Business Gone Bad and the Art of Persistence

[00:02:22] – (First Question) – Differences and similarities between investors and journalists

[00:03:19] – What has more of an impact on business practices, exposing negatives or reporting positive

[00:04:57] – First story that got Bethany intrigued with finding bad behaviors

[00:06:19] – The process of getting to know the people who know more than the market

[00:07:43] – Mindsets: Optimism vs. Complacency vs. Pessimism

[00:08:18] – First short seller that garnered her interest

[00:08:57] – The process that led to The Smartest Guys in the Room: The Amazing Rise and Scandalous Fall of Enron

[00:10:36] – How to ask questions

[00:12:18] – Importance of preparation

[00:12:49] – Commonalities among the motivations for people who do bad things

[00:14:20] – Difference between a visionary and a fraud

[00:15:42] – Free Radicals: The Secret Anarchy of Science

[00:16:23] – Any standout frauds that told a really compelling story

[00:17:33] – Looking into Valeant

[00:19:32] –Writing about the #MeToo movement

[00:19:34] – Disgraced ex-BofA exec raises uncomfortable questions about #MeToo

[00:21:49] – Thoughts on the spectrum of chasing this story

[00:23:26] – Ways journalist can fairly impact this movement

[00:24:14] – The romance of owning a home in America and what it has meant for the market

[00:24:34] – Shaky Ground: The Strange Saga of the U.S. Mortgage Giants

[00:28:27] – What has changed on her thinking about housing

[00:30:24] – What role does Fannie and Freddie have in the market today

[00:31:13] – Her desire to look into energy

[00:32:26] – Saudi America: The Truth About Fracking and How It’s Changing the World

[00:35:05] – What have been the changes in energy market in the US

[00:34:40] – Twilight in the Desert: The Coming Saudi Oil Shock and the World Economy

[00:37:01] – Where are we in the life cycle of energy production

[00:38:27] – The more boring things that are actually the drivers of our economy

[00:38:29] – Technologies that shaped industrial revolution in America

[00:39:42] – Where can people learn more about how our energy independence will impact other markets

[00:41:10] – Why is Peter Elkin the best investigative journalist

[00:42:24] – Most relentless she has ever been

[00:43:58] – Who is doing it right

[00:44:38] – All the Devils Are Here: The Hidden History of the Financial Crisis

[00:45:36] – Her take on reporting the The Hunt for Steve Cohen story

[00:49:01] – How her views have evolved over her career and lessons learned

[0050:40] – Are there ways to prevent success from leading people down a bad path

[00:53:48] – The role of empathy in her career

[00:55:13] – Kindest thing anyone has done for Bethany’s career