1MDB Scandal is “Thrilling”, says Bill Gates

March 23, 2019
lenakhalid
Book Reviews

My book would be, ‘Billion Dollar Whale. It’s a sad story of corruption in international finance but fascinating.

– Bill Gates

Above was the response from Microsoft founder Bill Gates when he was asked by CNN host Fareed Zakaria to recommend a book.

Gates appeared in the Global Public Square show with CNN host Fareed Zakaria, where he was asked to give his recommendation for a book.

Billion Dollar Whale was written by Tom Wright and Bradley Hope, and was published on the 18th of September 2018. The book talks about how Jho Low, with the aid of Goldman Sachs, siphoned billions of dollars from Malaysia’s 1MDB funds.

Bill Gates praised the book highly, saying it was “thrilling” and “a wonderful read”. He also said, “It’s a sad story of corruption and international finance but it’s fascinating. As Bad Blood is to biotech, Billion Dollar Whale is to international finance.”

Labelling it a “very quick” and “thrilling” read, Gates compared the book to another one of his previous recommendations, Bad Blood by journalist John Carreyrou about multibillion-dollar biotech startup Theranos.

In the same interview, Gates also talked about inequality, his charity and global warming.

Wright posted Gates’ video on his Instagram account, and thanked the philanthropist for his recommendation.

View this post on Instagram

What happens when Bill Gates recommends your book on CNN. #BillionDollarWhale

A post shared by Tom Wright (@tomwrightasia) on Feb 17, 2019 at 2:41pm PST

The writer also claimed that Gates’ recommendation has seen interest in Billion Dollar Whale rising on book review database Goodreads.

According to Gates’ profile on Goodreads, he started reading the book on January 26 before completing it two days later.

The book narrates financier Jho Low’s journey to becoming a friend of the Hollywood elite and powerful figures around the globe, using funds allegedly stolen from 1MDB.

The mention sent interest about the Billion Dollar Whale on the 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB) scandal through the roof!

Meanwhile, former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s first trial linked to 1MDB scandal was deferred following a series of appeals. He has a total of 42 charges against him from several separate cases.

Trial dates are from April 15 to May 3, 2019.

Check out Billion Dollar Whale today.