Good Bad Billionaire

Mining magnate Eike Batista was once Brazil’s richest person, but corruption led to his downfall. BBC business editor Simon Jack and journalist Zing Tsjeng lift the lid on a flashy and eccentric former billionaire who started out in gold mining. Batista then oversaw huge oil, gas and logistics projects but, after his investments crashed, the authorities ordered his arrest. The podcast that tells tales of titans of technology, Wall Street moguls, pop stars, sporting legends, CEOs and entrepreneurs discusses how Batista built the world’s seventh biggest personal fortune while becoming a celebrity playboy in Brazil. Then Simon and Zing decide if he is good, bad, or just another billionaire.

LeBron James was selling out basketball arenas while still in high school. At just 18, he said he was offered a $10 million cheque from Reebok - on the spot - if he agreed not to meet any other brands. It was a life-changing sum for a teenager living with his mum in the projects. But LeBron turned it down. He was willing to hedge his bets. He’s won four NBA championships, four Most Valuable Player titles, three Olympic golds, and scored more points than anyone in league history. Yet, as BBC business editor Simon Jack and journalist Zing Tsjeng reveal, most of his fortune hasn’t come from basketball. With a lifetime deal from Nike, plus investments, endorsements, and savvy business moves, LeBron has built an empire way beyond the court, becoming one of sport’s richest ever people. Good Bad Billionaire is the podcast exploring the lives of the super-rich and famous, tracking their wealth, philanthropy, business ethics and success. There are leaders who made their money in Silicon Valley, on Wall Street and in high street fashion. From iconic celebrities and CEOs to titans of technology, the podcast unravels tales of fortune, power, economics, ambition and moral responsibility, before inviting you to make up your own mind: are they good, bad or just another billionaire?

Investor Masayoshi Son became notorious for making huge bets on technology companies. He once lost 96% of his fortune, but he’s still a billionaire thanks to successes like Yahoo! and Alibaba. BBC business editor Simon Jack and journalist Zing Tsjeng tell the tale of the billionaire who founded the conglomerate SoftBank and was once, very briefly, the richest person in the world. As the child of Korean immigrants in Japan, Son’s childhood took in sharing a home with pigs, an obsession with the businessman who brought McDonald’s to Japan, and a move to study in the USA aged 16. The podcast that tells tales of titans of technology, Wall Street moguls, pop stars, sporting legends, CEOs and entrepreneurs also explain how Son overcame a diagnosis that meant he was once given just two years to live. Then Simon and Zing decide if Son is good, bad, or just another billionaire.

Telecoms magnate Strive Masiyiwa escaped kidnap to become Zimbabwe’s first billionaire. BBC business editor Simon Jack and journalist Zing Tsjeng tell Masiyiwa’s story from a youth fleeing post-colonial conflict, through education in the UK, to enormous wealth delivering mobile phone and internet technology across Africa. The podcast that tells tales of titans of technology, Wall Street moguls, pop stars, sporting legends, CEOs and entrepreneurs also details Masiyiwa’s many court battles and run-ins with Zimbabwean president Robert Mugabe. Then Simon and Zing decide if Masiyiwa is good, bad, or just another billionaire.

Former Marvel CEO & Chairman Isaac "Ike" Perlmutter brought Marvel back from the brink of ruin and helped launch the Marvel cinematic universe. He brought Iron Man, The Hulk and The Avengers to our screens, and arguably changed the future of cinema, with a fixation on franchises. BBC business editor Simon Jack and journalist Zing Tsjeng delve into Ike Perlmutter’s backstory, from arriving in the US with only $250 in his pocket to attending premieres in disguise. For more than three decades, the Marvel mogul avoided any public photos – that is, until he helped fund his buddy Donald Trump’s election campaign in 2016 and was caught on camera once more. Good Bad Billionaire is the podcast exploring the lives of the super-rich and famous, tracking their wealth, philanthropy, business ethics and success. There are leaders who made their money in Silicon Valley, on Wall Street and in high street fashion. From iconic celebrities and CEOs to titans of technology, the podcast unravels tales of fortune, power, economics, ambition and moral responsibility, before inviting you to make up your own mind: are they good, bad or just another billionaire? Audio for this episode was updated on 20 May 2025.