From the podcast that explores the hidden side of everything, hear authors like you’ve never heard them before. Stephen Dubner and a stable of Freakonomics friends talk with the writers of mind-bending books, and we hear the best excerpts as well. You’ll learn about skill versus chance, the American discomfort with death, the secret life of dogs, and much more.
33. Is This What a “Good Billionaire” Looks Like?
David Rubenstein, a product of the old bipartisan D.C., made his fortune in private equity. He’s been spending it on “patriotic philanthropy” and institutions like the Kennedy Center, where Trump fired him as chairman. Now he wonders if the center can hold.
- SOURCES:
- David Rubenstein, co-founder and co-chairman of the Carlyle Group, principal owner of the Baltimore Orioles.
- RESOURCES:
- Inside the Owner's Box: Conversations on Power and Leadership in Sports, by David M. Rubenstein (2026).
- The American Experiment: Dialogues on a Dream, by David M. Rubenstein (2021).
- The American Story: Conversations With Master Historians, by David M. Rubenstein (2019).
- Moneyball: The Art of Winning an Unfair Game, by Michael Lewis (2003).
- EXTRAS:
- "The Merger You Never Knew You Wanted," by Freakonomics Radio (2025).
- "The Secret Life of a C.E.O.," series by Freakonomics Radio (2018).
- "Extra: David Rubenstein Full Interview," by Freakonomics Radio (2018).
- "The Longest Long Shot," by Freakonomics Radio (2016).
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