Bonus: Introducing Inheritance: Samsung

Bonus: Introducing Inheritance: Samsung

Author: BBC World Service April 11, 2026 Duration: 26:00
Business Daily
Business

When the Samsung Chairman has a heart attack, his heir is pushed into the spotlight. The complex manoeuvring to secure his succession re-opens old family wounds, prompts one of the biggest scandals in South Korea’s history, and – eventually – helps to bring down a President.

Everyone’s heard of Samsung: more than a billion people have one of their smartphones . This is the drama behind the tech giant that changed the world.

From a fruit and vegetable store to a global empire, Samsung’s story is more than business—it’s an epic family saga. Behind the success lies a dynasty driven by ambition, wealth, tradition and rivalries, where power struggles shaped not just the company but South Korea’s economy.

In this brand-new 10-part series from the BBC World Service, we take you behind closed doors- inside the billion-dollar deals and the family power struggles that shape global empires. When your relatives are also your business partners, every decision is personal. In these dynasties, the boardroom isn’t just about profit - it’s about survival.

You can hear episode 1 right here but for the whole series search "Inheritance: Samsung" wherever you get your podcasts.

Host: Elise Hu

Producers: Simon Tulett and Sally Abrahams

Fact-checkers: Matt Toulson and Su-Min Hwang

Music: Thomas Ross Fitzsimons

Mixing and sound design: Charlie Brandon-King.

Series Editor: Matt Willis

With special thanks to Geoffrey Cain, Sojin Lim, Jaeyeon Lee, Jake Kwon and, also, Mary Wilkinson.

Senior Commissioning Producer: Sarah Green

Commissioning Editor: Jon Manel

Inheritance is a BBC Long Form Audio Production


Behind the headlines and market numbers, there’s a human story. Business Daily from the BBC World Service digs into those stories, exploring how the forces of money and work shape lives and communities across the globe. This isn't just a recap of financial news; it’s about the tangible impact of economic decisions, from a factory floor in Vietnam to a tech startup in Nairobi. Each episode focuses on a single, compelling narrative, offering a clear and thorough examination of how business and economics function in the real world. You’ll hear directly from the people involved-entrepreneurs facing unexpected hurdles, workers adapting to new industries, and analysts deciphering local trends with global consequences. The reporting is grounded and precise, reflecting the BBC’s commitment to depth and clarity. By focusing on the daily drama inherent in our economic systems, this podcast makes the vast subject of business feel immediate and personal. Tune in for a thoughtful perspective that connects economic concepts to everyday reality, providing a deeper understanding of the world through the lens of commerce and labor.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 100

Official website RSS
Business Daily
Podcast Episodes
After Liberation Day: Who is footing the tariffs bill? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 17:48
For nearly 12 months, a raft of import duties - tariffs - have made it much more expensive to ship consumer goods into the United States. They have shaken up global trade and according to the Federal Reserve, significant…
Mighty Patch founder Ju Rhyu [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 17:17
We meet the founder of Hero Cosmetics, the brand behind Mighty Patch, a skin patch that's designed to improve the appearance of acne. Patches like these have become increasingly mainstream. We hear how Ju Rhyu went from…
No suits, four-day weeks: Asia's energy crunch [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 17:27
With a state of emergency in the Philippines and a series of four-day working weeks and fuel rationing across many countries, the global energy crisis caused by the war in Iran is wreaking havoc on Asia's economies.We lo…
ICE: Is it chilling the US economy? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 17:28
Last year, around 4000 federal officers were deployed in Minneapolis in a major immigration crackdown.Local firms say the resulting upheaval and protests didn’t just disrupt local people’s lives, they also damaged the ec…
Could the Arctic rewrite global trade? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 17:28
We explore the potential and the challenges for Arctic shipping. As global warming causes sea ice to retreat, passages are opening up through this vast frozen Arctic Ocean. We explore what these routes are, who’s using t…
Can Cuba turn its economy around? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 17:28
Cuba is in the grip of a deep economic crisis. The country’s communist government says it will open up the struggling economy to greater private investment in an effort to tackle it. But will these reforms be enough? And…
The struggle to find care that sparked a business [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 17:29
We meet Chika Madubuko, the founder and CEO of Greymate Care, an online platform that connects people that need support with professional caregivers in Nigeria. It’s a business that was born in 2016 after her family stru…
Oil crisis lessons from Iran to Kuwait [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 17:17
As the world faces another energy crisis, what can past shocks teach us? We look back at earlier oil crises to understand how conflict has disrupted global supply - and what that means for markets today. We hear from a f…
The cost of calling home [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 17:28
If you’re living thousands of miles from home, how do you keep in touch, especially when your loved ones don’t have reliable internet? There’s a growing market across Africa and beyond for apps helping to cut the costs o…
Germany turns to India for skilled workers [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 17:28
Germany is in the throes of a demographic crisis, in which there are not enough young people entering the labour market to replace those who are retiring. There is an annual net loss of 400,000 to the workforce and the s…

«12345678910»