British entrepreneur and investor Steven Bartlett launched his podcast, Diary of a CEO, in 2017. He quickly found an audience in the tech world, which gave him access to a wide range of celebrities and businesspeople from various domains. By 2024, the podcast became one of the top 5 in the world, netting Bartlett and his team a reported $25M this year alone.

Yet as Bartlett’s star rose, his guest list began becoming more and more suspect. Pertinent to our beat, contrarian wellness influencers and philosophers appeared, spreading Covid conspiracies and health misinformation. In his role as curious everyman, Bartlett rarely challenged their narratives, sometimes playing along with their conspiratorial hot takes to an audience in the millions.

We look at a few conspiritualist crossovers this week, and discuss what it really takes to become a top 5 podcaster—and the information and integrity that’s sacrificed along the way.

Show Notes

The Canonization of St. Luigi

Sacred Heart of Luigi hanging up at Vito's Pizza

Extremist “Saints Culture”

Catholic ethicists condemn ‘indifference to suffering’ shown by those celebrating Luigi Mangione

41% of young voters say UnitedHealthcare CEO killing "acceptable"

69% Blame CEO Murder on US Healthcare System

Mainstreaming of Violent Accelerationism

December Wave 2 2024 AmeriSpeak Omnibus | NORC at the University of Chicago

Steven Bartlett sharing harmful health misinformation in Diary of CEO podcast

What the Most Famous Book About Trauma Gets Wrong

Teal Swan Collection—Patreon