Good Bad Billionaire

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How did the richest people on the planet make their billions?

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Aliko Dangote: Africa's Richest Person

20240923

20250319 (WS)
20250326 (WS)

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 Nigeria's cement, sugar, flour and fertiliser markets. He says his mission is to make Nigeria's economy self-reliant, without requiring Western investment or imports. BBC business editor Simon Jack and journalist Zing Tsjeng look back on Dangote's life - from a childhood selling sweets in the playground to becoming a watchword for success in Nigeria. Then they decide if they think he's 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

Aliko Dangote started a cement business, and went on to become Africa's richest person

How did the richest people on the planet make their billions?

Industrialist Aliko Dangote is known as a mild-mannered cement tycoon who often drives himself to business meetings. How did he become Africa's richest person?

Title	First Broadcast	Repeated	Comments
Aliko Dangote: Africa's Richest Person	20240923	20250319 (WS) 20250326 (WS)	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 Nigeria's cement, sugar, flour and fertiliser markets. He says his mission is to make Nigeria's economy self-reliant, without requiring Western investment or imports. BBC business editor Simon Jack and journalist Zing Tsjeng look back on Dangote's life - from a childhood selling sweets in the playground to becoming a watchword for success in Nigeria. Then they decide if they think he's 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 Aliko Dangote started a cement business, and went on to become Africa's richest person How did the richest people on the planet make their billions? Industrialist Aliko Dangote is known as a mild-mannered cement tycoon who often drives himself to business meetings. How did he become Africa's richest person? [LISTEN NOW]
George Soros: 'the Man Who Broke The Bank Of England'	20240826	20250226 (WS)	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 become known as “the man who broke the Bank of England ? after making a billion dollars in a day by “betting against ? the pound. BBC business editor Simon Jack and journalist Zing Tsjeng track the incredible life of one of the world's most polarising billionaires, and find out how the philanthropist became the target of countless conspiracy theories. According to Soros himself, he's “a little good, a little bad ?. Ultimately, Simon and Zing decide whether they think he's 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 A hedge fund tycoon who became one of the most successful investors ever [LISTEN NOW]
Good Bad Billionaire	20250515		[LISTEN NOW] How did the richest people on the planet make their billions?
Good Bad Billionaire	20250515	20250518 (WS)	[LISTEN NOW] How did the richest people on the planet make their billions?
Good Bad Billionaire	20250515		[LISTEN NOW] How did the richest people on the planet make their billions?
Good Bad Billionaire	20250515	20250518 (WS)	[LISTEN NOW] How did the richest people on the planet make their billions?
Jerry Seinfeld: The World's Richest Comedian	20240819	20250219 (WS)	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 when it ended in in 1998, but it's what came next that made the real Jerry Seinfeld mega rich – streaming and syndication. Simon Jack and Zing Tsjeng find out how transcendental meditation, a top Hollywood agent, the unexpected death of a parent and an “inability to act ? all helped drive his spectacular success, before deciding if they think he's 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 How a hit sitcom made a New York stand-up the richest comedian in history How a smash hit sitcom made a New York stand-up the richest comedian in history. Simon Jack and Zing Tsjeng learn how streaming and syndication made Jerry Seinfeld a billionaire. [LISTEN NOW]
Kiran Mazumdar-shaw: Beer, Brewing And Biotech	20240902	20250305 (WS)	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 Asia's biggest insulin producer. BBC business editor Simon Jack and journalist Zing Tsjeng follow her story, from a childhood living on a brewery compound in Bangalore to adventures in Australia and Ireland. How did Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw go from extracting enzymes from papaya fruit to mass-manufacturing medicines and being named among Time magazine's most influential people in the world? She calls herself an accidental entrepreneur; Simon and Zing decide whether they think she's 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 How India's first female self-made billionaire built a pharmaceutical empire How one woman built a pharmaceutical empire after failing to get a job brewing beer. This is the story of Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw, India's first female self-made billionaire. [LISTEN NOW]
