Kabul Falling
For the past six months, the team at Project Brazen have been working on a kaleidoscopic exploration of last year's events in Afghanistan. The footage of desperate Afghans clinging to the sides of cargo airplanes seems eons ago now, but the stories of escape and the Taliban's return to power
Do We Really Need Another Yacht?
Looming over some of the great scandals of recent years is a man who loves big yachts. Surprised? No, I didn't think so. The man I'm referring to is Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed al Nahyan, a princeling once seen as on an upward trajectory as the "businessman sheikh" of Abu
CRAFT: Shaking a Tail
If you watched the pilot from our new docuseries HIDDEN WORLDS, you'll remember "Oscar Zero," the former government surveillance specialist who ran the operation to follow me across London. I first met her years ago when we went on a walking tour of London and she showed me how private
Peek Inside 'Hidden Worlds'
We have a special treat for subscribers today: early access to Hidden Worlds, a documentary series we're developing. Here's the back story: When I was at the Wall Street Journal reporting on international financial crime and business intrigue, I ran afoul of a few deep-pocketed bad guys who hired private
Where in the world is Jan Marsalek?
It's rare but every now and then a financial villain pops up that's stranger than fiction. They're almost too bad to be true. In other words, they're everything you hope for in cracking open a new book about a fraud or a heist. This week, we finally got the story
Glencore’s Bigger Scandal
Prosecutors forced Glencore to plead guilty and pay fines, but the top executives who made billions from the IPO are enjoying their retirement unscathed.
Who will be the Crown Prince?
Few monarchies in the world are of true relevance. The British House of Windsor is more a source of tourism dollars than a repository of real power. Spain's House of Bourbon is a mess. But in the Middle East, royals hold undeniable power and their personalities have lasting impacts on
Returning Home After Occupation
We are extremely proud to present to you Project Brazen's first documentary project, which was filmed in Ukraine this spring alongside the recording of our podcast series RESISTANCE [https://podcasts.apple.com/sg/podcast/project-brazen-originals/id1585848867]. In this 18-minute short documentary, you'll see some of the first footage of the
Heartbreak of Christopher Ahn
For the last three years, I've been following the extraordinary story of Adrian Hong and his underground organization, Free Joseon, which is dedicated to taking down the North Korean regime and helping high-profile defectors escape. (The story is the subject of my new book THE REBEL AND THE KINGDOM [https:
'Resistance: Stories from Ukraine': A New Project Brazen Original
Today, Project Brazen brings you the first two episodes of “Resistance: Stories from Ukraine,” a special series chronicling the harrowing experiences of everyday Ukrainians amid the Russian invasion of their country. Follow the podcast here [https://link.chtbl.com/ResistanceEp1]. As Ukraine’s military has mounted an impressive defense on
Nazi Billionaires: Interview with David de Jong
This week, we have a new on-going feature at Whale Hunting: interviews with authors about their forthcoming books. There's no more perfect book for us to start with than the explosive, new work of Dutch journalist David de Jong. He spent four years digging into this book despite across-the-board reluctance
#YachtWatch: What Next for the Floating Palaces?
By Alex Finley Now that a number of yachts allegedly owned by Russian oligarchs have been detained (nine, at the time of this writing), I thought we should take a look at what may happen next, practically speaking. Spoiler alert: no one really knows, and all the players in the