Katharine Graham: The Woman Who Took Down a President (Outliers)

In this episode of The Knowledge Project, Shane Parrish delves into the life of Katharine Graham, drawing primarily from her Pulitzer Prize-winning memoir, Personal History. The episode chronicles Graham's transformation from a self-described "doormat wife" to one of the most powerful women in American media. It covers her early life, marked by privilege but lacking emotional connection, her marriage to the charismatic but troubled Philip Graham, and her eventual rise to leadership at The Washington Post after Philip's suicide. The episode highlights Graham's pivotal decisions, such as publishing the Pentagon Papers and leading the Post's investigation into Watergate, as well as her business acumen, cultivated through an unlikely friendship with Warren Buffett, which led to remarkable financial success for the company. Parrish also extracts key lessons from Graham's life, emphasizing the importance of courage, principled leadership, and a commitment to truth.