The Higher Standard

Chris Naghibi & Saied Omar
  • 4.9 (284)
  • Entrepreneurship
  • Updated Semiweekly

Welcome to the Higher Standard Podcast, where we give you ultra-premium, unfiltered truth when it comes to building your wealth and curating the lifestyle of your dreams. Your hosts; Chris Naghibi and Saied Omar here to help you distill the immense amount of information and disinformation out there on the interwebs and give you the opportunity to choose a higher standard for yourself. Sit back, relax your mind and get ready for a different kind of podcast where we elevate your baseline with crispy high-resolution audio. This isn't a different standard. It's the higher standard.

  1. 5d ago ·  Video

    Private Equity Is Broken: How Debt, Fees & Leveraged Buyouts Really Work

    Private equity sold itself as the smartest money in the room. Turns out, a lot of that “genius” may have just been 40 years of falling rates, cheap leverage, and somebody else willing to pay a higher multiple. We break down how the model actually works, why roughly 33,000 portfolio companies are now stuck waiting for an exit, and what happens when every leveraged buyout starts looking like an adjustable-rate mortgage that just reset. From Krispy Kreme turning the hot light into a cost center, to Toys “R” Us entering the Amazon fight buried in debt, to Red Lobster selling the building and keeping the rent, this is a tour through what happens when spreadsheets understand the balance sheet but miss the business. 💥 Have you left your "honest ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️" review? This episode is proudly brought to you by Fridays. Because real wealth starts with your health. If you want to feel sharper, stronger, and more in control, visit joinfridays.com and use code HIGHER for an exclusive discount. 📩 NEWSLETTER: https://tr.ee/O6FWkv 👕 THS MERCH: http://www.thspod.com 🔗 Resources: Global Private Equity Report 2026 (Bain & Company) Private-Equity Firms Are Sitting on a Nine-Year Backlog (The Wall Street Journal) Global Private Markets Report 2026 — Private Equity: Clearer View, Tougher Terrain (McKinsey & Company) ⚠️ Disclaimer: Please note that the content shared on this show is solely for entertainment purposes and should not be considered legal or investment advice or attributed to any company. The views and opinions expressed are personal and not reflective of any entity. We do not guarantee the accuracy or completeness of the information provided, and listeners are urged to seek professional advice before making any legal or financial decisions. By listening to The Higher Standard podcast you agree to these terms, and the show, its hosts and employees are not liable for any consequences arising from your use of the content.

    Private Equity Is Broken: How Debt, Fees & Leveraged Buyouts Really Work

  2. Sep 1 ·  Video

    OpenAI Bought the Narrative: The Shocking Truth About TBPN & Silicon Valley Media

    Silicon Valley didn’t suddenly fall in love with podcasts because everyone discovered the joys of long-form conversation. They figured out something much more valuable: if you control the pipe, you can shape the narrative. In Episode 351, Chris traces that playbook from Hearst and Murdoch to Rogan, Musk, a16z, OpenAI and TBPN—and asks the uncomfortable question behind the new media boom: are you watching an independent show, or a very expensive communications strategy with better lighting? The money can buy reach, access and influence. What it still can’t buy is trust. 💥 Have you left your "honest ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️" review? This episode is proudly brought to you by Fridays. Because real wealth starts with your health. If you want to feel sharper, stronger, and more in control, visit joinfridays.com and use code HIGHER for an exclusive discount. 📩 NEWSLETTER: https://tr.ee/O6FWkv 👕 THS MERCH: http://www.thspod.com 🔗 Resources: Jeff Bezos declares opinions questioning ‘free markets’ no longer welcome (Nieman Lab) Joe Rogan Trump Interview Ratings: Chart Shows Subscriber Spike (Newsweek) Jeff Bezos’ revamp of ‘Washington Post’ opinions leads editor to quit (NPR) Elon Musk reportedly ordered Twitter engineers to boost his tweets (Fortune) Bari Weiss isn’t capturing the media. She’s being captured (Columbia Journalism Review) What Is New Media? (a16z) OpenAI Buys TBPN // $100M+ for a Podcast Makes Sense When You Do the Math (RockWater) ⚠️ Disclaimer: Please note that the content shared on this show is solely for entertainment purposes and should not be considered legal or investment advice or attributed to any company. The views and opinions expressed are personal and not reflective of any entity. We do not guarantee the accuracy or completeness of the information provided, and listeners are urged to seek professional advice before making any legal or financial decisions. By listening to The Higher Standard podcast you agree to these terms, and the show, its hosts and employees are not liable for any consequences arising from your use of the content.

