672 - H.L. Hunt - Part Two

Summary

Podcast Summary: The Dollop with Dave Anthony and Gareth Reynolds Episode: 672 - H.L. Hunt - Part Two
Release Date: February 25, 2025
Host/Authors: Dave Anthony and Gareth Reynolds
Podcast Description: Comedians Dave Anthony and Gareth Reynolds pick a subject from history each week and examine it in their unique, humorous style.

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Introduction

In Episode 672 of The Dollop, titled "H.L. Hunt - Part Two," hosts Dave Anthony and Gareth Reynolds delve deeper into the tumultuous life of H.L. Hunt, a prominent figure in the American oil industry. Following their initial exploration of Hunt's rise to wealth, this episode continues to unravel the complexities of his personal and professional endeavors.

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H.L. Hunt’s Dual Life and Business Expansion

The episode picks up with Hunt juggling his familial responsibilities and expanding his oil empire. Hunt maintained two separate residences for his two wives, Lyda and Frania, each unaware of the other's existence. Dave humorously notes, "He started two oil companies called HL Hunt Incorporated and the Tenable Oil Company" ([03:16]).

Hunt's business acumen was evident as he drilled approximately 900 oil wells in two years, significantly boosting his wealth. Gareth highlights Hunt’s relentless pursuit of expansion: "He sinks one well after another in the field. Every one of them is striking oil" ([09:49]).

Quote Highlight:

"Money doesn't mean anything to me. It's only the way you keep score." – H.L. Hunt ([33:07])

This quote underscores Hunt's insatiable drive not just for wealth but for dominance within the oil industry.

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Personal Turmoil and Family Struggles

Hunt's personal life was rife with conflict, primarily due to his bigamous relationships. His eldest son, Hassi Hunt, struggled with severe mental health issues, exacerbated by his father's neglect and high expectations. The duo discusses how Hunt's absence and focus on business contributed to Hassi's volatile behavior:

"HL splits his time between the two homes. Neither Lyda nor Frania felt like HL was ever coming home." ([06:17])

Hassi's desperation to gain his father's approval led to violent outbursts and strained family dynamics. Hunt's inability to connect with his children on a personal level is a recurring theme, illustrating the tragic cost of his ambition.

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Political Maneuvering and Anti-Communist Sentiments

As Hunt's influence grew, so did his involvement in politics, particularly his staunch anti-communist stance. Influenced by his lawyer, Sydney Latham, Hunt sought to leverage his wealth to sway political outcomes. A pivotal moment in the episode recounts Hunt's interaction with Senator Joseph McCarthy:

"He [H.L. Hunt] was trying to choose the President of the United States, if you can imagine a rich guy doing that." ([76:01])

Hunt's efforts to manipulate political power culminated in the creation of the Fax Forum, a media network designed to propagate anti-communist messages. Despite his attempts, Hunt faced setbacks when his plans to influence the Republican convention against Eisenhower failed, leading to personal disappointment and further entrenchment in anti-communist rhetoric.

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Tragedies and Legal Battles

Hunt's business practices did not come without consequences. The episode details a catastrophic explosion at a Texas school in 1937 caused by a gas leak from Hunt's Parade Gasoline line, resulting in significant loss of life. Despite the tragedy, Hunt managed to avert legal repercussions:

"A lawsuit was brought against several parties, including Parade Gasoline, but in the end, all were found not guilty." ([37:00])

This incident not only highlights the dangers associated with unregulated oil drilling practices of the time but also Hunt's ability to navigate legal challenges, further solidifying his empire.

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H.L. Hunt's Legacy and Final Struggles

Towards the episode's conclusion, Hunt's relentless pursuit of power and wealth begins to take a toll. His attempt to influence national politics only strengthens his reputation as a domineering and manipulative figure. The personal cost becomes apparent as his relationships deteriorate, both within his family and in broader societal contexts.

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Notable Quotes with Timestamps

• On Business Strategy:

  "He made sure to expand his operations to Louisiana, which gave him a good excuse to keep visiting Frania." – Dave Anthony ([03:40])

• On Personal Neglect:

  "Neither Lyda nor Frania felt like HL was ever coming home." – Dave Anthony ([06:17])

• On Hassi's Turmoil:

  "Hassi would often lose control and storm into the house in a violent rage, screaming and smashing things." – Gareth Reynolds ([24:26])

• On Political Ambitions:

  "He [H.L. Hunt] was trying to choose the President of the United States, if you can imagine a rich guy doing that." – Dave Anthony ([76:01])

• On Tragic Consequences:

  "A lawsuit was brought against several parties, including Parade Gasoline, but in the end, all were found not guilty." – Dave Anthony ([37:00])

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Conclusion

Episode 672 of The Dollop paints a vivid portrait of H.L. Hunt, exploring the intricate interplay between his formidable business ventures and his tumultuous personal life. Through witty banter and insightful commentary, Dave Anthony and Gareth Reynolds shed light on the complexities of a man whose ambition knew no bounds, ultimately questioning the true cost of unbridled capitalism.

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Sources Referenced in the Episode:

• Kingdom the Story of the Hunt Family of Texas by Brittany Cohen Brown
• H.L. Hunt's Good Long Goodbye in Texas Monthly by Bill Porterfield
• Kingdom the Story of the Hunt Family of Texas by Drum Tussiel

Transcript

[Dave Anthony]

We're going on tour. And this is.

[Gareth Reynolds]

It's been a while.

[Dave Anthony]

March 2025 is when our tour is happening. First of all, we're going to Tempe, Arizona, maybe our favorite city of all time.

[Gareth Reynolds]

It's the best.

[Dave Anthony]

That is on March 16th. And then we go to Albuquerque, New Mexico, maybe our favorite city ever, we've ever gone to. That's on March 17th. And then we go to Oklahoma City.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Which is our fav. We often say that it's our number one.

[Dave Anthony]

Yeah, it's our number one. The best city I've ever been to. That's on March 18th. On March 19th, we're going to be in Tulsa, Oklahoma, our favorite city, without question. And then we head to Dallas, Texas on March 20th.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Our favorite city.

[Dave Anthony]

There's never been a better city than better.

[Gareth Reynolds]

If you don't like it, you're a Dallas hole.

[Dave Anthony]

Thank you. And then we go to Houston, Texas on March 21. City, which is by far the best city. And then we end our tour in Austin, Texas on March 22nd at the Cap City Comedy Club.

[Gareth Reynolds]

It's the best city in the entire world. Number one city in the world.

[Dave Anthony]

You can get [e-mail] tour. You're listening to the Dollop. This is an American history podcast where each week I, Dave Anthony, read a story from American history to a goober, Gareth Reynolds.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Thanks, Dave. Who has no idea what the topic is going to be about.

[Dave Anthony]

You do when you're on camera. Cuz it's not great.

[Gareth Reynolds]

What?

[Dave Anthony]

Just the whole thing.

[Gareth Reynolds]

What do you mean? Different looks. Glasses, different looks. I mean people. I want people to go to Patreon to see what I'm up to. And also go to. Go to my. Go to. Go to. Yeah, I mean, just go to my influence page. Go. Go my. Check me out on Tik Tok. I'm doing a lot of stuff. I'm street groper to my Tik Tok.

[Dave Anthony]

I mean it's. We're going to be on tour. We're going.

[Gareth Reynolds]

I won't promote that on here anymore.

[Dave Anthony]

We're. We're going to Sim Cities in March, next month or this month. I don't know. This is going to come out. So we're going to go to Tempe and then Albuquerque. Where? Albuquerque. We've added a second show which is like a best of show. And then we're going to go to Atlantic City and Tulsa. Tulsa, not Atlantic City, sorry. Oklahoma City and Tulsa and then Dallas and Houston and Austin and then we're.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Gonna go to D.C. and we're gonna take back the White House. Yeah. DallasPodcast.com also join a Patreon. Also, we got to do the Seagal watch. We should do that in, like.

[Dave Anthony]

Yes, we'll do this week or so. Yeah.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Okay.

[Dave Anthony]

February 1926 year by Lord J. Town so when we just left H.L. hunt, he has two wives living 60 miles apart from each other. One wife has a family.

[Gareth Reynolds]

The other wife doesn't know he has a new wife.

[Dave Anthony]

It's just the sexy hot situation.

[Gareth Reynolds]

He doesn't neither know about the other.

[Dave Anthony]

That's right.

[Gareth Reynolds]

That's cool.

[Dave Anthony]

He started two oil companies called HL Hunt Incorporated and the Tenable Oil Company.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Tenable.

[Dave Anthony]

He creates a team of some of the best minds in the oil industry, and all major decisions go through him, though.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Sure.

[Dave Anthony]

He made sure to expand his operations to Louisiana, which gave him a good excuse to keep visiting Frania.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Sure.

[Dave Anthony]

Wife, too, huh. Less than a year after Lyda gave birth to Bunker, Frania gives birth to a little boy named Howard.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Oh, my God.

[Dave Anthony]

So much.

[Gareth Reynolds]

The thing is, it's just like, imagine having two companies.

[Dave Anthony]

I guess if you don't care about the families, it's not exhausting, like.

[Gareth Reynolds]

No, I think it is. I think. I think, regardless, it is. I think it's. I think the. The thing we or most people would think about is the mental burden.

[Dave Anthony]

Yeah.

[Gareth Reynolds]

But even the logistical burden is massive.

[Dave Anthony]

The logistical burden is a nightmare.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Nuts. I watched this show once about Mormons with, like, three wives, three families, and it was it for. I mean, everybody lost.

[Dave Anthony]

Yeah.

[Gareth Reynolds]

All the kids had. Didn't have enough attention from their father. All the wives were pissed and jealous, but the husband would show up, and he would just. It would be the ground floor. Everybody would want to catch up with him, and. And he was just, like. He went from hell to hell to hell.

[Dave Anthony]

Yeah.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Which I guess is the Mormon philosophy is why you go through this here. Because then whatever comes after this is awesome.

[Dave Anthony]

Yeah.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Just be looking forward to death.

[Dave Anthony]

Yeah.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Like you, that Mormon deathbed. You're like, my God, this polygamy is crazy. Not that they're all polygamists.

[Dave Anthony]

So he's tired all the time, I assume.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Yeah.

