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Economy
Canadian politician Pierre Poilievre speaking on the Joe Rogan Experience podcast. Joe Rogan Experience

Pierre Poilievre went on Joe Rogan to expose ‘biggest fraud’ crushing everyday Americans — and the show got over 4M views. Shockproof your wealth now

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On a recent episode of The Joe Rogan Experience podcast, Canada’s opposition leader Pierre Poilievre pointed to what he called “a big problem all over the western world”: inflationary spending (1).

“People just can’t afford to live. Do you encounter that around here?” Poilievre asked.

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“Oh yeah. I mean, inflation’s crazy,” Rogan replied, noting that America’s national debt has surged past $39 trillion — a figure Poilievre pointed out now exceeds the country’s GDP.

Inflationary spending refers to government expenditures that exceed revenue and are financed through borrowing, increasing the money supply and pushing demand beyond what the economy can produce — driving prices higher.

Poilievre framed the issue through a stark comparison: “Fifty years ago, a barber and a waitress could buy a house with a big yard for a dog and raise four kids,” he said. “And now an accountant and a lawyer can’t do that. Why is that?”

Rogan pointed to excessive spending and money creation. Poilievre took it further — arguing the consequences have quietly reshaped the economy.

“This is the biggest fraud perpetrated on the working class people in the last hundred years.”

To illustrate his point, Poilievre offered a simple analogy: If an economy has 10 apples and $10, each apple costs $1. But if the money supply doubles to $20 while the number of apples stays the same, prices rise to $2 an apple — not because apples are harder to produce, but because money has lost value.

‘An entire generation of kids can’t afford homes’

Poilievre argued that this dynamic has played out in the U.S. housing market.

“Over the last 55 years, you’ve doubled the number of homes in America from about 70 million to 150 million. You know how much the money supply has grown? 30 times. So you have twice the homes, but 30 times the cash. So what’s happened? Housing costs have gone up 15 fold in 55 years. And now an entire generation of kids can’t afford homes,” he said.

The trend is striking. According to Federal Reserve data, the median home price in the U.S. rose from $22,600 in Q4 1970 to $405,300 in Q4 2025 (2) — nearly an 18-fold increase. Meanwhile, the median age of first-time homebuyers in the country has climbed to 40, an all-time high (3).

According to Poilievre, this cost-of-living squeeze is also facilitating a massive redistribution of wealth.

“This is the biggest wealth transfer from the working class to the elites — from, I say, the have-nots to the have-yachts,” he said. “And Washington and Wall Street love it, by the way, because it inflates the stock market, inflates the bureaucracy. Politicians get to spend, CEOs get their stocks inflated, but it destroys the working people.”

His message appears to have struck a chord — the episode has already drawn over 2.8 million views on YouTube and topped 4 million plays on Spotify (4).

Whether one agrees with his framing or not, the frustration he described is widely felt.

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According to the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis, $100 in 2025 has the same buying power as just $12.06 did in 1970 (5).

The good news? Throughout history, savvy investors have always found ways to shield themselves from inflation’s bite — no matter who’s in the White House or what the Fed does next.

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‘Get back to hard money’

Poilievre argued that one solution is a return to what he calls “hard money.”

“We need to get back to hard money,” he said, suggesting that currencies should better hold their value over time rather than steadily lose purchasing power.

For centuries, gold has played that role. Its appeal is simple: Unlike fiat currencies, the yellow metal can’t be printed at will by central banks.

Gold is also considered the ultimate safe haven. It’s not tied to any one country, currency or economy and in times of economic turmoil or geopolitical uncertainty, investors often flock to it — driving prices higher.

Ray Dalio, founder of the world’s largest hedge fund, Bridgewater Associates, told CNBC last year that “People don't have, typically, an adequate amount of gold in their portfolio,” adding, “When bad times come, gold is a very effective diversifier.”

Despite a recent pullback, gold prices have surged by more than 50% over the last 12 months.

Other prominent voices see further potential. JPMorgan CEO Jamie Dimon recently said that in this environment, gold can “easily” rise to $10,000 an ounce.

One way to invest in gold that also provides significant tax advantages is to open a gold IRA with the help of Priority Gold.

Gold IRAs allow investors to hold physical gold or gold-related assets within a retirement account, thereby combining the tax advantages of an IRA with the protective benefits of investing in gold, making it an option for those looking to help shield their retirement funds against economic uncertainties.

When you make a qualifying purchase with Priority Gold, you can receive up to $10,000 in precious metals for free.

