Power and Consequences

Osad

• 
  Episode 22: Is The U.S. Federal Debt Unsustainable? 27.07.2026 48min

  Simon and Gary discuss the cyclic history of the U.S. federal debt, why the current debt situation is unique, and what can be done to lower the debt-to-GDP ratio.For bonus thoughts on each episode, visit powerandconsequences.com, where you can sign up for our newsletter!Host bios:Gary Gensler, former Chair of the Securities and Exchange Commission, is Professor of the Practice of Global Economics and Management, and Professor of the Practice of Finance, at MIT Sloan School of Management. His research focuses on artificial intelligence, finance, and economic policy. He previously served as Chairman of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, Under Secretary of the Treasury for Domestic Finance, Assistant Secretary of the Treasury, Chair of the Maryland Financial Consumer Protection Commission, and Senior Advisor to Senator Paul Sarbanes. Earlier, Gensler was at Goldman Sachs for 18 years, where he became a partner.Simon Johnson, a 2024 Nobel laureate in economics and former Chief Economist at the International Monetary Fund, is the Ronald A. Kurtz Professor of Entrepreneurship at MIT Sloan School of Management, head of its Global Economics and Management group, and Co-Director of MIT’s Stone Center for Inequality and Shaping the Future of Work. He co-chairs the CFA Institute Systemic Risk Council and is an AI Ambassador for the UK. Simon is the author of 13 Bankers, Jump-Starting America, and Power and Progress: Our Thousand-Year Struggle Over Technology and Prosperity.Gary & Simon also co-edited, with Ugo Panizza and Beatrice Weder di Mauro, The Economic Consequences of the Second Trump Administration.
• 
  Episode 21: Is the Supreme Court Weakening U.S. Institutions? 20.07.2026 45min

  Simon and Gary unpack key decisions from the U.S. Supreme Court's most recent term, tackling the impacts of presidential supremacy, birthright citizenship, and tariffs, among other issues.For bonus thoughts on each episode, visit powerandconsequences.com, where you can sign up for our newsletter!Host bios:Gary Gensler, former Chair of the Securities and Exchange Commission, is Professor of the Practice of Global Economics and Management, and Professor of the Practice of Finance, at MIT Sloan School of Management. His research focuses on artificial intelligence, finance, and economic policy. He previously served as Chairman of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, Under Secretary of the Treasury for Domestic Finance, Assistant Secretary of the Treasury, Chair of the Maryland Financial Consumer Protection Commission, and Senior Advisor to Senator Paul Sarbanes. Earlier, Gensler was at Goldman Sachs for 18 years, where he became a partner.Simon Johnson, a 2024 Nobel laureate in economics and former Chief Economist at the International Monetary Fund, is the Ronald A. Kurtz Professor of Entrepreneurship at MIT Sloan School of Management, head of its Global Economics and Management group, and Co-Director of MIT’s Stone Center for Inequality and Shaping the Future of Work. He co-chairs the CFA Institute Systemic Risk Council and is an AI Ambassador for the UK. Simon is the author of 13 Bankers, Jump-Starting America, and Power and Progress: Our Thousand-Year Struggle Over Technology and Prosperity.Gary & Simon also co-edited, with Ugo Panizza and Beatrice Weder di Mauro, The Economic Consequences of the Second Trump Administration.
• 
  Episode 20: What are the Consequences of the AI Race? 13.07.2026 44min

