The billion-dollar whale by Tom Wright and Bradley Hope

BOOK REVIEWS BY BINOD

BINOD’S RATING: 3/10

I learnt that:

1. Even if you’re filthy rich you can still want much more.
2. Goldman Sachs aren’t invincible and can get ripped off big time (they’ve to cough up $3bln).
3. Some ways of siphoning off cash are via sham JVs, overvaluing assets & fake company names.
4. Malaysia was/is very corrupt & racially divided
5. Politicians can be corrupt.
6. Valuers can be corrupted.
7. Bankers can be corrupted.
8. Auditors can be corrupted.
9. Pretty much everyone can be corrupted.
10. Some women like expensive jewelry
11. Some women like expensive handbags
12. Some stories are frankly not worth telling.

So yes, I learned very little that was new, or valuable & it was barely entertaining.

You can only plough through so much sleaze, through so many vaguely familiar and nauseating stories of constant thieving, hookers, superyachts, offshore accounts, fancy parties, swanky mansions, expensive art, Hollywood A-listers, flashy jewelry etc. before you hit Regretscity and then Yawnsville. And I never liked Leonardo Di Caprio or Jamie Foxx anyway.

Do yourself a massive favor. Skip the book.