logo
episode-header-image
Jun 2020
24m 15s

Diamond Wars | The Puppet Master | 2

Wondery
About this episode

It’s 1914 and De Beers’s monopoly is under threat. Diamonds have been discovered on the desolate coast of the German colony of South West Africa.

So it hired an ambitious diamond expert named Ernest Oppenheimer and gave him his orders: head to the beach and assess the threat.

But then World War One disrupts De Beers chance to do a deal with the German diamond miners. Now, Oppenheimer sees his chance to scramble to the very top of the diamond industry.

Listen ad-free on Wondery+ here 

Support us by supporting our sponsors!

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Up next
Yesterday
Flipping the Bird: Elon vs Twitter | Maximum Amazing | 1
Twitter is at a crossroads. Its founder, Jack Dorsey, has stepped down from his role as CEO. The social media heavyweight is also under fire for alleged bias, censorship, and the roving army of bot accounts wreaking havoc on the site. In this moment of crisis, the only would-be s ... Show More
29m 9s
Jul 2
Rebuilding LEGO | Brick to the Future | 2
It’s late 2003 and LEGO’s turnaround strategy has failed. It’s hurtling towards bankruptcy. Its only hope now is a three-man shadow leadership team. And they’re about to learn that the problems at LEGO go way deeper than anyone thought.Be the first to know about Wondery’s newest ... Show More
40m 8s
Jun 25
Rebuilding LEGO | A Burning Platform | 1
It’s early 1997, and after decades of success, LEGO is rocked by a sudden collapse in its profit. To recover, the Danish toy manufacturer jacks up its innovation efforts. But can it deliver a company-saving idea in time?Be the first to know about Wondery’s newest podcasts, curate ... Show More
41m 39s
Recommended Episodes
Mar 2023
La guerra de los diamantes | La fiebre de los diamantes | 1
Es 1869 y se han encontrado diamantes en la Colonia del Cabo.Ahora, buscadores de diamantes de todo el mundo se dirigen a este remoto enclave británico del sur de África en busca de una brillante fortuna.Y entre ellos hay dos aspirantes con los ojos bien abiertos: Barney Barnato, ... Show More
27m 43s
Apr 2023
Diamant: le Botswana envoie un message à De Beers
Le président du Botswana concrétise ses ambitions de voir le diamant rapporter plus à son pays : il vient de nouer un partenariat avec une entreprise belge de taille de diamant. Rebattre les cartes dans le secteur du diamant. Tel est l'objectif du président Masisi, formulé depuis ... Show More
1m 39s
Aug 2023
Building Lego | Out of the Ashes | 1
A small Danish toy company survives World War Two thanks to its quality craftsmanship, but behind the scenes all is not well. Despite its good reputation, Lego teeters on the edge of bankruptcy, and a choice to change production methods threatens to tear the family-owned company ... Show More
35m 40s
Dec 2023
Cecil Rhodes | Eureka! | 1
A sickly vicar’s son travels from England to Africa to join the diamond rush. Cecil Rhodes wants to make his fortune. But he also wants to extend the British Empire. Drama in his private life threatens to undermine both ambitions.Listen to Legacy on the Wondery App or wherever yo ... Show More
43m 35s
Nov 2023
Disruption in the diamond sector
A few years ago you could have assumed all diamonds had been dug out of the ground – but now it’s true that some of them have been created, at unbelievably high temperatures, in just a matter of weeks. In the first of two Business Daily programmes about the evolving diamond marke ... Show More
18m 1s
Jul 2023
The Disappearance of General Magic | The Pocket Crystal | 1
Almost two decades before the launch of the iPhone, Apple Executive Marc Porat launches a project to develop the world’s first smartphone. But to fulfill his ambitions, he will have to launch his own company: General Magic. There, he will assemble a team of brilliant engineers, i ... Show More
34m 33s