When you’re born into a powerful business dynasty, what comes first: the family or the firm? And when it comes to passing on control, who gets the top job? Inheritance explores the family dramas behind some of the world's biggest businesses.
In this 10-part series from the BBC World Service, we look behind closed doors- inside the billion-dollar deals and the family power struggles that shape global empires.
Latest season: Fiat. The Agnelli family is the equivalent of Italian royalty. Its influence extends far beyond business into politics, sport, culture and Italy's national identity. But when the family is hit by a series of tragedies, it causes a fracture that will echo down the generations.
Previously on Inheritance: Samsung. 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.
Fiat has been at the heart of Italy’s industrial, economic and cultural life for more than a hundred years. It’s woven into its fabric. But its success is now under threat - and the country’s most powerful business family is locked in a battle for control.
Hit by a series of tragedies and buffeted by political winds, which members of the Agnelli family will succeed in steering the huge conglomerate and guarantee its commercial future?
Presenter: Sofia Bettiza
Series producer: Simon Tulett
Producer: Bob Howard
Fact-checkers: Adriana Urbano and Randa Darwish
Music: Thomas Ross Fitzsimons
Sound engineer: Richard Hannaford
Series editor: Matt Willis
With special thanks to Jennifer Clark, Michele Masneri, Rachel Sanderson, Andrea Colli, and, also, Octavia Woodward.
Senior commissioning producer: Sarah Green
Commissioning editor: Jon Manel
Inheritance is a BBC Long Form Audio production
18 May 2026
10. The good son
Samsung faces an uncertain future after its chairman, JY Lee, is jailed. In the final part of the series, Samsung is uncharted territory. The company – and the family – must survive.
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.
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 Mary Wilkinson
Senior commissioning producer: Sarah Green
Commissioning editor: Jon Manel
Inheritance is a BBC Long Form Audio production
11 May 2026
9. Leverage
JY Lee steps into the biggest role of his life, but quickly learns the role comes with added complications. Will a deal struck with the South Korean President, or a faulty new phone model, destroy his chairmanship before it’s really begun?
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.
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 Mary Wilkinson
Senior commissioning producer: Sarah Green
Commissioning editor: Jon Manel
Inheritance is a BBC Long Form Audio production
4 May 2026
8. Scapegoat
An old feud comes back to haunt the Lee family. A seed sown decades ago blossoms into a fraternal battle, putting the carefully planned succession at risk. But it’s not the only front on which Samsung is fighting for its survival.
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.
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 Mary Wilkinson
Senior commissioning producer: Sarah Green
Commissioning editor: Jon Manel
Inheritance is a BBC Long Form Audio production
27 Apr 2026
7. The crown slips
The Lee family suffers a devastating personal loss, quickly followed by claims of professional wrongdoing. Samsung is left without a Lee family member in charge. Can it be brought back under their control?
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.
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 Mary Wilkinson
Senior commissioning producer: Sarah Green
Commissioning editor: Jon Manel
Inheritance is a BBC Long Form Audio production
20 Apr 2026
6. Octopus
Samsung finds global recognition through a relentless focus on quality and a little help from Hollywood. But in the mid-2000s, its leaders come under pressure about alleged bribery.
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.
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 Mary Wilkinson
Senior commissioning producer: Sarah Green
Commissioning editor: Jon Manel
Inheritance is a BBC Long Form Audio production
13 Apr 2026
5. Cinderella and the prince
Things are changing at Samsung as the business looks to the internet for success. But when the dot-com bubble bursts, the company is left exposed to some awkward questions.
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.
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 Mary Wilkinson
Senior commissioning producer: Sarah Green
Commissioning editor: Jon Manel
Inheritance is a BBC Long Form Audio production
6 Apr 2026
4. Shoes to fill
In the 1980s KH Lee takes charge of Samsung, but the business is struggling in a competitive global electronics market. It’s up to him to turn it around, and secure its future for the next generation with a complex succession plan.
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.
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 Mary Wilkinson
Senior commissioning producer: Sarah Green
Commissioning editor: Jon Manel
Inheritance is a BBC Long Form Audio production
30 Mar 2026
3. The princes’ rebellion
When Samsung’s chairman has to choose who will take over the business once he’s gone, he looks to his three sons. But a betrayal from within the heart of the family shakes up the succession. Which member of the Lee family should take the top job?
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.
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 Mary Wilkinson
Senior commissioning producer: Sarah Green
Commissioning editor: Jon Manel
Inheritance is a BBC Long Form Audio production
23 Mar 2026
2. Move fast and break things
Samsung started as a fruit and vegetable business, but growth in the 1950s leaves it vulnerable to political interference. Its chairman makes a deal to ensure its survival, but is instead hit with a scandal which could derail the whole company. How did Samsung get through to become the global tech giant we know today?
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.
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
23 Mar 2026
1. My kingdom for a horse
In 2017, the heir to South Korea’s biggest company is facing jail, leaving it with an uncertain future. After 80 years of business, how did Samsung get here? And how did a deal meant to secure family control of the company go so wrong?
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 is not just about profit - it is about survival.
Presenter: Elise Hu
Producers: Simon Tulett and Sally Abrahams
Fact-checkers: Matt Toulson and Su-Min Hwang
Music: Thomas Ross Fitzsimons
Sound engineer: 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
9 Mar 2026
Introducing Inheritance: Samsung
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.
Everyone’s heard of Samsung; more than a billion people have one of their smart phones. This is the drama behind the tech giant that changed the world.
For most of Samsung’s history, the ruling Lee family was all but untouchable. But when the chairman has a huge 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.
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. In these dynasties, the boardroom isn’t just about profit - it’s about survival.
Hosted by journalist and podcaster Elise Hu.
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Apple Podcasts (US)
4.5 / 5
8 ratings
Contact Inheritance: Samsung
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