Publishers Weekly
05/03/2021
Wall Street Journal reporter Clark and his former colleague Louch debut with a riveting chronicle of the meteoric rise and scandalous fall of the Dubai private equity firm Abraaj and its conniving founder, Arif Naqvi. The authors write that Naqvi’s obsession “with status, power, and control” was, for a long time, hidden by ostentatious philanthropy, and politicians and fellow businesspeople (among them John Kerry and Bill Gates) fell for his pitch. At its height, Abraaj managed nearly $14 billion and owned stakes in 100 companies globally, and Naqvi won an Oslo Business for Peace Award. But in 2018, Clark and Louch received an email from a whistleblower outlining Naqvi’s exploits (attempting to bribe Pakistan’s prime minister, for instance). They turned it into a Wall Street Journal article, and within six months Naqvi was arrested for operating a criminal organization. The authors detail how, for years, Naqvi misused his company’s money to cover losses and pay for his extravagant lifestyle, which included lavish parties and a 154-foot superyacht. The narrative moves at a fast clip, and extensive interviews with former Abraaj employees strengthen the shock of Naqvi’s “masterful performance.” This deeply reported tale captivates. Agent: Eric Lupfer, Fletcher & Co. (July)
From the Publisher
This splendid cautionary tale lays bare the vulnerabilities of the world of high finance, where even the grandees of Davos were marks for the kid from Karachi, who could, seemingly, simultaneously produce mega-returns for investors and lift up poor people in the Third World—until, as Clark and Louch compellingly recount, he disastrously could not.“ — John Helyar, coauthor of Barbarians at the Gate
"An unbelievable true tale of greed, corruption, and manipulation among the world’s financial elite and how the World Bank, Bill Gates, and the governments of the US, UK, France, Germany, Norway, the Netherlands, Sweden, and Kuwait fell victim to the world’s largest private equity Ponzi scheme. This guy makes Bernie Madoff look like a saint.” — Harry Markopolos, the Bernie Madoff whistleblower
“Arif Naqvi separated billionaires and royalty from their wealth by appealing to their private conceit that they had made their billions doing God’s work. The twists and turns of the increasingly desperate effort to raise funds to protect Arif’s reputation and keep Abraaj afloat—the near misses and lucky saves—are spellbinding. You won’t want to put the book down.” — Eileen Appelbaum, coauthor of Private Equity at Work
“How do you dupe the World Bank, the World Economic Forum, the Gates Foundation, and countless financial luminaries from around the globe? Attach yourself to the latest piece of financial gibberish—philanthrocapitalism—hire a couple of McKinsey consultants, and then get the Harvard Business School to write glowing reports about you. In this page-turner, Clark and Louch serve up an emphatic indictment of the ‘expert class’—people who think agility with numbers is somehow equivalent to wisdom and morality.” — Duff McDonald, author of The Golden Passport
“The writing matches that of the best thrillers, with one huge extra bonus: you learn tons, even if you know this industry reasonably well. The rigor and colossal effort that went into this book transpires on each page. There is no dull moment. It is 300 pages of reading pleasure mixed with serious discomfort at what is being presented: the world of finance as it can be.” — Ludovic Phalippou, professor of financial economics at Saïd Business School, University of Oxford
"Simon Clark and Will Louch do us a service with their highly readable reminder of how greed and gullibility so often go together, and why we need good investigative journalism to keep reminding us that if the pitch (and the person doing the pitch) look just too good to be true, there is probably something fishy going on behind the scenes." — David Omand, former director of GCHQ and author of How Spies Think
"A rip-roaring account of one of the biggest frauds in corporate history. Through a pacey and deeply researched narrative, Clark and Louch unpick how a private equity trailblazer convinced some of the world’s richest and most sophisticated investors to part with their money—with devastating consequences. A must-read for anyone who is skeptical about the claims made by investment companies about their ethical credentials and motives." — Owen Walker, award-winning journalist and author of Built on a Lie
"A pacy and deeply reported tale." — Financial Times
"Compelling and disturbing, the book is a pointed tale of hubris, greed, and the narrow limits of so-called capitalistic ‘benevolence’ in the era of growing economic inequality. . . . Timely and provocative reading on one of the many perils of the murky private equity world." — Kirkus Reviews
"A riveting chronicle of the meteoric rise and scandalous fall of the Dubai private equity firm Abraaj and its conniving founder, Arif Naqvi. . . . This deeply reported tale captivates." — Publishers Weekly
"A meticulously researched, compelling reminder of the importance of financial oversight. It should be required reading in business schools." — Library Journal
