Good Bad Billionaire podcast

Good Bad 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. Latest episodes: Luciano Benetton and Elon Musk. In each episode of Good Bad Billionaire, BBC 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, 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 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

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. Latest episodes: Luciano Benetton and Elon Musk. In each episode of Good Bad Billionaire, BBC 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, 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 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

 

#81

Elon Musk: Money, memes and Mars

Elon Musk’s extraordinary rise, from a troubled childhood in apartheid-era South Africa to... more

08 Dec 2025

55 MINS

55:27

08 Dec 2025


#80

Luciano Benetton: Famous fashion to cultural controversy

Luciano Benetton rose from poverty in postwar Italy to found a chain of 7,000 high street ... more

01 Dec 2025

41 MINS

41:25

01 Dec 2025


#79

Tyler Perry: Homeless to Hollywood entrepreneur

From a childhood marked by abuse and trauma, Tyler Perry worked whatever jobs he could to ... more

24 Nov 2025

42 MINS

42:26

24 Nov 2025


#78

Lakshmi Mittal: King of steel

Lakshmi Mittal grew up in Kolkata, where he gained early experience in his father’s steel ... more

17 Nov 2025

44 MINS

44:31

17 Nov 2025


#77

Michael O’Leary: Ryanair’s cost-cutting king

How Michael O’Leary, the outspoken CEO of Ryanair, turned a struggling regional airline in... more

10 Nov 2025

48 MINS

48:55

10 Nov 2025


#76

Diane Hendricks: Building a fortune

Diane Hendricks rose from a teenage mother on a Wisconsin dairy farm to become America’s r... more

03 Nov 2025

38 MINS

38:56

03 Nov 2025


#75

John Fredriksen: Tanker king

Norwegian shipping magnate John Fredriksen once owned the world’s largest fleet of oil tan... more

27 Oct 2025

44 MINS

44:21

27 Oct 2025


#74

Evan Spiegel: Snapchat fratboy

Snapchat co-founder Evan Spiegel dropped out of Stanford Business School when the disappea... more

20 Oct 2025

46 MINS

46:37

20 Oct 2025


#73

Tatyana Kim: Russia’s online retail queen

How Tatyana Kim went from working as an English teacher to running Russia’s largest online... more

13 Oct 2025

44 MINS

44:40

13 Oct 2025


#72

Arnold Schwarzenegger: Muscles, movies, money

How bodybuilder Arnold Schwarzenegger went from Mr Universe to all-action cinematic supers... more

06 Oct 2025

46 MINS

46:39

06 Oct 2025


#71

Coming soon: More tales of the mega-rich

Film stars, tech bros, shipping magnates and online retail giants... BBC business editor S... more

19 Sep 2025

01 MINS

01:42

19 Sep 2025


#70

Encore - Film Stories: George Lucas and Peter Jackson

George Lucas created Star Wars and Peter Jackson directed the Lord of the Rings films, two... more

08 Sep 2025

1 HR 04 MINS

1:04:29

08 Sep 2025


#69

The dead billionaires: What do you think?

What did you think of John D Rockefeller, Henry Ford, Howard Hughes, Sam Walton and Hetty ... more

27 Aug 2025

10 MINS

10:49

27 Aug 2025


#68

Hetty Green: The 'witch' of Wall Street

Hetty Green was America’s richest woman, but was renowned as the nation’s biggest miser. B... more

04 Aug 2025

47 MINS

47:50

04 Aug 2025


#67

Sam Walton: Walmart’s founder

Sam Walton put discount megastores on the map and built the largest retailer on Earth. He ... more

28 Jul 2025

44 MINS

44:29

28 Jul 2025


#66

Howard Hughes: Eccentric aviator

The original weird billionaire, Howard Hughes was a filmmaker, a playboy and a world recor... more

21 Jul 2025

45 MINS

45:27

21 Jul 2025


#65

Henry Ford: Putting the world on wheels

Henry Ford may not have invented the car, or even the assembly line, but he perfected them... more

14 Jul 2025

52 MINS

52:02

14 Jul 2025


#64

John D Rockefeller: The first billionaire

John D Rockefeller built his fortune refining oil and founding Standard Oil. A pioneer of ... more

07 Jul 2025

47 MINS

47:12

07 Jul 2025


#63

Coming soon: Good Bad Dead Billionaire

We’re back – but with a difference! Find out how some of the world's most famous dead bill... more

23 Jun 2025

01 MINS

01:58

23 Jun 2025


#62

Eike Batista: Golden grifter

Mining magnate Eike Batista was once Brazil’s richest person, but corruption led to his do... more

02 Jun 2025

40 MINS

40:12

02 Jun 2025


#61

LeBron James: King of the court

LeBron James was selling out basketball arenas while still in high school. At just 18, he ... more

26 May 2025

48 MINS

48:18

26 May 2025