How were society's super-rich seen in past centuries?

Podcast: History Behind the Headlines · History Extra

Opublikowano: 2026-06-17

US business leader Elon Musk has been in the headlines again in recent weeks, as a result of becoming the world's first trillionaire. But how were enormously rich people seen in past centuries? In this episode, regular panellists Hannah Skoda and Rana Mitter explore how Musk's forerunners were regarded, and how they accrued their wealth in the first place. Meanwhile, a high-profile row about defence spending here in the UK has led to the resignation of two government ministers – but such arguments are nothing new. We look back at previous debates around how state fi...