Miuccia Prada: 'ugly Fashion'	20240805	20250205 (WS)	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 Simon Jack and journalist Zing Tsjeng explain how the Italian fashion designer turned her grandfather's shop into a fashion powerhouse. Alongside her husband, she's run her empire from Milan for over four decades, becoming known affectionately known as ‘the master of ugly'. Simon and Zing look back on her life before deciding if they think she's 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 How a communist mime artist became the boss of one of the world's biggest fashion houses How a communist mime artist became the billionaire boss of one of the world's biggest fashion houses. Miuccia Prada changed her name, then made it famous on the runway. [LISTEN NOW]
Peter Jackson: Lord Of The Films	20240812	20250212 (WS)	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 journalist Zing Tsjeng find out how a childhood obsession with movies led to a booming film industry in Jackson's homeland. From Bad Taste to King Kong and The Hobbit, he went from shooting home movies and directing low budget horror films to running a major special effects house and creating some of cinema's biggest hits. Simon and Zing look back at the life of a Wellywood legend, before deciding if they think he's good, bad, or just another billionaire. A blockbuster tale: How the Lord of the Rings director became a billionaire [LISTEN NOW]
Sam Altman: Chatgpt And The Ai Revolution	20240916	20250319 (WS)	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 his attention to artificial intelligence - being fired and re-hired by his own company in the process. Altman believes that OpenAI, with him in charge, can make the world a better place. Yet he's also preparing for the apocalypse, just in case AI turns on its creators and attacks humanity. BBC business editor Simon Jack and journalist Zing Tsjeng tell the story of Sam Altman - the first openly gay billionaire on the podcast so far - before deciding whether they think he's 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 Sam Altman made a billion investing in tech start-ups, but made his name through AI ChatGPT CEO Sam Altman made a billion dollars by investing in tech start-ups like Reddit and Airbnb. But he made his name through AI. [LISTEN NOW]
Sergey Brin: Googling Billions	20240729	20250129 (WS)	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 journalist Zing Tsjeng tell the story of the billionaire who partied on planes after escaping prejudice in Russia. Sergey Brin and his best friend Larry Page became two of history's biggest tech giants by building the planet's most popular search engine. How did their technology startup become one of the world's biggest companies? Simon and Zing find out, before deciding if they think he's 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 By founding Google, Sergey Brin helped shape the internet. He also got very, very rich By founding Google, Sergey Brin helped shape the internet. He also got very, very rich. Simon Jack and Zing Tsjeng explore how the technology giant made his billions. Find out how billionaires got so rich: are they good, bad, or just another billionaire? [LISTEN NOW]
Tiger Woods: Golf's 'golden Boy'	20240729	20250122 (WS)	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? BBC business editor Simon Jack and journalist Zing Tsjeng explain how one of the greatest golfers of all time broke barriers in his sport, winning 15 major golf championships and 82 PGA Tour events. He's an inductee into the World Golf Hall of Fame, won the Masters five times, the PGA Championship four times and both the Open and the US Open three times, as well as helping the US win the Ryder Cup. High-profile sponsorship deals and business ventures made him a billionaire, but then came affairs, car crashes and scandal. Simon and Zing track the spectacular rise of this global sporting superstar, then decide if they think he's good, bad, or just another billionaire. Golfing superstardom made Tiger Woods rich. Personal disasters nearly took it all away Golfing superstardom made him incredibly rich. Personal disasters nearly took it all away. How Tiger Woods went from a child golfing prodigy to the world's highest paid athlete. [LISTEN NOW]
Whitney Wolfe Herd: Dating App Entrepreneur	20240930	20250326 (WS)	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 Jack and journalist Zing Tsjeng follow her story from a popular student with a flair for marketing, to carving her own path in the male-dominated tech world. Owning the ‘girlboss' image, she took her company Bumble public aged just 31 with her baby 'on her hip', making her the youngest self-made female billionaire. But she wouldn't stay one for long. Simon and Zing explore her story before deciding if they think she's 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 How the woman who founded dating apps Bumble and Tinder was briefly a billionaire How Whitney Wolfe Herd, who founded dating apps Bumble and Tinder, was briefly a billionaire. [LISTEN NOW]
Zhang Yiming: Tiktok's Tech Boss	20240909	20250312 (WS)	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 company ByteDance became a multi-billion dollar business. BBC business editor Simon Jack and journalist Zing Tsjeng explore Yiming's various successes with different apps before he hit the jackpot with TikTok. Then they decide whether they think he's 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 How Chinese tech company ByteDance became a multi-billiondollar social media business [LISTEN NOW]

