Business Wars

A new app aimed at gay users is about to break open an entirely new feature that will redefine the cyber dating business. And a young man emerging from a shower gets his inspiration for a new hookup site as he wipes the steam from his mirror.  Soon Tinder is on fire, but the conglomerate Match Group is determined to get a stranglehold on the market. And as the industry leaps from computer screens to mobile devices, things are heading into uncharted territory...

Dr. Neil Clark Warren is a 63-year-old theologian and clinical psychologist with a vision for a site he’s certain can lead to romantic success. eHarmony will be the first to take on the powerful Match.com. And Warren believes he is on—quite literally—a sacred mission to offer something that Match.com can’t match. eHarmony’s Christian agenda seems to be working, until the God stuff leads to serious disharmony. Dr. Warren doesn’t know it, but he’s headed for a holy war...

It’s 1995, and computer dating is in its infancy. Most people think it’s a dark, sleazy world for desperate losers and horny perverts. But that’s all about to change. Pioneer site Match.com paves the way for cyber dating to move toward mainstream culture, but—in an era when few people even use a computer—it’s going to be a serious struggle...

Today we conclude our Diamond Wars series.  These precious stones are known to be undeniably beautiful, rare and a symbol of luxury. But diamonds have also been associated with war, human rights abuses and death. In response, consumers these days are demanding more transparency about where stones are sourced. Some are seeking out less expensive gemstone alternatives or lab-grown diamonds. And even powerhouse companies like De Beers have taken strides to adapt...

It’s the 2000s and the diamond cartel is dead. Now, De Beers must adjust to its new status as the market leader rather than the monopoly. But the threats to its business aren’t going away.   Diamonds are losing their luster with the young, and Zimbabwe’s undermining the industry’s response to conflict diamonds. And most threatening of all, a wave of new start ups are out to disrupt De Beers by growing man-made diamonds.  Listen ad-free on Wondery+ here See Privacy Policy at https://art19...

Blood Ties Season 2 is out now! Blood Ties is a scripted audio drama starring Gillian Jacobs, Josh Gad, Dominic Monaghan, Amy Landecker, and Wayne Knight.   After the sudden death of Michael and Eleonore Richland’s billionaire father, disturbing allegations emerge about his dark past. These revelations thrust them into a fight they’re completely unprepared for. As the stakes of telling the truth continue to rise, they grapple with their father’s legacy and what to do with it...

It’s the late 1990s and rebel armies in Angola, Sierra Leone and Congo are bankrolling campaigns of mass murder and terror with diamonds. Now, after years of turning a blind eye, the diamond-buying public is starting to notice the bloodshed.  But as the issue of so-called “blood diamonds” rises up the political agenda, De Beers is plotting what might be the boldest move yet in its long history: giving up its quest to control all the world’s diamonds...

It’s 1966 and De Beers is about to abandon its eleven-year search for diamonds in Botswana. But the geologist behind the search is far from ready to pack up his tools. And De Beers isn’t the only one searching for gemstones. Soon, a major diamond find in Australia will leave the diamond monopoly facing a big dilemma: should it seek to control or to destroy this Antipodean threat? Listen ad-free on Wondery+ here Support us by supporting our sponsors! See Privacy Policy at https://art19...

It’s the early 1950s and West Africa’s growing number of diamond smugglers is causing headaches for De Beers.  Faced with millions of pounds in losses, the diamond monopoly decides it’s time to get tough with the smugglers. But while De Beers battles the illicit diamond traders, in the far east of the Soviet Union a new threat is brewing.  Listen ad-free on Wondery+ here Support us by supporting our sponsors! See Privacy Policy at https://art19...

In our new after-dark exclusive series, we dive into the heyday of the 1970s, when Playboy and Penthouse rule the adult genre, and the line between sexy and obscene starts just below a woman’s belly button. But when it comes to the boundaries of good taste, how far will founders Hugh Hefner and Bob Guccione go to expand their erotic empires? Listen to this exclusive season of Business Wars, Playboy versus Penthouse on Wondery Plus in the Wondery App. Download it today. https://wondery.app...