The promise seemed miraculous. Sweetness minus the calories. But when studies begin to link artificial sweeteners with cancer, the entire industry faces oblivion. And it'll take some lightning-fast pivots and Donald Rumsfeld to pull it back from the brink.

If you?d like to hear more about the artificial sweetener business, you can listen to the audiobook version of ?Empty Pleasures? by Carolyn de la Peña right now on Audible.

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Introducing Audible True Crime, a dedicated podcast feed where we bring you the best podcasts in true crime, with episodes dropping every single week. Find your next bingeable series about unsolved murders, cold cases, scams and mysteries. This is the cream of the crop of Audible podcasts, featuring award-winning series and soon-to-be favorites. Stop pestering your friends or searching ?best true crime podcast? on Google.   

Up first, Guru: The Dark Side of Enlightenment: A search for spiritual guidance leads a group of strangers to seek direction from a self-help guru. And not just any guru. James Arthur Ray is an Oprah endorsed motivational speaker and entrepreneur whose unorthodox methods that blend self-improvement and economic advice have won him praise and a growing following. He?s fast becoming a self-help superstar. But Ray?s increasingly extreme methods push his followers to their limits. What are they seeking? What does he offer? And what happens when it all goes too far, and people die?  

Listen to Audible True Crime wherever you get your podcasts. Audible subscribers can binge all episodes on Audible True Crime early and ad-free right now. Join Audible in the Audible App or by subscribing on Apple Podcasts.  

Listen now: link.pscrb.fm/6438e/fdaudibletruecrimeron-93b44 

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When Warby Parker debuted in 2010, the brand disrupted not just how much eyeglasses cost, but also how customers purchased them. Its direct-to-consumer e-commerce business model left many wondering whether Luxottica?s longstanding reign over the industry would soon be over. In the decade-and-a-half since, the answer to that question is still evolving. Max Chafkin profiled Warby Parker in its early days for Fast Company, and is currently a senior reporter for Bloomberg Businessweek. He joins David to discuss Warby Parker?s staying power, the company?s embrace of brick-and-mortar retail, and the current state of e-commerce.

Check out Max?s Bloomberg podcast Everybody?s Business.

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Warby Parker is three weeks old and its online glasses store is proving so popular the brand?s in danger of burning out. But if it?s going to pose a real challenge to Luxottica, it needs to learn how to sustain that momentum.

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After a childhood of hard knocks, Italian entrepreneur Leonardo Del Vecchio sets out to build an eyewear empire by swallowing brands like Ray-Ban, Sunglass Hut, Lenscrafters, and Oakley. But as his wealth and power grows, four MBA students in Philadelphia ask if there?s room for an alternative.

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After a successful IPO in 2014, GoPro founder and CEO Nick Woodman hopes to lead the company into its next act. In his vision, GoPro won?t just be a camera maker anymore; they?ll be a full-scale media empire. Woodman hires a Hollywood executive to lead the charge and staffs the new division with 100 people. But changing a company?s mission is a slow process, and in the meantime GoPro has one disastrous product launch after another. And within just a couple of years, GoPro is struggling to survive. 

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In 2002, while on a surf trip to Bali, 26-year-old Nick Woodman has an idea for a camera mount that would allow him and his friends to capture action shots of themselves in the water. At the time, only professional surfers who hired photographers had these types of images. Woodman spends years developing and trying to sell his product. In 2007, the GoPro takes off, in large part due to customers posting on a new website called YouTube. For years, GoPro soars, but Apple is close on its heels, releasing iPhones with better and better cameras. To keep GoPro relevant, Woodman makes a massive and risky pivot.  

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For decades, Disney was the undisputed champion of theme parks. But Universal Studios had its big breakthrough when the Wizarding World of Harry Potter opened in 2010. And it?s been gaining ground on Disney ever since. Today, journalist Drew Taylor takes David on a ride through this heated theme park rivalry. Drew covers film, animation and theme parks for The Wrap. They?ll dive into Universal?s new Epic Universe expansion in Orlando, the inner workings of park hopping and lightning lanes, and why the key to this battle is all about who controls the IP.