Title	First Broadcast	Repeated	Comments
Aliko Dangote: Africa's Richest Person	20240923	20250319 (WS) 20250326 (WS)	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 Nigeria's cement, sugar, flour and fertiliser markets. He says his mission is to make Nigeria's economy self-reliant, without requiring Western investment or imports. BBC business editor Simon Jack and journalist Zing Tsjeng look back on Dangote's life - from a childhood selling sweets in the playground to becoming a watchword for success in Nigeria. Then they decide if they think he's 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 Aliko Dangote started a cement business, and went on to become Africa's richest person How did the richest people on the planet make their billions? Industrialist Aliko Dangote is known as a mild-mannered cement tycoon who often drives himself to business meetings. How did he become Africa's richest person? [LISTEN NOW]
George Soros: 'the Man Who Broke The Bank Of England'	20240826	20250226 (WS)	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 become known as “the man who broke the Bank of England ? after making a billion dollars in a day by “betting against ? the pound. BBC business editor Simon Jack and journalist Zing Tsjeng track the incredible life of one of the world's most polarising billionaires, and find out how the philanthropist became the target of countless conspiracy theories. According to Soros himself, he's “a little good, a little bad ?. Ultimately, Simon and Zing decide whether they think he's 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 A hedge fund tycoon who became one of the most successful investors ever [LISTEN NOW]
Good Bad Billionaire	20250515		[LISTEN NOW] How did the richest people on the planet make their billions?
Good Bad Billionaire	20250515	20250518 (WS)	[LISTEN NOW] How did the richest people on the planet make their billions?
Good Bad Billionaire	20250515		[LISTEN NOW] How did the richest people on the planet make their billions?
Good Bad Billionaire	20250515	20250518 (WS)	[LISTEN NOW] How did the richest people on the planet make their billions?
Jerry Seinfeld: The World's Richest Comedian	20240819	20250219 (WS)	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 when it ended in in 1998, but it's what came next that made the real Jerry Seinfeld mega rich – streaming and syndication. Simon Jack and Zing Tsjeng find out how transcendental meditation, a top Hollywood agent, the unexpected death of a parent and an “inability to act ? all helped drive his spectacular success, before deciding if they think he's 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 How a hit sitcom made a New York stand-up the richest comedian in history How a smash hit sitcom made a New York stand-up the richest comedian in history. Simon Jack and Zing Tsjeng learn how streaming and syndication made Jerry Seinfeld a billionaire. [LISTEN NOW]
Kiran Mazumdar-shaw: Beer, Brewing And Biotech	20240902	20250305 (WS)	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 Asia's biggest insulin producer. BBC business editor Simon Jack and journalist Zing Tsjeng follow her story, from a childhood living on a brewery compound in Bangalore to adventures in Australia and Ireland. How did Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw go from extracting enzymes from papaya fruit to mass-manufacturing medicines and being named among Time magazine's most influential people in the world? She calls herself an accidental entrepreneur; Simon and Zing decide whether they think she's 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 How India's first female self-made billionaire built a pharmaceutical empire How one woman built a pharmaceutical empire after failing to get a job brewing beer. This is the story of Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw, India's first female self-made billionaire. [LISTEN NOW]
Miuccia Prada: 'ugly Fashion'	20240805	20250205 (WS)	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 Simon Jack and journalist Zing Tsjeng explain how the Italian fashion designer turned her grandfather's shop into a fashion powerhouse. Alongside her husband, she's run her empire from Milan for over four decades, becoming known affectionately known as ‘the master of ugly'. Simon and Zing look back on her life before deciding if they think she's 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 How a communist mime artist became the boss of one of the world's biggest fashion houses How a communist mime artist became the billionaire boss of one of the world's biggest fashion houses. Miuccia Prada changed her name, then made it famous on the runway. [LISTEN NOW]
