#29
Acquired
Ben Gilbert and David Rosenthal
United States
Acquired transforms corporate histories into sweeping business epics, with a level of narrative polish and analytical rigor that borders on reverence. It’s podcasting as Harvard case study meets Silicon Valley mythmaking—insightful, absorbing, and occasionally so enamored with its subjects that it risks mistaking triumph for inevitability.
"This show changed the way I thought about long form podcasts. I've never listened to a more well-researched business show."
- Deanna Chapman, Fast Politics with Molly Jong-Fast/The New Abnormal/The Daily Beast Podcast
Acquired is a masterfully detailed podcast about business and technology, transforming corporate origin stories into rich, cinematic sagas of ambition, strategy, and risk. Hosted by Ben Gilbert and David Rosenthal, the show dives deep—sometimes for hours—into the histories of companies like Apple, Nike, or Nvidia, revealing how vision, luck, and market forces converge to shape global giants. But what sets Acquired apart is its tone: intellectually rigorous yet infectiously enthusiastic, with a storytelling style that treats business not just as economics, but as narrative art. It’s MBA-level analysis with the pacing and payoff of great nonfiction.