Knowledge at Wharton

What happens when a superstar athlete joins a new team? The impact goes far beyond the basketball court.

Kenneth Shropshire, Professor Emeritus of Legal Studies and Business Ethics at the Wharton School, examines the expectations surrounding LeBron James and the Philadelphia 76ers. From ticket sales and team culture to community engagement and special treatment for star players, Shropshire explains the business opportunities and challenges that come with signing a superstar.

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Most brands compete against other brands. Liquid Death competes against entertainment.

Greg Fass, Vice President of Marketing at Liquid Death, joins Barbara Kahn and Americus Reed to explain how the company builds campaigns designed to “win the internet.” From hiring comedians and creators instead of traditional marketers to developing ideas in a writer’s room environment, Greg shares the unconventional approach behind one of the most talked-about brands in marketing.

They discuss why most people distrust marketing, how humor drives sharing, what brands can learn from entertainment, and the creative process behind some of Liquid Death’s most successful campaigns.

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Artificial intelligence is changing how financial professionals research, analyze information, and get work done — while raising new questions about the skills people will need in an AI-enabled industry.

In this episode, host and Wharton professor Itay Goldstein speaks with Wharton professor emeritus Jeremy Siegel and Jeremy Schwartz, Global Chief Investment Officer at WisdomTree, about AI’s impact on financial services. They discuss the technology’s potential to increase productivity, transform investment research and workflows, reshape the financial workforce, and change how firms think about hiring and developing talent. They also examine why human judgment, trust, and accountability remain important as AI takes on a larger role in finance.

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AI is driving enormous investment and soaring valuations, but what do financial markets reveal about its long-term economic impact?

Jesús Fernández-Villaverde, Howard Marks Presidential Professor of Economics at the University of Pennsylvania, and Maryam Farboodi, Associate Professor at Cornell SC Johnson College of Business, examine how investors are pricing the promise and risk of transformative AI. They discuss why Treasury yields fell following major AI announcements, whether high AI stock valuations reflect productivity gains or speculation, and what the dot-com era can teach us about today's AI boom.

The conversation also explores AI's potential effect on inequality, the risks of regulation that slows adoption, and the skills people will need in an AI-driven economy.

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AI can help financial institutions detect fraud, manage risk, and improve productivity. But when AI systems begin acting autonomously, they may also create risks at a speed and scale people cannot easily oversee.

Sarah Breeden, Deputy Governor for Financial Stability at the Bank of England, explores what agentic AI means for financial markets and financial regulation. She explains why regulators must move beyond a simple human-versus-machine framing, build meaningful accountability and guardrails around AI systems, and prepare for the potential of market feedback loops, manipulation, and collusion between autonomous agents.

Breeden also discusses the unprecedented pace of investment in AI infrastructure, the uncertainty around its eventual payoff, and how financial regulators can support innovation while protecting stability and public trust.

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AI is changing what investors can analyze, how quickly they can act, and what it takes to find an edge.

Nikolai Roussanov, Moise Y. Safra Professor of Finance at Wharton, and Ingrid Tierens, Head of the Data Strategy team in the Global Investment Research division at Goldman Sachs, explore AI's expanding role in quantitative finance. They discuss how large language models and alternative data are transforming investment research, the competitive pressure AI creates across financial markets, and why human judgment remains essential when models encounter uncertainty.

They also consider the skills finance professionals will need in an AI-driven industry, from data literacy and technical fluency to communication, accountability, and the ability to ask better questions.

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Cryptocurrency has evolved from a niche experiment to a global financial force. But how did we get here? In this episode, professor Itay Goldstein is joined by Duke professor Campbell Harvey and Neha Narula, director of the MIT Media Lab’s Digital Currency Initiative, to explore the milestones that led to crypto’s rise, the forces that shaped its growth, and what the crypto landscape will evolve into. 

Editor’s Note: This episode was recorded in early summer of 2025, shortly before the passage of the GENIUS Act, which provides a regulatory framework for stablecoins. A lot has happened in the digital asset space since this discussion was recorded. But the broader ideas, philosophies, and questions we explore remain highly relevant today.

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As cryptocurrency moves further into the mainstream, regulators are stepping up efforts to define its legal and financial framework. But how far will regulation go, and what will it mean for investors, businesses, and the future of digital assets? In this episode, professor Itay Goldstein is joined by Wharton professor Jessica Wachter, recently the chief economist at the SEC, and former CFTC chair Timothy Massad to discuss crypto’s evolving regulatory landscape, the balance between innovation and oversight, and the geopolitical forces shaping crypto policy worldwide.

Editor’s Note: This episode was recorded in early summer of 2025, shortly before the passage of the GENIUS Act, which provides a regulatory framework for stablecoins. A lot has happened in the digital asset space since this discussion was recorded. But the broader ideas, philosophies, and questions we explore remain highly relevant today.

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Stablecoins and central bank digital currencies (CBDCs) are at the center of a global shift in how money moves. In this episode, professor Itay Goldstein speaks with Heath Tarbert, president of Circle and former CFTC chair, about the role of stablecoins in modern finance, how they compare to CBDCs, and the regulatory frameworks needed to support their growth.

Editor’s Note: This episode was recorded in early summer of 2025, shortly before the passage of the GENIUS Act, which provides a regulatory framework for stablecoins. A lot has happened in the digital asset space since this discussion was recorded. But the broader ideas, philosophies, and questions we explore remain highly relevant today.

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What determines whether a cryptocurrency succeeds or fades into obscurity? In this episode, Wharton professor Itay Goldstein speaks with Shimon Kogan, adjunct associate professor of finance at Wharton and longtime instructor of Wharton’s fintech course, to explore the economic and behavioral forces behind token success. From network effects and user adoption to coordination challenges and the phenomenon of meme coins, this conversation dives into the mechanics of tokenomics and what drives value in the world of fintech.

Editor’s Note: This episode was recorded in early summer of 2025, shortly before the passage of the GENIUS Act, which provides a regulatory framework for stablecoins. A lot has happened in the digital asset space since this discussion was recorded. But the broader ideas, philosophies, and questions we explore remain highly relevant today.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.