Maya Lau on Easy Money: The Charles Ponzi Story

Larry is joined by journalist Maya Lau to discuss her latest podcast, Easy Money: The Charles Ponzi Story, currently streaming on Apple Podcasts. They begin their conversation by describing the story and subsequent legacy of Charles Ponzi, an Italian immigrant who, in 1920, defrauded his “investors” of the modern equivalent of a quarter of a billion dollars and unwittingly lent his name to one of the most infamous financial scams in history. They then shine a light on the cast of Maya’s narrative-form podcast and break down the scheme that made Ponzi infamous (11:43). This leads to a conversation about Bernie Madoff and other modern grifters and how they’re able to succeed using Ponzi’s diagram (25:24). After the break, Larry and Maya talk about why money is valuable and society’s general misunderstanding of how currency works (31:06). Larry then shares the life lessons he acquired as a door-to-door salesman, and Maya ends the pod with tips on how to avoid scams (38:22).

Host: Larry Wilmore
Guest: Maya Lau
Producers: Chris Sutton and Brandy LaPlante