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Man: And action!
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Goldberg: You’ve heard about
"The Wolf of Wall Street,"
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but what about
the Wolf of Malaysia?
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This guy.
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This is one of the biggest
financial frauds of all time.
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Jho Low is spending
absurd amounts of money
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and partying
with the who’s who of Hollywood.
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Marell: Paris Hilton
is hanging out with him.
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Leonardo DiCaprio’s
there with him.
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Britney Spears
popped out of a cake.
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You get a bottle,
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you get a bottle,
you get a bottle!
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Leonardo DiCaprio’s new buddy
must be the same guy
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investing millions of dollars
into "The Wolf of Wall Street."
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Was there any connection between
the corruption in Malaysia
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and the millions
that were being invested
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in this Hollywood movie?
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Goldberg: Jho Low
was taking government money
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meant for the poor
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and spending it on himself.
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Rewcastle Brown:
$700 million
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in one single bank transfer?
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What kind of person
would do that?
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Could he get away with this?
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Goldberg: We’ll see.
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I’m Whoopi Goldberg,
and this is "The Con."
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-- Captions by VITAC --
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What if I told you
there’s a con
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that ensnared some of
the world’s biggest movie stars
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and involved
international money laundering,
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bribery,
and billions of dollars?
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Would you believe me?
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Well, honey, strap in.
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♪
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To guide us through
this epic party
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is Scam Goddess Laci Mosley,
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who has made a career
out of dissecting
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the world’s
most infamous con artists.
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This is the story of Jho Low,
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who went about as low
as you could go,
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committing one of
the biggest heists of all time.
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Marell:
I live in Las Vegas.
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I used to work in nightlife
on the Strip
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within the VIP services
department.
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I first got introduced
to Jho Low around 2009, 2010.
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We were told some crazy
big spender’s coming to town
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and we had to pull out
all the stops.
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He probably spent, you know,
in the multiple six figures
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his first time there,
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and everyone was like,
"Who the hell is this guy?"
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Mozingo: I’ve been
a bottle-service waitress
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at some of the biggest casinos
in Las Vegas.
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When Jho Low
came into our club,
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he would clear out
the inventory.
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He bought every single table
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a bottle of champagne
and a bottle of tequila.
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Marell: It was just something
that you didn’t see --
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spending a million dollars
in one night.
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My tables were wondering,
"How can he afford all of this?"
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Marell: I have a picture of me
with one of the porters,
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and there’s all this cash
on the table.
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He would just give everyone
that walked by him money.
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Mozingo: I don’t think
anyone asked questions
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about how he got his money
because in Las Vegas,
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we have a "don’t ask
and don’t tell" policy.
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He didn’t look like
the type of person that partied.
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He looked...smart.
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Marell:
Jho Low was pretty nerdy.
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He had glasses, short.
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We’ve heard of
Napoleon syndrome, right?
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He’s a little guy,
and he had a huge ego.
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I’ve never really seen
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anyone pay people
to hang out with them.
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When Jho Low was walking
into the club
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with celebrities
like Paris Hilton,
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Leonardo DiCaprio,
and Kim Kardashian,
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it completely changed
our whole perspective.
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He paid hundreds of thousands
of dollars in appearance fees
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for celebrities to hang out
and party with him.
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Goldberg: So, who exactly
is this Malaysian mystery man?
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Jho Low grew up
in Penang Island, Malaysia,
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which is a very quaint
suburban neighborhood.
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His father had built wealth
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off of iron mining
and selling liquor.
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Goldberg: Jho Low’s family
wasn’t filthy rich,
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but they had British
boarding-school money,
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and that buys you status.
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His father sent him
to the best schools.
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He went to Harrow in London,
which is an all-boys school
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where the royal family goes --
literal princes.
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And the connections
that he forged there
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definitely benefited him
in the future.
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Goldberg:
Harrow is like Hogwarts,
but for political power.
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This is where Jho Low
befriends Riza Aziz,
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stepson of the Malaysian
Prime Minister, Najib Razak.
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Low is scrappy,
and he goes to Wharton,
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which is one of the top
business schools in the world,
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and he keeps his ties to home
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by running a Malaysian
student organization.
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But he also networks.
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And while he’s at Wharton,
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he rents out this nightclub
in Philadelphia
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and spends $40,000
throwing this giant party,
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and he becomes known
as the "Asian Great Gatsby."
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Once you’re in the room
where it happens,
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you got to make the most of it,
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and that’s exactly
what Low was doing.
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He gets to know the top people
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from the top families
around the world.
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Goldberg: After charming
his ultra-rich schoolmates,
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Jho Low starts brokering deals
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between Middle Eastern
oil companies
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and the Malaysian government.
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He was hungry,
and he was a hustler.
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Goldberg: Jho Low continued
to work his connections
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until some curious deals
caught the attention
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of intrepid reporter
Clare Rewcastle Brown.
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Rewcastle Brown:
I had not been back to Malaysia
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since I left as a child,
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and I ended up returning
round about 2006
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to take part
in a media conference
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that I’d been invited
to speak at.
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And it was then that I realized
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I had to start reporting
on the corruption
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that was taking place
and just not being reported.
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It was then that I started
to look at the guys
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at the top of the heap
in Malaysia --
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the Prime Minister, Najib Razak,
and his government,
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who were looting the country.
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And it was very plain
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that, you know, the people
were being left destitute.
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They were so powerful that
they weren’t really bothering
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to cover up very well
what they were up to.
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And so I started
looking at this,
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and it was then
that I heard about this movie,
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"Wolf of Wall Street."
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My sources told me
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Najib’s wife had started
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to pressure ministers
in the government
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to show this film
to schoolchildren in Malaysia.
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[ Snorting ]
Ohh!
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Goldberg: Schoolchildren?
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This movie is barely suitable
for college kids.
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So, this was baffling
until a friend of mine
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sent me a little piece
of information,
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which was Najib’s son Riza Aziz
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was the producer of the movie.
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I got online and I looked up
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what was going on
with this $100-million movie
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involving Leonardo DiCaprio
and top directors.
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And as I flicked
through the information,
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something caught my eye,
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which was that
at every launch party,
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at every PR event,
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standing next to the stars
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was young protégé
of the Prime Minister, Jho Low.
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He was also popping up
in the U. S. and European press
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for just being this outrageous
high roller and big spender.
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And it begged a question,
which was,
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was there any connection
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between the corruption
in Malaysia
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and the millions
that were being invested
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in this Hollywood movie?
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The more I looked into this,
I felt that this is
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an incredibly important story
on so many levels.
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A story this big
might be able to change things.
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That’s what I was thinking.
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I didn’t realize that this
was going to end up being
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the biggest theft ever recorded
that I was about to uncover.
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Goldberg: Before she stumbled
on the Malaysia connection
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to "The Wolf of Wall Street,"
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investigative journalist
Clare Rewcastle Brown
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had been tracking the complex
government corruption
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in Malaysia for many years.
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Jarvis: Malaysia is really
a tale of two countries.
