INTRODUCING: Bondy From Hero to Zero

Alan Bond was a genius, master salesman and con man. His '80s win of the America’s Cup, the sailing race of tycoons, put Australia on the global stage and the public adored Bond for it. In this series of ABC Rewind, satirist Mark Humphries tells the remarkable true story of Alan Bond; from his sporting highs, to building his global business empire and his lavish lifestyle rubbing shoulders with celebrities, to his business empire crashing and burning spectacularly and the scandal uncovered that saw Bondy pay the ultimate price. This is a 6-part history podcast series from ABC Rewind for Radio National and the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.

• 0:01Speaker 00

  The name's Bond, James... Sorry, I knew I screwed that up. It's the first line and I've already... Anyway, let me start again. The name's Bond, Alan Bond. Billionaire businessman, womanizer, Aussie icon and, oh yeah, con man. But before he came undone, Bondi was a huge deal in 1980s Australia.

• 0:24Speaker 01

  He was one of the greatest salesmen I have ever met.

• 0:27Speaker 02

  He used to say, "Get me into the bank and I'll come out with the money." He was a genius.

• 0:32Speaker 00

  His ambition knew no bounds.

• 0:34Speaker 03

  Bond's property interests stretched from Sydney to America to London and Hong Kong. There are oil wells, airships filling the sky, satellites spanning the world.

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  He won the biggest sailing race in the world, the America's Cup.

• 0:47Speaker 04

  Australia too has won the America's Cup.

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  He's the reason the Prime Minister said this.

• 0:52Speaker 05

  Tell you what, any boss who sacks anyone for not setting up the diets of that...

• 0:57Speaker 00

  But pop on your life jackets, because this ride's about to get real choppy.

• 1:02Speaker 02

  Bond cooked the books of Bond Corporation. Pushed the whole roll of money into my hand and said, "You pay the bill, they might not accept my credit card."

• 1:10Speaker 00

  Bondi had said, "Burn the bastards."

• 1:12Speaker 06

  He wanted everybody to know that he was in charge and they better look out.

• 1:18Speaker 02

  Bond was at the centre of one of the biggest political scandals in Australian history.

• 1:22Speaker 00

  I'm Mark Humphries, satirist, broadcaster and expert at knocking billionaire businessmen off their pedestals. And this is Bondi: From Hero to Zero. Episodes one and two drop September 25. Search ABC Rewind on ABC Listen or wherever you get your podcasts.