  In the second episode of a two-part series, Simon and Gary discuss how the AI race is affecting countries that aren't currently investing in their own models, how those countries could still create a version of AI sovereignty for themselves, and what the consequences might be for them if they don't.For bonus thoughts on each episode, visit powerandconsequences.com, where you can sign up for our newsletter!Host bios:Gary Gensler, former Chair of the Securities and Exchange Commission, is Professor of the Practice of Global Economics and Management, and Professor of the Practice of Finance, at MIT Sloan School of Management. His research focuses on artificial intelligence, finance, and economic policy. He previously served as Chairman of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, Under Secretary of the Treasury for Domestic Finance, Assistant Secretary of the Treasury, Chair of the Maryland Financial Consumer Protection Commission, and Senior Advisor to Senator Paul Sarbanes. Earlier, Gensler was at Goldman Sachs for 18 years, where he became a partner.Simon Johnson, a 2024 Nobel laureate in economics and former Chief Economist at the International Monetary Fund, is the Ronald A. Kurtz Professor of Entrepreneurship at MIT Sloan School of Management, head of its Global Economics and Management group, and Co-Director of MIT’s Stone Center for Inequality and Shaping the Future of Work. He co-chairs the CFA Institute Systemic Risk Council and is an AI Ambassador for the UK. Simon is the author of 13 Bankers, Jump-Starting America, and Power and Progress: Our Thousand-Year Struggle Over Technology and Prosperity.Gary & Simon also co-edited, with Ugo Panizza and Beatrice Weder di Mauro, The Economic Consequences of the Second Trump Administration.
• 
  Episode 19: Who's Winning the Global AI Race? 06.07.2026 42min

  In the first episode of a two-part series, Simon and Gary once again dive into AI, asking which country currently has the advantage in the sector. What factors go into determining who's ahead? How do the U.S. and China's AI strategies differ? And are some races not worth winning?For bonus thoughts on each episode, visit powerandconsequences.com, where you can sign up for our newsletter!Host bios:Gary Gensler, former Chair of the Securities and Exchange Commission, is Professor of the Practice of Global Economics and Management, and Professor of the Practice of Finance, at MIT Sloan School of Management. His research focuses on artificial intelligence, finance, and economic policy. He previously served as Chairman of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, Under Secretary of the Treasury for Domestic Finance, Assistant Secretary of the Treasury, Chair of the Maryland Financial Consumer Protection Commission, and Senior Advisor to Senator Paul Sarbanes. Earlier, Gensler was at Goldman Sachs for 18 years, where he became a partner.Simon Johnson, a 2024 Nobel laureate in economics and former Chief Economist at the International Monetary Fund, is the Ronald A. Kurtz Professor of Entrepreneurship at MIT Sloan School of Management, head of its Global Economics and Management group, and Co-Director of MIT’s Stone Center for Inequality and Shaping the Future of Work. He co-chairs the CFA Institute Systemic Risk Council and is an AI Ambassador for the UK. Simon is the author of 13 Bankers, Jump-Starting America, and Power and Progress: Our Thousand-Year Struggle Over Technology and Prosperity.Gary & Simon also co-edited, with Ugo Panizza and Beatrice Weder di Mauro, The Economic Consequences of the Second Trump Administration.
• 
  Episode 18: Happy 250th Birthday! What's Next...? 29.06.2026 43min

  On the eve of America's semiquincentennial, Simon and Gary discuss three people who shaped the country's technological history, the progress made and setbacks faced on the long road to full inclusion in America, and where the U.S. might go from here.For bonus thoughts on each episode, visit powerandconsequences.com, where you can sign up for our newsletter!Host bios:Gary Gensler, former Chair of the Securities and Exchange Commission, is Professor of the Practice of Global Economics and Management, and Professor of the Practice of Finance, at MIT Sloan School of Management. His research focuses on artificial intelligence, finance, and economic policy. He previously served as Chairman of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, Under Secretary of the Treasury for Domestic Finance, Assistant Secretary of the Treasury, Chair of the Maryland Financial Consumer Protection Commission, and Senior Advisor to Senator Paul Sarbanes. Earlier, Gensler was at Goldman Sachs for 18 years, where he became a partner.Simon Johnson, a 2024 Nobel laureate in economics and former Chief Economist at the International Monetary Fund, is the Ronald A. Kurtz Professor of Entrepreneurship at MIT Sloan School of Management, head of its Global Economics and Management group, and Co-Director of MIT’s Stone Center for Inequality and Shaping the Future of Work. He co-chairs the CFA Institute Systemic Risk Council and is an AI Ambassador for the UK. Simon is the author of 13 Bankers, Jump-Starting America, and Power and Progress: Our Thousand-Year Struggle Over Technology and Prosperity.Gary & Simon also co-edited, with Ugo Panizza and Beatrice Weder di Mauro, The Economic Consequences of the Second Trump Administration.
• 
  Episode 17: Mega IPOs 23.06.2026 49min

