Rephonic
Artwork for The Idiot
True Crime
New York Times
Serial Productions
M. Gessen
FBI
The Idiot

The New York Times writer M. Gessen is widely known for their award-winning writing about totalitarianism, terrorism and the erosion of human rights. Now, M. is examining a more personal target: their least favorite cousin, Allen. For decades, they saw Allen as a fool, a pompous ‘international businessman’ who bragged about shady deals. But then Allen is arrested for trying to put a hit out on his... more

PublishesDailyEpisodes6Foundeda month ago
Number of ListenersCategories
Society & CultureTrue Crime

Listen to this Podcast

Artwork for The Idiot

Latest Episodes

Allen will almost certainly be released in a few years. What should M.’s family do with a guy who refuses to own up to his own crime? Can he be re-integrated into the family? Should he be?

While M. has grown increasingly compassionate toward Allen, ... more

Allen finally agrees to talk … and talk and talk, for 35 hours of interviews. M. wants to understand Allen on his own terms, to try and figure out how this scion of bohemian intellectuals ended up hiring someone to kill his ex. It’s hard for M. to be... more

M. attends Allen’s trial in San Francisco. The FBI’s star witness, an agent who went by “David," plays his undercover recordings of Allen. They reveal how Allen’s scheme to deport Priscilla turned into a murder-for-hire plot.

Allen is his own star w... more

M. seeks out Allen’s ex-wife, Priscilla, who tells her side of the story. It begins with a whirlwind romance but quickly turns to chart Allen’s betrayal: taking her son from Russia and stranding Priscilla and her daughter in Moscow. What follows is P... more

Key Facts

Contact Information
Podcast Host
Number of Listeners
Find out how many people listen to this podcast per episode and each month.

Similar Podcasts

People also subscribe to these shows.

Focus: Adults in the Room
Focus: Adults in the RoomKUOW News and Information
This American Life
This American LifeThis American Life
Love Trapped
Love TrappediHeartPodcasts and Glass Podcasts
Serial
SerialSerial Productions & The New York Times
Heavyweight
HeavyweightPushkin Industries

Host

M. Gessen
Host and lead narrator, known for award-winning writing on totalitarianism and human rights; central figure guiding investigative storytelling.

Chart Rankings

How this podcast ranks in the Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube charts.

Apple Podcasts
#6
United States/Top Podcasts
Apple Podcasts
#3
United States/True Crime
Apple Podcasts
#6
Canada/Top Podcasts
Apple Podcasts
#12
United Kingdom/Top Podcasts
Apple Podcasts
#1
United Kingdom/True Crime
Apple Podcasts
#2
Canada/True Crime
Apple Podcasts
#14
Australia/Top Podcasts
Apple Podcasts
#126
Italy/Top Podcasts
Apple Podcasts
#202
Germany/Top Podcasts
Apple Podcasts
#3
Australia/True Crime
Apple Podcasts
#18
Italy/True Crime
Apple Podcasts
#23
Germany/True Crime
Apple Podcasts
#26
France/True Crime
Apple Podcasts
#7
Ireland/Top Podcasts
Apple Podcasts
#11
Denmark/Top Podcasts
Apple Podcasts
#20
New Zealand/Top Podcasts
Apple Podcasts
#38
Finland/Top Podcasts
Apple Podcasts
#53
United Arab Emirates/Top Podcasts
Apple Podcasts
#55
Netherlands/Top Podcasts
Apple Podcasts
#65
Norway/Top Podcasts
Apple Podcasts
#77
Belgium/Top Podcasts
Apple Podcasts
#107
Switzerland/Top Podcasts
Apple Podcasts
#115
South Africa/Top Podcasts
Apple Podcasts
#122
Israel/Top Podcasts
Apple Podcasts
#150
Argentina/Top Podcasts
Apple Podcasts
#154
Spain/Top Podcasts
Apple Podcasts
#155
Saudi Arabia/Top Podcasts
Apple Podcasts
#159
India/Top Podcasts
Apple Podcasts
#174
Austria/Top Podcasts
Apple Podcasts
#176
Poland/Top Podcasts
Apple Podcasts
#180
Singapore/Top Podcasts
Apple Podcasts
#184
Mexico/Top Podcasts
Apple Podcasts
#185
Chile/Top Podcasts
Apple Podcasts
#238
Philippines/Top Podcasts
Apple Podcasts
#2
Ireland/True Crime
Apple Podcasts
#3
Denmark/True Crime
Apple Podcasts
#3
New Zealand/True Crime
Apple Podcasts
#4
Israel/True Crime
Apple Podcasts
#6
India/True Crime
Apple Podcasts
#6
United Arab Emirates/True Crime
Apple Podcasts
#6
Saudi Arabia/True Crime
Apple Podcasts
#6
Finland/True Crime
Apple Podcasts
#7
Mexico/True Crime
Apple Podcasts
#7
Argentina/True Crime
Apple Podcasts
#8
Norway/True Crime
Apple Podcasts
#8
Netherlands/True Crime
Apple Podcasts
#8
Japan/True Crime
Apple Podcasts
#10
Singapore/True Crime
Apple Podcasts
#10
Belgium/True Crime
Apple Podcasts
#11
Chile/True Crime
Apple Podcasts
#15
Switzerland/True Crime
Apple Podcasts
#16
Spain/True Crime
Apple Podcasts
#16
Brazil/True Crime
Apple Podcasts
#18
Russia/True Crime
Apple Podcasts
#22
Austria/True Crime
Apple Podcasts
#22
South Africa/True Crime
Apple Podcasts
#26
Poland/True Crime
Apple Podcasts
#29
Sweden/True Crime
Apple Podcasts
#29
South Korea/True Crime
Apple Podcasts
#43
Taiwan/True Crime
Apple Podcasts
#43
Philippines/True Crime
Apple Podcasts
#48
Indonesia/True Crime
Apple Podcasts
#48
Colombia/True Crime
Apple Podcasts
#52
Hong Kong/True Crime
Apple Podcasts
#111
Ukraine/True Crime
Apple Podcasts
#216
China/True Crime

