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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
Episode | Date |
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The dead billionaires: What do you think?
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Aug 27, 2025 |
Hetty Green: The 'witch' of Wall Street
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Aug 04, 2025 |
Sam Walton: Walmart’s founder
|
Jul 28, 2025 |
Howard Hughes: Eccentric aviator
|
Jul 21, 2025 |
Henry Ford: Putting the world on wheels
|
Jul 14, 2025 |
John D Rockefeller: The first billionaire
|
Jul 07, 2025 |
Coming soon: Good Bad Dead Billionaire
|
Jun 23, 2025 |
Eike Batista: Golden grifter
|
Jun 02, 2025 |
LeBron James: King of the court
|
May 26, 2025 |
Masayoshi Son: High-tech gambler
|
May 19, 2025 |
Strive Masiyiwa: Connecting a continent
|
May 12, 2025 |
Ike Perlmutter: Marvel’s empire builder
|
May 05, 2025 |
Selena Gomez: Actress, singer, beauty mogul
|
Apr 28, 2025 |
Orlando Bravo: Tech dealmaker
|
Apr 21, 2025 |
Vince McMahon: Wrestling's ringmaster
|
Apr 14, 2025 |
Markus Persson: Minecraft maker
|
Apr 07, 2025 |
John de Mol: Big Brother’s daddy
|
Mar 31, 2025 |
Sir James Dyson: Sucking up the cash
|
Mar 24, 2025 |
Martha Stewart: The original lifestyle influencer
|
Mar 17, 2025 |
Encore - Chuck Feeney: All duty
|
Feb 17, 2025 |
Encore - Taylor Swift: Swiftonomics
|
Feb 03, 2025 |
Peter Thiel: Paypal mafioso
|
Dec 02, 2024 |
Doris Fisher: Don’t mind The Gap
|
Nov 25, 2024 |
Carlos Slim Helú: Telecom titan
|
Nov 18, 2024 |
Roman Abramovich: Premier League oligarch
|
Nov 11, 2024 |
Mukesh Ambani: Asia’s richest person
|
Nov 04, 2024 |
Patrice Motsepe: Mining magnate
|
Oct 28, 2024 |
Jack Ma: China's ecommerce CEO
|
Oct 21, 2024 |
Yvon Chouinard: A $3 billion giveaway
|
Oct 14, 2024 |
Whitney Wolfe Herd: Dating app entrepreneur
|
Oct 07, 2024 |
Aliko Dangote: Africa’s richest person
|
Sep 30, 2024 |
Sam Altman: ChatGPT and the AI revolution
|
Sep 23, 2024 |
Zhang Yiming: TikTok’s tech boss
|
Sep 16, 2024 |
Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw: Beer, brewing and biotech
|
Sep 09, 2024 |
George Soros: 'The man who broke the Bank of England'
|
Sep 02, 2024 |
Jerry Seinfeld: The world’s richest comedian
|
Aug 26, 2024 |
Peter Jackson: Lord of the Films
|
Aug 19, 2024 |
Miuccia Prada: ‘Ugly fashion’
|
Aug 12, 2024 |
Sergey Brin: Googling billions
|
Aug 05, 2024 |
Tiger Woods: Golf’s ‘golden boy’
|
Jul 29, 2024 |
Mark Zuckerberg: Move fast and get rich
|
Mar 26, 2024 |
Sir Richard Branson: Sky's the limit
|
Mar 19, 2024 |
Sir Jim Ratcliffe: Man U mogul
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Mar 12, 2024 |
Bernie Ecclestone: Fast money
|
Mar 05, 2024 |
Gina Rinehart: The other Iron Lady
|
Feb 27, 2024 |
Charles Koch: Dark money’s slick operator
|
Feb 20, 2024 |
Taylor Swift: Swiftonomics
|
Feb 13, 2024 |
Warren Buffett: The oracle of Omaha
|
Feb 06, 2024 |
NR Narayana Murthy: India's IT innovator
|
Jan 30, 2024 |
Rupert Murdoch: The Succession prequel
|
Jan 23, 2024 |
El Chapo: Cocaine kingpin
|
Jan 16, 2024 |
Jay-Z: A business, man
|
Jan 09, 2024 |
Michael Bloomberg: Market master
|
Dec 12, 2023 |
Patrick Soon-Shiong: Cures for cash
|
Dec 05, 2023 |
Bill Gates: Software hardman
|
Nov 28, 2023 |
Sam Bankman-Fried with Michael Lewis
|
Nov 21, 2023 |
Denise Coates: Ultimate gambler
|
Nov 14, 2023 |
Michael Jordan: Most valuable player
|
Nov 07, 2023 |
Kim Kardashian: Breaking the internet
|
Oct 31, 2023 |
Bernard Arnault: The wolf in cashmere
|
Oct 24, 2023 |
Viktor Bout: Merchant of death
|
Oct 17, 2023 |
George Lucas: Box office billions
|
Oct 10, 2023 |
Oprah Winfrey: Queen of all media
|
Oct 03, 2023 |
Chuck Feeney: All duty
|
Sep 26, 2023 |
Adam Neumann: The cult of WeWork
|
Sep 19, 2023 |
Sir Philip Green: King of the high street
|
Sep 12, 2023 |
Rihanna: Turning beauty into billions
|
Sep 05, 2023 |
Jeff Bezos: Get big fast
|
Aug 29, 2023 |
Introducing... Good Bad Billionaire
|
Aug 22, 2023 |