This Q&A podcast episode of "The Money Stuff Podcast" features host Matt Levine and co-host Katie Greifeld answering listener questions about finance. The episode begins with a listener question about their backgrounds in finance, followed by questions regarding government insider trading (why the government doesn't trade on its own information), the difficulty of diversifying real estate investments for small investors, and whether short sellers engage with company management. The final question explores the Martha Stewart insider trading case and whether intent matters in such cases. A key takeaway is that intent is not a necessary element for insider trading conviction; ignorance of the law is no excuse, and possessing material non-public information and acting on it constitutes insider trading, regardless of prior intent to sell.