  Simon and Gary unpack key questions surrounding the recent SpaceX IPO and potential future IPOs from Anthropic and OpenAI: why these companies are choosing to go public, whether their success will come at the expense of the broader U.S. market, and what history can teach us about where this all may lead.For bonus thoughts on each episode, visit powerandconsequences.com, where you can sign up for our newsletter!Host bios:Gary Gensler, former Chair of the Securities and Exchange Commission, is Professor of the Practice of Global Economics and Management, and Professor of the Practice of Finance, at MIT Sloan School of Management. His research focuses on artificial intelligence, finance, and economic policy. He previously served as Chairman of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, Under Secretary of the Treasury for Domestic Finance, Assistant Secretary of the Treasury, Chair of the Maryland Financial Consumer Protection Commission, and Senior Advisor to Senator Paul Sarbanes. Earlier, Gensler was at Goldman Sachs for 18 years, where he became a partner.Simon Johnson, a 2024 Nobel laureate in economics and former Chief Economist at the International Monetary Fund, is the Ronald A. Kurtz Professor of Entrepreneurship at MIT Sloan School of Management, head of its Global Economics and Management group, and Co-Director of MIT’s Stone Center for Inequality and Shaping the Future of Work. He co-chairs the CFA Institute Systemic Risk Council and is an AI Ambassador for the UK. Simon is the author of 13 Bankers, Jump-Starting America, and Power and Progress: Our Thousand-Year Struggle Over Technology and Prosperity.Gary & Simon also co-edited, with Ugo Panizza and Beatrice Weder di Mauro, The Economic Consequences of the Second Trump Administration.
• 
  Episode 16: The Business of Space 15.06.2026 43min

  Simon and Gary discuss the final frontier. How did the U.S. get so ahead on space launches? Has this success undermined the competitiveness of the sector? And what does the future hold?For bonus thoughts on each episode, visit powerandconsequences.com, where you can sign up for our newsletter!Host bios:Gary Gensler, former Chair of the Securities and Exchange Commission, is Professor of the Practice of Global Economics and Management, and Professor of the Practice of Finance, at MIT Sloan School of Management. His research focuses on artificial intelligence, finance, and economic policy. He previously served as Chairman of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, Under Secretary of the Treasury for Domestic Finance, Assistant Secretary of the Treasury, Chair of the Maryland Financial Consumer Protection Commission, and Senior Advisor to Senator Paul Sarbanes. Earlier, Gensler was at Goldman Sachs for 18 years, where he became a partner.Simon Johnson, a 2024 Nobel laureate in economics and former Chief Economist at the International Monetary Fund, is the Ronald A. Kurtz Professor of Entrepreneurship at MIT Sloan School of Management, head of its Global Economics and Management group, and Co-Director of MIT’s Stone Center for Inequality and Shaping the Future of Work. He co-chairs the CFA Institute Systemic Risk Council and is an AI Ambassador for the UK. Simon is the author of 13 Bankers, Jump-Starting America, and Power and Progress: Our Thousand-Year Struggle Over Technology and Prosperity.Gary & Simon also co-edited, with Ugo Panizza and Beatrice Weder di Mauro, The Economic Consequences of the Second Trump Administration.
• 
  Episode 15: What Will Happen to Cuba? 08.06.2026 41min

