Marc Chandler: The Age of Surplus – When More Is No Longer the Answer

About this episode:

For generations, economics has been built around the problem of scarcity: not enough re-sources, capital or growth.

But what if one of the defining challenges of our age is actually the opposite — surplus?

Marc Chandler is one of the world's most respected currency and global capital-market experts. After more than 30 years on Wall Street, advising businesses, hedge funds and asset managers and commenting regularly across the international financial media, Marc has developed a provocative new thesis about the economic system we live within.

In his forthcoming book, General Theory of Surplus, Marc argues that abundance is everywhere — from excess capital and consumer goods to packaging, waste and environmental damage — while millions of people still struggle to meet their basic needs.

The problem, he suggests, is increasingly not simply whether we can produce enough, but how what we produce, own and accumulate is distributed and used.

In this episode of The Business Elevation Show, Chris and Marc explore how our pursuit of ever more growth and consumption shapes business, inequality, political power and the planet.

They consider why capital itself may now be in surplus, what AI could mean for this dynamic, and what history can teach us about the consequences when enormous abundance sits alongside profound inequality.

We also discover the person behind the economist — including Marc's journey from a childhood marked by adversity and a severe speech impediment, to becoming an internationally recognised commentator and teacher, and why he believes our later years should be about remaining engaged, relevant and sharing what we have learned.

More about Marc Chandler:

One of the most widely respected and quoted currency experts, Marc Chandler has been analysing and advising on the global capital markets for more than 30 years.

As a keen observer of the interconnection of international politics and economics, Marc appears frequently in the financial press - CNBC, CNBC Asia FOX Business, Bloomberg TV and Radio, Barron's, The Financial Times, The Washington Post, and more – where he provides his colourful take on the global financial and economic news.

Throughout his career on Wall Street, Chandler has advised private businesses, hedge funds and asset managers on navigating the for-eign exchange market.

In 2018 he joined Bannockburn Capital Markets as Manag-ing Director and Chief Market Strategist in their New York City office.

Keep up with Marc Chandler's ongoing analysis on his blog, http://www.marctomarket.com , or follow him on X @marcmakingsense.