Business Movers

In the 19th Century, J.D. Rockefeller's Standard Oil vanquishes the competition on its way to the top of the oil industry. Rockefeller is truly untouchable, until two rival competitors from overseas join forces and merge their companies to take him down. Want to listen to the remaining episodes of Beating Rockefeller? Episodes 2-5 are available exclusively and ad-free on Wondery+. With Wondery+, e...

A young engineer carves his path to becoming Microsoft’s third CEO, determined to launch a technological and cultural revolution that will change the company and the world.  Want to listen to the remaining episodes of Taking Microsoft Into the Cloud? Episodes 2-5 are available exclusively and ad-free on Wondery+. With Wondery+, enjoy exclusive seasons, early access to new ones, and they’re al...

Grounded by lawsuits waged by its competitors, the newly-conceived Southwest Airlines struggles to stay in business in the 1960s. But the company’s co-founder, Herb Kelleher, refuses to give up on his mission to democratize air travel, vowing to fight for the airline’s right to fly and for freedom in the sky.  Want to listen to the remaining episodes of Southwest? Episodes 2-5 are available e...

In the early-20th Century, George Remus works his way from successful pharmacist to one of the most famous lawyers in Chicago. But greed, love, and Prohibition soon turn George’s sights to bootlegging, leading him into a world of opulence and violence. Want to listen to the remaining episodes of The King of Booze? Episodes 2-5 are available exclusively and ad-free on Wondery+. With Wondery+, enjoy...

When Hewlett-Packard chair Patricia Dunn begins a spy campaign to discover the source of an internal leak, she sets off a chain of events that will lead to a national scandal and criminal prosecution. Want to listen to the remaining episodes of The HP Spying Scandal? Episodes 2-5 are available exclusively and ad-free on Wondery+. With Wondery+, enjoy exclusive seasons, early access to new ones, an...

In 1963, a New Jersey conman named Anthony “Tino” De Angelis pulls off “The Great Salad Oil Swindle”, one of the largest financial frauds in Wall Street’s history. De Angelis’ actions cause American Express stock to plummet and puts a young midwest investor named Warren Buffett in a position to make one of the most important deals of his career. Want to listen to the remaining episodes of Warren B...

Boston-born media executive Sumner Redstone turns a small family business into a media juggernaut, acquiring companies like Viacom, Paramount and CBS along the way, sometimes by force. But Sumner’s rise to mogul status leaves important relationships, business and familial, in shambles. Want to listen to the remaining episodes of Hostile Takeover: The Sumner Redstone Story? Episodes 2-5 are availab...

Filmmaker George Lucas created the most successful movie franchise of all time. Star Wars revolutionized cinema, taught Hollywood the true value of merchandise and turned a niche film genre into a billion dollar industry. To build his own empire, George will defy the odds, risk it all and walk away one of the richest men on the planet. Want to listen to the remaining episodes of George Lucas: Crea...

Chris DeWolfe and Tom Anderson had no intention of starting a tech revolution. But when their website, MySpace, took off in 2003, it changed social media and the internet forever. As MySpace grows into one of the biggest sites in the world and attracts media giants like Rupert Murdoch, Chris and Tom will have to fight to keep control of their own creation. Want to listen to the remaining episodes...

Howard Schultz bought a small Seattle coffee company called Starbucks in 1987. By the time he stepped down as Starbucks’ CEO in 2000, Howard had transformed the six-store operation into the largest coffee brand in the world. But in the late 2000s, Starbucks descended into a financial spiral, and Howard came back to save the company he’d built from the brink of disaster. Want to listen to the remai...

Lehman Brothers, the world’s 4th largest investment bank, recorded billions in profits year after year, until September of 2008 when the Wall Street giant was forced to declare Chapter 11 bankruptcy, triggering a global financial meltdown. The collapse of Lehman Brothers is a cautionary tale of too much risk, not enough regulation and plenty of greed. The story starts with two traders who tried to...

Comic book legend Stan Lee co-created some of the world’s most iconic superheroes including Spider-Man, the X-Men, the Fantastic Four, and the Avengers. His creations helped give birth to the legendary Marvel Comics. But in the early 2000’s, Stan went to war with the company he helped create. His lawsuit was the beginning of a revenge story right out of a comic book. Want to listen to the remainin...

General Motors is America’s carmaker, an empire that helped build Detroit Motor City. Since 1908, General Motors has been a key driver of the workforce, the economy and American culture. But in 2008, the once-thriving car business came to a screeching halt. In the wake of the Great Recession, an engineer turned human resources executive named Mary Barra [BAR-uh] rises to power at General Motors an...

After Steve Jobs is fired by Apple in 1985, he sets out to build the computer of the future and prove himself a worthy leader. So he founds a new computer company called NeXT and purchases a little known animation studio called Pixar. In order to succeed, Steve is forced to confront the mistakes of his past and chart a new course for the future. Want to listen to the remaining episodes of The Enli...

The name “DeLorean” isn’t just synonymous with the 1985 blockbuster film Back to the Future , it’s also infamous for its connection to two uniquely American innovations: the sportscar and the drug trade. John DeLorean was a legend of the automobile industry who rose to the highest levels within General Motors. But his ambition for more than what Detroit could offer brought him to Hollywood, where...

Uber's spectacular rise wasn’t the smoothest ride. The world-changing ride sharing app broke more than a few rules--and laws--on it’s way to the top, and its controversial co-founder Travis Kalanick fostered a toxic corporate culture that eventually caught up to him. This is the first in our four-episode series on the rise and fall of Uber. Want to listen to the remaining episodes of The Rise and...

In 1985, when Coca-Cola eliminated its signature soft drink, “Coke”, and replaced it with a new and improved version called “New Coke”, the American people revolted. In this series premiere, we go back to the beginning of the story and meet the man responsible for Coca-Cola’s biggest blunder: Roberto Goizueta, a brilliant Cuban immigrant who started from the bottom and rose to the highest rung of...

As Walt Disney sets out to build a second theme park in Florida, he quietly works to keep the top secret project out of the public eye. To make his dream a reality, and to keep Project Future under wraps, Walt will rely on a close-knit team of lawyers, executives, and former World War Two spies. This is the first in our four-episode series on Walt’s efforts to create a second theme park that would...

Behind every successful business is a story. It starts with a vision and a leap of faith. Along the way, leaders make bold decisions, ride booms and busts, and sometimes, they reach new heights. From Wondery, the makers of the hit series  Business Wars , and Lindsay Graham, the host of  American History Tellers  and  American Scandal , comes a weekly podcast that brings you the...