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PODCAST

Billionaire Biographies

Behind every billion-dollar fortune is a story they don’t want told. Billionaire Biographies is the definitive podcast that uncovers the real lives of the titans who have shaped our world for the last one hundred years—from the robber barons of the Gilded Age to the tech gods of Silicon Valley. We go beyond the sanitized myths and official histories to expose the ambition, the genius, and the brutal tactics that built the world’s greatest empires. This isn"t a celebration of wealth; it"s an

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All Episodes

24:34

Episode 100 - Conclusion: The Next 100 Years of...

Billionaire Biographies ·

2025/10/13

In our final episode, we look back at the century of wealth we've explored and look forward to the century to come. We synthesize the key themes of our series: the evolution of power from industrial muscle to financial engineering to data and algorithms. We trace the recurring patterns of monopoly, disruption, scandal, and the constant, often-successful, effort by the ultra-wealthy to translate their economic power into political influence. We then turn our eyes to the future. Who will be the

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25:38

Episode 99 - The Crypto Billionaires: The Boom and...

Billionaire Biographies ·

2025/10/13

The rise of cryptocurrencies created a new, wild-west frontier of wealth, minting a generation of overnight, digital-native billionaires. This episode dives into the volatile world of crypto, focusing on some of its most prominent and controversial figures. We profile Changpeng Zhao ("CZ"), the founder of the world's largest crypto exchange, Binance, who built a massive, unregulated financial empire before facing intense scrutiny and legal trouble from governments around the world. The centerpiece

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30:34

Episode 98 - Sara Blakely and the Rise of Spanx

Billionaire Biographies ·

2025/10/13

In the late 1990s, Sara Blakely, a fax machine salesperson, had an idea for a new kind of undergarment but only $5,000 in savings to her name. This episode tells the incredible story of how she turned that idea into Spanx, a billion-dollar global brand, without ever taking a dime of outside investment. We follow her scrappy, relentless journey as she navigated the male-dominated worlds of manufacturing and venture capital, facing constant rejection but refusing to give up on her vision. We explore

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31:10

Episode 97 - MacKenzie Scott: The Philanthropist Who...

Billionaire Biographies ·

2025/10/13

In 2019, MacKenzie Scott's divorce from Jeff Bezos left her with a fortune of over $35 billion, making her one of the richest women in the world. This episode tells the story of what she did next, embarking on one of the most rapid and revolutionary philanthropic sprees in history. We explore her decision to sign the Giving Pledge and her commitment to give away the majority of her wealth "until the safe is empty." We analyze her unique and disruptive approach to philanthropy. Instead of creating a

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20:04

Episode 96 - Oprah Winfrey: From Talk Show Host to...

Billionaire Biographies ·

2025/10/13

Oprah Winfrey’s story is one of the most remarkable and inspiring in modern American history. This episode chronicles her journey from a childhood of poverty and trauma to becoming the queen of daytime television and the first Black female billionaire in America. We explore the revolutionary impact of The Oprah Winfrey Show, which transformed the talk show format from a spectacle of conflict into a platform for empathy, self-improvement, and authentic connection. We then analyze her brilliant

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35:29

Episode 95 - Legacy and Lies: Is Great Wealth Ever...

Billionaire Biographies ·

2025/10/13

After ninety-four episodes exploring the lives of billionaires, we pause to ask a fundamental question: is it possible for any great fortune to be truly "clean"? This special thematic episode examines the concept of "primitive accumulation," the idea that behind every massive fortune lies a great crime, a forgotten injustice, or a hidden exploitation. We revisit the stories from our series, connecting the dots between the different eras of wealth creation. We draw a line from the monopolistic

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26:18

Episode 94 - The Casino Kings: Sheldon Adelson and...

Billionaire Biographies ·

2025/10/13

The casino industry creates billionaires who wield a unique and potent form of political power. This episode focuses on the two titans who transformed Las Vegas and Macau and used their fortunes to become kingmakers in American politics: Sheldon Adelson and Steve Wynn. We explore how Adelson, the founder of Las Vegas Sands, revolutionized the industry with his focus on conventions and his massive expansion into Asia, becoming one of the largest donors to the Republican party, single-handedly

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38:30

Episode 93 - The Arms Dealers: Adnan Khashoggi and...

Billionaire Biographies ·

2025/10/13

While some billionaires build empires, others profit from their destruction. This episode enters the shadowy world of international arms dealing, focusing on two of its most notorious figures: Adnan Khashoggi and Viktor Bout. We first profile Khashoggi, the lavish Saudi arms dealer of the 1970s and 80s who brokered massive weapons deals between the United States and the Saudi monarchy, living a life of unimaginable opulence and becoming a central figure in the Iran-Contra affair. We then descend

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26:51

Episode 92 - Martin Shkreli: The Pharma Bro We Loved...

Billionaire Biographies ·

2025/10/13

In 2015, a smirking hedge fund manager named Martin Shkreli became the most hated man in America. This episode tells the story of the infamous "Pharma Bro," who sparked a national outrage when his company acquired the rights to a life-saving drug, Daraprim, and immediately raised its price by over 5,000%, from $13.50 to $750 a pill. We explore the unapologetic greed and the troll-like public persona that Shkreli adopted in the face of widespread condemnation. We analyze the business model of a man

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36:01

Episode 91 - Travis Kalanick and the Toxic Culture of...