  Simon and Gary tackle what's happening in Cuba, what guides the United States's policy decisions on this topic, and what the possible outcomes are for Cuba going forward.For bonus thoughts on each episode, visit powerandconsequences.com, where you can sign up for our newsletter!Host bios:Gary Gensler, former Chair of the Securities and Exchange Commission, is Professor of the Practice of Global Economics and Management, and Professor of the Practice of Finance, at MIT Sloan School of Management. His research focuses on artificial intelligence, finance, and economic policy. He previously served as Chairman of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, Under Secretary of the Treasury for Domestic Finance, Assistant Secretary of the Treasury, Chair of the Maryland Financial Consumer Protection Commission, and Senior Advisor to Senator Paul Sarbanes. Earlier, Gensler was at Goldman Sachs for 18 years, where he became a partner.Simon Johnson, a 2024 Nobel laureate in economics and former Chief Economist at the International Monetary Fund, is the Ronald A. Kurtz Professor of Entrepreneurship at MIT Sloan School of Management, head of its Global Economics and Management group, and Co-Director of MIT’s Stone Center for Inequality and Shaping the Future of Work. He co-chairs the CFA Institute Systemic Risk Council and is an AI Ambassador for the UK. Simon is the author of 13 Bankers, Jump-Starting America, and Power and Progress: Our Thousand-Year Struggle Over Technology and Prosperity.Gary & Simon also co-edited, with Ugo Panizza and Beatrice Weder di Mauro, Economic Consequences of the Second Trump Administration.
• 
  Episode 14: To Do or Not To Do... Industrial Policy 01.06.2026 47min

  Simon and Gary discuss the history of industrial policy in the US, why we've seen a new era of industrial policy in the last ten years, and how to ensure these policies don't go overboard.For bonus thoughts on each episode, visit powerandconsequences.com, where you can sign up for our newsletter!Host bios:Gary Gensler, former Chair of the Securities and Exchange Commission, is Professor of the Practice of Global Economics and Management, and Professor of the Practice of Finance, at MIT Sloan School of Management. His research focuses on artificial intelligence, finance, and economic policy. He previously served as Chairman of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, Under Secretary of the Treasury for Domestic Finance, Assistant Secretary of the Treasury, Chair of the Maryland Financial Consumer Protection Commission, and Senior Advisor to Senator Paul Sarbanes. Earlier, Gensler was at Goldman Sachs for 18 years, where he became a partner.Simon Johnson, a 2024 Nobel laureate in economics and former Chief Economist at the International Monetary Fund, is the Ronald A. Kurtz Professor of Entrepreneurship at MIT Sloan School of Management, head of its Global Economics and Management group, and Co-Director of MIT’s Stone Center for Inequality and Shaping the Future of Work. He co-chairs the CFA Institute Systemic Risk Council and is an AI Ambassador for the UK. Simon is the author of 13 Bankers, Jump-Starting America, and Power and Progress: Our Thousand-Year Struggle Over Technology and Prosperity.Gary & Simon also co-edited, with Ugo Panizza and Beatrice Weder di Mauro, Economic Consequences of the Second Trump Administration.
• 
  Episode 13: Can AI Behave Responsibly? 25.05.2026 47min

  Simon and Gary take a deep dive into the issue of responsible AI usage, exploring what agentic AI may be capable of doing, how AI safety should be evaluated, and whether the ultimate perils lie with the algorithms or the humans who use them.For bonus thoughts on each episode, visit powerandconsequences.com, where you can sign up for our newsletter!Host bios:Gary Gensler, former Chair of the Securities and Exchange Commission, is Professor of the Practice of Global Economics and Management, and Professor of the Practice of Finance, at MIT Sloan School of Management. His research focuses on artificial intelligence, finance, and economic policy. He previously served as Chairman of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, Under Secretary of the Treasury for Domestic Finance, Assistant Secretary of the Treasury, Chair of the Maryland Financial Consumer Protection Commission, and Senior Advisor to Senator Paul Sarbanes. Earlier, Gensler was at Goldman Sachs for 18 years, where he became a partner.Simon Johnson, a 2024 Nobel laureate in economics and former Chief Economist at the International Monetary Fund, is the Ronald A. Kurtz Professor of Entrepreneurship at MIT Sloan School of Management, head of its Global Economics and Management group, and Co-Director of MIT’s Stone Center for Inequality and Shaping the Future of Work. He co-chairs the CFA Institute Systemic Risk Council and is an AI Ambassador for the UK. Simon is the author of 13 Bankers, Jump-Starting America, and Power and Progress: Our Thousand-Year Struggle Over Technology and Prosperity.Gary & Simon also co-edited, with Ugo Panizza and Beatrice Weder di Mauro, Economic Consequences of the Second Trump Administration.
• 
  Episode 12: Big Challenges Facing the New Fed Chair 18.05.2026 50min