[Dave Anthony]

Two years later, Franny has another baby, Haroldina.

[Gareth Reynolds]

I. I think you slipped Freudian. And I think that's true, too. Wait, Frania had another child named Frania?

[Dave Anthony]

No, Frannia had a baby named Haroldina.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Oh, my Haroldina.

[Dave Anthony]

I mean, how much do you love yourself now? You're.

[Gareth Reynolds]

You're. Yeah, you're. You're giving her the same. You're adding a. You're like. You're like doing the joke version of your name. Heraldina. Beautiful.

[Dave Anthony]

Oh, God. So four months after that. Oh.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Oh my God. Stop.

[Dave Anthony]

Lenny gives birth to William Herbert, who is their fifth kids. Between the two of them, pull out seven kids.

[Gareth Reynolds]

You know the oil business. Every now and then you get the wells tapped.

[Dave Anthony]

You got to keep gushering. Stop always gushing, God damn it. HL splits his time between the two homes. He's also going off on long business trips and holidays to big time casinos with his buddies. So he's living the life.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Well, he's got. He's got so much money that he's. He's got enough money to not be a human.

[Dave Anthony]

Neither. Neither Lyta or Frania felt like HL was ever coming home. And though Lida had gotten used to just being neglected, Franny is still getting upset. She hasn't broken. She hasn't been broken yet.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Sure.

[Dave Anthony]

To her spirit and her.

[Gareth Reynolds]

This is also a sister wives thing.

[Dave Anthony]

Yeah.

[Gareth Reynolds]

The first one is just sort of like. Becomes dead.

[Dave Anthony]

Yeah, yeah.

[Gareth Reynolds]

The new one is like, this is tough. The dead one's like, this is it.

[Dave Anthony]

And then the third one's like, I'm fresh and new.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Yeah. And then the second one's like, and now I'm the first one.

[Dave Anthony]

HL still seems to only stay in either home long enough to impregnate one of the women and then takes off.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Jesus Christ.

[Dave Anthony]

So he's looking for his next big project and he finds it in Texas.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Okay.

[Dave Anthony]

After scouting around a bit, he makes contact with a man the papers were calling the daddy of the Rusk county oil field. I love it. Daddy. I love it. Daddy.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Daddy.

[Dave Anthony]

Hey, Daddy. His name is Columbus Marion Joyner and he's nicknamed dad. Hey, dad. It's weird, it's just.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Seems good for you to say again.

[Dave Anthony]

Doesn't it feel? No, it doesn't. Because I'm scared that you'll kill him.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Say it again.

[Dave Anthony]

Dad, what are you doing?

[Gareth Reynolds]

Oh, man.

[Dave Anthony]

Well, it's. It's the joy. Take off the glasses so I can see your eyes. No one can see that. No, that was just a joke for me. So dad is a 70 year old oil man who is famous for discovering the enormous East Texas oil field. Okay, so despite Dad's discovery, I hate.

[Gareth Reynolds]

That you get to call him dad.

[Dave Anthony]

And I'm gonna call him Daddy if you keep it up. And the fact that he'd been the first to tap this money spitting resource, he was facing a myriad of lawsuits because he'd solicited too many buyers for interest in his wells.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Okay. So he.

[Dave Anthony]

So people aren't getting enough of a payout because he's gotten too many people to invest. Right. Yeah. So under pressure from HL who has insider knowledge that another one of Dad's wells was about to strike oil.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Okay.

[Dave Anthony]

And because HL is charming and he has constant assurances that dad should give up his business and let HL deal with everything. So he's like, things are getting too hot for dad and. And HL is basically rolling in with a charm and going, hey, man, I'll take this over for you.

[Gareth Reynolds]

What's getting too hot for him?

[Dave Anthony]

Well, there's just two. All the lawsuits and all the, like, it's too much.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Okay.

[Dave Anthony]

So dad sells the whole business to HL Okay. And HL has just bought to what at the time was the largest known oil deposit in the United States and one of the largest in the world.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Okay.

[Dave Anthony]

He got in a really good deal, so he leaned on dad until he gave it up for 1.5 million.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Wow.

[Dave Anthony]

And then shortly after the deal was finalized, dad would be offered 3.5 million by an oil company, but it was too late. Wow.

[Gareth Reynolds]

So. So you got a steal.

[Dave Anthony]

He. Yeah, he worked. Yeah. So HL drills one well after another in the field. Every one of them is striking oil. He sinks roughly 900 oil wells in two years.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Wow. Shit. I mean, crazy.

[Dave Anthony]

Especially when you think about that none of that should be coming out of the ground because it's going to destroy the planet.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Well, but they don't know that, to be fair.

[Dave Anthony]

Not yet, but. Right.

[Gareth Reynolds]

They have no clue.

[Dave Anthony]

They will soon.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Yeah. Well, they will.

[Dave Anthony]

No, by. In 1920. Yeah. There were already news stories of guys, but it was.

[Gareth Reynolds]

It was just like a guy who was like, I don't know. Seems kind of bad.

[Dave Anthony]

Yeah. This doesn't seem good.

[Gareth Reynolds]

It wasn't until like 50s, 60s where people were like, oh, we're getting actual data.

[Dave Anthony]

Yeah. 70s and 80s is what I really. Yeah. Yeah. So.

[Gareth Reynolds]

But still that, you know, it still creates the monopolies.

[Dave Anthony]

You're still like. You're still taking out of the ground. It.

[Gareth Reynolds]

So they. But this. This is the beautiful. This is when we were. This was. This was. This was like oil smoking.

[Dave Anthony]

Well, we're still doing it with just other stuff. We just. We're just taking everything out of the planet being like, whatever, it'll be fine.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Oh, I. Even. Even worse, honestly, we're poisoning water for, like, no reason.

[Dave Anthony]

Water's not that big of A deal.

[Gareth Reynolds]

I agree.

[Dave Anthony]

They have filters.

[Gareth Reynolds]

I agree.

[Dave Anthony]

Put that through some charcoal.

[Gareth Reynolds]

No, I agree. I think you throw three Britas in a river and it's back.

[Dave Anthony]

Thank you. That's why we're introducing our new project britiver.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Yep. River.

[Dave Anthony]

River. And we're gonna just go ahead and get a big one for every river.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Absolutely.

[Dave Anthony]

So I don't know what. People are freaking out.

[Gareth Reynolds]

I was at the beach today, and I don't know what is more depressing when you see. I mean, you've surfed, so you know this, but I. When you see the amount that the. The tide brings in, it's crazy. And you just go, wow. That's like.

[Dave Anthony]

That's a lot.

[Gareth Reynolds]

That's not. People leaving that on the beach. That's the ocean.

[Dave Anthony]

Yeah. The ocean's like.

[Gareth Reynolds]

And that's just the regular cycle of the ocean just being like, here's a Pepsi. I'm the ocean.

[Dave Anthony]

Yeah. One of the things that surfers do is you go to the beach, pick up three pieces of garbage. When you go back to your. That's like a.

[Gareth Reynolds]

They must be grabbing you all the time.

[Dave Anthony]

So the show's over. We'll try to get through this. So he sinks 900 wells. They're all making money.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Good for him.

[Dave Anthony]

Now there's a depression. Stock market collapses in 1929. But he's making tons of money.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Right.

[Dave Anthony]

He's raking in the cash. There's no sign of it slowing down. Oil. There's so much oil that oil is just going to waste. There's just giant oil lakes that are evaporating now.

[Gareth Reynolds]

See this? I don't care for this. I don't care for this idea of you just being like, well, what are you gonna do? Just toss it in a little ravine?

[Dave Anthony]

I mean, that's what fracking is. That's what happens in fracking.

[Gareth Reynolds]

I. I would argue Frank is even worse, but.

[Dave Anthony]

Yeah. No, but I mean, as far as, like, the way.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Just useless.

[Dave Anthony]

Just burn it off.

[Gareth Reynolds]

They're like, yeah.

[Dave Anthony]

He set Frania up in Texas, so she's a little closer. She has another daughter, Helen, in 1930. So he has three kids with her, eight all together.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Oh, my God.

[Dave Anthony]

He also buys a mansion for Lyta and their kids in Tyler, Texas, close to his new business headquarters.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Wow. He's getting. Texas is big, but still gotta have it all. Close.

[Dave Anthony]

Yeah. LI soon gives birth to their sixth kid.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Jesus Christ.

[Dave Anthony]

Lamar Hunt.

[Gareth Reynolds]

So he is nine. Lamar Hunt. I've heard that name. Is that a senator?

[Dave Anthony]

It might be. It might be.

[Gareth Reynolds]

So that bell's ringing.

[Dave Anthony]

Yeah. Yeah. That sounds like senator. After dealing with hundreds of lawsuits of. From dads that he'd been faced with after buying him out. He wins everyone.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Okay. Wow.

[Dave Anthony]

And he continues to expand.

[Gareth Reynolds]

So that investment was huge, obviously.

[Dave Anthony]

Yeah.

[Gareth Reynolds]

That was a game changer.

[Dave Anthony]

His oil company just keeps drilling.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Oh yeah. This is his dad.

[Dave Anthony]

Yeah.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Yep.

[Dave Anthony]

So his. His oil company keeps drilling while his pipeline company sense as well. So the refineries. And it begins trying to have a bit more influence over his employees personal.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Lives because well, as a boss. As a boss should be able.

[Dave Anthony]

You don't get to just go home and do things.

[Gareth Reynolds]

No, no, no.

[Dave Anthony]

Or do stuff that I don't like.

[Gareth Reynolds]

I'm your boss idea. I. I mean, are you a team player?

[Dave Anthony]

Speaking of team player. You guys are all gonna form softball teams?

[Gareth Reynolds]

Yep. Listeners.

[Dave Anthony]

No. Yes, the listeners.

[Gareth Reynolds]

So. So I guess we didn't know how to.

[Dave Anthony]

To bring this up, but we need everybody who's.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Well, let's. Let's do the soft intro. We really appreciate all the support for the. The dollop over the years. And we're going to. We've decided we're going to split all of our listenership into softball teams. And you're forced to join them if you're hearing this. You are part of a softball team.

[Dave Anthony]

Y.

[Gareth Reynolds]

We're just kind of figuring out the right districting and. And we're really excited. So thank you for being a part of that. And it's just kind of extension of this world. And you listen to this show. So you're going to play softball on behalf of it.

