Empires - An Asian Business Podcast
If you love Business Wars, you'll love this!
From 1UpMedia, Empires is an immersive storytelling that dives deep into the history of the most successful businesses in Asia.
Every Monday, you'll learn the history of its leaders, the decisions that have rippled across the industry, and the factors that allowed them to become the empire's that they are today.
From triumph and victories, to monumental failures - Empires gets you behind the scenes of some of the most successful companies in Asia.
Latest episodes
Apr 21, 2025 • 34min
Softbank (JP) I The SoftBank Miracle I 2/5
SoftBank has backed some of the most game-changing startups of our time — Uber, Grab, TikTok — companies that reshaped how we move, eat, and connect.The man behind it is Masayoshi Son — a founder unlike any other. Bold, fearless, and sometimes reckless, Masa didn’t just invest in companies, he devoured them. His empire stretched from Tokyo to Silicon Valley, built on billion-dollar bets, wild risk-taking, and the unshakeable belief that he could see the future before anyone else.But every empire comes at a price.This is the story of SoftBank — how one man from Japan took on the world’s biggest tech giants, gambled billions, lost it all… and came back for more.Episode 1: Impress, Charm and DeceiveA young Masayoshi Son hustles his way through Silicon Valley — using every trick in the book...and outside it.Episode 2: The SoftBank MiracleBack in Japan, Masa builds SoftBank from nothing — surviving betrayal, bankruptcy, and even a terminal illness to become the king of Japan’s software industry.Episode 3: Every Piece of ThemMasa goes global — buying tech magazines, trade fairs, Yahoo shares, and placing a life-changing bet on a then-unknown Chinese startup: Alibaba.Episode 4: Widening the NetAfter the Dot-Com Crash wipes out 96% of his wealth, Masa bets everything on broadband and mobile — taking on Japan’s telecom giants and winning control of Vodafone Japan.Episode 5: WarchestDetermined to rule the future, Masa creates the $100 billion Vision Fund — a war chest so powerful it could turn founders into billionaires overnight — even if their companies were never built to last — all while setting his sights on Artificial Intelligence.-Our series is proudly sponsored by AlphaSense.-Access expert analyst reports, perfectly summarised by Gen-AI with precision and no hallucinations. Support our productions by booking your free trial today.-Want to showcase your brand to listeners with a combined net worth of over $1 billion and a network of 100,000+ employees and industry contacts? Drop us an email: sales@1upmediapodcast.com-We're looking to grow our team! Support our productions by buying us a coffee.-Want to meet the team? Follow me here!-If you love the style of Empires, and want similar content, check out:📝💕 "Post, Love", Essays on Love, Life and Everything in Between. (On Spotify/ Apple)🔪🩸 "Heinous", A Revive Look at the Most Heinous Crimes in Asia. (On Spotify/Apple)
Apr 17, 2025 • 2min
Introducing Empires - An Asian Business Podcast
From 1UpMedia, Empires is an immersive storytelling that dives deep into the history of the most successful businesses in Asia.Every Monday, you'll learn the history of its leaders, the decisions that have rippled across the industry, and the factors that allowed them to become the empire's that they are today.Empires is available on all major streaming platforms.
