IL43: The Land Trap: How Property Shapes Power ft. Mike Bird

In today’s episode we talk about the world’s oldest, and still most important asset: land. Our guest is the Economist’s Wall Street Editor Mike Bird. Mike is the author of a newly released book The Land Trap: A New History of the World’s Oldest Asset. We discuss the properties that make land unique as an asset and why it serves as collateral for almost two-thirds of all bank loans, making it the backbone of the world’s money supply. Mike explains what the “land trap” means and why China is caught in its grip like no other country. We also discuss the one country in the world that seems to have escaped the trap and whether their lessons can be applied elsewhere. ----- 50 YEARS OF TREND FOLLOWING BOOK AND BEHIND-THE-SCENES VIDEO FOR ACCREDITED INVESTORS - CLICK HERE ----- Follow Niels on Twitter , LinkedIn , YouTube or via the TTU website . IT’s TRUE ? – most CIO’s read 50+ books each year – get your FREE copy of the Ultimate Guide to the Best Investment Books ever written here . And you can get a free copy of my latest book “ Ten Reasons to Add Trend Following to Your Portfolio ” here . Learn more about the Trend Barometer here . Send your questions to info@toptradersunplugged.com And please share this episode with a like-minded friend and leave an honest Rating & Review on iTunes or Spotify so more people can discover the podcast. Follow Kevin on SubStack & read his Book . Follow Mike on X and read his book. Episode TimeStamps: 00:00 - Opening and setup 00:00:49 - Disclaimer and show introduction 00:01:45 - The premise: land as humanity’s oldest asset 00:04:18 - Defining the “land trap” through Hong Kong’s model 00:09:01 - Three defining traits: scarcity, immovability, endurance 00:18:17 - Why technology can’t replace geography 00:23:29 - Land as collateral and the rise of mortgage finance 00:28:31 - Lazy banking and the limits of innovation 00:35:17 - Dead capital, human potential, and access to credit 00:39:37 - China’s land machine and the politics of stasis 00:46:37 - Evergrande, reallocation, and what “collapse” really means 00:52:28 - Singapore’s experiment: broad ownership, stable prices 00:58:17 - Can others follow Singapore’s path? 00:59:33 - Closing reflection Copyright © 2025 – CMC AG – All Rights Reserved ---- PLUS: Whenever you're ready... here are 3 ways I can help you in your investment Journey: 1. eBooks that cover key topics that you need to know about In my eBooks, I put together some key discoveries and things I have learnt during the more than 3 decades I have worked in the Trend Following industry, which I hope you will find useful. Click Here 2. Daily Trend Barometer and Market Score One of the things I’m really proud of, is the fact that I have managed to published the Trend Barometer and Market Score each day for more than a decade...as these tools are really good at describing the environment for trend following managers as well as giving insights into the general positioning of a trend following strategy! Click Here 3. Other Resources that can help you And if you are hungry for more useful resources from the trend following world...check out some precious resources that I have found over the years to be really valuable. Click Here Privacy Policy Disclaimer