Mechanics of Money
Stop saving. Start allocating.
Mechanics of Money is the technical manual for high-net-worth individuals moving from "High Earner" to "Sophisticated Allocator."
Hosted by Sam Silverman (Silverman Capital), this show strips away the "get rich quick" hype to focus on the operational and financial mechanics of wealth preservation. We sit down with founders, fund managers, and tax strategists managing billions in assets to decode exactly how the ultra-wealthy structure their capital.
We cover:
• Private Markets: Deep dives into Multifamily Syndications, Private Credit, and PE.
• Tax Strategy: Advanced frameworks like 1031 Exchanges, Bonus Depreciation, and Opportunity Zones.
• Risk Management: How to vet operators and protect your downside.
Whether you are looking to place your first $50k into a syndication or managing an 8-figure family office, we provide the blueprint.
Subscribe to the weekly newsletter: https://www.mechanicsofmoney.co
Invest with Silverman Capital: https://silvermancapital.co
Episodes
111 episodes
Lifestyle by Design After Building a Multiple 8-Figure Business | Arman Taheri
How did a COVID-era face mask business become the launchpad for an 8-figure service company, and a life built entirely by design?Sam sits down with Arman Taheri, co-founder and CEO of TalentPop, a talent solutions co...
What 8,000 Millionaires Taught Me About Money | Tad Fallows
What do 8,000 millionaires actually do with their money, and what can you learn from the patterns?Sam sits down with Tad Fallows, co-founder of Long Angle, a community of over 8,000 high- and ultra-high-net-worth members focused ...
How to Build a $200M Portfolio Outside the Stock Market | Mathew Owens
Mathew Owens is a CPA who quit his corporate job in 2006, got hit by the 2008 crash, lost everything, and paid back every investor before rebuilding from scratch. Today, he's flipped over 1000 houses, raised $200M+ in private capital, lent $500...
Nobody Talks About What Happens After You Buy the Business | Acquisitions & Asphalt
Everyone makes content about buying businesses. But once the deal closes and you actually have to grow the thing? That's where the real playbook starts, and almost nobody talks about it.In this episode of the Acquisitions & Asph...
Why This Fund Makes the Most Money When Markets Crash | Vuk Vuković
What if the best market signal didn't come from Wall Street — but from 3,500 retail traders on social media?Sam sits down with Vuk Vuković, co-founder of Oraclum Capital, a systematic hedge fund that uses crowdsourced intel...
How Pilots & Doctors Legally Write Off Their W-2 Income | Mechanics of Money
Most high earners are told the same thing: your W-2 salary can't be sheltered. Tait Duryea built a firm proving otherwise.In this episode of Mechanics of Money, Sam Silverman sits down with Tait Duryea: third-generation airline pilot an...
From $3,000 to $100M/yr: The Cove Blueprint | Mechanics of Money
Alec Todd is the co-founder and CFO of Cove, the lifestyle apparel brand you've probably already seen all over your Instagram feed. He and his twin brother Sean built Cove from a $3,000 investment into a $100M/yr revenue machine, fully bootstra...
Why You Can Take More Risk at 22 Than at 50 | Mechanics of Money
Risk tolerance isn't about bravery. It’s a mathematical formula based on your life stage, your sunk costs, and your monthly overhead.In this solo session of Mechanics of Money, Sam Silverman explains why a 22-year-old oft...
Paving Acquisitions & Operations: A 30-Year Industry Leader's Full Breakdown | Acquisitions & Asphalt
Wall Street suits think they can roll up blue-collar businesses with just a spreadsheet. But without true boots-on-the-ground experience, they usually end up buying a fleet of broken equipment and alienating the entire workforce.In this ...
Quitting Deloitte to Buy Paving Companies: The Reality of SMB M&A | Acquisitions & Asphalt
Climbing the Big 4 partner track is supposed to be the ultimate career goal. But for those on the inside, it often just feels like pledging a 10-year corporate fraternity.In this episode of the Acquisitions & Asphalt series, Sam Silv...
How to Structure a Business Acquisition (M&A Deal Mechanics) | Acquisitions & Asphalt
Retail buyers fight to the death over the multiple. Institutional buyers obsess over the deal structure.In episode 3 of the Acquisitions & Asphalt series, Sam Silverman and Chris Wirthlin explain why the price you pay for a ...
