Rogue AI Agents, Off-Balance-Sheet AI Financing & Xerocon 2026

AI agents are going rogue — deleting bookings, sending unauthorized emails, and lying about it — and Blake and David trace the trend into the $3 trillion of off-balance-sheet AI commitments hiding in Big Tech's footnotes (and why accountants will get blamed when the bubble pops). They also recap what stood out at XeroCon 2026. Then Hoover Institution fellow Ben Jaros runs the real numbers on California's Prop 40 billionaire wealth tax — why the $100 billion estimate is closer to $40 billion, and whether taxing 200 people is even constitutional.


Chapters
  • (00:00) - Welcome to The Accounting Podcast
  • (03:00) - Rogue AI Agents Gone Wild
  • (07:53) - Controlling Agent Permissions
  • (12:08) - Microsoft AI Receivables Surge
  • (14:49) - Three Trillion Off Book Commitments
  • (17:09) - Meta Hyperion Lease Loopholes
  • (21:33) - Bubble Risk and Circular Financing
  • (28:24) - XeroCon Highlights and AI Agents
  • (32:21) - Bank Reconciliation and Roadmap Gripes
  • (34:10) - Conference Vaporware Rant
  • (34:37) - Billionaire Tax Preview
  • (36:33) - Prop 40 Basics
  • (38:40) - Revenue Reality Check
  • (42:44) - Residency Cutoff Drama
  • (45:01) - Wealth Tax vs Income Tax
  • (45:52) - One Time Or Not
  • (46:34) - Healthcare Backfill Claims
  • (51:42) - Better Ways To Tax
  • (55:23) - Constitutional Challenges
  • (58:01) - Why Voters Oppose It
  • (01:02:09) - Trial Balloon And Wrap Up
 

Show Notes
Coming soon!

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Transcripts
The full transcript for this episode is available by clicking on the Transcript tab at the top of this page

Creators and Guests

David Leary
Host
David Leary
President and Founder, Sombrero Apps Company
Benjamin Jaros
Guest
Benjamin Jaros
Economist and Research Fellow at Hoover Institute
Rogue AI Agents, Off-Balance-Sheet AI Financing & Xerocon 2026
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