Billionaire Biographies

Episode 20 - The House of Gucci: A Tale of Glamour and Blood

The Gucci name is a global symbol of luxury, elegance, and Italian craftsmanship. But behind the iconic double-G logo lies a dark family history of greed, betrayal, and, ultimately, murder. This episode tells the sensational story of how the Gucci family built a fashion empire and then tore itself apart in a Shakespearian saga of jealousy and ambition. We chronicle the company’s rise from a single leather goods shop in Florence to a global status symbol under the leadership of Aldo Gucci.
We then delve into the bitter family infighting that defined a generation, as cousins and brothers sued each other for control of the company, leading to scandals involving tax evasion and public humiliation. The conflict culminated in the story of Maurizio Gucci, the grandson of the founder, and his ex-wife, Patrizia Reggiani. We recount their whirlwind romance, their extravagant lifestyle, and the bitter divorce that followed after Maurizio left her for a younger woman and sold his stake in the family business.
The story reaches its shocking climax in 1995, when Maurizio Gucci was gunned down on the steps of his Milan office. We follow the police investigation that eventually exposed a plot orchestrated by a jealous Patrizia, who had hired a hitman to murder her ex-husband. It is a cautionary tale about how a family's name can become both a source of immense fortune and a catalyst for its own destruction.

Episode 21 - Howard Hughes: The Aviator in Isolation

Before he was a recluse, Howard Hughes was one of the most famous and daring men in America. Inheriting a fortune from his father's revolutionary oil drill bit, Hughes funneled his wealth into his two great passions: aviation and filmmaking. This episode chronicles the early life of the dashing, fearless Hughes, who directed Hollywood epics like Hell's Angels, dated screen legends, and personally set world air-speed records in planes of his own design. He was a national hero, a symbol of American ingenuity and courage.
We explore his relentless ambition and his willingness to risk his own life to push the boundaries of technology, culminating in a near-fatal crash of a spy plane he was testing for the U.S. military. This was Hughes at his peak: a handsome, brilliant, and unpredictable industrialist who captivated the public imagination. We examine the innovative spirit that drove him to build a business empire that spanned from TWA airlines to major defense contracts. His obsession with perfection and his disregard for cost were the hallmarks of his genius.
But beneath the surface of the celebrated aviator and playboy, a darker side was beginning to emerge. The obsessive-compulsive tendencies and the deep-seated paranoia that would later consume him were already taking root. This is the story of Howard Hughes before he disappeared from the world, when he was still its master.

Episode 22 - The Madness of Howard Hughes: Pills, Power, and Paranoia

How does one of the richest, most famous men in the world simply vanish? This episode delves into the dark and bizarre final decades of Howard Hughes’s life, as he descended into a self-imposed prison of germs, drugs, and extreme paranoia. We chronicle his retreat from public life, as he moved from one hotel penthouse to another, living in blacked-out, sterilized rooms and communicating with his staff only through memos. His business empire, worth billions, was run by executives who often hadn't seen their boss in years.
We expose the sad and disturbing reality of his existence, ruled by his crippling obsessive-compulsive disorder and a growing addiction to codeine and painkillers. We investigate the shadowy group of aides, known as the "Mormon Mafia," who controlled all access to Hughes, isolating him from the outside world and raising questions about whether they were his caretakers or his captors. His once-brilliant mind became consumed with elaborate, nonsensical procedures, from using endless boxes of tissues to writing detailed instructions on how to open a can of peaches.
Ultimately, we examine how a man with the power to buy anything lost control of his own mind and body. The story of Hughes's final years is a haunting cautionary tale about the isolating nature of extreme wealth and the devastating effects of mental illness. When he died, the once-handsome hero was an emaciated, unrecognizable figure, a ghost of the man he used to be.