Acquisitions & Asphalt: The Truth About SBA Loans and Buying a Business
Most people don't realize an SBA loan for a small business acquisition requires a personal guarantee on everything you own: your house, your savings, your future income.In this episode, Sam Silverman and Chris Wirthlin break down the thr...
Acquisitions & Asphalt: How to Build a Roll-Up Most Investors Overlook
What happens when two operators from tech backgrounds decide to build a $100M+ platform in one of the most unglamorous industries in America? Turns out, a lot.In this first episode of the Acquisitions & Asphalt series, Sam Silverman ...
Rented Identities & Golden Handcuffs: The Math of Quitting a $600K Job
Your corporate title is a rented identity. I walked away from a $600,000 salary to build equity I actually own.In this solo episode of Mechanics of Money, Sam Silverman pulls back the curtain on the "Golden Handcuffs." We...
The Cash Flow vs. Net Worth Trap Most Entrepreneurs Fall Into | Joe Potenza
Sam Silverman sits down with Joe Potenza, founder of SM3 Marketing and operator of a multi-state real estate wholesaling business, to unpack the financial trap most high-earning entrepreneurs don't see coming: scaling
Why $100K Invested Won't Replace Your Income
Most passive income pitches skip the math. This episode doesn't.In this episode of Mechanics of Money, Sam Silverman runs the actual numbers behind passive income: what it really takes to replace your salary through investing alone, why...
Real Estate Syndication Returns Aren’t What They Look Like
In this episode of Mechanics of Money, Sam Silverman breaks down how acquisition fees, asset management fees, disposition fees, and promote structures shape investor-level returns. We walk through a real $200,000 example to show how a “3% fee” ...
Private Equity Waterfalls: The Truth About Pref, Catch-Ups & Clawbacks
Most investors stop reading after the "8% Pref," assuming their incentives are aligned. But the Preferred Return is just one piece of a larger system. In this episode of Mechanics of Money, Sam Silverman breaks down the single most important co...
Preferred Returns Explained: How Private Equity Waterfalls Actually Work
An 8% preferred return is not an 8% yield. It is not a coupon you clip, and it is certainly not a guarantee. In this episode of Mechanics of Money, Sam Silverman demystifies the most misunderstood number in private equity: the Prefe...
Earning Illiquidity: A Guide to Portfolio Construction & Asymmetric Bets
Wealth preservation at the $1M to $10M level isn't about finding the next unicorn; it's about structural discipline. In this solo episode, Sam Silverman dismantles the "Portfolio Paradox", the stress of having high net worth but low liquidity, ...
Private Equity Roll-Up Strategy: Multiple Arbitrage in Fragmented Markets
Generating alpha in "boring" businesses often outperforms chasing the latest tech trend. In this solo episode of Mechanics of Money, Sam Silverman breaks down the Private Equity Roll-Up Strategy, specifically how consolidat...
Inside A $900M Multifamily Business: Investors, Tax & Strategy (w/ Rob Beardsley)
Scaling a real estate portfolio to nearly $1 Billion requires more than just good deal flow; it requires a mastery of tax strategy, investor relations, and operational systems.In this premiere episode of Mechanics of Money, Sam ...
"Nobody Knows What They're Doing": Her Secret to 2X-ing a Business | Alison Bertin
It's the fear that stops most. But what if the secret is just doing it? The Freedom Framework Show kicks off with Alison Bertin's bold take: "Nobody knows what they're doing... Are you willing to take the risk?" This exact mindset fuel...
No Ads, All Hustle: Paul Rinaldi on Scaling Freedom Gorilla to $5M+ in Firearms Optics via Reddit
What happens when mainstream ad platforms say "NO" to your business? You get creative, you get strategic, and if you're Paul Rinaldi, co-founder of Freedom Gorilla, you build a $5 MILLION+ annual revenue e-commerce powerhouse in a "too hot to t...
What I Learned from Leaving Apple and Rivian to Become a CEO | Tyler Nuss
Ever dream of leaving a high-profile corporate job at a company like Apple or Rivian, but fear the financial step back? Tyler Nuss, former tech supply chain professional and now CEO of Polaris Energy Services, not only made the leap into the ag...