[Dave Anthony]

And the league is called Softballs.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Yeah, it's called Softballs. And the S at the end is actually a Z and it's kind of fallen off the last L and it's called Softballs. And it's going to be a bit goofy and. And we're going to enjoy it. And you're going to do it and you're going to do it for free. And you're going to do it because we tell you to do it.

[Dave Anthony]

And if you're come. If you're.

[Gareth Reynolds]

And if you're come. Yeah, if you're come, we all are come. Like Dave's point is very basic right here. We're all come. Okay. We were all come. We're all a load out of our dad and. And then you came to us and now you're part of us and we own you a little bit. So, you know, you all come.

[Dave Anthony]

Yeah, you're all come. I just. I mean that was Maybe a separate point, but I.

[Gareth Reynolds]

No, it's important. It's important to point out that we're all. We were all come.

[Dave Anthony]

Yeah. I just want to put that.

[Gareth Reynolds]

We were all come.

[Dave Anthony]

Yeah.

[Gareth Reynolds]

And I. And I. And I'll tell you what. Yeah, I yelled that at my mom.

[Dave Anthony]

Sure. It went bad. Now you're still breastfeeding, right?

[Gareth Reynolds]

I have to.

[Dave Anthony]

Yeah.

[Gareth Reynolds]

I'm a card shark. But that. Well's not producing anymore, so. By the way, the Benji thing, every. Every show, after the show.

[Dave Anthony]

Yeah. Three to four people that really hit.

[Gareth Reynolds]

It hit hard. I'm like. When people do it, I'm like, I can't actually fight off Benji and Gary. So I'm afraid I'm not fighting Benji.

[Dave Anthony]

So he starts telling his employees. Well, he forbids them from gambling and drinking.

[Gareth Reynolds]

So which is what he does.

[Dave Anthony]

Which is.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Of course, this is the pre. This is the preacher.

[Dave Anthony]

Well, he's saying because there's depression on that's, you know, unseemly. You shouldn't be doing that.

[Gareth Reynolds]

He's saying that because he wants their money to.

[Dave Anthony]

No, there's a depression. So it's just.

[Gareth Reynolds]

He doesn't like the optics.

[Dave Anthony]

Yeah, the optics of his employees out gambling when there's a depression on is bad. So he doesn't want that. And having fun with drinking. But HL and a few employees regularly do both at the office.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Right. It's like, it's. It's a very similar to the Boris Johnson cheese party.

[Dave Anthony]

Yes. So HL is spending more and more time.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Some French laundry.

[Dave Anthony]

Yeah. So he is spending more and more time away from his families while Lyda has accepted that's how things are. Frania is begging him to spend more time at home.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Well, she's in the early lie deal.

[Dave Anthony]

She hasn't been broken yet.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Yeah, right. Exactly right.

[Dave Anthony]

So much so that he gets annoyed with all this.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Yeah, it is annoying. Yeah, it is annoying.

[Dave Anthony]

I want to be out gambling and.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Partying, by the way, my advice, get.

[Dave Anthony]

A third who's making the money.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Yeah. Honestly, leave me alone.

[Dave Anthony]

Yeah, Bring in another one. Yeah, you're right.

[Gareth Reynolds]

I do a third.

[Dave Anthony]

So she's really annoyed and he. Because she's nagging. So when I'm kind of nagging because she's nagging so much, he's starting to, you know, drift away from her a little bit.

[Gareth Reynolds]

It's too much. It's a lot.

[Dave Anthony]

Yes.

[Gareth Reynolds]

She's really, you know, I mean, take a hint. I don't want to be in this like that. If I want made you think I Wanted this level of commitment. The marriage, the kids, the house. Jesus Christ, lady. Take a hint.

[Dave Anthony]

He's been. They've been married for nine years now.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Sure.

[Dave Anthony]

She never suspects that he has a whole other family, Dave.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Why would she?

[Dave Anthony]

Well, and then one day there's a newspaper.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Oh my God.

[Dave Anthony]

And in the newspaper is a photo of her husband Franklin, who is now identified as HL Hunt, with a 16 year old boy next to him who was called Hassi Hunt, his oldest son. And so she's like, what the. Ah, man, you can see how that would be a problem.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Yeah, but it's also the level of ego to kind of be like out and about. Like it's just crazy to be living a life where your. Your pictures taken, you're out and about. Socialite.

[Dave Anthony]

He's probably the richest man in Texas. Right?

[Gareth Reynolds]

Right.

[Dave Anthony]

So you're fucking going to be in.

[Gareth Reynolds]

The paper at some point. She's going to find out for sure.

[Dave Anthony]

So Frania, at this point, when she sees the paper, she's very pregnant with their fourth kid.

[Gareth Reynolds]

So that is 10.

[Dave Anthony]

Yeah, his 10th.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Wow.

[Dave Anthony]

Their fourth. And so she's even hearing this.

[Gareth Reynolds]

It's imagining elon getting to 13.

[Dave Anthony]

Well, he's not doing it naturally.

[Gareth Reynolds]

No, not all of them.

[Dave Anthony]

Some are, I think just one.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Yeah.

[Dave Anthony]

Rumor is, is that he.

[Gareth Reynolds]

He's a flinger.

[Dave Anthony]

No, rumor is puts it in his.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Hand and he throws it. No, he's called slingshotting.

[Dave Anthony]

No.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Yeah, he does.

[Dave Anthony]

Rumor is that he has. He had tried to get a penis extender surgery and his stop penis is stop ruined.

[Gareth Reynolds]

He tried to get a penis enlargement surgery.

[Dave Anthony]

The rumor is that his penis is broken.

[Gareth Reynolds]

So it wasn't Elon.

[Dave Anthony]

So it like gets hard like this now. Like it's a sideways and it hurts. So he doesn't. Yeah, so that's the rumor.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Oh man, we're all dying because of it. We're all dying because of a little dick. It's always a little dick.

[Dave Anthony]

It is. It's always a dick problem. Okay, so Franny's obviously devastated when she sees the picture.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Sure.

[Dave Anthony]

And then she gives birth to their son Hugh, who hug.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Mistake.

[Dave Anthony]

And then she takes off.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Okay.

[Dave Anthony]

She leaves, she goes to New York with her four kids and Hl promises to pay for everything, housing, upkeep, everything.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Has she confronted him?

[Dave Anthony]

I think she must have, right?

[Gareth Reynolds]

Yeah, she had to.

[Dave Anthony]

She's like, I'm going to New York. Yeah, you're fucker. So to ward off any future lawsuits.

[Gareth Reynolds]

From her, which is the main concern, not the emotional aspect.

[Dave Anthony]

Thank You? Yeah. Where am I at legally? And the money? What's with the money? And to. She wants to ensure that her kids get their fair share of the wealth. So he creates trusts for each of his six children with Lydia. Lyda. Sorry. And those trusts, each child receives shares of HL's oil and pipeline companies, keeping them. Keeping them safe from his children with Frania.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Okay, wait, so he's. What he's doing is he's worried about, like, Lyta has sort of died internally.

[Dave Anthony]

Light is.

[Gareth Reynolds]

So he's now, like, I want to make sure those kids are okay because Frania might actually come after all. Come after everyone and take away their. Their.

[Dave Anthony]

Yeah, basically. So according to Frania, HL tried to make her sign a document that said she was never married to him to avoid being revealed as a bigamist.

[Gareth Reynolds]

I do that. I would do that on the knee, like a proposal.

[Dave Anthony]

I do that on the first date.

[Gareth Reynolds]

I would. No, I would. At this point, you look. You're way behind.

[Dave Anthony]

Okay.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Now.

[Dave Anthony]

Yeah.

[Gareth Reynolds]

So now what you do is you drop. Down you go. Will you make me the most relieved man in the world and sign a document that says that you don't really. That you knew I was a bigamist.

[Dave Anthony]

I will get over here. Okay. So for Lyda, who it sounds like found out around the same time.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Right.

[Dave Anthony]

Things are frostier.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Sure.

[Dave Anthony]

Than normal.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Sure.

[Dave Anthony]

She's not speaking to him directly anymore, and she instead would give her daughter messages to give him.

[Gareth Reynolds]

I like that.

[Dave Anthony]

Which is how. The best way to raise kids.

[Gareth Reynolds]

I like that.

[Dave Anthony]

That's the best way to raise kids.

[Gareth Reynolds]

I like that.

[Dave Anthony]

Yeah.

[Gareth Reynolds]

I like that.

[Dave Anthony]

That you'll find that Dr. Spock always says that if the parents aren't talking, have the children bring messages back and forth.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Yeah. So does Dr.

[Dave Anthony]

It's healthy.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Absolutely. Yeah. Give them something to do.

[Dave Anthony]

Yeah.

[Gareth Reynolds]

It's great.

[Dave Anthony]

Yeah. So both. So they stop calling the. The Hunt and. And Lida. They stop calling each other by their first names, and they start using Mr. Or Mrs. Hunt from now on.

[Gareth Reynolds]

I love that she's keeping his name for this.

[Dave Anthony]

Right.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Yeah. It's like you would go. You know what I mean? You'd be like, I'd be Mrs. Hunt. She has more ownership over you.

[Dave Anthony]

So this is hard on the family.

[Gareth Reynolds]

What part. What aspect of this is.

[Dave Anthony]

Mostly it's most hard on Hassi because now has. He's not right. Remember, he was the kid that wasn't right.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Yeah. Right. He's the oldest, the one in the paper.

[Dave Anthony]

I think he probably was the one in the paper. Yeah. So he is really desperate to please his dad, who doesn't really take any notice of him.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Right.

[Dave Anthony]

Other than to tell him he can't do certain things like play football.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Right.

[Dave Anthony]

HL had heard it was rough on the kidneys, so he wouldn't let Hassi play football.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Now, kidneys the big part.

[Dave Anthony]

Kidneys is 75 of football players. Kidneys explode in high school.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Yeah. That's why they make them wear that guardian cap over there.

[Dave Anthony]

Yeah, the kidney cap.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Yep.

[Dave Anthony]

An extremely intelligent boy who some people swore had a sixth sense, Hassi would often lose control and storm to the house in a violent rage, screaming and smashing things.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Now, let me ask you this because. Because we're just a couple of guys sitting in a little room. You think that this. This sort of. The fact that his dad was never around, do you think that had anything to do with this violence?

