Scott Galloway: I Didn't Want Kids. Then I had Them in My 40s

Scott Galloway argues that U.S. housing is unaffordable primarily because it is a supply problem, not a demand problem. He says local homeowners have been given outsized power over permits, creating regulatory capture that blocks new construction and protects incumbent property values. His prescription is to loosen zoning and NIMBY rules, tie federal money to permissive local policies, and give developers more incentive to build, pointing to Austin and Minneapolis as examples of places that improved affordability by reducing restrictions.

He also tells a listener who sold stock before a big run-up that regret is inevitable, but that the bigger picture matters more. The right choice was to support a family and buy a home, he says, and people should not torture themselves over missed upside when they made the best decision available with the information they had.

On parenthood, Galloway says becoming a father in his 40s made him more patient, generous, and financially secure. He urges a listener struggling with infertility not to overthink IVF or surrogacy and to focus on the purpose and perspective that children can bring. He is more cautious about quitting a good job to start a company with a parent, especially if it is a raw startup, and he favors staying with a strong corporate platform unless the family business is already established. On parenting, he says dads should stay engaged, but for major child-rearing calls he generally defers to the mother while emphasizing the importance of being a supportive partner.