Behind the Bastards

Part One: The Rise of the "Activist" Investor

June 9, 2026·1h 4m·6-min readconversationaltrue crime
Podzilla Summary (6 min)
TLDR
This episode of Behind the Bastards explores the rise and moral ambiguity of activist investors — wealthy individuals or hedge funds who buy significant stakes in companies to force strategic changes, often for profit. The narrative centers on Bill Ackman, a prime example of this breed,

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Guest

K

Kim Kelly

conversational on Behind the Bastards

Mentions

Books, people, and resources mentioned in this episode.

People

Bill AckmanLawrence AckmanKim KellyDavid BerkowitzEliot Spitzer

Books

Fight Like Hellby Kim KellyFight to Win: Heroes of American Laborby Kim Kelly

Companies

Pershing Square Capital ManagementMBIAWendy'sGeneral Growth Properties

Topics

Business NewsEconomicsInequalityInvestigative JournalismLong Form JournalismTrue CrimeUs Politics

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