The Economics Show with Soumaya Keynes

The right way to tax the rich. With Owen Zidar

2026-10-30

What does it really take to get rich in America? Straight As at an elite university or entrepreneurial parents? And as America holds midterm elections and California votes on whether to tax billionaires on their wealth, what does it mean for the rich to be paying their fair share? Host Soumaya Keynes speaks to economist Owen Zidar, co-author of Everywhere Millionaire, Who Is Really Rich in America and How They Got There, about a fairer approach to taxing the wealthy. Can the US tax the rich more without discouraging the entrepreneurs who drive economic growth?

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Presented by Soumaya Keynes. Produced by Katya Kumkova. Original music and sound design by Breen Turner. Manuela Saragosa is the executive producer. Flo Phillips is the FT’s head of audio. Thanks to John Cappuccino for his help recording this episode in the Princeton Broadcast Centre.

Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com

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No. of episodes

144

Latest episode

2026-10-30

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The Economics Show with Soumaya Keynes is a new weekly podcast from the Financial Times packed full of smart, digestible analysis and incisive conversation. Soumaya Keynes digs deep into the hottest topics in economics along with a cast of FT colleagues and special guests. Come for the big ideas, stay for the nerdery.

Soumaya Keynes is an economics columnist for the Financial Times. Prior to joining the FT she worked at The Economist for eight years as a staff writer, where as well as covering trade, the US economy and the UK economy she co-hosted the Money Talks podcast. She also co-founded the Trade Talks podcast.

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