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On the one hand, you have
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these rapidly developing cities.
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But on the other hand,
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there are the rural portions
of the country
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where you have extreme poverty,
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people who are living
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on just a couple hundred
dollars a month.
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Goldberg: One of the ways
the government can help the poor
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is by creating
a sovereign wealth fund
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which encourages
economic investment
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and the creation of jobs.
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In 2009, after he makes
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several
high-profile connections,
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Jho Low is able to get in front
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of the new Prime Minister
of Malaysia, Najib Razak.
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And Jho Low has a reason
for this meeting.
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He convinces
the Prime Minister of Malaysia
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to create 1MDB,
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1Malaysia Development Berhad,
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which is
a sovereign wealth fund.
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And a lot of countries
have these,
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and they’re supposed to do
economic development
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on behalf of the citizens.
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Wright: When Jho Low
persuades Najib to set up
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00:09:01,708 --> 00:09:03,738
this sovereign wealth fund
called 1MDB,
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00:09:03,810 --> 00:09:06,650
he sort of told him
that it would be very easy
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00:09:06,746 --> 00:09:09,146
to raise billions of dollars
on international markets
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to borrow the money effectively.
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This was at a time after
the global financial crisis
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00:09:13,720 --> 00:09:15,660
when interest rates
were very, very low.
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It was very cheap
to borrow money.
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And, extraordinarily,
they agreed to allow Jho Low
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to run it secretly
from behind the scenes.
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You know, Jho Low’s only
in his late 20s at this point,
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00:09:24,864 --> 00:09:26,934
which is just an extraordinary
thing that he would be allowed
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00:09:27,000 --> 00:09:29,800
to run a multibillion-dollar
pot of money
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00:09:29,869 --> 00:09:33,109
that’s supposed to be controlled
by the Malaysian state.
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Goldberg: A notorious party boy
with a big pile of money.
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Ha! What could go wrong?
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00:09:38,211 --> 00:09:41,251
1MDB was launched
with great fanfare.
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It was all in the news.
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00:09:42,715 --> 00:09:45,075
The Prime Minister
did all his press conferences,
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and there was fancy videos
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with sort of planned cities
springing out of Malaysia.
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00:09:50,990 --> 00:09:54,430
And everybody was told
this was going to be a fund
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00:09:54,494 --> 00:09:59,074
that was going to help
the country and the poor.
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00:09:59,132 --> 00:10:02,342
Jarvis: We know that Jho Low
is this master networker,
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00:10:02,435 --> 00:10:06,505
and he uses 1MDB
to wield more power,
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00:10:06,606 --> 00:10:08,106
to drive that influence,
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00:10:08,208 --> 00:10:11,838
to build business
and drive it forward.
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00:10:11,911 --> 00:10:14,711
One of the first
orders of business for 1MDB
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00:10:14,814 --> 00:10:18,354
is to meet
with a Saudi oil company,
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and they will form
a joint venture
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in order to benefit
the people of Malaysia.
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The idea
behind the joint venture
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00:10:25,925 --> 00:10:29,125
is that 1MDB shows up
with the money, the investment,
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00:10:29,195 --> 00:10:33,125
and PetroSaudi has the assets,
the oil fields.
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00:10:34,367 --> 00:10:36,267
Rewcastle Brown:
So, Jho Low called a meeting
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00:10:36,369 --> 00:10:39,469
of the board of 1MDB
to discuss this plan
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00:10:39,572 --> 00:10:42,842
to invest in a joint venture
with PetroSaudi.
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Najib said, "I want this speeded
through as quickly as possible
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00:10:46,246 --> 00:10:48,776
and do what Jho Low tells you."
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00:10:48,848 --> 00:10:50,378
If you have a country
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00:10:50,450 --> 00:10:53,220
that is so centralized,
so authoritarian,
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then, you know, all that matters
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00:10:55,522 --> 00:10:59,692
is what the big boss guy says.
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So they set up this
first joint venture of 1MDB
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00:11:04,531 --> 00:11:08,131
with this Saudi,
royally connected company
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00:11:08,234 --> 00:11:11,004
as a government-to-government
enterprise,
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00:11:11,070 --> 00:11:13,540
and that was going to
invest in oil
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00:11:13,606 --> 00:11:16,176
to make profits for Malaysia.
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00:11:16,276 --> 00:11:19,676
The thing that’s important
to remember here is that 1MDB
248
00:11:19,779 --> 00:11:22,249
was really being run by two men,
249
00:11:22,315 --> 00:11:25,385
Prime Minister Najib
and Jho Low.
250
00:11:25,451 --> 00:11:27,051
Goldberg: Alright.
The deal’s been done,
251
00:11:27,153 --> 00:11:30,263
and now it’s time to celebrate.
252
00:11:30,356 --> 00:11:32,156
At this point,
Jho Low is spending money
253
00:11:32,225 --> 00:11:34,795
like it really, truly
grows on trees.
254
00:11:34,861 --> 00:11:37,561
Jho Low wasn’t just providing
these lavish parties
255
00:11:37,630 --> 00:11:39,300
for whoever was at the club.
256
00:11:39,399 --> 00:11:41,269
He was also inviting celebrities
257
00:11:41,334 --> 00:11:43,174
and paying them
tens of thousands of dollars
258
00:11:43,236 --> 00:11:44,636
in appearance fees.
259
00:11:44,704 --> 00:11:46,074
And some of those celebrities
260
00:11:46,172 --> 00:11:49,212
are renowned party girls
like Paris Hilton.
261
00:11:49,309 --> 00:11:51,179
Mozingo:
People were writing articles
262
00:11:51,244 --> 00:11:54,784
about these
mind-boggling extravaganzas
263
00:11:54,847 --> 00:11:56,317
that Jho Low was putting on.
264
00:11:56,382 --> 00:12:00,052
People can get addicted
to the flashy Vegas lifestyle.
265
00:12:00,119 --> 00:12:03,059
Spending money, getting all
that attention from people,
266
00:12:03,122 --> 00:12:04,422
it’s very addictive.
267
00:12:04,490 --> 00:12:06,690
As a lot of you
in this room know,
268
00:12:06,759 --> 00:12:08,959
I like to plan my evenings
269
00:12:09,062 --> 00:12:12,302
and make sure that I always
go to the best parties.
270
00:12:12,398 --> 00:12:14,368
Marell: They would actually
bring him the microphone
271
00:12:14,434 --> 00:12:16,674
from the sound booth
that the DJ would use,
272
00:12:16,769 --> 00:12:18,169
and they would give him
the microphone
273
00:12:18,271 --> 00:12:20,441
and he would order
for the whole club.
274
00:12:20,506 --> 00:12:23,276
I mean, there was 140 tables
at the place.
275
00:12:23,343 --> 00:12:25,413
Low: 50 bottles of Cristal!
276
00:12:25,478 --> 00:12:28,478
Jarvis: Jho Low is spending
absurd amounts of money
277
00:12:28,548 --> 00:12:31,378
and partying
with the who’s who of Hollywood,
278
00:12:31,484 --> 00:12:33,124
and people think
it’s a little weird.