Check out Drew?s podcast: Fine Tooning with Drew Taylor

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With Harry Potter on its team, Universal hopes to cast a spell on millions of vacationers. Meanwhile, Disney?s new boss Bob Iger is about to strike back with Star Wars. But who will win this clash between Jedi and wizard?

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After a bumpy opening, Universal Studios Florida is looking for a way to get out of Disney World?s shadow. But if Jaws, King Kong and Back to the Future won?t do it, what will?

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Walt Disney World: it?s the Central Florida theme park destination that dreams are made of. And Universal?s dream is to build an even better theme park next door. But Disney boss Michael Eisner isn?t about to let it spoil the fun without a fight.

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As the cruise industry enters the 21st century, Carnival and Royal Caribbean square off again as they battle to acquire British company Princess Cruises. Whoever wins Princess will be virtually uncatchable as the largest cruise company in the world. But when the Covid-19 pandemic breaks out, the cruise industry struggles to keep passengers safe, and the entire existence of the industry is in jeopardy.

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As Carnival cements its success by going public, founder Ted Arison and his son and CEO Micky set their sights on growing the company through acquisition. They make long-time rival Royal Caribbean their target. But with a new ambitious executive at the helm, Royal Caribbean isn?t going down without a fight. Norwegian Cruise Line struggles to keep up with the competition.

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After his bitter exit from Norwegian Cruise Line, Ted Arison has limited time to make his new company Carnival a success. With little funds and one run-down ship, the odds are stacked against him. Meanwhile, Norwegian Cruise Line and Royal Caribbean compete to be the most luxurious cruise ship company on the market. And all three get an unexpected boost from Hollywood.

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In 1950, an enterprising Miami businessman has the idea to use a passenger liner to ferry retired Floridians to the Caribbean. He makes their time on board the ship as much a part of the appeal as the destination. Modern cruising is born, but it?s still just a small niche activity.

But in the 1960s, a group of ambitious men in both the United States and Europe sees huge potential in this form of vacation travel. Within six years Norwegian Cruise Line, Royal Caribbean, and Carnival are all founded. They spend the next 60 years battling to be the biggest and best cruise line in the world.

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It?s 2013 and upstart yogurt brand Chobani is riding high. But in its huge new factory in Idaho, a microscopic threat is spreading: mold. And when it contaminates Chobani?s yogurt, founder Hamdi Ulukaya will face an agonizing choice.

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When a leaflet advertising a decrepit factory for sale lands in the office of struggling entrepreneur Hamdi Ulukaya, it sets him on a quest to make America fall in love with Greek yogurt. But to succeed, he must not just beat yogurt giants Yoplait and Dannon, but change the American diet.

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Back in 2014, Google Glass made the dream of smart glasses a reality for the tech-obsessed. But a hefty price tag and divisive design prevented Google from bringing its vision to the masses. A decade later, Meta seemingly cracked the code, offering affordable, fashion-forward smart specs in frames by established brands like Ray-Ban and Oakley. WIRED senior gear editor Julian Chokkattu and staff writer Boone Ashworth join David to discuss whether Google?s new Android XR platform, which the company debuted in May, can give Meta a run for its money. They?ll also discuss some of the thorny ethical issues surrounding AI-powered frames and where the industry is headed next. 

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It?s 2023, and Meta Ray-Bans have just helped Mark Zuckerberg turn a corner. After his disastrous investment in the Metaverse, Meta?s AI-enabled smart glasses are a welcome victory for the company. But the competition is coming. And so are uncomfortable questions about mandatory data-sharing, worker exploitation, and federal agents using the glasses illegally. If smart glasses are here to stay, the question becomes? is that a good thing? 

