Good Bad Billionaire Podcast
How did the richest people make their billions? New episodes include: Beyonc茅 and Steven Spielberg.
Let us know 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 Good Bad Billionaire.
New episodes include: Beyonc茅 and Steven Spielberg.
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
-
George Soros: 'The man who broke the Bank of England'
Mon 26 Aug 2024
A hedge fund tycoon who became one of the most successful investors ever
-
Jerry Seinfeld: The world鈥檚 richest comedian
Mon 19 Aug 2024
How a hit sitcom made a New York stand-up the richest comedian in history
-
Peter Jackson: Lord of the Films
Mon 12 Aug 2024
A blockbuster tale: How the Lord of the Rings director became a billionaire
-
Miuccia Prada: 鈥楿gly fashion鈥
Mon 5 Aug 2024
How a communist mime artist became the boss of one of the world鈥檚 biggest fashion houses
-
Sergey Brin: Googling billions
Mon 29 Jul 2024
By founding Google, Sergey Brin helped shape the internet. He also got very, very rich
-
Tiger Woods: Golf鈥檚 鈥榞olden boy鈥
Mon 29 Jul 2024
Golfing superstardom made Tiger Woods rich. Personal disasters nearly took it all away
-
Mark Zuckerberg: Move fast and get rich
Tue 26 Mar 2024
How one social media site birthed an empire. The story of Mark Zuckerberg and Facebook.
-
Sir Richard Branson: Sky's the limit
Tue 19 Mar 2024
From The Exorcist to 400 companies: How music sent Sir Richard Branson into space
-
Sir Jim Ratcliffe: Man U mogul
Tue 12 Mar 2024
He's spent big on Manchester United, but how did Sir Jim Ratcliffe become a billionaire?
-
Bernie Ecclestone: Fast money
Tue 5 Mar 2024
How Bernie Ecclestone won control of Formula One, and how it all came crashing down
-
Gina Rinehart: The other Iron Lady
Tue 27 Feb 2024
How Gina Rinehart amassed a $30 billion fortune to become Australia's richest person
-
Charles Koch: Dark money鈥檚 slick operator
Tue 20 Feb 2024
How oilman Charles Koch and his feuding family turned black gold into dark money
-
Taylor Swift: Swiftonomics
Tue 13 Feb 2024
From country songs to private legal battles, how Taylor Swift became a billionaire
-
Warren Buffett: The oracle of Omaha
Tue 6 Feb 2024
How Warren Buffett became the richest investor ever after buying his first shares at 11
-
NR Narayana Murthy: India's IT innovator
Tue 30 Jan 2024
The father of India's IT boom, and the father-in-law of UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak
-
Rupert Murdoch: The Succession prequel
Tue 23 Jan 2024
How Rupert Murdoch turned a failing Australian newspaper into a global media empire.
-
El Chapo: Cocaine kingpin
Tue 16 Jan 2024
The story of Mexican drug lord Joaqu铆n Archivaldo Guzm谩n Loera, better known as El Chapo
-
Jay-Z: A business, man
Tue 9 Jan 2024
How hip-hop鈥檚 first billionaire, Jay-Z, went from dealing grams to winning Grammys
-
Michael Bloomberg: Market master
Tue 12 Dec 2023
How did being fired from Wall Street lead Michael Bloomberg to a $96 billion fortune?
-
Patrick Soon-Shiong: Cures for cash
Tue 5 Dec 2023
Why was biotech billionaire Patrick Soon-Shiong sued by his brother... and Cher?
-
Bill Gates: Software hardman
Tue 28 Nov 2023
Bill Gates was the richest person in the world for more than a decade
-
Sam Bankman-Fried with Michael Lewis
Tue 21 Nov 2023
The spectacular rise and fall of the FTX crypto empire, with special guest Michael Lewis.
-
Denise Coates: Ultimate gambler
Tue 14 Nov 2023
How Bet 365 boss Denise Coates gambled it all to become the world's highest paid woman
-
Michael Jordan: Most valuable player
Tue 7 Nov 2023
How basketball superstar Michael Jordan became the world's first billionaire athlete
-
Kim Kardashian: Breaking the internet
Tue 31 Oct 2023
From leaked sex tape to business mogul, how Kim Kardashian leveraged fame for money
-
Bernard Arnault: The wolf in cashmere
Tue 24 Oct 2023
French entrepreneur Bernard Arnault vies with Elon Musk to be the world's richest person
-
Viktor Bout: Merchant of death
Tue 17 Oct 2023
How Viktor Bout made billions selling weapons to just about anyone who wanted them
-
George Lucas: Box office billions
Tue 10 Oct 2023
How George Lucas became a billionaire filmmaker, despite directing just six movies
-
Oprah Winfrey: Queen of all media
Tue 3 Oct 2023
How Oprah became the richest African American of the 20th Century, and queen of all media
-
Chuck Feeney: All duty
Tue 26 Sep 2023
How Chuck Feeney built an empire selling duty free, then gave it all away to charity