Good Bad Billionaire
How did the richest people on the planet make their billions? From Selena Gomez to Jeff Bezos, and now we find out about five dead billionaires. Meet pioneers who helped build the United States of America: the world’s first billionaire John D Rockefeller, motor magnate Henry Ford, the aviator and filmmaker Howard Hughes, Walmart founder Sam Walton, and Hetty Green - once dubbed “The Witch of Wall Street”. These iconic billionaires may be long dead, but their fingerprints are all over modern industry - in business trusts, IPOs, and mass production. They did it all first, but how did they make their billions?
Good Bad Billionaire is the podcast that analyses the minds, motives and money of some of the world's wealthiest individuals. Simon and Zing explore the lives of the super-rich and famous, tracking their wealth, philanthropy, business ethics and success. From iconic celebrities and secretive CEOs to sporting legends and titans of technology, Simon and Zing find out how they made their money, and then it’s over to you to decide whether they’re good, bad, or just another billionaire.
Ever wondered how Taylor Swift went from country singer to money-spinner? How Amazon boss Jeff Bezos came to launch one of the biggest corporations of the internet age? And how six-time NBA champion Michael Jordan made his fortune with Nike? 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 “original lifestyle influencer” became one of the most successful women in business. We explore the life of British inventor James Dyson and learn about some of the big names behind Minecraft, Marvel, WWE and the ultimate reality TV show – Big Brother.
Join us on a global journey, discovering all we can about some of the richest people on the planet. In the United States, there are leaders who made their money in Silicon Valley, on Wall Street and in high street fashion. Hear about billionaires in Russia, China, New Zealand, India, Nigeria and the UK. Exploring the lives of Oprah Winfrey, Bill Gates, Rupert Murdoch, El Chapo, Narayana Murthy and Kim Kardashian, this podcast paints a vivid picture of business, entrepreneurship, capitalism and how our world really works.
Discover how the likes of Jerry Seinfeld, Peter Jackson, Doris Fisher and George Soros came to join the billionaires' club. Learn how Tiger Woods went from a child golfing prodigy to the world’s highest paid athlete, how a communist mime artist became the boss of fashion house Prada and how Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich came to buy an English football club. Find out how Mukesh Ambani became Asia’s richest person, and how Patrice Motsepe became the first black billionaire in a post-apartheid South Africa. Plus, we examine some of the biggest names behind the technology shaping our world – the founders of TikTok, Google, ChatGPT, Alibaba and Bumble.
But it's not just how these billionaires made their money; it's what they did with it next. Ultimately, Simon and Zing will help you decide whether they’re a force for good, bad, or somewhere in between. Join Simon Jack, the business editor for BBC News, and journalist and author Zing Tsjeng as this podcast unravels tales of fortune, power, economics, ambition and moral responsibility, ultimately inviting you to make up your own mind: are they good, bad, or just another billionaire?
We’d love to hear your feedback. Email [email protected] 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
- Update frequency
- every 7 days
- Average duration
- 44 minutes
- Episodes
- 70
- Years Active
- 2023 - 2025
Tiger Woods: Golf’s ‘golden boy’
Golfing superstardom made him incredibly rich. Personal disasters nearly took it all away. How did Tiger Woods go from a child golfing prodigy to the world’s highest paid athlete for a whole decade? …
Mark Zuckerberg: Move fast and get rich
How one social media site birthed an empire. The story of Mark Zuckerberg and Facebook.
BBC business editor Simon Jack and journalist Zing Tsjeng take us from Zuckerberg's childhood to joining the bil…
Sir Richard Branson: Sky's the limit
From The Exorcist to 400 companies: how music sent Virgin entrepreneur Richard Branson into space. He's an island owning adventurer, but he's incredibly shy. He's the record label owner who doesn't e…
Sir Jim Ratcliffe: Man U mogul
He's spent a billion on Manchester United, but how did Jim Ratcliffe become a billionaire?
BBC business editor Simon Jack and journalist Zing Tsjeng learn how the Premier League club's new co-owner go…
Bernie Ecclestone: Fast money
How Bernie Ecclestone won control of Formula One, and how it all came crashing down. BBC business editor Simon Jack and journalist Zing Tsjeng trace a unique rise and fall. From modest beginnings sel…
Gina Rinehart: The other Iron Lady
How mining magnate Gina Rinehart amassed a $30 billion fortune to become Australia's richest person, but also earned a reputation for being highly litigious.
BBC business editor Simon Jack and journal…
Charles Koch: Dark money’s slick operator
How oilman Charles Koch turned black gold into dark money. BBC business editor Simon Jack and journalist Zing Tsjeng investigate the feuding family that has shaped US politics for decades. The Koch f…
Taylor Swift: Swiftonomics
Journalist Zing Tsjeng and BBC business editor Simon Jack uncover the huge public feuds and private legal battles that made the most famous woman in the world. She can change the economy, but is Tayl…
Warren Buffett: The oracle of Omaha
How Warren Buffett became the richest investor in history, amassing a fortune of over $120 billion, without moving from the Nebraska home he bought in 1958.
BBC business editor Simon Jack and journali…
NR Narayana Murthy: India's IT innovator
How NR Narayana Murthy, now known as the father-in-law of UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, first became known as the father of India's IT boom.
Journalist Zing Tsjeng and BBC business editor Simon Jack …
Rupert Murdoch: The Succession prequel
How Rupert Murdoch inherited an Australian newspaper and turned it into a global media empire. BBC business editor Simon Jack and journalist Zing Tsjeng tell the origin story of the 92-year-old media…
El Chapo: Cocaine kingpin
The story of Mexican drug lord Joaquín Archivaldo Guzmán Loera, better known as El Chapo, the leader of one of the world’s most prolific, violent and powerful drug cartels.
BBC business editor Simon J…
Jay-Z: A business, man
How hip-hop’s first billionaire went from grams to Grammys. Journalist Zing Tsjeng and BBC business editor Simon Jack chart Jay-Z's meteoric rise from drug dealing in the projects to sipping champagn…
Michael Bloomberg: Market master
How did being fired from Wall Street lead Michael Bloomberg to a $96 billion fortune and a failed presidential campaign? Journalist Zing Tsjeng and BBC business editor Simon Jack try to understand th…
Patrick Soon-Shiong: Cures for cash
Why was biotech billionaire Patrick Soon-Shiong sued by his brother... and Cher? BBC business editor Simon Jack and journalist Zing Tsjeng trace his journey from apartheid South Africa to the upper e…
Bill Gates: Software hardman
Microsoft boss Bill Gates spent more than a decade as the richest person in the world, after becoming the youngest self-made billionaire in history.
Journalist Zing Tsjeng and BBC business editor Simo…
Sam Bankman-Fried with Michael Lewis
The spectacular rise and incredible fall of crypto empire FTX and its unconventional founder, Sam Bankman-Fried - a billionaire wannabe philanthropist now facing decades behind bars.
Journalist Zing T…
Denise Coates: Ultimate gambler
How did an accountant from Stoke-on-Trent gamble it all to become the world's highest paid woman? Denise Coates founded online betting company Bet365 and soon became a billionaire. BBC business edito…
Michael Jordan: Most valuable player
How did basketball's biggest superstar become the world's first athlete billionaire? Michael Jordan turned his prodigious talent on the court into a money-making machine.
Journalist Zing Tsjeng and BB…
Kim Kardashian: Breaking the internet
How does the subject of a leaked sex tape become a billionaire business mogul? Journalist Zing Tsjeng and BBC business editor Simon Jack find out how Kim Kardashian leveraged her fame and sold her pr…