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The James Altucher Show

How to Succeed in Business and Politics | Wilbur Ross (39th Secretary of Commerce)

The James Altucher Show

James Altucher

Education, Business

4.6 • 2.7K Ratings

🗓️ 17 September 2024

⏱️ 61 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Here's a draft of your podcast show notes based on the Wilbur Ross episode:A Note from James:Wilbur Ross, the man, the myth, the legend. I'm going to be honest, back in 1999, I remember playing a lot of poker at the Mayfair Poker Club in New York City. There was a guy there who worked for Wilbur Ross, who was running huge private equity funds back then. I was jealous because I wanted to work for Wilbur Ross. He's been a consistent feature in building businesses decade after decade. Most recently, he served as Secretary of Commerce for all four years of the Trump administration.Now, Wilbur has a new book out called Risks and Returns, about his 55-year career building businesses and his experiences in government. So, I can't believe I had the chance to talk with him about this incredible journey.Episode Description:In this episode, James sits down with Wilbur Ross, one of the most influential business minds of our time. From running one of the largest private equity funds to serving as Secretary of Commerce, Ross has been at the epicenter of some of the most significant economic shifts in modern history. Wilbur shares his insights on building businesses, navigating the complexities of government, and his views on the current economic landscape. His new book Risks and Returns offers a unique glimpse into his 55-year career, and this conversation is filled with the kinds of practical insights that entrepreneurs and investors won't want to miss.What You'll Learn:The keys to Wilbur Ross's long-term success in business and government.How the American bankruptcy system aids in company rehabilitation, rather than liquidation.The challenges and opportunities around rare earth minerals and the semiconductor supply chain.Why labor force participation is crucial to economic growth and reducing inflation.How government fiscal policy and the Federal Reserve's actions contribute to inflation.Timestamped Chapters:[01:30] Introduction to Wilbur Ross's career and private equity legacy.[04:37] The scope of the Secretary of Commerce's responsibilities.[06:41] The innovations Elon Musk has brought to the space industry.[13:19] Wilbur's early career challenges and lessons learned.[20:20] Wilbur's approach to distressed industries and investment strategies.[32:15] How the government prints money and its role in inflation.[45:14] The national security threat posed by rare earth minerals and semiconductors.[50:26] Reflections on the Trump administration and Trump's unique approach to foreign policy.Additional Resources:Risks and Returns by Wilbur Ross ------------What do YOU think of the show? Head to JamesAltucherShow.com/listeners and fill out a short survey that will help us better tailor the podcast to our audience!Are you interested in getting direct answers from James about your question on a podcast? Go to JamesAltucherShow.com/AskAltucher and send in your questions to be answered on the air!------------Visit Notepd.com to read our idea lists & sign up to create your own!My new book, Skip the Line, is out! Make sure you get a copy wherever books are sold!Join the You Should Run for President 2.0 Facebook Group, where we discuss why you should run for President.I write about all my podcasts! Check out the full post and learn what I learned at jamesaltuchershow.com------------Thank you so much for listening! If you like this episode, please rate, review, and subscribe to "The James Altucher Show" wherever you get your podcasts: Apple PodcastsiHeart RadioSpotifyFollow me on social media:YouTubeTwitterFacebookLinkedIn See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Transcript

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0:00.0

Wilbur Ross, the man, the myth, the legend.

0:10.6

I'm going to be honest, when in I guess was 1999. I remember I was playing a lot of

0:16.1

Poker at the Mayfair poker club in New York City and there was a guy there who worked for Wilbur Ross.

0:24.3

And Wilbur Ross was running huge private equity funds.

0:28.6

He started his own private equity fund, W.L. Ross.

0:31.8

And he had a very just solid unique style of investing and

0:37.2

building businesses and I was a little jealous of this guy because I wanted to

0:41.1

work for Wilver Ross and Wilver Ross has just been a

0:44.3

consistent feature in just building businesses decade after decade and then

0:49.5

more recently he was Secretary of Commerce all four years of Trump's administration.

0:54.8

He served the entire four years and he just had a lot, he has a lot to say about building

0:59.4

businesses and about what's going on with the economy and what he thinks about different policies.

1:05.0

But he has a new book out called Risks and Returns about his 55 year career building businesses and being in the government.

1:12.0

So I can't believe I spoke to him.

1:15.2

Here he is, Wilbur Ross.

1:16.7

This isn't your average business podcast and he's not your average host.

1:26.0

This is the James quite a bit. You're a personal slice of history. Well, thank you very much.

1:45.0

Because you must read a lot of books, so I'm grateful you like this one.

1:49.0

This was so enjoyable because A, I've been a follower of your career for so many decades and B, just your insights into all the experiences you've been through, whether running W.L. Ross or your experiences in the coal industry, the banking industry,

2:06.8

and then of course the Secretary of Commerce and so many other things.

2:10.2

So it's been a fascinating ride you've been on you found yourself at the center of history so many times

2:16.4

Yeah, I stumbled into a lot of things

...

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