Bill Browder is one of the most influential human rights activists in the world today, working to hold human rights abusers to account. Browder architected and spearheaded the campaign to pass The Magnitsky Act, a federal law that allows for sanctions, freezing assets, and visa bans on foreign nationals who’ve committed human rights abuses.

Browder, the founder of hedge fund firm Hermitage Capital Management, was once the largest foreign investor in Russia, where he took an activist investing approach by exposing high-level corruption among company managers and officials. He was expelled from Russia in 2005 and declared a threat to national security.

Police later raided his Moscow offices, and those officials used the seized documents to commit a complex and massive fraud. This $230 million fraud was discovered by Browder’s friend Sergei Magnitsky, a 37-year-old Russian lawyer. Magnitsky, a married father, was tortured and ultimately beaten to death while in a Russian prison in 2009.

Magnitsky’s murder changed Browder’s life. From that day, he vowed to put aside his business and dedicate all his time and resources to exposing the corrupt Russians responsible for Magnitsky’s death.

He joins Julia La Roche on this episode taped in mid-June 2022 to discuss his newest book, “Freezing Order: A True Story of Russian Money Laundering, State-Sponsored Murder, and Surviving Vladimir Putin’s Wrath.”

In this episode, Julia La Roche (@julialaroche) is joined by Morgan Housel (@morganhousel), the best-selling author of “The Psychology of Money,” with over 2 million copies sold worldwide. Even Morgan was surprised by the book’s viral success after being turned down by every major New York publisher before being picked up by London-based Harriman House.

“The Psychology of Money” surfaces timeless lessons on wealth, greed, and happiness hiding in plain sight. During this conversation, Morgan takes us inside his writing process. Morgan also shares stories of the rich throwing gold coins into the Pacific Ocean (for fun!) only to later go broke to the janitor who died with a secret multi-million dollar fortune. Plus, learn why Warren Buffett is NOT the best investor of all time and why average individuals who can’t even remember their investment account passwords are beating the hedge funds.

Morgan Housel is a partner at Collaborative Fund, a board member of the Markel Corporation, and a former columnist at The Motley Fool and The Wall Street Journal.

The Julia La Roche Show brings you in-depth conversations with top CEOs, investors, founders, academics, and the emerging names she finds fascinating. Julia (@JuliaLaRoche), a veteran financial correspondent, dives deep into the lives and minds of her guests, uncovering their stories, experiences, and insights. Whether you’re interested in finance, technology, entrepreneurship, or want to hear compelling stories and pick up some worldly wisdom, this podcast is for you. Tune in every Tuesday and Thursday, and join Julia for enlightening conversations.

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