FT Tech Tonic

Financial Times
  • 4.4 (134)
  • TECHNOLOGY
  • UPDATED WEEKLY
FT Tech Tonic

We are in the midst of a digital revolution, where the line between our physical world and cyberspace is blurring. Tech Tonic is the show that investigates the promises and perils of this new technological age.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  1. 8 JUL

    Trump’s tech bros: The enigma of Peter Thiel

    Peter Thiel is unlike any other Trump tech bro. As well as a wildly successful investor, he’s seen as a thinker - the philosopher king of Silicon Valley. Thiel’s acolytes in the tech world and Washington include vice-president JD Vance but his relationship with the Trump camp is complicated. And there are still questions about what, if anything, he wants with the president. In the final episode of this season of Tech Tonic, Murad Ahmed speaks to FT columnist Gillian Tett about Thiel’s political philosophy, and to Tabby Kinder, the FT’s West Coast financial editor, about his influence in Silicon Valley. Free to read: How Peter Thiel and Silicon Valley funded the sudden rise of JD Vance A time for truth and reconciliation (written by Peter Thiel) How a little-known French literary critic became a bellwether for the US right Palantir’s ‘revolving door’ with government spurs huge growth This season of Tech Tonic is presented by Murad Ahmed and produced by Josh Gabert-Doyon. The senior producer is Edwin Lane and the executive producer is Flo Phillips. Sound design by Sam Giovinco. Breen Turner and Samantha Giovinco. Original music by Metaphor Music, Manuela Saragosa and Topher Forhecz are the FT’s acting co-heads of audio. Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    31 min

  2. 1 JUL

    Trump’s Tech Bros: Is ‘Maga Mark’ the real Mark Zuckerberg?

    Meta chief executive Mark Zuckerberg has undergone a transformation, both physical and political. The skinny teenager who founded Facebook in his dorm room is now a muscular jiu-jitsu enthusiast who’s called US President Donald Trump a “badass” and wants to see more “masculine energy” in the workplace.  Is this all an act? Is Zuckerberg doing whatever it takes to ingratiate himself with the Trump administration and ensure that Meta emerges a winner in the AI race? Or has “Maga Mark” been the real Mark Zuckerberg all along?  Murad Ahmed speaks to Hannah Murphy, the FT’s technology correspondent in San Francisco, and to Katie Harbath, a former Facebook executive under Zuckerberg and now CEO of Anchor Change. Free to read: How Mark Zuckerberg unleashed his inner brawler How Joel Kaplan became Mark Zuckerberg’s most trusted political fixer OpenAI says Meta is trying to poach staff with $100mn sign-on offers Tech titans stand with Donald Trump to kill off activism in Silicon Valley This season of Tech Tonic is presented by Murad Ahmed and produced by Josh Gabert-Doyon. The senior producer is Edwin Lane and the executive producer is Flo Phillips. Sound design by Odinn Ingibergsson, Breen Turner and Samantha Giovinco. Original music by Metaphor Music, Manuela Saragosa and Topher Forhecz are the FT’s acting co-heads of audio. Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    29 min

  3. 24 JUN

    Trump’s Tech Bros: Has Jeff Bezos sold out?

    Amazon founder Jeff Bezos was once a vocal critic of Donald Trump. But that changed during last year’s election campaign. Now, he has instructed the newspaper he owns, The Washington Post, to shift its editorial line to be more in line with the president. So what provoked Bezos’s political change of heart? Murad Ahmed and the FT’s US media editor Anna Nicolau speak to Marty Baron, the former executive editor of the Washington Post, about why Bezos bought the Post in the first place, the effect his ownership is having on the newspaper, and how the editorial shift is symptomatic of a larger impact the president seems to be having across the American media landscape.  Jeff Bezos and the Washington Post did not reply to a request for comment. Free to read: How Jeff Bezos made peace with Donald Trump  Jeff Bezos focuses Washington Post opinion pages on ‘personal liberties’ and ‘free markets’ Jeff Bezos to sell up to $4.75bn in Amazon stock Amazon to begin deploying rival satellites to Starlink this month  This season of Tech Tonic is presented by Murad Ahmed and produced by Josh Gabert-Doyon. The senior producer is Edwin Lane and the executive producer is Flo Phillips. Sound design by Breen Turner and Samantha Giovinco. Original music by Metaphor Music, Manuela Saragosa and Topher Forhecz are the FT’s acting co-heads of audio. Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    26 min

  4. 17 JUN

    Trump's Tech Bros: The tragedy of Elon Musk

    When Donald Trump re-entered the White House, Elon Musk came with him as his ‘tech bro-in-chief’, tasked with rebooting the government machine. But five months on, Musk’s ambitious plan to cut $2tn from the annual government budget has failed, and his relationship with the president has ended in a bitter break-up. Could the world’s richest man come to regret his time in politics? Murad Ahmed speaks to Joe Miller, the FT’s Washington correspondent, about how and why Musk’s time in DC came to an abrupt end, and to Stephen Morris, the FT’s San Francisco bureau chief, about what this means for Musk’s business empire. Free to read: What has Elon Musk’s Doge actually achieved? Elon Musk counts the cost of his ‘government efficiency’ blitz Are Donald Trump and Elon Musk now enemies? Musk vs Trump is a cautionary tale for Silicon Valley This season of Tech Tonic is presented by Murad Ahmed and produced by Josh Gabert-Doyon. The senior producer is Edwin Lane and the executive producer is Flo Phillips. Sound design by Breen Turner and Samantha Giovinco. Original music by Metaphor Music, Manuela Saragosa and Topher Forhecz are the FT’s acting co-heads of audio. Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    37 min

  5. 10 JUN

    Trump’s Tech Bros: Can Tim Cook save Apple from the trade war?

