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BBC World Service · Business

Good Bad Billionaire

How did the richest people on the planet make their billions? New episodes include: Sir Paul McCartney, Roger Federer, MrBeast, Luana Lopes Lara, Beyoncé, Cristiano Ronaldo and Steven Spielberg. 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

Episodes

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Larry Ellison: Winning the database wars

23 Feb 2026
46m
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Larry Ellison's journey from a turbulent childhood to becoming a tech billionaire is examined, focusing on his ambition, marketing skills, and ruthless competitive spirit in the database market. The co-hosts detail his early life, including being adopted and his rebellious nature, leading to his initial success with Or...

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Elizabeth Holmes: From CEO to criminal

16 Feb 2026
47m
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The podcast explores Elizabeth Holmes's trajectory from a promising Stanford student to a billionaire biotech entrepreneur and, ultimately, a convicted fraudster. It examines her early ambition, family background, and the Silicon Valley environment that enabled her rapid rise. The hosts discuss Holmes's initial idea fo...

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Weekend listening: The Interface

14 Feb 2026
34m
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The Interface podcast explores the implications of Ring's new "Search Party" feature, which utilizes a network of doorbell cameras to locate lost dogs, raising concerns about mass surveillance and potential misuse by law enforcement, particularly ICE. The hosts discuss the low success rate of the feature and the defaul...

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Peggy Cherng: Engineering a fast-food fortune

09 Feb 2026
38m
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This episode of "Good Bad Billionaire" examines how Peggy Cherng, co-founder of Panda Express, engineered her way to becoming a billionaire. It highlights her application of data-driven engineering principles to fast food, including early adoption of POS systems and kitchen process optimization. The discussion covers P...

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Ben Francis: UK’s youngest billionaire

02 Feb 2026
45m
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This episode of "Good Bad Billionaire" explores the story of Ben Francis, the founder of Gymshark, tracing his journey from a pizza delivery man to Britain's youngest billionaire. The podcast highlights Francis's early entrepreneurial ventures, including creating fitness apps and a dropshipping website, before pivoting...

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Lucy Guo: The woman training AI

26 Jan 2026
41m
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The podcast examines Lucy Guo's journey to becoming the youngest self-made female billionaire through her AI company, Scale AI. Guo's early obsession with making money led to entrepreneurial ventures like selling Pokémon cards and coding Neopets bots. Despite parental pressure for academic excellence, she dropped out o...

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Elon Musk: You decide!

23 Jan 2026
16m
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This episode of Good Bad Billionaire centers on listener feedback regarding their Elon Musk episode, exploring whether he is a force for good or ill. Opinions varied widely, with some listeners praising Musk for his contributions to electric vehicles, space exploration, and providing internet access to remote areas. Ot...

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David Geffen: The Hollywood power broker

19 Jan 2026
47m
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David Geffen's journey from a modest Brooklyn upbringing to a nine-billion-dollar net worth is examined, focusing on his strategic moves in the music and film industries. His early career involved calculated decisions, such as forging university credentials and exploiting client lists, which propelled him into the ente...

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Sara Blakely: Shaping the world with Spanx

12 Jan 2026
42m
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This podcast explores Sara Blakely's journey to becoming a self-made billionaire through her shapewear company, Spanx. Starting with just $5,000, Blakely identified a gap in the market for comfortable and line-free undergarments, leading her to create footless tights. A pivotal moment occurred when Oprah Winfrey endors...

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Guy Laliberté: Cirque du Soleil’s clown turned CEO

05 Jan 2026
41m
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The podcast explores how Guy Laliberté, the founder of Cirque du Soleil, transitioned from a busker to a billionaire by reinventing the circus. Laliberté's early life, marked by a supportive yet unconventional upbringing, influenced his entrepreneurial spirit and creative drive. The hosts discuss Cirque du Soleil's inn...

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Elon Musk: Money, memes and Mars

08 Dec 2025
55m
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In this episode of "Good Bad Billionaire," hosts Zing Tsjeng and Simon Jack delve into the life and career of Elon Musk, exploring his journey from his upbringing in South Africa to becoming the world's richest person. They discuss his early ventures like Zip2 and PayPal, his pivotal roles in Tesla and SpaceX, and his ...

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Luciano Benetton: Famous fashion to cultural controversy

01 Dec 2025
41m
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In this episode of "Good Bad Billionaire," Simon Jack and Zing Tsjeng delve into the life of Luciano Benetton, the founder of the fashion brand Benetton. They explore his early life in Mussolini's Italy, his family's struggles, and the innovative business strategies that led to Benetton's success, including franchising...

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Tyler Perry: Homeless to Hollywood entrepreneur

24 Nov 2025
42m
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In this episode of "Good Bad Billionaire," Zing Tsjeng and Simon Jack explore the life and career of Tyler Perry, examining his journey from a difficult childhood marked by abuse to becoming a billionaire media mogul. They discuss his early struggles staging plays, the creation and success of his Madea character, his g...

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Lakshmi Mittal: King of steel

17 Nov 2025
44m
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In this episode of "Good Bad Billionaire," Simon Jack and Zing Tsjeng delve into the life of Lakshmi Mittal, the "king of steel," tracing his journey from a modest upbringing in India to becoming one of the wealthiest people in the world. They explore his early influences, his pivotal decision to establish a steel mill...

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

10 Nov 2025
48m
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In "Good Bad Billionaire," Simon Jack and Zing Tsjeng explore the life and career of Michael O'Leary, the controversial CEO of Ryanair. The podcast traces O'Leary's journey from his upbringing in Ireland and early business ventures to his pivotal role in transforming Ryanair into a low-cost airline giant. They discuss ...

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Diane Hendricks: Building a fortune

03 Nov 2025
38m
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"Good Bad Billionaire" explores the life and career of Diane Hendricks, the richest self-made woman in America, who built her fortune through ABC Supply, a roofing supply distributor. The hosts, Zing Tsjeng and Simon Jack, delve into Hendricks' early life on a Wisconsin dairy farm, her early struggles as a teenage moth...

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John Fredriksen: Tanker king

27 Oct 2025
44m
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In this episode of "Good Bad Billionaire," Zing Tsjeng and Simon Jack delve into the life of John Fredriksen, a Norwegian shipping magnate who amassed a fortune of over $17 billion by transporting crude oil globally. The hosts trace Fredriksen's journey from his working-class roots to becoming a dominant figure in the ...

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Evan Spiegel: Snapchat fratboy

20 Oct 2025
46m
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"Good Bad Billionaire," a BBC World Service podcast, delves into the life of Evan Spiegel, the co-creator of Snapchat, from his privileged upbringing and early entrepreneurial ventures to his rise as a self-made billionaire. Co-hosts Zing Tsjeng and Simon Jack explore Spiegel's journey, including his education at Stanf...

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Tatyana Kim: Russia’s online retail queen

13 Oct 2025
44m
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"Good Bad Billionaire" presents the story of Tatyana Kim, founder of Wildberries, often called "Russia's Amazon", exploring her journey from English teacher to Russia's first self-made female billionaire. The hosts, Simon Jack and Zing Tsjeng, delve into Kim's origin story, the controversies surrounding her company, an...

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Arnold Schwarzenegger: Muscles, movies, money

06 Oct 2025
46m
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In this episode of "Good Bad Billionaire," Simon Jack and Zing Tsjeng explore the life and financial journey of Arnold Schwarzenegger, from his modest upbringing in Austria to becoming a bodybuilding champion, Hollywood star, and eventually, a billionaire. They delve into his early entrepreneurial ventures, his real es...

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