Billionaire Biographies ·

2025/10/13

Uber was one of the fastest-growing and most disruptive startups in history, a company that waged war on the taxi industry and changed how we move through cities. This episode tells the story of its co-founder and former CEO, the brilliant but deeply controversial Travis Kalanick. We explore the aggressive, "win-at-all-costs" mentality that he instilled in the company, a philosophy that prioritized growth above all else, including, at times, the law. We delve into the series of scandals that defined

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20:30

Episode 90 - Elizabeth Holmes: The Blood Unicorn of...

Billionaire Biographies ·

2025/10/13

Elizabeth Holmes was hailed as the "next Steve Jobs," a visionary who promised to revolutionize healthcare with a device that could run hundreds of medical tests on a single drop of blood. This episode tells the story of Theranos, the company she founded, and the massive, multi-billion-dollar fraud she perpetrated. We trace her journey as a Stanford dropout who, with her distinctive black turtleneck and deep voice, captivated investors, board members, and the media. We expose the shocking truth that

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27:16

Episode 89 - The Cult of We: WeWork, Adam Neumann,...

Billionaire Biographies ·

2025/10/13

WeWork was supposed to be the future of work, a real estate company with a mission to "elevate the world's consciousness." This episode tells the story of its meteoric rise and spectacular fall, focusing on its charismatic, cult-like founder, Adam Neumann. We explore how Neumann used his messianic salesmanship to convince savvy investors, most notably SoftBank's Masayoshi Son, that his office-leasing company was actually a revolutionary tech company worth an astonishing $47 billion. We delve into

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25:05

Episode 88 - Robert Maxwell: The Tycoon Who Robbed...

Billionaire Biographies ·

2025/10/13

Robert Maxwell was a larger-than-life media mogul, a former member of Parliament, and the great rival to Rupert Murdoch in the British newspaper world. This episode tells the story of the flamboyant, bullying, and deeply corrupt tycoon who built a publishing empire that included the Daily Mirror. We explore his dramatic life, from his escape from the Nazis as a Czech refugee to his rise as a celebrated, if feared, figure in British society. The empire came crashing down after his mysterious death in

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34:34

Episode 87 - Jeffrey Epstein: The Billionaire...

Billionaire Biographies ·

2025/10/13

Jeffrey Epstein was a man of immense wealth, but the true source of his fortune remains a mystery. This episode delves into the dark world of the financier who used his money and his powerful connections to run a vast international sex trafficking ring preying on underage girls. We investigate the origins of his wealth, his close relationship with retail billionaire Leslie Wexner, and the aura of legitimacy he cultivated by surrounding himself with the global elite, from presidents and prime

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28:53

Episode 86 - The Sackler Family: The Dynasty That...

Billionaire Biographies ·

2025/10/13

The Sackler name was once emblazoned on the world's most prestigious museums and universities, a symbol of philanthropic grace. This episode exposes the dark secret behind that fortune: the family's private ownership of Purdue Pharma, the company that developed, deceptively marketed, and profited from the highly addictive painkiller OxyContin. We tell the story of the three Sackler brothers who built a medical advertising empire, and how two of them used that expertise to unleash a public health

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35:05

Episode 85 - Prince Alwaleed bin Talal: The Saudi...

Billionaire Biographies ·

2025/10/13

For decades, Prince Alwaleed bin Talal was the international face of Saudi finance, a globe-trotting investor who cultivated an image as the "Warren Buffett of the Middle East." This episode charts the rise of the flamboyant prince, who used his royal connections to build a massive investment portfolio through his company, Kingdom Holding. We explore his high-profile stakes in iconic Western companies like Citicorp, Apple, and the Four Seasons hotel chain, which made him a fixture on the global

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31:58

Episode 84 - The House of Saud: The World's Richest,...

Billionaire Biographies ·

2025/10/13

The House of Saud is not just a family; it is a state, a dynasty that controls the vast oil reserves of Saudi Arabia and the holy sites of Islam. This episode explores the collective, trillion-dollar fortune of the Saudi royal family, a level of wealth so immense it blurs the line between a personal and a national treasury. We trace the family's rise to power and the historic 1945 deal with the United States that granted them security in exchange for access to their oil, a pact that would shape

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24:41

Episode 83 - Li Ka-shing: The Hong Kong Superman

Billionaire Biographies ·

2025/10/13

Li Ka-shing, known in Hong Kong as "Superman" for his legendary business acumen, is one of the most influential tycoons in Asia. This episode tells his classic rags-to-riches story, from his arrival in Hong Kong as a penniless refugee fleeing mainland China to his start as a plastic flower manufacturer. We trace his incredible rise as he built a sprawling global empire in real estate, ports, retail, and utilities, becoming a symbol of Hong Kong's post-war economic miracle. We dissect his investment

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25:06

Episode 82 - Jack Ma: The Rise and Disappearance of...

Billionaire Biographies ·

2025/10/13

For years, Jack Ma was the charismatic and outspoken face of Chinese capitalism, a beloved figure who went from a humble English teacher to the founder of the e-commerce giant Alibaba. This episode chronicles the incredible rise of a man who brought the internet to China and built a business empire that rivaled Amazon. We explore his unique, performance-driven leadership style and his vision of creating the digital infrastructure for commerce in the world's most populous nation. We then delve into

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27:50

Episode 81 - Mukesh Ambani: The Prince of India's...

Billionaire Biographies ·

2025/10/13

In India, one family name is synonymous with staggering wealth and political power: Ambani. This episode tells the story of Mukesh Ambani, the man who inherited his father's industrial conglomerate, Reliance Industries, and built it into a corporate behemoth that touches every aspect of Indian life. We trace the epic family feud with his brother, Anil, that followed their father’s death, a battle that split the empire in two and captivated the nation. Mukesh emerged with control of the core oil and

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