# 293. A Nobel Prize winning view on wealth inequality

An episode of [The Rest Is Money](https://invisiblenetwork.ai/podcast/1703785141), 5 Jul 2026, 38 min.

Audio: https://pdst.fm/e/traffic.megaphone.fm/GLT5053615282.mp3

Why are some countries richer than others, even though money, people and ideas can flow freely round the world? Why is it so hard for a country to turn things around and become rich? Are illiberal leaders like Trump good for their economy? What role do sovereign wealth funds play? Nobel prize winning economist Simon Johnson gives us his theory on the damage extractive institutions do to wealth disparity. As a leading professor at MIT and former chief economist at the IMF, Robert and Steph quiz him on how the history of colonisation has shaped world economics and what can be done about it. The Rest is Money is brought to you by Octopus Energy, Britain’s smart energy pioneer. Email: therestismoney@goalhanger.com X: @TheRestIsMoney Instagram: @TheRestIsMoney TikTok: @RestIsMoney Advertise with us: Partnerships@goalhanger.com For more Goalhanger Podcasts, head to www.goalhanger.com Video Editor: Dylan Bonham Producer: Isabelle Bougeard Exec Producers: Chris Sawyer and Tom Whiter Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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