Episode 23 - J. Paul Getty: The Richest, Stingiest Man in the World

Paul Getty, the founder of Getty Oil, was the richest man in the world during his time, and quite possibly the most frugal. This episode explores the legendary and pathological stinginess of a man who built a colossal fortune in the oil industry and then hoarded it with a miser's zeal. We trace his rise, from his early wildcatting days to his masterful investments during the Great Depression, which allowed him to build a global empire while others went bankrupt.
His reputation for frugality became infamous, from installing a payphone in his mansion for guests to his meticulous haggling over every expense. But his cheapness took a dark and notorious turn in 1973 when his grandson, John Paul Getty III, was kidnapped in Rome. When the kidnappers demanded a $17 million ransom, the billionaire stunningly refused to pay, reasoning that it would only encourage the kidnapping of his other grandchildren. He negotiated with the kidnappers for months, even after they mailed his grandson's severed ear to a newspaper. He only relented when the ransom was reduced to about $3 million, and even then, he loaned the money to his son at interest.
This episode delves into the psychology of a man who valued money above all else, including his own family. J. Paul Getty's story is an extreme and chilling look at the corrupting influence of wealth. It forces us to consider the point at which financial prudence becomes moral bankruptcy.

Episode 24 - Aristotle Onassis: The Shipping Magnate Who Married the World

Aristotle Onassis, a Greek refugee who arrived in Argentina with less than $100, built a shipping empire and became one of the most glamorous and powerful figures of the 20th century. This episode charts the incredible rise of a man who used charm, cunning, and ruthless ambition to conquer the world of international shipping. We explore how he masterfully exploited the post-war demand for oil tankers, building a massive fleet that made him one of the richest men on Earth.
But Onassis's true genius was in cultivating an aura of power and mystique. He wasn't just a businessman; he was a global celebrity who hosted world leaders and Hollywood stars on his legendary yacht, the Christina O. We delve into his famous love affairs, including his long-running relationship with opera diva Maria Callas and his shocking marriage to Jacqueline Kennedy, the widow of the assassinated U.S. president. This marriage was his ultimate acquisition, a union that cemented his place in the global elite and offered him a shield of legitimacy and glamour.
This is the story of a man who understood that true power wasn't just about owning assets, but about owning the spotlight. Onassis used his immense wealth to craft a larger-than-life persona, becoming a modern Greek titan whose influence was felt in boardrooms, ballrooms, and the highest corridors of power. His life was a masterclass in turning money into myth.

Episode 25 - William Randolph Hearst: The Real Citizen Kane

Long before the term "media mogul" existed, there was William Randolph Hearst. This episode explores the life of the newspaper magnate who pioneered yellow journalism and built an empire that could start wars and shape the course of American history. We chronicle his rise, using his family's mining fortune to create a nationwide chain of sensationalist newspapers that prioritized eye-catching headlines and dramatic stories over factual reporting.
At the heart of our story is Hearst's role in fomenting the Spanish-American War. We expose how his papers, particularly the New York Journal, relentlessly agitated for U.S. intervention in Cuba with lurid, often fabricated, stories of Spanish atrocities. His famous, though likely apocryphal, telegram to an illustrator—"You furnish the pictures and I'll furnish the war"—perfectly captured his philosophy that the press didn't just report the news, it created it. He demonstrated that a media empire, in the hands of one ambitious man, could be a powerful tool of propaganda.
We also journey to his opulent California estate, Hearst Castle, a monument to his immense wealth and ego. The story of Hearst, who served as the direct inspiration for Orson Welles' film Citizen Kane, is a profound lesson in the power and the peril of a centralized media. He proved that the man who controls the narrative, controls the country.

Episode 26 - Richard Branson: The Rebel Billionaire

Richard Branson has built a global empire under the Virgin brand, all while carefully cultivating an image as the "rebel billionaire." This episode deconstructs the myth of the swashbuckling, anti-establishment entrepreneur to reveal the savvy marketing genius beneath. We trace his journey from a student magazine publisher and founder of a small record store to the head of a sprawling conglomerate that includes an airline, a mobile phone company, and a space tourism venture.
We analyze Branson's unique approach to business, where the brand itself—synonymous with fun, adventure, and a cheeky disregard for the rules—is the primary asset. His high-profile publicity stunts, from attempting to cross the Atlantic in a hot-air balloon to his casual, tieless attire, were all calculated moves to differentiate Virgin from its more conservative competitors. We explore how he used this "rebel" persona as a powerful weapon, allowing him to enter crowded markets and present his companies as the cool, underdog alternative. He wasn't just selling a product; he was selling an attitude.
But is the rebel persona just a brilliant marketing gimmick? We look beyond the stunts to examine the shrewd, and at times ruthless, businessman who built a multi-billion-dollar fortune. This is the story of how Richard Branson branded rebellion and sold it to the masses.

