Good Bad Billionaire Podcast
How did the richest people make their billions? Make up your minds whether you think they are good, bad or just another billionaire.
How did the richest people on the planet make their billions? Find out with the Good Bad Billionaire podcast, and then have your say about whether you think they are good, bad or just another billionaire.
Latest episodes: Toto Wolff, Elizabeth Holmes and Elon Musk.
In each episode of Good Bad Billionaire, 麻豆社 Business Editor Simon Jack and journalist and author Zing Tsjeng analyse the lives of the super-rich, and try to understand what motivates billionaires like Kim Kardashian, Tyler Perry and Oprah Winfrey.
From singing superstar Beyonc茅, to footballing legend Cristiano Ronaldo, Simon and Zing rate their wealth, power, legacy and associated controversies, putting them to the test with a playful, totally unscientific scorecard. Then they hand the verdict over to you: are they good, bad, or simply billionaires?
Get in touch by email and let us know what you think! The contact details are at the end of these show notes.
Ever wondered how Taylor Swift went from country singer to money-spinner? How tennis ace Roger Federer turned sporting prowess into amazing business opportunities? Or how Mr Beast and Khaby Lame became some of the wealthiest people on the planet by posting on YouTube and TikTok? Trawl through the archives to find out how Selena Gomez went from a child Disney star to a mega-magnate of makeup, and how Martha Stewart, the 鈥渙riginal lifestyle influencer鈥, became one of the most successful women in business.
We explore the life of British inventor Sir James Dyson, and learn about some of the big names behind Snapchat, Minecraft, Marvel, ChatGPT, Google and Amazon, which shape the world we live in today.
In a special season, we have also told the stories of the pioneers who helped build the United States of America: the world鈥檚 first billionaire John D Rockefeller, motor magnate Henry Ford, the aviator and filmmaker Howard Hughes, Walmart founder Sam Walton, and Hetty Green - once dubbed 鈥淭he Witch of Wall Street鈥.
It's not just how billionaires made their money; it's what they did with it next.
So, what do you think? Make up your own mind. Are they good, bad, or just another billionaire? Let us know your thoughts, and we may include your comments and suggestions in a future episode. If you do not wish for your comments, first name or location of comment to be read out, please say that in your email or message, or mark it confidential.
Email goodbadbillionaire@bbc.com or drop us a text or WhatsApp to +1 (917) 686-1176.
To find out more about the show and read our privacy notice, visit www.bbcworldservice.com/goodbadbillionaire
Episodes to download
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The Lee family (from Inheritance: Samsung): Part three
Wed 29 Apr 2026
Simon and Zing bring you the third episode of Inheritance: Samsung
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The Lee family (from Inheritance: Samsung): Part two
Wed 29 Apr 2026
The second episode of Inheritance: Samsung sees the company grow into a global tech giant
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The Lee family (from Inheritance: Samsung): Part one
Wed 29 Apr 2026
Simon and Zing introduce the first episode of a brand-new podcast - Inheritance: Samsung
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Toto Wolff: Mercedes's billion-dollar F1 boss
Mon 2 Mar 2026
How Toto Wolff became the most successful boss in Formula One
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Ronnie Screwvala: The cable guy
Mon 23 Feb 2026
How Ronnie Screwvala changed the viewing habits of India
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Larry Ellison: Winning the database wars
Mon 16 Feb 2026
Larry Ellison is one of Silicon Valley鈥檚 most combative and controversial billionaires
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Elizabeth Holmes: From CEO to criminal
Mon 9 Feb 2026
Elizabeth Holmes's Silicon Valley dream became one of its biggest corporate scandals
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Peggy Cherng: Engineering a fast-food fortune
Mon 2 Feb 2026
How Peggy Cherng used engineering and orange chicken to create a fast-food empire
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Ben Francis: UK鈥檚 youngest billionaire
Mon 26 Jan 2026
How Gymshark's Ben Francis went from pizza delivery boy to the UK鈥檚 youngest billionaire
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Elon Musk: You decide!
Fri 23 Jan 2026
It鈥檚 time to hear what you, our listeners, think of Elon Musk
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Lucy Guo: The woman training AI
Mon 19 Jan 2026
How Lucy Guo went from college dropout to training the AI you use today
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David Geffen: The Hollywood power broker
Mon 12 Jan 2026
How David Geffen, the man behind your favourite music and movies, conquered Hollywood
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Sara Blakely: Shaping the world with Spanx
Mon 5 Jan 2026
How Spanx reshaped celebrity style and made Sara Blakely a billionaire
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Guy Lalibert茅: Cirque du Soleil鈥檚 clown turned CEO
Mon 5 Jan 2026
How Guy Lalibert茅 reinvented the greatest show on earth
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Elon Musk: Money, memes and Mars
Mon 1 Dec 2025
How Elon Musk became the richest person on the planet
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Luciano Benetton: Famous fashion to cultural controversy
Mon 24 Nov 2025
How fashion and controversy fuelled the rise of Luciano Benetton
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Tyler Perry: Homeless to Hollywood entrepreneur
Mon 17 Nov 2025
How Tyler Perry went from living in his car to becoming a Hollywood mogul
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Lakshmi Mittal: King of steel
Mon 10 Nov 2025
How Lakshmi Mittal built a steel empire and reshaped an entire industry
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Michael O鈥橪eary: Ryanair鈥檚 cost-cutting king
Mon 3 Nov 2025
How Michael O鈥橪eary turned Ryanair into the largest airline in Europe by cutting costs
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Diane Hendricks: Building a fortune
Mon 27 Oct 2025
From teen mom to roofing mogul: how Diane Hendricks built a $22 billion empire
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John Fredriksen: Tanker king
Mon 20 Oct 2025
Norwegian shipping magnate John Fredriksen owned the world鈥檚 largest fleet of oil tankers
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Evan Spiegel: Snapchat fratboy
Mon 13 Oct 2025
How disappearing messages app Snapchat made Evan Spiegel a billionaire at 25
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Tatyana Kim: Russia鈥檚 online retail queen
Mon 6 Oct 2025
How Tatyana Kim went from English teacher to head of Russian鈥檚 largest online retailer
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Arnold Schwarzenegger: Muscles, movies, money
Mon 6 Oct 2025
Arnold Schwarzenegger, from Mr Universe to cinematic superstar and billionaire investor
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Coming soon: More tales of the mega-rich
Fri 19 Sep 2025
The latest batch of billionaires includes film stars, tech bros and online retail giants
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Encore - Film Stories: George Lucas and Peter Jackson
Mon 8 Sep 2025
How film directors George Lucas and Peter Jackson went from zero to a billion
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The dead billionaires: What do you think?
Wed 27 Aug 2025
Your verdicts on Rockefeller, Ford, Hughes, Walton and Green
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Hetty Green: The 'witch' of Wall Street
Mon 28 Jul 2025
Hetty Green was America鈥檚 richest woman, but was renowned as the nation鈥檚 biggest miser
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Sam Walton: Walmart鈥檚 founder
Mon 21 Jul 2025
Sam Walton鈥檚 discount store Walmart is the largest retailer on Earth