CASTAMATIC Features

1964: The Phoebus Cartel

Everything Everywhere Daily

Nov. 21, 2025

Companies that sell products to the public have to follow a fine line. 

On the one hand, they need to sell stuff to make money, and the way they do that is by making a good product. 

However, if their product is too good, then people might not need to buy it again, or at least not for a long time. 

Almost 100 years ago, a consortium of industrialists plotted to make their products worse just so people would buy more of them.

Learn more about the Phoebus Cartel and planned obsolescence on this episode of Everything Everywhere Daily.

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This episode is from Everything Everywhere Daily whose proprietor has full ownership and responsibility on its contents and artworks. It was shared using Castamatic, a podcast app for iPhone and iPad.