
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 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 (51)

The dead billionaires: What do you think?

Hetty Green: The 'witch' of Wall Street

Sam Walton: Walmart’s founder

Howard Hughes: Eccentric aviator

Henry Ford: Putting the world on wheels

John D Rockefeller: The first billionaire

Coming soon: Good Bad Dead Billionaire

Eike Batista: Golden grifter
BBC business editor Simon Jack and journalist Zing Tsjeng lift the lid on a flashy and eccentric...

LeBron James: King of the court

Masayoshi Son: High-tech gambler
BBC...

Strive Masiyiwa: Connecting a continent

Ike Perlmutter: Marvel’s empire builder

Selena Gomez: Actress, singer, beauty mogul

Orlando Bravo: Tech dealmaker

Vince McMahon: Wrestling's ringmaster

Markus Persson: Minecraft maker

John de Mol: Big Brother’s daddy

Sir James Dyson: Sucking up the cash

Martha Stewart: The original lifestyle influencer

Encore - Chuck Feeney: All duty

Encore - Taylor Swift: Swiftonomics

Peter Thiel: Paypal mafioso

Doris Fisher: Don’t mind The Gap

Carlos Slim Helú: Telecom titan

Roman Abramovich: Premier League oligarch

Mukesh Ambani: Asia’s richest person

Patrice Motsepe: Mining magnate

Jack Ma: China's ecommerce CEO

Yvon Chouinard: A $3 billion giveaway

Whitney Wolfe Herd: Dating app entrepreneur

Aliko Dangote: Africa’s richest person

Sam Altman: ChatGPT and the AI revolution

Zhang Yiming: TikTok’s tech boss

Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw: Beer, brewing and biotech

George Soros: 'The man who broke the Bank of England'

Jerry Seinfeld: The world’s richest comedian

Peter Jackson: Lord of the Films

Miuccia Prada: ‘Ugly fashion’

Sergey Brin: Googling billions

Tiger Woods: Golf’s ‘golden boy’

Mark Zuckerberg: Move fast and get rich

Sir Richard Branson: Sky's the limit

Sir Jim Ratcliffe: Man U mogul

Bernie Ecclestone: Fast money

Gina Rinehart: The other Iron Lady

Charles Koch: Dark money’s slick operator

Taylor Swift: Swiftonomics

Warren Buffett: The oracle of Omaha

NR Narayana Murthy: India's IT innovator

Rupert Murdoch: The Succession prequel
