Tad Smith - Why This Billion-Dollar CEO Went ALL-IN on Bitcoin

In this episode of the Bitcoin Matrix Podcast, I chat with Tad Smith, the former CEO of Sotheby’s and Madison Square Garden, and the current CEO of Durable Money. We also dig deep into investing, valuation frameworks, AI, tariffs, and the future of American labor. Meet the man who’s led billion-dollar companies and still chose to go down the Bitcoin rabbit hole. ––– Offers & Discounts ––– ⭐ Get 10% OFF Blockhunters — the ultimate Bitcoin board game. Visit https://blockhuntersgame.com/ and use code btcmatrix at checkout! Get 10% off your ticket for the Bitcoin Conference 2025 in Vegas! Use the promo code MATRIX at https://tickets.b.tc/affiliate/matrix/event/bitcoin-2025 Theya is the world’s simplest Bitcoin self-custody solution. Download Theya Now at theya.us/cedric Get up to $100 in Bitcoin on River at river.com/Matrix The best Team Bitcoin merch is at HodlersOfficial.com. Use the code Matrix for a discount on your order. Become a sponsor of the show: https://thebitcoinmatrix.com/sponsors/ ––– Get To Know Today's Guest ––– • Tad Smith on X: https://x.com/tadtweets ––– Socials ––– • Check out our new website at https://TheBitcoinMatrix.Com • Follow Cedric Youngelman on X: https://x.com/cedyoungelman • Follow The Bitcoin Matrix Podcast on X: https://x.com/_bitcoinmatrix • Follow Cedric Youngelman on Nostr: npub12tq9jxmt707gd5vnce3tqllpm67ktr0mqskcvy58qqa4d074pz9s4ukdcs ––– Chapters ––– 00:00 - Intro 01:10 – Meet Tad Smith: Ex-CEO Turned Bitcoiner 02:30 – Childhood in Denver & Ivy League Choice 04:00 – JP Morgan, HBS & Rockefeller Days 07:00 – Music & Media Career: BMG to McKinsey 09:00 – Corporate Climb: Starwood, Elsevier, MSG 14:00 – Sotheby’s CEO & Bitcoin Rabbit Hole 17:00 – Teaching Finance & Discovering Bitcoin 21:30 – Fiat Illusion: Markets vs. Money Supply 25:00 – Kubler-Ross Model of Bitcoin Adoption 28:00 – Tech Patterns: Yahoo, Google, Amazon 33:00 – Collectibles, Scarcity & Emotional Investing 36:00 – Tad’s Personal Stock Bets 39:00 – Indexing & Monopoly Dynamics 43:00 – Bitcoin as the Benchmark 48:00 – Portfolio Moves: Strategy, Options, Art 52:00 – The Maxi Mindset 54:00 – Tariffs & AI’s Economic Impact 59:00 – Robots & Reshoring Risks 1:03:00 – Purpose Beyond Work 1:06:00 – AI & Post-Work Societies 1:09:00 – America’s Economic Reckoning 1:12:00 – Fixing Education & National Confidence 1:15:00 – Long-Term Optimism Despite Chaos 1:18:00 – The Battle for Bitcoin Narrative 1:21:00 – Bitcoin’s Role in the Next Economy 1:24:00 – What TradFi Still Misses About Bitcoin 1:28:00 – Advice to Young Investors 1:31:00 – Thoughts on Bitcoin ETFs & Regulation 1:35:00 – Why Bitcoin Is Undervalued 1:38:00 – Bitcoin in a Multipolar World 1:41:00 – Preparing for Hyperbitcoinization 1:44:00 – Final Thoughts on Freedom & Legacy I want to take a moment to express my heartfelt gratitude to all of you for tuning in, supporting the show, and contributing. Thank you for listening!