Good Bad Billionaire
de BBC World Service
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Nick Candy: Property brother
Nick Candy: Property brother
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How did the richest people on the planet make their billions? New episodes include: Khaby Lame, MrBeast, Cristiano Ronaldo, Sheryl Sandberg and Gautam Adani.
Make up your minds whether you think they are good, bad or just another billionaire.
In each episode, 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 Elon Musk, Kim Kardashian, Tyler Perry and Oprah Winfrey.
New season: From singing superstar Beyoncé, to footballing legend Cristiano Ronaldo, Simon and Zing will rate their wealth, power, legacy 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 tennis ace Roger Federer turned sporting prowess into amazing business opportunities? Or how Mr Beast and Khaby Lame became some of the wealthiest people on the planet by posting on YouTube and TikTok? 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 Amazon, 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 to be read out, please say that in your email or message, or mark it confidential.
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
Episodios
Los 50 episodios más recientes de 112
- Nick Candy: Property brother · 38 minNick Candy, alongside his brother Christian, climbed London’s property ladder to the heights of luxury. Together they have sold some of the world’s most expensive real estate…
- Sir Mo Ibrahim: The mobile phone mogul · 38 minSir Mo Ibrahim quit his job in telecoms and built a global consultancy from the dining room of his home in London. His next move was to help connect a continent. Journalist Zing…
- Jack Dorsey: Twitter squared · 42 minJack Dorsey founded a social media behemoth, but made more cash from card payments. He built Twitter, but was removed as CEO, before going on to found fintech firm Square. BBC…
- Khaby Lame: The King of TikTok · 41 minThe pandemic hit and Khaby Lame lost his factory job. Less than three years later, he was the world’s most-followed person on TikTok. Khaby Lame has turned his silent online…
- Gautam Adani: The multiple mogul · 44 minGautam Adani’s businesses span almost every part of life in India. From energy to food, ports to mining, and drinks to weapons, the Adani group has widespread influence over…
- Nelson Peltz: Junk bond activist · 45 minNelson Peltz made his money via some contentious methods - junk bonds, corporate raids, leveraged buyouts and activist investing - but he is most famous because his daughter…
- Prince Alwaleed bin Talal: The billionaire royal · 39 minPrince Alwaleed bin Talal is a billionaire Saudi prince who insists he’s self-made. He champions women's rights, yet is a member of one of the world’s most traditional ruling…
- Sheryl Sandberg: Chief operator · 39 minAs COO of Facebook, then Meta, Sheryl Sandberg is a rarity among billionaires. She made her money as an employee rather than as a founder, creator, or company owner. BBC business…
- Lord Sugar: From entrepreneur to Apprentice · 45 minIt's a classic British rags-to-riches story: Alan Michael Sugar went from selling car aerials from the back of his minivan to becoming one of the most recognisable faces of UK…
- The Batista brothers: Meat and money · 39 minFrom a small Brazilian butcher’s shop to the world’s largest meat empire, Wesley and Joesley Batista built a global powerhouse feeding millions every day. Journalist Zing Tsjeng…
- Tao Huabi: Crispy chilli godmother · 35 minTao Huabi grew up in childhood poverty in the province of Guizhou in southwestern China, but would one day become a household name in her home country. Her Lao Gan Ma brand…
- Sir Paul McCartney: The rich one - Live at Crossed Wires · 43 minHe enjoyed a spectacular rise in The Beatles, and went on to become a gold-plated member of British music royalty. Hear how Paul McCartney, one of the last century’s defining…
- Reed Hastings: Netflix’s co-founder and media disruptor · 44 minAs co-founder of Netflix, Reed Hastings is responsible for one of the most recognisable brands in the world. BBC business editor Simon Jack and journalist Zing Tsjeng recount how…
- Roger Federer: The billion-dollar backhand · 37 minRoger Federer isn’t just one of the greatest tennis players of all time - he’s also one of the richest. BBC business editor Simon Jack and journalist Zing Tsjeng follow his…
- Luana Lopes Lara: Prediction market payout · 45 minLuana Lopes Lara, the co-founder of prediction market platform Kalshi, went from the Bolshoi ballet school in Brazil to becoming the world’s youngest female self-made…
- MrBeast: The business of going viral · 46 minJimmy Donaldson, better known as MrBeast, transformed himself from a teenager obsessing over YouTube's algorithms, into one of the most influential digital entrepreneurs on the…
- Cristiano Ronaldo: Football's first billionaire player · 44 minCristiano Ronaldo grew up in poverty on the remote island of Madeira, but became football's first billionaire player, and one of the most recognisable people on the planet. BBC…
- Steven Spielberg: Directing dreams and deals · 43 minSteven Spielberg always felt like an outsider, but became the most commercially successful movie director in history. His hits, including ET, Indiana Jones and Jurassic Park…
- Beyoncé: The business of Queen B · 45 minBeyoncé started out as a little girl competing in local talent shows, but over the course of a 30-year career in music she transformed herself into a mogul worth $1 billion…
