Actually Useful
Actually Useful

The Extraction Economy (Private Equity Pt. 1)

02 July 2026 53:28 Ariel Butters and Josh Stretten-Carlson

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About this episode

We demystify private equity in this first episode of a two-part series. Since the 2008 financial crisis, private equity has pillaged the economy by buying companies and public services. We break down how these shady financial tactics shift money away from payroll, pensions, and long-term investment, and deliver it directly into the pockets of a select few investors and executives. Instead of a Falcon Mode, we close this episode with a spooky-silly story about how every LLM has invented the same fictional character, a whimsical guy named Elias Thorne.


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Links:

Plunder by Brendan Ballou

Bad Company by Megan Greenwell

The Hater’s Guide to Private Equity by Ed Zitron

404 Media article about Elias Thorne


We’d love to hear from you. Email us at ⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠ or find us on ⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠TikTok⁠⁠ (reluctantly).

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