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

Chapter 4
Q: What did you mean by context missing from the case, and what would you add if you could go back?
Allen suggested there were elements surrounding his and Priscilla's relationship and family dynamics that weren't fully explored at trial; in our dialogue, he attempted to provide those missing pieces, including perspectives on his motivations and the role of his family.
Chapter 2
Q: So, can you tell me what you saw in Allen when you first met him?
Priscilla describes him as charismatic and engaging, a contrast to her own background, and admits that his allure was powerful and convincing at the start, which made the later manipulation feel all the more devastating.

Audience Metrics

Listeners, social reach, demographics and more for this podcast.

Listeners per Episode
Gender Skew
Location
Interests
Professions
Age Range
Household Income
Social Media Reach

Frequently Asked Questions About The Idiot

What is The Idiot about and what kind of topics does it cover?

This series blends investigative journalism with intimate memoir to examine a family saga that spirals from a high-profile custody fight and financial intrigues into a shocking crime narrative. Across episodes, the host dissects motive, loyalty, and accountability within a tight-knit clan, weaving courtroom details, undercover recordings, and personal letters into a reflective meditation on how ordinary people become entangled in extraordinary events. The show is notable for its moonlighting as both memoir and reportage, using a candid, first-person voice to explore truth-telling, forgiveness, and the gray areas of justice within family dynamics. It stands out for its documentary intimacy, international facets, and the way personal storytel... more

Where can I find podcast stats for The Idiot?

Rephonic provides a wide range of podcast stats for The Idiot. We scanned the web and collated all of the information that we could find in our comprehensive podcast database. See how many people listen to The Idiot and access YouTube viewership numbers, download stats, audience demographics, chart rankings, ratings, reviews and more.

How many listeners does The Idiot get?

Rephonic provides a full set of podcast information for three million podcasts, including the number of listeners. View further listenership figures for The Idiot, including podcast download numbers and subscriber numbers, so you can make better decisions about which podcasts to sponsor or be a guest on. You will need to upgrade your account to access this premium data.

What are the audience demographics for The Idiot?

Rephonic provides comprehensive predictive audience data for The Idiot, including gender skew, age, country, political leaning, income, professions, education level, and interests. You can access these listener demographics by upgrading your account.

How many subscribers and views does The Idiot have?

To see how many followers or subscribers The Idiot has on Spotify and other platforms such as Castbox and Podcast Addict, simply upgrade your account. You'll also find viewership figures for their YouTube channel if they have one.

Which podcasts are similar to The Idiot?

These podcasts share a similar audience with The Idiot:

1. Focus: Adults in the Room
2. This American Life
3. Love Trapped
4. Serial
5. Heavyweight

How many episodes of The Idiot are there?

The Idiot launched a month ago and published 6 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

How do I contact The Idiot?

Our systems regularly scour the web to find email addresses and social media links for this podcast. We scanned the web and collated all of the contact information that we could find in our podcast database. But in the unlikely event that you can't find what you're looking for, our concierge service lets you request our research team to source better contacts for you.

Where can I see ratings and reviews for The Idiot?

Rephonic pulls ratings and reviews for The Idiot from multiple sources, including Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Castbox, and Podcast Addict.

View all the reviews in one place instead of visiting each platform individually and use this information to decide if a show is worth pitching or not.

How do I access podcast episode transcripts for The Idiot?

Rephonic provides full transcripts for episodes of The Idiot. Search within each transcript for your keywords, whether they be topics, brands or people, and figure out if it's worth pitching as a guest or sponsor. You can even set-up alerts to get notified when your keywords are mentioned.

Find and pitch the right podcasts

We help savvy brands, marketers and PR professionals to find the right podcasts for any topic or niche. Get the data and contacts you need to pitch podcasts at scale and turn listeners into customers.
Try it free for 7 days