279
00:12:33,186 --> 00:12:34,746
But you have to remember
the time.
280
00:12:34,854 --> 00:12:37,724
We’re just coming out of
a gigantic recession.
281
00:12:37,790 --> 00:12:39,530
So while people have questions,
282
00:12:39,626 --> 00:12:41,886
there’s a lot of
also looking the other way.
283
00:12:41,961 --> 00:12:43,661
This guy is going to spend money
with your business?
284
00:12:43,763 --> 00:12:45,133
Just take it.
285
00:12:45,198 --> 00:12:48,498
Goldberg: Jho Low is having an
epic time raising his profile.
286
00:12:48,601 --> 00:12:49,901
And while the party circuit
287
00:12:50,003 --> 00:12:52,443
isn’t asking any questions
about the money...
288
00:12:52,538 --> 00:12:54,468
one person is.
289
00:12:54,540 --> 00:12:57,240
It looked like the money
had gone into PetroSaudi
290
00:12:57,343 --> 00:12:59,083
and disappeared.
291
00:12:59,178 --> 00:13:00,848
That was the big mystery.
292
00:13:00,947 --> 00:13:02,147
You know, why wasn’t the money
293
00:13:02,215 --> 00:13:04,725
going into the official
joint venture account?
294
00:13:04,784 --> 00:13:07,154
And so I started
looking at that.
295
00:13:07,220 --> 00:13:10,420
I needed to keep probing
and keep asking questions.
296
00:13:10,490 --> 00:13:13,730
I was absolutely determined
to get to the bottom of it.
297
00:13:20,433 --> 00:13:22,303
♪
298
00:13:22,402 --> 00:13:24,102
Goldberg:
After the PetroSaudi deal,
299
00:13:24,203 --> 00:13:27,513
Jho Low emerges from a cloud
of champagne and cologne
300
00:13:27,607 --> 00:13:32,677
and jumps straight into
1MDB’s second big deal.
301
00:13:32,779 --> 00:13:37,649
This time, it’s green
power plants in Malaysia.
302
00:13:37,750 --> 00:13:40,890
For 1MDB’s
second joint venture,
303
00:13:40,987 --> 00:13:43,387
Jho Low really pulled
from the same playbook.
304
00:13:43,456 --> 00:13:46,786
He went to an Abu Dhabi
power company
305
00:13:46,859 --> 00:13:50,559
where he had several
high-profile connections.
306
00:13:50,663 --> 00:13:53,103
They were going to bring
power plants to Malaysia
307
00:13:53,166 --> 00:13:56,496
and create more economic
development and more jobs.
308
00:13:56,569 --> 00:14:00,009
Goldberg:
Expensive projects help
build up Malaysia’s economy,
309
00:14:00,073 --> 00:14:02,843
and that means one thing --
they need more money.
310
00:14:02,909 --> 00:14:05,849
Well, luckily,
investment bankers
311
00:14:05,912 --> 00:14:08,352
have been to a few
of Jho Low’s parties.
312
00:14:08,448 --> 00:14:10,248
[ Chuckling ] Go figure.
313
00:14:10,316 --> 00:14:13,846
So Jho Low turns to his new
friend at Goldman Sachs,
314
00:14:13,953 --> 00:14:15,453
Tim Leissner.
315
00:14:15,488 --> 00:14:19,158
Cohan:
Tim Leissner was a managing
director at Goldman Sachs
316
00:14:19,225 --> 00:14:20,455
and the chairman
317
00:14:20,526 --> 00:14:24,326
of Goldman Sachs’
Southeast Asia division.
318
00:14:25,965 --> 00:14:28,995
And this story is full
of celebrity twists and turns.
319
00:14:29,102 --> 00:14:33,012
Tim Leissner is married
to Kimora Lee Simmons.
320
00:14:33,106 --> 00:14:36,806
Goldberg: Kimora Lee Simmons
is a model and TV personality.
321
00:14:36,876 --> 00:14:38,176
Cute story here --
322
00:14:38,244 --> 00:14:41,484
she met Tim on a 13-hour flight
to Malaysia.
323
00:14:41,581 --> 00:14:44,551
By the time they hit the tarmac,
they were engaged.
324
00:14:44,617 --> 00:14:47,517
So, yeah,
Tim loves to make a deal.
325
00:14:47,587 --> 00:14:51,557
Having Goldman involved
was really important for Jho Low
326
00:14:51,657 --> 00:14:54,387
because when Goldman goes out
on global markets and says,
327
00:14:54,494 --> 00:14:56,264
"Well, look,
we’re involved with this attempt
328
00:14:56,329 --> 00:14:57,559
to raise money for this fund,"
329
00:14:57,630 --> 00:14:59,430
it just gives it
a stamp of approval
330
00:14:59,499 --> 00:15:02,029
of one of the world’s
most powerful investment banks.
331
00:15:02,101 --> 00:15:05,171
They said they were going to
invest in power plants.
332
00:15:05,238 --> 00:15:08,868
So they bought one power plant
with some of the money,
333
00:15:08,941 --> 00:15:12,341
and all the rest of the money
disappeared.
334
00:15:12,412 --> 00:15:14,912
I suspect, again,
most of the money
335
00:15:14,981 --> 00:15:18,451
was spirited away
into an offshore account.
336
00:15:19,919 --> 00:15:22,219
Goldberg: Yet again, a bunch
of money has gone missing.
337
00:15:22,321 --> 00:15:23,861
But not Jho Low.
338
00:15:23,956 --> 00:15:26,086
He’s setting off fireworks
in Vegas
339
00:15:26,192 --> 00:15:29,092
that are impossible to miss.
340
00:15:29,162 --> 00:15:32,332
Mozingo: Jho Low started coming
to Las Vegas more frequently,
341
00:15:32,398 --> 00:15:34,068
and every time he did,
342
00:15:34,133 --> 00:15:38,003
it seemed like he was one-upping
the last time that he was here.
343
00:15:38,070 --> 00:15:39,540
Marell:
One of the craziest times --
344
00:15:39,639 --> 00:15:41,109
Around November 2012,
345
00:15:41,174 --> 00:15:43,414
I think it was Jho Low’s
30th birthday party.
346
00:15:43,476 --> 00:15:47,076
They built this stage
on the Las Vegas Strip.
347
00:15:47,180 --> 00:15:50,180
It had, like,
a 24-foot ice bar.
348
00:15:50,283 --> 00:15:51,453
There was a Ferris wheel,
349
00:15:51,551 --> 00:15:53,651
and Paris Hilton
is hanging out with him.
350
00:15:53,719 --> 00:15:55,689
Leonardo DiCaprio’s
there with him.
351
00:15:55,755 --> 00:15:57,195
Britney Spears
popped out of a cake
352
00:15:57,256 --> 00:15:58,856
and sung him "Happy Birthday."
353
00:15:58,958 --> 00:16:00,188
It’s insane, right?
