Michael Fortune
12 May 2026
Imagine this: a group of powerful bankers and policymakers sneaking away under assumed names to meet in secret on an unassuming island. It sounds like the plot of a conspiracy thriller, but it’s actually how the Federal Reserve, the central bank of the United States, came to be in 1913. In this episode, we’ll unravel the fascinating and somewhat controversial story behind its creation, addressing some common misconceptions along the way. Let’s start by taking a step back into the early 20th century. The United States was facing a series of financial crises, most notably the Panic of 1907. This panic exposed significant flaws in the banking system, leading to bank runs that left countless Americans without access to their money. People realized that the existing banking structure was far too fragile. There was an urgent need for a central banking authority to stabilize the economy and manage the country’s money supply. Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/conspiracy-theories-exploring-the-unseen--5194379/support.
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