Peter Jackson: Lord Of The Films	20240812	20250212 (WS)	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 journalist Zing Tsjeng find out how a childhood obsession with movies led to a booming film industry in Jackson's homeland. From Bad Taste to King Kong and The Hobbit, he went from shooting home movies and directing low budget horror films to running a major special effects house and creating some of cinema's biggest hits. Simon and Zing look back at the life of a Wellywood legend, before deciding if they think he's good, bad, or just another billionaire. A blockbuster tale: How the Lord of the Rings director became a billionaire [LISTEN NOW]
Sam Altman: Chatgpt And The Ai Revolution	20240916	20250319 (WS)	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 his attention to artificial intelligence - being fired and re-hired by his own company in the process. Altman believes that OpenAI, with him in charge, can make the world a better place. Yet he's also preparing for the apocalypse, just in case AI turns on its creators and attacks humanity. BBC business editor Simon Jack and journalist Zing Tsjeng tell the story of Sam Altman - the first openly gay billionaire on the podcast so far - before deciding whether they think he's 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 Sam Altman made a billion investing in tech start-ups, but made his name through AI ChatGPT CEO Sam Altman made a billion dollars by investing in tech start-ups like Reddit and Airbnb. But he made his name through AI. [LISTEN NOW]
Sergey Brin: Googling Billions	20240729	20250129 (WS)	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 journalist Zing Tsjeng tell the story of the billionaire who partied on planes after escaping prejudice in Russia. Sergey Brin and his best friend Larry Page became two of history's biggest tech giants by building the planet's most popular search engine. How did their technology startup become one of the world's biggest companies? Simon and Zing find out, before deciding if they think he's 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 By founding Google, Sergey Brin helped shape the internet. He also got very, very rich By founding Google, Sergey Brin helped shape the internet. He also got very, very rich. Simon Jack and Zing Tsjeng explore how the technology giant made his billions. Find out how billionaires got so rich: are they good, bad, or just another billionaire? [LISTEN NOW]
Tiger Woods: Golf's 'golden Boy'	20240729	20250122 (WS)	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? BBC business editor Simon Jack and journalist Zing Tsjeng explain how one of the greatest golfers of all time broke barriers in his sport, winning 15 major golf championships and 82 PGA Tour events. He's an inductee into the World Golf Hall of Fame, won the Masters five times, the PGA Championship four times and both the Open and the US Open three times, as well as helping the US win the Ryder Cup. High-profile sponsorship deals and business ventures made him a billionaire, but then came affairs, car crashes and scandal. Simon and Zing track the spectacular rise of this global sporting superstar, then decide if they think he's good, bad, or just another billionaire. Golfing superstardom made Tiger Woods rich. Personal disasters nearly took it all away Golfing superstardom made him incredibly rich. Personal disasters nearly took it all away. How Tiger Woods went from a child golfing prodigy to the world's highest paid athlete. [LISTEN NOW]
Whitney Wolfe Herd: Dating App Entrepreneur	20240930	20250326 (WS)	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 Jack and journalist Zing Tsjeng follow her story from a popular student with a flair for marketing, to carving her own path in the male-dominated tech world. Owning the ‘girlboss' image, she took her company Bumble public aged just 31 with her baby 'on her hip', making her the youngest self-made female billionaire. But she wouldn't stay one for long. Simon and Zing explore her story before deciding if they think she's 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 How the woman who founded dating apps Bumble and Tinder was briefly a billionaire How Whitney Wolfe Herd, who founded dating apps Bumble and Tinder, was briefly a billionaire. [LISTEN NOW]
Zhang Yiming: Tiktok's Tech Boss	20240909	20250312 (WS)	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 company ByteDance became a multi-billion dollar business. BBC business editor Simon Jack and journalist Zing Tsjeng explore Yiming's various successes with different apps before he hit the jackpot with TikTok. Then they decide whether they think he's 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 How Chinese tech company ByteDance became a multi-billiondollar social media business [LISTEN NOW]

Good Bad Billionaire

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