← Home
The Prof G Pod with Scott Galloway · January 31, 2026 · 52m

How Corruption Is Reshaping American Power — with Anne Applebaum

Pulitzer Prize-winning historian Anne Applebaum on the convergence of authoritarianism and corruption: Ukraine peace talks undermined by business interests, how transnational kleptocracy works, and why corruption — not ideology — is the real threat to democracy. Her framework: authoritarian networks aren't about belief systems, they're about money flows.

Highlights

Corruption not ideology drives modern authoritarianism
Applebaum: authoritarian networks are united by money flows, not belief systems.

Editorial

Ukraine peace talks: business overriding diplomacy
Negotiations shaped by economic interests more than genuine commitment to peace.

References

Autocracy, Inc.Anne Applebaum (2024)How authoritarian regimes cooperate to undermine democracy

Misc

Applebaum: corruption, not ideology, drives modern authoritarianism
Ukraine peace talks as a case study in business interests overriding diplomacy
Transnational kleptocracy as a framework for understanding geopolitics