The James Altucher Show cover art

The James Altucher Show

The James Altucher Show

By: James Altucher
Listen for free

About this listen

 James Altucher interviews the world's leading peak performers in every area of life. But instead of giving you the typical success story, James digs deeper to find the "Choose Yourself" story - these are the moments we relate to... when someone rises up from personal struggle to reinvent themselves. The James Altucher Show brings you into the lives of peak-performers: billionaires, best-selling authors, rappers, astronauts, athletes, comedians, actors, and the world champions in every field, all who forged their own paths, found financial freedom and harnessed the power to create more meaningful and fulfilling lives.© Copyright © 2002-2025 PodcastOne.com. All rights reserved. Economics
Episodes
  • She Was Brainwashed. Then She Left Iran. Now She Has an $18M Portfolio | Kiana Danial, The Invest Diva

    She Was Brainwashed. Then She Left Iran. Now She Has an $18M Portfolio | Kiana Danial, The Invest Diva
    Apr 2 2026
    A Note from James:What is going on in Iran? And once this war is over, what happens to investing? Is the world coming down? I’m bringing on the Invest Diva, Kiana Danial, to talk about both. She wrote Triple Compounding For Dummies, and we’ll get into that, too.She’s Iranian, and she has a perspective on what’s happening that I think matters. My gut, based on the force of history, is that when this war is over, the Islamic regime won’t survive. Iran has no air force left, no navy left, missile strikes are way down, and many of its top leaders are gone. That’s my opinion, but it’s based on what I’m seeing.What’s interesting to me is the parallel to the Soviet Union in 1991. When that collapsed, there was a peace dividend. For about 10 years, the stock market had enormous growth. Yes, the internet mattered too, but when countries stop trading bullets, they start trading dollars. The whole world opened up.Iran has been one of the biggest threats in the region for decades. So if the regime falls, I think the peace dividend could be enormous, maybe even bigger than what followed the Soviet collapse, simply because we have no real relations with Iran right now. That’s why I wanted to bring on Kiana Danial, author of Triple Compounding For Dummies, to talk about Iran and what it could all mean next.Episode Description:James talks with investor and entrepreneur Kiana Danial about two subjects that usually stay separate: Iran and personal wealth-building.First, Kiana gives a lived, Iranian-born perspective on what she believes ordinary Iranians want, how propaganda shapes the conversation outside the country, and why she thinks markets may move past the current war headlines faster than most people expect. Then the conversation shifts into her framework for building wealth: “triple compounding,” the idea that real financial progress starts by compounding skills, income, and businesses you control before you rely too heavily on outside assets like stocks.What makes this episode useful is that it doesn’t stay theoretical. Kiana explains how getting fired pushed her to build new skills, create new income streams, and eventually grow a multimillion-dollar portfolio. She also shares how she’s thinking about AI, volatility, oil, defense names, and post-conflict rebuilding opportunities. It’s part geopolitics, part market psychology, and part practical roadmap for anyone who wants more control over how they build wealth.What You’ll Learn:Why Kiana thinks geopolitical shocks often hit headlines harder than they hit markets over timeWhat “triple compounding” means: compounding your skills, your income, and your investments togetherHow she went from being fired on Wall Street to building wealth by reinvesting in herself firstWhy adapting to AI may be less about protecting your old job and more about learning new tools quicklyHow she thinks about buying market pullbacks, and which sectors she believes could benefit if Iran eventually rebuildsTimestamped Chapters:[02:00] Cold open: freedom, oil, and investing in yourself[03:03] A Note from James: Iran, war, and the market question[05:57] From Iran to Japan to the U.S.[07:17] The scholarship that changed Kiana’s life[09:58] Why James wanted Kiana’s perspective now[10:53] How war headlines fade and markets recalibrate[12:25] Negotiations, bluffing, and the worst-case outcome[14:58] What Kiana says ordinary Iranians actually want[16:32] Strait of Hormuz, oil, and headline-driven panic[18:20] The case for a post-war “peace dividend”[20:34] Reza Pahlavi and the idea of a transition plan[23:28] How the IRGC recruits and how propaganda starts young[25:29] Unlearning propaganda about Israel and the Holocaust[26:42] What Triple Compounding For Dummies is really arguing[30:10] From Wall Street firing to an $18 million portfolio[33:29] AI, job disruption, and learning fast[35:22] What Kiana is buying, selling, and watching now[38:29] Terror funding, ideology, and what happens after the regime[41:01] How propaganda spreads in the West[43:43] Family safety and final thoughtsAdditional Resources:Kiana Danial / Invest Diva. Triple Compounding For Dummies by Kiana Danial. Reza Pahlavi official statements and background. Ray Dalio’s The Changing World Order / Principles. Ramsey Solutions / Dave Ramsey. Rich Dad / Robert Kiyosaki. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
    Show More Show Less
    44 mins
  • Thinking Sideways: Chess, AI, and Smarter Decisions with Jen Shahade

