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.
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, 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 (57)
John Fredriksen: Tanker king
Norwegian shipping magnate John Fredriksen once owned the world’s largest fleet of oil tankers. He made billions shipping goods round the globe and was unafraid of high-risk deals.
BBC business...
BBC business...
Evan Spiegel: Snapchat fratboy
Snapchat co-founder Evan Spiegel dropped out of Stanford Business School when the disappearing messages app made him a millionaire. Four years later, he was named the world’s youngest billionaire at...
Tatyana Kim: Russia’s online retail queen
How Tatyana Kim went from working as an English teacher to running Russia’s largest online retailer, Wildberries, and being Russia’s richest woman. Journalist Zing Tsjeng and BBC business editor Simon...
Arnold Schwarzenegger: Muscles, movies, money
How bodybuilder Arnold Schwarzenegger went from Mr Universe to all-action cinematic superstar and billionaire investor.BBC business editor Simon Jack and journalist Zing Tsjeng take us back to...
Coming soon: More tales of the mega-rich
Film stars, tech bros, shipping magnates and online retail giants... BBC business editor Simon Jack and journalist Zing Tsjeng introduce the latest batch of billionaires whose stories they will...
George Lucas and Peter Jackson: Film stories
George Lucas created Star Wars and Peter Jackson directed the Lord of the Rings films, two of the movie world’s most epic adventures.
Ahead of a new season of Good Bad Billionaire, presented by...
Ahead of a new season of Good Bad Billionaire, presented by...
The dead billionaires: What do you think?
What did you think of John D Rockefeller, Henry Ford, Howard Hughes, Sam Walton and Hetty Green?These five titans of American industry include an oil tycoon, a motor magnate, an eccentric aviator, the...
Hetty Green: The 'witch' of Wall Street
Hetty Green was America’s richest woman, but was renowned as the nation’s biggest miser. But she built her investment fortune in an era before women could even vote.Journalist Zing Tsjeng and BBC...
Sam Walton: Walmart’s founder
Sam Walton put discount megastores on the map and built the largest retailer on Earth. He founded Walmart, which now has around 10,500 stores across 19 countries, and 255 million customers a week,...
Howard Hughes: Eccentric aviator
The original weird billionaire, Howard Hughes was a filmmaker, a playboy and a world record-breaking aviator. He was also an obsessive germophobe who died a paranoid recluse.Journalist Zing Tsjeng and...
Henry Ford: Putting the world on wheels
Henry Ford may not have invented the car, or even the assembly line, but he perfected them. His Model T – nicknamed “Tin Lizzie” – made cars affordable for the average worker, not just the rich. He...
John D Rockefeller: The first billionaire
John D Rockefeller built his fortune refining oil and founding Standard Oil. A pioneer of the U.S. business trust, he helped shape the structure of the modern corporation. His influence lives on in...
Coming soon: Good Bad Dead Billionaire
We’re back – but with a difference! Find out how some of the world's most famous dead billionaires made their money. Meet five billionaires who helped build the United States of America. First up: oil...
Eike Batista: Golden grifter
Mining magnate Eike Batista was once Brazil’s richest person, but corruption led to his downfall.
BBC business editor Simon Jack and journalist Zing Tsjeng lift the lid on a flashy and eccentric...
BBC business editor Simon Jack and journalist Zing Tsjeng lift the lid on a flashy and eccentric...
LeBron James: King of the court
LeBron James was selling out basketball arenas while still in high school. At just 18, he said he was offered a $10 million cheque from Reebok - on the spot - if he agreed not to meet any other...
Masayoshi Son: High-tech gambler
Investor Masayoshi Son became notorious for making huge bets on technology companies. He once lost 96% of his fortune, but he’s still a billionaire thanks to successes like Yahoo! and Alibaba.
BBC...
BBC...
Strive Masiyiwa: Connecting a continent
Telecoms magnate Strive Masiyiwa escaped kidnap to become Zimbabwe’s first billionaire.BBC business editor Simon Jack and journalist Zing Tsjeng tell Masiyiwa’s story from a youth fleeing...
Ike Perlmutter: Marvel’s empire builder
Former Marvel CEO & Chairman Isaac "Ike" Perlmutter brought Marvel back from the brink of ruin and helped launch the Marvel cinematic universe. He brought Iron Man, The Hulk and The Avengers to...
Selena Gomez: Actress, singer, beauty mogul
Selena Gomez is one of the youngest newly minted billionaires, thanks to her Rare Beauty brand. But you likely know her from her Disney kid days on The Wizards of Waverly Place, award-winning turn in...
Orlando Bravo: Tech dealmaker
Orlando Bravo failed to become a tennis pro, but became richer than any tennis player in history by pivoting to the world of finance. He’s the first billionaire from Puerto Rico and earned his fortune...
Vince McMahon: Wrestling's ringmaster
Vince McMahon made stars out of wrestlers like Hulk Hogan, John Cena and Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson. He turned professional wrestling into a $6.8 billion industry with his company World Wrestling...
Markus Persson: Minecraft maker
Minecraft is the most successful computer game ever. It's sold 300 million copies, built an active community of fans and there's now even a Minecraft movie. So how did one man - Markus Persson -...
