❗Let's close the gap: We still need your help to raise $40,000 by April 1. Donate now

Kai Ryssdal

Host and Senior Editor

SHORT BIO

Kai is the host and senior editor of “Marketplace,” the most widely heard program on business and the economy — radio or television, commercial or public broadcasting — in the country. Kai speaks regularly with CEOs of Fortune 500 companies, startup entrepreneurs, small-business owners and everyday participants in the American and global economies. Before his career in broadcasting, Kai served in the United States Navy and United States Foreign Service. He’s a graduate of Emory University and Georgetown University. Kai lives in Los Angeles with his wife and four children.

Latest Stories (5,772)

Weekly Wrap: Good things from crisis?

Jan 2, 2009
Kai Ryssdal asks Andy Brooks of T. Rowe Price and Felix Salmon of Portfolio magazine whether there have been some good things from the 2008 financial crisis, and how long it might take to see some benefits from them.

Spelling out those financial acronyms

Jan 2, 2009
Ever notice that there are a lot of acronyms involved in finance and business? TARP. FDIC. LIBOR. Well, there's a good reason for them. Kai Ryssdal speaks with author and blogger Leslie Savan about the financial alphabet soup.

Looking for change -- the loose kind

Dec 31, 2008
In August we reported on a New York family that's built a sizable savings from money found on the ground. Kai Ryssdal checked in with Scott Humphrey and his 5-year-old daughter to find out where their nest egg stands now.

A volatile market for home heating oil

Dec 30, 2008
Prices for home heating oil looked like they were only going to continue rising this past summer, so many customers locked in winter contracts. Now, heating oil's dropped to less than $2.50. Kai Ryssdal speaks with oil retailer Peter Bourne about how his customers are feeling and how his business is doing.

Used car businessman still optimistic

Dec 29, 2008
Business at Mort's Imports in Ohio has remained pretty stagnant over the past few months. But owner Morton McArthur tells Kai Ryssdal he remains optimistic that his used car dealership will be able to survive the economic downturn.

Chalking up the losses of 2008

Dec 29, 2008
Watching the stock market spiral downward this year was pretty tough. As the market went south, so did our retirement savings, college funds and other investments. Kai Ryssdal speaks with Robert Reich about those losses and how we're coping with them.

Weekly Wrap: What's ahead in 2009?

Dec 26, 2008
When it comes to the economy in 2009, there's more we can't anticipate than we can. Kai Ryssdal tries a bit of looking into the future with Michael Mandel of Business Week and political scientist Dan Drezner of Tufts University.

Our 'Rock Band' needs some practice

Dec 25, 2008
The video music game Rock Band continues to be a popular item among gamers and the less technically inclined. Kai Ryssdal and some Marketplace rockers checked it out with Kevin Pereira from G4 television.

Seeing some bright spots in real estate

Dec 11, 2008
Brett White, CEO of commercial real estate firm CB Richard Ellis, tells Kai Ryssdal that while there's no question things are bad in commercial real estate, they're not all that bad.

Why bubbles are so hard to see

Dec 11, 2008
The current financial crisis should teach Wall Street a few lessons. But Wall Street insider Henry Blodget tells Kai Ryssdal why the meltdown has happened and why it could happen again.