PODCAST · business
The James Altucher Show
by James Altucher
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.
Episodes
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The Art of a Great Question with Cal Fussman [From the Archive]
Episode Description: Before Cal Fussman interviewed Muhammad Ali, Mikhail Gorbachev, Kobe Bryant, Serena Williams, Al Pacino, Robert De Niro, and hundreds of other extraordinary people, he spent nearly a decade traveling the world without much of a plan. He would get on buses without knowing…
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Bill O'Reilly on Brokering a Secret Hostage Release Deal
Two weeks after one phone call, four hostages walked free from Gaza... A Note from James: After the election, before Trump was sworn in for his second term, Biden’s national security team needed to reach the president-elect about the hostages in Gaza. According to Bill O’Reilly, they couldn’t get...
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Annie Duke on Why We Judge Decisions by Results, Not Logic [From the Archive]
Episode Description: A good outcome does not necessarily mean you made a good decision. And a bad outcome does not necessarily mean you made a bad one. That distinction is at the heart of James’s conversation with Annie Duke, former professional poker player and author of Thinking in Bets: Making...
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The Friendliest Store in the Mall | Ron Johnson Built the Apple Store
Ron Johnson built the Apple Store as Apple's SVP of Retail, and is the author of Shop Different: How Retail Revealed Apple's Genius. A Note from James: I love the Apple Store. I can walk into one without needing anything and still want to stay. I like looking at the products. I like touching...
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Jon Morrow: The Man Who Changed the Rules [From the Archive]
Episode Description: Jon Morrow’s story begins with a diagnosis that was supposed to be a death sentence. Born with spinal muscular atrophy, Jon was diagnosed at six months old. Doctors told his mother he would likely die by age two. Instead, she fought for him. She fought to keep him alive. She...
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Carlo Rovelli: Nothing Exists Alone
A Note from James: Carlo Rovelli is one of the smartest people I know. He is a theoretical physicist and the author of a lot of great books, including Seven Brief Lessons on Physics, The Order of Time, Helgoland, White Holes, and now On the Equality of All Things: Lessons on Physics and…
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Kareem Abdul-Jabbar: Becoming Kareem, the Skyhook, and the Search for a Self [From the Archive]
Episode Description: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar joins James for a From the Archive conversation about basketball, identity, mentorship, faith, writing, civil rights, and his book Becoming Kareem: Growing Up On and Off the Court. The episode begins with basketball. James asks Kareem how the game has...
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How You Get Rich Isn't How You Stay Rich: 300 Years of Proof | Joseph Moore
A Note from James: In 1790, one of the easiest ways to get rich in America was the old-fashioned way: marry someone rich. George Washington did pretty well that way. Benjamin Franklin, meanwhile, was so deep in debt that he offered to marry a woman if her parents would mortgage their house to pay...
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Seth Godin: The Smallest Viable Audience and the Work That Might Not Work [From the Archive]
Episode Description: This is a From the Archive episode with Seth Godin. Seth Godin returns to the show for a conversation about making work that matters in a world obsessed with hits, rankings, followers, algorithms, and approval. James opens by talking about Seth’s long body of work: Purple…
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Arianna Huffington: The Sleep Revolution, Microsteps, and the Joy of Being Awake [From the Archive]
Episode Description: This is a From the Archive episode with Arianna Huffington. Arianna Huffington returns to the show for a conversation about sleep, success, reinvention, and the cultural delusion that burnout is the price of achievement. James begins by asking practical sleep questions: Is…
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Nancy Cartwright: Bart Simpson, Fellini, and Finding the Artist Inside [From the Archive]
Episode Description: Nancy Cartwright is best known as the voice of Bart Simpson. But in this archive conversation, James is interested in the artist behind the voice. Nancy joins the show to talk about In Search of Fellini, the film she co-wrote with Peter Kjenaas based on her own trip to Italy…
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Mike Massimino: Why Failure Couldn't Keep this Astronaut from Outer Space [From the Archive]
Episode Description: Mike Massimino’s path to space was not a straight line. It was a long series of obstacles, failures, second attempts, and decisions not to quit. In this From the Archive conversation, James talks with Mike about his memoir Spaceman, his two shuttle missions to service the...