354
00:16:00,259 --> 00:16:01,689
♪
355
00:16:01,794 --> 00:16:03,804
Jho Low wasn’t throwing
your average parties.
356
00:16:03,863 --> 00:16:07,203
We’re not talking about
a hat with a strap, okay?
357
00:16:07,266 --> 00:16:09,536
He’s poppin’ bottles,
but not just for him --
358
00:16:09,635 --> 00:16:11,935
for everyone
in the establishment.
359
00:16:12,038 --> 00:16:13,008
You get a bottle,
360
00:16:13,105 --> 00:16:14,935
you get a bottle,
you get a bottle!
361
00:16:15,007 --> 00:16:18,437
And now somehow even more
celebrities get involved.
362
00:16:18,511 --> 00:16:20,851
Jho Low was hanging out
with Miranda Kerr so often
363
00:16:20,913 --> 00:16:24,723
and purchasing her jewelry
and a crystal piano
364
00:16:24,784 --> 00:16:27,654
that it became a rumor
that perhaps they were dating.
365
00:16:29,589 --> 00:16:32,489
Goldberg: Everything is
turning up aces for Jho Low,
366
00:16:32,558 --> 00:16:35,628
but back in Malaysia,
not much is turning up at all.
367
00:16:35,728 --> 00:16:37,758
♪
368
00:17:10,162 --> 00:17:13,302
1MDB -- none of the things
they’ve promised --
369
00:17:13,366 --> 00:17:16,596
the build-out of oil fields
or power plants --
370
00:17:16,702 --> 00:17:18,442
none of it ever materializes.
371
00:17:44,297 --> 00:17:46,527
Rewcastle Brown: Billions
of dollars had been raised,
372
00:17:46,632 --> 00:17:49,002
and no one knew
where the money had gone.
373
00:17:49,101 --> 00:17:50,841
And Najib wasn’t
really bothering
374
00:17:50,903 --> 00:17:53,813
to answer those questions.
375
00:17:53,906 --> 00:17:56,406
So they decide
to have a third bond.
376
00:17:56,475 --> 00:17:59,875
And this one is for $3 billion
377
00:17:59,946 --> 00:18:04,376
that they are going to raise
supposedly with the objective
378
00:18:04,483 --> 00:18:06,793
of developing
a business district
379
00:18:06,852 --> 00:18:08,692
in the center of Kuala Lumpur.
380
00:18:08,754 --> 00:18:10,664
The Malaysian public
are being told
381
00:18:10,723 --> 00:18:14,263
that they are going to help
put Malaysia on the map.
382
00:18:14,327 --> 00:18:15,787
That was the narrative.
383
00:18:15,861 --> 00:18:17,201
And my goodness --
384
00:18:17,263 --> 00:18:20,973
within a week, Goldman Sachs
has raised that $3 billion
385
00:18:21,033 --> 00:18:23,003
through the usual back channels,
386
00:18:23,069 --> 00:18:25,169
you know, all done undercover
387
00:18:25,237 --> 00:18:28,037
just through
their private customers.
388
00:18:28,107 --> 00:18:31,007
And the money went into
an offshore account.
389
00:18:32,845 --> 00:18:34,275
Goldberg:
This is around the time
390
00:18:34,380 --> 00:18:37,080
"The Wolf of Wall Street"
becomes a big hit,
391
00:18:37,149 --> 00:18:39,689
and the spotlight
is even brighter.
392
00:18:39,752 --> 00:18:41,822
[ Indistinct shouting ]
393
00:18:41,921 --> 00:18:44,361
Goldberg: That’s when Clare
put two and two together.
394
00:18:44,457 --> 00:18:46,927
So I wrote that article
395
00:18:46,993 --> 00:18:51,233
about Wall Street greed
and Malaysian money,
396
00:18:51,297 --> 00:18:54,127
and I had had
such interesting feedback
397
00:18:54,200 --> 00:18:56,670
in the form of
very angry legal letters
398
00:18:56,736 --> 00:18:59,396
threatening
to destroy me financially,
399
00:18:59,472 --> 00:19:03,412
alleging that, you know,
this was totally untrue
400
00:19:03,476 --> 00:19:05,506
and I should remove
everything I had written
401
00:19:05,611 --> 00:19:07,911
and stop asking these questions.
402
00:19:07,980 --> 00:19:11,850
There were multiple attempts
to defame me
403
00:19:11,917 --> 00:19:15,717
and numerous other attempts
on my security.
404
00:19:15,788 --> 00:19:19,388
And such a kind of
defensive response told me
405
00:19:19,492 --> 00:19:24,262
that I was standing on,
you know, sore feet.
406
00:19:24,363 --> 00:19:26,273
I jumped on a plane
to Los Angeles
407
00:19:26,332 --> 00:19:30,002
and uncovered some really
interesting information.
408
00:19:30,069 --> 00:19:33,339
I started talking to a number
of people in the film industry,
409
00:19:33,406 --> 00:19:36,476
and they were able to explain
to me how very unusual
410
00:19:36,575 --> 00:19:42,105
the way that the movie gave
a full-screen credit to Jho Low.
411
00:19:42,181 --> 00:19:45,451
And, you know, you can only
come to one conclusion, really,
412
00:19:45,518 --> 00:19:48,518
which was that
this was financial support.
413
00:19:48,621 --> 00:19:52,321
And just constantly
asking the question,
414
00:19:52,391 --> 00:19:54,391
where has this money come?
415
00:19:54,460 --> 00:19:57,760
Oh, and where has
1MDB’s money gone, by the way?
416
00:19:57,863 --> 00:20:01,233
Come August of 2014,
417
00:20:01,300 --> 00:20:04,970
Riza Aziz and his
production company, Red Granite,
418
00:20:05,037 --> 00:20:06,567
decided they were
going to have to come out
419
00:20:06,639 --> 00:20:08,769
with some kind of story
because my articles
420
00:20:08,841 --> 00:20:10,841
had caused them
a lot of problems and questions.
421
00:20:10,910 --> 00:20:12,740
Cohan: When Red Granite Films
was asked
422
00:20:12,845 --> 00:20:15,485
what the source
of their financing was
423
00:20:15,581 --> 00:20:17,781
for "The Wolf of Wall Street,"
424
00:20:17,850 --> 00:20:20,590
the film company
told The New York Times
425
00:20:20,686 --> 00:20:23,816
that the source of the financing
426
00:20:23,889 --> 00:20:27,989
and the funds for the film
was all legitimate.
427
00:20:28,094 --> 00:20:32,334
So, when someone starts
changing their story,
428
00:20:32,431 --> 00:20:34,971
you know you’ve got them
on the run.
429
00:20:35,067 --> 00:20:37,867
What I knew was that 1MDB
430
00:20:37,970 --> 00:20:39,440
put on the spot
431
00:20:39,505 --> 00:20:42,675
the most powerful man
in Malaysia and his government.
432
00:20:42,775 --> 00:20:45,415
This was his personal project,
433
00:20:45,478 --> 00:20:49,778
and I was beginning to show
how it had been corrupted.
