THE SHAKEUP: Bezos' tax idea, mortifying work mistakes + can you beat Trump's excuse?

The latest episode of Hack’s The Shake Up dives into a whirlwind of cultural, political, and personal chaos, starting with Amazon founder Jeff Bezos facing backlash for claiming that taxing billionaires wouldn’t make a meaningful difference—despite evidence showing he paid less than 1% in effective tax rates over a five-year period. The discussion unpacks the growing public frustration with tax inequality, misinformation campaigns, and the government’s struggle to communicate complex policy changes, especially around capital gains and negative gearing. Meanwhile, the podcast turns to the absurdity of the Enhanced Games—athletes using FDA-approved performance enhancers without drug testing—sparking debate on ethics, health risks, and whether this is sport or spectacle. A real-life media disaster is highlighted when a British radio station accidentally broadcast that King Charles had died, prompting listeners to share their own mortifying workplace blunders, from sending a fake breaking news alert to mispronouncing a CEO’s name in front of 750 people. The episode closes with Donald Trump’s infamous excuse for possibly missing his son’s wedding—'I’ve got a thing called Iran on'—sparking a national conversation on the absurdity of elite excuses and how we all use them to avoid family obligations.