A newly launched website is drawing national attention after claiming to have identified and published the private music playlists of high-profile political leaders, tech executives and journalists.
The site, Panama Playlists, quietly went live Wednesday.
It presents what it says is a compilation of music listening activity from a wide array of public figures, including Vice President JD Vance, House Speaker Mike Johnson, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis and White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt.
The anonymous individual behind the site claims they began gathering data in mid-2024.
“We’ve been scraping their accounts since summer 2024. Playlists, live listening feed, everything. I know what songs they played, when, and how many times,” they wrote.
The researcher said all information was collected from publicly available accounts and playlists on platforms like Spotify and Pandora, and emphasized that the project has no affiliation with Spotify or any other streaming company.
“I found the real Spotify accounts of celebrities, politicians, and journalists. Many use their real names. With a little sleuthing, I could say with near-certainty: yep, this is them,” the anonymous poster explained on the site.
In an interview with the New York Post, the site’s creator explained how they confirmed the identities of the users behind each account.
One example involved Bondi.
“Her longtime partner is John Wakefield, and her profile has an old playlist called ‘john’ and an old shared playlist with a user named ‘John Wakefield,’ so that gives me a lot of confidence it is her account,” they said.
Another example was Leavitt.
“Karoline Leavitt’s profile has a playlist called ‘Baby Shower,’ and she had a baby a month after the playlist was made,” the researcher added.
The site’s name, Panama Playlists, is a reference to the Panama Papers, the famous 2016 leak that exposed offshore financial holdings.
“Heard of the Panama Papers? That exposed offshore bank accounts. This is about onshore vibes,” the website declares.
Vance appears on multiple playlists tied to his verified account.
Among his favorites is a playlist titled “Making Dinner,” which includes nostalgic hits such as “I Want It That Way” by the Backstreet Boys and Justin Bieber’s “One Time.”
Another playlist under his name, called “Gold On The Ceiling,” reveals a more alternative taste.
It includes songs like “Fade Into You” by Mazzy Star, “Pepper” by Butthole Surfers, “Signs” by Tesla, and “Take a Walk” by Passion Pit.
Several tracks by the early-2000s band Death Cab for Cutie also appear in Vance’s playlists, suggesting a strong preference for pop-punk and indie rock.
DeSantis’s playlist displays a distinct loyalty to American classic rock and country.
His selections include “Ring of Fire” by Johnny Cash, Glen Campbell’s “Southern Nights,” and “The Devil Went Down to Georgia” by The Charlie Daniels Band.
Johnson’s listening preferences appear to include orchestral and soft rock genres.
On his Pandora account, he liked the song “Parachutes” from the film Air Force One and the “Finding Nemo/Nemo Egg” theme by the City of Prague Philharmonic Orchestra.
Other tracks include Bryan Adams’ “One Night Love Affair” and “May It Be” by Enya.
Leavitt’s playlists show a preference for upbeat and female-empowerment anthems.
Her “Baby Shower” playlist features Beyoncé’s “Run the World (Girls)” and “Girls Just Want to Have Fun” by Cyndi Lauper.
Bondi’s playlist titled “Pam” includes Nelly’s 2002 hit “Hot In Herre,” “Hands to Myself” by Selena Gomez, and “Fix My Eyes” by Christian pop duo For King & Country.
Tech executive Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, has a playlist labeled “My Shazam Tracks,” which indicates songs he likely searched for using the Shazam app.
The songs include “Get Ur Freak On” by Missy Elliott, Adele’s “Make Me Feel Your Love,” and “Vivir Mi Vida” by Marc Anthony.
Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong’s playlist “Repeat” reveals an obsession with the track “Long Way Home” by Gareth Emery, which appears on his profile 60 times.
Social media personality and journalist Taylor Lorenz has several public playlists.
One is titled “Older Millennial College Rager TBT,” while another is labeled “Breakup Songs.” Her “Favs” playlist features “Romeo and Juliet” by Dire Straits and “You Can Get It If You Really Want” by Jimmy Cliff.
Sam Bankman-Fried, the former FTX executive convicted of fraud, also has public playlists under his name.
They are titled “rap,” “soft,” and “loud.” These include tracks from Eminem, Khalid’s “Young Dumb & Broke,” and selections by Death Cab for Cutie.
Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-MI) has a playlist titled “In love” associated with a profile bearing her name. It includes Ed Sheeran’s song “I’m a Mess.”
The Panama Playlists site currently remains active and publicly accessible.
It continues to gather updates and add data as more listening activity is logged.
The Post reported that although the creator insists the project is built on public information and is intended for entertainment, the release has stirred conversation about digital privacy and the personal habits of public figures.
No legal complaints or statements from Spotify or the individuals mentioned have been reported as of now.