434
00:20:49,849 --> 00:20:54,389
So I found myself
sucked into a country’s drama
435
00:20:54,453 --> 00:20:57,493
as a prime minister tried
to get out of the corner
436
00:20:57,590 --> 00:20:59,590
that this story
had put him into.
437
00:20:59,692 --> 00:21:03,132
So I just kept unraveling
bit by bit
438
00:21:03,195 --> 00:21:06,995
the contradictions,
the changing stories.
439
00:21:07,066 --> 00:21:10,196
And it was
towards the end of 2014
440
00:21:10,302 --> 00:21:12,902
that I located the inside source
441
00:21:12,972 --> 00:21:16,542
who was going to give me
the first real information
442
00:21:16,642 --> 00:21:19,412
about what had happened at 1MDB.
443
00:21:28,053 --> 00:21:31,363
Goldberg:
Clare had begun exposing 1MDB
444
00:21:31,457 --> 00:21:34,457
and dodging the threats
that came with it,
445
00:21:34,560 --> 00:21:37,930
but she was determined to answer
the billion-dollar question --
446
00:21:38,030 --> 00:21:42,700
how did they pull off what could
be the biggest heist in history?
447
00:21:42,802 --> 00:21:45,042
Rewcastle Brown:
Now I needed to find evidence
448
00:21:45,137 --> 00:21:47,067
that answered the questions.
449
00:21:47,173 --> 00:21:49,443
So I would always take
every opportunity
450
00:21:49,542 --> 00:21:51,742
to ask people from Malaysia
451
00:21:51,844 --> 00:21:53,584
who might have
inside information.
452
00:21:53,679 --> 00:21:55,809
"Did you -- Have you any more
on this 1MDB?"
453
00:21:55,915 --> 00:21:57,685
And on one occasion,
454
00:21:57,783 --> 00:22:00,423
I asked that
of an opposition aide.
455
00:22:00,519 --> 00:22:01,819
We were having some noodles
456
00:22:01,921 --> 00:22:03,991
in a Malaysian restaurant
in London.
457
00:22:04,056 --> 00:22:05,956
And he said, "Oh, well,
funny you should ask me that."
458
00:22:06,025 --> 00:22:08,995
He said, "I’ve been
approached by someone
459
00:22:09,061 --> 00:22:11,701
who says they’ve got
the inside information
460
00:22:11,764 --> 00:22:14,774
on the PetroSaudi deal
with 1MDB.
461
00:22:14,867 --> 00:22:17,537
He can prove
that the money was all stolen.
462
00:22:17,603 --> 00:22:19,473
It could bring down
the Prime Minister."
463
00:22:19,572 --> 00:22:21,572
[ Indistinct shouting ]
464
00:22:21,640 --> 00:22:24,240
"He’s given me a document.
It’s on my phone," he said.
465
00:22:24,343 --> 00:22:25,613
"Shall I send it to you?"
466
00:22:25,711 --> 00:22:27,851
And I said --
[Panting] "Yes!"
467
00:22:27,913 --> 00:22:30,323
It was kind of like
a page of riddles
468
00:22:30,416 --> 00:22:33,146
with little snippets of e-mails,
469
00:22:33,219 --> 00:22:36,089
addresses,
names sprinkled about.
470
00:22:36,188 --> 00:22:40,228
And frankly, I can’t think
of anyone else but me
471
00:22:40,292 --> 00:22:41,932
who would have looked
at that document
472
00:22:41,994 --> 00:22:44,234
and said,
"I know that’s genuine."
473
00:22:44,296 --> 00:22:48,526
So I decided
to contact the person
474
00:22:48,601 --> 00:22:51,041
who had sent out
this taster document,
475
00:22:51,103 --> 00:22:53,273
and we agreed to meet
in Thailand.
476
00:22:56,041 --> 00:22:57,941
By the time I arrived
to Thailand,
477
00:22:58,043 --> 00:22:59,283
I was a bit nervous,
478
00:22:59,378 --> 00:23:01,078
so we met in the foyer
479
00:23:01,146 --> 00:23:04,116
of a five-star hotel
in the middle of Bangkok,
480
00:23:04,216 --> 00:23:06,346
and I realized
that I was talking
481
00:23:06,452 --> 00:23:09,052
to a genuine whistleblower.
482
00:23:09,154 --> 00:23:24,444
♪
483
00:23:30,509 --> 00:23:33,009
Goldberg: The whistleblower
uncovers more and more numbers
484
00:23:33,078 --> 00:23:35,178
that don’t add up at PetroSaudi.
485
00:23:35,281 --> 00:23:37,321
So he decides to leave.
486
00:23:48,027 --> 00:23:50,097
♪
487
00:23:50,162 --> 00:23:53,402
I’m sitting in a room
looking at PetroSaudi’s server
488
00:23:53,465 --> 00:23:57,465
and looking at some of the bank
payments that he’s showing me.
489
00:23:57,536 --> 00:23:58,996
And one of the documents
comes up,
490
00:23:59,104 --> 00:24:00,344
and it’s kind of, like,
491
00:24:00,406 --> 00:24:03,336
payment from 1MDB
to Good Star Limited --
492
00:24:03,409 --> 00:24:05,539
seven and then just, like,
all these zeroes.
493
00:24:05,644 --> 00:24:07,684
[ Printer whirring ]
494
00:24:07,780 --> 00:24:13,420
$700 million
in one single bank transfer
495
00:24:13,485 --> 00:24:15,245
to a company called Good Star?
496
00:24:15,354 --> 00:24:17,094
I said, "What’s this Good Star?
497
00:24:17,189 --> 00:24:20,129
Why is that
on PetroSaudi’s database?"
498
00:24:20,192 --> 00:24:21,262
And he turned to me, he said,
499
00:24:21,327 --> 00:24:24,797
"Oh, that guy Jho Low
owns Good Star."
500
00:24:24,863 --> 00:24:28,103
Goldberg: Good Star? Jho Low
better get a good lawyer.
501
00:24:28,200 --> 00:24:29,870
Clare just found hard evidence
502
00:24:29,969 --> 00:24:33,139
that he’s laundering money
through shell companies.
503
00:24:33,205 --> 00:24:35,535
Cohan:
Such brazen thievery.
504
00:24:35,641 --> 00:24:37,641
Such brazen bribery.
505
00:24:37,710 --> 00:24:41,310
That’s pretty unusual,
I have to say.
506
00:24:41,413 --> 00:24:43,323
Traditionally,
when you’re talking about
507
00:24:43,382 --> 00:24:44,782
this kind of money,
508
00:24:44,850 --> 00:24:47,050
you have checks and balances
in place.
509
00:24:47,152 --> 00:24:49,152
But in the case of 1MDB,
510
00:24:49,254 --> 00:24:51,064
a lot of those
checks and balances
511
00:24:51,123 --> 00:24:53,893
all went back
to the same person -- Jho Low.
512
00:25:14,013 --> 00:25:16,623
And all this money
was divided up
513
00:25:16,682 --> 00:25:20,622
between these party boys
from the Gulf at PetroSaudi
514
00:25:20,719 --> 00:25:24,589
and the party boys from 1MDB,
Jho Low and his pals.