[Dave Anthony]

Why would that have anything to do with it?

[Gareth Reynolds]

I just wonder if he's missing the fraternal love. And, and, and, you know, and, and, and it's not like. It's just he's an only child and his mother raises him. I mean, he has many other siblings and he's the eldest, so he's probably feeling each birth that, you know, the love is getting weaker and weaker and watered down more and more from. Do you think that that nurture had anything to do or lack thereof?

[Dave Anthony]

You look like a guy in a band in a 90s documentary about your band. That's what you look like.

[Gareth Reynolds]

I remember when we were doing the episode on the hunts and it was, like, quite difficult for me at the time. I was on a lot of H myself. Do you want these off?

[Dave Anthony]

What. What movie is that from? There's a movie.

[Gareth Reynolds]

The Jerk.

[Dave Anthony]

The Jerk. Right. Okay.

[Gareth Reynolds]

So this story reminds me a little.

[Dave Anthony]

A little bit. Yeah. Yeah. Okay. So by the time has. He's 17, his. His rage has. Is now focused completely on HL as it should be. Yeah. So they start having fights, like, physical fights.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Yeah. It's great. By the way. You know this. It's great to beat up your dad.

[Dave Anthony]

Yeah, yeah. Hassi is. They're pretty much the same size at that point.

[Gareth Reynolds]

And he's a younger version.

[Dave Anthony]

Yeah. I think Finn's. Finn's, like, all buffed now. So it's.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Will you fight him?

[Dave Anthony]

No. He could, I think.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Will you fight him?

[Dave Anthony]

Yes, I will, if you put it that way.

[Gareth Reynolds]

That's my guy.

[Dave Anthony]

Eventually. Eventually. Eventually, eventually. Despite Lyta begging him not to, HL sent Hassie away to A military academy where he would learn some discipline. Because he's a punk.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Absolutely.

[Dave Anthony]

Because, oh my daddy.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Well, that's where I learned to love and respect his dad.

[Dave Anthony]

So when has he comes back? Hl decide to. To now see Hassi, see if he can do well in the business, and he gives him a job at his Penrod drilling company. That's what you do?

[Gareth Reynolds]

Penrod, sure.

[Dave Anthony]

So has he was supposed to find local oil companies and offer them access to Penrod's drilling facilities for a fee. So he hits the ground running and soon he has a meeting with a company and he seals the deal.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Okay. Pretty good nailing. Nice.

[Dave Anthony]

But that's did not. What should have happened has he is undermined and behind his back, HL calls the oil company that he made the deal with and says the deal's off because the offer has he had accepted was too low.

[Gareth Reynolds]

It's embarrassing.

[Dave Anthony]

So now has he is furious. Goes into one of his. Maybe the worst rage he's ever had.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Okay.

[Dave Anthony]

And this time he does it in front of everyone at the office.

[Gareth Reynolds]

He's an.

[Dave Anthony]

This is what we call a musk. Remember the Musk brothers would fight in the office all the time.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Oh, stop. That was just because one of them tried to get his dick made bigger and it went wrong. Can you imagine waking up from a penis surgery that didn't work? Right? Like. Like you're just like, how did it go? Well, look, have you seen the movie Sideways? We were trying to. We were trying to go a lot bigger, and I told you there might be complications. The rod that we were putting in there, actually, if I think it damaged a lot of the nerves, you're a lot of the.

[Dave Anthony]

So how much bigger is it?

[Gareth Reynolds]

It's. It's.

[Dave Anthony]

It's not as big. Did it not work at all? About the same size.

[Gareth Reynolds]

It's, It's. Here's what it is. It's.

[Dave Anthony]

Am I. Am I going to be. I mean, it's five inches.

[Gareth Reynolds]

So, so. So imagine we were going for eight.

[Dave Anthony]

And I want.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Let me finish talking before you. You jump in here. So imagine if you put like a big thermometer inside of a hot dog.

[Dave Anthony]

Okay.

[Gareth Reynolds]

And.

[Dave Anthony]

Go on.

[Gareth Reynolds]

And when you put the thermometer in it, the thermometer moved around a lot.

[Dave Anthony]

Okay.

[Gareth Reynolds]

And so it's not a. It's a filet over a hot dog now. So it's sort of splayed like. Like two canoes glued together like a kaglu. And neither can go on water. What is that?

[Dave Anthony]

He's saying they can't get wet.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Well, incidentally, it shouldn't, but. But also, it's going to be a little.

[Dave Anthony]

That was the whole point.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Yeah. No, I know. We were saying this. During it, the whole. The whole blueprint got jacked up. I. So it is bigger, sideways, wider and sideways. Er.

[Dave Anthony]

So it's like a mushroom.

[Gareth Reynolds]

It's like if a weathervane. A mushroom.

[Dave Anthony]

Oh, my God. That doesn't make sense.

[Gareth Reynolds]

I know. And then you see it and you go, that is what it is.

[Dave Anthony]

Yeah.

[Gareth Reynolds]

We came up with a bunch of pitches for what it might actually be.

[Dave Anthony]

Did you think about fixing it instead?

[Gareth Reynolds]

We tried. It just made it worse. So it's kind of like. What do we say? Like if a compass banged an elbow.

[Dave Anthony]

That doesn't make sense.

[Gareth Reynolds]

I know, but when you see it, you're gonna go, oh, okay. It's like if a ruined pool noodle had a helmet.

[Dave Anthony]

That doesn't make sense.

[Gareth Reynolds]

I know. Okay, but then you'll see it. You'll go, okay. Yeah, yeah. So it's a lot like that. Like, imagine if. If a dumbbell fell on a Twinkie.

[Dave Anthony]

That. That makes sense.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Okay. It's a lot like that.

[Dave Anthony]

That's terrible.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Yeah. No, it is crazy. It is crazy.

[Dave Anthony]

I feel like a doctor shouldn't use crazy.

[Gareth Reynolds]

We shot for the moon and we hit the neighbor's yard. Okay, okay, okay. Anyway, Elon, I'm sure you won't be compensating for this in any way going forward.

[Dave Anthony]

So HL can't have Hassi flipping out in the office. And he thinks, well, college will calm him down.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Keep sending him places.

[Dave Anthony]

So he goes to the University of Texas. Okay, but that doesn't go well either. Sure has. He's very smart. But he doesn't put any of the brain power towards passing classes. He spends his time building his own radio transmitter and then figures out how to use it to either jam stations. He doesn't like this is. Or even to cut off live broadcasts and give a spin on the topic at hand.

[Gareth Reynolds]

I like that a lot. I like that a lot. I actually like the kid.

[Dave Anthony]

I like him.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Yeah, I like the kid. Now he also starts college boy.

[Dave Anthony]

He also starts gathering up oil leases on his own, completely on his own. And shows like a supernatural talent for finding oil.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Okay.

[Dave Anthony]

His instincts are so good that HL hires him again. This time he was supposed to go out and find oil wells for HL's companies.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Huh? Right. Seems like a natural move.

[Dave Anthony]

Not that he needs more wells. He doesn't need more oil company wells.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Right.

[Dave Anthony]

He is richer than ever. He's getting richer by the day. By October 1936. I remember this is the middle of the Depression.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Depression, yeah.

[Dave Anthony]

He's worth an estimated 100 million.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Oh, my God.

[Dave Anthony]

In that money, it'd be 2 billion today.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Two billion?

[Dave Anthony]

Yeah.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Wow.

[Dave Anthony]

But he's not satisfied.

[Gareth Reynolds]

No, of course not.

[Dave Anthony]

Money was never his goal. It's. It's the gambling. It's taking the chances.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Yeah, right.

[Dave Anthony]

It's what he's drawn to. He once said, quote, money doesn't mean anything to me. It's only the way you keep score.

[Gareth Reynolds]

But that is.

[Dave Anthony]

That's something I've heard other people say.

[Gareth Reynolds]

And that is a. That is a. I join the Patreon to see what Dave just had to move the chair. But that, that really is a lot of it. But I also think that's an easy thing to say after you've made millions and millions of dollars. Where you go. The money, that really is the cutoff point. When you go. The money doesn't mean anything to me. That's when you go. That's where you stop.

[Dave Anthony]

Yeah, yeah, that's right.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Now you're done.

[Dave Anthony]

Yeah, we'll just stop doing it.

[Gareth Reynolds]

10 million.

[Dave Anthony]

Well, go gamble then. Like actually take money and go.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Yeah, go do that. Yeah, go. Put it back in the system somehow.

[Dave Anthony]

But he's always looking for new revenue streams.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Yes.

[Dave Anthony]

He doesn't stop. He buys half an oil refinery. Parade, which he renamed, which he renames Parade Gasoline. And then that company becomes known in part for terrible disaster.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Sure.

[Dave Anthony]

So in March 18, in March 1937, there's this giant explosion in New London, Texas, at a school. Bodies are thrown through the air. Parents run to the school. 294 dead, 280 year kids. So it's incredibly violent explosion. Some kids were never found. The next day, HL, Lyda and HL's associates visit the families of the dead kids. And he would peel off bills out of his pocket and give it to the parents, saying, quote, you'll probably be able to use this. And they go to the next home and do the same thing. So he's just.

[Gareth Reynolds]

That is. Here's what's. That is so dark. And then what's even darker is that. That is kind of the model. And then what's even darker is that it kind of isn't.

[Dave Anthony]

Yeah, yeah. So it turns out that the school's superintendent, who had a kill, a kid killed in the blast, was siphoning gas from HL's parade gasoline line. So the school could have free gas.

[Gareth Reynolds]

So when people ask, why are you opposed to capitalism? What do you say?

[Dave Anthony]

Well, I'd say 294 people will be alive because the gas should actually just be free. Free. And part of. For. It's a school. It's a school, so the school should be getting gas for free.

[Gareth Reynolds]

And to the point we were making in the first episode, it's like if he didn't have this compulsion that he talked about, it's like a lot of that oil would have remained in the ground and wouldn't have just been barreled for no reason or lost for no reason. And, you know, potentially, you know, there is. There is a. It would be interesting to see the world we lived in if we had found a way of using fossil fuels in conjunction with moderation and ways of offsetting, real offsetting, not just saying plant trees.