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Ray Dalio: Principles, Failure, and the Formula for a Successful Life [From the Archive]
Episode Description: This is a From the Archive episode with Ray Dalio. Ray Dalio built Bridgewater Associates into one of the most influential investment firms in the world. But in this archive conversation, James is less interested in the headline version of success and more interested in the...
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Perfect Is Boring: Tyra Banks and Carolyn London [From the Archive]
Episode Description: This From the Archive episode features Tyra Banks and her mother, Carolyn London, in a conversation about beauty, business, motherhood, reinvention, and the power of not trying to be perfect. There is no “A Note from James” section for this episode. James begins by explaining...
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Dan Harris: Meditation for Fidgety Skeptics [From the Archive]
Episode Description: This is a From the Archive episode with Dan Harris. Dan Harris returns to the show for a wide-ranging conversation about meditation without the incense, jargon, or grandiose promises. James begins with Dan’s story: his work at ABC News, his public panic attack, his substance...
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Steven Pressfield: The Hero’s Journey, Resistance, and Becoming the Artist You’re Meant to Be [From the Archive]
Episode Description: This is a From the Archive episode with one of my favorite guests: Steven Pressfield. Steven Pressfield has spent his career writing about war, creativity, discipline, storytelling, and the inner battle every artist faces. In this archive conversation, James and Steven…
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Charles Duhigg Lost 45 Lbs on a GLP-1 | Why Food Noise Vanishes
A Note from James: I’m doing a big experiment in my life. I recently started taking a GLP-1—tirzepatide, one of the so-called weight-loss drugs. But I didn’t start taking it specifically for weight loss. I had some blood work done for the first time in a long time, and there was a small…
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From the Archive: Garry Kasparov on Deep Blue, Fear, and the Future of AI
A Note from James: I’ve done several hundred podcasts, but if people asked me who were the one or two people I most wanted to have on the show, Garry Kasparov would be at the top of the list. He was World Chess Champion for twenty years, and I’ve followed his career since the early ’80s. His…
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Frank Miller on Push the Wall, Batman, and Having No Plan B
A Note from James: This is a very special episode for me. There have only been a few times in the history of this podcast when I’ve had the chance to sit down with one of my heroes. This is one of those times. Frank Miller is one of the most important storytellers of my life. When I first picked…
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Dr. David Sinclair: The First Human Trial of an Age-Reversal Therapy
A Note from James: I’ve been obsessed with anti-aging and longevity science for a long time. I’ve had many longevity researchers on the podcast, but this episode feels different because something we’ve been discussing for years has now moved into human trials. David Sinclair first came on the…
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How to Find Sure Things on Kalshi | Prediction Markets #1
Episode Description: Prediction markets allow people to trade contracts tied to real-world events—from elections and weather to rocket launches, airport traffic, awards, and the words a public figure might use during a speech. But James argues that having an opinion isn’t enough. Betting on your...
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Zynga Founder Mark Pincus: Why All New Fails + How to Copy to Millions
A Note from James: Mark Pincus is one of the true OGs of the internet. You probably know him as the founder of Zynga, the company behind FarmVille, Zynga Poker, and Words With Friends. Zynga was eventually acquired by Take-Two in a transaction valued at approximately $12.7 billion. Before Zynga,...
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From the Archive: The 7 Techniques to Influence Anyone of Anything | Robert Cialdini
A Note from James: If I could tell my children to read one post of mine, it would be this post. Influence is how they will navigate a world of uncertainty. Robert Cialdini is the most influential person in the world. And by that I mean, he wrote the book Influence, which sold 3 million copies and...
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From the Archive: Your Money Blueprint: Why You Keep Earning and Losing the Same Amount | T. Harv Eker
Episode Description: In this episode from the early days of The James Altucher Show, James sits down with T. Harv Eker, author of Secrets of the Millionaire Mind, to examine why earning money, keeping money, and feeling secure about money are three very different skills. Harv recounts cycling...
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The Viral Chess Cheating Scandal with Anal Beads: Ben Mezrich Reveals the Full Story
A Note from James: Oh my gosh, one of my favorite guests ever: Ben Mezrich. Ben wrote Bringing Down the House, which became the movie 21. He wrote The Accidental Billionaires, which became The Social Network. And now his latest page-turner, Checkmate, is about one of the most explosive scandals…
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Opus Dei: The Cult of Dark Money, Human Trafficking, and Right-Wing Conspiracy inside the Catholic Church | Gareth Gore
A Note from James: Have you ever read The Da Vinci Code? That book was definitely a page-turner. Before I read it, I had never really heard of Opus Dei. And after today’s conversation with Gareth Gore, you might wish you had never heard of Opus Dei either. In The Da Vinci Code, Opus Dei is a...
