McKinsey: This is why we can't have nice things

Corporate Gossip

Becca Platsky

Society & Culture, Business

4.9 • 655 Ratings

🗓️ 20 October 2023

⏱️ 85 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

It's hard to talk about corporate gossip without talking about McKinsey. They're everywhere! They advise the biggest companies in every industry in practically every company in America (90% of the Fortune 100 companies use Mckinsey). From Las Vegas Casinos to the Vatican, McKinsey consultants, armed with their Thinkbooks and Tumi rollerbags, dispense their advice on maximizing the bottom line under a veil of secrecy.

That is until recently, when dogged reporters sifted through thousands of documents made public as part of a series of lawsuits and criminal investigations into the firm. Becca and Adam read through it all and are bringing you the juiciest stories. They find out that when it comes to systemic corporate malfeasance, McKinsey isn't the one who lit the match, but they're often found fanning the flames.

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Hosts: Becca Platsky (Becca@nitetoast.com) Adam Platsky (Adam@nitetoast.com)

Produced by: Michael Albanese @bigmanmike

Timestamps:

10:00 - Corporate Gossip #1: McKinsey, this is why we can't have nice things (Intro and background)

30:00 - Corporate Gossip #2: If Jack Welch is Theresa Giudice, McKinsey is Juicy Joe and today's billionaire boss-boys are 4 year-old Melania (How McKinsey influences the world's largest companies)

52:00 - Corporate Gossip #3: McKinsey: Our consultants are happy to provide clean pee for your patients who are addicted to heroin!! (McKinsey's role in the Opiod Crisis)

1:05:00 - Corporate Gossip #4: Enron is basically a McKinsey spinoff in which Jeff Skilling visits Ken Lay at the summer house in Montauk (McKinsey's role in the Enron rise & fall)

1:09:00 - Corporate Gossip #5: If you're looking for the Lizard people controlling the American economy it's not the west coast elites… it's McKinsey! (McKinsey as a Corporate Villian)

1:15:00 - Corporate Gossip #6: Clarence Thomas really went - guys know what would make McKinsey better??? If they had access to more white men!! Hey now… white men who can take me on Yachts. (How the overturning of affirmative action plays into McKinsey's ability to continue weaponizing capitalism)

Transcript

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0:00.0	Welcome back to another episode of the Corporate Gossip Podcast. Did you guys know that today,
0:06.1	October 20th, is Corporate Gossip's first birthday. We released our first episode a year ago.
0:12.3	I can't believe it. If you want to celebrate with us, log off early today. You deserve it.
0:17.6	Enjoy the day. And then when you're done with that, go follow us on Instagram.
0:24.5	Instagram's where I go to be totally unhinged. And you should follow us there. I post pictures from the
0:30.7	episode and you can chat in the comments. It's a fun place. Check us out. Okay, before we get started,
0:36.3	you already know, my favorite thing, shouting out
0:38.8	all the people who bought us coffees this week. We have Sarah B, Biorg Maria, Daniela C, at Evan
0:46.0	PHX, and Darcy. Thank you all so much. Your support makes this podcast possible. Okay,
0:54.0	here's the show.
0:56.7	Welcome to Lake Placid.
0:59.2	It's fucking freezing.
1:01.1	It's beautiful, of course, with the Soctan peaks of the Adirondik Mountains,
1:05.6	the village streets lined with snow banks,
1:08.0	and the roofs of the quaint souvenir shops filled with chotchkes from the
1:11.7	1980 Winter Olympics are covered in glistening icicles. But the wind chill will take your breath away.
1:18.3	On this late March 2015 evening, it's negative 9 degrees Fahrenheit. But for McKenzie senior partners,
1:26.3	Arnie Gattuck and Martin Elling, who are 25 feet beneath
1:30.3	the frozen ground in the wine cellar of the Lake Placin Lodge, the temperature is an optimum
1:36.3	56 degrees Fahrenheit.
1:37.3	Beneath the copper chandeliers, Gattac and Elling are flanked on both sides of the 13-foot
1:43.3	solid wood dining table by their
	...

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