Million Bazillion

BONUS: How do Olympic athletes make money?
^{00:05:01 | June 17th, 2025}

This week, Ryan and Bridget are answering a question about why athletes get paid what they do. In this bonus mini-episode of “Million Bazillion,” Bridget and Ryan hear from Colin Hufman, who competed in the 2022 Beijing Olympics with the U.S. curling team. Curling is a sport that’s played on ice, in which players slide granite stones toward a target area. We’ll learn about Colin’s experience earning income as an Olympic athlete, including payments for medals, monthly stipends and promotional endorsements. The hosts realize that making a living as an Olympian involves a lot more than just training and competing in sports.

How do athletes get paid?
^{00:30:50 | Season: 8 | Episode: 3 | June 17th, 2025}

“Million Bazillion” listener Alistair wants to know how professional athletes get paid. Bridget and Ryan prepare for the semi-annual Public Radio Foosball Tournament, but their star player is drafted to the opposing team. The hosts have to scramble to assemble players for their dream team in time for the big tournament. In this episode, they learn about labor unions, player trades and statistical analysis strategies used in the movie “Moneyball.”

What are tariffs?
^{00:27:55 | Season: 8 | Episode: 2 | June 10th, 2025}

Bridget convinces Ryan to launch a new side business, solving money problems. Today’s problem – a local fifth-grader is facing competition with her slime business from a rival school. Could a tariff help solve her problem? With the help of a not-so-spooky-ghost, they’ll learn what tariffs are, and why they make the price of things go up, and how tariffs can lead to…a trade war.

What is the lottery, and how does it work?
^{00:26:41 | Season: 8 | Episode: 1 | June 3rd, 2025}

It’s a new season of “Million Bazillion!” In this episode, Ryan and Bridget dive into the world of lotteries after listener Oskar asked how they work. With the help of a talking stat(istics) cat, they learn just how tricky it is to win big. But like many lottery hopefuls, the pair still buys a ticket with a plan they think will help them beat the odds. Will their idea work? Listen to find out!

“Million Bazillion” returns June 3!
^{00:02:12 | Season: 8 | May 27th, 2025}

Hello, Million Bazillionaires!

From “Financially Inclined”: How to negotiate
^{00:13:48 | April 18th, 2025}

Hey Million Bazillionaires! Ryan and Bridget are working hard on brand-new episodes for our next season. In the meantime, we're doing something special today. We're sharing an episode from our friends at Marketplace’s podcast for young people, “Financially Inclined.” It's all about negotiation. That means learning how to speak up for yourself, make fair deals and solve problems in smart ways. It's a skill grown-ups use all the time. But negotiation isn't just for adults. Kids do it every day at home, school and even the playground. We’ve talked before about why negotiation is such an important skill. But if you still have questions, this episode is for you!

What is Black Friday?
^{00:32:24 | Season: 7 | Episode: 6 | November 19th, 2024}

For our final episode of the season, Bridget and Ryan team up with the hosts of “Forever Ago” to tell you about one of the biggest shopping days of the year: Black Friday. While they search for the best gifts for Podcast Host Appreciation Day, they learn how Black Friday started and how stores come up with deals, and they share tips on how to shop smart during the holiday season.

Sing along with “Million Bazillion”
^{00:24:34 | Season: 7 | Episode: 4 | November 5th, 2024}