Billionaires? In this economy?

In this episode of The Sound of Economics, host Rebecca Christie talks about the rise of billionaires in the global economy and United States politics with guests David de Jong, author of the nonfiction book Nazi Billionaires, and Karel Lannoo, chief executive of the Brussels-based think tank CEPS. How are today’s billionaires shaping the US political climate, and how have things changed from the first Trump administration? What are the geopolitical consequences? How can Europe emulate US dynamism and economic growth while also resisting the conflicts of interest that arise when money and policy overlap? Will proposals currently pushed by the European Commission – like 'EU Inc' and the Capital Markets Union – shift the needle in this regard? What role does taxation play? This episode tackles some of the hard and complicated questions about money, politics and prosperity in today’s world. Related research:  Arnal, J. and Lannoo, K. (2026) ‘Do not blame Basel: the Output Floor and Europe’s banking competitiveness debate’, CEPS In-depth Analysis, CEPS  Arnal, J., Lannoo, K. and Thomadakis, A. (2024) ‘Staying ahead of the curve’, Task force report, CEPS  Christie, R. (2026) ‘The billionaire paradox’, First glance, Bruegel  de Jong, D. (2022) ‘Nazi Billionaires: The Dark History of Germany’s Wealthiest’ Dynasties’, Harper Collins   de Jong, D. (2024) ‘The Richest Man in Germany Is Worth $44 Billion. The Source of His Family Fortune? The Nazis Know’, News Story, September 12 , Vanity Fair  EU Tax Compass is a Bruegel-led project co-funded by the European Union