EP 10 | Social Security, Chicken Sandwiches & $10B Lakers Math
Jason Sanjana and Kevin Eckhart kick off with the three words haunting every American retirement plan: Social Security shortfall. They unpack the insolvency date, demographic headwinds, trillion-dollar investment fantasies, and why Twitter’s sovereign wealth fund bros need to chill [01:30]. Then it’s a check-in on bankruptcy’s greatest hits — Purdue, Stoli, Hooters, and Red Lobster — and how restructuring isn’t the end, it’s just a second act in crab-stuffed limbo [20:26].
Next: the definitive showdown on fried chicken economics. Wendy’s vs. Chick-fil-A vs. the nostalgic train wreck that is Burger King’s original chicken sandwich [27:45]. Why brand loyalty, franchise models, and P/E meddling make your lunch a proxy battle for the U.S. consumer.
Then it's legacy leverage and Lakers math [37:12]: would the Buss family have made more money just buying the S&P 500 in 1979? Maybe. But would Jack Nicholson have sat courtside at your Vanguard index fund? Doubt it.
Closing out with Caitlin Clark, Sophia Cunningham, and the WNBA’s surging franchise value [42:00] — plus why we might need a bodyguard segment every week. And yes, there's a fake ad for AG1. You're welcome.
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Hosted by Jason Sanjana & Kevin Eckhardt
Produced and edited by Tanya Hubbard
A Production of The Octus Podcast Network
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46:49
EP 09 | Wildfires, Yale’s $6B Exit & the Emotional Therapy of Stick
Hedge funds are clashing with California regulators over wildfire subrogation claims and the fallout could reshape how distressed assets interact with public recovery funds. Jason and Kevin unpack the PG&E playbook, state-level backlash, and who’s really getting paid [01:30]. Then Yale’s $6B endowment unwind takes center stage, as the Ivy League titan quietly tests the secondaries market with Project Gatsby, raising questions about long-term conviction and short-term liquidity [13:20]. Kent and Julian return [25:15] to explain why Clear Lake’s sponsor tactics are showing up across multiple LMEs and what the data tells us about repeat offenders, CLO constraints, and creditor fatigue. Closing it out: we head into the world of Stick on Apple TV+ [34:43] part golf drama, part emotional softboy therapy session to explore what the show says about masculinity, generational rewiring, and why Happy Gilmore might’ve done it better. Plus, a little talk about personal happy places, ice lakes in Sweden, and sainthood [49:00].
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Hosted by Jason Sanjana & Kevin Eckhardt
Segment Guests - Kent Collier, Julian Bulaon
Produced and edited by Tanya Hubbard
A Production of The Octus Podcast Network
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56:39
EP08 | Klarna Bought the Groceries, Saks Lost the Plot, TikTok Called a Recession
This week’s economy? Klarna-fried. Retail? Collapsing in real time. Streaming? Somehow deep. Let’s go.
