Good Bad Billionaire Podcast
How did the richest people make their billions? New eps include: Khaby Lame, MrBeast and Gautam Adani.
Let us know if you think they're good, bad or just another billionaire.
How did the richest people on the planet make their billions? New episodes include: Khaby Lame, MrBeast, Cristiano Ronaldo, Sheryl Sandberg and Gautam Adani.
Make up your minds whether you think they are good, bad or just another billionaire.
In each episode, 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 Elon Musk, Kim Kardashian, Tyler Perry and Oprah Winfrey.
New season: From singing superstar Beyonc茅, to footballing legend Cristiano Ronaldo, Simon and Zing will 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 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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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
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Howard Hughes: Eccentric aviator
Mon 14 Jul 2025
The original weird billionaire, Howard Hughes went from playboy to paranoid recluse
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Henry Ford: Putting the world on wheels
Mon 7 Jul 2025
Henry Ford revolutionised American life by making mass-produced cars affordable to all
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John D Rockefeller: The first billionaire
Mon 7 Jul 2025
John D Rockefeller believed God wanted him to get rich 鈥� so he obliged
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Coming soon: Good Bad Dead Billionaire
Mon 23 Jun 2025
A new season with a difference: Famous dead billionaires and how they made their money
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Eike Batista: Golden grifter
Mon 26 May 2025
Mining magnate Eike Batista was Brazil鈥檚 richest man, but corruption led to his downfall
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LeBron James: King of the court
Mon 19 May 2025
LeBron James is the first active NBA basketball player to become a billionaire
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Masayoshi Son: High-tech gambler
Mon 12 May 2025
Investor Masayoshi Son became notorious for making huge bets on technology companies
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Strive Masiyiwa: Connecting a continent
Mon 5 May 2025
Telecoms magnate Strive Masiyiwa escaped kidnap to become Zimbabwe鈥檚 first billionaire
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Ike Perlmutter: Marvel鈥檚 empire builder
Mon 28 Apr 2025
Ike Perlmutter, the CEO who reinvented Marvel
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Selena Gomez: Actress, singer, beauty mogul
Mon 21 Apr 2025
How Disney star Selena Gomez became a billionaire beauty entrepreneur
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Orlando Bravo: Tech dealmaker
Mon 14 Apr 2025
Orlando Bravo failed to become a tennis pro, but private equity made him a billionaire
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Vince McMahon: Wrestling's ringmaster
Mon 7 Apr 2025
Vince McMahon turned professional wrestling into a global phenomenon
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Markus Persson: Minecraft maker
Mon 31 Mar 2025
How did Markus Persson create Minecraft, the most successful computer game ever?
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John de Mol: Big Brother鈥檚 daddy
Mon 31 Mar 2025
By reinventing reality TV, John de Mol made television history and a billion dollars
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Sir James Dyson: Sucking up the cash
Mon 24 Mar 2025
How a blocked vacuum cleaner led to a billion-dollar idea for inventor James Dyson
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Martha Stewart: The original lifestyle influencer
Mon 17 Mar 2025
Martha Stewart, the homemaker who sold perfection to America
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Encore - Chuck Feeney: All duty
Mon 17 Feb 2025
Revisiting the story of Chuck Feeney, a billionaire who gave it all away
