BBC World Service announces new podcast exploring the biggest dynasties in global business, starting with Inheritance: Samsung

A new BBC World Service podcast delves into the family dynasties behind some of the most famous names in global business. Looking behind closed doors inside the billion-dollar deals, the family power struggles and dynamics that shape global empires, season one is Inheritance: Samsung.

Each season will explore the history of one business and the family behind it, starting with the story of the global multi-billion-dollar conglomerate, best known for its technology, Samsung.

Everyone’s heard of Samsung: more than a billion people have one of their smartphones. Told over 10 episodes, Inheritance: Samsung is the story 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 have shaped not just the company but South Korea’s economy.

For most of Samsung’s history, the ruling Lee family has been all but untouchable – too important to the country’s economy to be damaged, let alone fail. But when the company’s pioneering chairman has a heart attack, his heir is pushed into the spotlight. The complex manoeuvring to secure his fragile succession re-opens old family wounds, prompts one of the biggest scandals in South Korea’s history, and – eventually – helps bring down a president.

Inheritance: Samsung is hosted by award-winning journalist, author and podcaster Elise Hu. Elise was Seoul bureau chief for American public broadcaster NPR and worked in the South Korean capital for four years. She now hosts Ted Talks Daily, the flagship daily podcast from TED.

Each season, our journalists scour the archives, comb through the memoirs and pick experienced observers to take listeners inside these dynasties, recreating, as faithfully as we can, the pivotal moments.

In Inheritance: Samsung, we hear from Geoffrey Cain, author of the book ‘Samsung Rising’; Jake Kwon, BBC reporter in Seoul; Jaeyeon Lee, a reporter with South Korean newspaper Hankyoreh; and Dr Sojin Lim, from the University of Lancashire.

Elise Hu, host of Inheritance: Samsung, says: “This real-life, international succession story has everything: bribery, romance, theme parks… and even show horses. The twists and turns are almost too far-fetched to believe. But it all happened, and I’m thrilled to share this incredible true story with listeners around the world.”

Jon Manel, Commissioning Editor, BBC World Service says: “There are some truly remarkable family firms which have grown in a way that the original founders could never have imagined – and this podcast is all about telling the stories of the businesses and the families behind them. In the first season of Inheritance, about Samsung, Elise Hu brilliantly takes us behind the scenes at this massive global firm, with the fascinating story of the Lee family. We learn so much about them and Samsung, and also about South Korea.”

A second season of the podcast has been commissioned and is already in production.

Inheritance: Samsung, is available from Monday 23 March. There are ten episodes.

Inheritance: Samsung is a BBC Long Form Audio production for the BBC World Service.