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The Tell, in cream-and-red lettering on a black background.

The Foundry Tom Goldstein

The Tell

by Bradley Hope / Sep 18, 2026

In public, he was the country’s top Supreme Court litigator. In private, he won close to $100 million from opponents at the highest-stakes poker games in the world. His double life cost him everything.

The Target List: Washington Steps Up Drive Against Mauerberger Network and Thai Elites

Benjamin Mauerberger Scam Centers

The Target List: Washington Steps Up Drive Against Mauerberger Network and Thai Elites

by Tom Wright / Sep 16, 2026

House Republican leaders have formally urged Cabinet officials to deploy U.S. sanctions against the transnational criminal pipeline moving Southeast Asian scam proceeds through regional elites like former Thai Deputy Finance Minister Vorapak Tanyawong.

Editorial montage of Diana, Oliver Hoare, Mohammad Reza Shah and Farah Pahlavi, with Persian manuscript details.

Iran oliver hoare

The Missing Masterpiece of Tehran

by Bradley Hope / Sep 15, 2026

Iran’s rulers wanted a Persian masterpiece back. The deal involved a de Kooning and an art dealer having an affair with Princess Diana.

Coral Energy Was Supposed to Be Dead. Then CUSTOS Appeared

Investigations Russia

Coral Energy Was Supposed to Be Dead. Then CUSTOS Appeared

by Clara Preve / Sep 3, 2026

Western sanctions were meant to dismantle Coral Energy, one of the biggest traders of Russian oil. Now Istanbul prosecutors are being asked to investigate whether the network is behind the little-known Dubai company that just bought more than 100 fuel stations in Turkey.

Harry Sargeant III against a red editorial background.

Investigation Venezuela

The Asphalt King Who Went Too Far

by Bradley Hope / Aug 31, 2026

Harry Sargeant III built a fortune where sanctions, political access and private opportunity overlapped. Then Washington revoked the licence behind his Venezuelan asphalt monopoly and it all came tumbling down.

Investigation Jho Low

Happy 4th of July: Jho Low's Last Bet

by Bradley Hope / Jul 4, 2026

For more than a decade, Jho Low has been buying access to power. Yesterday, news reports confirmed Trump is actively discussing his pardon. Here is the full history.

1MDB

Investigation Jho Low

Happy 4th of July: Jho Low's Last Bet

by Bradley Hope / Jul 4, 2026

For more than a decade, Jho Low has been buying access to power. Yesterday, news reports confirmed Trump is actively discussing his pardon. Here is the full history.

Benjamin Mauerberger bank of america

Exclusive: Forensic Report Exposes Bank of America Links to Billion-Dollar Transnational Fraud

by Tom Wright / Jun 4, 2026

As Singapore and Thailand freeze $750 million in assets connected to the Mauerberger criminal network, a U.S. banking footprint gives federal prosecutors the ultimate hook to dismantle a cyber-scam empire.

The Panda's Last Play: Jho Low's Audacious Bid for a Trump Pardon

Investigation Jho Low

The Panda's Last Play: Jho Low's Audacious Bid for a Trump Pardon

by Bradley Hope / May 17, 2026

The real number is $7.65 billion. Now the fugitive—hiding in Shanghai on a forged passport—is trying to buy a Trump pardon. We've uncovered the legal and lobbying infrastructure behind the play.

Weekender

Weekender Reading

Weekender: Cocaine Empires, Pardon Brokers, and the Surveillance State

by Bradley Hope / May 16, 2026

This week: Kinahan’s cocaine empire crumbles, Trump’s pardon economy, Madison Square Garden’s surveillance machine, and Patrick Radden Keefe on London Falling.

Whale Hunting is an independent media platform by Project Brazen. We delve into the hidden worlds of money and power with exclusive reporting via weekly newsletters, podcasts, a rich list to rival Forbes, and more. Join the hunt.

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The Target List: Washington Steps Up Drive Against Mauerberger Network and Thai Elites

Exclusive: Forensic Report Exposes Bank of America Links to Billion-Dollar Transnational Fraud

The Marcos Corruption Scandal: A $25 Billion Flood Control Fraud and the London PR Firm Behind the Cover-Up

Vorapak Sues Whale Hunting: The High-Stakes Fight for the Truth

The Aman Infiltration: How a Global Money Laundering Kingpin Tainted a $3 Billion Hotel Brand

The Mauerberger Spider Web: How a Billion-Dollar Scam Network Captured a State

The Deputy Minister, His Son, and the $100 Million Superyacht

The Great Yacht Swap: Inside Mauerberger’s Escape to the Seychelles

Singapore Police Act Against the Mauerberger Network

The Aman Connection: How a Transnational Fugitive Became a Pillar of Dubai’s Most Elite Address

Latest Posts

The Tell

The Target List: Washington Steps Up Drive Against Mauerberger Network and Thai Elites

The Missing Masterpiece of Tehran

Coral Energy Was Supposed to Be Dead. Then CUSTOS Appeared

The Asphalt King Who Went Too Far

Happy 4th of July: Jho Low's Last Bet

1MDB

Happy 4th of July: Jho Low's Last Bet

Exclusive: Forensic Report Exposes Bank of America Links to Billion-Dollar Transnational Fraud

The Panda's Last Play: Jho Low's Audacious Bid for a Trump Pardon

Weekender

Weekender: Cocaine Empires, Pardon Brokers, and the Surveillance State

Whale Hunting is an independent media platform by Project Brazen. We delve into the hidden worlds of money and power with exclusive reporting via weekly newsletters, podcasts, a rich list to rival Forbes, and more. Join the hunt.