In this episode of Beyond the Billions, Forbes Deputy Editor Giacomo Tognini speaks with Senior Editor Chris Helman about the state of America’s energy industry. Helman reveals why the current situation in Venezuela is the most exciting time for “wildcatters” since the fall of Saddam Hussein. They dive into the high-stakes financial battle for Citgo involving Wall Street billionaire Paul Singer, and explain why legendary driller Harold Hamm is shutting down American rigs to hunt for oil in unexpected places like Turkey and Argentina. And with the reemergence of needs for nuclear power, they’ll talk about how “RV-sized” reactors could be the secret to powering the next generation of AI data centers.
00:00 This Week In Billionaires…
02:43 Real-Life “Landmen”: The Billionaires Who Defined The Shale Boom
03:56 The Nuclear Renaissance: RV-Sized Reactors And The AI Power Crisis
06:02 The New “Wild West”: Venezuela
10:27 The Citgo Squeeze: A $6 Billion Battle
18:08 Market Anomalies: Why Oil Is Cheaper Than Silver
Read more about all the stories mentioned in this episode using the links below:
https://www.forbes.com/sites/christopherhelman/2026/01/08/these-wall-street-billionaires-are-set-to-profit-from-trumps-venezuela-incursion/
https://www.forbes.com/sites/christopherhelman/2026/01/04/trump-to-help-oil-companies-take-back-some-of-the-billions-venezuela-owes-them/
https://www.forbes.com/sites/mattdurot/2026/01/17/elon-musk-closes-in-on-800-billion-net-worth-milestone-after-xais-latest-funding-round/
https://www.forbes.com/sites/siladityaray/2026/01/20/bernard-arnaults-fortune-drops-[…]-billion-after-trumps-200-tariff-threat-against-french-wines/
https://www.forbes.com/sites/monicahunter-hart/2026/01/21/meet-trumps-new-ftc-pick-one-of-americas-richest-entrepreneurs/
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