  Newly confirmed Fed Chair Kevin Warsh will have to contend with a host of issues during his term. Simon and Gary discuss how these issues, which include AI, the desires of President Trump, and an existing push for deregulation in the banking sector, may influence Warsh's tenure as chair.For bonus thoughts on each episode, visit powerandconsequences.com, where you can sign up for our newsletter!Host bios:Gary Gensler, former Chair of the Securities and Exchange Commission, is Professor of the Practice of Global Economics and Management, and Professor of the Practice of Finance, at MIT Sloan School of Management. His research focuses on artificial intelligence, finance, and economic policy. He previously served as Chairman of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, Under Secretary of the Treasury for Domestic Finance, Assistant Secretary of the Treasury, Chair of the Maryland Financial Consumer Protection Commission, and Senior Advisor to Senator Paul Sarbanes. Earlier, Gensler was at Goldman Sachs for 18 years, where he became a partner.Simon Johnson, a 2024 Nobel laureate in economics and former Chief Economist at the International Monetary Fund, is the Ronald A. Kurtz Professor of Entrepreneurship at MIT Sloan School of Management, head of its Global Economics and Management group, and Co-Director of MIT’s Stone Center for Inequality and Shaping the Future of Work. He co-chairs the CFA Institute Systemic Risk Council and is an AI Ambassador for the UK. Simon is the author of 13 Bankers, Jump-Starting America, and Power and Progress: Our Thousand-Year Struggle Over Technology and Prosperity.Gary & Simon also co-edited, with Ugo Panizza and Beatrice Weder di Mauro, Economic Consequences of the Second Trump Administration.
• 
  Episode 11: Will China Take the Lead? 11.05.2026 44min

  Ahead of President Trump's meeting with President Xi Jinping, Simon and Gary tackle the economic and technological race between the U.S. and China. What are the numbers behind China's economic success? How might that success affect the outcomes of this week's summit? And ultimately, will China become the new hegemon?For bonus thoughts on each episode, visit powerandconsequences.com, where you can sign up for our newsletter!Host bios:Gary Gensler, former Chair of the Securities and Exchange Commission, is Professor of the Practice of Global Economics and Management, and Professor of the Practice of Finance, at MIT Sloan School of Management. His research focuses on artificial intelligence, finance, and economic policy. He previously served as Chairman of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, Under Secretary of the Treasury for Domestic Finance, Assistant Secretary of the Treasury, Chair of the Maryland Financial Consumer Protection Commission, and Senior Advisor to Senator Paul Sarbanes. Earlier, Gensler was at Goldman Sachs for 18 years, where he became a partner.Simon Johnson, a 2024 Nobel laureate in economics and former Chief Economist at the International Monetary Fund, is the Ronald A. Kurtz Professor of Entrepreneurship at MIT Sloan School of Management, head of its Global Economics and Management group, and Co-Director of MIT’s Stone Center for Inequality and Shaping the Future of Work. He co-chairs the CFA Institute Systemic Risk Council and is an AI Ambassador for the UK. Simon is the author of 13 Bankers, Jump-Starting America, and Power and Progress: Our Thousand-Year Struggle Over Technology and Prosperity.Gary & Simon also co-edited, with Ugo Panizza and Beatrice Weder di Mauro, Economic Consequences of the Second Trump Administration.
• 
  Episode 10: Why Does the Rule of Law Matter? 04.05.2026 45min