[Dave Anthony]

Right?

[Gareth Reynolds]

Yeah.

[Dave Anthony]

Yeah, that'd be something.

[Gareth Reynolds]

A girl could dream. Can she.

[Dave Anthony]

So this siphoning off of gas, it wasn't uncommon.

[Gareth Reynolds]

It's called drinking milkshakes.

[Dave Anthony]

It was dangerous, but not uncommon. This type of gas, called casing head gas, was very volatile, and an undetected gas leak in the school's basement caused the blast. A lawsuit was brought against several parties, including Parade Gasoline, but in the end, all were found not guilty. But the tragedy brought about the requirement that all natural gas used by the public must be injected with an odor to let people know there's a leak.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Man, you know what's funny is like, I. I do actually look back and go, well, yeah, but people used to care and, you know, you used to fight for justice, and then all you do on this show is just go, nah, they just like got over always and nobody did. And it's pretty much irrelevant. And fighting. The only difference now is that we've learned that fighting is just exhausting for the most part. And they're just going to dominate you because they have more tanks and they're just going to steamroll you.

[Dave Anthony]

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[Gareth Reynolds]

That's right. I got the Revive. I mean, we got a couple, but I got the Revive.

[Dave Anthony]

You got the Revive gummies?

[Gareth Reynolds]

Yes, the Revive gummies. To elevate near day little bit is what I'm finding.

[Dave Anthony]

And I got the Zen gummies, which put me to sleep, so I'm doing the opposite thing, but they put me right out. They also have drops and topicals. They got all kinds of stuff. Yeah, it doesn't matter if you're looking to improve your sleep or your focus or your recovery, add a little pep, which I think is what you did, Gareth. Or. Or just. Yeah, you just want to get high. Vi has something for you. I got products ranging from 0 to 100 milligrams of THC. It gives you the power to blaze your trail. You know what I'm talking about?

[Gareth Reynolds]

Wink.

[Dave Anthony]

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[Gareth Reynolds]

I'm going to take a bunch of revive and pick out some stuff.

[Dave Anthony]

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[Gareth Reynolds]

I agree.

[Dave Anthony]

I recommend the Zen. The Zen gummy.

[Gareth Reynolds]

I won't fight you.

[Dave Anthony]

If you're 21 +, check out the link to Via in our description and use code dollop to receive 15 off free shipping on orders over a hundred dollars. And if you're new to Via, get a free gift of your choice. And after you purchase, they ask you where you heard about them. Please support our show and tell them we sent you. That's the Dollop. Enhance your everyday with Via, Gareth. We're also brought to you by a litter robot. There's. There's a million reasons to love your cat, Gareth. You got companionship, you got affection. He also teaches you how to read. You know you're not alone in the house, because without the cat, you'd be very, very alone.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Oh, gosh.

[Dave Anthony]

And that's dark. The worst part of all, Gareth, litter box, no doubt.

[Gareth Reynolds]

And the litter robot, I cannot say it enough, is a game changer. It's self cleaning, self contained, puts it all in a compartment under the litter in a little bag that you can throw out at your leisure. There's an app, I get notifications when Jose goes to the bathroom and you. And the only thing I'm trying to figure out is how to make that a two way street. Yeah, but it does. It All. I mean, it is completely. People ask me all the time if I recommend this product. This is the best product. It is a complete game changer. So cannot recommend it enough.

[Dave Anthony]

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[Gareth Reynolds]

Get it.

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[Gareth Reynolds]

I think that's not their tag.

[Dave Anthony]

I think.

[Gareth Reynolds]

I think not their tag.

[Dave Anthony]

Now they have a new one.

[Gareth Reynolds]

No, they don't.

[Dave Anthony]

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[Gareth Reynolds]

Oh, Dave.

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[Gareth Reynolds]

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[Gareth Reynolds]

You're rubbing your eye with your middle finger often, Gareth.

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[Gareth Reynolds]

But Dave, you've talked about it. You started taking Nutrafol and many people started accusing you of using organic stuff.

[Dave Anthony]

People were like, you're using a product. I am. I'm using a little pill. It's a little supplement and it makes your hair look sweet. That's what's going on. It makes my hair look fuller.

[Gareth Reynolds]

See, the thing is, your hair looks better. So you're gonna need that sexual performance that you're not losing.

[Dave Anthony]

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[Gareth Reynolds]

I'm gonna understand.

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[Gareth Reynolds]

Yeah.

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[Gareth Reynolds]

Yeah, it's exactly where I'm headed.

[Dave Anthony]

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[Gareth Reynolds]

Good. I was going to say proximity is the issue.

[Dave Anthony]

And he buys a mansion. It's, of course, a replica of George Washington's Mount Vernon. Double the size.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Beautiful.

[Dave Anthony]

Same place. That's what you want?

[Gareth Reynolds]

Absolutely.

[Dave Anthony]

Yeah. Go small.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Yeah. And. And go, you know, go. Go with a goat.

[Dave Anthony]

Yeah. The best of all time. Yeah. Hassi keeps finding more and more profitable. Profitable places to drill. Finding wells not only for his dad, but for his new business as well.

[Gareth Reynolds]

So he started his own.

[Dave Anthony]

Yeah, he started his own. So he's getting oil wells for his dad and himself. He still got a temper?

[Gareth Reynolds]

Sure.

[Dave Anthony]

Hassi is. He's also volatile.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Hassi. Sassy.

[Dave Anthony]

Yeah. Co workers would complain of there being two Hassies, one calm and one wild, and you never knew which one you were going to get.

[Gareth Reynolds]

People say that about you on Twitter.

[Dave Anthony]

To be fair, once he's walking on the street with a friend and has. He picks up a rock and throws it through the window of a car dealership.

[Gareth Reynolds]

I know, it's.

[Dave Anthony]

I, I. Yeah. This is the good one, right? The calm one.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Yeah. Cool. Chill one.

[Dave Anthony]

But what if there's a window and there's a rock? What are you supposed to do?

[Gareth Reynolds]

Fair.

[Dave Anthony]

He then goes in and buys a car.

[Gareth Reynolds]

What? Those. Those people were very thrown at the dealership. Jesus Christ. That's terrorism. I'd like to. He walks through the window. How are you? What model is that? What? Okay, well, welcome to Dunford. Jevy.

[Dave Anthony]

When he buys the car, he offers to pay for the window.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Okay. Yeah, let me go talk to my supervisor. Just because this is a, without question, the first time this has happened.

[Dave Anthony]

But isn't this just a story of, like, rich people? This is just all. This is just all the. What are rich people?

[Gareth Reynolds]

Yeah, when you're, when you have no. You know, I mean, again, it's like when rich people have no boundaries and they. What do they fear? Justice.

[Dave Anthony]

Sorry.

[Gareth Reynolds]

It's okay, Bud.

[Dave Anthony]

Getting alerts from the boy who wants money.

[Gareth Reynolds]

You know, this is. You have a very similar relationship to him and Hassie.

[Dave Anthony]

Now I lost the episode.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Oh, Christ.

[Dave Anthony]

But how do I move that?

[Gareth Reynolds]

For God's sake, It's a new iPad.

[Dave Anthony]

I don't know how it works, and it just did something weird. I'm not ready for technology like this.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Right. What's with the new iPad? What's the deal with it?

[Dave Anthony]

Well, it all of a sudden split screens and moved everything.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Can I do a quick impression of my mother every time she wants me to help her do something on her iPad? Oh, all right, hold on. Let me look. Oh, gosh, it's gone. Hang on a minute. Wait a minute. Hang on a minute. Oh, gosh. Hang on a minute. Oh, I found. Oh, no, it's saying that I can't find. I don't. My email's broken. Hold on a minute, wait a minute, hang on a minute. That's it.

[Dave Anthony]

That's it.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Yeah.

[Dave Anthony]

I want more.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Just because you're texting with your kid, I could do more. Oh, it's broken. There's nothing. Right. Everything's gone. Where's the screen? Oh, the banking app's gone. Oh, I think my account's been hacked. Hang on a minute. No, there it is. I've got the file. Oh. Oh, I've got it. Thank you.

[Dave Anthony]

That sounds terrible.

[Gareth Reynolds]

It's every time.

[Dave Anthony]

Okay, so Hastie would often disappear with friends, drinking, gambling for long stretches of time. I learned it from you.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Yeah.

[Dave Anthony]

It's sad.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Yeah.

[Dave Anthony]

But still, his intuition of where to find oil is fucking amazing.

[Gareth Reynolds]

What is that?

[Dave Anthony]

I don't understand it. I don't know.

[Gareth Reynolds]

I mean, just like a hound.

[Dave Anthony]

Yeah, man. But he just probably, like, looks at the geology of a place and is, like, this skill. Yeah, it's. Yeah, it's got to be a skill.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Not a good one, but, yeah, Awful in retrospect.

[Dave Anthony]

So they would now go on business trips together, once making a trip to trade oil for steel with Nazi Germany before, well, the US entered World War II after Germany had invaded Poland.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Yeah, whatever.

[Dave Anthony]

And sometimes you got to make money.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Whatever.

[Dave Anthony]

Like. Oh, sorry, was I Making money and keeping people employed, that's called the rig heil. Yeah. Once the US did enter the war, ho was able to save Hassey from being sent overseas by getting him a place in the Army Corps of engineers stationed in D.C. buddy.

[Gareth Reynolds]

But you gotta understand, the rich aren't supposed to go there to fight it. They're supposed to just want it to happen.

[Dave Anthony]

Yeah.

[Gareth Reynolds]

They're the reasons it happens. That's what you do. But you ever notice the rich are the only ones who have bone spurs? There's a reason.

[Dave Anthony]

And anal cysts.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Yeah. Who's got that one?

[Dave Anthony]

That was Rush Limbaugh, I think.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Oh, that's great. Yeah, unfortunately, I'll be unable to serve. I've got a big cyst in my.

[Dave Anthony]

So while the. All these Americans are fighting in Europe, men from wealthy families are living it up in D.C. partying with the. The women that were left behind. Yeah, they're your women also, man.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Oh, man. They're sending you to their lies to die and they're banging your wife while you're gone.