Episode 27 - Ted Turner: The Mouth of the South and the CNN Revolution

In 1980, the idea of a 24-hour television news network was considered a joke, a "Chicken Noodle Network" destined to fail. This episode tells the story of Ted Turner, the brash, bombastic, and visionary media mogul who proved everyone wrong with the launch of CNN. We trace Turner’s career, from inheriting his father’s billboard company to building a broadcasting empire in Atlanta that earned him the nickname "The Mouth of the South."
We take you inside the chaotic and uncertain early days of CNN, a high-stakes gamble that stretched Turner's finances to the breaking point. We reveal how the network's ability to cover events like the attempted assassination of President Reagan and the Challenger disaster in real-time fundamentally changed our relationship with the news. Turner didn't just create a new channel; he created the relentless, never-ending news cycle that defines our modern world. He transformed news from a scheduled appointment into a constant, unfolding drama.
Beyond CNN, we explore the eccentric and often contradictory personality of Turner himself—a fierce capitalist who became the United Nations' largest single donor and a vocal environmentalist. His story is a testament to the power of a single, audacious idea in the hands of an entrepreneur who refused to be told something was impossible. He didn't just report the world; he wired it together.

Episode 28 - Larry Ellison: Silicon Valley's Samurai

Larry Ellison, the co-founder of Oracle Corporation, is one of Silicon Valley’s most enduring and controversial figures. This episode delves into the mind of a man known for his brilliant technological vision, his extravagant lifestyle, and his notoriously aggressive "win-at-all-costs" business philosophy. We trace his journey from a college dropout to the head of a software behemoth that became the backbone of global business.
We expose the ruthless tactics Oracle used to dominate the database market, from an ultra-competitive sales culture to a reputation for vaporware—announcing products that didn't exist to freeze out competitors. Ellison modeled his business strategy on the code of the samurai, viewing the corporate world as a battlefield where one either conquers or is conquered. This philosophy alienated rivals and regulators but made Oracle a fearsome and wildly profitable powerhouse. We also explore his larger-than-life persona, from his fleet of yachts and private jets to his purchase of an entire Hawaiian island.
Larry Ellison's story is a quintessential Silicon Valley tale of brains, ambition, and ego. He represents a brand of hyper-competitive capitalism that shaped the software industry for decades. This is an inside look at the man who saw business not as a game, but as war.

Episode 29 - The Hunt Brothers: Cornering the Silver Market

For a brief moment in 1980, two Texas oil heirs, Nelson Bunker Hunt and William Herbert Hunt, came perilously close to cornering the entire global silver market. This episode tells the incredible story of one of the most audacious financial gambles in history. Driven by a deep distrust of paper money and a belief that inflation would spiral out of control, the Hunt brothers began quietly buying up massive quantities of physical silver and silver futures contracts.
We unravel the complex financial maneuvering they used to amass a hoard of silver so large—estimated to be over 100 million ounces—that they personally controlled a significant portion of the world's supply. Their buying frenzy drove the price of silver from $6 an ounce to a record high of nearly $50, creating a global panic. They were on the verge of pulling off an unprecedented feat of market manipulation, holding the world's financial system hostage. But the establishment, from federal regulators to the jewelry giant Tiffany & Co., fought back.
We recount the dramatic climax on "Silver Thursday," when a change in exchange rules and a collapse in prices triggered a margin call the Hunts could not meet, bringing them to the brink of a multi-billion-dollar bankruptcy. Their failure sent shockwaves through the financial system and served as a stark warning about the dangers of unchecked speculation. It is a story of extreme wealth, ideological fervor, and a gamble so big it almost broke the world.