Episode Details

What if everything you think you know about risk, real estate, and raising capital is backwards? In this episode, a three-time REIT founder who went from $15,000 to $10 billion in assets breaks down business models, AI, private markets, and how to think about risk like a real operator, not a textbook.

In this episode, Gary and Chris Volk discuss:

• Evolution of REITs and “shadow banking” business models
• How to raise large-scale capital from a standing start
• AI, tech, and the challenge of monetizing powerful tools
• What risk really is vs. what business school teaches
• Public vs. private markets, leverage, and investor alignment

Key Takeaways:

• The hardest part of building big companies today isn’t finding money; it’s assembling a strong leadership team, a real problem to solve, and a robust business model that can be optimized.
• Breakthrough technologies like search or AI only become enduring businesses when someone figures out how to monetize them with a clear, durable model.

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