logo
episode-header-image
Jul 2022
10m 35s

Billionaire Bashing

Bbc Radio 4
About this episode

Zoe Strimpel argues that wealth creation should be the bedrock of politics.

She says that while she loathes the arrogance sometimes displayed by the super rich - especially in the present climate where millions are sinking into poverty - it's not billionaires who are the problem. 'My view is that we need not fewer billionaires but more, the richer the better,' she writes. 'In fact, the more rich people the better'.

Hatred of billionaires, she believes, is perplexing at a time when government can't, or won't, fill huge gaps in funding.

Producer: Adele Armstrong Sound: Peter Bosher Production coordinator: Gemma Ashman Editor: Richard Fenton-Smith.

Up next
Mar 2025
Our Revels Now Are Ended
Howard Jacobson reflects on the radio essay, after almost two decades of A Point of View.With nods to Clive James, body-pierced baritones and with a plentiful supply of svelte notebooks, Howard explains why he believes the radio essay is 'more than words on paper'...why it captur ... Show More
10m 26s
Mar 2025
How History Begins Again
The celebrated American theorist, Francis Fukuyama, in his book 'The End of History and the Last Man' argued that US-style liberalism was the ultimate destination for all mankind, 'the final form of human government'.John Gray explains why he believes his prophecy has been turned ... Show More
10m 18s
Mar 2025
Elbows Up: Canada v Trump
After Donald Trump proposed that Canada could be consumed as America's 51st State, Adam Gopnik reflects on his homeland's history with the United States and Canada's new-found patriotic toughness - and how it differs from nationalism. 'It’s is only a little startling, though very ... Show More
10m 36s
Recommended Episodes
Aug 2023
Introducing... Good Bad Billionaire
Coming Tuesday 29th August... The podcast that finds out how the richest people on the planet made their billions, and then they judges them for it. Are they good, bad, or just another billionaire? Each episode BBC business editor Simon Jack and journalist and podcaster Zing Tsje ... Show More
2m 4s
Jun 2023
The Spectrum of Wealth
Chris Rock joked that Bill Gates would jump out the window if he woke up with Oprah’s money. Like most comedy, it’s funny because it contains a nugget of truth. There is no objective level of wealth -- everything is just relative to something, or someone, else. That means a billi ... Show More
12m 6s
Jun 2021
Rich and frugal?
Why do some of the super rich describe themselves as frugal? Is it something about the inner psyche that makes us natural savers or spenders? Elizabeth Hotson speaks to Dolly Parton, who despite earning millions, doesn’t particularly enjoy spending it. We also hear from Karam Hin ... Show More
18m 35s
Dec 2023
Michael Bloomberg: Market master
How did being fired from Wall Street lead Michael Bloomberg to a $96 billion fortune and a failed presidential campaign? Journalist Zing Tsjeng and BBC business editor Simon Jack try to understand this man of contradictions. A brash playboy and thoughtful data nerd, a lifelong De ... Show More
49m 3s
Apr 2021
Barbara Amiel: What do the super-rich owe the rest of the world?
The proportion of wealth owned by a super-rich elite continues to grow in societies around the world. The glaring disparity between the 'have-mosts' and the 'have-nothings' has fuelled a wave of political anger. Stephen Sackur speaks to the former newspaper columnist, editor, and ... Show More
23m 56s
Sep 2023
Rihanna: Turning beauty into billions
How did pop star Rihanna become the richest-ever person from Barbados? Simon Jack and Zing Tsjeng explain, and then decide if she's good, bad, or just another billionaire.In the podcast that uncovers how the world's 2,668 billionaires made their money and asks if they are good or ... Show More
35m 13s
Dec 2015
The Greed Of The Poor
Poor people with a poor mindset have convinced themselves that the rich get that way by being greedy. The truth is that the most successful and wealthy people on earth got there by having a generous spirit. This week we’ll talk with Josh and Lisa Lannon (The Social Capitalist) ab ... Show More
46m 40s
Nov 2023
Bill Gates: Software hardman
Microsoft boss Bill Gates spent more than a decade as the richest person in the world, after becoming the youngest self-made billionaire in history.Journalist Zing Tsjeng and BBC business editor Simon Jack follow his journey from venerated, nerdy entrepreneur to ruthless monopoli ... Show More
1 h
Mar 2024
Bonus: Good Bad Billionaire
In this special episode, Ed Butler brings you a podcast from our friends at Good Bad Billionaire. In the series, presenters Simon Jack and Zing Tseng find out how the richest people on the planet made their billions, and then they judge them. Are they good, bad, or just another b ... Show More
58m 19s