If you've ever searched for "diary of a ceo best episodes for money advice," you're not alone. Steven Bartlett's podcast has featured some of the world's sharpest financial minds — from self-made billionaires to behavioural economists who study why we're so bad with money. But with 400+ episodes, finding the ones that actually deliver actionable money wisdom can feel overwhelming.
I've listened to every money-related episode on The Diary of a CEO and ranked the top 10 based on three criteria: practical applicability (can you use this advice today?), depth of insight (does it go beyond generic "save more" advice?), and replay value (is it worth re-listening?). Here's the definitive list.
The Top 10 Money Advice Episodes
#1 — The Best Money Episode Overall
Morgan Housel: "The Psychology of Money"
Author of The Psychology of Money
This episode is the gold standard. Morgan Housel doesn't talk about stock picks or crypto — he talks about why we make irrational financial decisions and how our personal history shapes our relationship with money. His core argument: getting wealthy is about behaviour, not intelligence.
Key Takeaway: "The highest form of wealth is the ability to wake up every morning and say, 'I can do whatever I want today.'" Wealth isn't about buying things — it's about buying freedom and optionality. Housel recommends saving money with no specific purpose, because the flexibility itself is the ROI.
- Actionable tip: Save at least 20% of your income with no earmarked goal. The optionality of having cash reserves is worth more than any specific investment.
- Actionable tip: Stop comparing your financial journey to others — everyone is playing a different game with different rules, timelines, and risk tolerances.
#2 — Best for Entrepreneurs
Alex Hormozi: "How to Build a $100M Business"
Founder of Acquisition.com, author of $100M Offers
Alex Hormozi went from sleeping on a gym floor to building a portfolio worth over $200M. This episode is a masterclass in pricing, value creation, and the mental models that separate people who earn £50K from people who earn £5M. Hormozi is blunt, specific, and backed by real numbers.
Key Takeaway: Most businesses fail on pricing, not product. Hormozi's "value equation" — Dream Outcome — Perceived Likelihood of Achievement — Time Delay — Effort & Sacrifice — gives you a framework to make any offer irresistible without lowering your price.
- Actionable tip: Raise your prices. Then add so much value that the price feels like a bargain. Most entrepreneurs undercharge by 3-10x.
- Actionable tip: Focus on one business for at least 3-5 years. "Shiny object syndrome" is the #1 wealth destroyer for entrepreneurs.
#3 — Best for Investing Beginners
Ramit Sethi: "How to Get Rich Without Getting Lucky"
Author of I Will Teach You to Be Rich
Ramit Sethi's approach cuts through the noise: automate your finances, invest in low-cost index funds, and spend lavishly on the things you love while cutting costs ruthlessly on things you don't. His conversation with Bartlett is packed with systems anyone can implement in a weekend.
Key Takeaway: Set up automatic transfers the day after payday: savings, investments, bills, then spend whatever's left guilt-free. He calls this the "conscious spending plan" — and it eliminates the willpower problem entirely.
- Actionable tip: Open a separate high-yield savings account and auto-transfer a fixed amount on payday. You'll never miss what you never see.
- Actionable tip: Stop budgeting on lattes. A single salary negotiation or career move dwarfs years of penny-pinching.
#4 — Best on the Wealth Mindset
Steven Bartlett: "The Money Diary" (Solo Episode)
Steven's raw personal financial journey
In this rare solo episode, Steven opens up about growing up in poverty, his first business failures, and the specific decisions that took him from broke to a net worth north of £100M by his early 30s. He shares the emotional side of money — how guilt, shame, and imposter syndrome nearly derailed him even after success.
Key Takeaway: Your relationship with money is forged in childhood. Steven's scarcity mindset — born from watching his mum count coins — initially drove him to hoard cash excessively. He had to consciously retrain himself to invest and take calculated risks.
- Actionable tip: Write down your earliest money memory. It likely reveals a pattern that's still driving your financial behaviour today.
- Actionable tip: Track your net worth monthly, not your daily spending. Focus on the trajectory, not the transactions.
#5 — Best for Side Hustles
Daniel Priestley: "How to Build a Business That Runs Without You"
Entrepreneur, author of Key Person of Influence
Daniel Priestley explains the "oversubscribed" business model — how to create so much demand for what you do that customers come to you. Perfect for anyone who wants to turn a skill into income without quitting their day job immediately.
Key Takeaway: Before building a product, build an audience. Priestley's formula: publish content → build a waiting list → launch to guaranteed demand. This de-risks everything.
- Actionable tip: Create a "7-11-4" touchpoint system: prospects need 7 hours of your content, 11 touchpoints, across 4 different platforms before they'll buy.
- Actionable tip: Write a short book or guide in your niche. It instantly positions you as an authority and creates inbound leads.
#6 — Best for Understanding Markets
Ray Dalio: "Principles for Dealing with the Changing World Order"
Founder of Bridgewater Associates, world's largest hedge fund
Ray Dalio manages $150 billion+ and he sat with Steven to explain the macro cycles that determine whether economies boom or bust. This isn't day-trading advice — it's understanding the 75-100 year debt cycles that dictate everything from house prices to currency values.
Key Takeaway: Diversify across asset classes, countries, and currencies. Dalio's "All Weather Portfolio" concept protects wealth in any economic environment. The specific allocation: roughly 30% stocks, 55% bonds (mix of long and intermediate), 7.5% gold, 7.5% commodities.
