

Million Bazillion
Marketplace
Million Bazillion is a podcast from Marketplace that inspires families to talk about money. Described as “a godsend for anyone who knows a little kid with big questions about money,” by The New York Times, the podcast tackles questions from: "What is cryptocurrency?" to “How do I save money?” and “How does inflation work?” Hosts Ryan Perez and Bridget Bodnar take listeners on an awesome adventure to answer the awkward, complex and sometimes surprising money questions from real kids.
Million Bazillion is made possible in part by The Ranzetta Family Charitable Fund and Next Gen Personal Finance, supporting Marketplace’s work to make younger audiences smarter about the economy. This podcast is presented by Greenlight, the debit card and investing app for kids and teens.
Million Bazillion is made possible in part by The Ranzetta Family Charitable Fund and Next Gen Personal Finance, supporting Marketplace’s work to make younger audiences smarter about the economy. This podcast is presented by Greenlight, the debit card and investing app for kids and teens.
Episodes
Mentioned books

Sep 16, 2025 • 28min
What is a chain restaurant?
It's the start of a whole new season and Bridget and Ryan have a great question from listener, Dena: What is a chain restaurant? Some chain restaurants work a little differently than other chains — they're "franchises" and individual people can open a location of their own! To answer Dena’s question, Bridget and Ryan try their hand at opening their own location of the incredibly popular and beloved chain, the International House of Clams. Together, they’ll learn how the chain restaurant business works and what makes it different from starting a restaurant from scratch. Plus, keep an ear out for cameos from some of your favorite Million Bazillion characters!If your family is interested in learning even more about today’s question, check out our website. We’ve got conversation starters and a tip sheet! This episode is sponsored by Greenlight. Sign up for Greenlight today at greenlight.com/million.

Sep 9, 2025 • 2min
“Million Bazillion” returns Sept. 16!
Hey Million Bazillionaires, are you ready for a new season of “Million Bazillion”?Bridget and Ryan are back to answer even more of your money questions. This season, we’ll learn all about the business behind your favorite chain restaurants, take a flight to find out why airport prices are sky-high and pop into the world of bubbles, not the ones you blow with soap, but the kind that burst in the economy! Plus, we’re cracking the mystery behind $2 bills: why do they exist if we hardly use them?New episodes drop every Tuesday, starting September 16th! Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts. And, if you want even more Million Bazillion in your life, make sure you’re subscribed to our newsletter for bonus episode content and tip sheets to keep the money learning going.In the meantime, check out our trailer above and catch up on any episodes you might’ve missed.This episode is sponsored by Greenlight. Sign up for Greenlight today at greenlight.com/million.

Aug 26, 2025 • 26min
Who is fibbing about ... the stock market?
Hi Million Bazillionaires. While we’re working on a brand-new season, we’ve got a special treat for you. Today, we’re sharing an episode from our friends over at “The Big Fib.” In this gameshow, a kid contestant will try to spot which adult expert is lying about … the stock market. What do you call the person who buys and sells stocks for a fee? How many stocks get sold in a day? Which stock is less risky to buy? Do you know the true answers to these questions? Play along and see if you can guess who is telling fibs and who’s telling the truth on “The Big Fib” gameshow. For more great shows for kids and families visit GZMshows.com.

Aug 12, 2025 • 43min
The ghost that launched a business
Hey, Million Bazillionaires! We just wrapped up the latest season of the show and are already working on the next one. In the meantime, we’re bringing you a special feature from our friends at Story Pirates. In this episode, you’ll hear two fun stories: “The Ghost That Launched a Business,” a terrifying tale about entrepreneurship, written by Jesse, a 9-year-old from the UK, and “Julius Caesar: The Guinea Pig, Not the Famous Ancient Roman Dude, But This Rodent Thinks Otherwise,” a story about how our names sometimes shape who we are inside, written by a 9-year-old from Illinois named Scottie.

Jul 29, 2025 • 31min
How does online scamming work?
Bridget and Ryan get swept up in a cyberpunk adventure as they try to answer Cooper’s question about how online data thefts can lead to real world consequences for your bank account. With the help of longtime friend of the program, Scam Slammer Host Brenda Hammer, the duo travel inside the internet to follow the trail of our digital bread crumbs, and see how advertisers and fraudsters get to know more about us than we might think.

Jul 22, 2025 • 28min
How much debt is too much debt?
Bridget and Ryan get a question from listener Deji - who wants to know, how much debt is too much debt? Before they can answer, the pair run into Ghost Pirate Blackbeard, who has the same question! Together, they learn more about debt, and what everyone, even a ghost pirate, needs to know before borrowing money. If your family is interested in learning more about the questions we answered in this episode, check out our website. We’ve got discussion questions and tips!This episode is sponsored by Greenlight. Sign up for Greenlight today at greenlight.com/million.

Jul 15, 2025 • 28min
Why does organic food cost more than non-organic food?
Listener Cecilia wrote in to ask: “Why does organic food cost more than non organic food?” And she's right! Certified organic foods do usually cost more than other options. Bridget and Ryan dive into the question with the help of Stephanie Hughes, Marketplace's reporter on the organic farming beat. Ryan's inspired to try his own hand at organic farming ... but will his crops be able to survive an attack of horn worms, a stampede of chickens and a dustbowl to turn a profit at the farmer’s market?After you listen to this episode, be sure to check out our website. We’ve got conversation starters and tips!This episode is sponsored by Greenlight. Sign up for Greenlight today at greenlight.com/million.

Jul 10, 2025 • 8min
BONUS: Listen to Million Bazillion listener Shreen interview a real CEO!
In the latest episode of Million Bazillion, listener Shreen wanted to know, “How do you become a CEO?” No spoilers, but after Ryan and Bridget’s adventure in attempting to become CEOs themselves, Shreen still had some questions about how a successful CEO gets their job, and what they do all day. In this special bonus episode, Shreen interviews Christina Stembel, CEO of Farmgirl Flowers to find out more about what it’s really like to be a CEO, how to start and run a company, and what Christina did as a kid that helped set her on the path to becoming a CEO as a grownup. This episode is sponsored by Greenlight. Sign up for Greenlight today at greenlight.com/million.

Jul 8, 2025 • 31min
How do you become a CEO?
Being a CEO is a big job and 9-year-old Shreen is wondering how to become one! On today’s episode, Bridget and Ryan learn about the different paths people take to be the boss and what it really means to lead a company. (Hint: its not just about meetings and fancy suits). And, guess what? Even CEOs have a boss sometimes, too! If your family is interested in learning more about the questions we answered in this episode, check out our website. We’ve got discussion questions and tips!This episode is sponsored by Greenlight. Sign up for Greenlight today at greenlight.com/million.

Jul 1, 2025 • 26min
Replay: What is a credit card, and how does it work?
Today, we’re taking it way back to Bridget and Ryan’s first episode together. They’ll work on answering a question that quite a few listeners were wondering about: What are credit cards, besides little pieces of plastic with chips in them? We’ll learn how grownups use credit cards in the first place, and some potential pitfalls of swiping. Then things really get out of hand when the ghost pirates show up. Check out the tipsheet for this episode for some ways you can keep the conversation about credit cards going at home.This episode is sponsored by Greenlight. Sign up for Greenlight today at greenlight.com/million.