A time-tested income play

Gold isn’t the only asset investors turn to during inflationary times. Real estate has also proven to be a powerful hedge.

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When inflation rises, property values often increase as well, reflecting the higher costs of materials, labor and land. At the same time, rental income tends to go up, providing landlords with a revenue stream that adjusts for inflation.

Over the past ten years, the S&P Cotality Case-Shiller U.S. National Home Price NSA Index has jumped by 87%, reflecting strong demand and limited housing supply (6).

Of course, high home prices can make buying a home more challenging, especially with mortgage rates still elevated. And being a landlord isn’t exactly hands-off work — managing tenants, maintenance and repairs can quickly eat into your time (and returns).

The good news? You don’t need to buy a property outright — or deal with leaky faucets — to invest in real estate today. Crowdfunding platforms like Arrived offer an easier way to get exposure to this income-generating asset class.

Backed by world-class investors like Jeff Bezos, Arrived allows you to invest in shares of rental homes with as little as $100, all without the hassle of mowing lawns, fixing leaky faucets or handling difficult tenants.

The process is simple: Browse a curated selection of homes that have been vetted for their appreciation and income potential. Once you find a property you like, select the number of shares you’d like to purchase and then sit back as you start receiving any positive rental income distributions from your investment.

As of November 2025, Arrived has already paid out more than $19 million in dividends to over 900,000 registered investors.

Another option is Lightstone DIRECT, which offers accredited investors access to institutional-quality multifamily and industrial real estate — with a minimum investment of $100,000.

Founded in 1986 by David Lichtenstein, Lightstone Group is one of the largest privately held real estate investment firms in the U.S., with more than $12 billion in assets under management.

Over nearly-four decades, their team has delivered strong, risk-adjusted performance across multiple market cycles — including a 27.6% historical net IRR and a 2.54x historical net equity multiple on realized investments since 2004.

With Lightstone DIRECT, you gain access to the same multifamily and industrial deals Lightstone pursues with its own capital.

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Here’s the kicker: Lightstone invests at least 20% of its own capital in every deal — roughly four times the industry average. With skin in the game, the firm ensures its interests are directly aligned with those of its investors.

Read More: Dave Ramsey says this 7-step plan ‘works every single time’ to kill debt, get rich in America — and that ‘anyone’ can do it

An overlooked alternative

Prominent investors like Dalio often stress the importance of diversification — and for good reason. Many traditional assets tend to move in tandem, especially during periods of market stress.

That message feels especially relevant today. Nearly 40% of the S&P 500’s weight is concentrated in its ten largest stocks and the index’s CAPE ratio hasn’t been this high since the dot-com boom.

This is where, for many investors, alternative assets come into play. These can include everything from real estate and precious metals to private equity and collectibles.

But there’s one store of value that routinely flies under the radar: It’s scarce by design, coveted worldwide and frequently locked away by institutions.

We’re talking about post-war and contemporary art — a category that has outpaced the S&P 500 with low correlation since 1995.

It’s easy to see why art pieces often fetch new highs at auctions: The supply of the best works of art is limited and many of the most desirable pieces have already been snatched up by museums and collectors. That scarcity can also make art an attractive option for investors looking to diversify and preserve wealth during periods of high inflation.

Until recently, purchasing art has been a domain reserved for the ultra-wealthy — like in 2022 when a collection of art owned by the late Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen sold for $1.5 billion at Christie’s New York, making it the most valuable collection in auction history (7).

Now, Masterworks — a platform for investing in shares of blue-chip artwork by renowned artists, including Pablo Picasso, Jean-Michel Basquiat and Banksy — can help you get started with this asset class. It’s easy to use and, with 27 successful exits to date, Masterworks has distributed more than $65 million in total proceeds (including principal).

Simply browse their impressive portfolio of paintings and choose how many shares you’d like to buy. Masterworks can handle all the details, making high-end art investments both accessible and effortless.

New offerings have sold out in minutes, but you can skip their waitlist here.

Note that past performance is not indicative of future returns. Investing involves risk. See Reg A disclosures at masterworks.com/cd.

Article sources

We rely only on vetted sources and credible third-party reporting. For details, see our editorial ethics and guidelines.

Joe Rogan Experience (1); Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis (2); National Association of Realtors (3); @marysed11 (4); Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis (5); S&P Global (6); Christie’s (7)

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Jing Pan Investment Reporter

Jing is an investment reporter for MoneyWise. He is an avid advocate of investing for passive income. Despite the ups and downs he’s been through with the markets, Jing believes that you can generate a steadily increasing income stream by investing in high quality companies.

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