8 Americans explain how capitalism has shaped — and failed — their lives

Tech Insider : Economy, Economy, Business
Alex English, Jenni Abbott, Kirk Reynolds, Matthew Doutt

Thomas Simonetti, Mustafa Hussain, Roger Kisby, Jesse Barber for BI

I got laid off from my tech job and retired in France at 69. Starting over is hard, but I love my life here.

Tech Insider : Business
A side-by-side photo of Sandy Adam and another picture of Paris.
Sandy Adam.

Sandy Adam/ Getty Images/ Elena Zolotova

I'm a co-creator of Alexa. Writing a 6-page memo helped me decide to quit Amazon and launch my own AI startup.

Tech Insider : Business
William Tunstall-Pedoe
William Tunstall-Pedoe is the founder and CEO of UnlikelyAI.

Courtesy of William Tunstall-Pedoe

At 80, I won't retire from my family's 150-year-old grocery business anytime soon. I'll run it for as long as l can.

Tech Insider : Business
A greengrocer at his stand inside a market
Greengrocer Robin Blair with his wares

Courtesy of Alyson Williamson

I'm the CEO of Crunch Fitness. I stay fit on a busy travel schedule with a morning protein shake and Pilates classes.

Tech Insider : Business, Sports, Travel
Crunch Fitness CEO Jim Rowley stands in a blue suit in front of the Crunch logo
Jim Rowley, CEO of Crunch Fitness, said he stays sharp by avoiding a monotonous routine, but he always makes time for exercise and a morning protein shake.

Courtesy of Crunch Fitness

I'm a millionaire living in California. I'm happy to pay higher taxes since I have more wealth — it just makes sense.

Tech Insider : Business
Scott Ellis
Scott Ellis is a millionaire who supports higher taxes for the wealthy, including himself.

Courtesy of Scott Ellis

I'm set to inherit my childhood home abroad. I'm not sure it will be worth the headache.

Tech Insider : Business, Economy
A man and a woman taking a selfie.
Katarina Polonska and her husband are both set to inherit properties abroad from their parents.

Courtesy of Katarina Polonska

I was laid off from CrowdStrike and used AI to send 800 applications in a month to land my ideal role

Tech Insider : Business, Technology
Dray Jankowski
After being laid off from CrowdStrike, Dray Jankowski took his time traveling and turned to an AI platform to find his next role.

Dray Jankowski

My career path to Google included bartending and working at a nursing home. Here's what it taught me.

Tech Insider : Business
Milica Cvetkovic
Milica Svetkovic is

Milica Cvetkovic

I moved to Canada, but it wasn't for me. I was cold, isolated, and finding a job was absolutely horrendous.

Tech Insider : Business
Zina Malas standing in front of a snowy mountainous view
Malas left Canada for Lebanon in September 2025

Courtesy of Zina Malas

Subscribe to as-told-to