Podbit · The Prof G Pod with Scott Galloway
A University of Lausanne study of every Olympics and World Cup from 1964 to 2018 found that 95% of hosts lose money, with an average ROI of -38%. Only three events in history turned a direct profit. But 'soft power' is off the books.
Where this was said
At 47:24 · chapter starts 41:45
Saudi Arabia's World Cup win was, by every account, a foregone conclusion — no other nation even bothered to bid. Scott connects the dots between FIFA's $100M Saudi Aramco sponsorship deal and the inevitable hosting outcome, calling it a 'down payment.' But the more interesting conversation is why this matters to the Kingdom. Saudi Arabia has a finite window — roughly 30-40 years of oil wealth — to transition to a knowledge and tourism-based economy. The World Cup is a blank-check branding exercise, and Scott makes the case viscerally through his memory of the 1992 Barcelona Olympics opening ceremony: a flaming arrow, a ripped torso, a stunning stadium, and an entire country suddenly on the global tourist wishlist. The Paris Olympics recently did the same. Scott predicts MBS looks at Dubai's rise as a global business hub and is determined to one-up it, with a nearly unlimited budget. Qatar reportedly spent $220-250 billion; Scott wouldn't be surprised if Saudi Arabia spends half a trillion. The key economic bet: after the World Cup, the question 'Honey, would you be willing to move to Riyadh?' gets a different answer from tens of thousands of entrepreneurs and executives worldwide. [1] — Scott Galloway "Saudi Arabia is transitioning from a fossil fuel economy to a services and tourism economy, and it has a blank check to do it. The 2034 Wor…" 42:18
Saudi Arabia is transitioning from a fossil fuel economy to a services and tourism economy, and it has a blank check to do it. The 2034 World Cup isn't a sports tournament — it's a $250+ billion advertisement to attract human capital, foreign businesses, and global attention.
Qatar spent approximately $220-250 billion hosting the 2022 World Cup; Scott Galloway predicts Saudi Arabia may spend half a trillion dollars on 2034.
A University of Lausanne study of all Olympics and World Cups from 1964-2018 found 95% of hosts lose money, with an average ROI of -38%.
Thomas's wife deferred her CrossFit career — she's in the global top 1% of athletes — to put him through law school debt-free. He wants her to chase the dream now; she wants the emergency fund and house down payment first. On a $200K lawyer income with no debt, the opportunity cost is just a few months of slower saving.
Underground calisthenics battles are exactly like UFC meets a rap battle — 150 people crowded around a circle, fighters walking out with masks and chains, nicknames like 'Extra Money' vs 'Calisthenics the Prince,' and people throwing money and betting. The battle set: 100 burpees, 50 muscle-ups, 75 dips, 75 squats with a 65-pound dumbbell. This is the next big spectator sport.
Rico Verhoeven controlled the undisputed heavyweight boxing champion for approximately 10 rounds — and had his appeal upheld when officials admitted the fight was stopped after the bell. The result was never overturned. Rogan calls it either incompetence or corruption, and argues the money behind Usyk made an upset politically inconvenient.
Rogan lays out a blunt case: boxing's 3-judge system is structurally broken, and the judges know who the promoter wants to win. Glory's 5-judge format is the right model. Corruption doesn't have to be conscious — just knowing Usyk is the cash cow is enough to tilt the scales.
With the Usyk-Wilder fight stalling and Fury-Joshua coming too late, the real fight the world wants is the rematch. Rico is a free agent. Usyk vacated his belts. The story is unfinished and both Rogan and Rico know it. His Excellency Turki Alasheikh already called for it ringside — the question is money.
Rico texted Jason Statham during the Canelo-Crawford fight. Statham showed Rico's highlight videos to promoters. Two days later, Rico was on a call about fighting Anthony Joshua. When Joshua pulled out, Rico pitched Usyk himself — Undisputed vs. Undisputed. Usyk said yes in two weeks. The whole thing started with one text.
Every heavyweight who faced Usyk tried to move to the right — straight into his power hand. Rico and Peter Fury identified the obvious solution: move left, away from the left hand, and smother him with size. It sounds simple. Nobody had done it. That one adjustment was the foundation of 10 dominant rounds.
MMA fans boo when fights go to the ground. They love stand-up. Kickboxing is pure stand-up. Yet it barely exists in America while boxing and MMA are enormous. Rogan's diagnosis: no promotion machine. If the UFC got behind kickboxing the way they've built MMA, it would explode. The talent is there — the storytelling machine is not.
A nation of 17 million people gave the world Ramon Deckers, Peter Aerts, Badr Hari, Melvin Manhoef, Rob Kamen, Ernesto Hoost, and Rico Verhoeven. Rico's theory: the country is so small that every gym shares knowledge freely. In the US, you need a flight. In Holland, you drive 40 minutes and spar the national champion.
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