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Behind The Price

Why things cost what they cost: the business and economics behind everyday products, prices and companies, in plain English.

New: Why $17B Revenue Still Needs $895B for AI

Anthropic booked $17 billion.

How much of a $10 Wendy's order goes to Wendy's?

Watch a few bucks at Wendy's split.

Why $2.3T vanished in one day

$2.3 trillion vanished in one day.

Why Lexar's MicroSD Costs More on Switch 2

Lexar's PLAY PRO lists up to 900MB/s. On Switch 2, 205.

Why 85.5% full planes mean no empty seats

Why don't airlines remove the middle seat? Watch this receipt.

Where does the rest of your food dollar go?

$55.18 fed ten in 2025.

How much of a gas dollar goes to oil?

Gas is 51.4% crude oil.

Why Snacks Outearn Tickets at Theaters

AMC pays studios 48 cents per ticket dollar.

What banks really make on your money

Average savings pay 0.38%.

How much did a Disney World ticket cost in 1971?

$3.50 bought a day at Magic Kingdom.

Why Some Reese's Say 'Chocolate Candy'

Some Reese's aren't milk chocolate.

Why your points aren't free: The 2.36% fee

Your points come with a hidden fee.

Why the $1.50 hot dog costs so little

Why's this hot dog still $1.50?

How a Nickel Became a Dime in 1969

A nickel bought Hershey's bar until 1969.

Less than a penny: Kroger’s profit secret

$147.6 billion in sales.

What happened to 561 Express stores?

Where did Express's 561 stores go?

How Much Beef Costs Now vs 1990

Ground beef cost $1.59 in 1990.

Why Did Candy Prices Rise Less Than Cocoa?

Why didn't candy double?

How Much Does a $100 Bill Cost?

A $100 bill costs 11.3 cents to print.

How Disney Plans to Save 20% Without Layoffs

Disney told some managers to find 20% in savings. Why not just trim?

Why a sushi chain paid $3.2 million for one tuna

This tuna cost three point two million dollars. And they're selling it at regular sushi prices.

Is my tax fee fair? 280 vs 40/hour

$280 for taxes? Maybe not.

Why Cocoa Dropped 45% But Candy Prices Rose 7.7%

Cocoa's down 45%. Your candy isn't.

How Much Do AMC Snacks Actually Cost?

Snacks cost AMC 20 cents.

Why RAM Jumped from $120 to $625

One tracker's average price for a 32GB DDR5 kit went from about $120 in mid-2025 to about $625…

Coca-Cola's Plan to Sell You Nothing (1 in 9 Times)

Coke once had a plan to sell you nothing for a nickel.