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Hot Money: Agent of Chaos

by Pushkin Industries & Financial Times
BusinessSociety & Culture

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DateCombined RankApple Podcasts
Oct 7#131#129

About the show

In 2020, the Financial Times exposed a €2 billion fraud at Wirecard, a high-flying German fintech. Many thought that was the end of the story. But for reporter Sam Jones, it was just the beginning. This season on Hot Money: Agent of Chaos, Jones investigates Wirecard’s chief operating officer, who vanished just as Wirecard collapsed. And turned out to also be a Russian spy. From an Ibizan sting operation to an attempted takeover of the Austrian intelligence service, his reporting spirals into a world of warlords, espionage, and disinformation. All in an attempt to answer one question: Who is the real Jan Marsalek? And what does his secret life reveal about the powerful forces he serves?

Latest episodes

  • Examined: The Backfire Effect | New Podcast

    September 14, 2026 · 33 min

    Nearly 40 years ago, in the parking lot of a community college in Port Huron, Michigan, a 20-year-old student named Scott Macklem was shot dead in broad daylight. His murder shocked the community. It made no sense. The police quickly found…

  • From The Financial Times: The Broker

    February 17, 2026 · 37 min

    In this special bonus episode from The Financial Times, "The Broker" tells the story of how a failed baseball hopeful and disgraced stockbroker reinvented himself as one of America’s most consequential modern arms dealers. From a…

  • Episode 8: Matryoshka

    July 29, 2025 · 39 min

    In our season finale, Sam discovers a different narrative about Marsalek’s life in Russia. And a tip from long ago resurfaces.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

  • Episode 7: From Russia With Love

    July 22, 2025 · 37 min

    A Marsalek-backed ring of operatives goes on trial in the UK for espionage. A treasure trove of text messages reveals their inner workings. Get ad-free access to the entire season of Hot Money: Agent of Chaos by subscribing to Pushkin+ on…

  • Episode 6: Maestro

    July 15, 2025 · 39 min

    Back in Vienna, Sam investigates another Marsalek plot. One that nearly toppled Austria’s intelligence agency. Get ad-free access to the entire season of Hot Money: Agent of Chaos by subscribing to Pushkin+ on Apple Podcasts or…

  • Episode 5: A Different Set of Rules

    July 1, 2025 · 37 min

    How does one become a spy? Sam speaks with a former Russian intelligence officer about how Marsalek might have been recruited. And to what ends. Get ad-free access to the entire season of Hot Money: Agent of Chaos by subscribing to…

  • Episode 4: Backbearings

    June 24, 2025 · 44 min

    On the ground in Austria and Germany, Sam digs deep into Marsalek’s past. His odd habits. His strange house. The hypnotic effect he had on former colleagues. And how he is remembered by childhood friends. CORRECTION: In this episode, we…

  • Episode 3: Thrill Seeking

    June 17, 2025 · 44 min

    Sam tracks down an old contact in Tunisia.  A former UN official living off grid. He reveals how he ended up involved in one of Jan Marsalek’s wildest schemes. CORRECTION: In this episode, we reported that Marsalek told Killian…