Inheritance: Samsung, Samsung, 2. Move fast and break things

Inheritance: Samsung

Samsung

2. Move fast and break things

23 March 2026

25 minutes

Available for over a year

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