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. Our brand new season starts with Beyonc茅.
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. Our brand new season starts with Beyonc茅.
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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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
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Encore - Taylor Swift: Swiftonomics
Mon 3 Feb 2025
A brief update after Taylor Swift's Eras tour ended, and another chance to hear her story
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Peter Thiel: Paypal mafioso
Mon 25 Nov 2024
How Peter Thiel made his fortune from huge tech companies then renounced Silicon Valley
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Doris Fisher: Don鈥檛 mind The Gap
Mon 18 Nov 2024
How American businesswoman Doris Fisher and her husband founded a clothing empire
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Carlos Slim Hel煤: Telecom titan
Mon 11 Nov 2024
Mexican telecom company boss Carlos Slim Hel煤 was once the richest person on Earth
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Roman Abramovich: Premier League oligarch
Mon 4 Nov 2024
How Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich got rich, then got sanctioned
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Mukesh Ambani: Asia鈥檚 richest person
Mon 28 Oct 2024
How Indian multinational conglomerate boss Mukesh Ambani built Asia's biggest fortune
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Patrice Motsepe: Mining magnate
Mon 21 Oct 2024
How Patrice Motsepe became the first black billionaire in post-apartheid South Africa
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Jack Ma: China's ecommerce CEO
Mon 14 Oct 2024
How Jack Ma brought ecommerce to China by creating online mega-platform Alibaba
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Yvon Chouinard: A $3 billion giveaway
Mon 7 Oct 2024
The founder of sporting apparel firm Patagonia made billions - then gave it all away
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Whitney Wolfe Herd: Dating app entrepreneur
Mon 30 Sep 2024
How the woman who founded dating apps Bumble and Tinder was briefly a billionaire
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Aliko Dangote: Africa鈥檚 richest person
Mon 23 Sep 2024
Aliko Dangote started a cement business, and went on to become Africa鈥檚 richest person
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Sam Altman: ChatGPT and the AI revolution
Mon 16 Sep 2024
Sam Altman made a billion investing in tech start-ups, but made his name through AI
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Zhang Yiming: TikTok鈥檚 tech boss
Mon 9 Sep 2024
How Chinese tech company ByteDance became a multi-billiondollar social media business
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Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw: Beer, brewing and biotech
Mon 2 Sep 2024
How India鈥檚 first female self-made billionaire built a pharmaceutical empire