Ben McKenzie (on cryptocurrency)

Episode overview

Ben McKenzie (Everyone Is Lying to You for Money, Easy Money) is an actor, author, and outspoken cryptocurrency skeptic. Ben joins Armchair Expert to discuss growing up in a civically minded family in Austin, studying economics at the University of Virginia, and stumbling into acting success with early fame on an unnamed hit show. Ben and Dax talk about navigating imposter syndrome after overnight success, transitioning from acting into writing and directing, and what led him into investigating crypto markets during the pandemic. Ben explains why behavioral economics reveals how irrational people really are, how financial systems exploit trust and hype, and why the promise of “easy money” taps into something dangerously universal.

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Short transcript highlights

These brief excerpts are navigation aids selected from different points in the transcript.

1. 0:13You saw Ben in the yard and you said, oh my God, it's that Ben.
2. 56:06I should just turn a camera on. It's not that expensive. I'll just ask my agent, find me some guy
3. 1:52:53those facts yeah he was knowledgeable that i love you love you