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It?s 2011, and two Stanford students have built eyeglasses with a tiny camera inside. Their a prototype paves the way for Meta Ray-Bans, the first tech-enabled eyewear to truly go mainstream after attempts like Google Glass fizzled. But in integrating their smart glasses into our daily lives, Meta has created something else: a tool for mass surveillance. 

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In 2019, the Netflix series Formula 1: Drive To Survive ushered in a major uptick in the sport?s popularity among Americans. Then, the 2021 F1 season saw an epic showdown between Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen, and interest exploded. The F1 fan-base is young, diverse and gaining on NASCAR. Formula 1 lead commentator Alex Jacques join us to share his insights into the rise of F1 in the U.S. market, the wave of new talent, and why he loves the sport so much. Jacques is the author of Grid to Glory: 75 Milestone Formula One Moments. You can hear his commentary on F1TV, Channel 4 and Formula 1: Drive to Survive.

https://alexjacques.co.uk/

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Formula One is under new management and pushing to finally break into America. But after decades of failure, it needs to remodel its approach while also facing off against NASCAR. They're racing to capture the next generation of motorsport fans.

If you?d like to hear more about the high-stakes drama of F1, we recommend the audiobook version of The Formula. You can listen right now on Audible.

https://www.audible.com/pd/The-Formula-Audiobook/B0C834FDPB?srsltid=AfmBOopWNQLsloHzpZvxk0E1_mHodmgMgrcJUH-ue6AHQHwnX86ov_TZ

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When the European Union moves to ban tobacco sponsorship, Formula One boss Bernie Ecclestone finds himself racing to expand the sport?s global reach. But as F1 goes global, NASCAR finds its TV appeal is running out of gas.

If you?d like to hear more about the high-stakes drama of F1, we recommend the audiobook version of The Formula. You can listen right now on Audible.

https://www.audible.com/pd/The-Formula-Audiobook/B0C834FDPB?srsltid=AfmBOopWNQLsloHzpZvxk0E1_mHodmgMgrcJUH-ue6AHQHwnX86ov_TZ

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When moonshine runners turn stock car racers, Bill France creates NASCAR and turns it into America?s top motorsport. Meanwhile, in Europe, another canny operator ? Bernie Ecclestone ? is fighting to bend Formula One to his will.

If you?d like to hear more about the high-stakes drama of F1, we recommend the audiobook version of The Formula. You can listen right now on Audible.

https://www.audible.com/pd/The-Formula-Audiobook/B0C834FDPB?srsltid=AfmBOopWNQLsloHzpZvxk0E1_mHodmgMgrcJUH-ue6AHQHwnX86ov_TZ

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It?s 2024 and Bumble?s users are increasingly frustrated by matches that go nowhere. Investors are equally uneasy as the stock price cascades from its post-IPO highs. In response, new CEO Lidiane Jones rolls out a rebrand with a major change. But the rollout faces a backlash and the company?s slide continues. Founder Whitney Wolfe Herd returns to save her company and to find out whether an app built on human connection can be rescued by AI.

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It?s 2014 and twenty-four-year-old Whitney Wolfe sues Tinder for harassment, sending shockwaves through Silicon Valley. She walks away with a settlement but pays a high personal price for taking on the ?boy?s club? culture in tech. That leads Wolfe to launch Bumble, an app with a radical feature ? women make the first move. Bumble attracts millions of users and has a blockbuster IPO. But as the Bumble ?Hive? grows, the pressure to scale takes its toll, and onlookers wonder: Can Bumble survive without its Queen Bee?

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When Athletic hit the shelves in 2017, it proved to naysayers that you can have a non-alcoholic beer without sacrificing on taste. Dare we say, it even gave NA brews a certain cool-factor. Athletic helped kick off an NA craze that?s seen more and more alcohol-free beers, botanicals and mocktails infusing beverage menus. But does the trend have staying power? Kate Bernot is a food and beverage reporter and analyst with Feel Goods Insights. Kate?s covered the beer industry for Bon Appetit, The Washington Post, VinePair, and more. She?ll tap into how to make a great NA brew, how Athletic changed the game, and how the industry is adapting.

