EP 15 | Harry McDaniel: Man on the Run

What’s a totally reasonable response to your business getting squeezed by the competition? If you’re Harry McDaniel, it’s apparently taking $1.7 million that technically doesn’t belong to you and fleeing the country. You know, a classic corporate pivot.

Back in the 1990s, Harry co-owned a paper company. But when illegal business practices started tanking his operation and the government failed to play hero, Harry decided to take matters—and a massive pile of cash—into his own hands. Naturally, this sparked a wild, decades-long game of cat-and-mouse with the FBI.

Harry’s grand strategy? Try to negotiate a return with the FBI while delivering details on illegal activity he was sseing while on the run in Europe. He even graciously turned himself in at one point, only to remember he hates consequences, escape before sentencing, and bolt right back to Europe—where he’s still kicking it today.

His story reads like a new version of Catch Me If You Can.

It's a story of survival, defiance, and a spectacular lack of accountability. Unsurprisingly, Scott and Nancy are totally divided on this one. Is Harry a victim of a broken system who beat the machine, or just a delusional criminal who got incredibly lucky? Stream the episode and decide who you want to yell at.

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