[Dave Anthony]

So has he is doing that. Until one day he seemed to have a break with reality and he was found by staff in the hotel he was in ripping up his room and screaming that all of his father's enemies were after them and that he had been betrayed.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Okay, so we've got a. Yeah, maybe like schizophrenic on our hands or something.

[Dave Anthony]

Yeah, he's definitely got some sort of. I mean, it sounds bipolar up until now, right?

[Gareth Reynolds]

It could be that, yeah.

[Dave Anthony]

Right. So he's quickly sent to a army hospital in Louisiana and he's babbling nonsense. And when HL comes to see him, has he tries to attack him and has to be held back. Oh, and he would eventually be diagnosed with schizophrenia even though his oldest son is in a hospital. World War II is good for HL that.

[Gareth Reynolds]

These. Man.

[Dave Anthony]

The war has increased, by the way.

[Gareth Reynolds]

It's not crazy that the rich want war to profiteer from. That's not crazy. What's crazy is how they make us seem like we hate the country if we don't blindly support it.

[Dave Anthony]

Yeah, it's always and it's insane.

[Gareth Reynolds]

This is the business model. Yeah, the business model is shut the fuck up, let us make our money. You hate this country.

[Dave Anthony]

I have more in common with a dude who's a fucking worker in China that I do. Any rich person in America, without question.

[Gareth Reynolds]

That's why I joined Red Note.

[Dave Anthony]

Yeah. So shout out. So the war is increasing oil prices. He's making more money. His only thing that upsets him is that he has to pay taxes.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Don't tell me that's a religion.

[Dave Anthony]

In 1942, another great thing happens. While walking around his new Shreveport office, he sees a beautiful blonde secretary.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Do not.

[Dave Anthony]

What are you talking about?

[Gareth Reynolds]

Jesus Christ, she's hot. This dude's got. He's a rig. This guy's a rig.

[Dave Anthony]

She's hot. Ruth Ray has movie star good looks. She's 19.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Oh, for spry.

[Dave Anthony]

53.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Oh, yikes.

[Dave Anthony]

Suni has given her an apartment in Shreveport. And within two years, she's given him two more children. A son named Ray and a daughter named June.

[Gareth Reynolds]

That's 13, right? Or is that 12?

[Dave Anthony]

I think that's 12.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Oh. Oh, my God.

[Dave Anthony]

So he's happy with this new hot woman in his life. What do you have to talk. What do you have to talk to with the 19 year old when you're 53? Honest to God.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Honest to God was just thinking that.

[Dave Anthony]

There'S like, nothing and people are like, you don't talk to him. Yeah, you do. You're around him.

[Gareth Reynolds]

You. You.

[Dave Anthony]

You can't have sex 24 hours a day. You got to talk to people. What do you say?

[Gareth Reynolds]

It's. There's. Nobody wins. No, she don't want to talk to you, and you don't want to talk to her.

[Dave Anthony]

No. So things aren't going.

[Gareth Reynolds]

I mean, you're just dropping like a Beverly Hills 90210 reference, and she's like, oh, I think my dad watched the remake of that, and you're like, remake.

[Dave Anthony]

This episode of MASH once.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Yeah.

[Dave Anthony]

Radar.

[Gareth Reynolds]

What?

[Dave Anthony]

What? Mash?

[Gareth Reynolds]

You mean like Fuller House? I think my older sister watched that show. No, no, no. Fuller House, the original.

[Dave Anthony]

So things aren't going great back at home.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Which one?

[Dave Anthony]

Light it.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Okay.

[Dave Anthony]

He has. Has he transferred it to a new facility in Massachusetts. This. This hospital is offering cutting edge treatment for mental illness.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Okay.

[Dave Anthony]

And that's what he's told anyway. So there are a few treatments they.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Could get right away.

[Dave Anthony]

It's.

[Gareth Reynolds]

This is dark.

[Dave Anthony]

Well, you know what year it is?

[Gareth Reynolds]

Is it lobotomy time or are we talking.

[Dave Anthony]

It's lobotomy time? So. Yes.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Don't take out the part of his brain that can find. Well, Aries, do me a favor. Hey, what lobe can sense oil? Keep that lobe in there.

[Dave Anthony]

So, yeah, so they promises violent rages will disappear.

[Gareth Reynolds]

The beauty of the lobotomy, if we can tell you about this, is that it's gonna remove a lot of the anger.

[Dave Anthony]

Okay.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Right away you're gonna notice a huge dip in that.

[Dave Anthony]

Okay.

[Gareth Reynolds]

You're also gonna notice a dip in a couple other areas.

[Dave Anthony]

Oh.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Conversationally, he's probably gonna want to talk to you a little bit less.

[Dave Anthony]

The oil area.

[Gareth Reynolds]

I'm not sure exactly how this will hit. Well, I will say this right off the bat and sort of generally making declarative statements of any kind is going to probably fade energy wise.

[Dave Anthony]

Will he be able to point at oil places?

[Gareth Reynolds]

He's going to be able to point. I don't know if it's going to be in the direction of oil places.

[Dave Anthony]

I need the oil places.

[Gareth Reynolds]

I understand, but the beauty of this surgery is the Rages will be gone.

[Dave Anthony]

I don't care about that.

[Gareth Reynolds]

A lot more docile stuff.

[Dave Anthony]

Can you make him, can you make him more into finding oil, please?

[Gareth Reynolds]

No. Again, we're. Basically, we're. We don't know enough about the tech yet, but we do know that sitting and staring at birds is going to skyrocket.

[Dave Anthony]

That's not going to make me money at all.

[Gareth Reynolds]

So that's going to be big for you. Pointing will be a thing. Food wise, it'll probably decrease a little bit. He's going to be a big pudding and applesauce kid.

[Dave Anthony]

Don't ever say put in applesauce to me again.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Well, he's going to be a big pudding and applesauce kid, so that's going to be a big thing.

[Dave Anthony]

So this obviously sounds great. So AGL jumps at the chance. It's a quick fix. It's going to fix his son. He wants him back to work and. And better. A better boy. A better boy.

[Gareth Reynolds]

How fast? Until he's back on location.

[Dave Anthony]

We're going to put a spoon in there and mix it around and that'll be great for business. So HL gives him the approval. He is subjected to electric shock therapy before they strap him down and sever part of his brain with a prefrontal lobotomy.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Oh, my God.

[Dave Anthony]

While HL had been assured that the procedure would basically cure Hassie, it is immediately apparent that it is not.

[Gareth Reynolds]

In what way.

[Dave Anthony]

After his surgery has he took off his shoes, laced them together and wore them around his neck, assuring everyone that this helped him see more clearly? Dave, he seems different. Dave, he seems. I'm just saying he seems a little different. Dave also. Doctor, does that work? Dave, is there an eye doctor in the building? Because this could be a new discovery.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Oh, my God.

[Dave Anthony]

And I feel like he's not gonna be able to find oil.

[Gareth Reynolds]

The darkest ships. It is. This is the darkest. This is as dark as it gets. This is. It's so bad. It's so bad that it's birthed out of greed.

[Dave Anthony]

Yeah.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Like, he's doing this because he's like, will he help him still? And then he's just like watching his kid probably go to like a barren field with like his shoes around his neck. Like right here is good.

[Dave Anthony]

This is how I see birds.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Do you think we should put a rig there?

[Dave Anthony]

But he doesn't care about Hassi the boy. He cares about Hassi the oil finder.

[Gareth Reynolds]

No, anyone who cared about Hassi the boy would probably. I mean, again, it's. It's A lot.

[Dave Anthony]

A lot of people did it.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Yeah. I was just gonna say it's like it was. But even then, I mean, I. I would argue that they. I mean, they were. They were sold a bill of goods that was not prepped.

[Dave Anthony]

I mean, it sounded great. We're just gonna go in there and mix it around a bit.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Yeah, it's a lot like. It's. I wonder if it was like the vacc where they're like someone would die and be like, shouldn't have lobed them.

[Dave Anthony]

He wouldn't eat meals at the kitchen table because he thought it would shock him. Jesus.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Who Shock.

[Dave Anthony]

Who has. He has. He won't eat meals at the kitchen table because he thinks it'll shock him cuz he was shocked on a table.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Oh my God.

[Dave Anthony]

Whenever.

[Gareth Reynolds]

How's your macaroni, boy?

[Dave Anthony]

His rages did subside.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Eat your mashed potatoes.

[Dave Anthony]

But now he has specific triggers that would cause episodes.

[Gareth Reynolds]

So nothing got better.

[Dave Anthony]

This isn't better at all. Whenever he was asked to make a decision, it often led to a meltdown. Even. Even if the decision was something as simple as answering the question. How are you feeling today? So he's not bad. I would actually say worse. Much worse. Much worse.

[Gareth Reynolds]

You told me my boy'd be better. He's even.

[Dave Anthony]

He's better. Just don't ask him how he's doing.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Well, I. He's not eating because he thinks it's gonna shock him.

[Dave Anthony]

Him. Yes, that might.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Are you offering any other procedures Are you offering any other procedures that can undo what you've done and make sure that he can still find oil? Well, okay.

[Dave Anthony]

He might know, but there are birds that need to be found with the shoe technique. So there are new business opportunities.

[Gareth Reynolds]

We actually thought maybe he could do a shoe endorsement thing. The new Nike neck.

[Dave Anthony]

This poor guy. I mean.

[Gareth Reynolds]

But yeah, I mean, it is without question.

[Dave Anthony]

It's just a tragic life. His dad doesn't know about him.

[Gareth Reynolds]

It's tragic because for all the reasons. And I mean, this is like brain damage, obviously. And then.

[Dave Anthony]

But he was already up.

[Gareth Reynolds]

And then on top of that, it's like the father is like an abandoned.

[Dave Anthony]

Yes. Yeah.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Yes.

[Dave Anthony]

This kid never had a fucking chance.

[Gareth Reynolds]

No.

[Dave Anthony]

He would also go into a rage episode.

[Gareth Reynolds]

And he's schizophrenic.

[Dave Anthony]

This is. This is amazing. He. He would also go into a rage.

[Gareth Reynolds]

No.

[Dave Anthony]

This is so crazy. He would also go into a rage episode if he could not have sex right away when he wanted to, day or night.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Oh, Jesus Christ.

