Think like a billionaire: part two
episodePreviously titled “Think like a billionaire: part 2” — renamed by the publisher on Aug 2, 2026
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What led Olivia and Juliet to investigate Julie Meyer?
This is The Guardian.
Today, Think Like a Billionaire, part two.
Before we get started, this is the second episode in a two-part series, so make sure you've listened to part one first.
This is it, I think. Yeah, because we've seen this on Google Maps, this entrance.
Apparently it's got her name on it, so we're just checking. Oh, here we go. Julie Maria Meyer.
Guardian reporters Olivia Lee and Juliet Garside are in Zurich. It's cold. It's January. They're outside the apartment of Julie Meyer. Top floor, looks like.
I mean, if you go by the buzzers, it looks like it's on the top floor.
Yeah, this is a very nice place to live.
They're having to whisper because they don't want Julie to hear them.
My gosh, she could appear any moment.
We kind of have to keep our heads down a little bit.
Yeah.
For the past 18 months, Olivia and Juliet have been digging into Julie Meyer. They followed a trail of missing money and businesses plunged into crisis by broken promises. The people who say Julie went off with their money want answers. And so Olivia and Juliet are in Zurich to get them. Oh my God, that could be her. It's a blonde person.
It is a blonde person. Feeling really nervous. I can feel my heart beating. This is our one moment.
I really hope it's her. Will Julie Meyer finally give her side of the story? From The Guardian, I'm Helen Pitt. Today in Focus, think like a billionaire, part two. It's 2023, and Barcelona gin founder Stefan Lismond is celebrating a folk festival in his local village. He's outside, enjoying the sunshine, having a drink with a close friend.
This guy suddenly told me, listen, I have a very good idea for you if you're looking for investment for your company. I know this woman who's organising a big seminar.
And Stefan gets introduced to Julie Meyer, MBE.
She said, I've been looking at what you've been doing and I really think you should join our programme and join our seminar.
Stefan says he's told the seminar is all about meeting investors. It'll cost him thousands of euros. But his is a small company and that is a lot of money. So he comes up with an idea. He'll serve his gin at the seminar's opening party and bring his band with him instead of paying the full fee.
It was a really big success, big applause, everybody, really big impact. And I must say the same night already, somebody came up to me and he said, listen, I am an investor. He wanted to shake my hand and he said, I want to invest in your company.
And how did it feel for you when you saw these people enjoying your gin?
Very exciting. That kind of feedback is everything for me. I always say it's my baby. It's very personal when you create something new, when you start a business of your own. It's part of your life. And the same night also, Julie said, Stefan, this looks very good. This is going to be a success. I'm going to get your money.
Stefan says that a few days later, Julie comes to him with an offer. Let me help you get investment, she says. For a fee.
5,000 euros a month. She was very enthusiastic about, OK, this is going to work, you know. She was convinced and she told me literally she was convinced.
This kind of investment is a huge risk for Stefan. But he says Julie's enthusiasm persuades him it's worth it. They start working on his business plan, tweaking the company's projections. According to Stefan, Julie spends the whole time promising him that she'll land a big investor.
She comes up with names. Oh, I'm in contact with Dr. Utker. You know, this big company in Germany.
The frozen pizza company.
Yeah, she says, like, this would be the ideal investor in your company. It's going to be hard to get him in, but we're going to work on it. We're going to do it, Stefan.
And did she make you believe that together you could do it?
There was no reason to doubt.
Then he says he gets a phone call.
From this guy, who he was at the seminar, and he said, listen, Stefan, I've been talking to Julie, and I decided I want to invest in your company. So that was a very exciting moment, you know, like finally, OK, there's somebody who really wants to invest.
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Chapters
5 chapters
1
What led Olivia and Juliet to investigate Julie Meyer?
0:00–6:24
2
What challenges did Stefan face while working with Julie Meyer?
6:24–11:50
3
How did Julie Meyer convince investors to trust her?
11:50–17:35
4
What red flags did Stefan discover about Julie Meyer?
17:35–21:21
5
How did Julie Meyer handle the investment round with Simon Davies?
21:21–22:30