Billion dollar whale The man who fooled Wall Street, Hollywood, and the world

Tom Wright

Book - 2018

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Subjects
Genres
Biographies
Published
New York : Hachette Books [2018]
Language
English
Main Author
Tom Wright (author)
Other Authors
Bradley Hope (author)
Edition
First edition
Physical Description
xvii, 379 pages, 8 unnumbered pages of plates : illustrations ; 24 cm
ISBN
9780316436502
  • Part I. The invention of Jho Low
  • Fake photos
  • Asian great Gatsby
  • Win tons of money
  • We're going to need a bigger van
  • A nice toy
  • Doctor Leissner, I presume
  • Saudi "royalty" (the first heist)
  • Hitting a goldmine
  • "I feel the earth move"
  • Part II. Overnight billionaire
  • An evening with the playmates
  • Raining Cristal
  • How to spend a billion
  • Where's our money?
  • Roll the presses
  • Welcome to New York
  • Shitty, junk products
  • My good friend, Leo
  • Two-million-euro bottle parade
  • "Keep your nonsense to yourself"
  • Belfort smells a scam
  • Bitter severance
  • Penthouse with a view
  • Switzerland of the East
  • Brazen sky
  • Goldman and the sheikh (the second heist)
  • Bilking the state
  • Part III. Empire
  • Making Busta his bitch
  • All the wealth in the world
  • Mystique of the orient
  • "681 American pies" (the third heist)
  • Art no one can see
  • Jewelers and bankers
  • Bona fide business
  • 140 gigabytes
  • Leo's Wall Street indictment
  • The Oval Office
  • Size matters
  • Losing control
  • Part IV. Bonfire of secrets
  • "No cash. No deal."
  • Generous Jho
  • Sacks of money
  • The exposé
  • Buttocks in a g-string
  • Strongman Najib
  • Part V. The captain's resolve
  • Prosecutor in an oil drum
  • Special Agent Bill McMurry
  • Partying on the run
  • China connection
  • Glass half full
  • White-collar crime
  • King Khadem falls
  • Epilogue..
Review by Booklist Review

Ever hear of a guy named Jho Low? No? You're not alone. Although the Malaysian man was behind one of the largest financial scams in history, he and the scam itself are virtually unknown even though he was throwing around money as though he had an unlimited supply of the stuff only a decade or so ago. Written by a pair of Wall Street Journal reporters, this well-researched and well-documented book reveals how Low, who had no credentials apart from a business degree from Wharton, insinuated himself into the Malaysian prime minister's inner circle, came to control hundreds of millions (perhaps billions) of dollars, and attracted celebrity pals from around the world. It reveals how Low used a bag of tricks, including financial fraud, to make himself seem more powerful, more influential, and more successful than he actually was. And it reveals the deep flaws in the Malaysian government that allowed Low to become an unofficial controller of a billion-plus-dollar development fund from which, apparently, he simply stole huge sums of money. For fans of business books about financial misdealings, this is a must-read.--David Pitt Copyright 2018 Booklist

From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Library Journal Review

Wall Street Journal reporters Wright and Hope tell an amazing tale of greed and sovereign corruption. Expanding on their investigative series into Malaysia's investment fund, 1MDB, the authors portray a toxic brew of Hollywood elites for sale, Wall Street, investment banks, and foreign politicians, all willing to look the other way in return for a payout. The book spans the period 1999-2018 and takes readers onto yachts and into private clubs and elite banks. Groomed by their roguish father, the Low children learned how to use offshore bank accounts to divert money. At the University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School, son Jho Low understood finance, partying, and networking. His connections paid off as he aspired to become a billionaire using other people's money. Thanks to his relationship with the stepson of Malaysia's Prime Minister, he latched on to its investment fund, going on a multibillion-dollar spending spree of art, jewels, a yacht, and lavish homes. The book details how the movie The Wolf of Wall Street was financed. When Jordan Belfort, the convicted "wolf," met Low at an extravagant prerelease party, he recognized a fellow con man. VERDICT A juicy and entertaining tale of crime and deception for all collections.-Harry Charles, St. Louis © Copyright 2018. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.