Good Bad Billionaire - Michael O’Leary: Ryanair’s cost-cutting king
How Michael O’Leary, the outspoken CEO of Ryanair, turned a struggling regional airline into a €28 billion powerhouse by relentlessly cutting costs and embracing controversy.
BBC business editor Simon Jack and journalist Zing Tsjeng uncover how O’Leary - who neither founded Ryanair nor intended to work in aviation - redefined the airline industry. Through radical cost-cutting, lightning-fast plane turnarounds, and headline-grabbing stunts, he transformed the company into a disruptive, ultra-low-cost giant. From his early ventures to his rise as the face of budget flying, this episode charts how his bold tactics reshaped how millions travel across Europe.
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, before asking the audience to decide if they are good, bad, or just billionaires.
The Economics of Everyday Things - 114. Natural and Artificial Flavors
How do flavorists capture the essence of a fruit and put it in a can of sparkling water, or a tub of yogurt? Zachary Crockett takes a bite.
- SOURCES:
- Terry Miesle, master flavorist at Sensient Technologies Corporation.
- RESOURCES:
- "Flavor and Well‐Being: A Comprehensive Review of Food Choices, Nutrition, and Health Interactions," by Sakhawot Hossain, Abdul Wazed, Sharmin Asha, Alomgir Hossen, Nur Muhammad Fime, Shamiha Tabassum Teeya, Lubna Yeasmin Jenny, Diptho Dash, and Islam Shimul (Food Science & Nutrition, 2025).
- "What is artificial banana flavor made of? A food neuroscientist reveals the truth," by Elana Spivack (Inverse, 2024).
- "Are ‘Natural Flavors’ Really Natural?" by Roni Caryn Rabin (New York Times, 2019).
- "The Inexorable Rise Of Synthetic Flavor: A Pictorial History," by Nadia Berenstein (Popular Science, 2015).
- "The Flavor Industry: From 1945-1995," (Chemical Sources Association).
Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
The Source - Rep. Castro on federal government shutdown woes
The Source - Mayor Jones on Project Marvel next steps
PBS News Hour - World - Children exposed to ‘horrific violence’ in Sudan’s civil war, UNICEF says
PBS News Hour - Health - New study suggests link between medical imaging and pediatric cancer risk
PBS News Hour - Health - Why regulators want to ban a key ingredient in kratom, a popular herbal supplement
PBS News Hour - World - How the loss of USAID funding affects Indonesia’s ability to fight climate change
Consider This from NPR - ‘Affordability,’ and the repercussions of the increasing global wealth gap
‘Affordability’ was the word that resonated across America during elections last week, reflecting voters’ demand for elected officials to address the rising cost of living. But the wealth gap in America and globally is increasing. Nobel-prize winning economist Professor Joseph Stiglitz talks about the repercussions for democracies worldwide.
For sponsor-free episodes of Consider This, sign up for Consider This+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org. Email us at considerthis@npr.org.
This episode was produced by Jordan-Marie Smith, with engineering by Peter Ellena.
It was edited by Ahmad Damen. Our executive producer is Sami Yenigun.
Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices
NPR Privacy Policy