- Trailer · 2 minSimon and Zing are back to tell you how another batch of billionaires made their money. From people who've recently joined this most exclusive of clubs - like Beyoncé and Mr…
- Toto Wolff: Mercedes's billion-dollar F1 boss · 45 minToto Wolff is the most successful team principal in Formula One history. BBC business editor Simon Jack and journalist Zing Tsjeng find out what drives him. From losing his…
- Ronnie Screwvala: The cable guy · 40 minRonnie Screwvala changed the viewing habits of the world’s most populous country, India - but he started out selling toothbrushes. BBC business editor Simon Jack and journalist…
- Larry Ellison: Winning the database wars · 46 minLarry Ellison’s business mantra is simple: “It is not sufficient that I succeed — everyone else must fail.” From humble beginnings as an adopted child in Chicago to becoming one…
- Elizabeth Holmes: From CEO to criminal · 48 minAs a new Nathan Fielder documentary is released about Elizabeth Holmes, hear about her Silicon Valley dream in this episode of Good Bad Billionaire. Once hailed as the next Steve…
- Peggy Cherng: Engineering a fast-food fortune · 39 minPeggy Cherng never set out to work in fast food, but her engineering mindset transformed how millions of Americans eat. Journalist Zing Tsjeng and BBC business editor Simon Jack…
- Ben Francis: UK’s youngest billionaire · 46 minHow Ben Francis went from pizza delivery boy to the UK’s youngest billionaire, by founding sportswear brand Gymshark. BBC business editor Simon Jack and journalist Zing Tsjeng…
- Lucy Guo: The woman training AI · 41 minShe skateboards to work, has a skydiving license, and was the world’s youngest self-made female billionaire. Journalist Zing Tsjeng and BBC Business Editor Simon Jack tell the…
- Elon Musk: You decide! · 17 minIt’s time to hear what you, our listeners, think of Elon Musk. Journalist Zing Tsjeng and BBC business editor Simon Jack read your feedback to our Elon Musk episode: do you think…
- David Geffen: The Hollywood power broker · 48 minDavid Geffen is the money man behind Crosby, Stills and Nash, Guns N' Roses, Cher, Shrek, Gladiator, and even Cats the musical. Journalist Zing Tsjeng and BBC business editor…
- Sara Blakely: Shaping the world with Spanx · 42 minSara Blakely grew up in Florida and dreamed of becoming a lawyer, but after failing the LSAT twice, she pivoted to sales and later entrepreneurship. Frustrated by uncomfortable…
- Guy Laliberté: Cirque du Soleil’s clown turned CEO · 41 minGuy Laliberté went from busking on the streets of Quebec to entertaining Hollywood celebrities and wearing a clown nose on the International Space Station. BBC business editor…
- Elon Musk: Money, memes and Mars · 55 minElon Musk’s extraordinary rise, from a troubled childhood in apartheid-era South Africa to becoming the first person to amass half a trillion dollars. BBC business editor Simon…
- Luciano Benetton: Famous fashion to cultural controversy · 41 minLuciano Benetton rose from poverty in postwar Italy to found a chain of 7,000 high street fashion stores and create some of the most controversial advertising campaigns in…
- Tyler Perry: Homeless to Hollywood entrepreneur · 42 minFrom a childhood marked by abuse and trauma, Tyler Perry worked whatever jobs he could to fund his self-written and produced play for six years: sometimes performing to an…
- Lakshmi Mittal: King of steel · 45 minLakshmi Mittal grew up in Kolkata, where he gained early experience in his father’s steel business before founding his own steel mill in Indonesia in his twenties. By adopting…
- Michael O’Leary: Ryanair’s cost-cutting king · 49 minHow Michael O’Leary, the outspoken CEO of Ryanair, turned a struggling regional airline into a €28 billion powerhouse by relentlessly cutting costs and embracing controversy. BBC…
- Diane Hendricks: Building a fortune · 39 minDiane Hendricks rose from a teenage mother on a Wisconsin dairy farm to become America’s richest self-made woman, building a $22 billion fortune through roofing giant ABC Supply…
- John Fredriksen: Tanker king · 44 minNorwegian 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…
- Evan Spiegel: Snapchat fratboy · 47 minSnapchat 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…
- Tatyana Kim: Russia’s online retail queen · 45 minHow 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…
- Arnold Schwarzenegger: Muscles, movies, money · 47 minHow bodybuilder Arnold Schwarzenegger went from Mr Universe to all-action cinematic superstar and billionaire investor. BBC business editor Simon Jack and journalist Zing Tsjeng…
- Coming soon: More tales of the mega-rich · 2 minFilm 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…
- Encore - Film Stories: George Lucas and Peter Jackson · 1 h 4 minGeorge 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…
- The dead billionaires: What do you think? · 11 minWhat 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…
- Hetty Green: The 'witch' of Wall Street · 48 minHetty 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…
- Sam Walton: Walmart’s founder · 44 minSam 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…
- Howard Hughes: Eccentric aviator · 45 minThe 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…
- Henry Ford: Putting the world on wheels · 52 minHenry 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…
- John D Rockefeller: The first billionaire · 47 minJohn 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…
- Coming soon: Good Bad Dead Billionaire · 2 minWe’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…
