We hope you are as excited as we are that this site is fit and feisty at nineteen years! It’s been a very busy time!
There are many many many to thank over these years. We were lucky enough to have a tech friend, Ed Wright, suggest that I start posting in December 2006. I took that up because it was clear then that most of the business press was not on top of looming signs of trouble in the credit markets, which a finance-literate person could detect via careful reading of the Financial Times and Bloomberg. Mark Thoma of Economist’s View, an important aggregator then, was not just encouraging but also helped us get some notice early on via linking to some of our posts. But this was in the heyday of a vibrant econoblogosphere, where many experts and commentators like Nouriel Roubini, Simon Johnson, James Kwak, Barry Ritholtz, Paul Krugman, Felix Salmon, Michael Shedlock, Tanta, Independent Accountant, Steve Waldman and Epicurean Dealmaker held forth. And just when it looked like we were falling short on the reader targets we had set to justify continuing to publish, yet another wheel fell off the financial system, with the silver lining of a boost in our traffic.
Sadly, there has been no shortage of incompetence and chicanery over these years. A partial list: Half-hearted post crisis reforms, which helped grease more increases in an already destructive level of inequality. Foreclosure and chain of title abuses. The Cyprus banking crisis, which we only much later realized was an early salvo against Russia. CalPERS. Private equity fee and reporting abuses, with our early warning that the strategy was not earning enough to compensate limited partners for its risks borne out. The Greek bailout crisis. The half-hearted efforts to combat climate change. Covid. And now the Trump whirlwind.
We’ve also been fortunate to have attracted many very skilled and often witty contributors, such as Ed Harrison, Marshall Auerback, Richard Smith, Andrew Dittmer, Nathan Tankus, Matt Stoller, Philip Pilkington, Gonzalo Lira, Satyajit Das, Rob Urie, IM Doc, and Michael Hudson, as well as terrific regular writers like Jerri-Lynn Scofield, Nick, Conor, KLG, and of course the much esteemed Lambert. And after many years of hair-tearing, we now have a stable tech platform thanks to the unobtrusive vigilance of our maven Dave.
But the big reason we have carried on with such dedication is our wonderful readership, confirmed every day through comments, e-mails, and (critically) financial support. We would not be here without you. And the high caliber of the comments section depends on the wrangling of moderators Katiebird and Semperloquitur. That is confirmed by our good fortune in attracting impressive new writers to fill Lambert’s yellow waders: Haig, Nat, and Curro, with KLG and Semperloquitur also stepping up to do double duty. They’ve said the reason they were keen to contribute and continue to enjoy the experience is the keen interest and regularly highly informed views of our truly global and worldly commentariat.
So wishing all of you a fun and festive holiday season and a wonderful 2026!
Happy Birthday To This Most Prestigious And Wonderful Family Blog!!
::Musical Tribute:: (via YouTube)
Happy 19th anniversary! This is quite a remarkable achievement.
Hey 19!
We need Naked Capitalism and Yves superb economic analysis now more than ever
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cvg5mbM6FGs
;-)
Jeez. I remember NC when she was a Sweet Sixteen and now she is already nineteen years old. This site certainly seems to attract a lot of talented writers who know how to do their research. Lots of perceptive , articulate commenters as well. Will be looking forward to when NC hits the big one – twenty one years of age which is not far down the track.
In passing, I would dispute the term ‘Trump whirlwind.’ I would say that it is more like a Trump *hitstorm each and every day.
Read you first from Mongolia in 2007 and been faithfully following ever since! What a great site and what great contributors. Happy birthday!
Wow, what a world, Tom!
I’ve learnt so much here. Thank you and happy birthday.
Seconded!
Congrats Yves and thank you for this wonderful site and community!
Thirded!
Here is Katiebird’s 12 Word Platform:
1. Medicare For All. 2. End The Wars. 3. Tax The Rich. 4. Jobs for Everyone.
which I first saw at Lambert’s place. The seeds of this site were planted in good soil. Many have come, many have gone, but the fruits of the vine continue to be sweet.
There are few in the flesh of my life that have formed the practice of it as much as here. All love.
Thank you for reminding me!!! But I am certain the 12 word platform wasn’t my idea. I think I may have contributed one of the planks … maybe. But I am certain it was a Corrente-wide effort.
I loved it though and shared it far and wide. And still think it’s a winner
Happy birthday!
