The life of Richard Jacobs inspired the name of the podcast series now trying to make sense of it. Since debuting in August, “How to Destroy Everything” has chronicled the personal journey of Jacobs’ son, Danny Jacobs, as he traces his father’s often bizarre actions to their consequences.
Richard Jacobs died in 2015. The podcast calls him "a narcissist who destroyed a childhood, a marriage, a family and a community."
St. Louis plays a central role in the series. The podcast spends multiple episodes on Danny Jacobs’ childhood home in St. Louis County that his father dubbed “The Royal Manor.” It explores the ways Richard Jacobs used his talents to stalk, sabotage and harass his perceived enemies.
“The Royal Manor, it was my dad's fiefdom,” Danny Jacobs said. “It was the place in which he had 100% control. I think a lot of the times when he was out in the world, he would have a lot of these struggles with people and the outside forces of humanity — because he was trying to exert his control in a place that wouldn't fully accept it. But within the confines of his house, there was nobody to push back.”
Danny Jacobs and the podcast’s co-creator, Darren Grodsky, joined St. Louis on the Air to discuss the ongoing season of “How to Destroy Everything,” its resonance with fans and the duo’s recent return to St. Louis.
To hear the full conversation with Danny Jacobs and Darren Grodsky, including a peek into Grosky’s recent visit to the Royal Manor, listen to St. Louis on the Air on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or YouTube, or click the play button below.
“St. Louis on the Air” brings you the stories of St. Louis and the people who live, work and create in our region. The show is produced by Miya Norfleet, Emily Woodbury, Danny Wicentowski, Elaine Cha and Alex Heuer. Jada Jones is our production assistant. The audio engineer is Aaron Doerr. Send questions and comments about this story to talk@stlpr.org.
