Absolutely fascinating, all the more so because the story is true!
Jho Low grew up in privilege in Malaysia, idolizing American pop culture and obsessed with gaining prestige. His combined audacity and financial genius enabled him to first make connections with powerful people (Middle Eastern royalty and politicians to start, and then A-list Hollywood celebrities), and then leverage those connections into lending him credibility for his various business and financial schemes so that no one would look too deeply beneath the surface. He’s the ultimate example of “fake it till you make it,” except for the fact that he never actually produced anything of value to the economy. Rather, he used his connections and genius to boldly pull off several multi-billion dollar heists in which he moved money from one place to another, making it look like actual profits. Then he spent the money on outrageously opulent parties, extravagant gifts, courting supermodels, and his own Hollywood production company–all with the apparent goal of being acknowledged by the world as “cool.”
So it’s a sad story, really, but a fascinating one. Spoiler alert: in the end, Jho Low was found out, but never caught. He’s currently a fugitive from Malaysia, Singapore, and the US for pulling off one of, if not the greatest financial heists in history.
My rating: *****
Language: either none or very little — I can’t totally recall so it must not have been bad!
Sexual content: none
Political content: none