  Simon and Gary have a wide-ranging discussion about the rule of law, tackling, among other topics, the causes of democratic backsliding, current threats to the rule of law, and the economic ramifications of those threats, especially in the context of the Federal Reserve.For bonus thoughts on each episode, visit powerandconsequences.com, where you can sign up for our newsletter!Host bios:Gary Gensler, former Chair of the Securities and Exchange Commission, is Professor of the Practice of Global Economics and Management, and Professor of the Practice of Finance, at MIT Sloan School of Management. His research focuses on artificial intelligence, finance, and economic policy. He previously served as Chairman of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, Under Secretary of the Treasury for Domestic Finance, Assistant Secretary of the Treasury, Chair of the Maryland Financial Consumer Protection Commission, and Senior Advisor to Senator Paul Sarbanes. Earlier, Gensler was at Goldman Sachs for 18 years, where he became a partner.Simon Johnson, a 2024 Nobel laureate in economics and former Chief Economist at the International Monetary Fund, is the Ronald A. Kurtz Professor of Entrepreneurship at MIT Sloan School of Management, head of its Global Economics and Management group, and Co-Director of MIT’s Stone Center for Inequality and Shaping the Future of Work. He co-chairs the CFA Institute Systemic Risk Council and is an AI Ambassador for the UK. Simon is the author of 13 Bankers, Jump-Starting America, and Power and Progress: Our Thousand-Year Struggle Over Technology and Prosperity.Gary & Simon also co-edited, with Ugo Panizza and Beatrice Weder di Mauro, Economic Consequences of the Second Trump Administration.
• 
  Episode 9: Tariffs 27.04.2026 45min

  Simon and Gary provide a primer on how to understand the current tariffs, discuss the history of free trade in the 20th century, and investigate what the effects of these new tariffs might be.For bonus thoughts on each episode, visit powerandconsequences.com, where you can sign up for our newsletter!Host bios:Gary Gensler, former Chair of the Securities and Exchange Commission, is Professor of the Practice of Global Economics and Management, and Professor of the Practice of Finance, at MIT Sloan School of Management. His research focuses on artificial intelligence, finance, and economic policy. He previously served as Chairman of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, Under Secretary of the Treasury for Domestic Finance, Assistant Secretary of the Treasury, Chair of the Maryland Financial Consumer Protection Commission, and Senior Advisor to Senator Paul Sarbanes. Earlier, Gensler was at Goldman Sachs for 18 years, where he became a partner.Simon Johnson, a 2024 Nobel laureate in economics and former Chief Economist at the International Monetary Fund, is the Ronald A. Kurtz Professor of Entrepreneurship at MIT Sloan School of Management, head of its Global Economics and Management group, and Co-Director of MIT’s Stone Center for Inequality and Shaping the Future of Work. He co-chairs the CFA Institute Systemic Risk Council and is an AI Ambassador for the UK. Simon is the author of 13 Bankers, Jump-Starting America, and Power and Progress: Our Thousand-Year Struggle Over Technology and Prosperity.Gary & Simon also co-edited, with Ugo Panizza and Beatrice Weder di Mauro, Economic Consequences of the Second Trump Administration.
• 
  Episode 8: Why Don't the Wealthy Pay More Taxes? 20.04.2026 44min

  It may be true that nothing is certain except death and taxes. But our tax system hasn't always looked the same. How did we get to this current system? Who's winning and who's losing? And can that be changed?For bonus thoughts on each episode, visit powerandconsequences.com, where you can sign up for our newsletter!Host bios:Gary Gensler, former Chair of the Securities and Exchange Commission, is Professor of the Practice of Global Economics and Management, and Professor of the Practice of Finance, at MIT Sloan School of Management. His research focuses on artificial intelligence, finance, and economic policy. He previously served as Chairman of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, Under Secretary of the Treasury for Domestic Finance, Assistant Secretary of the Treasury, Chair of the Maryland Financial Consumer Protection Commission, and Senior Advisor to Senator Paul Sarbanes. Earlier, Gensler was at Goldman Sachs for 18 years, where he became a partner.Simon Johnson, a 2024 Nobel laureate in economics and former Chief Economist at the International Monetary Fund, is the Ronald A. Kurtz Professor of Entrepreneurship at MIT Sloan School of Management, head of its Global Economics and Management group, and Co-Director of MIT’s Stone Center for Inequality and Shaping the Future of Work. He co-chairs the CFA Institute Systemic Risk Council and is an AI Ambassador for the UK. Simon is the author of 13 Bankers, Jump-Starting America, and Power and Progress: Our Thousand-Year Struggle Over Technology and Prosperity.Gary & Simon also co-edited, with Ugo Panizza and Beatrice Weder di Mauro, Economic Consequences of the Second Trump Administration.
• 
  Episode 7: Artificial Intelligence 14.04.2026 46min

