Good Bad Billionaire
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How did the planet's richest people make their billions? From celebrities and secretive CEOs to sporting legends and tech titans, Simon Jack and Zing Tsjeng find out, and then decide whether they think 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? Good Bad Billionaire is here to analyse the minds, motives and money of some of the world's wealthiest individuals. No detail is too small and no story too wild to uncover. Join us on a global journey, discovering all we can about some of the richest people on the planet. We hear about billionaires in Russia, China, New Zealand, India, Nigeria and the UK. In the United States, there are those who made their money in Silicon Valley, on Wall Street and high street fashion. 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. In season two, we learn how the likes of Jerry Seinfeld, Peter Jackson, Doris Fisher and George Soros came to join the billionaires' club. We explore 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 bought 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 consider whether they think these people are a force for “good”, the opposite, or somewhere in between. Join Simon Jack, business editor for BBC News, and journalist, author and podcaster Zing Tsjeng as this podcast unravels tales of fortune, power, ambition and moral responsibility, and invites you to make up your own mind: are they Good, Bad, or Just Another Billionaire? New episodes released on Mondays.
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Hosts & Guests
Spoiler Alerts!
Sep 5
***THIS SHOW HAS NO SPOILER ALERTS!!!**** I’m enjoying the show, aside from the big foul during the Murdoch episode in which you ruined a huge plot twist in the Succession Series.
Interesting idea that needs better research
Sep 9
It's an interesting idea for a podcast, but the subject research is surface level at best. These almost exclusively right-wing billionaires seem to get a free pass because the research and context of how they made their money is just not looked into very deeply. There's almost nothing on the ramifications of what these billionaires do to society.
Interesting
Feb 24
Real interesting but as a general rule if the person is perceived as associated with political right then they judge them as bad and if associated with political left they are judged to be good. Actually I can’t think of a single episode that doesn’t follow that formula. Listen for the information but not the ratings!
So Well Done!
Aug 30
I’m enjoying this podcast so much! The subject matter is fascinating! If you want to learn more about the very richest people on the planet and how they got there, this is the listen for you. The hosts are so professional and they never waste time with boring personal chitchat as so many podcasts tend to do. They get right into their subject and present the information in a riveting and entertaining style that keeps me glued start to finish. They adhere to the same format for each podcast. A brief biography is presented, you learn how each person achieves her or his first million dollars, and then how they leap forward to billionaire status. The hosts then have certain criteria by which they judge each subject and eventually declare them either a good or a bad billionaire. Each host brings a different perspective, so hearing them discuss their ratings for each billionaire per category is fun and you’ll find yourself weighing in with your own views, too. Some billionaires are people we’re familiar with from the news, TV, etc, and some I learned about for the first time. It’s just fascinating to see which forces converge in an ordinary person’s life to help make them become extraordinary. I can’t praise these two hosts highly enough! They keep the information in each episode fresh and enjoyable and moving forward, and together they present a very complete picture of these fabulously wealthy people. If you’re even a bit curious about the billionaires’ paths of success please give this podcast a listen. Good Bad Billionaire. You won’t be disappointed, I promise!
About
Information
- Channel
- CreatorBBC World Service
- Years Active2023 - 2024
- Episodes48
- RatingClean
- Copyright© (C) BBC 2024
- Show Website
- ProviderBBC Studios Distribution Limited
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