Steven Bartlett has sat down with billionaires, hedge fund legends, and self-made millionaires to talk about money — how to make it, keep it, and think about it differently. These are the 10 episodes that will genuinely change how you handle your finances.
Let's be honest: most money advice on the internet is either painfully obvious ("spend less than you earn!") or trying to sell you a course. The Diary of a CEO is different. Steven Bartlett asks the questions you'd actually ask if you were sitting across from a billionaire — and his guests answer with a level of honesty you rarely get.
But with 600+ episodes in the archive, finding the ones that will actually move the needle on your finances is like searching for a needle in a haystack. A very long, 1.5-hour-per-episode haystack.
So we curated the best Diary of a CEO episodes about money — the conversations about wealth building, investing psychology, business revenue, and financial freedom that are worth your time. For each one, you'll get the core message plus three key takeaways you can act on today.
Whether you're broke and figuring it out, sitting on savings you don't know what to do with, or building a business and trying to hit your first million — there's an episode here for you.
If you only listen to one episode about money from this entire podcast, make it this one. Morgan Housel is the author of The Psychology of Money — one of the best-selling finance books of the last decade — and his conversation with Steven is an absolute masterclass in understanding why we make the financial decisions we do.
Housel doesn't talk about stock picks or market timing. He talks about the emotional, psychological, and behavioral patterns that determine whether you end up wealthy or broke — regardless of your income. The core insight: your relationship with money is shaped more by your personal history than by any spreadsheet.
Alex Hormozi went from sleeping on a gym floor to building a $100M+ portfolio, and he breaks down exactly how in this conversation. Where Housel teaches you how to think about money, Hormozi teaches you how to make it — specifically through business.
What makes this episode stand out from the thousands of "how I got rich" interviews is the level of tactical detail. Hormozi doesn't deal in motivational platitudes. He walks through offer creation, pricing psychology, and the math behind why most businesses stay small forever. If you've ever wanted someone to just tell you the formula, this is the closest you'll get.
Ray Dalio founded Bridgewater Associates, the world's largest hedge fund, managing over $150 billion. When this man talks about money, economies, and cycles, you listen — because he's been on the right side of almost every major economic shift for four decades.
This episode goes beyond personal finance into the system of money itself. Dalio explains how debt cycles work, why most people get caught on the wrong side of economic shifts, and how to position yourself — whether you're investing $1,000 or $1 million. It's the kind of macro perspective that makes everything else on this list click into place.
Codie Sanchez is doing something most people don't even know is possible: buying small, "boring" businesses — laundromats, car washes, HVAC companies — and turning them into cash-flowing machines. Her episode with Steven is a complete paradigm shift for anyone who thinks the only path to wealth is a tech startup or the stock market.
What makes Codie's advice so powerful is its accessibility. You don't need a Harvard MBA or a Silicon Valley network. She breaks down how ordinary people can acquire existing businesses with little money down and start generating real cash flow within months.
Ramit Sethi is the author of I Will Teach You to Be Rich and arguably the most practical personal finance voice in media. His approach is radically different from most money gurus: instead of obsessing over cutting expenses, he focuses on earning more and spending deliberately on what you love.
This episode is essential listening for anyone who feels guilty about spending money or stuck in a scarcity mindset. Ramit reframes the entire conversation away from restriction and toward intentional, joyful wealth building. It's the antidote to every "stop buying lattes" article you've ever read.
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Scott Galloway is a NYU professor, serial entrepreneur, and best-selling author who became one of the most respected voices in business and economics. His framework for wealth is refreshingly simple, brutally honest, and backed by actual data — not guru promises.
What sets Galloway apart is his willingness to talk about the parts of wealth building that nobody else will: the role of luck, the importance of choosing the right industry, and why your 20s and 30s are mathematically the most critical decades for your financial trajectory. He doesn't sugarcoat it, and that's exactly why you need to hear it.
Barbara Corcoran built The Corcoran Group — one of New York City's most iconic real estate firms — starting with a $1,000 loan from her boyfriend. She later sold it for $66 million, then multiplied her wealth as a Shark Tank investor. Her story is proof that you don't need a privileged start to build serious wealth.
This episode is raw, funny, and packed with street-smart money wisdom. Barbara's perspective is refreshingly un-academic — she failed at 22 jobs before real estate, was told she'd "never succeed" by a boyfriend-turned-business-partner, and used that rejection as rocket fuel. If you've ever felt like you're not smart enough or connected enough to get rich, this episode will change your mind.
Gary Vee needs no introduction, but you might be surprised by this episode. Rather than his trademark high-energy hustle content, this conversation with Steven goes deep on the patience side of wealth building — the decade-long time horizons, the delayed gratification, and the emotional discipline that separates people who build lasting wealth from those who peak and crash.
Gary's framework for money is shaped by his immigrant family's journey — watching his father build a liquor store into a business, then transforming it into Wine Library through early internet adoption. His advice isn't theoretical; it's lived.
Daniel Priestley has built multiple seven-figure businesses and coaches entrepreneurs on the exact steps to becoming so well-known in your industry that opportunities — and money — start finding you. His episode with Steven is the blueprint for turning expertise into income.
What makes this episode essential for the money conversation is its focus on personal economic value. Priestley argues that most people are under-earning not because they lack skill, but because they're invisible. The five-step framework he shares is applicable whether you're a freelancer, founder, or corporate employee trying to increase your income.
Love him or find him intense, Grant Cardone has built a $4 billion real estate portfolio and his conversation with Steven is an unfiltered look at the mindset and mechanics behind aggressive wealth building. This isn't the episode for people looking for gentle, balanced advice — it's for people who want to hear from someone who went from broke and in debt to controlling billions in assets.
Cardone's philosophy is simple and relentless: the reason most people stay middle-class isn't lack of opportunity — it's that they set their targets too low and take too little action. Whether or not you agree with everything he says, his episode will challenge your assumptions about what's possible with money.
Here's what I'd recommend: don't try to binge all ten. Pick the two episodes that speak to where you are right now:
Every episode on this list links to our full episode summaries, where you can get the complete breakdown — key quotes, detailed takeaways, and the context you need to actually apply the advice.
The best time to start getting smarter about money was ten years ago. The second best time is right now. Pick an episode and press play.
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