To learn more about Kate?s work visit: www.katebernot.com.

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With its brewery finally open, Athletic Brewing is on a mission to get its beer into stores. But Heineken, the European leader in this space, is also chasing this growing market and now has its sights set on the U.S. And Athletic wants to prove it can compete not just with the alcohol industry, but against all beverages. 

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It?s 2017 and Bill Shufelt is about to quit stock trading to start a company with a product it seems like nobody wants: non-alcoholic beer. And that?s not even his biggest hurdle. Because his plan depends on making alcohol-free beer taste great ? a feat he?s not sure is even possible.

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It?s 2015 and Taylor Swift?s just thrown Apple Music into crisis. But as the Silicon Valley giant tries to get its music-streaming service back on track, its Swedish rival Spotify is about to launch a legal attack that will strike at the very heart of Apple?s business model.

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It?s the late 2000s and the music industry dances to the beat of Apple iTunes. But two Swedish tech entrepreneurs are out to challenge Apple's dominance with their music-streaming startup Spotify. But to do that, they must facedown Internet pirates, record labels and Apple CEO Steve Jobs.

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When Michael Jordan signed with an upstart running shoe company called Nike in the 1980s, it revolutionized the signature sneaker landscape and made Nike the brand to beat. Under Armour made a similar play signing Steph Curry in 2013. But it didn?t pan out quite the way they hoped. Still, nowadays it seems like every star athlete needs a signature line. Tim Newcomb is a sneaker and sports tech reporter whose work has appeared in Forbes, Sports Illustrated, Esquire and more. He's breaking down the rise of the signature shoe from Chuck Taylors in the 1920s to Kobe Bryant?s and Roger Federer?s signature kicks. We?ll also look at some of the new players in the sneaker game, and where Under Armour goes from here. 

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It?s 2014 and Under Armour is getting increasingly aggressive as it takes on Nike, buying fitness apps and signing record-breaking endorsement deals. But they face a major setback when one of their biggest retail partners goes bankrupt. To recoup the lost revenue, Under Armour makes a risky deal. And as the company scrambles to keep up with the rise of ecommerce and athleisure, they face a daunting question: are they losing sight of what made them great? 

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It?s 1995 and college football player Kevin Plank is frustrated with the way the cotton t-shirt he wears under his pads gets drenched with sweat. He begins designing a t-shirt made from a different kind of material - one that will wick away sweat and keep him cool and dry on the field. Upon graduating, Plank uses his life savings and maxes out his credit cards to launch Under Armour. And within ten years of its founding, Plank sets his sights on the biggest prize of all: taking on Nike.  

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As the 1990s come to a close, Gatorade has become an established powerhouse brand, thanks to a 25-year head start and the star power of their spokesperson Michael Jordan. But the millennium brings fresh challenges to Gatorade?s dominance. Coca-Cola goes on the offensive, investing millions in their competing product, Powerade. And Powerade?s rise is only the beginning of Gatorade?s woes. As the science of sports drinks evolves, can Gatorade still keep up with its younger rivals?

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It?s the early 1970s, and Gatorade isn?t just the leader in sports hydration ? it is sports hydration. No other competing brand comes close. But that dominance won?t last forever. Soon, Gatorade must fend off challenges from soft-drink giants Coke and Pepsi. Will enlisting the world?s greatest athlete and spokesperson keep them ahead of the game? 

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It?s 1965 and at the University of Florida, a team of kidney scientists is working hard on an electrolyte beverage solution to prevent dehydration. It?s a hit with the school?s football team, the Florida Gators, and so they name it Gatorade. But creating an innovative product only gets you so far. The team has to figure out how they?ll get their new beverage off the sidelines and into grocery stores and the hands of millions of everyday consumers. And now that they?ve created the sports-drink sector, do they have what it takes to stay on top? 

