The Key Man, Simon Clark
The Key Man, Simon Clark
2 Rating(s)
List: $26.99 | Sale: $18.89
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The Key Man
The True Story of How the Global Elite Was Duped by a Capitalist Fairy Tale

Author: Simon Clark, Will Louch

Narrator: Peter Noble

Unabridged: 11 hr 22 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Publisher: HarperAudio

Published: 07/06/2021


Synopsis

LONGLISTED FOR THE FINANCIAL TIMES & MCKINSEY BUSINESS BOOK OF THE YEARONE OF THE ECONOMIST'S BEST BOOKS OF 2021In this compelling story of lies, greed and tarnished idealism, two Wall Street Journal reporters investigate a man who Bill Gates, Western governments, and other investors entrusted with billions of dollars to make profits and end poverty, but who now stands accused of masterminding one of the biggest, most brazen financial frauds ever. Arif Naqvi was charismatic, inspiring, and self-made—all the qualities of a successful business leader. The founder of Abraaj, a Dubai-based private-equity firm, Naqvi was the Key Man to the global elite searching for impact investments to make money and do good. He persuaded politicians he could help stabilize the Middle East after 9/11 by providing jobs and guided executives to opportunities in cities they struggled to find on the map. Bill Gates helped him start a $1 billion fund to improve healthcare in poor countries and the UN and Interpol appointed him to boards. As Pope Francis blessed a move to harness capitalism for the good of the poor, Naqvi won the support of Obama’s administration and investors, who compared him to Tom Cruise in Mission: Impossible.In 2018, Simon Clark and Will Louch were contacted by an anonymous whistleblower who said Naqvi had swindled investors out of hundreds of millions of dollars and offered bribes to sustain his billionaire lifestyle. Digging into the claims, Clark and Louch uncovered hundreds of documents and exposed the wrongdoing. In April 2019—months after their exposé broke—Naqvi was arrested on charges of fraud and racketeering, and faces up to 291 years in jail. Populated by a cast of larger-than-life characters and moving across Asia, Africa, Europe and America, The Key Man is the story of how the global elite was duped by a capitalist fairytale. Clark and Louch shine a light on efforts to clean up global capital flows even as opaque private equity firms amass trillions of dollars and offshore tax havens cast a veil of secrecy which prevents regulators, investors and citizens from understanding what’s really going on in the finance industry. 

About Simon Clark

Simon Clark is a journalist and writer. He previously worked at the Wall Street Journal. His investigative reporting has led him to the poppy fields of Afghanistan, the copper mines of Congo and to many banks in the City of London. He was nominated for a Pulitzer Prize in 2016. He lives in Lewes, England.

About Will Louch

Will Louch is a reporter covering finance for Bloomberg News in London. He was previously a Wall Street Journal reporter covering private equity in London and New York.


Reviews

Goodreads review by Dipo on August 17, 2021

In a sense this is 2 books. As a summary of the details of what happened at Abraaj, this is clearly well researched. The story is also quite interesting and fascinating and the writers must be credited for bringing it out. Beyond that though, the second book is the narrative that’s woven around it, w......more

Goodreads review by Alok on September 05, 2021

A staggering book by Simon Clark. A non-stop read that makes your head spin and your heart beat faster and faster. The story of the rise, rise, rise and then complete collapse of the Abraaj Group (Dubai). What makes this book so compelling? - A story that PROVES that fairy tales DO come alive. This is......more

Goodreads review by HSB on January 27, 2022

I have always been fascinated by the contrast between people who have emerged from the brutally competitive, ruthless culture of social advancement, particularly in South Asia - and the highfalutin rhetoric of businesses driven by purpose, typically espoused by Western executives and corporates with......more

Goodreads review by Umaymah on September 08, 2021

10 stars out of 5. This books reminds me of why I ever thought I could be a journalist and why I'm glad I didn't become one because I doubt if I would have had enough courage that weighs the small toe of either of the authors! Talk about tenacity? As I continued to read, at a point i felt these were......more

Goodreads review by Tom on October 05, 2021

I've read about twenty or so books in the past ten years on various economic crashes, scams, or company implosions. If I rated them all in descending order this would be closer to the bottom than the top. It has its moments, but in the end it was dragged down by repetiveness. The book could have bee......more