Do Your Own Research: How Private Equity Bought the World w/ Hettie O’Brien

Do Your Own Research: How Private Equity Bought the World w/ Hettie O’Brien

Author: Novara Media June 20, 2026 Duration: 1:09:39

Secret backrooms where deals are done in private: the realm of conspiracy theories? Or an increasingly large part of capitalism?

Since the financial crisis, some of the big winners have been private equity firms. They’ve snapped up bargains on everything from high street brands, to care homes and nurseries – and maybe even the house you own.

Hettie O’Brien is a journalist for The Guardian and the author of The Asset Class: How Private Equity Turned Capitalism Against Itself.

She spoke to Richard Hames about private equity’s secret influence over the ways we are all born, work, and die – and what it all has to do with the rise of the far right.

 

See the full Do Your Own Research map here: https://novaramedia.com/category/video/do-your-own-research/

Music by Iglooghost.


Tune in to Novara Media for a distinct and probing take on the world as it is, and as it could be. This independent podcast offers a necessary space for the conversations often sidelined elsewhere, weaving together sharp analysis of current affairs with deeper explorations of culture, philosophy and power. Each episode naturally delves into the interconnected crises shaping our time-be it the fraying edges of our economic system, the urgent fight for climate justice, or the enduring struggles against structural inequality. The discussions are built on a foundation of radical thought and a commitment to imagining alternatives, moving beyond the day's headlines to examine the root causes and potential futures. Hosted by the team at Novara Media, the audio format brings a direct, engaging and often challenging perspective, featuring interviews, panel debates and solo commentaries that refuse simplistic answers. It’s for anyone who finds mainstream narratives insufficient and is looking for a podcast that treats politics, society and culture as the complex, urgent and deeply human matters they truly are.
Author: Language: en-gb Episodes: 50

Novara Media
Podcast Episodes
ACFM Trip 61: Resilience [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:38:28
A weird-left look at the magical properties of resilience, from the colonial legacy of the stiff upper lip to contemporary narratives of trauma and victimhood. Nadia, Keir and Jem wonder whether humans and animals can fl…
Downstream: The Truth About the US Military w/ Matt Kennard [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:51:39
The war on terror ended in 2021 with a catastrophic withdrawal from Afghanistan, but the consequences of that conflict continue to play out both overseas and at home. Aaron Bastani sat down with investigative journalist…
ACFM Microdose: The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 2:06:55
The ACFM crew gather for a close reading of Walter Benjamin’s foundational contribution to 20th century cultural and media theory. Download the short text and follow along as Nadia, Keir and Jem consider The Work of Art…