In the Company of Mavericks

Jeremy McKeown

Conversations with people who dare to be different

  1. 4H AGO

    Gold, Silver & Bitcoin - Is The Debasement Trade Over? with Charlie Morris & Dominic Frisby

    The monetary metals, gold and silver and so-called digital gold, or Bitcoin, have had an unusual few months.    As recently as September last year, the gold price was $3,500/oz, silver was $40/oz, and a Bitcoin was priced at around $110,000.  Since then Gold rose by over 50% to $5,400 / oz before correcting to $5,000 / oz or up 40%; silver rose nearly 200% to $115 / oz before correcting to $80/oz up 90% and while all this was going on the price of Bitcoin more than halved peak to trough before stabilising down 40% at c $70,000.  So, why the volatility spike? What just happened to the debasement trade? Has the newly nominated Fed Chair changed everything? Is AI or quantum computing about to kill Bitcoin? Is the FT right? Is the Bitcoin price still $70, 000 too high?     To help dig into what we have just experienced, I was joined last week by two friends of the pod and long-term advocates of precious metals and Bitcoin, so-called outside money, to try to better understand the drivers behind these volatile asset prices and how to assess where things might go from here.  Dominic Frisby, of the Flying Frisby Substack, has written books on Bitcoin and gold, and multi-asset manager Charlie Morris of ByteTree is the founder of the BOLD (Bitcoin & Gold) Fund, which recently launched on the London Stock Exchange.  It was a timely discussion in which we tried to dissect the different drivers of these asset prices and what has changed as a result of these dramatic moves.  But of course, none of what you are about to hear is any kind of advice, but just for your information and hopefully entertainment too. You should seek personal financial advice and do your own research before investing a penny in these crazy markets.          And with that said, please enjoy my conversation with Dominic Frisby and Charlie Morris. Brought to you by Progressive Equity.

    38 min
  2. FEB 5

    Simple But Not Easy with Richard Oldfield

    Simple But Not Easy – The Investment Wisdom of Richard Oldfield Richard Oldfield, Founder of Oldfield Partners and author of Simple But Not Easy.  We discuss the psychology of value investing, the structural flaws of modern asset management, and the challenges of navigating the bifurcated markets of the mid-2020s. Episode Overview In this episode, veteran investor Richard Oldfield debunks myths about the finance industry, arguing that successful investing is "simple but not easy." Drawing on decades of experience—from the 1970s inflation era to the AI boom of 2025—Oldfield explains why value investing is a character trait rather than a learned skill, why "doing nothing" is often the best strategy in a crisis, and why investors should treat the stock market like a casino where the odds vary wildly depending on which "table" you sit at. Key Takeaways Value Investing is In the Blood. Oldfield argues that true value investors are born, not made. It requires a contrarian temperament that naturally gravitates toward unloved assets—a trait that is "simple" to understand but psychologically challenging ("not easy") to execute. Growth vs. Value. Oldfield believes value provides a "margin of safety" that prevents the ground from opening up beneath you, as it does with growth stocks. He discusses his view of an exciting future for value versus growth.  Index Hugging. Oldfield is a fierce critic of large asset management firms, arguing they inevitably drift toward mediocrity and "index hugging" (mimicking the market to avoid being fired). He advocates small, independent firms that can maintain "distance" from the noise of Wall Street and the City, enabling independent thought. A Checklist for Selecting Managers: When choosing a fund manager, Oldfield warns against relying on past performance, calling it a "trap".  Brought to you by Progressive Equity.

    42 min
  3. JAN 29

    The Future Will Be Tokenised with Steve Whyman, Ian Hunt & Marvin Barth

    In this episode, we move beyond the typical hype surrounding cryptocurrency and digital assets to dissect the plumbing of the global financial system.  To do this, we have a panel of industry insiders: You will hear from Steve Whyman, who previously ran Fidelity International’s debt capital markets business, where he built their investment thesis for digital assets from scratch. Joining him is Ian Hunt, a 40-year veteran of the buy-side who designed the very first ledger for a tokenised fund launched in the UK market. Rounding out the panel is Marvin, an economist and returning "friend of the pod," who brings his critical geopolitical lens to the discussion. Our guests argue that the current financial ecosystem is not just inefficient, but fundamentally "absurd", filled with intermediaries that add cost without adding value. They contend that we are standing at a precipice: we can either "retool" old processes with new tech, or undergo a paradigm shift toward "composability"—a system in which smart contracts self-execute and assets are built from the ground up as tokens. This conversation goes far beyond technical theory. The panel explores: • How tokenisation will democratise wealth, allowing individuals to invest mere pence into equities, bonds, and private assets. • The massive geopolitical threat to London’s dominance, as self-executing contracts may remove the need for English Common Law in global debt markets. • How the rise of US-backed stablecoins could act as a foreign policy tool to counter China and destabilise economies in the Global South. Stay tuned until the end for an existential risk to the Euro and the European Union: a flight to digital dollars could trigger a major liquidity crisis.

    56 min

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Conversations with people who dare to be different

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