture to expanding inclusive banking. Listeners will learn strategies for building resilient organizations and leading with purpose.
Oct 14, 2025 • 42min
#92 - Kipp deVeer: Steering Ares’ Growth in Alternatives
Kipp deVeer, Co-President of Ares Management, oversees a massive $572 billion in assets, guiding the firm’s global alternatives platform. He shares insights on Ares’ rapid evolution and the appeal of private markets over public ones. Kipp discusses strategies for maintaining company culture while scaling and the impact of retail interest in private credit. He highlights the importance of adaptability in leadership, emphasizing transparency and communication as keys to success. Expect valuable perspectives on the future of investment in a changing landscape.
Oct 7, 2025 • 41min
#91 - Steven Romick: Value, Quality, and Adaptability
Steven is Co-Managing Partner of First Pacific Advisors and long-time steward of the FPA Crescent Fund’s flexible, risk-aware approach, with FPA managing $28 billion as of June 2025. In this episode, Steven shares wisdom from three decades of investing—how prioritizing margin of safety, business quality, adaptability, value, and a relentless focus on avoiding permanent capital loss have shaped his enduring philosophy.