[Dave Anthony]

This got so bad that Hl Ended up hiring a staff of women that worked around the clock, tending to has his sexual needs while dressing up as nurses.

[Gareth Reynolds]

This is the worst. I'm not kidding. This is the worst thing that's ever been said on the show. This is the worst thing that's been said on the show. And I'm keeping in mind that a guy banged his dead wife for weeks. What the fuck? What the actual fuck? What? What are you talking about?

[Dave Anthony]

I don't know, but we have a movie.

[Gareth Reynolds]

No, we do not have a movie. 20 years ago it was like maybe. So Tom Hanks read the script. He has two notes. Dude, that is so. That is.

[Dave Anthony]

I just.

[Gareth Reynolds]

That's so beyond.

[Dave Anthony]

I just.

[Gareth Reynolds]

A style crew of women. Whenever he would just get violent for sex, I just.

[Dave Anthony]

It's just like. To keep a guy. Like a guy wants to have sex anytime and so to keep him from flipping out, you hire, you create a house.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Try to address this issue. You're just like, well, hire a crew.

[Dave Anthony]

I guess. We get women.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Get the bang gang.

[Dave Anthony]

They're bang nurses.

[Gareth Reynolds]

And they'll dress like nurses because that was the last time he was himself.

[Dave Anthony]

And boy, that's a weird job to go into.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Oh.

[Dave Anthony]

I mean, there's sex work and then there's. Whatever this is. This is a different.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Dare I say you'd rather this. This version? Because.

[Dave Anthony]

Would you. Why would you.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Fewer bangs, I guess.

[Dave Anthony]

Fewer bangs?

[Gareth Reynolds]

Yeah, fewer bangs.

[Dave Anthony]

Or it's just the same guy so you don't have to deal with, like, weirdos. Although this is what you're gonna enjoy.

[Gareth Reynolds]

I don't think you're gonna enjoy what's happening. I do think that you'd be like, when, look, when your number got pulled. You'd be like. But.

[Dave Anthony]

But this just sounds like a dick attached to a chili pepper.

[Gareth Reynolds]

It's. Nobody's happy, Nobody's winning.

[Dave Anthony]

No. Okay. Rather than blame genetics.

[Gareth Reynolds]

And my dad should have done it for me.

[Dave Anthony]

Rather than blame genetics as his own surely hilarious contributed to his son's mental health issues. Hl Instead. Instead blamed Hassie's condition on the Jews.

[Gareth Reynolds]

What hole are we digging now?

[Dave Anthony]

Who else, Gareth?

[Gareth Reynolds]

What? What is.

[Dave Anthony]

Who else could be responsible?

[Gareth Reynolds]

Imagine the first time he floats that at. I just think this is obviously the Jews. Huh? Sorry, what'd you say?

[Dave Anthony]

Well.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Well, think about it. The boy got a lobotomy. He was deranged to begin with. Now all he wants is sex. He won't eat cuz he thinks he's shocked. I mean, where else you going to look? It's Jews.

[Dave Anthony]

It's so great. Will you take off your glasses to camera?

[Gareth Reynolds]

Sure. It was the Jews who did that specifically.

[Dave Anthony]

Jewish Communists. Who else?

[Gareth Reynolds]

Who else would it be? Imagine what. I can't even imagine being that specific Jews is too specific.

[Dave Anthony]

HL believed.

[Gareth Reynolds]

I mean, this run is nuts.

[Dave Anthony]

Jewish Communists are out to get good Christian families like his by poisoning their food. What the.

[Gareth Reynolds]

So he thinks this happened because of food?

[Dave Anthony]

I feel like he's not attached to reality.

[Gareth Reynolds]

He thinks this happened because of food poisoning.

[Dave Anthony]

Yeah. And so it's. That's got to be juice.

[Gareth Reynolds]

I remember when I got a food poisoning off of this Malaysian dish and I was like, well, obviously it's the Malaysian Jews.

[Dave Anthony]

Lyda and Margaret thought HL was being ridiculous as they had all eaten the same food and only has he had mental issues. Margaret blamed her father's neglect for Hassi's state.

[Gareth Reynolds]

I can't pinpointing the meal. Yeah, meal. He's like, meal.

[Dave Anthony]

I mean, but this is.

[Gareth Reynolds]

It was that Sizzler shrimp.

[Dave Anthony]

Like, this is literally, like. This paragraph is literally like, what's happening in America right now.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Yes, yes.

[Dave Anthony]

Yeah.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Yes. And yes.

[Dave Anthony]

This is a. This is.

[Gareth Reynolds]

HL is the. HL is the. What's the people in charge.

[Dave Anthony]

Yeah.

[Gareth Reynolds]

And everyone else are the people who's like. I don't know if it's dinner, actually. I don't think it was that one dinner.

[Dave Anthony]

It's actually more a complicated, like, life.

[Gareth Reynolds]

No, no, no, no, it wasn't. No, it was a steak.

[Dave Anthony]

Oh, my God. We got to put up Thanksgiving. You're a yeller. You're a yeller.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Always have been.

[Dave Anthony]

HL's younger sons, Bunker and Herbert, agreed with their dad.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Look, Bunker also thinks it was that food.

[Dave Anthony]

That's right. It's the Jew commies. Poisoning. They poisoned the pori.

[Gareth Reynolds]

I don't care if we all ate the same rice peel off. He wasn't the same after it. It was that meal. I told you, no room service. That's why.

[Dave Anthony]

What might explain HL's desire to blame Hasse's mental issues on Jews was a new employee. HL had recently hired a Texas politician named Sydney Latham as his lawyer. And Latham began to heavily impact HL's political views, which up until that time hadn't really been strong.

[Gareth Reynolds]

One way or the other, we should probably sue the Jews over this one. H.L.

[Dave Anthony]

Latham was a hardwing. I'm sorry, right wing, hardline conservative. To him, anyone who wasn't part of the conservative Christian world is a Jew. Was someone who was out to get him atheists, Jews, communists and all non whites were his number one suspects and to Latham were the harbingers of evil in America.

[Gareth Reynolds]

So everyone who wasn't exactly like him.

[Dave Anthony]

Yes, right. If you can imagine anyone being like that. Possibly at a time LJL was looking for a new project to take his interest. Latham was ready to lead. A magazine article that came out around this time, estimated that HL was making 1 million a week and was perhaps the richest man in the nation. Usually not a man who sought the public spotlight. Latham encouraged HL to try to get a bit of publicity in an article on HL by Fortune and one by Life. Both ran in the spring of 1948, bringing him to public attention by detailing his vast wealth and the business empire the one time cotton farmer had built for himself.

[Gareth Reynolds]

You know the absurdity we go through when you actually look at like the idea that Fortune is a magazine that does interviews and promotes things and these, you know, the idea that like when you have money as your barometer, that's all falling apart.

[Dave Anthony]

Yeah, yeah. So on the back of this HL starts giving public lectures in which he discusses money and patriotism and for the first time his politics.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Oh me no.

[Dave Anthony]

He accused politicians he just disagreed with of being communists and wanting to harm America.

[Gareth Reynolds]

He, of course he gets involved in.

[Dave Anthony]

Politics, but his messaging is so inflammatory that one editor said, quote, if he weren't basically such a damned hick hunt, could be one of the most dangerous men in America. HL's obsession with his food also took.

[Gareth Reynolds]

A real hold because he thinks has he got.

[Dave Anthony]

Yeah, yeah. He's under the impression that Jews were both poisoning the food supply and trying to destroy the minds of young Americans with alcohol. So he starts eating only food he grew on his property. Property to make sure it's not poisonous.

[Gareth Reynolds]

It is the healthiest decision. But to to get there through the anti Semitism is remarkable. It really is. Oh wow, you finally have entered retirement, huh? No, I gotta grow my own tomatoes, otherwise the Jews will have a hand.

[Dave Anthony]

Have you heard of Jew potatoes?

[Gareth Reynolds]

Careful, this is soil as Jew written all over it.

[Dave Anthony]

In 1949, Ruth Ray gave birth to a daughter named Helen. 13.

[Gareth Reynolds]

It's a lot of work.

[Dave Anthony]

Oh no, wait, that's 12 and then that's 13. In 1950, had another little girl named Swanee.

[Gareth Reynolds]

That's 13.

[Dave Anthony]

That's 13. Jesus Christ. Oh no, that's 12. This baby was HL's no, 15th living child.

[Gareth Reynolds]

I was gonna say. I thought we did 13.

[Dave Anthony]

Okay, 15. HL stayed infatuated with Ruth, who knowing what she'd signed up for, like she was the first one that knew what she was getting into, right?

[Gareth Reynolds]

Well, yeah, because he had two women.

[Dave Anthony]

Already pretty publicly and so he. He could just come and go without her caring.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Literally.

[Dave Anthony]

Yeah. His frequent visits to Ruth were.

[Gareth Reynolds]

He might have opened that gas station. He might open that gas station.

[Dave Anthony]

What gas station?

[Gareth Reynolds]

The come and go.

[Dave Anthony]

Don't ever do that again.

[Gareth Reynolds]

I'm off.

[Dave Anthony]

His frequent visits to Ruth were in part to get away from the issues at home in Dallas. Has he didn't look like he was going to take over the business as HL hoped. Yeah, no. Yeah. No. Yeah, some issues there for the business. Hl's second eldest son.

[Gareth Reynolds]

I brought a basket of turnips. This is what I'll eat while I'm here with you, Ruth, if that's okay. I'm a little worried about the Jew food.

[Dave Anthony]

His second eldest son, Bunker, is a disappointment. He's chubby, he wore glasses and HL thought he was a dimwit, which he would tell him all the time, saying that he's not fit to be my heir. So Bugger's having a hard time.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Oh my God.

[Dave Anthony]

After Bugger used millions of his own trust money on drilling oil wells that came up dry.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Hl, we struck dirt again. Dad.

[Dave Anthony]

HL screamed in the middle of the office that Bunker was an idiot who would never have the genius. It would never have the genius that has. He did. Oh man. There's just the, the, the level of. Just piling mental anguish on top of these.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Endless, endless.

[Dave Anthony]

He's creating a nightmare humans endless while.

[Gareth Reynolds]

He'S just eating like carrots from his yard only.

