Billion Dollar Whale: The Man Who Fooled Wall Street, Hollywood, and the World

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.