[00:57] Buy Now, Cry Later The Klarna-core economy is here. Jason and Kevin unpack how buy-now-pay-later went from sneakers to cereal—and what that says about consumer debt, regulators, and late-stage capitalism. [07:56] Debt Securitization & Swedish Financial Trust How Klarna’s securitized burrito model mirrors the U.S. Treasury—and why nobody’s ready for what happens when the music stops. [13:06] Saks Is in Trouble Octus Senior Distressed Debt Analyst Krishan Sutharshana joins to explain Saks' collapsing bond prices, vendor pullouts, and whether 3G’s debt-fueled luxury empire is headed for restructuring. [28:18] Streaming Therapy: Netflix’s Sirens Is it patriarchy in linen? Trauma-core prestige TV? Or just weirdly good? Jason and Kevin dig into gender, power, and why Kevin Bacon still has it. [38:51] TikTok Recession Indicators Frozen pizza, self-checkout scams, tipping fatigue, Klarna memes, and churches locking their doors. Honestly? The vibes are right.----more----
Hosts: Jason Sanjana & Kevin Eckhardt
Guest: Krishan Sutharshana (Octus Credit Research)
Produced and Edited by: Tanya Hubbard
A Production of The Octus Podcast Network
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EP 07 | Bourbon Is Aging Poorly, Bayer’s In Trouble, and The Pope Might Be a Sox Fan
[01:11] Bayer is back in the headlines, and not for aspirin. Jason and Kevin dive into the $11 billion Roundup litigation mess, Monsanto’s haunting legacy, and the legal gymnastics happening in courts (and potentially Chapter 15). [12:13] Then it’s bourbon time. Patrick Mohan joins to talk about the collapse of Kentucky Owl, bourbon’s overinflated valuation, and why the industry might be aging out of relevance. Tax issues, oak risk, and a distillery theme park. It’s a lot. [27:47] Let Me Explain: LMEs returns. Kent Collier and Julian Bulaon break down how Hertz is rewriting the LME rulebook with a sophisticated revolver amendment. Is this LME 3.0? And did Octus see it coming? [36:36] “Made in the USA” gets the treatment it deserves. From tariffs to Etsy-core nationalism to Doc Martens pricing strategies, this segment cuts through the nostalgia and manufactured scarcity[51:22] Andor might be the best metaphor we have for late-stage institutions and bureaucratic decay. The guys reflect on why it hits harder now than any Jedi ever could. [57:10] We wrap with the new American Pope, Chicago sports drama, and Ryan Murphy’s upcoming legal show starring Kim Kardashian. There’s screaming. There’s tight outfits. There’s a $25K GoFundMe just to watch the pilot.
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Hosted by Jason Sanjana & Kevin Eckhardt
Segment Guests - Kent Collier, Julian Bulaon, Patrick Mohan
Produced and edited by Tanya Hubbard
A Production of The Octus Podcast Network
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EP 06 | Vegas Has an Identity Crisis and Cruise Ships Won’t Die
Las Vegas is booming on paper—but something feels off. Meanwhile, cruise demand keeps soaring, and Red Dye No. 3 has entered the chat. At [00:25], Jason and Kevin break down why the Vegas Strip feels more like a branding experiment than a destination. By [10:23], they unpack how nostalgia, real estate shifts, and declining food service are reshaping the city’s core.
Then it’s all aboard: At [11:24], Jason reports back from a 10-day cruise and explores why ships that were once on bankruptcy watch are now overbooked. By [20:00], the duo dives into the bizarre culture of cruise loyalists—towel clips, door magnets, and all.
At [29:09], they reveal this week’s sponsor: the controversial Red Dye No. 3. That leads into a discussion at [31:10] about food regulations, American nostalgia, and why Kraft mac & cheese doesn't exist in Sweden.
Then, in Let Me Explain: LMEs at [36:23], Kent and Julian take over to explore how AI is being used (and misused) in LME analysis, what AI still gets wrong about credit agreements, and where lawyers remain indispensable.
Finally, at [51:22], they turn to Star Wars—because Andor might be the best metaphor we’ve got for institutional collapse.
The Octus Download delivers bold, unfiltered conversations that break down complex financial markets while connecting them to the world we actually live in. Hosted by Jason Sanjana & Kevin Eckhardt, this bi-weekly podcast cuts through the noise with insightful analysis, expert interviews, and just the right amount of personality.
Each episode explores major trends in credit markets, dives deep into corporate finance, unpacks financial chaos, and examines how these developments impact both Wall Street and Main Street. But we don’t stop at the numbers we also explore the cultural forces shaping business decisions and the occasional bizarre intersections of finance with everyday life.
Whether you’re tracking market movements, curious about investment strategies, or just want smart financial conversation with some pop culture thrown in, The Octus Download delivers market intelligence that’s both valuable and entertaining. Join us every other week as we connect the dots between money, markets, and modern life one episode at a time.
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