Apr 14, 2025 • 39min
Softbank (JP) I Impress, Charm and Deceive I 1/5
SoftBank has backed some of the most game-changing startups of our time — Uber, Grab, TikTok — companies that reshaped how we move, eat, and connect.The man behind it is Masayoshi Son — a founder unlike any other. Bold, fearless, and sometimes reckless, Masa didn’t just invest in companies, he devoured them. His empire stretched from Tokyo to Silicon Valley, built on billion-dollar bets, wild risk-taking, and the unshakeable belief that he could see the future before anyone else.But every empire comes at a price.This is the story of SoftBank — how one man from Japan took on the world’s biggest tech giants, gambled billions, lost it all… and came back for more.Episode 1: Impress, Charm and DeceiveA young Masayoshi Son hustles his way through Silicon Valley — using every trick in the book...and outside it.Episode 2: The SoftBank MiracleBack in Japan, Masa builds SoftBank from nothing — surviving betrayal, bankruptcy, and even a terminal illness to become the king of Japan’s software industry.Episode 3: Every Piece of ThemMasa goes global — buying tech magazines, trade fairs, Yahoo shares, and placing a life-changing bet on a then-unknown Chinese startup: Alibaba.Episode 4: Widening the NetAfter the Dot-Com Crash wipes out 96% of his wealth, Masa bets everything on broadband and mobile — taking on Japan’s telecom giants and winning control of Vodafone Japan.Episode 5: WarchestDetermined to rule the future, Masa creates the $100 billion Vision Fund — a war chest so powerful it could turn founders into billionaires overnight — even if their companies were never built to last — all while setting his sights on Artificial Intelligence.-Our series is proudly sponsored by AlphaSense.-Access expert analyst reports, perfectly summarised by Gen-AI with precision and no hallucinations. Support our productions by booking your free trial today.-Want to showcase your brand to listeners with a combined net worth of over $1 billion and a network of 100,000+ employees and industry contacts? Drop us an email: sales@1upmediapodcast.com-We're looking to grow our team! Support our productions by buying us a coffee.-Want to meet the team? Follow me here!-If you love the style of Empires, and want similar content, check out:📝💕 "Post, Love", Essays on Love, Life and Everything in Between. (On Spotify/ Apple)🔪🩸 "Heinous", A Revive Look at the Most Heinous Crimes in Asia. (On Spotify/Apple)
Mar 31, 2025 • 33min
STAR (IN) I Darkest Skies, Brightest Stars I 5/5
STAR TV has 800 million monthly viewers in India, but it was never meant to.When media tycoon Richard Li launched the STAR TV network in 1991, his eyes were set on China, with India barely an afterthought. But one unexpected partnership changed everything. Over the decades, STAR would battle rivals, reinvent Indian television, and ultimately become a Disney portfolio company.This is the story of STAR TV - its meteoric rise, bitter betrayals, and ultimate transformation into a media empire commanding over 800 million viewers.Episode 1: The Beginning of the EndRichard Li dismisses India, but a rice farmer-turned-businessman, Subhash Chandra, forces STAR TV to take a second look, setting off a chain of events that will upend the country’s media landscape.Episode 2: The Star That Burned Too BrightRupert Murdoch takes over STAR TV and wages war on Zee. Desperate to localize, STAR launches its own Hindi programming, igniting a fierce battle.Episode 3: Who Wants to Be a Deca-millionaireWith Zee dominating prime time, STAR takes its biggest gamble yet—adapting Who Wants to Be a Millionaire for Indian audiences. The stakes? 10 million rupees per episode. (USD$114,450)Episode 4: Black HoleSuccess breeds chaos. As STAR dominates television, internal conflicts and power struggles threaten to consume the empire from within.Episode 5: Darkest Skies, Brightest StarsWith STAR on the brink, a former journalist named Uday Shankar steps in. His unconventional approach will not only save the company, but turn it into a billion-dollar powerhouse.-Our series is proudly sponsored by AlphaSense.-Access expert analyst reports, perfectly summarised by Gen-AI with precision and no hallucinations. Support our productions by booking your free trial today.-Want to showcase your brand to listeners with a combined net worth of over $1 billion and a network of 100,000+ employees and industry contacts? Drop us an email: sales@1upmediapodcast.com-We're looking to grow our team! Support our productions by buying us a coffee.-Want to meet the team? Follow me here!-If you love the style of Empires, and want similar content, check out:📝💕 "Post, Love", Essays on Love, Life and Everything in Between. (On Spotify/ Apple)🔪🩸 "Heinous", A Revive Look at the Most Heinous Crimes in Asia. (On Spotify/Apple)