515
00:25:24,690 --> 00:25:26,160
You know, he was traveling
around the world.
516
00:25:26,258 --> 00:25:27,788
He was popping up
on superyachts.
517
00:25:27,893 --> 00:25:30,963
He was taking parties
to the Brazil World Cup.
518
00:25:31,030 --> 00:25:33,700
In fact, some of the better
headlines described him
519
00:25:33,766 --> 00:25:37,036
as the Malaysian man of mystery
because, you know,
520
00:25:37,102 --> 00:25:40,742
he couldn’t account for all
this spending that he was doing.
521
00:25:40,839 --> 00:25:44,339
And finally,
the dots were joining up
522
00:25:44,410 --> 00:25:45,780
because the whistleblower
523
00:25:45,878 --> 00:25:48,408
gave me the copy
of the material.
524
00:25:48,480 --> 00:25:51,780
So before,
I had valid questions.
525
00:25:51,884 --> 00:25:54,954
Now I had solid evidence.
526
00:25:55,054 --> 00:25:57,624
♪
527
00:25:57,723 --> 00:26:00,433
Look, as a journalist,
you need evidence.
528
00:26:00,492 --> 00:26:03,332
There’s no story
without a smoking gun,
529
00:26:03,429 --> 00:26:04,999
and that’s what this is.
530
00:26:05,064 --> 00:26:09,304
This hard drive with hundreds
of thousands of messages on it
531
00:26:09,368 --> 00:26:13,308
is really the break that Clare
needs to report out this story
532
00:26:13,405 --> 00:26:15,535
and get the authorities
involved.
533
00:26:15,607 --> 00:26:17,737
Goldberg: Armed with
new evidence, Clare was ready
534
00:26:17,810 --> 00:26:21,810
to blow the lid off this story
once again.
535
00:26:21,914 --> 00:26:25,824
I went back with this hot disc,
536
00:26:25,884 --> 00:26:28,554
and I contacted
The Sunday Times,
537
00:26:28,654 --> 00:26:30,594
and they were really interested
in this story.
538
00:26:30,656 --> 00:26:36,186
And the narrative was that
Jho Low was behind the heist.
539
00:26:36,261 --> 00:26:40,201
♪
540
00:26:40,265 --> 00:26:42,865
In 2015, Clare Rewcastle Brown
541
00:26:42,968 --> 00:26:45,668
breaks the story about Jho Low.
542
00:26:45,737 --> 00:26:48,767
And this is the beginning
of the end for this party boy.
543
00:26:55,280 --> 00:26:57,020
Rewcastle Brown:
And all this money, of course,
544
00:26:57,082 --> 00:26:59,252
had gone through
the United States
545
00:26:59,351 --> 00:27:01,291
in the U. S. dollar.
546
00:27:01,353 --> 00:27:05,293
So I contacted the FBI...
547
00:27:05,357 --> 00:27:07,357
and they were interested.
548
00:27:07,459 --> 00:27:10,429
♪
549
00:27:10,496 --> 00:27:13,496
McMurry:
I spent 24 years in the FBI.
550
00:27:13,565 --> 00:27:15,165
I spent the majority
of my career
551
00:27:15,267 --> 00:27:17,567
working international
organized crime,
552
00:27:17,636 --> 00:27:19,366
money laundering investigations,
553
00:27:19,471 --> 00:27:22,171
and international
corruption issues.
554
00:27:22,207 --> 00:27:26,377
In 2015, the FBI, in partnership
with the Department of Justice,
555
00:27:26,445 --> 00:27:29,915
had decided to form
specific squads
556
00:27:29,982 --> 00:27:33,592
to investigate what is
referred to as kleptocracy.
557
00:27:33,652 --> 00:27:36,322
Kleptocracy
is essentially a term
558
00:27:36,388 --> 00:27:38,118
that’s used for individuals
559
00:27:38,223 --> 00:27:41,163
who take advantage
of their position of power,
560
00:27:41,226 --> 00:27:44,496
whether it’s in the government
or through political contacts,
561
00:27:44,563 --> 00:27:48,373
to enrich themselves
at the cost and expense
562
00:27:48,433 --> 00:27:51,043
of the citizens
of the country that they’re in.
563
00:27:51,103 --> 00:27:54,643
We were starting off by going
through this backlog of cases,
564
00:27:54,673 --> 00:27:58,483
and there was substantial cases
that needed to be investigated.
565
00:27:58,544 --> 00:28:02,414
And we started hearing
media reports about 1MDB
566
00:28:02,481 --> 00:28:05,521
and this scandal in Malaysia.
567
00:28:05,584 --> 00:28:07,594
And the thing that
immediately caught our eye
568
00:28:07,653 --> 00:28:10,963
was what seemed to be clear
connections to the United States
569
00:28:10,989 --> 00:28:14,589
and the fact that the proceeds
from this alleged embezzlement
570
00:28:14,693 --> 00:28:16,563
were actually spent
in the United States
571
00:28:16,628 --> 00:28:20,028
and had been funneled
into the United States.
572
00:28:20,132 --> 00:28:21,832
Sproule:
My name is Christen Sproule,
573
00:28:21,900 --> 00:28:24,670
and I was an assistant
United States attorney
574
00:28:24,736 --> 00:28:27,236
for the U. S. Attorney’s Office
in Los Angeles.
575
00:28:27,339 --> 00:28:31,209
Jho Low is a con man
and was able to pull off
576
00:28:31,276 --> 00:28:35,746
the largest, most expensive
fraud of all time.
577
00:28:35,847 --> 00:28:37,577
What’s interesting
about this case
578
00:28:37,683 --> 00:28:43,093
is that, at base,
the scheme was simple.
579
00:28:43,155 --> 00:28:45,525
The first heist
was to steal the money
580
00:28:45,624 --> 00:28:48,764
that was already
in the 1MDB fund.
581
00:28:48,827 --> 00:28:50,597
The second and third heists
582
00:28:50,662 --> 00:28:54,832
were money that was raised
by issuing bonds.
583
00:28:54,933 --> 00:28:56,703
And then once the money
came into the fund,
584
00:28:56,768 --> 00:28:59,068
it was then diverted
to shell companies.
585
00:28:59,171 --> 00:29:01,771
It can be easier to steal
a billion dollars
586
00:29:01,873 --> 00:29:04,043
than it is to rob a 7-Eleven.
587
00:29:04,109 --> 00:29:06,879
Goldberg: Just like that,
Jho Low’s house of cards
588
00:29:06,945 --> 00:29:08,575
started to tumble.
589
00:29:08,647 --> 00:29:10,477
What about all those
cool diamonds?
590
00:29:10,582 --> 00:29:12,952
Well, it turned out
they were hot,
591
00:29:13,018 --> 00:29:15,718
and the FBI
was comin’ to collect.
