No one will be surprised to learn we live in a corrupt world. Just how corrupt the world is takes 446 pages of Tom Burgis’s Kleptopia to document. Corrupt banks, Russian Oligarchs, international currency manipulation, ransomware, and assassinations feature in Burgis’s story of how the economic system is going to Hell. Written like a thriller, Kleptopia shows how criminal organizations and corrupt governments rake in billions of dollars.
And, it will come as no surprise that the Trump family is deeply involved in many of these nefarious enterprises. Dirty money flows all over the world and ends up in Swiss Bank accounts and Grand Cayman Island safe deposit boxes. Tax free.
If you’re interested in the growing corruption of the world’s trade, governments, and currencies, reading Kleptopia will keep you up at night. GRADE: A
Table of Contents:
A Note on Truth xi
Cast of Characters xiii
Part I Crisis
1 The Thief – Kensington, January 2008 3
2 A Feast – Whitehall February 2008 8
3 Tunnels – Cheapside, February 2008 25
4 The Dual State – Moscow, February 2008 30
5 Silhouette – Cheapside, July 2008 44
6 Mr Billy – Harare, September 2008 48
7 Shutdown – Cheapside, September 2008 58
8 The Fallen Oligarch – Astana, January 2009 60
9 Top Secret – London, April 2009 70
10 Paying Your Dues – Pretoria, September 2009 72
11 The Informant – Brooklyn, October 2009 74
12 The Real – London, May 2010 88
Part II Chrysalis
13 Beginnings – London, December 2010 93
14 Big Yellow – Finchley, February 2011 103
15 Watchdogs – London, March 2011 118
16 The Savarona – London, May 2011 121
17 Off the Boob – Rudny, May 2011 128
18 God’s Kingdom – St Paul’s, October 2011 136
19 Fear – Zhanaozen, December 2011 140
20 Stability – Cambridge, July 2012 154
21 Too Big to Jail – London, September 2012 170
22 Sasha and Seva – St James’s, March 2013 172
23 The Loving Cup – Canary Wharf, February 2013 185
24 The Presumption of Regularity – Rome, May 2013 189
25 A Legit Shithole – Cincinnati, August 2013 198
26 Risk Appetite – Canary Wharf August 2013 207
27 Doubles – Old Billingsgate, February 2014 209
28 The System – Canary Wharf, June 2014 214
Part III Metamorphosis
29 Conquest – Eastern Ukraine, August 2014 221
30 Privacy – Kensington, September 2014 228
31 The Bridge – Moscow, February 2015 233
32 His Footprints Are Not Found – Colchester, September 2015 239
33 Winners – Manhattan, November 2016 244
34 Saint or Sinner – Paris, December 2016 251
35 The Future – Colchester, December 2016 271
36 The Man With No Past – Washington, January 2017 274
37 It’s Over – Kensington, June 2017 288
38 The Story You Choose to Tell – Montreal, August 2017 291
39 Alternative Facts – London, March 2019 299
40 Quid Pro Quo – Washington, July 2019 310
41 Normal Business – Worldwide, 2020 327
Notes 341
Acknowledgements 425
Index 427
Looks interesting but depressing. To quote Balzac, “Behind every great fortune is a great crime.”
Deb, Balzac was right and great crimes are on the rise according to Tom Burgis. Rogue countries shake down the World Economy and it all costs us more to live.
I’m full of awe and admiration for people who can read stuff like this, but I’m just not one of them.
Michael, thank you for your awe and admiration!!! But, I taught Business for nearly 40 years so these types of books and topics are like crack cocaine to me!
Corruption is fascinating.Where can I get some?
Dan, just check your email and check out that Nigerian Prince’s offer to make you rich!
The Trump family of grifters is corrupt? Surely not!
I’m with Deb. I don’t want to read 446 pages that will only depress me worse.
Jeff, yes KLEPTOPIA has its depressing aspects, but Tom Burgis shows how deep the corruption is spreading. Something needs to be done soon to deal with it.
I should have added to my original comment that if you could put the information in this book into a solid two hour documentary I’d be there on opening day.
Michael, the topics in KLEPTOPIA will show up in movies and documentaries in the years ahead because they’re so impactful. But, bottom-line, someone has to pay for all this economic dysfunction and it’s likely to be all of us!
A disturbing article in my favourite news source:
Billionaires like Musk use their vast wealth to build a world unconstrained by laws, shareholders or accountability
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2022/apr/24/elon-musk-twitter-billionaire-robert-reich
Wolf, that’s one of the reasons Elon Musk wants to buy TWITTER!
I can barely even read your review of it. And I am hoping the US is not one of the rogue countries. But how can it not be.
Patti, all countries have some rogue elements. The banks that lent Trump money knew what they were doing.
Your blog has turned into “bummer of the day”. I’m out.
Rick, one of the subtitles to this blog is: TRUTH & CONSEQUENCES. I’m just trying to give everyone a heads up on what’s on the horizon. Sometimes it’s Good, sometimes it’s Bad.
Good thing we have those paragons of honesty and integrity the Clintons to offset all the crooks in the world! And the Bidens! And Pelosi! And Feinstein!
Bob, politics is a dirty game for everyone who plays it.