When Chicago pawned its parking meters
Episode
30 min
Read time
2 min
Topics
Fundraising & VC, Sales & Revenue
AI-Generated Summary
What It Covers
Chicago's disastrous 2008 decision to privatize parking meters for 75 years, selling future revenue worth $2.1 billion for only $1.16 billion during financial crisis.
Notable Moment
Alderman Scott Waguespack discovers secret documents about the deal in trash bags behind a city building, revealing the parking system had been partially sold to Abu Dhabi.
You just read a 3-minute summary of a 27-minute episode.
Get Planet Money summarized like this every Monday — plus up to 2 more podcasts, free.
Pick Your Podcasts — FreeKeep Reading
More from Planet Money
We summarize every new episode. Want them in your inbox?
It’s my tree. Why can’t I cut it down?
Two indicators for lowering the rent
Why is there a supplement craze if they don’t even work?
There's no business like dough business
The sneaky way companies get new chemicals into our food
Similar Episodes
Related episodes from other podcasts
In Good Company with Nicolai Tangen
Jun 12
HIGHLIGHTS: Jens Stoltenberg
My First Million
Jun 10
Brutally honest guide to not losing money in the market
In Good Company with Nicolai Tangen
Jun 10
Jens Stoltenberg: How Norway Built the World’s Largest Fund
This Week in Startups
Jun 8
The AI Tutor That Makes Kids Actually Think | E2298
How I Built This
Jun 1
UGG: Brian Smith. How an epiphany, surfers, and $500 launched an iconic sheepskin footwear company.
Explore Related Topics
This podcast is featured in Best Finance Podcasts (2026) — ranked and reviewed with AI summaries.
You're clearly into Planet Money.
Every Monday, we deliver AI summaries of the latest episodes from Planet Money and 192+ other podcasts. Free for up to 3 shows.
Start My Monday DigestNo credit card · Unsubscribe anytime