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In the 2010s, FinTech companies emerged offering a Buy Now, Pay Later service that made financing available, at a time when trust in big banks was low. But as dependence on these apps grows, consumers are starting to reassess the cost. Adam Clark Estes is a Senior Technology Correspondent for Vox ? he?s sharing what can happen when customers over-rely these services. Later, Annie Joy Williams, an assistant editor at The Atlantic, explains why women are becoming the biggest target demographic for Buy Now, Pay Later apps, and the consequences Gen Z consumers may face.

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Klarna?s popularity in the United States soars as the Covid-19 pandemic closes brick-and-mortar stores and online shopping surges. But Klarna also has a fresh wave of competitors. And as consumers find themselves sucked into vicious debt cycles, Klarna and other Buy Now, Pay Later services are forced to navigate a backlash and new government regulation.  

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In the early 2000s, Sebastian Siemiatkowski identified a gap in Europe?s burgeoning ecommerce market ? consumers were hesitant to buy products sight unseen. Siemiatkowski?s new company would front the bill and give consumers 30 days to pay. The concept caught on and helped kick off the modern Buy Now, Pay Later industry. And after conquering Europe, Siemiatkowski?s Klarna set its sights on the U.S., determined to disrupt the credit card industry.  

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When CrowdStrike's faulty software update shuts down airports, hospitals and TV networks around the globe, they face intense backlash from the public. The world is forced to reckon with a terrifying new reality. As our systems become more interconnected, and reliant on just a handful of big tech companies, they also become more vulnerable to a single point of failure. 

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Listen to Business Wars on the Wondery App or wherever you get your podcasts. Experience all episodes ad-free and be the first to binge the newest season. Unlock exclusive early access by joining Wondery+ in the Wondery App or on Apple Podcasts. Start your free trial today by visiting wondery.com/links/business-wars/ now.

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In 2011, CrowdStrike launched with an innovative vision: using cloud-based software to provide cybersecurity. They attracted big clients, including Fortune 500 companies and critical government agencies. And along the way, they investigated notorious hacks, like the North Korean breach of Sony Pictures, and the 2016 hack of the Democratic National Committee. 

But in 2024, they faced their biggest test of all, when a bug in their own software created the largest I.T outage in world history. 

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Listen to Business Wars on the Wondery App or wherever you get your podcasts. Experience all episodes ad-free and be the first to binge the newest season. Unlock exclusive early access by joining Wondery+ in the Wondery App or on Apple Podcasts. Start your free trial today by visiting wondery.com/links/business-wars/ now.

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Ever wondered what it?s like to ride in a Waymo? David and his daughter headed to downtown Austin to take their first trip in a driverless taxi. Together, they documented all the ups, downs, twists and turns. Later, author and former Waymo consultant Larry Burns rides shotgun to talk about how these autonomous vehicles will massively disrupt the auto industry ? and why Larry believes the tipping point for making these cars mainstream falls within this decade.

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Listen to Business Wars on the Wondery App or wherever you get your podcasts. Experience all episodes ad-free and be the first to binge the newest season. Unlock exclusive early access by joining Wondery+ in the Wondery App or on Apple Podcasts. Start your free trial today by visiting wondery.com/links/business-wars/ now.

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When the demands of war ignite a race to build autonomous cars, Google invests billions in the hope of owning the driverless future of transportation. But can it really turn this technological challenge into a viable business?

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Listen to Business Wars on the Wondery App or wherever you get your podcasts. Experience all episodes ad-free and be the first to binge the newest season. Unlock exclusive early access by joining Wondery+ in the Wondery App or on Apple Podcasts. Start your free trial today by visiting wondery.com/links/business-wars/ now.

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When the demands of war ignite a race to build autonomous cars, Google invests billions in the hope of owning the driverless future of transportation. But can it really turn this technological challenge into a viable business?

Be the first to know about Wondery?s newest podcasts, curated recommendations, and more! Sign up now at https://wondery.fm/wonderynewsletter

Listen to Business Wars on the Wondery App or wherever you get your podcasts. Experience all episodes ad-free and be the first to binge the newest season. Unlock exclusive early access by joining Wondery+ in the Wondery App or on Apple Podcasts. Start your free trial today by visiting wondery.com/links/business-wars/ now.

