Business Battles | Monopoly: Winner Takes All | 2

Business Wars

Wondery

History, Business, David Brown, Management

4.6 • 13.2K Ratings

🗓️ 13 May 2020

⏱️ 29 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

It's 1902 and political campaigner Lizzie Magie is fighting a losing battle. For years, she’s pushed the idea of a land-value tax, but fewer and fewer people are listening.

So she’s going to try something new to spread the word. She’s going to make a board game – and not just any game. Magie’s game is going to become the biggest game of all time.

Trouble is, when the battle for her game breaks out, she’s the one who winds up the loser.

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Transcript

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0:00.0	Hey, prime members, you can listen to business wars at free on Amazon music.
0:04.6	Download the app today.
0:07.0	It's March 1935, and a balding 40-something man strides into the flat iron building in New York City.
0:24.0	He feels a sense of triumph as he heads to the reception desk.
0:28.5	Hello, I'm Charles Darrow. I'm here to see Robert Barton, the president of Parker Brothers.
0:34.0	Yes, Mr. Barton's expecting you. Head up to the 12th floor.
0:39.0	As he rides the elevator to Parker Brothers offices, Darrow straightens his tie and smooths down his thinning hair.
0:46.0	Today is his big moment. The day he strikes it rich by selling monopoly to Parker Brothers, the nation's leading game maker.
0:56.5	The doors open, and he's shown to the corner office of company president Robert Barton.
1:01.5	As Darrow enters, Barton rises from his chair to greet him. He's a tall thin man, a sharp contrast from Darrow's stocky frame.
1:10.5	Mr. Darrow, wonderful to finally meet you. Take a seat. I have the contract right here.
1:16.5	Darrow sits and admires the magnificent views down Broadway in Fifth Avenue. Barton pushes the contract across his Mahogany desk.
1:25.5	As we agreed, in return for the rights to monopoly, you get a $7,000 advance on royalties.
1:33.5	Once the game earns that back, you get a percentage on further sales. Now, if you would, please just sign right there.
1:40.5	Darrow's eyes widen. That advance is worth $130 grand in today's dollars, but just as Darrow picks up the pen, Barton remembers something.
1:51.5	Oh, before you sign, I should ask, are you the sole creator of monopoly?
1:58.5	Darrow pauses pen hovering over the contract. He is one signature away from the biggest payday of his life.
2:07.5	He looks at Barton and smiles.
2:10.5	Why, yes. Yes, I am.
2:14.5	And then he signs.
2:18.5	As Barton pops the champagne cork to celebrate, Darrow grins.
2:22.5	But inside, he's praying Barton never learns the truth.
	...

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