The $10,000 Bet: A Journalist’s Yearlong Gamble to Reconnect with His Conspiracy-Theorist Father

NPR journalist Zach Mack embarks on a deeply personal journey to understand his father, who has become immersed in conspiracy theories. Their relationship is strained by ideological differences, but instead of continuing endless debates, they make an unusual agreement: they write down 10 of his father’s predictions for 2024 and place a $10,000 bet on whether they will come true. Over the course of a year, Zach documents their conversations, explores the roots of his father’s beliefs, and grapples with the emotional toll on their family.Find the podcast here: https://www.npr.org/podcasts/510311/embedded