592
00:29:15,721 --> 00:29:25,861
Goldberg: After five years
of the high life,
593
00:29:25,964 --> 00:29:28,304
Jho Low has made a big name
for himself,
594
00:29:28,400 --> 00:29:31,070
and it even made the big screen.
595
00:29:31,169 --> 00:29:34,609
But it’s also making the rounds
at the FBI.
596
00:29:36,975 --> 00:29:40,545
In 2015, when the FBI
and the Department of Justice
597
00:29:40,612 --> 00:29:43,152
officially opened
an investigation into 1MDB,
598
00:29:43,215 --> 00:29:48,025
the criminal conduct had been
going on for a number of years.
599
00:29:48,086 --> 00:29:52,956
We started taking a deep look
at Jho Low as the main suspect.
600
00:29:53,025 --> 00:29:55,635
But it’s crystal clear
with this case
601
00:29:55,727 --> 00:29:57,697
and any of these
kleptocracy cases is,
602
00:29:57,763 --> 00:29:58,963
none of this can happen
603
00:29:59,031 --> 00:30:02,531
without really powerful people
being complicit.
604
00:30:02,634 --> 00:30:04,404
Sproule: We began with
a civil asset forfeiture
605
00:30:04,503 --> 00:30:08,513
because we knew we could trace
dirty money into the assets.
606
00:30:08,573 --> 00:30:11,813
That is easier in this case
to do
607
00:30:11,877 --> 00:30:16,547
than to get enough evidence to
prove that Jho Low was guilty.
608
00:30:16,615 --> 00:30:20,325
Jho Low learning about the DOJ’s
investigation was a concern,
609
00:30:20,419 --> 00:30:22,989
so we did attempt
to gather our information
610
00:30:23,055 --> 00:30:24,425
as discreetly as possible
611
00:30:24,489 --> 00:30:26,789
to protect the assets
and the evidence.
612
00:30:26,858 --> 00:30:30,158
At this point, Jho Low
is in a fraud party fugue.
613
00:30:30,262 --> 00:30:31,732
Everyone’s asking questions.
614
00:30:31,830 --> 00:30:33,900
The walls are starting
to cave in.
615
00:30:33,965 --> 00:30:35,995
But if you were to see Jho Low,
you would think
616
00:30:36,101 --> 00:30:39,341
that it’s just good times
that are gonna keep rollin’.
617
00:30:39,438 --> 00:30:41,738
[ Lively orchestra plays ]
618
00:30:41,807 --> 00:30:44,977
Jho Low would try to keep
his name out of the press,
619
00:30:45,077 --> 00:30:46,677
but by throwing
all these parties
620
00:30:46,778 --> 00:30:48,078
and spending all this money,
621
00:30:48,146 --> 00:30:50,046
he just attracted
that attention,
622
00:30:50,115 --> 00:30:51,855
which upset his co-conspirators
because it was
623
00:30:51,917 --> 00:30:55,487
drawing unnecessary attention
to the scheme,
624
00:30:55,587 --> 00:30:57,487
and people started
asking questions
625
00:30:57,556 --> 00:30:59,616
where all this money
was coming from.
626
00:30:59,691 --> 00:31:01,531
And it was because Jho Low
was throwing it around
627
00:31:01,626 --> 00:31:03,656
like it was Monopoly money.
628
00:31:03,729 --> 00:31:06,059
Goldberg: But the FBI
was not playing games.
629
00:31:06,164 --> 00:31:09,174
They were collecting evidence
and following the money
630
00:31:09,267 --> 00:31:12,537
so they could send Jho Low
directly to jail.
631
00:31:12,637 --> 00:31:17,607
Everyone in Jho Low’s circle
is living incredibly large.
632
00:31:17,676 --> 00:31:19,576
Sproule: Through our
investigation, we discovered
633
00:31:19,644 --> 00:31:21,284
Joe Lo purchased
634
00:31:21,380 --> 00:31:23,210
incredibly expensive
real estate,
635
00:31:23,315 --> 00:31:24,585
homes in Los Angeles,
636
00:31:24,683 --> 00:31:28,093
a $40-million house
in Beverly Hills.
637
00:31:28,153 --> 00:31:31,323
He buys Beyoncé
and Jay-Z’s house
638
00:31:31,390 --> 00:31:33,290
in Time Warner Center
in New York City.
639
00:31:33,392 --> 00:31:35,432
He purchased a hotel
at one point.
640
00:31:35,494 --> 00:31:38,534
He purchased a Bombardier jet.
He purchased a yacht.
641
00:31:38,630 --> 00:31:40,060
He starts buying artwork.
642
00:31:40,165 --> 00:31:42,975
Sproule: Monets and
"Dustheads" by Basquiat.
643
00:31:43,068 --> 00:31:45,838
Sold at $43,500,000!
644
00:31:45,904 --> 00:31:50,074
He purchased millions of dollars
in jewelry for Miranda Kerr.
645
00:31:50,175 --> 00:31:51,815
And each one of
those transactions
646
00:31:51,910 --> 00:31:53,950
is the crime
of money laundering.
647
00:31:55,781 --> 00:31:58,181
Goldberg:
The FBI now has enough evidence
648
00:31:58,283 --> 00:32:00,493
that Jho Low has laundered money
649
00:32:00,552 --> 00:32:05,192
and violated the Foreign
Corrupt Practices Act.
650
00:32:05,290 --> 00:32:07,560
Jarvis: In June of 2017,
651
00:32:07,659 --> 00:32:10,959
the DOJ announces the U.S.
is seeking the forfeiture
652
00:32:11,029 --> 00:32:14,029
of more than a billion dollars
in assets
653
00:32:14,132 --> 00:32:16,972
misappropriated from 1MDB.
654
00:32:17,035 --> 00:32:19,835
The 1MDB fund
held tremendous promise
655
00:32:19,938 --> 00:32:21,138
for the Malaysian people.
656
00:32:21,239 --> 00:32:23,609
A number of
corrupt 1MDB officials
657
00:32:23,675 --> 00:32:27,245
treated this public trust
as a personal bank account.
658
00:32:27,345 --> 00:32:31,115
At this point, the FBI
turned into the repo man.
659
00:32:31,216 --> 00:32:32,746
They came for every single gift
660
00:32:32,818 --> 00:32:36,018
that Jho Low had gifted
all of these celebrities.
661
00:32:36,087 --> 00:32:37,657
Goldberg:
When Jho Low’s celebrity pals
662
00:32:37,756 --> 00:32:39,086
found out their friendship
663
00:32:39,191 --> 00:32:41,261
had been bought
with stolen cash,
664
00:32:41,326 --> 00:32:43,896
they were all too happy
to cooperate.
665
00:32:43,995 --> 00:32:45,525
The DOJ went knocking
666
00:32:45,597 --> 00:32:48,667
on Leonardo DiCaprio
and Miranda Kerr’s doors,
667
00:32:48,767 --> 00:32:50,537
asking for their gifts back.
668
00:32:50,635 --> 00:32:52,695
Miranda Kerr had to
give back her jewelry.
669
00:32:52,771 --> 00:32:54,011
She agreed to cooperate.