Mar 24, 2025 • 28min
STAR (IN) I Black Hole I 4/5
STAR TV has 800 million monthly viewers in India, but it was never meant to.When media tycoon Richard Li launched the STAR TV network in 1991, his eyes were set on China, with India barely an afterthought. But one unexpected partnership changed everything. Over the decades, STAR would battle rivals, reinvent Indian television, and ultimately become a Disney portfolio company.This is the story of STAR TV - its meteoric rise, bitter betrayals, and ultimate transformation into a media empire commanding over 800 million viewers.Episode 1: The Beginning of the EndRichard Li dismisses India, but a rice farmer-turned-businessman, Subhash Chandra, forces STAR TV to take a second look, setting off a chain of events that will upend the country’s media landscape.Episode 2: The Star That Burned Too BrightRupert Murdoch takes over STAR TV and wages war on Zee. Desperate to localize, STAR launches its own Hindi programming, igniting a fierce battle.Episode 3: Who Wants to Be a Deca-millionaireWith Zee dominating prime time, STAR takes its biggest gamble yet—adapting Who Wants to Be a Millionaire for Indian audiences. The stakes? 10 million rupees per episode. (USD$114,450)Episode 4: Black HoleSuccess breeds chaos. As STAR dominates television, internal conflicts and power struggles threaten to consume the empire from within.Episode 5: Darkest Skies, Brightest StarsWith STAR on the brink, a former journalist named Uday Shankar steps in. His unconventional approach will not only save the company, but turn it into a billion-dollar powerhouse.-Our series is proudly sponsored by AlphaSense.-Access expert analyst reports, perfectly summarised by Gen-AI with precision and no hallucinations. Support our productions by booking your free trial today.-Want to showcase your brand to listeners with a combined net worth of over $1 billion and a network of 100,000+ employees and industry contacts? Drop us an email: sales@1upmediapodcast.com-We're looking to grow our team! Support our productions by buying us a coffee.-Want to meet the team? Follow me here!-If you love the style of Empires, and want similar content, check out:📝💕 "Post, Love", Essays on Love, Life and Everything in Between. (On Spotify/ Apple)🔪🩸 "Heinous", A Revive Look at the Most Heinous Crimes in Asia. (On Spotify/Apple)
Mar 17, 2025 • 29min
STAR (IN) I Who Wants To Be a Deca-millionaire I 3/5
STAR TV has 800 million monthly viewers in India, but it was never meant to.When media tycoon Richard Li launched the STAR TV network in 1991, his eyes were set on China, with India barely an afterthought. But one unexpected partnership changed everything. Over the decades, STAR would battle rivals, reinvent Indian television, and ultimately become a Disney portfolio company.This is the story of STAR TV - its meteoric rise, bitter betrayals, and ultimate transformation into a media empire commanding over 800 million viewers.Episode 1: The Beginning of the EndRichard Li dismisses India, but a rice farmer-turned-businessman, Subhash Chandra, forces STAR TV to take a second look, setting off a chain of events that will upend the country’s media landscape.Episode 2: The Star That Burned Too BrightRupert Murdoch takes over STAR TV and wages war on Zee. Desperate to localize, STAR launches its own Hindi programming, igniting a fierce battle.Episode 3: Who Wants to Be a Deca-millionaireWith Zee dominating prime time, STAR takes its biggest gamble yet—adapting Who Wants to Be a Millionaire for Indian audiences. The stakes? 10 million rupees per episode. (USD$114,450)Episode 4: Black HoleSuccess breeds chaos. As STAR dominates television, internal conflicts and power struggles threaten to consume the empire from within.Episode 5: Darkest Skies, Brightest StarsWith STAR on the brink, a former journalist named Uday Shankar steps in. His unconventional approach will not only save the company, but turn it into a billion-dollar powerhouse.-Our series is proudly sponsored by AlphaSense.-Access expert analyst reports, perfectly summarised by Gen-AI with precision and no hallucinations. Support our productions by booking your free trial today.-Want to showcase your brand to listeners with a combined net worth of over $1 billion and a network of 100,000+ employees and industry contacts? Drop us an email: sales@1upmediapodcast.com-We're looking to grow our team! Support our productions by buying us a coffee.-Want to meet the team? Follow me here!-If you love the style of Empires, and want similar content, check out:📝💕 "Post, Love", Essays on Love, Life and Everything in Between. (On Spotify/ Apple)🔪🩸 "Heinous", A Revive Look at the Most Heinous Crimes in Asia. (On Spotify/Apple)