"The Key Man is a riveting account of the intertwining of brilliance and greed. . . . The book should be a mandatory read at all schools of journalism and business schools, for it is a rare tour de force from which both can learn." — Business Standard
"Gripping . . . The account raises questions over whether 'impact investing' and 'stakeholder capitalism' are less about poverty alleviation for the world than guilt alleviation for the Davos elite." — The Guardian
"Impeccably researched and sumptuous in its detail. . . . It is a page-turner, built around a riveting portrait of the key man of the title. Mr. Naqvi comes across as a teeming mass of contradictions." — The Economist
"[Clark and Louch's] excellent book, which is more true crime than finance, describes in cinematic detail how Naqvi and his colleagues pumped up valuations, moved money between the company, its funds and their personal accounts, and lied about performance." — Reuters
"Well paced and cleverly organised. . . . Draws some devastating conclusions about our over-financialized economies; in particular the authors target the $4 trillion private-equity industry, which, if anybody has the courage to notice, should hereafter be subject to rigorous reform." — Sunday Times (London)
"A book that’s equally accessible to bank CEOs and those untutored in finance. . . . Clark and Louch have done an outstanding job in untangling the knots that usually keep the secretive world of private equity out of reach for most people. One hopes that their investigative work prompts regulators to strengthen their oversight of private equity—something that the titans of the $4 trillion industry have largely avoided so far." — Dawn (Pakistan)
"What the writers dissect marvellously is an all-too common tale of slick patter feeding off a degree of avarice and a large dollop of naivety. . . . It’s a sorry tale, one that raises important questions about our ability to deliver 'ethical' capitalism." — The National (UAE)
Harry Markopolos
"An unbelievable true tale of greed, corruption, and manipulation among the world’s financial elite and how the World Bank, Bill Gates, and the governments of the US, UK, France, Germany, Norway, the Netherlands, Sweden, and Kuwait fell victim to the world’s largest private equity Ponzi scheme. This guy makes Bernie Madoff look like a saint.
Financial Times
"A pacy and deeply reported tale."
Duff McDonald
How do you dupe the World Bank, the World Economic Forum, the Gates Foundation, and countless financial luminaries from around the globe? Attach yourself to the latest piece of financial gibberish—philanthrocapitalism—hire a couple of McKinsey consultants, and then get the Harvard Business School to write glowing reports about you. In this page-turner, Clark and Louch serve up an emphatic indictment of the ‘expert class’—people who think agility with numbers is somehow equivalent to wisdom and morality.”
David Omand
"Simon Clark and Will Louch do us a service with their highly readable reminder of how greed and gullibility so often go together, and why we need good investigative journalism to keep reminding us that if the pitch (and the person doing the pitch) look just too good to be true, there is probably something fishy going on behind the scenes."
Ludovic Phalippou
The writing matches that of the best thrillers, with one huge extra bonus: you learn tons, even if you know this industry reasonably well. The rigor and colossal effort that went into this book transpires on each page. There is no dull moment. It is 300 pages of reading pleasure mixed with serious discomfort at what is being presented: the world of finance as it can be.
Eileen Appelbaum
Arif Naqvi separated billionaires and royalty from their wealth by appealing to their private conceit that they had made their billions doing God’s work. The twists and turns of the increasingly desperate effort to raise funds to protect Arif’s reputation and keep Abraaj afloat—the near misses and lucky saves—are spellbinding. You won’t want to put the book down.
John Helyar
This splendid cautionary tale lays bare the vulnerabilities of the world of high finance, where even the grandees of Davos were marks for the kid from Karachi, who could, seemingly, simultaneously produce mega-returns for investors and lift up poor people in the Third World—until, as Clark and Louch compellingly recount, he disastrously could not.“
Owen Walker
"A rip-roaring account of one of the biggest frauds in corporate history. Through a pacey and deeply researched narrative, Clark and Louch unpick how a private equity trailblazer convinced some of the world’s richest and most sophisticated investors to part with their money—with devastating consequences. A must-read for anyone who is skeptical about the claims made by investment companies about their ethical credentials and motives."
The Economist
"Impeccably researched and sumptuous in its detail. . . . It is a page-turner, built around a riveting portrait of the key man of the title. Mr. Naqvi comes across as a teeming mass of contradictions."
