Why does discovering oil sometimes make a country richer—but leave its people poorer?

In this episode, we uncover the dark side of oil wealth and the global resource curse. From corruption and political instability to economic inequality, inflation, conflict, and dependence on crude oil, we explore why some oil-rich countries struggle despite earning billions from their natural resources.

What happens when a nation discovers black gold? Why do oil revenues sometimes weaken economies instead of transforming them? And why do countries with enormous oil reserves still battle poverty, unemployment, corruption, and economic instability?

This episode explores the oil curse, petroleum economics, oil-rich nations, natural resources, corruption, global energy markets, geopolitics, and economic development—and reveals the surprising reaso ...