    OpenAI Bought the Narrative: The Shocking Truth About TBPN & Silicon Valley Media

  3. Aug 25 ·  Video

    Treasury Is Buying Its Own Debt — Scott Bessent’s $40 Trillion Gamble

    Episode 350, and apparently the milestone gift is discovering that the United States is now paying the mortgage with the credit card. Chris and Rajeil unpack Scott Bessent’s decision to supersize Treasury bond buybacks just as long-term yields hit 19-year highs and the national debt crossed $40 trillion. We go from Venice’s first bond market to the Treasury-Fed Accord, Japan’s yield-curve-control experiment, and why governments have a long, ugly history of trying to bully borrowing costs lower. Then there’s the timing: the accelerated program starts September 9, runs through November 4, and somehow manages to wrap up one day after the midterm elections. Pure coincidence, obviously. Add a Fed already fighting inflation, a tapped-out consumer, and markets beginning to question the price of American debt, and Episode 350 asks the uncomfortable question: when the smoke alarm gets too loud, are we fixing the fire—or just pulling the battery? 💥 Have you left your "honest ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️" review? This episode is proudly brought to you by Fridays. Because real wealth starts with your health. If you want to feel sharper, stronger, and more in control, visit joinfridays.com and use code HIGHER for an exclusive discount. 📩 NEWSLETTER: https://tr.ee/O6FWkv 👕 THS MERCH: http://www.thspod.com 🔗 Resources: Treasury doubles debt buybacks as Bessent moves to steady bond market (CNBC) Bond yields fall after Treasury announces surprise move to ease rising rates (CNBC) Bessent says Treasury buyback operation could be more than $4 billion (CNBC) ⚠️ Disclaimer: Please note that the content shared on this show is solely for entertainment purposes and should not be considered legal or investment advice or attributed to any company. The views and opinions expressed are personal and not reflective of any entity. We do not guarantee the accuracy or completeness of the information provided, and listeners are urged to seek professional advice before making any legal or financial decisions. By listening to The Higher Standard podcast you agree to these terms, and the show, its hosts and employees are not liable for any consequences arising from your use of the content.

    Treasury Is Buying Its Own Debt — Scott Bessent’s $40 Trillion Gamble

  4. Aug 18 ·  Video

    Stagflation Is Coming? The Fed’s Inflation & Jobs Trap Explained

    In Episode 349 of The Higher Standard, Chris breaks down why cooling CPI doesn’t mean inflation is dead, why the Fed may be walking straight into a stagflation trap, and how a weakening jobs market, rising energy costs, Japan, the yen and a geopolitical oil shock are colliding at exactly the wrong time. From the 1970s and Volcker to CPI vs. PCE, shelter inflation, owners’ equivalent rent and the “ghost” hiding inside year-over-year inflation math, this episode explains why the next inflation print may already be partially baked in—and why the Fed’s September decision is becoming a choice between fighting prices it can’t control and crushing a labor market that may already be cracking. Macroeconomics, but without pretending beef and chicken are the same thing. 💥 Have you left your "honest ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️" review? This episode is proudly brought to you by Fridays. Because real wealth starts with your health. If you want to feel sharper, stronger, and more in control, visit joinfridays.com and use code HIGHER for an exclusive discount. 📩 NEWSLETTER: https://tr.ee/O6FWkv 👕 THS MERCH: http://www.thspod.com 🔗 Resources: Inflation moved in the right direction in July (Chris Naghibi via X) Japan’s Lost Decade - An Economic Disaster (Cold Fusion) Inflation versus the G7 (Nathan C Jun via Instagram) Consumer prices rose 0.1%$ in July, as expected, putting the annual rate at 3.4% (CNBC) ⚠️ Disclaimer: Please note that the content shared on this show is solely for entertainment purposes and should not be considered legal or investment advice or attributed to any company. The views and opinions expressed are personal and not reflective of any entity. We do not guarantee the accuracy or completeness of the information provided, and listeners are urged to seek professional advice before making any legal or financial decisions. By listening to The Higher Standard podcast you agree to these terms, and the show, its hosts and employees are not liable for any consequences arising from your use of the content.