John de Mol: Big Brother’s daddy
By reinventing reality TV, John de Mol changed television history and made a billion dollars. He’s the father of Big Brother and the man behind The Voice, Deal or No Deal and Fear Factor. BBC business...
Sir James Dyson: Sucking up the cash
A blocked vacuum cleaner led to a billion-dollar idea for British inventor Sir James Dyson. After studying art, then reinventing the wheelbarrow, Dyson struck gold with his iconic bagless vacuum, but...
Martha Stewart: The original lifestyle influencer
Martha Stewart revolutionised home entertaining with her recipes, home decor and TV shows, becoming one of the world's most successful women in business. Known as the ultimate homemaker and the...
Encore - Chuck Feeney: All duty
When Charles "Chuck" Feeney first appeared on the world's rich lists in the 1980s, he had built a billion-dollar business selling duty free goods to tourists. But he'd also given most of his money to...
Encore - Taylor Swift: Swiftonomics
A year after first being declared a billionaire, Taylor Swift’s rarely been out of the headlines or the charts. The pop superstar’s Eras tour finally came to an end, and she’s been continuing to break...
Peter Thiel: Paypal mafioso
What do Airbnb, Facebook, Spotify, and LinkedIn all have in common? Peter Thiel. They made his fortune, but he’s since rejected Silicon Valley for being too "woke". He’s a contradictory character: a...
Doris Fisher: Don’t mind The Gap
The woman behind the brand that revolutionised the way the world shopped and dressed. Doris Fisher and her husband Don founded The Gap together and made basics cool – their pocket t-shirt was worn by...
Carlos Slim Helú: Telecom titan
Carlos Slim Helú's financial might has led some people to nickname his native Mexico ‘Slimlandia’. He dominates the country’s businesses, from telecoms to construction. But how did a man whose hero...
Roman Abramovich: Premier League oligarch
Roman Abramovich was known as the "stealth oligarch" before he stepped into the limelight as Chelsea football club’s sugar daddy owner. The man loves a yacht: his largest cost $427m, and has...
Mukesh Ambani: Asia’s richest person
Mukesh Ambani caught the world’s attention when he forked out $600m on his son’s wedding, including a performance by Rihanna – but how did he become Asia’s richest person? Mukesh grew his father’s...
Patrice Motsepe: Mining magnate
Metal man and football fan Patrice Motsepe rose out of post-apartheid South Africa to become the country’s first black billionaire. Under apartheid, Patrice had to get a special permit to study at an...
Jack Ma: China's ecommerce CEO
Jack Ma is the king of ecommerce in China. Nicknamed 'Daddy Ma', the former school teacher even appeared alongside martial arts legend Jet Li in a kung fu movie. But how did a scrawny, belligerent...
Yvon Chouinard: A $3 billion giveaway
The story of how Yvon Chouinard, a reluctant billionaire who only wanted to climb and surf, harnessed his passions to create outdoor apparel brand Patagonia - before giving it all away to fight...
Whitney Wolfe Herd: Dating app entrepreneur
Whitney Wolfe Herd, the “queen of the swipes”, launched a female-led dating app after a public scandal around her sexual harassment and discrimination lawsuit against Tinder. BBC business editor Simon...
Aliko Dangote: Africa’s richest person
Industrialist Aliko Dangote is known as a mild-mannered cement tycoon who often drives himself to business meetings. How did he become the world’s richest black person? Dangote rapidly dominated...
Sam Altman: ChatGPT and the AI revolution
How is freshly minted billionaire Sam Altman shaping our future through his company OpenAI and ChatGPT? He made his fortune by investing in huge tech start-ups like Reddit and Airbnb, before turning...
Zhang Yiming: TikTok’s tech boss
How did an unassuming software engineer become one of the richest people on the planet? This is the story of how Zhang Yiming transformed social media by creating TikTok, and how the Chinese tech...
Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw: Beer, brewing and biotech
Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw built a pharmaceutical empire after failing to get a job brewing beer. She also overcame gender bias to become India’s first self-made female billionaire. Her company Biocon is now...
George Soros: 'The man who broke the Bank of England'
George Soros escaped Nazi occupation in Hungary, before becoming one of the most successful investors in history. After making his name on Wall Street and setting up the hedge fund Quantum, he also...
Jerry Seinfeld: The world’s richest comedian
Jerry Seinfeld has a life-long obsession with jokes, but his smash hit sitcom turned the New York stand-up into the richest comedian of all time. Seinfeld was the most watched programme in America...
Peter Jackson: Lord of the Films
How did Lord of the Rings director Peter Jackson become one of only four filmmakers worth a billion dollars, and one of just three billionaires from New Zealand? BBC business editor Simon Jack and...
Miuccia Prada: ‘Ugly fashion’
How a communist mime artist became the billionaire boss of a luxury fashion house. Miuccia Prada changed her name, then made it famous with one of the runway’s biggest brands. BBC business editor...
Sergey Brin: Googling billions
By founding Google, tech titan Sergey Brin helped shape the internet. He also got very, very rich, as his company Alphabet became one of the biggest in the world. BBC business editor Simon Jack and...
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...
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...
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 got...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
About this Podcast
Copyright
(C) BBC 2025
Language
en
Categories
Business, Entrepreneurship, Society & Culture, Documentary