The Money Trap

Imagine having a front-row seat to observe a billionaire making decisions on acquisitions that will be nothing short of transformational for his organization and investors. And let’s assume you get to sit next to a talented mathematical and financial genius to explain everything you are watching. I’ve just described Alok Sama’s brilliant new book, The Money Trap. Alok was an investment banker at Morgan Stanley and SoftBank International’s former President & CFO.

Episode Highlights

1. Mark learns Alok’s secret to his excellent creative writing skills (hint: it’s in the Epilogue).
2. Three great lines in the book.
3. Name drops, including Paris Hilton and Mark Zuckerberg.
4. A smear campaign that is not entirely resolved.
5. Alok’s fondest memory at Morgan Stanley.
6. The ARM deal or Alibaba – there’s no hesitation, Alok’s favorite was …
7. Masa Son’s name tends to be obscure in the States, but at one time, he owned eight percent of all internet stocks.
8. “I was expendable.” Tell us what you really felt.
9. Advice to young professionals – be patient.
10. A lightning round includes 111, reputational recovery, Citibank vs. SoftBank, John Nash, and Julius Ceasar.
11. A clever way of reading Shakespeare.
12. The reason (or a reason) to read more fiction.

Five Great Lines in The Money Trap

In a continuing manifestation of the human comedy, our ambulance needed to stop for gas. Diesel, to be precise.

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Sinclair’s start-up Tally Health sells you a four-pill daily regimen that purportedly arrests cellular senescence. I’m not convinced it works, but given what’s at stake, why take chances? I dutifully pay my $129 monthly subscription while wondering which is the greater travesty—the fact that my biological age increased by four years after three months on the program or that I continue to pay for it.

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Maya is surprisingly calm. She listens patiently, then asks a question that makes me smile. “Did you try the scones at Claridge’s?”

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Masa, I may be a cook, but can we at least agree I’m Michelin three-star?

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In good old-fashioned corporate finance, cash flow—“dollars you can buy beer with,” as Professor Knutson at Wharton would say—is the only thing that matters when it comes to valuing a business.

Mark Discusses His Interview Experience with Alok Sama

I’d enjoy being an NFL Insider working side-by-side with Adam Schefter for just one day. That will never happen, but I am a CFO Bookshelf Insider.

And because I’m an insider, I am asked frequently, “What was it like to interview that author?” For instance, a financial executive named Brock asked the following questions:

1. What was Alok like as you talked to him?
2. You told me earlier that you left a question out: why?
3. What was that question?
4. What other title would you compare Alok’s book to?
5. Who should interview Alok next?

You can listen to my responses below:

Important Links

• Alok’s website
• WSJ Book Review of The Money Trap
• Alok’s five best tales of business
• LinkedIn profile

Episode Pairings