    Thinking Sideways: Chess, AI, and Smarter Decisions with Jen Shahade
    Mar 31 2026
    A Note from JamesOne of my favorite people in the world is back on the podcast: Jen Shahade. She’s been on the show before. She’s a great chess player, a great poker player, a two-time U.S. Women’s Chess Champion, and the author of the new book Thinking Sideways, about how lessons from chess can help with decision-making.As a chess player myself, I can say these techniques really do work. And she even talks about me in the book, which I appreciated. So: how are you going to think sideways? Listen to this podcast. Episode DescriptionJames talks with Jen Shahade about what chess and poker can teach us about money, ambition, risk, focus, and decision-making. The conversation starts with income: why salary alone rarely creates real savings, why “big chunks” of money matter more, and why relying on a single job is getting riskier in an AI-shaped economy. From there, they get into one of the core ideas behind Jen’s book: most people think too narrowly. They frame decisions as yes or no, take it or leave it, this city or that city, this job or no job. Jen argues that stronger decision-makers force themselves to find a third option, and often that third option is the one that changes everything. They also talk about career reinvention later in life, how AI can help people learn faster, why chess is such a good training ground for focus, and what it means to stay calm when you’ve already made a mistake and the position has gone bad. The deeper point running through the whole episode is that good decisions rarely come from certainty. They come from staying flexible, thinking in chunks, and continuing to move even when the path isn’t obvious yet. What You’ll LearnWhy unexpected “big chunk” income is often more useful for building wealth than salary increases alone. How AI can make later-life career changes and self-education more realistic than they used to be. Why binary decisions are often traps, and how forcing a third option can clarify what you actually want. Why focus is becoming a rarer and more valuable skill in a world built around distraction. How strong decision-makers try to disprove their own ideas before committing to them. Why mistakes, embarrassment, and bad positions are often signs that you are stretching yourself in the right direction. How ambition can become dangerous when it gets disconnected from process and values. Timestamped Chapters[02:00] Big money in surprising chunksWhy salary usually gets spent, and why real savings often come from sudden wins. [02:16] AI, job security, and choosing yourself Why relying on a salary feels shakier now, and how AI changes the equation. [03:10] A Note from James James introduces Jen and the core idea behind Thinking Sideways. [03:49] The book, poker, and having at least three things going on Jen talks about the book launch, poker income, and diversified income streams. [05:35] Why salary increases don’t create savings The psychology of earning more, spending more, and feeling punished by success. [08:15] AI as threat and opportunity The jobs AI may replace, and the new skills it can help people build. [09:42] Reinventing yourself later in life A story about becoming a lawyer at 47, one step at a time. [12:23] Chess and short-term chunks Why good decision-making means solving the next problem, not obsessing over the final outcome. [13:31] AI, age, and chess intuition How computers changed chess learning, and why experience still matters. [17:17] Regret, mistakes, and always having another chance How losing positions still teaches resilience and opportunity. [20:15] Always have three choices Why the best decision often appears only after you stop thinking in binaries. [22:20] Buying a house vs. not buying at all How being stuck between two options can blind you to the real third option. [24:31] The Stanford $5 challenge A creativity experiment about reframing the problem instead of solving the obvious one. [28:00] Focus as a competitive advantage Why being fully locked in matters more than just knowing more. [29:22] Deep work in a distracted world Why focus is becoming a rare skill and how to protect it. [33:16] Learning new skills with AI Coding, language learning, and using AI to create personalized practice. [35:25] Why AI can feel exhausting How AI can keep people in a deep-work state longer than they expect. [36:00] Why large language models are bad at chess Confabulation, pattern recognition, and what that reveals about AI and learning. [44:03] Ambition, values, and cheating Why Jen included cheating in a book about decision-making. [47:00] Chess cheating, Hans Niemann, and online trust The difference between online cheating, live cheating, and the damage done to opponents. [57:00] Falsifying your own ideas Why stronger players spend more time disproving their moves. [01:00:00] Balancing doubt with action How to stress-test an idea without freezing yourself. [01:02:00] Why ambition matters, even if the first move is crude ...
    Show More Show Less
    1 hr and 5 mins
  • From Wakanda to Jamaica: Dr. Sheena Howard on Black Panther, Abduction at 19, Abuse, and Owning Your Creative Destiny