This site changed my life in so many ways. I often express deep feeling in musical equivalences, and what sprang to mind unbidden was expressed by the “T.S. Eliot of rock”, Pete Townshend in his rock opera “Tommy”
Listening to you, I get the music
Gazing at you, I get the heat
Following you, I climb the mountain
I get excitement at your feet
Right behind you, I see the millions
On you, I see the glory
From you, I get opinion
From you, I get the story
https://youtu.be/Kf-D-LJ-5YA?si=oyPPwL-TPLpyAdXi
Wow! I think I started actively following in ’09 or ’10… has it really been that long! Love the site and love all those who have contributed over the years.
Have been reading since early days (followed a ‘blogroll’ link at Bill McBride’s “Calculated Risk” ‘blog back when he was writing about a coming subprime mortgage defaults crisis, the most fortunate link-click of my life). NC is indispensable.
Stay well, Yves and team. You are needed more than ever.
I took that same path out of the wilderness. Have a very happy birthday all at NC.
Me too. Very fortuitous and educational.
Thank you, and Happy Bday!
To Tanta
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5NvasnFKPXOdtNKf6kvqFiTqfF3Jeiuy8wcXTtkfVbEs5ItBGEpge8d8KDBUzgg-a7fTP_HgaEv_9VtBIa8xYUrdfIo5h55bNXh_AvGdqvXPWoFpPTIHkIzhnBqoivcD6Sj-t/s400/ThanksgivingPig.jpg
Reader since I got a copy of Econned in 2012. Got to attend a few meet-ups, from Yves’ time in NYC. I don’t feel the need to post much because there is already so much great writing here. So…I wish you all a Happy Nineteenth!
Many thanks for a timely, educated, and entertaining blog. I started reading NC shortly after it got rolling, along with a number of the others mentioned in the econoblogosphere, and it rapidly furthered my education about my industry (finance) and politics, and refined my views on so many other topics. I’m forever grateful, happy to support the blog, and look forward to the next 19 years!
This is the season of gratitude, and I’m grateful for starting every day (since nearly the beginning) at 6am CST with you and the NC gang. No other place covers the world like Naked Capitalism.
Happy nineteeth! I’m trying to remember when I first came across NC – sometime just after 2009 I think. It was already well established at the time, I remember going through the old articles with gratitude that someone was finally explaining the world properly.
To think I saw your early podcasts before NC is one thing and then to see you kick off this blog with the people it gave voice too … wow … kudos … its been arduous at best … yet the idea of the 7 persists …
BTW sorry for being a pain in the A@@ sometimes … love you lass …
Happy Birthday to one of the last outposts for clear-eyed, informative discourse.
Make sure Lambert gets a piece of birthday cake!
Happy 19th!I have depended on you for a daily dose of sanity for a long time now. Thank you all including commenter for all you do and may you have peace, health and prosperity in the coming year 🙏 ✨️ ❤️
Bon anniversaire, mes voeux les plus sincères !
This site is very important to staying in touch with reality and I’m so happy you’ve stuck with it.
Many happy returns!
Happy birthday. It turns out we share a birthday! I can only wish I were 19.
Thanks for being a voice of sanity in a wilderness full of morons.
Happy birthday to the indispensable Naked Capitalism from Germany! Besides: Not only Naked Capitalism has cause to celebrate today but also the great and hopefully immortal rock-guitarist Keith Richards who turns 82 today. May NC and Keef live forever! To celebrate both anniversaries appropriately, here is “Gimme shelter”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8kl6q_9qZOs (with the phenomenal Lisa Fisher)
Merci, Yves.
Joyeux anniversaire. Joyeuse fete.
There are other blogs like Talking Points that have been around as long but for some reason I totally ignore them. There must be something in the water here. Praise for our host.
Happy birthday and happy holidays all!
My first encounter with your writing was Econned when I was trying to understand the Great Financial Crisis (which marked a radical break in my thinking about economics) and then a few years later a friend (working in asset management) sent me links from Naked Capitalism. But I didn’t really become an avid reader of the site until I became interested in the Democratic Primary sometime in 2019 (Canadian coverage of US politics is generally poor), and then the Covid coverage was so excellent that this site has become the indispensable core of my data-feed. So grateful for the excellent work of the contributors and the always insightful commentary underneath — a welcome respite from the onslaught of Western corporate narrative management, thanks!
Happy day! Honored to be here.
NC is the best… don’t know how long I have been hanging around
The diversity of articles, sound economic thought and my favorite part is the commentariat.
Still amazed at the monumental achievement of Yves Smith’s NC and all those who worked so hard and contributed so much.. just awesome
A total win – congratulations
For Yves is a jolly good fellowess!