  Artificial intelligence may be the most talked-about issue of our times. Simon and Gary bring the policy dimension of this issue to life, discussing historical analogues, how responsible AI might be brought about, and whether the US or China will emerge ahead on this increasingly important topic.For bonus thoughts on each episode, visit powerandconsequences.com, where you can sign up for our newsletter!Host bios:Gary Gensler, former Chair of the Securities and Exchange Commission, is Professor of the Practice of Global Economics and Management, and Professor of the Practice of Finance, at MIT Sloan School of Management. His research focuses on artificial intelligence, finance, and economic policy. He previously served as Chairman of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, Under Secretary of the Treasury for Domestic Finance, Assistant Secretary of the Treasury, Chair of the Maryland Financial Consumer Protection Commission, and Senior Advisor to Senator Paul Sarbanes. Earlier, Gensler was at Goldman Sachs for 18 years, where he became a partner.Simon Johnson, a 2024 Nobel laureate in economics and former Chief Economist at the International Monetary Fund, is the Ronald A. Kurtz Professor of Entrepreneurship at MIT Sloan School of Management, head of its Global Economics and Management group, and Co-Director of MIT’s Stone Center for Inequality and Shaping the Future of Work. He co-chairs the CFA Institute Systemic Risk Council and is an AI Ambassador for the UK. Simon is the author of 13 Bankers, Jump-Starting America, and Power and Progress: Our Thousand-Year Struggle Over Technology and Prosperity.Gary & Simon also co-edited, with Ugo Panizza and Beatrice Weder di Mauro, Economic Consequences of the Second Trump Administration.
• 
  Episode 6: Private Credit Under Pressure 06.04.2026 45min

  Simon and Gary provide a primer on private credit, a topic that's been in the news lately as investors seek to withdraw their money. They discuss what private credit is, why it developed, and whether you should be worried about these recent withdrawal attempts.For bonus thoughts on each episode, visit powerandconsequences.com, where you can sign up for our newsletter!Host bios:Gary Gensler, former Chair of the Securities and Exchange Commission, is Professor of the Practice of Global Economics and Management, and Professor of the Practice of Finance, at MIT Sloan School of Management. His research focuses on artificial intelligence, finance, and economic policy. He previously served as Chairman of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, Under Secretary of the Treasury for Domestic Finance, Assistant Secretary of the Treasury, Chair of the Maryland Financial Consumer Protection Commission, and Senior Advisor to Senator Paul Sarbanes. Earlier, Gensler was at Goldman Sachs for 18 years, where he became a partner.Simon Johnson, a 2024 Nobel laureate in economics and former Chief Economist at the International Monetary Fund, is the Ronald A. Kurtz Professor of Entrepreneurship at MIT Sloan School of Management, head of its Global Economics and Management group, and Co-Director of MIT’s Stone Center for Inequality and Shaping the Future of Work. He co-chairs the CFA Institute Systemic Risk Council and is an AI Ambassador for the UK. Simon is the author of 13 Bankers, Jump-Starting America, and Power and Progress: Our Thousand-Year Struggle Over Technology and Prosperity.Gary & Simon also co-edited, with Ugo Panizza and Beatrice Weder di Mauro, Economic Consequences of the Second Trump Administration.
• 
  Episode 5: Prediction Markets 30.03.2026 45min