Mar 10, 2025 • 33min
STAR (IN) I The Star That Burned Too Bright I 2/5
STAR TV has 800 million monthly viewers in India, but it was never meant to.When media tycoon Richard Li launched the STAR TV network in 1991, his eyes were set on China, with India barely an afterthought. But one unexpected partnership changed everything. Over the decades, STAR would battle rivals, reinvent Indian television, and ultimately become a Disney portfolio company.This is the story of STAR TV - its meteoric rise, bitter betrayals, and ultimate transformation into a media empire commanding over 800 million viewers.Episode 1: The Beginning of the EndRichard Li dismisses India, but a rice farmer-turned-businessman, Subhash Chandra, forces STAR TV to take a second look, setting off a chain of events that will upend the country’s media landscape.Episode 2: The Star That Burned Too BrightRupert Murdoch takes over STAR TV and wages war on Zee. Desperate to localize, STAR launches its own Hindi programming, igniting a fierce battle.Episode 3: Who Wants to Be a Deca-millionaireWith Zee dominating prime time, STAR takes its biggest gamble yet—adapting Who Wants to Be a Millionaire for Indian audiences. The stakes? 10 million rupees per episode. (USD$114,450)Episode 4: Black HoleSuccess breeds chaos. As STAR dominates television, internal conflicts and power struggles threaten to consume the empire from within.Episode 5: Darkest Skies, Brightest StarsWith STAR on the brink, a former journalist named Uday Shankar steps in. His unconventional approach will not only save the company, but turn it into a billion-dollar powerhouse.-Our series is proudly sponsored by AlphaSense.-Access expert analyst reports, perfectly summarised by Gen-AI with precision and no hallucinations. Support our productions by booking your free trial today.-Want to showcase your brand to listeners with a combined net worth of over $1 billion and a network of 100,000+ employees and industry contacts? Drop us an email: sales@1upmediapodcast.com-We're looking to grow our team! Support our productions by buying us a coffee.-Want to meet the team? Follow me here!-If you love the style of Empires, and want similar content, check out:📝💕 "Post, Love", Essays on Love, Life and Everything in Between. (On Spotify/ Apple)🔪🩸 "Heinous", A Revive Look at the Most Heinous Crimes in Asia. (On Spotify/Apple)
Mar 3, 2025 • 31min
STAR (IN) I The Beginning of the End I 1/5
STAR TV has 800 million monthly viewers in India, but it was never meant to.When media tycoon Richard Li launched the STAR TV network in 1991, his eyes were set on China, with India barely an afterthought. But one unexpected partnership changed everything. Over the decades, STAR would battle rivals, reinvent Indian television, and ultimately become a Disney portfolio company.This is the story of STAR TV - its meteoric rise, bitter betrayals, and ultimate transformation into a media empire commanding over 800 million viewers.Episode 1: The Beginning of the EndRichard Li dismisses India, but a rice farmer-turned-businessman, Subhash Chandra, forces STAR TV to take a second look, setting off a chain of events that will upend the country’s media landscape.Episode 2: The Star That Burned Too BrightRupert Murdoch takes over STAR TV and wages war on Zee. Desperate to localize, STAR launches its own Hindi programming, igniting a fierce battle. Episode 3: Who Wants to Be a Deca-millionaireWith Zee dominating prime time, STAR takes its biggest gamble yet—adapting Who Wants to Be a Millionaire for Indian audiences. The stakes? 10 million rupees per episode. (USD$114,450)Episode 4: Black HoleSuccess breeds chaos. As STAR dominates television, internal conflicts and power struggles threaten to consume the empire from within.Episode 5: Darkest Skies, Brightest StarsWith STAR on the brink, a former journalist named Uday Shankar steps in. His unconventional approach will not only save the company, but turn it into a billion-dollar powerhouse.-Our series is proudly sponsored by AlphaSense.-Access expert analyst reports, perfectly summarised by Gen-AI with precision and no hallucinations. Support our productions by booking your free trial today.-Want to showcase your brand to listeners with a combined net worth of over $1 billion and a network of 100,000+ employees and industry contacts? Drop us an email: sales@1upmediapodcast.com-We're looking to grow our team! Support our productions by buying us a coffee.-Want to meet the team? Follow me here!-If you love the style of Empires, and want similar content, check out:📝💕 "Post, Love", Essays on Love, Life and Everything in Between. (On Spotify/ Apple)🔪🩸 "Heinous", A Revive Look at the Most Heinous Crimes in Asia. (On Spotify/Apple)
Feb 17, 2025 • 31min
