Alok Sama was a high-flying CFO who fraternized with the world’s richest men. But he wasn’t immune from intimidation. Anonymous letters sent to his boss, Softbank’s Masayoshi Son, accused him of corruption. Suddenly, shadowy “shareholders” emerged from nowhere, and a whisper campaign quietly derailed his career. Then - as he recounts to Olly in this compelling conversation - Alok discovered his family was under surveillance. Desperate, he met men claiming ties to Mossad. And ultimately walked away, with first-hand experience of the corporate espionage that lurks in the shadows of Britain’s biggest companies. Alok’s book, The Money Trap, is out now. _____________ Meanwhile, in the Zeitgeist, Ollie Peart - fresh from veritably leaping into his forties - tests out the viral wellness trend for ‘sleepmaxxing’. Can grounding sheets, a bone-conducting pillow-speaker, or light therapy help him get his forty winks? With the aid of the National Sleep Helpline, he delivers hacks and tips for anyone looking to improve their sleep in 2026. … Got a trend you’d like to challenge Ollie to test out on a future edition of the show? Fill out the Feedback form on our website, or join our Discord. _____________ Elsewhere, down the Foxhole, Alix Fox is contemplating the surprising side-effects of ketamine, and discovering the demand for ‘creature cock’ sex toys such as Lovehoney’s ‘Swamp Monster’. How did this kink for fantasy dildos - kickstarted by niche brands like Bad Dragon and Gang Bankster - evolve into a mainstream, sold-out product category? Is it linked to zoophilia, ‘romatasy’ books on TikTok, liberation from masturbatory stigma… or all of the above? As always, Alix has some (eye-opening) answers... _____________ Finally, in music corner, our Record of the Month brings a welcome return to the show for Cavetown, whose new single, "Sailboat (feat. chloe moriondo)", is out now. _____________ We’ll be back with our Playback edition on 30th Jan, and something new on 10th February. In the meantime, thanks for your help supporting the show into 2026 with your beer money and/or reviews. Mwah! Presenter: Olly Mann. Contributors: Alok Sama, Alix Fox, Ollie Peart, Cavetown. Producer: Matt Hill. Theme Music: ‘Skies Over Cairo’ by Django Django. Artwork: Podcast Discovery. Copyright: Olly Mann / Rethink Audio 2026. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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“What did the council decide on item 42?” — answered with the speaker and the moment.

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