    From Wakanda to Jamaica: Dr. Sheena Howard on Black Panther, Abduction at 19, Abuse, and Owning Your Creative Destiny
    Mar 24 2026
    A Note from James:This is why I love doing podcasts—talking to people like Dr. Sheena Howard, author of Why Wakanda Matters. Wakanda is the country where Black Panther is from, and Sheena has written extensively about comics, including work on Black Panther itself.We talk about comics, race, and storytelling. I asked a question I was almost afraid to ask—whether the Black Panther movie was racist against other Black people—and she gave a surprising answer. We also talk about a time she was abducted in Jamaica, along with a lot of other topics.I loved this conversation. Please listen. Episode Description:James sits down with Dr. Sheena Howard—scholar, comic book writer, and Eisner Award winner—for a conversation that moves between pop culture, publishing, and personal survival.They use Black Panther as a lens to examine how stories shape identity, how representation evolves, and why cultural narratives are often filtered through systems that weren’t built to support them. Sheena breaks down the tension between nationalism and isolationism in Wakanda, and why audiences interpret the same story in radically different ways.The conversation also goes deeper—into how gatekeeping works in publishing today, how creators can bypass it, and why building your own audience may be the most reliable path forward.And then there’s the story she didn’t tell for years: being abducted at 19. What happened, why she stayed silent, and what it reveals about psychology, fear, and resilience.This episode is about storytelling—but also about control: who has it, who doesn’t, and how to take it back.What You’ll Learn:Why “Black superheroes don’t sell” is a myth—and how the industry perpetuates it anywayThe real gatekeeping mechanism in publishing today (and why audience ownership matters more than ever)How subtle bias shows up now—not in obvious barriers, but in shifting goalpostsWhat makes a story resonate across audiences (and why Black Panther worked at scale)The psychology of abusive situations—and how awareness and boundaries are built over timeTimestamped Chapters:[03:04] A Note from James[03:53] Favorite Superheroes: From Captain America to Black Panther[04:27] Why Black Panther Connected Culturally[04:43] The $1.2B Question: Why So Late for Black Superheroes?[05:17] Luke Cage, Netflix, and the “Myth” That Black Stories Don’t Sell[05:39] Tyler Perry and the “Outlier” Problem[06:23] Pressure on Black-Led Films to Be Perfect[07:00] What Wakanda Represents (Uncolonized Possibility)[07:53] Killmonger: Anger, Oppression, and Relatability[08:23] MLK vs. Malcolm X Parallel in Black Panther[09:00] Identity Formation: African vs. African American Perspectives[09:47] Are Black Superheroes Designed to “Feel Safe”?[10:28] Gentrification, Stereotypes, and Media Influence[11:50] Media Isn’t “Just Entertainment”[12:00] Early Representation and Cultural Messaging[12:28] Who Created Black Panther—and Why That Matters[13:07] Rewriting History: What Would She Change?[13:49] Designing a Modern Black Superhero[14:47] Why a Modern Hero Might Be “Invisible”[15:44] Publishing Barriers and Gatekeeping Conversations[16:36] Social Media vs. Traditional Publishing Access[17:26] Building 163K Followers—and Still Not Enough[21:47] The Instagram Post: “I Was Abducted at 19”[22:11] How It Started: Cheap Tour, No Money, Bad Decision[23:05] The Trap: Locked House and Escalation[25:00] Refusal and Survival Strategy[26:02] Car Crash and Escape Attempt[27:00] Walking Away and Getting Home[28:30] Why She Stayed Silent for Years[29:20] Abusive Relationships and Self-Blame[30:26] Leaving Abuse: The Role of Her Son[31:06] Love Bombing and Early Warning Signs[33:02] Recognizing Red Flags in Relationships[35:45] Teaching Kids Boundaries and Self-Worth[37:21] “Is Wakanda Racist?”—The Big Question[38:00] Nationalism vs. Racism Explained[39:00] Isolationism vs. Imperialism[41:00] Why Some Black Superheroes Don’t Break Out[43:00] The Loss (and Survival) of Great Storytelling[46:14] How She Got Hired by Marvel (Cold Email + PI)[48:29] Why Pitching Ideas to Marvel Often Fails[50:00] Cold Outreach: Being Seen Before Heard[52:00] Do You Need Social Media to Sell Books? (Yes.)[55:01] Building an Audience vs. Waiting to Be Discovered[56:00] Email Lists: The Real Asset for Writers[59:00] Should You Niche Down or Stay Broad?[01:09:36] Do Podcasts Actually Sell Books?[01:12:00] Why Publishers Don’t Care About You (At First)[01:14:18] Choose One: Money, Readers, or Prestige[01:15:10] Quantity vs. Quality Writing Models[01:23:56] Success Beyond the New York Times List[01:24:25] Owning Your IP vs. Writing for Marvel[01:26:18] “Survive the Gap” Concept and Film Project[01:27:00] Turning Ideas Into Franchises[01:28:44] Why Ownership Beats Gatekeeping[01:30:34] What’s Next: Hip Hop and ComicsAdditional ResourcesHome | Dr. Sheena C. Howard | Creative EntrepreneurWhy Wakanda Matters by Dr. Sheena ...
    Show More Show Less
    1 hr and 31 mins
No reviews yet
In the spirit of reconciliation, Audible acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of country throughout Australia and their connections to land, sea and community. We pay our respect to their elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples today.