  Simon and Gary discuss prediction markets, where users can make bets on, well, just about anything. How do these markets work? Should they be regulated, and if so, under whose authority? What might happen if regulation is insufficient?Our newsletter has a new home! Visit powerandconsequences.com to sign up to receive bonus thoughts on each episode.Host bios:Gary Gensler, former Chair of the Securities and Exchange Commission, is Professor of the Practice of Global Economics and Management, and Professor of the Practice of Finance, at MIT Sloan School of Management. His research focuses on artificial intelligence, finance, and economic policy. He previously served as Chairman of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, Under Secretary of the Treasury for Domestic Finance, Assistant Secretary of the Treasury, Chair of the Maryland Financial Consumer Protection Commission, and Senior Advisor to Senator Paul Sarbanes. Earlier, Gensler was at Goldman Sachs for 18 years, where he became a partner.Simon Johnson, a 2024 Nobel laureate in economics and former Chief Economist at the International Monetary Fund, is the Ronald A. Kurtz Professor of Entrepreneurship at MIT Sloan School of Management, head of its Global Economics and Management group, and Co-Director of MIT’s Stone Center for Inequality and Shaping the Future of Work. He co-chairs the CFA Institute Systemic Risk Council and is an AI Ambassador for the UK. Simon is the author of 13 Bankers, Jump-Starting America, and Power and Progress: Our Thousand-Year Struggle Over Technology and Prosperity.Gary & Simon also co-edited, with Ugo Panizza and Beatrice Weder di Mauro, Economic Consequences of the Second Trump Administration.
• 
  Episode 4: Is Greenland Next? 23.03.2026 43min

  Simon and Gary unpack an issue that may have fallen off the radar of many: Greenland. They discuss what factors are shaping the U.S.'s approach to Greenland, how actions related to Greenland could affect relationships between the U.S., Europe, and China, and whether Greenland might once again become a hot-button topic in the near future.For bonus thoughts on each episode, visit powerandconsequences.com, where you can sign up for our newsletter!Host bios:Gary Gensler, former Chair of the Securities and Exchange Commission, is Professor of the Practice of Global Economics and Management, and Professor of the Practice of Finance, at MIT Sloan School of Management. His research focuses on artificial intelligence, finance, and economic policy. He previously served as Chairman of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, Under Secretary of the Treasury for Domestic Finance, Assistant Secretary of the Treasury, Chair of the Maryland Financial Consumer Protection Commission, and Senior Advisor to Senator Paul Sarbanes. Earlier, Gensler was at Goldman Sachs for 18 years, where he became a partner.Simon Johnson, a 2024 Nobel laureate in economics and former Chief Economist at the International Monetary Fund, is the Ronald A. Kurtz Professor of Entrepreneurship at MIT Sloan School of Management, head of its Global Economics and Management group, and Co-Director of MIT’s Stone Center for Inequality and Shaping the Future of Work. He co-chairs the CFA Institute Systemic Risk Council and is an AI Ambassador for the UK. Simon is the author of 13 Bankers, Jump-Starting America, and Power and Progress: Our Thousand-Year Struggle Over Technology and Prosperity.Gary & Simon also co-edited, with Ugo Panizza and Beatrice Weder di Mauro, Economic Consequences of the Second Trump Administration.
• 
  Episode 3: Economic Impacts of the Iran Conflict 16.03.2026 45min

  Simon and Gary consider the current Iran crisis, what the short- and long-term effects on oil and gas prices will be, how the impact might spread to sectors like agriculture, and who will ultimately profit from the crisis.For bonus thoughts on each episode, visit powerandconsequences.com, where you can sign up for our newsletter!Host bios:Gary Gensler, former Chair of the Securities and Exchange Commission, is Professor of the Practice of Global Economics and Management, and Professor of the Practice of Finance, at MIT Sloan School of Management. His research focuses on artificial intelligence, finance, and economic policy. He previously served as Chairman of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, Under Secretary of the Treasury for Domestic Finance, Assistant Secretary of the Treasury, Chair of the Maryland Financial Consumer Protection Commission, and Senior Advisor to Senator Paul Sarbanes. Earlier, Gensler was at Goldman Sachs for 18 years, where he became a partner.Simon Johnson, a 2024 Nobel laureate in economics and former Chief Economist at the International Monetary Fund, is the Ronald A. Kurtz Professor of Entrepreneurship at MIT Sloan School of Management, head of its Global Economics and Management group, and Co-Director of MIT’s Stone Center for Inequality and Shaping the Future of Work. He co-chairs the CFA Institute Systemic Risk Council and is an AI Ambassador for the UK. Simon is the author of 13 Bankers, Jump-Starting America, and Power and Progress: Our Thousand-Year Struggle Over Technology and Prosperity.Gary & Simon also co-edited, with Ugo Panizza and Beatrice Weder di Mauro, Economic Consequences of the Second Trump Administration.