Kings and emperors spent fortunes pursuing the secret of eternal youth - but now it's tech billionaires who want to live forever and are funding research into scientific (and not-so-scientific) ways to beat aging and death. 

Kara Swisher (host of CNN's new series Kara Swisher Wants to Live Forever) joins Jacob and Robert to discuss the longevity business - from ancient China, via yoghurt enemas and blood swaps, to the latests developments in DNA editing. We also find out how Kara wants to die.   

Write to us at businesshistory@pushkin.fm

Kings and emperors spent fortunes pursuing the secret of eternal youth - but now it's tech billionaires who want to live forever and are funding research into scientific (and not-so-scientific) ways to beat aging and death.&nbsp;
Kara Swisher (host of CNN's new series <a href="https://edition.cnn.com/kara-swisher-wants-to-live-forever">Kara Swisher Wants to Live Forever</a>) joins Jacob and Robert to discuss the longevity business - from ancient China, via yoghurt enemas and blood swaps, to the latests developments in DNA editing. We also find out how Kara wants to die.&nbsp; &nbsp;
Write to us at <a href="mailto:businesshistory@pushkin.fm">businesshistory@pushkin.fm</a>

It’s the history of business. How did Hitler’s favorite car become synonymous with hippies? What got Thomas Edison tangled up with the electric chair? Did someone murder the guy who invented the movies? Former Planet Money hosts Jacob Goldstein and Robert Smith examine the surprising stories of businesses big and small and find out what you can learn from those who founded them.

It&rsquo;s the history of business. How did Hitler&rsquo;s favorite car become synonymous with hippies? What got Thomas Edison tangled up with the electric chair? Did someone murder the guy who invented the movies? Former Planet Money hosts Jacob Goldstein and Robert Smith examine the surprising stories of businesses big and small and find out what you can learn from those who founded them.

Business History

The Business of Staying Young and Living Forever (with Kara Swisher)

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/8aa62b5a-cc58-43a9-bb0f-b42900c42c0a/transcript

Running a wine business in Napoleonic France wasn't easy. Constant wars meant naval blockades stopped you exporting your wares and invading armies might loot your cellars. But it was even harder for women - who were forbidden to run companies.   

None of this stopped Barbe-Nicole Clicquot. When her husband died, she used a loophole that allowed widows to be entrepreneurs. Naming her Champagne brand after herself - Veuve Clicquot - the "Widow Clicquot" pioneered innovations in production and marketing that transformed the entire industry.     

Write to us at businesshistory@pushkin.fm

Running a wine business in Napoleonic France wasn't easy. Constant wars meant naval blockades stopped you exporting your wares and invading armies might loot your cellars. But it was even harder for women - who were forbidden to run companies.&nbsp; &nbsp;
None of this stopped Barbe-Nicole Clicquot. When her husband died, she used a loophole that allowed widows to be entrepreneurs. Naming her Champagne brand after herself - Veuve Clicquot - the "Widow Clicquot" pioneered innovations in production and marketing that transformed the entire industry.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;
Write to us at <a href="mailto:businesshistory@pushkin.fm">businesshistory@pushkin.fm</a>

The Widow Who Ruled the Champagne World

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/568c2eff-45a7-492e-bb7c-b41e00f66fb7/transcript

In the 1980s, Lloyds of London insured satellites, rock singers' voices and the legs of sports stars. Everyone was having fun and making money - but disaster was just around the corner. 

Lloyds had always operated on the principle of unlimited liability - so the people backing up the insurance policies were expected to pay over all their assets if required. That hardly ever happened - until a series of huge claims hit Lloyds and the insurers suddenly faced huge bills that threatened to destroy the whole operation and the wider economy.  

Write to us at businesshistory@pushkin.fm

In the 1980s, Lloyds of London insured satellites, rock singers' voices and the legs of sports stars. Everyone was having fun and making money - but disaster was just around the corner.&nbsp;
Lloyds had always operated on the principle of unlimited liability - so the people backing up the insurance policies were expected to pay over all their assets if required. That hardly ever happened - until a series of huge claims hit Lloyds and the insurers suddenly faced huge bills that threatened to destroy the whole operation and the wider economy.&nbsp;&nbsp;
Write to us at <a href="mailto:businesshistory@pushkin.fm">businesshistory@pushkin.fm</a>

Sinking the Global Economy: The Lloyds of London Story Part II

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/c44eb48e-986f-4e60-947a-b41d010180bb/transcript

Edward Lloyd opened a coffee shop near the River Thames in the 1680s - it became a place where ship owners and money men rubbed shoulders and a trade in marine insurance sprang up. 

The coffee-drinking insurers eventually decided to form an association and agree on a set of rules - and so Lloyd's of London was born. It became a key factor in keeping the global sea trade going, but soon branched out into insuring against burglaries, hurricanes and even earthquakes.   

Lloyds developed a principle that seems odd today. It ignored the small print and said: "Pay all our policy holders in full, irrespective of the terms of their policies.”

Write to us at businesshistory@pushkin.fm

Edward Lloyd opened a coffee shop near the River Thames in the 1680s - it became a place where ship owners and money men rubbed shoulders and a trade in marine insurance sprang up.&nbsp;
The coffee-drinking insurers eventually decided to form an association and agree on a set of rules - and so Lloyd's of London was born. It became a key factor in keeping the global sea trade going, but soon branched out into insuring against burglaries, hurricanes and even earthquakes.&nbsp; &nbsp;
Lloyds developed a principle that seems odd today. It ignored the small print and said: "Pay all our policy holders in full, irrespective of the terms of their policies.&rdquo;
Write to us at <a href="mailto:businesshistory@pushkin.fm">businesshistory@pushkin.fm</a>

The Insurers Who ALWAYS Paid Out: The Lloyds of London Story Part I 

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/6a4fcd10-f680-4873-a6a0-b41d00fddba1/transcript

The Business of Staying Young and Living Forever (with Kara Swisher)

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