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How to Take Over the World · Nov 9, 2025 · 1 hr 18 min

Lee Kuan Yew (Video Version)

Lee Kuan Yew took a crowded, dirty, poor port town, and turned it into one of the world's great cities. How was he able to lead such an incredible transformation of Singapore? 00:00 Introduction 03:50 Early Life and Education 12:00 The Japanese Occupation and Its Impact 17:30 Post-War Singapore and the Road to Independence 24:45 The People's Action Party and Early Governance 37:30 Operation Coldstore and the Fight Against Communism 40:00 Ethnic Tensions and Operation Cold Store 41:15 Formation of Malaysia and Rising Tensions 42:30 Singapore's Expulsion and Independence 43:50 Lee Kuan Yew's Emotional Address 46:40 Building a Defense Strategy 51:20 Lee Kuan Yew's Ideology and Governance 59:00 Economic Growth and Development 01:06:20 Social Progress and Urban Development 01:15:00 Conclusion and Legacy --- Sponsors: ⁠⁠Zashi⁠⁠ for Z Cash ⁠HTTOTW Premium⁠ - For all endnotes, takeaways, and bonus episode, subscribe to How to Take Over the World Premium GainsInBulk.com/ben⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ - Use code Ben for 20% off instantized creatine and more⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠Speechify.com/ben⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ - Use code Ben for 15% off Speechify premium ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Founders Podcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠Coaching --- Stay in touch: Twitter/X: ⁠@BenWilsonTweets⁠ Instagram: ⁠@HTTOTW⁠ Email me: Ben@takeoverpod.com Sources: ⁠No Man Is An Island: A Portrait of Singapore's Lee Kuan Yew by James Minchin⁠ ⁠Lee Kuan Yew: The Grandmaster's Insights on China, United States, and the World by Graham Allison, Michael McConnohie, et al.⁠ ⁠From Third World to First by Lee Kuan Yew⁠ ⁠Singapore: A Modern History by Michael D Barr⁠ --- Writing, research, and production by Ben Wilson. * This episode is brought to you by Helix Sleep. Go to HelixSleep.com/TakeOverPod for 20% off your purchase. * This episode is brought to you by Incogni. Go to Incogni.com/takeover for 60% off. ----- Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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show notes

Lee Kuan Yew took a crowded, dirty, poor port town, and turned it into one of the world's great cities. How was he able to lead such an incredible transformation of Singapore?

00:00 Introduction

03:50 Early Life and Education

12:00 The Japanese Occupation and Its Impact

17:30 Post-War Singapore and the Road to Independence

24:45 The People's Action Party and Early Governance

37:30 Operation Coldstore and the Fight Against Communism

40:00 Ethnic Tensions and Operation Cold Store

41:15 Formation of Malaysia and Rising Tensions

42:30 Singapore's Expulsion and Independence

43:50 Lee Kuan Yew's Emotional Address

46:40 Building a Defense Strategy

51:20 Lee Kuan Yew's Ideology and Governance

59:00 Economic Growth and Development

01:06:20 Social Progress and Urban Development

01:15:00 Conclusion and Legacy

---

Sponsors:

⁠⁠Zashi⁠⁠ for Z Cash

⁠HTTOTW Premium⁠ - For all endnotes, takeaways, and bonus episode, subscribe to How to Take Over the World Premium

GainsInBulk.com/ben⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ - Use code Ben for 20% off instantized creatine and more⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠Speechify.com/ben⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ - Use code Ben for 15% off Speechify premium

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Founders Podcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠Coaching

---

Stay in touch:

Twitter/X: ⁠@BenWilsonTweets⁠

Instagram: ⁠@HTTOTW⁠

Email me: Ben@takeoverpod.com

Sources:

⁠No Man Is An Island: A Portrait of Singapore's Lee Kuan Yew by James Minchin⁠

⁠Lee Kuan Yew: The Grandmaster's Insights on China, United States, and the World by Graham Allison, Michael McConnohie, et al.⁠

⁠From Third World to First by Lee Kuan Yew⁠

⁠Singapore: A Modern History by Michael D Barr⁠

---

Writing, research, and production by Ben Wilson.


* This episode is brought to you by Helix Sleep. Go to HelixSleep.com/TakeOverPod for 20% off your purchase.


* This episode is brought to you by Incogni. Go to Incogni.com/takeover for 60% off.

-----

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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