The man whose name was in the Epstein Files 8,000 times

Why did one of Wall Street’s smartest and most successful billionaires pay Jeffrey Epstein $158 million? In his new book, “Money to Burn,” author and Puck journalist William Cohan traces the rise and fall of Leon Black, the billionaire who built Apollo into a private-equity powerhouse and helped usher in a “new Wall Street.” Black amassed an enormous fortune and reached the highest levels of New York society, but his relationship with Epstein ultimately forced him out of the firm he created. Kara and Bill examine Black’s relationship with Epstein, which continued for nearly a decade after Epstein’s 2008 conviction for soliciting prostitution from a minor. Bill reveals what Black told him about the $158 million in payments — and why the explanation still leaves him incredulous. They also break down the latest business and financial headlines, including the risks lurking in private credit, Wall Street’s “insane” AI valuations, Meta’s $17 billion settlement and President Trump’s escalating trade war with Canada. 00:00 Leon Black’s Epstein mistake 00:52 How Leon Black built Apollo 05:35 The tragedy that drove him to Wall Street 12:58 Apollo and the “new Wall Street” 18:26 The $158 million Epstein relationship 31:07 Can Leon Black redeem himself? 39:14 Wall Street’s “insane” AI bubble 44:06 Meta, Trump and mounting economic risks 50:38 Could private credit cause the next financial crisis? Subscribe: https://goo.gl/FRleYo Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast... Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/42ntT7X... FOLLOW US Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/onwithkaras... TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@onwithkaraswi... LinkedIn:   / kara-swisher-b7213   Threads: https://www.threads.com/@onwithkarasw...