Shabaz Asks: Are Billionaires Bad?

Shabaz Ali, better known to his more than four million followers as @ShabazSays, became an internet sensation during the pandemic from his bedroom in Blackburn, building a huge audience with his hilarious takedowns of influencer culture, pointless luxury and people with more money than sense. From designer ice cubes to gold-plated nonsense, if it's a ridiculous display of wealth, chances are that Shabaz has had something scathing to say about it.

Now a broadcaster, presenter, red carpet regular, entertainment reporter, comedian and author, the self-styled 'king of the povvos' is stepping away from his phone and taking his trademark wit and authenticity into the real world to tackle one of the internet's most divisive questions: are billionaires bad?

And so the cost of living commentator Shabaz leaves behind the comfort of his signature hoodie and his Blackburn family home on a quest to meet a billionaire in person, hear both sides of the debate, explore the growing gulf between the haves and the have-nots in real-life, and challenge his own views.

For years, Shabaz has rolled his eyes at the excesses of the super-rich from the safety of social media, but what happens when he leaves the comments section behind and comes face to face with the people living these lifestyles for real? Armed with curiosity, scepticism and four million followers' worth of opinions, he finds out.

As the journey unfolds, Shabaz finds himself challenged at every turn. Are billionaires hoarding wealth while everyone else struggles, or are they creating jobs, innovation and opportunity? Is it possible to earn that much money fairly? And if someone offers him a spin in a private jet, will he be able to remain objective?

Shabaz hears from economists, politicians and entrepreneurs, and he even chairs an anonymous meeting for the much put-upon employees of the ultra-wealthy, offering a rare glimpse into a world most of us only ever see on Instagram or Succession.

Economist Faiza Shaheen helps Shabaz get his head around the sheer scale of billionaire wealth, before he dives into the debate itself. From Green Party leader Zack Polanski to The Spectator's Michael Simmons, Shabaz hears sharply opposing views on the super-rich. And with challenges from luxury handbag entrepreneur Emily Abraham and former Apprentice candidate Joseph Valente, Shabaz soon discovers that the billionaire debate isn't quite as black and white as he'd imagined.

The adventure culminates with success as Shabaz travels to Colorado, playground of the super-rich, to meet British billionaire and philanthropist John Caudwell face to face. But after getting closer than ever to the billionaire class, will Shabaz leave convinced that they're the villains of modern society - or discover that the reality is a lot more complicated?

Funny, provocative and packed with Shabaz's trademark honesty and wit, this film extends Shabaz’s signature tagline, 'You're poor, they’re rich'', into television, takes one of social media's biggest debates offline and asks what being seriously, unimaginably rich actually means in Britain today.