Organized Money
Organized Money is a podcast about how the business world really works, and how corporate consolidation and monopolies are dominating every sector of our economy. The series is hosted by writers and journalists Matt Stoller and David Dayen, both thought leaders in the antimonopoly movement. Organized Money is a fresh spin on business reporting, one that goes beyond supply and demand curves or odes to visionary entrepreneurs. Each week Matt and David break down the ways monopolies control everything from the food we eat, to the drugs we take, the way we communicate and even how we date. You’ll hear from workers, business leaders, antitrust lawyers, and policymakers who are on the front lines of the fight for open markets and fair competition.
If you care about an economy that is free and open, one not controlled by a handful of corporations, Organized Money is for you. New episodes out every week until the end of the year. Organized Money is a Rock Creek Sound production, from executive producers Ari Saperstein and Ellen Weiss, and senior producer Benjamin Frisch.
Organized Money
Amway, Mary Kay, Herbalife and the Get Rich Quick Business
In this episode of Organized Money, hosts Matt Stoller and David Dayen are joined by journalist and author Bridget Read to unravel the shadowy world of multi-level marketing (MLM) and pyramid schemes. Drawing from Bridget’s new book, Little Bosses Everywhere, How the Pyramid Scheme Shaped America, they explore how companies like Amway, Herbalife, and Mary Kay built vast empires by selling not just products but the promise of entrepreneurship and financial freedom—when in reality, most participants end up losing money. The conversation reveals MLM’s deep ties to American politics, highlighting how the industry helped shape the modern conservative movement and evade federal regulation, with figures like the DeVos family fueling both business and political influence. From cult-like positive thinking and self-help roots to the exploitation of vulnerable communities, the episode exposes how the allure of “being your own boss” often conceals a cycle of extraction, false hope, and systemic harm that reaches far beyond personal finances—shaping culture, politics, and the American dream itself.
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