This self-made billionaire looks to stoicism to build a meaningful life

Robert Rosenkranz explores how stoic philosophy shaped his views on capitalism, politics, and philanthropy, arguing for rational optimism, individual responsibility, and civil public discourse as foundations for life.

https://reason.com/podcast/2025/05/16/robert-rosenkranz-how-to-use-stoicism-to-build-a-meaningful-life/

0:00—Introduction
1:48—Rosenkranz's new book: The Stoic Capitalist
5:00—Threats to the American experiment
8:23—Rosenkranz's upbringing and secular Jewish identity
14:22—Finding inspiration from Joseph Kennedy Sr., Marcus Aurelius, and Seneca
17:30—Rosenkranz's political evolution
24:35—What killed American optimism?
29:51—How taking huge risks reaped Rosenkranz huge rewards
32:17—Rosenkranz's business philosophy
34:51—The best argument for capitalism today
39:17—Open To Debate and stoic dialectic
43:10—Organ markets and life extension experiments
49:50—The stoic view on death

Are you part of the growing stoicism movement? Built on virtue, reason, and self-control, the ancient Roman philosophy is gaining popularity in a world that just seems to get crazier and crazier.

Today's guest is a self-described stoic. Robert Rosenkranz is the author of The Stoic Capitalist: Advice for the Exceptionally Ambitious, which takes a deep dive into how stoic principles can lead to personal, financial, and social success. Rosenkranz charts his path from a small, cramped family apartment in 1950s New York City to becoming a billionaire deal-maker and founder of Open To Debate, a nonprofit that hosts nationally broadcasted debates about the toughest issues of the day.

The Stoic Capitalist is an emotional memoir with snippets of philosophy from the likes of Seneca and Marcus Aurelius. It illustrates the power of rational thinking and purposeful action in all parts of life. Reason's Nick Gillespie and Rosenkranz talk about the political journey from a New Frontier liberal to more of a libertarian-leaning Reagan Republican to a philanthropist deeply committed to promoting intense but civil debate. They also talk about how the creative destruction that undergirds capitalism displaces people not just economically but culturally—and how to make it easier for people to adapt to the unending change that is necessary for improvements in living standards.

This interview was recorded at a live event in New York City.

Video editor: Ian Keyser