Fat Leonard (Almost) Flees to Russia
Three days ago, we exclusively revealed that Leonard Francis was in Venezuela, after fleeing U.S. detention on Sept. 4. We were right. Venezuelan police arrested him as he boarded a flight for Russia. From home detention in San Diego, he'd escaped over the border into Mexico, and then to
Manhunt: We Reveal Fat Leonard's Location
We've got a big reveal today in Whale Hunting. Just over two weeks after Leonard Francis – aka "Fat Leonard," a corrupt U.S. military contractor -- went on the run, and the U.S. Marshals Service put a $40,000 bounty on his head, we've tracked him down. We're not
Fat Leonard, On The Run
In a movie-like turn of events, Leonard Francis, the corrupt Malaysian contractor who ran a mafia-like network inside the U.S. Navy, has gone on the lam. He hacked off his GPS ankle bracelet and fled into the night from his multi-million-dollar home in a gated community in San Diego,
#whereisjholow?
On Dec. 22, 2014, Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak stood in a Chanel store in Honolulu, a $130,000 watch in his hand, a birthday present for his wife. But Najib’s credit cards weren’t working. He tapped out an urgent message on his Blackberry. “My platinum cards are
Najib Heads to Jail, Finally
Seven years after we wrote about Najib Razak, Malaysia's former prime minister, receiving $681 million of state funds into his personal bank accounts, he's finally going to jail. Today, a Federal Court panel headed by Malaysia's chief justice, Maimum Tuan Mat, upheld the High Court's conviction of Najib in 2020.
Hunter Biden's China Problem
If Republicans take over the House of Representatives in November, you can expect nonstop investigations of Hunter Biden’s connections to China in the runup to 2024. Already, conservative media is focusing more on the story. Many Democrats say this is all a diversion from investigations of former President Donald
Big in Japan
You might think you know the story of the rise and fall of Carlos Ghosn, the once-super star CEO of Renault-Nissan: Got too big for his boots, allegedly misused company funds, and escaped from Japan in a box for musical equipment. Well, "Boundless, The Rise, Fall, and Escape of Carlos
End of the Road for Najib
Ok, so we're going out on a limb here and saying it: former Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak is likely going to jail for his role in the Billion Dollar Whale scandal (Najib and Jho Low, a businessman, oversaw the pilfering of billions of dollars from Malaysian fund 1MDB and
CRAFT: Covering China
David Barboza won a Pulitzer in 2013 while at the New York Times for his coverage of the shadowy wealth around former Premier Wen Jiabao. We've spoken to David before in Whale Hunting about President Xi Jinping's wealth. David also makes an appearance in Red Roulette, the blockbuster book about
CRAFT: Secrets of a Navy SEAL
This week, our CRAFT is with Mike M, a 25-year military veteran and U. S. Navy SEAL who was deployed ten times in Iraq and Afghanistan over two decades (possibly more than any other veteran). Mike has spent a lifetime learning how to build teams that can survive the harshest
7 Years and No Justice in 1MDB Case
Our book, Billion Dollar Whale, starts with an epigraph from Bob Dylan's "Sweetheart Like You" (suggested by our friend, Paul Beckett). Steal a little and they throw you in jail Steal a lot and they make you king We try not to be jaded here at Whale Hunting, but experience
Steve Wynn, Chinese Agent
The Justice Department has just sued Stephen Wynn, the American casino mogul, for failing to register as an agent of China's government. Sounds confusing? Well, let us walk you through this complicated (and bonkers) matter. The story starts with Jho Low, the fugitive Malaysian fraudster (of course it does!). Back