Super Terrific Happy Hour Ep. 26: The Downloadable Ringtone

In this episode of Super Terrific Happy Hour, Steph and I return with our customary blend of easy-going banter coupled with a shameless plug and a sobering assessment of the global financial landscape. What begins with complaints about the cold weather and Seinfeld callbacks, as well as our upcoming live event in St. Petersburg, quickly turns into a candid examination of sovereign refinancing risks, leveraged corporate balance sheets, and a Treasury market increasingly supported not by central banks but by hedge funds and private foreign buyers. As short-term debt dependence grows and refinancing waves collide across governments, corporates, and AI-driven capex, we explain why we continue to sleep better owning gold—and why this moment feels less like a trade than long-term insurance for an unstable monetary age. Every episode of the Grant Williams podcast, including This Week In Doom, The End Game, The Super Terrific Happy Hour, The Narrative Game, Kaos Theory, Shifts Happen and The Hundred Year Pivot, is available to Copper, Silver and Gold Tier subscribers at my website www.Grant-Williams.com.  Copper Tier subscribers get access to all podcasts, while members of the Silver Tier get both the podcasts and my monthly newsletter, Things That Make You Go Hmmm… Gold Tier subscribers have access to my new series of in-depth video conversations, About Time.

In this episode of The Grant Williams Podcast, I welcome Diana Choyleva, Chief Economist at Enodo Economics, for a rigorous unpacking of what ‘de-dollarisation’ really means—and what it doesn’t. Moving beyond the familiar extremes of “the dollar is finished” versus “the dollar is untouchable,” Diana explains how China is methodically building an alternative financial infrastructure centred on the digital yuan and modern payment rails. The issue, she argues, is not oil being priced in dollars, but how energy is paid for and how those dollars are recycled. From Saudi Arabia’s pivotal role to the quiet technological arms race in cross-border payments, this is a masterclass in how currency, geopolitics, and technology are converging to reshape the global monetary order far faster than most realise. Every episode of the Grant Williams podcast, including This Week In Doom, The End Game, The Super Terrific Happy Hour, The Narrative Game, Kaos Theory, Shifts Happen and The Hundred Year Pivot, is available to Copper and Silver Tier subscribers at my website www.Grant-Williams.com.  Copper Tier subscribers get access to all podcasts, while members of the Silver Tier get both the podcasts and my monthly newsletter, Things That Make You Go Hmmm… 

n the latest episode of The End Game, Bill and I welcome Gerard Minack for a masterclass in macro perspective and market realism. Gerard, founder of Minack Advisors, dissects the current investment landscape—where AI euphoria collides with fiscal fragility and complacent bond markets. Drawing on historical parallels to the late 1990s tech bubble, he explains why today’s optimism may mask structural risks: stretched valuations, rising deficits, and a world growing comfortable with unsustainable debt dynamics. The conversation spans AI’s commercial limits, the growing strain on fiscal and monetary policy, and gold’s curious role as both hedge and mirror of uncertainty, offering a sharp, grounded assessment of what the end game may truly look like for global markets. Every episode of the Grant Williams podcast, including This Week In Doom, The End Game, The Super Terrific Happy Hour, The Narrative Game, Kaos Theory, Shifts Happen and The Hundred Year Pivot, is available to Copper and Silver Tier subscribers at my website www.Grant-Williams.com.  Copper Tier subscribers get access to all podcasts, while members of the Silver Tier get both the podcasts and my monthly newsletter, Things That Make You Go Hmmm… 

In this latest episode of The Hundred Year Pivot, Demetri Kofinas and I are joined by Peter Atwater, adjunct professor at William & Mary and author of The Confidence Map: From Chaos to Clarity. Together we explore Peter’s groundbreaking framework for understanding how confidence shapes behaviour, societies, and markets through four emotional quadrants: the comfort zone, the stress centre, the launch pad, and the passenger seat. What begins as a psychological model quickly expands into a sweeping reflection on generational fragility, social media conformity, and the dangerous imbalance of a world where too few people feel in control of their own lives—and where the next shift in collective mood could redefine politics, finance, and community itself. Every episode of the Grant Williams podcast, including This Week In Doom, The End Game, The Super Terrific Happy Hour, The Narrative Game, Kaos Theory, Shifts Happen and The Hundred Year Pivot, is available to Copper and Silver Tier subscribers at my website www.Grant-Williams.com.  Copper Tier subscribers get access to all podcasts, while members of the Silver Tier get both the podcasts and my monthly newsletter, Things That Make You Go Hmmm… 

In this episode of The Grant Williams Podcast, I welcome my old mate Ned Naylor-Leyland, long-time precious-metals fund manager, for a detailed discussion on the shifting dynamics of gold, silver, and the mining sector. Ned argues that gold has decisively emerged from a 44-year bear market against Treasuries to reclaim its role as the world’s true risk-free asset, signalling the start of a genuine, structural bull market. He outlines why silver—still lagging behind gold—may soon explode higher, driven by surging industrial demand, physical shortages, and growing Indian appetite, before turning to the extraordinary profitability now building within mining equities. The result is a conversation that reframes precious metals not as relics of the past, but as vital assets in a new monetary era. Every episode of the Grant Williams podcast, including This Week In Doom, The End Game, The Super Terrific Happy Hour, The Narrative Game, Kaos Theory, Shifts Happen and The Hundred Year Pivot, is available to Copper and Silver Tier subscribers at my website www.Grant-Williams.com.  Copper Tier subscribers get access to all podcasts, while members of the Silver Tier get both the podcasts and my monthly newsletter, Things That Make You Go Hmmm… 

