Good Bad Billionaire Podcast
How did the richest people on the planet 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 - now with a chance for you to have your say. Make up your minds whether you think they are good, bad or just another billionaire.
In each episode of Good Bad Billionaire, ѿý 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 and Oprah Winfrey.
From acting-giant turned politician Arnold Schwarzenegger, to Spanx-founder Sara Blakely, Simon and Zing rate their wealth, power, philanthropy and associated controversies, before asking you whether they are good, bad, or just another billionaire.
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 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 Sir James Dyson, and learn about some of the big names behind Snapchat, Minecraft, Marvel, ChatGPT, Google and Alibaba, 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’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”.
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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            Carlos Slim Helú: Telecom titan
Mon 11 Nov 2024
Mexican telecom company boss Carlos Slim Helú 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’s 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’s richest person
Mon 23 Sep 2024
Aliko Dangote started a cement business, and went on to become Africa’s 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’s 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’s first female self-made billionaire built a pharmaceutical empire
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            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
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            Jerry Seinfeld: The world’s richest comedian
Mon 19 Aug 2024
How a hit sitcom made a New York stand-up the richest comedian in history
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            Peter Jackson: Lord of the Films
Mon 12 Aug 2024
A blockbuster tale: How the Lord of the Rings director became a billionaire
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            Miuccia Prada: ‘Ugly fashion’
Mon 5 Aug 2024
How a communist mime artist became the boss of one of the world’s biggest fashion houses
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            Sergey Brin: Googling billions
Mon 29 Jul 2024
By founding Google, Sergey Brin helped shape the internet. He also got very, very rich
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            Tiger Woods: Golf’s ‘golden boy’
Mon 29 Jul 2024
Golfing superstardom made Tiger Woods rich. Personal disasters nearly took it all away
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            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.
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            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
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            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?
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            Bernie Ecclestone: Fast money
Tue 5 Mar 2024
How Bernie Ecclestone won control of Formula One, and how it all came crashing down
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            Gina Rinehart: The other Iron Lady
Tue 27 Feb 2024
How Gina Rinehart amassed a $30 billion fortune to become Australia's richest person
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            Charles Koch: Dark money’s slick operator
Tue 20 Feb 2024
How oilman Charles Koch and his feuding family turned black gold into dark money
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            Taylor Swift: Swiftonomics
Tue 13 Feb 2024
From country songs to private legal battles, how Taylor Swift became a billionaire
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            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
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            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
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            Rupert Murdoch: The Succession prequel
Tue 23 Jan 2024
How Rupert Murdoch turned a failing Australian newspaper into a global media empire.
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            El Chapo: Cocaine kingpin
Tue 16 Jan 2024
The story of Mexican drug lord Joaquín Archivaldo Guzmán Loera, better known as El Chapo
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            Jay-Z: A business, man
Tue 9 Jan 2024
How hip-hop’s first billionaire, Jay-Z, went from dealing grams to winning Grammys
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            Michael Bloomberg: Market master
Tue 12 Dec 2023
How did being fired from Wall Street lead Michael Bloomberg to a $96 billion fortune?