Overview of The Story of Money
The Story of Money is a new Financial Times podcast hosted by Gillian Tett and Robin Wigglesworth that explores the history of money, finance, and financial crises to explain how today’s financial world came to be. The trailer positions the show as a time-traveling guide through major moments in financial history — from ancient debt cancellations to frontier-era banking — with the goal of helping listeners better understand modern markets, recurring bubbles, and potential future crashes.
What the Podcast Is About
The series aims to answer a simple but important question: how did money and financial systems become what they are today?
Each episode will look back at historical events, institutions, and ideas that shaped finance, with the promise that many of today’s biggest financial debates are not new at all.
Core Themes
- The evolution of money and banking over time
- Historical parallels to modern finance
- How financial crises repeat across eras
- The role of debt, lending, and state power
- Lessons from the past for investors and policymakers
Key Historical Examples Mentioned
The trailer highlights a few striking examples to show how long-running and cyclical financial history can be:
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Wildcat banks on the American frontier
Early U.S. banking was portrayed as chaotic and risky, with banking seen by some as barely more legitimate than bricklaying. -
Ancient debt cancellations
The show references rulers like Hammurabi who cancelled debts when coming to power, underscoring that debt relief has deep historical roots. -
Repeating financial patterns
The podcast suggests that everything from AI bubbles to the next market crash may have historical precedents.
Hosts and Launch Details
- Hosts: Gillian Tett and Robin Wigglesworth
- Publisher: Financial Times
- Launch date mentioned: April 22
- Release schedule: New episodes weekly
- Availability: Wherever you get your podcasts
Main Takeaway
The trailer’s central message is that understanding financial history can help people make sense of today’s markets and avoid repeating old mistakes. It frames money not just as a tool of commerce, but as a force that has repeatedly shaped politics, society, and economic stability over centuries.
Notes
The transcript also includes unrelated advertising segments for other products and podcasts, which appear to be standard pre-roll or mid-roll promotions rather than part of the show’s content.