# Derek Thompson

> Derek Thompson is an American journalist, author, and podcaster best known for co-writing the #1 New York Times bestseller Abundance with Ezra Klein and hosting the Plain English podcast on The Ringer. After 17 years as a staff writer at The Atlantic, he left in 2025 to write independently on Substack, focusing on housing, energy, technology, and the decline of in-person social life.

- **Role:** Independent writer on Substack; host of Plain English with Derek Thompson (The Ringer); contributing writer at The Atlantic
- **Organizations:** The Atlantic, The Ringer, Substack
- **From:** McLean, Virginia, United States
- **Nationality:** American
- **Education:** High school, The Potomac School, B.A., triple major in journalism, political science, and legal studies, Northwestern University
- **Known for:** Co-author of Abundance (2025), a #1 New York Times bestseller, Author of Hit Makers (2017), winner of the American Marketing Association's Leonard L. Berry Marketing Book Award for best marketing book of 2018, Wrote influential Atlantic cover stories including 'A World Without Work' and 'The Anti-Social Century'

## Career timeline

- **2009** — Joined The Atlantic as a writer
- **2017** — Published first book, Hit Makers: How to Succeed in an Age of Distraction
- **2018** — Launched and hosted the technology and science podcast Crazy/Genius
- **2021** — Launched weekly podcast Plain English on The Ringer Podcast Network
- **2023** — Published essay collection On Work: Money, Meaning, Identity
- **2025** — Co-authored Abundance with Ezra Klein, a #1 New York Times bestseller
- **2025** — Left full-time role at The Atlantic after 17 years to write independently on Substack

## Achievements

- Co-author of Abundance (2025), a #1 New York Times bestseller
- Author of Hit Makers (2017), winner of the American Marketing Association's Leonard L. Berry Marketing Book Award for best marketing book of 2018
- Wrote influential Atlantic cover stories including 'A World Without Work' and 'The Anti-Social Century'
- Plain English named to Time's 100 Best Podcasts
- Crazy/Genius nominated for an iHeartMedia Best Podcast Award in its first year

## Latest updates

- **2025-06** — Left The Atlantic after 17 years to write independently on Substack while remaining a contributing writer.
- **2025-03** — Published Abundance with Ezra Klein, a #1 New York Times bestseller.

## Links

- Website: https://www.derekthompson.org
- Twitter/X: https://x.com/DKThomp
- YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@PlainEnglishwithDerekThompson
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dkthomp/

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/derek-thompson
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-06-02