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Illustration of the tanker QUAY STAR sailing past oil storage tanks and a jetty, over a stylised map of the Strait of Malacca with tracking dots

Investigations Russia

The Island Keeping Russia’s Oil Empire Alive

by Clara Preve / Oct 30, 2026

Russian fuel shipments to an Indonesian terminal near Singapore tripled in 2025. A tanker faked its location while loading there, and the terminal kept changing hands.

Five helmeted soldiers with rifles walk away from the arched main gate of Tehran University, stones scattered on the ground.

Iran oliver hoare

Priceless Hostages of Tehran

by Bradley Hope / Sep 29, 2026

As revolution reached Tehran, soldiers walked into its new museum of modern art and the Shahbanu’s Western masterpieces went into the basement. Chapter 5 of The Missing Masterpiece of Tehran, free with your email.

Venezuela

Dispatch from Caracas: Where Is Venezuela’s Oil Money Going?

by Clara Preve / Sep 28, 2026

Foreign investors are betting on Venezuela’s future. On the streets of Caracas, the promised recovery feels far away — and questions are growing over where the country’s oil money is going.

Illustration of a masked, hooded poker player at a table beneath a video camera.

The Foundry Tom Goldstein

The Lawyer at the Billionaires’ Table

by Bradley Hope / Sep 25, 2026

Tom Goldstein argued before the Supreme Court and played for millions against billionaires. How long could he keep his two lives apart?

Illustrated poker player reaching toward chips, surrounded by city scenes and financial charts.

The Foundry Tom Goldstein

The Billionaires Across the Table

by Bradley Hope / Sep 22, 2026

Tom Goldstein takes his poker operation from Alec Gores’s Beverly Hills mansion to a showdown with Tang Hao in Manila. Millions are on the table.

Illustration of a poker strategy dossier, computer simulation and two-player table, connected by red arrows.

The Foundry Tom Goldstein

The Crew Assembles

by Bradley Hope / Sep 21, 2026

Tom Goldstein had a losing reputation and access to billionaire poker games. Behind him, a team of professionals was preparing him to win.

1MDB

Collage of five photos linked by red string showing men in suits and a smiling trio before a decorated Christmas tree

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 Brazen’s investigative publication about money, power and hidden worlds. We follow the money and the people behind it, from global frauds to private contests for power. 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 Island Keeping Russia’s Oil Empire Alive

Priceless Hostages of Tehran

Dispatch from Caracas: Where Is Venezuela’s Oil Money Going?

The Lawyer at the Billionaires’ Table

The Billionaires Across the Table

The Crew Assembles

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 Brazen’s investigative publication about money, power and hidden worlds. We follow the money and the people behind it, from global frauds to private contests for power. Join the hunt.