What Went Wrong With California's High-Speed Rail?

Dan Gardner is the coauthor of "How Big Things Get Done," which explores why so many billion-dollar projects, from nuclear power plants to Olympic Games, go wrong and how the rare few succeed. Drawing on data from over 16,000 megaprojects, Gardner and his coauthor Bent Flyvbjerg reveal the startling truth: Only 0.5% of big projects are delivered on time, on budget, and with the promised results. Business Insider interviewed Dan Gardner to learn about some of the world's most high-profile projects, like the Sydney Opera House, which soared 1,400% over budget, and the troubled California High-Speed Rail, which is expected to cost over $100 billion and hasn't moved any passengers yet. He also spotlights the rare successes, like the Empire State Building and the Hoover Dam, to show what’s possible when projects are built on smart planning, strong leadership, and modular thinking. 00:00 - Intro 00:49 - Olympics 03:34 - California High-Speed Rail 06:20 - The World’s Biggest Tunnel Machine 07:30 - Sydney Opera House 10:00 - Nuclear VS. Solar 12:34 - Empire State Building 15:04 - Hoover Dam 16:55 - Guggenheim Bilbao 18:54 - Uniqueness Bias 20:21 - End Credits #infrastructure #construction #bigbusiness MORE BIG BUSINESS VIDEOS: How One Tiny Country Rivals American Farming    • How One Tiny Country Rivals American Farming   Meet The Teacher Who Wakes Up At 3:30 AM For His Labubu Business    • Meet The Teacher Who Wakes Up At 3:30 AM F...   The Rise And Fall Of The American Diner    • The Rise And Fall Of The American Diner   Business Insider tells you all you need to know about business, finance, tech, retail, and more. Visit our homepage for the top stories of the day: https://www.businessinsider.com Business Insider on Facebook:   / businessinsider   Business Insider on Instagram:   / businessinsider   Business Insider on Twitter:   / businessinsider   Business Insider on Snapchat:   / 5319643143   Business Insider on TikTok:   / businessinsider   Why 99.5% Of Big Projects Fail | Big Business | Business Insider