Go Woke, Go Broke

The Inside Story of the Radicalization of Corporate America

By: Charles Gasparino

Narrated by: Charles Gasparino

A New York Times bestselling author and veteran Fox Business financial journalist’s explosive deep-dive into the progressive madness that has infected and corrupted the world’s biggest corporations, threatening the stability of the global economy—and life as we know it.

How did a bunch of rich dudes who run corporate America become the tools of left-wing radicals? Intimidated by activists on the left, virtually every major corporation in America has embraced woke politics. For years, these businesses could get away with progressive virtual signaling without worrying about alienating customers. Then the anti-woke counter-offensive movement arrived. As high-profile, disastrous backlashes at companies like Anheuser-Busch, Disney, Target and other companies reveal, companies who cave to the demands of left-wing social justice activists are being punished like never before. Customers are fighting back and taking their money elsewhere.

In Go Woke, Go Broke, New York Times bestselling author and veteran financial journalist Charles Gasparino calls out the nonsense and takes listeners inside the radicalization of corporate America, based on numerous insider interviews and exclusive reporting. The story is wilder than you can imagine. Gasparino introduces listeners to America’s most woke corporate leaders, tracing the origins of ESG and "stakeholder investing.” He takes listeners along on for a rollicking ride through corporate America as he shines a light, unlike anyone else, on Fortune 500 companies that have suffered for caving to the silly and irresponsible demands of social justice activists and left-wing interests.

A respected financial reporter who has covered finance for more than 30 years, Gasparino is deeply sourced and has dug into countless episodes involving Wall Street greed, corporate hubris, and government overreach in enterprise. This explosive, untold story and in-depth examination of the seminal players, institutions, and forces of the markets shows that, for the sake of global stability, we must immediately pry the clenched fists of radical activists off the levers of the economy.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio.

©2024 Charles Gasparino (P)2024 Center Street

Critic reviews

“Long before I even knew what ‘woke’ was, Charlie Gasparino was reporting on a strange leftward lurch among businesses that had nothing to do with making money, but everything to do with making a political statement. I figured it would pass, but there was Charlie pestering me about this movement morphing into something else—a mob, a woke mob, and a very costly mob at that. He details in these pages how it spread, but offers a timely warning it is not entirely slain. Be warned, the fight has changed. But leave it to the best business journalist on the planet to remind us all…the fight is far from over.”—Neil Cavuto, Fox News

“Go Woke, Go Broke is the definitive history of corporate America's failed experiment with woke politics. It offers a stark warning to every business leader considering putting politics ahead of profits and activism ahead of shareholders. Go Woke, Go Broke is woke capitalism's epitaph. Everyone should read it.”—Bernie Marcus, co-founder, The Home Depot and philanthropist

"In this bold new work of investigative excellence, Charles Gasparino breaks the spell of corporate ‘wokeness’ by exposing the rot of left-wing agitprop that prevails in boardrooms across the nation. Playing the victim has become an act of aggression to coerce business leaders into supporting the agenda of extreme progressivism—sacrificing returns to shareholders along the way. Innovation and meritocracy, efficiency and effectiveness, must regain their primacy if corporate America is to reaffirm the qualities that encourage hard work and achievement."—Judy Shelton, senior fellow, Independent Institute

Exploring the Costs of Corporate Wokeness

Charles Gaspirino's "Go Woke Go Broke" offers a compelling and thought-provoking analysis of the impact of corporate social activism on business performance. With sharp insights and a critical eye, Gaspirino explores how companies that adopt certain socio-political stances may face unintended financial consequences. The book combines engaging storytelling with rigorous analysis, making it informative and enjoyable. Gaspirino's well-researched arguments and accessible writing style make this book a must-read for anyone interested in the intersection of business, culture, and society.

Not what I expected

Gasparino has a tendency to run phrases together when he is excited about a topic so, not the best.

I am not a “hater” and don’t follow boycotting trends so I bought this book wondering if this happens to a lot of companies. I had only heard about Budweiser.

Only an hour or so into it, the book stopped giving facts and got political. You know that saying “you are entitled to your own opinion but not your own facts.“? Well…this book is clearly the author’s opinion. The book may have facts but I didn’t get that far. He lost all credibility when he started repeating partisan talking points long since debunked. Too bad he didn’t skip the political rhetoric because I couldn’t get past it and moved it to my rubbish folder with well over 7 hours left.

I’ve seen Gasparino on TV and he seems like a smart, funny guy. I expected more from this book and that is why I ranked it as I did.

ESG and DEI = go broke

I appreciate the gritty truth. Virtue signaling has no place in my investments yet it's there like a stain. I will start selling off all my ESG stocks.

AWSOME BOOK!!!!

This book was a great read and shared stories about DEI, ESG and the craziness of the progressive left.

Very interesting book about corporate priorities

Very good listen, even if you may not agree with everything in the book. It’s an eye opener about how corporate priorities shifted and the financial and reputational consequences.

Everyone knew it was happening, but Charlie exposed everyone who was in on the woke business

As always with Charlie, you get nothing but the facts about the woke business, who was behind it, the money being made off of it and the businesses that were destroyed following it…Charlie also gets access to so many CEO’s due to him being a complete professional throughout his career

Necessary Read

Book is true on all counts. Fantastic book. Almost hilarious what Bud Lite, Target, Disney and Black Rock, among others did to destroy their brands.

Very informative

Very informative and very helpful with different viewpoints on the subject and seems to be very legitimate

Simple review of facts from 2019

Pretty much a review of all the WOKE happenings since about 2019. Uses Trump's "Sleepy Joe" characterization, then continually bashes him for his actions.

Great book on current environment.

I thoroughly enjoyed listening to this book. His Trump Derangement Syndrome is the only distraction from am otherwise complete assessment of the wokeness that pervades the current environment.