BBC World Service podcast Good Bad Billionaire is back with a new season, and for the first time listeners are being asked to cast their verdicts on the world’s richest.
The show, hosted by BBC Business Editor Simon Jack and journalist and author Zing Tsjeng, investigates how billionaires built their wealth, tracing their journey from nothing to millions, then to billions.
Each episode questions whether they should be seen as good, bad, or simply another billionaire.
This season features a mix of famous names and lesser-known stories, including Arnold Schwarzenegger, Russia’s richest woman Tatyana Kim, Snapchat founder Evan Spiegel, Spanx creator Sara Blakely, entrepreneur Ronnie Screwvala and businesswoman Diane Hendricks.
The line-up places a spotlight on women who have made it big in industries where male billionaires have often dominated.
Presenter Zing Tsjeng said: “We have some fascinating stories coming up in this season of Good Bad Billionaire, from Arnie to Snapchat founder Evan Spiegel, to Ronnie Screwvala. And I’m excited that this season, we’re featuring so many women.
“Tatyana Kim’s story from teacher to Russia’s first self-made female billionaire is incredible; we’ve also got building entrepreneur Diane Hendricks and the founder of Spanx Sara Blakely among others.”
Simon Jack added: “This season we’re particularly interested in what listeners think of the billionaires we’re covering, and the feedback we’ve got so far has given Zing and I some extra insight into what people think of the super-rich.
“We’ve got some quite divisive figures coming up this season and I’ll be really keen to hear what people make of them once they’ve heard the full story of their rise to the top.”
Episodes of Good Bad Billionaire will be released weekly from 6 October on BBC Sounds in the UK and on BBC platforms worldwide. International listeners can also subscribe to BBC Podcasts Premium on Apple Podcasts to hear episodes a week early.
