Tom & Sue Hardin On Wired On Wall Street

Tom & Sue Hardin On Wired On Wall Street

From The Human Risk Podcast by Human Risk

February 28, 2026 · 1h 15m

About this episode

Tom and Sue Hardin discuss the complexities of decision-making and the personal impact of insider trading.

What’s the difference between a mistake… and a bad decision? My guest knows this only too well. Tom Hardin has been on the show several times before. As Tipper X, he wore a wire for the FBI and helped build the largest insider trading investigation in US history. Since then, he has spent nearly a decade speaking to organisations around the world about slippery slopes, rationalisation, and how good people drift into serious trouble. In this episode, he returns to discuss his new book, Wired on Wall Street. The book goes beyond the insider trading case many listeners already know. It explores the ambition, insecurity and desire for status that shaped his early career, and the patterns he only recognised years later when writing it down. For the first time on a podcast, Tom is also joined by his wife, Sue. She played no role in the trades that changed his life, but her life was dramatically altered by them. She reflects on discovering the truth, keeping a secret that wasn’t hers, facing sentencing uncertainty, and what it means to rebuild together. This conversation isn’t really about insider trading; it’s about character. Key Themes Why calling something a “mistake” can soften…

People in this episode

Host: Human Risk

Guests: Tom Hardin, Sue Hardin

Topics covered

  • mistakes vs bad decisions
  • insider trading
  • psychology of rationalisation
  • status anxiety
  • ethical failure
  • impact on families
  • character development

Keywords

  • insider trading
  • decision-making
  • psychology
  • character
  • ethical failure
  • Wired on Wall Street
  • Tom Hardin
  • Sue Hardin

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: FBI

Books & works: Wired on Wall Street

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