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.

Everyone’s heard of Samsung: more than a billion people have one of their smartphones. This is the drama 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 shaped not just the company but South Korea’s economy.

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