What does it take for a lifelong nuclear skeptic to become the CFO of a nuclear company?
Keith Zakheim talks with X-energy CFO Daniel Gross about nuclear energy's shift from niche to mainstream infrastructure investment. A self-described former nuclear skeptic, Gross explains the safety science behind advanced reactors, his path through GE Capital, Goldman Sachs, and Amazon's Climate Pledge Fund, and what it will take to make nuclear as routine to finance as wind and solar. Holding up X-energy's ceramic pebble, he says, "good luck trying to get plutonium out of that." What can decades of financing wind and solar teach nuclear now? For energy and real estate audiences, this conversation gets specific about risk and safety.
Daniel Gross is Chief Financial Officer of X-energy, an advanced nuclear reactor company based in Maryland. His career in energy finance spans three decades, beginning at GE Capital's energy financial services business, followed by private equity and venture capital investing at Goldman Sachs' Special Situations Group. In 2021, Gross joined Amazon to co-head the Climate Pledge Fund, leading Amazon's investment in X-energy before becoming its CFO in late 2025. A longtime professor of clean energy finance, Gross holds degrees from Yale's School of Management and School of the Environment.
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About the show:
The Age of Adoption podcast explores the monumental transition from a period of social, economic, and environmental research and exploration – an Age of Innovation – to today's world in which companies across the economy are furiously deploying sustainable solutions – the Age of Adoption. Listen as our host, Keith Zakheim, CEO of Antenna Group, talks with experts from across the climate, energy, health, and real estate sectors to discuss what the transition means for business and society, and how corporates and startups can rise above competitors to lead in this new age.
This podcast is brought to you by Antenna Group, a global marketing and communications agency that partners with Fully Conscious brands — those with the courage to lead transformative change across Climate & Energy, Real Estate, Health, and beyond. Our clients include visionary corporations, startups, investors, and nonprofits who recognize that meaningful impact requires more than awareness; it demands bold action. In today's Age of Adoption, where every sector must incorporate sustainable solutions into foundational systems, we amplify brands standing at the forefront of change, shaping a better future for our planet and its people. To learn more, visit antennagroup.com.
Resources:
"Going Nuclear" by Tim Gregory — https://www.tim-gregory.co.uk/goingnuclear
Daniel Gross LinkedIn — https://www.linkedin.com/in/daniel-gross-081237b/
Antenna Group
Keith Zakheim LinkedIn