Bytedance (CN) I Gold Rush I 5/5
Tiktok's parent company Bytedance, is the world's most valuable Startup.With an ecosystem spanning short-form video, news aggregation, and artificial intelligence, ByteDance’s influence stretches far beyond its roots in China. Today, the company’s flagship app TikTok stands as a cultural phenomenon, captivating billions of users across continents and redefining how content is created, shared, and consumed. This is the story of ByteDance, driven by the relentless vision of Zhang Yiming. From its humble beginnings as an app factory producing memes and news aggregators, ByteDance would go on to challenge titans like Tencent and Facebook, navigating fierce competition, regulatory hurdles, and cultural resistance to become a global empire. Episode 1: Clickbait and AddictionZhang Yiming discovers that the secret to building fast-growing apps lies in mastering the science of clickbait and addiction. Episode 2: Today’s Headlines ByteDance hit it's first major success with Toutiao, the news app that redefined personalisation and propelled the company into the spotlight. Episode 3: Earthquake and ShockwaveByteDance shakes up China’s tech scene with Douyin (China’s version of TikTok), spearheading the short-form video revolution before Tencent joins the battle. Episode 4: Sayonara and Ni HaoByteDance perfects its strategy in Japan, then Asia, laying the groundwork for global domination. Episode 5: Gold RushByteDance storms into the U.S. by acquiring Musical.ly, rebranding it as TikTok. Leveraging its proven strategies, TikTok quickly becomes America’s top app.-Our series is proudly sponsored by AlphaSense.-Access expert analyst reports, perfectly summarized by Gen-AI with precision and no hallucinations. Support our productions by booking your free trial today.-Want to showcase your brand to listeners with a combined net worth of over $1 billion and a network of 100,000+ employees and industry contacts? Drop us an email: sales@1upmediapodcast.com-We're looking to grow our team! Support our productions by buying us a coffee.-Want to meet the team? Follow me here!-If you love the style of Empires, and want similar content, check out:📝💕 "Post, Love", Essays on Love, Life and Everything in Between. (On Spotify/ Apple)🔪🩸 "Heinous", A Revive Look at the Most Heinous Crimes in Asia. (On Spotify/Apple)
Feb 10, 2025 • 24min
Bytedance (CN) I Sayonara, & Ni Hao I 4/5
Tiktok's parent company Bytedance, is the world's most valuable Startup.With an ecosystem spanning short-form video, news aggregation, and artificial intelligence, ByteDance’s influence stretches far beyond its roots in China. Today, the company’s flagship app TikTok stands as a cultural phenomenon, captivating billions of users across continents and redefining how content is created, shared, and consumed. This is the story of ByteDance, driven by the relentless vision of Zhang Yiming. From its humble beginnings as an app factory producing memes and news aggregators, ByteDance would go on to challenge titans like Tencent and Facebook, navigating fierce competition, regulatory hurdles, and cultural resistance to become a global empire. Episode 1: Clickbait and AddictionZhang Yiming discovers that the secret to building fast-growing apps lies in mastering the science of clickbait and addiction. Episode 2: Today’s Headlines ByteDance hit it's first major success with Toutiao, the news app that redefined personalisation and propelled the company into the spotlight. Episode 3: Earthquake and ShockwaveByteDance shakes up China’s tech scene with Douyin (China’s version of TikTok), spearheading the short-form video revolution before Tencent joins the battle. Episode 4: Sayonara and Ni HaoByteDance perfects its strategy in Japan, then Asia, laying the groundwork for global domination. Episode 5: Gold RushByteDance storms into the U.S. by acquiring Musical.ly, rebranding it as TikTok. Leveraging its proven strategies, TikTok quickly becomes America’s top app.-Our series is proudly sponsored by AlphaSense.Access expert analyst reports, perfectly summarized by Gen-AI with precision and no hallucinations. Support our productions by booking your free trial today.-Want to showcase your brand to listeners with a combined net worth of over $1 billion and a network of 100,000+ employees and industry contacts? Drop us an email: sales@1upmediapodcast.com-We're looking to grow our team! Support our productions bybuying us a coffee.-Want to meet the team? Follow me here!-If you love the style of Empires, and want similar content, check out:📝💕 "Post, Love", Essays on Love, Life and Everything in Between. (On Spotify/ Apple)🔪🩸 "Heinous", A Revive Look at the Most Heinous Crimes in Asia. (On Spotify/ Apple)
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