- Actionable tip: Don't try to time the market. Systematic diversification beats prediction every time.
- Actionable tip: Study history. Every major financial crisis follows a pattern: excessive debt → bubble → bust → restructuring. We're in one of those cycles now.
#7 — Best for Real Estate
Robert Kiyosaki: "Why the Rich Don't Work for Money"
Author of Rich Dad Poor Dad
Love him or debate him, Kiyosaki's appearance on DOAC was one of the most downloaded episodes. His core framework — assets put money in your pocket, liabilities take it out — is simple but powerful. The discussion with Steven dives deep into property investing, cash flow, and why Kiyosaki believes traditional education fails people financially.
Key Takeaway: Your home is not an asset — it's a liability. True assets are things that generate cash flow: rental properties, businesses, dividend stocks, royalties. Reframe every purchase: "Does this put money in my pocket or take it out?"
- Actionable tip: Before your next big purchase, ask: "Is this an asset or a liability?" This one filter changes everything.
- Actionable tip: Build at least one source of income that doesn't require your time — even if it starts small.
#8 — Best on Negotiation & Earning More
Chris Voss: "Never Split the Difference"
Former FBI Lead Hostage Negotiator
Chris Voss spent 24 years negotiating with terrorists and kidnappers. In this episode, he translates those skills to salary negotiations, business deals, and everyday money conversations. His techniques are backed by neuroscience and field-tested in life-or-death situations.
Key Takeaway: Use "calibrated questions" to negotiate: "How am I supposed to do that?" and "What does a good outcome look like for you?" These questions put the other side in problem-solving mode without creating conflict. Voss says this single technique can increase your salary by 20%+ at your next review.
- Actionable tip: In your next salary negotiation, never give the first number. Use "What's the budget for this role?" to anchor the conversation.
- Actionable tip: Practice "tactical empathy" — label the other person's emotions before making your ask. "It seems like budget is tight right now..." disarms resistance.
#9 — Best for Breaking Bad Money Habits
Dr. Anna Lembke: "The Hidden Connection Between Dopamine and Money"
Chief of Stanford Addiction Medicine, author of Dopamine Nation
This is the episode nobody expects on a "best money episodes" list — but it might be the most important. Dr. Lembke explains how dopamine-driven behaviour underlies overspending, gambling, impulse buying, and the inability to delay gratification. If you've ever wondered why you know what to do with money but can't do it, this episode has the neuroscience answer.
Key Takeaway: Every dopamine spike from spending is followed by a dopamine deficit. This creates a cycle: buy → brief pleasure → guilt/emptiness → buy again. To break it, do a 30-day "dopamine fast" from impulse purchases. After 30 days, your brain recalibrates and the urge dramatically decreases.
- Actionable tip: Implement a 72-hour rule: any non-essential purchase over £50 must wait 72 hours. Most impulses evaporate.
- Actionable tip: Delete shopping apps from your phone. Friction is your greatest ally against dopamine-driven spending.
#10 — Best for Long-Term Wealth
Naval Ravikant: "How to Get Rich Without Getting Lucky"
Angel investor, philosopher, co-founder of AngelList
Naval's appearance is philosophy meets finance. He breaks down the difference between renting your time (employment) and owning equity (entrepreneurship/investing). His framework for "specific knowledge" — skills that can't be trained for, where you have natural aptitude — is the most elegant career-money framework on the podcast.
Key Takeaway: "Seek wealth, not money or status. Wealth is having assets that earn while you sleep." Naval's hierarchy: (1) find your specific knowledge, (2) apply leverage (code, media, capital, or labour), (3) own equity in the outcome. This is the modern wealth blueprint.
- Actionable tip: Identify what feels like play to you but looks like work to others. That's your specific knowledge — the thing that will make you irreplaceable and wealthy.
- Actionable tip: Start building equity today: write online, build a small product, invest. Every hour spent building assets beats every hour spent earning wages.
Common Themes Across All 10 Episodes
After listening to hundreds of hours of money-related DOAC conversations, clear patterns emerge:
- Behaviour beats knowledge. Every guest says the same thing differently: knowing what to do is easy; doing it consistently is what separates the wealthy from the struggling.
- Time is the real currency. From Morgan Housel to Naval Ravikant, the consensus is clear: true wealth means owning your time.
- Systems over willpower. Ramit Sethi's automation, Anna Lembke's dopamine management, Hormozi's business systems — the best financial advice removes the need for discipline entirely.
- Income > frugality. Not a single guest on this list recommends extreme penny-pinching. Every one of them focuses on earning more, not spending less.
- Start before you're ready. Whether it's Bartlett launching Social Chain at 21 or Priestley encouraging side hustles, the recurring message is that waiting for the "right time" is the most expensive thing you can do.
How to Actually Use These Episodes
Don't just listen passively. Here's my recommended approach:
- Week 1: Start with Morgan Housel (#1) and Ramit Sethi (#3). These two episodes will reshape your money mindset and give you an immediate system to implement.
- Week 2: Listen to Anna Lembke (#9) and Chris Voss (#8). Fix your spending habits and learn to earn more through better negotiation.
- Week 3: Dive into Hormozi (#2) and Priestley (#5) if you're entrepreneurially minded, or Dalio (#6) and Naval (#10) if you're focused on investing.
- Ongoing: Re-listen to your top 3 from this list every quarter. You'll extract new insights each time based on where you are financially.
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