The James Altucher Show

A Note from James:I am thrilled to celebrate the 10th anniversary of my podcast. Occasionally, I'll feature some timeless episodes as if they're brand new, sharing those that have greatly impacted me. One such figure is Nassim Taleb, whom I consider one of the smartest people on the planet.I've learned so much from Nassim, and I'm not sure he realizes or cares just how influential he's been on me. I was extremely grateful when he agreed to appear on my podcast. There's an interesting backstory to his appearance: he joined my show a few years ago, and we are airing that episode now, though he might not be aware of the whole story.Back in 2002, I was desperate—I was broke, struggling, losing my house, and my family was falling apart. I wrote to 20 influential individuals, including well-known investors and writers like Warren Buffett and Carl Icahn, expressing my desire to meet them. Only three responded.Jim Cramer was one of them. I had sent him ten ideas for articles he could write for TheStreet.com. To my su