[Dave Anthony]

But Bunger keeps trying. Desperate to prove himself to daddy, he almost completely depleted his 250 million trust trying to find oil. Daddy. Each well. Daddy loved me.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Well, sorry, unfortunately we didn't find any oil in that one.

[Dave Anthony]

I mean, 250. It doesn't find any oil.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Nuts. I mean, it would be better to just go to the gas station and buy a bunch of it and be like Dad. I mean, it'll be a lot of oil.

[Dave Anthony]

It's a lot of cans of oil.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Yeah, I already canned it, dad.

[Dave Anthony]

So Latham keeps pushing Al to go into political circles.

[Gareth Reynolds]

HL to go into political.

[Dave Anthony]

Yeah, right. The anti communist movement in the, in the US is, is at its height. And Latham introduces HL to the biggest anti commie guys. One was Dan Smoot, a former FBI agent who considered himself an authority on the communist intrusion into the us.

[Gareth Reynolds]

So an idiot liar believing that quote.

[Dave Anthony]

The communist socialists and the liberals are burrowing in softening up the US for the red takeover. Smoothn is handsome, he's a good speaker and he builds up a following. And Lathan sets up a meeting with HL and Smoot. And HL is impressed and felt Smoot was telling the truth. To keep Smoot proliferate his message to them. In his message to the masses, HL paid for the creation of an organization called Fax Forum. It's a media network with radio, TV and magazines all aimed at bringing the communist message into American homes. Anti communist, I was gonna say.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Let's go. I love the name. Obviously. Facts form.

[Dave Anthony]

Yep, yep. Smoot acted as the host of the Fax Forum weekly radio and TV broadcast and was also editor of the magazine. The only thing that HL and Smooth disagree on was democracy, which they disagreed quite a bit about.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Who.

[Dave Anthony]

Who was Smooth held up to democracy as a political outgrowth of Jesus Christ, which you can't argue with that.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Right.

[Dave Anthony]

And called American democracy the most perfect expression ever made by man. HL said that. And in an ideal society, quote, the more taxes you pay, the more votes you get. If you accept government help because you are poor or sick, you cannot vote at all. And you are denied an old aid, old age pension.

[Gareth Reynolds]

I can't believe the smooth guy is like, right on.

[Dave Anthony]

You're just gonna poker.

[Gareth Reynolds]

I know. You're just some.

[Dave Anthony]

You're good at poker. And then you bought a bunch.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Who bought a bunch of stuff at the right time. And then now you're. Now you're. You have influence. These people are not you. We have to stop equating money with genius.

[Dave Anthony]

Right?

[Gareth Reynolds]

We have to. Money does not mean you get it.

[Dave Anthony]

No, it doesn't at all. As a matter of fact, the opposite, I would say.

[Gareth Reynolds]

It certainly shows a screw loose. When you get to the point where you want this much money, you're gone.

[Dave Anthony]

Yeah.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Did I even tell you what happened at my show? I don't think I did. Did I tell you this? What happened to my show a couple weeks ago where I was. I have a whole chunk about billionaires. That's definitely a work in progress.

[Dave Anthony]

But you told me two guys got mad.

[Gareth Reynolds]

This guy walked out and gave me the finger as he walked out and then he came back.

[Dave Anthony]

Yeah. Why not? Because you're being made to billionaires.

[Gareth Reynolds]

It's. People think. Rich people think. I. I think we did talk about this. But rich people who have been rich for a while think that anyone rich earned it.

[Dave Anthony]

Yeah. And they mostly didn't and they think.

[Gareth Reynolds]

That everyone who's poor is a loser who's not trying.

[Dave Anthony]

Well, let's do this with your little experiment. If you want to have democracy and capitalism coexisting, then when you die, all your money goes away. And when you're born, you get $20,000. See how it goes?

[Gareth Reynolds]

Way better.

[Dave Anthony]

Okay, so HL said that in an ideal society, the more taxes you pay, the more votes you get. If you accept government help because you are poor or sick, you cannot vote at all and you're denied a pension. And after being chastised for HL by uplifting democracy, Smoot went back to the radio and assured listeners that democracy always degenerates into tyranny and said that the founding fathers knew that democracy is the most evil kind of government possible. So this guy.

[Gareth Reynolds]

So he really.

[Dave Anthony]

This guy just completely flipped on what he believes because he's getting money from a rich guy.

[Gareth Reynolds]

As you would. As you would.

[Dave Anthony]

This is so crazy.

[Gareth Reynolds]

As you would in a system that rewards money.

[Dave Anthony]

Yeah. I mean. Yeah.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Would get yours.

[Dave Anthony]

I mean, how many times have we seen that? Just people.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Yeah, I mean, we're seeing that on a level right now. That is.

[Dave Anthony]

It's fine.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Speed. Fine. I mean, I'm sorry, what did I say? It's fine.

[Dave Anthony]

Yeah. HL Went far into the anti communist cause so much that he found himself playing gin rummy with Senator Joseph McCarthy.

[Gareth Reynolds]

I knew it was going to happen.

[Dave Anthony]

In 1952 when McCarthy was in Dallas.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Fuck.

[Dave Anthony]

During the game, HL told McCarthy of a meeting he was about to have with former President Herbert Hoover, General MacArthur and Dwight D. Eisenhower. He said he was going to try to get Eisenhower to step down so the staunchly anti communist MacArthur could run for president. Senator McCarthy said he hoped HL was successful and they posed for photographs together. At the meeting between HL and these powerful men, he laid out his plan. HL Eisenhower. Eisenhower did not have a good chance at defeating the Democrats as MacArthur did. So Eisenhower, even though Eisenhower is a war hero. But HL said MacArthur had a charisma that Eisenhower lacked. And 62 year old Eisenhower, who was the younger of the two, could run after MacArthur was done being President.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Hilarious.

[Dave Anthony]

Now, Eisenhower agreed to this.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Hilarious. Hilarious. That 62 is youthful.

[Dave Anthony]

But he did so silently, promising HL to think it over.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Okay.

[Dave Anthony]

A few months later, HL was a backup north in Chicago for the Republican convention where the Republican nominee for President was to be chosen. And it looked like the choice was between Eisenhower and Robert Taft. But HL was set on making sure it was MacArthur. And he tried to set up a meeting with Taft to convince him that if he was going to lose and overthrow and throw his support to. To MacArthur. But Taft refuses to meet him. And in the end, HL did not get to be the King Maper, King Maker that he wanted to be. So he. He was trying to choose the President of the United States, if you can imagine a rich guy doing that. But Eisenhower not only won the convention, but beat his Democrat challenger for president. And HL was severely disappointed at this defeat. Not used to getting. Not used to not getting his way. Obviously, this really affected him. This wasn't the last time HL would try to play King Maker, convinced that out of his own kids, Lamar had the biggest appeal. He constantly hounded Lamar to consider running for president, and he would just take Lamar's protests as shy modesty until Lamar finally wrote him a letter asking him to, quote, please drop the subject.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Oh, my God.

[Dave Anthony]

But Lamar becomes a senator.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Yeah.

[Dave Anthony]

That's the end of part two.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Oh, God. There's so many ways this can go.

[Dave Anthony]

Sources, obviously this was written. Written by Brittany Cohen Brown Kingdom the Story of the Hunt Family of Texas by Drum Tussiel, Texas Rich the Hunt dynasty from the early oil days through the Silver crash by Harry Hunt. H.L. hunt's good long, Long Goodbye in Texas Monthly by Bill Porterfield. And that's it.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Me, God damn it.

[Dave Anthony]

Everybody wins. Nobody wins. Everybody loses.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Well, I don't know why I'm like affected by this, but I think it is because it is like, you know, you just go, oh, yeah, well, this is like, like we're destined for the. We're living in.

[Dave Anthony]

Well, this sounds. His, his personality is anti. Comment. All this stuff sounds like Elon.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Yeah.

[Dave Anthony]

And the kids that, you know, making your kids because you're this great thing.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Buying elections, trying to be kingmaker.

[Dave Anthony]

They're the same person. They're. And then there's a reason that this person, this type of person succeeds in capitalism. I was talking to a hedge fund guy and he was like, oh, yeah, no, there's, there's. There he go. He, you know, we disagree on this. But he was like, there's capitalism that's good. There's good people running. So there's good people doing it. But then it also allows terrible people to succeed.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Well, there you go. That's a bad system.

[Dave Anthony]

And I get. So I agree.

[Gareth Reynolds]

If you leave, if your system leaves the door open to evil being able to run it right, then it's bad.

[Dave Anthony]

Yeah.

[Gareth Reynolds]

And I, I think that it's like, what's. So. It's like we've never been able to put the nail in the coffin on this stuff. So this is what you get. Yeah, you get the ultimate version of it. Eventually. Eventually. It's the Hulk.

[Dave Anthony]

Yeah, eventually. This type of capitalist will rule everything because they just keep.

[Gareth Reynolds]

And it's just difficult to watch. It's difficult to watch. It's also difficult to watch it happen so quickly. Quickly.

[Dave Anthony]

Yeah.

[Gareth Reynolds]

It's like it's been happening slowly for so long, and it's, like, been escalating and getting there, and we've known it's coming. And then it's like, oh, we're three weeks in.

[Dave Anthony]

And it's like, yeah, speed run.

[Gareth Reynolds]

It's like the damage is epic.

[Dave Anthony]

Yeah.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Watching the country shoot cannonballs into its own deck.

[Dave Anthony]

And Dick.

[Gareth Reynolds]

And Dick. All right, two down.

[Dave Anthony]

Two down. No to go.

[Gareth Reynolds]

What? Oh. Hey, doll heads. This is Gareth, part of the Gear Force. Listen, you're part of the Gare force. Go to garethreynolds.com if you want to see me on the road doing stand up, you could find me in Brea, California. February 7, Eureka, California, for two shows. February 11 at Savage Henry, San Francisco. February 12, Sacramento. February 13. Then I'll be in Naples, Florida. March 24, Charlotte. April 13, Raleigh, North Carolina, April 14. April 15, I'll be in Virginia Beach. April 16, I'll be in Richmond, Virginia. Then I will be in Lutherville, Timonium, which is close to Baltimore, I believe. Goobie's Joke House. April 17 through April 19. Then I will be in Winnipeg May 29 through May 31. Go to garethreynolds.com for tickets and information.