    During the US president’s first term in office, Tim Cook appeared to be the ultimate Trump whisperer, winning tariff exemptions despite Apple’s heavy reliance on Chinese manufacturing. Now, the iPhone-maker-in-chief has found himself under the toughest pressure yet from Trump, who has threatened smartphone tariffs as high as 25%. Does Tim Cook still have a way out, or is Apple out of options? And what does Cook's relationship with Trump tell us about the future of the trade war? FT tech editor Murad Ahmed speaks to Patrick McGee, author of Apple in China: The Capture of the World's Greatest Company; Doug Guthrie, a former negotiator for Apple in Beijing; and FT tech correspondent Michael Acton about the complicated relationship between Cook and Trump. Free to read: Donald Trump threatens Apple and Samsung with 25% tariff on devices  Apple set to expand India supply chain through $1.5bn Foxconn plant  Apple delays iPhone AI features as it stumbles in race with rivals  This season of Tech Tonic is presented by Murad Ahmed and produced by Josh Gabert-Doyon. The senior producer is Edwin Lane and the executive producer is Flo Phillips. Sound design by Breen Turner and Samantha Giovinco. Original music by Metaphor Music, Manuela Saragosa and Topher Forhecz are the FT’s acting heads of audio. Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    27 min

  6. SEASON 17 TRAILER

    Coming soon: The rise and fall of Trump’s tech bros

    Can Tim Cook save Apple from the trade war? Has Mark Zuckerberg really been a fan of Donald Trump all along? And is the bromance between Elon Musk and the president really over?  In a new season of Tech Tonic, Murad Ahmed explores the relationships between Trump and some of the titans of the tech world. What is really driving those relationships, and what might they mean for the future of technology in the US and beyond? Free to read: ‘He is power’: billionaires line up for Donald Trump’s inauguration Donald Trump lashes out at Apple over plan to ship US iPhones from India How Jeff Bezos made peace with Donald Trump What has Elon Musk’s Doge actually achieved? How Joel Kaplan became Mark Zuckerberg’s most trusted political fixer How Peter Thiel and Silicon Valley funded the sudden rise of JD Vance This season of Tech Tonic is presented by Murad Ahmed and produced by Josh Gabert-Doyon. The senior producer is Edwin Lane and the executive producer is Flo Phillips. Sound design by Breen Turner and Samantha Giovinco. Original music by Metaphor Music, Manuela Saragosa and Topher Forhecz are the FT’s acting co-heads of audio. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    1 min

  7. 13 MAY

    Future weapons: Tomorrow’s technology

    How is defence tech reshaping geopolitics? And what does the battlefield of the future look like? In the final episode of our series on the technological weapons of war, the FT’s innovation editor John Thornhill sits down with the FT’s industry correspondent Sylvia Pfeifer, deputy Beijing bureau chief Ryan McMorrow and US-China correspondent Demetri Sevastopulo. Clips: MCA/Universal Pictures, CCTV, NBC    Free to read: China gains dexterous upper hand in humanoid robot tussle with US  Buyout groups and VCs ready to play role in Europe’s rearmament  US ability to defeat China in Taiwan threatened, top Indo-Pacific commander warns  Tech Tonic is produced by Josh Gabert-Doyon and Persis Love. Edwin Lane is senior producer. Flo Phillips is the executive producer. Manuela Saragosa is the FT’s acting co-head of audio. Original music is by Metaphor Music. Samantha Giovinco and Breen Turner were the sound engineers for this season. This episode is dedicated to our engineer Joseph Salcedo, who tragically passed away last month. Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    30 min

  8. 6 MAY

    Future weapons: Rearming Europe

    For European leaders, the war in Ukraine has strained relations with the US and prompted major questions about how the continent will defend itself in the future. Governments are boosting defence spending and defence tech companies' valuations have risen, particularly after the emergence of drone warfare in Ukraine. So what should a European strategy for security look like? John Thornhill sits down with Gundbert Scherf, co-founder of Helsing - Europe’s most valuable defence tech start-up - to discuss the future of European defence and what role technology needs to play. Free to read: ‘We have to be prepared’: Torsten Reil of defence tech company Helsing VC funding in European defence and security tech surges to record $5.2bn Can Europe’s defence groups step up if Donald Trump pulls back? Tech Tonic is produced by Josh Gabert-Doyon and Persis Love. Edwin Lane is the senior producer. The executive producers are Manuela Saragosa, Flo Phillips and Topher Forhecz. Sound design by Breen Turner and Sam Giovinco. Original music by Metaphor Music. Cheryl Brumley is the FT’s global head of audio. Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    27 min
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4.4
out of 5
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About

We are in the midst of a digital revolution, where the line between our physical world and cyberspace is blurring. Tech Tonic is the show that investigates the promises and perils of this new technological age.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Information

  • Channel
    Financial Times
  • Creator
    Financial Times
  • Years Active
    2016 - 2025
  • Episodes
    227
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Financial Times
  • Show Website
    FT Tech Tonic

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