The French Fried Potater and the Helicopter Circumnavigator: Scott Simplot and Ross Perot, Jr.

Zero Sum Empire

Lots of stuff in this week’s episode. Keeping things a bit looser. First, we discuss the Milken Institute’s Global Conference 2019, where “thought leaders” celebrate “the power of ideas” and promote “shared prosperity.” We encourage you to flip through the conference program and take note of who they invited to speak (link below). Gives off a real “Garden of Earthly Delights” energy. It’s a garbage organization run by an actual criminal, Michael Milken, the “father of junk bonds.” At the conference, Milken did a keynote panel with Ray Dalio (see last week’s episode) where they talked about reforming capitalism. There’s an article from the LA Times that covers the panel, but as of now the video hasn’t been released online. We’re flagging this as another entry in our journal of recent instances of billionaires making a big public to-do about their ideas to reform capitalism. They’re coordinating their rhetoric as election season heats up to hedge against the outside chance that a left-of-center wave election happens. Then we enter two Large Adult Sons into the census. Both of these guys inherited gigantic businesses from their fathers. First, we discuss Scott Simplot and the Simplot family. The Simplots are the Idaho potato farmers who supply McDonalds with most of its frozen French fries. We go deep on potatoes and discuss their history as part of a larger story about Native American genocide, colonialism, the Industrial Revolution, the Little Ice Age, and modern agriculture. Last, we talk about our other billionaire for this week, Ross Perot, Jr. Joe walks us through Perot’s exploits as the Magellan of helicopters, his feud with Mark Cuban, and the global logistics hub / residential community he built, Alliance, Texas. Oh, and also: one time Joe accosted Ross Perot, Sr. in a public restroom. Refresh your memory on Michael Milken: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Milken Milken Institute Global Conference Program: https://www.milkeninstitute.org/assets/Events/2019-Global-Conference-Program.pdf LA Times coverage of conference panel: https://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-milken-conference-ray-dalio-20190502-story.html Scott Simplot is a potato man: http://www.cals.uidaho.edu/edComm/magazine/summer04/outstanding.html Alliance residential areas: https://www.alliancetexas.com/community/residential