Dawn (Pakistan)
"A book that’s equally accessible to bank CEOs and those untutored in finance. . . . Clark and Louch have done an outstanding job in untangling the knots that usually keep the secretive world of private equity out of reach for most people. One hopes that their investigative work prompts regulators to strengthen their oversight of private equity—something that the titans of the $4 trillion industry have largely avoided so far."
Business Standard
"The Key Man is a riveting account of the intertwining of brilliance and greed. . . . The book should be a mandatory read at all schools of journalism and business schools, for it is a rare tour de force from which both can learn."
The National (UAE)
"What the writers dissect marvellously is an all-too common tale of slick patter feeding off a degree of avarice and a large dollop of naivety. . . . It’s a sorry tale, one that raises important questions about our ability to deliver 'ethical' capitalism."
The Guardian
"Gripping . . . The account raises questions over whether 'impact investing' and 'stakeholder capitalism' are less about poverty alleviation for the world than guilt alleviation for the Davos elite."
Sunday Times (London)
"Well paced and cleverly organised. . . . Draws some devastating conclusions about our over-financialized economies; in particular the authors target the $4 trillion private-equity industry, which, if anybody has the courage to notice, should hereafter be subject to rigorous reform."
Reuters
"[Clark and Louch's] excellent book, which is more true crime than finance, describes in cinematic detail how Naqvi and his colleagues pumped up valuations, moved money between the company, its funds and their personal accounts, and lied about performance."
Financial Times
"A pacy and deeply reported tale."
Library Journal
07/16/2021
Wall Street Journal reporters Clark and Louch chronicle the rise and fall of Arif Naqvi and his Dubai-based private equity firm Abraaj. On the surface, Naqvi was the epitome of the adage that one can do well by doing good. He redefined emerging markets as impact investments, sold investors on his vision of helping people by investing, and hobnobbed with the elite, from Bill Gates to Princes Charles. And it worked—at first. Clark and Louch detail how Naqvi and his top executives started comingling funds to cover salaries and the exorbitant sums spent on parties and events. It didn't take long for Abraaj to go from misusing funds to full-on fraud. Tipped off by an anonymous employee, the authors painstakingly dug up a trove of evidence, including falsified financial reports, company emails, and interviews with those few who would talk to them. Earlier, in 2017, a Gates Foundation investor also noticed that things weren't adding up, and his inquiries led to an international investigation. Abraaj has since been shut down, Naqvi is awaiting extradition to the United States for trial, and one of his top executives has already pled guilty. VERDICT A meticulously researched, compelling reminder of the importance of financial oversight. It should be required reading in business schools.—Karen Sandlin Silverman, Mt. Ararat Middle Sch., Topsham, ME
Kirkus Reviews
2021-04-29
Two Wall Street Journal reporters demonstrate how a charismatic but crooked businessman conned elite investors into believing they could profit from doing good for the globally dispossessed.
Until he was accused of misappropriating funds in 2018, Pakistani-born Arif Naqvi, founder of the Abraaj Group, was a celebrated private equity tycoon. In this expansion of their investigation for the WSJ, Clark and Louch—who gathered information from “more than 150 people, including 70 former Abraaj employees, business chiefs, politicians and a Vatican cardinal”—chart Naqvi’s breathtaking rise to prominence and his even more stupendous fall from grace. The authors depict the young Naqvi as an exceptionally talented student of modest means whose “priority was to get rich.” The more ruthless side of his personality began to emerge in his young professional days. A real estate developer in Pakistan, one of his first bosses, noted Naqvi’s extreme ego and ambition and willingness to take problematic risks with debt. These traits served him well in his days as an independent fundraiser and dealmaker in Dubai and led him to form the relationships that led to the creation of Abraaj in 2002. The company quickly began making huge profits in developing countries that Naqvi marketed to Western investors and academics as “places of excitement and opportunity.” For the next 15 years, banks, philanthropists, and a host of foreign governments—including those of the U.S. and Britain—entrusted Abraaj with spectacular sums meant to fund socially conscious projects (such as the rescue of the perennially failing Karachi Electric company) that Naqvi surreptitiously used to “keep his billionaire lifestyle afloat.” As his fame grew, so did his darker tendencies, which manifested as significant abuses of corporate power. Compelling and disturbing, the book is a pointed tale of hubris, greed, and the narrow limits of so-called capitalistic “benevolence” in the era of growing economic inequality.
Timely and provocative reading on one of the many perils of the murky private equity world.
