Discovery Bank CEO Hylton Kallner's shares his holiday reading list

Stephen Grootes sits down with Discovery Bank CEO Hylton Kallner to discuss his holiday reading list.

Listen to the interview in the audio player below.

Every year, Hyton Kallner curates a reading list that reflects the major themes shaping South Africa, the world and the business environment.

Given the rapid rise of AI, it’s no surprise that his holiday selection this year features more technology, finance and modern leadership.

Here's Hylton Kallner's holiday read suggestions.

Money: A Story of Humanity – David McWilliams

A sweeping, witty tour through 5,000 years of monetary evolution. McWilliams makes economics human, weaving history, philosophy, and anecdotes into a lively narrative. A rare mix of rigor and readability – and essential reading for aspiring bankers and those aspiring to define the future of finance based on a clear understanding of the past i.e. everyone in Discovery Bank.

Unlocked – Eben Etzebeth

Raw, honest, and fiercely proud. Etzebeth’s memoir is a bruising blend of grit and glory, charting his rise from Goodwood streets to rugby immortality.

Unlocked includes all of the locker-room insights that you’d expect from SA’s most apped warrior. The perfect read for every Bok fan over the holidays.

The Art of Uncertainty – David Spiegelhalter

A lucid guide to living with unpredictability. Spiegelhalter blends stats, philosophy, and humor to demystify risk. Not just for actuaries, this is the perfect book to settle in with under a beach umbrella for its invaluable insights on probability and decision-making in a chaotic world.

The Optimist – Keach Hagey

One of our values at Discovery is Innovation & Optimism so The Optimist immediately resonated. It’s a riveting portrait of Sam Altman—the man behind OpenAI and the AI revolution. Hagey’s reporting is deep and dramatic to deliver a tech biography that doubles as a cautionary tale about ambition and power.

Strong Ground – Brené Brown

Brown returns with a manifesto for resilient leadership.

Warm, research-driven, and heavy on reflection, Strong Ground will inspire leadersseeking depth over quick fixes. Precisely what every authentic leader will be seeking to navigate the volatile world in which we’re operating.

Source Code: My Beginnings – Bill Gates
Candid and very personal. Gates strips away the perception of a ruthless entrepreneur to reveal a shy, obsessive student who rewired the world. Rich in detail and historical context, this will appeal to everybody fascinated by the origins of the modern age of technology.

1929 – Andrew Ross Sorkin
A gripping chronicle of the hubris which characterised the 1929 Wall Street collapse. Sorkin turns the Wall Street crash into a real-life drama. Given the current market valuation parallels, the insights and reflections of 1929 are vivid, urgent, and eerily relevant.

Winners’ Curse – Richard Thaler (2025 Version)
The original version of Richard Thaler's Nobel prizewinning work is still one of my favourites. This fully updated version is behavioral economics at its cheekiest—smart, witty, and a gentle nudge reminding us why rationality is overrated.

Dirtbag Billionaire – David Gelle
A lifetime guarantee is a rare commitment to quality in a world of fast fashion - and Patagonia is one of my personal favourite brands. This is the back-story of retail capitalism with a cause - and with an obsessive focus on quality.

John & Paul: A Love Story in Songs – Ian Leslie
This brilliantly researched bestseller tells the story of the friendship between John Lennon and Paul McCartney - a friendship which changed more than just musical history, it changed the world. Uniquely, each of the 43 chapters is named after a Beatles title, largely in chronological order, which will get any fan smiling and singing the songs as you read along.

5 Types of Wealth – Sahil Bloom
Having had the privilege of listening to Sahil speak about what it is truly important, there are several parallels with our purpose at Discovery, particularly the importance of health and time. A great read for anybody seeking to prioritise what is important versus urgent.

Scroll to the top of the article to listen to the full interview.