It seems like in Silicon Valley is starting a SPAC. Reid Hoffman, Peter Thiel, Kevin Hartz, Chamath Palihapitiya, maybe even your roommate. Reporters Cory Weinberg and Ross Matican trace the origins of the SPAC surge. We explain why these special-purpose acquisition companies have become so popular, some of the regulatory history, and what some of the downsides are.  In this episode, we talked to: George Arison, co-CEO of Shift Technologies Milos Vulanovic, associate of corporate finance at EDHEC Business School Thomas Hennessy, co-CEO and president of PropTech Acquisition Corporation Jay Heller, head of capital markets & IPO expansion at Nasdaq Further reading: The Information's SPAC Target List What Private Tech Firms Should Watch Out For in SPACs Opendoor, in Announcing SPAC, Opens Up About Losses ChargePoint to Go Public in $2.4 Billion SPAC Deal