In the ninth episode of The Hundred Year Pivot, Grant and Demetri welcome Roger Mitchell for a deeply reflective conversation on faith, values, and the unraveling of the modern social contract. Against the backdrop of growing disillusionment in Western society, Roger shares his personal journey and explores how the erosion of traditional anchors—family, faith, and community—has left many searching for meaning in a world defined by materialism and inequality. Together, we examine the rise of financial nihilism, the politicisation of belief, and the enduring human need for moral and spiritual grounding, offering a thoughtful exploration of how ancient principles might guide us through contemporary darkness. Every episode of the Grant Williams podcast, including This Week In Doom, The End Game, The Super Terrific Happy Hour, The Narrative Game, Kaos Theory, Shifts Happen and The Hundred Year Pivot, is available to Copper, Silver and Gold Tier subscribers at my website www.Grant-Williams.com.  Copper Tier subscribers get access to all podcasts, while members of the Silver Tier get both the podcasts and my monthly newsletter, Things That Make You Go Hmmm… Gold Tier subscribers have access to my new series of in-depth video conversations, About Time.

In this episode of The Grant Williams Podcast, I welcome author and entrepreneur Robert Glazer to discuss his new book, The Compass Within—a powerful exploration of how uncovering and living by one’s personal core values can transform leadership, relationships, and decision-making. Robert shares how identifying his own guiding principles reshaped his approach to life and business, and how that experience evolved into a story-driven framework designed to help others find clarity and alignment. Together, we explore the difference between corporate “values” that often ring hollow and genuine personal ones forged through experience—showing how an internal compass, once discovered, can guide people toward purpose, resilience, and meaningful success.

In a blockbuster episode of The Grant Williams Podcast, I welcome Julien Garran of MacroStrategy for a penetrating discussion on what Julien believes is the most dangerous bubble in modern financial history—the AI mania. Drawing parallels to the dot-com and housing booms but arguing this one far exceeds both, Julien dissects how years of ultra-loose fiscal and monetary policy have produced staggering capital misallocation, distorted incentives, and a fragile financial order. He explores the structural flaws in large language models, the monopolistic grip of tech giants, and the unsustainable losses lurking beneath the surface, warning that the eventual unwinding of this bubble could reshape global capital flows, undermine productivity, and accelerate inflation across the developed world. Every episode of the Grant Williams podcast, including This Week In Doom, The End Game, The Super Terrific Happy Hour, The Narrative Game, Kaos Theory, Shifts Happen and The Hundred Year Pivot, is available to Copper, Silver and Gold Tier subscribers at my website www.Grant-Williams.com.  Copper Tier subscribers get access to all podcasts, while members of the Silver Tier get both the podcasts and my monthly newsletter, Things That Make You Go Hmmm… Gold Tier subscribers have access to my new series of in-depth video conversations, About Time.

In this long-overdue episode of The Grant Williams Podcast, I’m joined by Larry McDonald, founder of The Bear Traps Report and author of How to Listen When Markets Speak, to explore how extraordinary fiscal and monetary responses have reshaped the investing landscape. Larry argues that the disinflationary era is over, replaced by an inflationary, multipolar world that calls for a fresh approach to portfolios—one that favours hard assets like copper, coal, and natural gas over stretched technology stocks. Our conversation spans the political and structural forces driving this shift, from chronic underinvestment in energy and the policy bottlenecks that worsen shortages, to the rising populism fuelled by inflation. Larry highlights how the makeup of the S&P 500 is set to evolve, with industrials, materials, and energy poised to reclaim influence, while risks mount in areas such as passive investing, private credit, and certain financial stocks. We close by examining the implications of the AI-driven capital expenditure boom, the strain it places on power infrastructure, and what it all means for the dollar, gold, and Bitcoin. The result is a timely, wide-ranging conversation offering investors both a roadmap to today’s shifting market environment and practical insight into how to navigate what lies ahead. Every episode of the Grant Williams podcast, including This Week In Doom, The End Game, The Super Terrific Happy Hour, The Narrative Game, Kaos Theory, Shifts Happen and The Hundred Year Pivot, is available to Copper, Silver and Gold Tier subscribers at my website www.Grant-Williams.com.  Copper Tier subscribers get access to all podcasts, while members of the Silver Tier get both the podcasts and my monthly newsletter, Things That Make You Go Hmmm… Gold Tier subscribers have access to my new series of in-depth video conversations, About Time.

In this episode of The Grant Williams Podcast, I’m joined by David Fergusson, CEO of Atlas Consolidated in Singapore, for a fascinating look at the disruptive rise of digital banking. From his early days building Hugosave in Singapore to launching Atlas’s HugoHub platform for banks, fintechs, and insurers worldwide, David explains how technology, open banking, and shifting regulations are reshaping the industry. Our discussion highlights how digital platforms slash costs, expand access in underserved markets, and integrate AI to accelerate adoption—all pointing to a future where financial services are more efficient, affordable, and transformative than ever before as David digs into the mechanics of this transformation, sharing how digital platforms cut operating costs, improve compliance, and unlock adoption in markets where legacy infrastructure has historically failed to reach. Every episode of the Grant Williams podcast, including This Week In Doom, The End Game, The Super Terrific Happy Hour, The Narrative Game, Kaos Theory, Shifts Happen and The Hundred Year Pivot, is available to Copper, Silver and Gold Tier subscribers at my website www.Grant-Williams.com.  Copper Tier subscribers get access to all podcasts, while members of the Silver Tier get both the podcasts and my monthly newsletter, Things That Make You Go Hmmm… Gold Tier subscribers have access to my new series of in-depth video conversations, About Time.