19 and onward. Been with you much of the way thanks to my son who has been with you longer. My first stop each morning.
I practice discipline and have Links with lunch.
Nineteen years — congrats to Yves and the whole crew, past & present. I came on board fifteen years ago, when Simon Johnson tipped readers of the blog he co-wrote with James Kwak that we really should check out the fine content over at Naked Capitalism. Have haunted this site daily ever since. A shout-out to the rest of the regulars — and greetings of the season!
What would we do without NC? Thanks for creating, nurturing and sustaining this wonderful blog.
congrats! I have been here for most of those 19 years thanks to seeing many links from the big orange monster (no, not Trump) long ago. When my kids see me reading the site, they say, “Are you on that adult Reddit site again?” And yes, I am here almost every day, so thank you for helping entertain and educate me.
I’m proud to be a small part of one of the shrinking pool of truth tellers online. Happy Birthday NC!
Auguri.
I believe that the traditional gifts for the nineteenth anniversary are piss and vinegar. Let’s keep them flowing.
All the best to Yves Smith, who keeps reminding us that we are here to learn better critical thinking, and to all of the writers who have contributed over the years. Two important turning points for me are Richard Kline’s essay on progressively losing and why liberals are not progressives and are most definitely not the left. I will also remind everyone of Yves Smith’s recent essay on revulsion toward the elites.
And the commenters: This is the best cocktail party on the S.S. Andalusia.
PS: Provenance = Rocky & Bullwinkle.
“In Upsidaisium it is revealed that Peachfuzz eventually sailed his ship up Wall Street whereupon S.S. Andalusia was given a permanent street address: 17½ Wall Street. In an effort to get rid of him, his board of directors arranged for him to get a government job counting penguin eggs (Q.2) because “we couldn’t find any place further away.” However, the secretary, a niece of the captain, mistyped the order and as a result Peachfuzz is made head of G.2, the main spy agency (Government Intelligence System).”
Evviva.
Thanks Yves!
Naked Capitalism is something very special.
Happy Birthday! Been dangerous till now but just wait till you’re legal to drink!
Started reading in 2016. My eyes and mind were forever changed. Being Greek, I wish I’d discovered you earlier. Wish you Yves, and your former and present collaborators only the best.
Congratulations, Yves! You have my undying gratitude for sharing your boundless energy with the world. I come here daily because it’s “Just the facts, ma’am,” a healthy inoculation against conventional wisdom.
I must have started lurking in ‘09 or so, maybe before because I seem to recall Paulson still being Secretary of the Treasury. The blog had been mentioned in passing by some conventional economics pundit like Krugman or Stieglitz. Might have been Taibbi though. At that point I had been working as a criminal prosecutor for about a quarter century and my mindset was that the economy was being flown into the mountainside by a bunch of crooks. I fear that it has yet to make impact…
Very Happy Birthday, N.C., and many more to come!
Happy Birthday to NC! Glad to be around; feels like one of those moments and places which in the future people will just say “well you had to be there to see it”. Great privilege all around.
Thank you Yves and the long list of others — tech support, moderators, writers, and commentariat. May all have Happy Birthdays for many years to come, collectively here together and individually too!
Consistently over the years, the articles, links, and commentariat have been exceptionally interesting and I am sincerely grateful for the daily learning opportunities.
Endorsing all the eloquent and well-deserved encomiums.
Long may you survive and thrive.
Huzzah!
Well, it certainly seems longer than 19 years. I would swear I was reading here before ‘99, and seeing the mentions of the site as muy bueno for real information. Thanks for all the corrections to misconceptions, and extending the knowledge bubble for the new crimes in political economics. I know the coming crash will have no secrets from this site, and the readers that illuminate all the interconnected issues that are below the horizon for high functioning autistics like myself!
You deserve a double serenade:
Working for the nineteenth naked clampdown
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lt4O-EHNnw and https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DEseb6-hssc
Great work, first thing I read every morning. Looking forward to 20th anniversary, and many more.
Time flies! I think I may have been referred here by Mark Thoma, a professor at the University of Oregon here in Eugene, or possibly either Calculated Risk (RIP “my” Tanta!) or Dean Baker. At the time I was trying to understand all of the angst that our pols had against social security (they wanted their buds to lot it) and whether I really wanted to try to get “on the property ladder” (a resounding “no”!).
This site and those, together, saved our donkey if you get my meaning. Since then I have learned much, and continue to learn through this group of amazingly smart commentariat and writers.