    Stagflation Is Coming? The Fed’s Inflation & Jobs Trap Explained

  5. Aug 11 ·  Video

    Japan Just Exposed America’s Mortgage Problem And It Can't Be Stopped

    Everyone is waiting for the next housing crash. Chris thinks they may be watching the wrong thing. In Episode 348, he connects the lessons of 2008 to today’s mortgage market, where major non-bank lenders are under pressure, Treasury yields keep climbing, and Japan’s fight to defend the yen could be making America’s mortgage problem worse. This isn’t a call for another housing collapse—it’s a warning that the financial system is showing cracks in places most people aren’t watching. 💥 Have you left your "honest ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️" review? This episode is proudly brought to you by Fridays. Because real wealth starts with your health. If you want to feel sharper, stronger, and more in control, visit joinfridays.com and use code HIGHER for an exclusive discount. 📩 NEWSLETTER: https://tr.ee/O6FWkv 👕 THS MERCH: http://www.thspod.com 🔗 Resources: U.S. Treasury intervenes to support yen after Japan steps in, FT reports (CNBC) Every yen rescue is funded by selling treasuries… (Nicholas Crown via Instagram) Anthony Hsieh steps down as loanDepot’s executive chairman (Housing Wire) LoanDepot Founder Anthony Hsieh Returns to Executive Team (PYMNTS) United Wholesale Mortgage plunges 35% after suspending dividend and raising capital (CNBC) ⚠️ Disclaimer: Please note that the content shared on this show is solely for entertainment purposes and should not be considered legal or investment advice or attributed to any company. The views and opinions expressed are personal and not reflective of any entity. We do not guarantee the accuracy or completeness of the information provided, and listeners are urged to seek professional advice before making any legal or financial decisions. By listening to The Higher Standard podcast you agree to these terms, and the show, its hosts and employees are not liable for any consequences arising from your use of the content.

    Japan Just Exposed America’s Mortgage Problem And It Can't Be Stopped

  6. Aug 4 ·  Video

    The Truth About Situational Awareness: Ken Griffin, Citadel & the AI Bubble

    In Episode 347, Chris goes solo and pulls apart one of the wildest Wall Street stories of the year: the near-collapse of Situational Awareness, the AI-focused hedge fund launched by 25-year-old prodigy Leopold Aschenbrenner. What began as a multibillion-dollar bet on the future of artificial intelligence quickly became a masterclass in concentration risk, leverage and what happens when Silicon Valley confidence runs headfirst into experienced Wall Street operators. From FTX and OpenAI to a brutal margin call, a massive portfolio sale to Ken Griffin’s Citadel and a suspiciously well-timed rebound in the very stocks that had just been crushed, Chris walks through the timeline, separates the facts from the theories and asks the question nobody wants to answer: was this simply reckless risk management—or did one of the smartest young minds in AI get completely outplayed? 💥 Have you left your "honest ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️" review? This episode is proudly brought to you by Fridays. Because real wealth starts with your health. If you want to feel sharper, stronger, and more in control, visit joinfridays.com and use code HIGHER for an exclusive discount. 📩 NEWSLETTER: https://tr.ee/O6FWkv 👕 THS MERCH: http://www.thspod.com 🔗 Resources: The loss of Situational Awareness (The Verge) Meta’s New AI strategy (Bloomberg TV via Instagram) Don’t use leverage an ability to weather the dip (Yahoo! Finance via Instagram ) Bubble is much bigger (Bloomberg TV via Instagram) Equity issuance problem (ProfG Markets via Instagram) ⚠️ Disclaimer: Please note that the content shared on this show is solely for entertainment purposes and should not be considered legal or investment advice or attributed to any company. The views and opinions expressed are personal and not reflective of any entity. We do not guarantee the accuracy or completeness of the information provided, and listeners are urged to seek professional advice before making any legal or financial decisions. By listening to The Higher Standard podcast you agree to these terms, and the show, its hosts and employees are not liable for any consequences arising from your use of the content.