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This fall, Beyond Meat became a meme stock, surging ?and then falling right back down. For years, alternative meat companies Beyond Meat and Impossible Foods have struggled to win over customers en masse. Deena Shanker of Bloomberg Businessweek explains where the companies lost their way, and whether they can survive another year. Later, journalist Clint Rainey walks us through his investigation for Fast Company where Beyond and Impossible claimed they were victims of a social media disinformation campaign funded by ?Big Beef.? So were the rumors true? Clint breaks it down. 

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Listen to Business Wars on the Wondery App or wherever you get your podcasts. Experience all episodes ad-free and be the first to binge the newest season. Unlock exclusive early access by joining Wondery+ in the Wondery App or on Apple Podcasts. Start your free trial today by visiting wondery.com/links/business-wars/ now.

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Beyond Meat and Impossible Burger boomed in the 2010s, but changing tastes have turned their sizzle into a fizzle. And as they continue to slide deeper into debt, these companies have struggled to get back on top of the plant-based food chain. . What?s next for these meatless giants? Jason Kartalian and Mike Keller, co-hosts of the podcast Vegan Hacks, join David to discuss the future of Beyond Meat, Impossible Burger, and the meatless meat market as a whole. 

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It?s 2019 and plant-based meats are on fire. But they?re also under fire. Supporters of the beef industry start a food fight with the plant-based meat industry. It kicks off on Super Bowl Sunday, with an aggressive TV ad. But Pat Brown?s Impossible Foods fights back with an ad of its own. Meanwhile, Ethan Brown pushes Beyond Meat to grow at all costs. As debts mount, Ethan tries to get the king of burgers, McDonald?s, to bite on a new plant-based patty. And, as the heat turns up at both companies due to pandemic-induced demand for their products, some employees get queasy about their company?s founders.

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Listen to Business Wars on the Wondery App or wherever you get your podcasts. Experience all episodes ad-free and be the first to binge the newest season. Unlock exclusive early access by joining Wondery+ in the Wondery App or on Apple Podcasts. Start your free trial today by visiting wondery.com/links/business-wars/ now.

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It?s 2016 and both Pat Brown?s Impossible Foods and Ethan Brown?s Beyond Meat are cooking up plant-based burgers for mass consumption. Ethan tries to woo Whole Foods executives to carry his Beyond Burger in their stores from coast-to-coast. Pat?s taking a different route. He?s asking celebrity chefs to put his Impossible Burger ? a plant-based meat that bleeds ? on their menus. Soon enough, fake meat gets truly famous. But as Beyond Meat tries to cash in on Wall Street and as Impossible Foods gets its patties into Burger King, meat-raising ranchers in America?s heartland are on the attack. 

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Listen to Business Wars on the Wondery App or wherever you get your podcasts. Experience all episodes ad-free and be the first to binge the newest season. Unlock exclusive early access by joining Wondery+ in the Wondery App or on Apple Podcasts. Start your free trial today by visiting wondery.com/links/business-wars/ now.

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It's 2008 and two men, both vegans, ponder what they can do to improve the climate. Though they?re on separate sides of the country and in different professions (but they coincidentally share a last name)? Ethan Brown is in the fuel cell business and Pat Brown is a lauded Stanford biochemist ? they land on the same solution. They?re going to try and lessen the climate impact of animal agriculture by making meat from plants. Ethan calls his company Beyond Meat and notches the first commercial breakthrough, a fake chicken strip. Pat is not far behind, and launches Impossible Foods two years later, setting off a heated rivalry. 

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Listen to Business Wars on the Wondery App or wherever you get your podcasts. Experience all episodes ad-free and be the first to binge the newest season. Unlock exclusive early access by joining Wondery+ in the Wondery App or on Apple Podcasts. Start your free trial today by visiting wondery.com/links/business-wars/ now.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.