Congrats to Yves, and all the fabulous writer/contributors that make Naked Capitalism the most important read in my life. NC makes the strip-tease of MSM look lascivious. And the Commentariat makes me work harder to see clearly.
Happy Birthday to All!
Sending you the heartiest of congratulations on 19 years of sustained, uninterrupted indispensability!
Happy 19, Yves et al! I first read you during the Greek debt crisis in 2015, which really opened my eyes. NC truly is an island of sanity, (cold) rational analysis and humanity in an ocean of misinformation, propaganda, noise and now AI slop. We all need you more than ever.
Please donate y’all, whatever you can. If you’re fortunate enough that you can buy a few xmas gifts, maybe one of them can be a birthday donation for NC!
Here’s to many more birthdays!
It is astounding that the quality of the posts and the commentary has been of consistently high quality for all of these 19 years.
It is worthy of a Pulitzer, maybe three.
Congratulations on a remarkable 19 years! Here’s to many more to come!
Nineteen years is very young which means your best days are still ahead of you. Enjoy the controversy and embrace change.
Many Returns; I may have “found” this site era 2009. A grand time; a great friend was an early subscriber. While I worked the “floor” nursing and then some, I happened to read the posts whenever I could. Retired a half decade back; as such, I do come daily, if only briefly for a look/see. So much goodness, the bright bulbs and such. All good things to all, you and yours 🌅
Happy Birthday! I can’t remember exactly when I started reading, but it was a little after the GFC/financial meltdown and my go tos to try to understand it all were Baseline Scenario, Calculated Risk and NC.
Maybe it’s just me, but I felt like there was a shift after the first couple years from mostly economic reporting to politics and economics together, which I think really grew the audience. Best economic/political writing on the interwebs, with the best commentariat. Here’s to another 19!
Congratulations! Glad the site has not only survived but continues to thrive. I ran across the site early in 2008 when I was involuntarily unemployed for the first time in my life. Since I had time on my hands and inspiration from this and other blogs, I started doing some visualizations of the economic picture that have amused me to this day.
Thanks to all!
Some graphs
Really great graphs!
And happy 19th to NC!
Happy birthday, YVES/NC!
I don’t know how you do it. But keep it up because you have enriched my understanding of finance, economics, and the world in general, ever since …. when … 2008 or 2009? You are how I start my day. Well, you and coffee.
My go-to site. Period. Happy Birthday to Yves and to all of us, readers and participants.
I’ve been blogging for 18 years, since August 2007, and I’m sure that my reader(s) will agree that I live up to my name, “The worst writer on the internet.”
Happy birthday to NC!!!
Breithlá sona daoibh, a chairde! Happy birthday to you, friends!
I came here from FTAlphaville in the GFC and never left. These two sites remain my primary news sources for divining the winds of the world. The only advance in this time has been which I started reading in the pandemic and then stayed for the Ziggersphere.
It’s been quite a journey! I always knew there was an American Empire and I always knew that the EU was a “German racket” (Nicholas Ridley) but I never suspected that in my lifetime that Britain would prosecute thought crimes, stage chemical warfare attacks, fete Nazis in Parliament and propose abolishing jury trial and conscripting my sons in order to fight the Russians and promote Zionism. :-(
NC remains an antidote to the Narrative and, below the line, to the Gloom.
If you worry about the kids, check out Kneecap (their interviews, if not their music). There is hope!
Happy Birthday!
You really have achieved a site that encourages critical thinking, and that is so rare.
Congratulations.
Happy Birthday! Willem Buiter pointed me this way shortly after autumn 2008 when he closed down his blog. It proved to be an excellent recommendation. Keep up the good work.
Been here almost daily since 2009.
Yes 2009.
Halcyon days of Financial Crisis.
Happy Birthday NC. I couldn’t have done it without you!
The last remanence of independent thinking. Search engines are filtering out a lot of content, so the site is impossible to find without explicit “Naked Capitalism” keywords. Even if some topics are indexed, it’s rare when they appear.
Happy birthday, Naked Cap! I’ve been following since 2008 or so. Others have come and gone in my reading, but you remain. Yves and the rest, thanks for all you do. Many regards to Lambert.
Hoppy birdy two ewes.
Comments got me here. Reading one of hundreds of comments to Taibbi on the unfolding GFC in the Rolling Stone took me to the Epicurean Dealmaker.
Man was I out of my depth, though the prose about money business was enthralling—Dear Reader… Lambert had a similar style, imo.
Epicurean Dealmaker referenced Naked Capitalism and I came to school here. I am grateful for your efforts every day I attend.
Thank you every cast and character for 19 years of some special public service.