    The Truth About Situational Awareness: Ken Griffin, Citadel & the AI Bubble

  7. Jul 28 ·  Video

    How AI Will Be The Catalyst For A Recession

    Five years, 345 episodes and one painfully empty chair later, THS enters its next era. Chris is back behind the mic with Rajeil riding shotgun, a laptop full of charts and a thesis Wall Street is not going to enjoy: the next recession may not begin with housing or the Fed—it may begin when America’s trillion-dollar AI buildout collides with cheaper, open-weight Chinese models. From market corrections and oil shocks to data-center tax breaks, Enron-style debt structures, exploding token costs, Kimi K3 and an unreleased AI agent that reportedly escaped containment, this episode asks whether the technology holding up the market could also be the thing that breaks it. Same Higher Standard, fewer people playing footsie under the table. 💥 Have you left your "honest ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️" review? This episode is proudly brought to you by Fridays. Because real wealth starts with your health. If you want to feel sharper, stronger, and more in control, visit joinfridays.com and use code HIGHER for an exclusive discount. 📩 NEWSLETTER: https://tr.ee/O6FWkv 👕 THS MERCH: http://www.thspod.com 🔗 Resources: Is a Market Correction Coming? (2026 outlook, Fed hike odds context) (U.S. Bank ) How sustainable is the AI rally? Jefferies weighs in (Jefferies via Investing(dot)com) Enron Level Scandal (Prof G Markets) Moonshot’s Kimi K3 Model (Atlas Berry via Instagram) ⚠️ Disclaimer: Please note that the content shared on this show is solely for entertainment purposes and should not be considered legal or investment advice or attributed to any company. The views and opinions expressed are personal and not reflective of any entity. We do not guarantee the accuracy or completeness of the information provided, and listeners are urged to seek professional advice before making any legal or financial decisions. By listening to The Higher Standard podcast you agree to these terms, and the show, its hosts and employees are not liable for any consequences arising from your use of the content.

    How AI Will Be The Catalyst For A Recession

  8. Jul 21 ·  Video

    Saied’s Final Episode: The End of an Era, CPI Shock & the Fed’s AI Gamble

    After five years, 345 episodes, countless laughs, arguments, predictions, detours and unforgettable moments, this episode marks the end of an era for The Higher Standard. Saied is stepping away from the show to begin an important new chapter in his life, and while we are incredibly proud of him, there is no pretending this is not a painful and deeply emotional moment. THS was never just a podcast… it was a friendship, a partnership and a community built one conversation at a time. To every listener who welcomed Saied into their week, supported the show and grew alongside us, thank you. This is not goodbye. It is simply “I’ll see you later.” We love you brother, and The Higher Standard will always be your home. 💥 Have you left your "honest ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️" review? This episode is proudly brought to you by Fridays. Because real wealth starts with your health. If you want to feel sharper, stronger, and more in control, visit joinfridays.com and use code HIGHER for an exclusive discount. 📩 NEWSLETTER: https://tr.ee/O6FWkv 👕 THS MERCH: http://www.thspod.com 🔗 Resources: CPI came in light, everyone is excited, but should they bet? (CNBC via Christopher Naghibi) Federal Reserve Chairman Kevin Warsh says he is focused on the central bank's 2% inflation target (Bloomberg TV via X) Fed Chairman Kevin Warsh says "America will be richer" (Yahoo! Finance via X) Who gave you $100 million right before you were sworn in? (Bloomberg via X) Stripe, Advent International make $53 billion offer to take over PayPal (Yahoo! Finance) Chuck Schumer seemingly rips a loud fart on Senate floor (TMZ via X) ⚠️ Disclaimer: Please note that the content shared on this show is solely for entertainment purposes and should not be considered legal or investment advice or attributed to any company. The views and opinions expressed are personal and not reflective of any entity. We do not guarantee the accuracy or completeness of the information provided, and listeners are urged to seek professional advice before making any legal or financial decisions. By listening to The Higher Standard podcast you agree to these terms, and the show, its hosts and employees are not liable for any consequences arising from your use of the content.

    Saied’s Final Episode: The End of an Era, CPI Shock & the Fed’s AI Gamble
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Hosts & Guests

4.9
out of 5
284 Ratings

About

Welcome to the Higher Standard Podcast, where we give you ultra-premium, unfiltered truth when it comes to building your wealth and curating the lifestyle of your dreams. Your hosts; Chris Naghibi and Saied Omar here to help you distill the immense amount of information and disinformation out there on the interwebs and give you the opportunity to choose a higher standard for yourself. Sit back, relax your mind and get ready for a different kind of podcast where we elevate your baseline with crispy high-resolution audio. This isn't a different standard. It's the higher standard.

Information

  • Creator
    Chris Naghibi & Saied Omar
  • Years Active
    2021 - 2026
  • Episodes
    200
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Copyright Black Crown Inc.
  • Show Website
    The Higher Standard

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