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Navy SEAL Dad Reveals How to Raise Confident Kids After Divorce | Brandon Webb
A Note from James: Today on the show, I have a very special guest and a good friend of mine, Brandon Webb. Brandon has been on the show many times before. He’s a former Navy SEAL, and he also ran the Navy SEAL sniper school that trained some of the best snipers in the world, including the sniper...
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David Epstein: Why Constraints Make You More Creative (Not Freedom)
A Note from James: Today on The James Altucher Show, I’m excited to welcome back one of my favorite guests, David Epstein. David is the bestselling author of Range, which completely changed how I think about my own jack-of-all-trades life. In his new book, Inside the Box: How Constraints Make Us...
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Israel & US Just Wiped Out Iran’s Leadership – What Happens Next? with Brandon Webb
A Note from James: What is actually going on in Iran? I have Brandon Webb on the show today. He’s a former Navy SEAL, he’s written a ton of books about the military and life in the military, then he wrote a murder mystery series set in the military, and now he has a parenting book out. Brandon…
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Jamie Siminoff: From Shark Tank Rejection to $1 Billion Ring Sale to Amazon
A Note from James: Imagine going on Shark Tank in front of Mark Cuban, Mr. Wonderful, Lori Greiner, Robert Herjavec, and the rest of the Sharks. You’re offering 10% of your business for $700,000, which values the company at $7 million. They all say no. Then, a few years later, Amazon buys your...
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Mental Strength in the Moment with Amy Morin
Episode Description: James talks with psychotherapist and bestselling author Amy Morin about practical mental strength—the kind you need in the moment, not just in theory. Amy’s earlier books focused on what mentally strong people don’t do. Her new book, The Mental Strength Playbook, turns that...
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Peter Diamandis Warns of the Emotional Pandemic — The 5 Forks That Will Split Humanity
A Note from James: People are so afraid of AI, and I get it. They’re afraid of how it will affect jobs. They’re afraid of bias, manipulation, or even worst-case scenarios like AI turning on humans. That’s why I love talking to Peter Diamandis. He wrote Abundance, came on the podcast 10 years ago,...
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From the Archive: Be So Good They Can’t Ignore You with Cal Newport
Episode Description: In this From the Archive episode, James talks with Cal Newport about a simple but uncomfortable idea: most people are working hard on the wrong things. Newport breaks down the difference between deep work—focused, cognitively demanding effort that produces rare and valuable...
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How to Start a Private Jet Charter Business With No Money | Kolin Jones of Amalfi Jets
Notes from James: I wish I had been Kolin Jones when I was 18 years old. When Colin was 19, during COVID, he set up his own private jet brokerage out of a college dorm room. No investors. No jets. No connections. Just a GoDaddy website, an email address, and an obsessive willingness to send 2,500...
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From the Archive: Yuval Noah Harari on The Story Behind Everything
Episode Description In this From the Archive conversation, James talks with Yuval Noah Harari about the idea underneath Sapiens and Homo Deus: humans did not come to dominate the planet because they were the strongest animals, but because they learned to cooperate at scale through shared...
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She Was Brainwashed. Then She Left Iran. Now She Has an $18M Portfolio | Kiana Danial, The Invest Diva
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...
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Thinking Sideways: Chess, AI, and Smarter Decisions with Jen Shahade
A Note from James One 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...
