Beyoncé: The business of Queen B

Beyoncé: The business of Queen B

From Good Bad Billionaire by BBC World Service

June 1, 2026 · 45 min

About this episode

The episode explores Beyoncé's transformation from a performer to a billionaire businesswoman.

Beyoncé started out as a little girl competing in local talent shows, but over the course of a 30-year career in music she transformed herself into a mogul worth $1 billion. Journalist Zing Tsjeng and BBC business editor Simon Jack trace Beyoncé’s early years in girl group Girls Tyme, the turbulent rise of Destiny’s Child, and her breakout as a solo artist, before examining the strategic decisions that transformed her from performer to powerful businesswoman and entrepreneur. Beyonce’s rise to billionaire features conflicts with family and friends, brand battles, and questions around feminism, capitalism, and control. Simon and Zing ask: is she a force for empowerment, a ruthless operator, or simply one of the most effective wealth-builders in modern entertainment? Good Bad Billionaire is the podcast that explores the lives of the super-rich and famous, tracking their wealth, philanthropy, business ethics, and success. There are leaders who made their money in Silicon Valley, on Wall Street and in high street fashion. From iconic celebrities and CEOs to titans of technology, the podcast unravels tales of fortune, power, economics, ambition and moral responsibility. Simon and Zing…

People in this episode

Host: Simon Jack

Guest: Zing Tsjeng

Topics covered

  • Beyoncé
  • business
  • entrepreneurship
  • music industry
  • feminism
  • capitalism
  • wealth

Keywords

  • Beyoncé
  • business mogul
  • Destiny's Child
  • entrepreneurship
  • feminism
  • wealth
  • music career

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: BBC World Service, Girls Tyme, Destiny’s Child

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