The Business of Boeing: How Did It Go So Wrong?

Boeing is back in the spotlight following the release of Netflix’s new documentary Freefall: A Reckoning for Boeing. But beyond the safety failures and scandals, there’s another important story: how does Boeing actually work as a business?

In this episode of the Market Maker Podcast, we break down the economics behind one of the world’s most important companies. How does Boeing make money? Why can selling aircraft be loss-making while servicing them generates huge margins? Why is its $700bn+ order backlog so important? And how have Boeing and Airbus ended up controlling more than 90% of the commercial aircraft market?

We also explore the decisions that changed Boeing: the McDonnell Douglas merger, the shift from engineering excellence towards shareholder returns, billions spent on share buybacks, the development of the 737 MAX and the financial consequences that followed.

If the Netflix documentary tells the story of what happened at Boeing, this episode helps explain the business behind it and why the decisions made decades ago still matter today.

(00:00) The Business of Boeing

(01:32) How Boeing Became an Icon

(05:29) How Boeing Makes Money

(11:33) Boeing’s Hidden Profit Engine

(16:06) The Accounting Behind Boeing

(21:43) Boeing’s $55bn Debt Problem

(26:24) Boeing vs Airbus

(29:45) Can China Break the Duopoly?

(33:16) When Boeing’s Culture Changed

(38:18) The 737 MAX Disaster

(41:52) Boeing After the Crisis

(43:43) Boeing Today