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From Wakanda to Jamaica: Dr. Sheena Howard on Black Panther, Abduction at 19, Abuse, and Owning Your Creative Destiny
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…
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The Skills School Never Taught You - Train Your Brain with Jim Kwik
Episode Description This archival conversation with Jim Kwik moves beyond memory tricks and into something more fundamental: how we think, learn, and make decisions. Jim breaks down why most people forget nearly everything they read, why repeating the same mistakes isn’t always about logic, and…
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How to Improve Memory & Delay Alzheimer's with Nelson Dellis
A Note from James: I talked to Nelson Dellis, who’s a six-time USA Memory Champion and has broken multiple Guinness World Records. His book, Everyday Genius, makes a pretty bold claim—that with some practice and the right techniques, you can dramatically improve how your brain works. We didn’t…
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From the Archive: Lori Gottlieb — What Your Therapist Is Really Thinking
A Note from James: I’ve been in therapy for more than three decades. Different therapists. Different kinds of therapy. Different crises. And one question has always fascinated me: What is the therapist actually thinking while I’m sitting there talking? Are they bored? Are they judging me? Are…
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Fab 5 Freddy: How Hip-Hop Was Born
A Note from James: In the Blondie song “Rapture,” which was the number-one song in 1981, Debbie Harry has this famous line: “Fab Five Freddy told me everybody’s fly.” So the question is—who is Fab Five Freddy? This guy is one of the central figures in the birth of hip-hop culture. Not just rap...
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From the Archive: Tony Hawk: Mastery, Failure, and the Trick That Changed Skateboarding
A Note from James: Tony Hawk is one of the greatest athletes of all time—but what fascinates me most isn’t just the tricks. It’s the mindset. Tony didn’t just become the best skateboarder in the world. He built an entire ecosystem around what he loved: competitions, companies, tours…
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Crypto's Quantum Challenges & Optical as the True Quantum-Class Winner – Martin Shkreli
A Note from James: In the last episode, we talked about whether Martin Shkreli really deserves the label “most hated man in America.” My conclusion was no, and I hope you came to the same conclusion after hearing his perspective. In this episode, we shift gears completely. We talk about Bitcoin,...
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Martin Shkreli: From Most Hated Man to Optical Computing Visionary – Curiosity & Defiance
A Note from James: Is he the most hated man in America? I don’t think so. Martin Shkreli was notorious for various reasons that you’ll hear about in this episode—there are some crazy stories—but I’ve come to know Martin over the past few months as both a friend and business partner. Let’s just…
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Keeping the Spark Alive – Long-Term & Aging (a/k/a How to Maintain Great Sex) | Dr. Nicole McNichols Part 3
A Note from James: In the first two episodes with Dr. Nicole McNichols, we talked about chemistry, communication, anatomy, and the science of pleasure. This final episode is really about something deeper—how relationships evolve over time and what actually keeps desire alive. Because the truth…
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The Science & Mechanics of Pleasure (a/k/a How to Have Great Sex) | Dr. Nicole McNichols Pt. 2
A Note from James: In the first episode with Dr. Nicole McNichols, we talked about chemistry, myths, and why communication matters more than performance. This episode goes deeper—into biology, anatomy, dopamine, desire, and the mechanics of pleasure. There are a lot of myths around sex. Some are...
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From the Archive: Ramit Sethi on Building a Rich Life, Dream Jobs & Online Businesses
Episode Description: This archival conversation with Ramit Sethi is a masterclass in systems thinking, behavioral psychology, and building a “rich life” on your own terms. Long before online courses were mainstream, Ramit was quietly building scalable systems—automating money, testing business...
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What is Great Sex: Myths About Sex, and What Separates Good Sex and Bad Sex! | Dr. Nicole McNichols
A Note from James: This might be the most useful episode I’ve ever done. Not that the others weren’t useful—they were—but this one goes above and beyond. It was also awkward for me, and honestly a little embarrassing, to ask some of these questions. I asked them anyway, and I’m glad I did…
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From the Archive: Jocko Willink | Discipline Equals Freedom
Episode Description: This was one of those interviews where James thought he was talking about leadership—and realized halfway through that he was really talking about responsibility. Jocko Willink doesn’t use buzzwords. He doesn’t soften the message. He talks about ego, blame, and why most...
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ABOUT THIS SHOW
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.
HOSTED BY
James Altucher
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Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes does The James Altucher Show have?
The James Altucher Show currently has 1000 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is The James Altucher Show about?
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...
How often does The James Altucher Show release new episodes?
The James Altucher Show releases new episodes frequently with a large back catalog of 1000 episodes. Check the episode list for recent publication dates.
Where can I listen to The James Altucher Show?
You can listen to The James Altucher Show on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.
Who hosts The James Altucher Show?
The James Altucher Show is created and hosted by James Altucher.
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