670
00:32:54,105 --> 00:32:55,705
But we couldn’t physically seize
671
00:32:55,774 --> 00:32:59,044
the crystal piano
he purchased for Miranda Kerr
672
00:32:59,110 --> 00:33:04,580
because Miranda Kerr had glass
walls built around the piano.
673
00:33:04,683 --> 00:33:08,523
So I believe
she still has that piano.
674
00:33:08,620 --> 00:33:10,890
So, one of the assets DOJ seized
675
00:33:10,956 --> 00:33:16,156
were the rights to the movie
"The Wolf of Wall Street."
676
00:33:16,228 --> 00:33:18,928
And it’s actually the first time
in history that we knew of
677
00:33:18,997 --> 00:33:20,627
that anyone had ever seized
678
00:33:20,699 --> 00:33:23,369
intellectual property rights
to a movie.
679
00:33:23,468 --> 00:33:26,798
And I actually remember
one of the FBI agents asked me,
680
00:33:26,872 --> 00:33:28,442
"How are we going to do this?"
681
00:33:28,540 --> 00:33:30,170
And I -- I actually said,
682
00:33:30,242 --> 00:33:31,642
"We’re just gonna
[bleep] do it."
683
00:33:31,743 --> 00:33:34,713
[ Chuckles ]
That’s what I said. Um...
684
00:33:34,779 --> 00:33:36,109
Goldberg:
Isn’t it just sweet justice
685
00:33:36,181 --> 00:33:39,151
that the FBI seized
the profits from a movie
686
00:33:39,217 --> 00:33:43,417
about a corrupt money launderer
brought down by the FBI?
687
00:33:45,190 --> 00:33:48,190
It was important to us
to seize these assets
688
00:33:48,293 --> 00:33:51,333
because we wanted to get
as much money as we could
689
00:33:51,429 --> 00:33:53,659
back to the citizens
of Malaysia.
690
00:33:53,765 --> 00:33:57,135
They make on average
$500 a month.
691
00:33:57,235 --> 00:33:59,095
These are very poor people.
692
00:33:59,204 --> 00:34:01,844
And so it was always on my mind.
693
00:34:01,940 --> 00:34:05,340
These were people who were going
to be saddled with this debt
694
00:34:05,443 --> 00:34:08,583
for -- you know,
for years to come.
695
00:34:08,680 --> 00:34:10,780
So we were putting together
a criminal case
696
00:34:10,849 --> 00:34:12,249
against not only Jho Low,
697
00:34:12,317 --> 00:34:15,987
but also Tim Leissner,
who was a Goldman Sachs banker.
698
00:34:16,087 --> 00:34:18,017
What we were able to find out
699
00:34:18,089 --> 00:34:20,119
during the course
of our investigation is
700
00:34:20,225 --> 00:34:23,065
in order for Tim Leissner
and Goldman Sachs
701
00:34:23,128 --> 00:34:26,928
to win the rights
to raise that capital for 1MDB,
702
00:34:26,998 --> 00:34:29,668
they had paid bribes
to essentially people
703
00:34:29,768 --> 00:34:32,198
on the 1MDB board
to win that work.
704
00:34:32,270 --> 00:34:36,470
And when an individual
or an entity lies in an e-mail
705
00:34:36,575 --> 00:34:38,915
about the nature
of a transaction
706
00:34:38,977 --> 00:34:41,077
such as the one
that 1MDB was involved in,
707
00:34:41,146 --> 00:34:42,276
that’s a crime.
708
00:34:42,380 --> 00:34:44,620
So now we had a series of crimes
709
00:34:44,716 --> 00:34:46,816
that we could charge
individuals with.
710
00:34:46,885 --> 00:34:50,295
Goldberg: Jho Low catches wind
that the feds are onto him,
711
00:34:50,355 --> 00:34:52,625
and he quickly goes to ground.
712
00:34:52,691 --> 00:34:54,961
For the first time
in a very long time,
713
00:34:55,060 --> 00:34:58,200
Jho Low doesn’t want
to get his photo taken.
714
00:34:58,263 --> 00:35:02,303
So at this point, Jho Low
decides to pick up and go.
715
00:35:02,400 --> 00:35:04,100
Sproule: We didn’t know
where Jho Low was.
716
00:35:04,202 --> 00:35:06,802
At that point,
he may pop up in certain places
717
00:35:06,871 --> 00:35:09,141
and we could track his yacht,
718
00:35:09,240 --> 00:35:12,340
but we didn’t know
if he was on that yacht.
719
00:35:12,444 --> 00:35:15,314
Is he gonna get away?
Who knows?
720
00:35:15,413 --> 00:35:17,382
♪
721
00:35:17,382 --> 00:35:28,632
Goldberg: Finally, the massive
1MDB con is crumbling.
722
00:35:28,727 --> 00:35:31,627
Assets are being seized,
charges are being filed,
723
00:35:31,730 --> 00:35:35,070
but the FBI cannot
seem to find Jho Low.
724
00:35:35,166 --> 00:35:37,566
Nowhere. Nowhere.
725
00:35:37,669 --> 00:35:39,939
Rewcastle Brown:
Jho Low is the ultimate con man.
726
00:35:40,038 --> 00:35:42,338
He lied, he deceived,
727
00:35:42,440 --> 00:35:47,040
and he left Malaysia
with humongous debts.
728
00:35:47,145 --> 00:35:49,545
All the people
who took the money,
729
00:35:49,614 --> 00:35:51,384
who turned a blind eye,
730
00:35:51,449 --> 00:35:55,319
they deserve to be named
and shamed for what they did.
731
00:35:58,356 --> 00:35:59,786
McMurry:
We developed enough evidence
732
00:35:59,891 --> 00:36:02,431
where we charged Tim Leissner.
733
00:36:02,494 --> 00:36:06,734
He was instrumental in securing
this work for Goldman Sachs
734
00:36:06,831 --> 00:36:10,071
and ensuring that they won
the right to raise this capital
735
00:36:10,168 --> 00:36:12,268
for 1MDB through paying bribes.
736
00:36:12,337 --> 00:36:15,807
Tim Leissner directly benefited
from those bribes.
737
00:36:15,874 --> 00:36:19,314
Goldman Sachs as an institution
benefited from those bribes
738
00:36:19,411 --> 00:36:23,211
to the tune of hundreds
of millions of dollars.
739
00:36:23,314 --> 00:36:27,254
Tim Leissner pled guilty.
He is still awaiting sentencing.
740
00:36:27,318 --> 00:36:29,688
Jarvis: Goldman Sachs settles
with the Malaysian authorities
741
00:36:29,788 --> 00:36:33,888
for $3.9 billion
in July of 2020.
742
00:36:33,958 --> 00:36:35,358
McMurry:
According to Tim Leissner,
743
00:36:35,427 --> 00:36:37,557
Jho Low was the mastermind
of the scheme,
744
00:36:37,629 --> 00:36:40,429
but it certainly
took multiple people,
745
00:36:40,532 --> 00:36:42,902
including the Prime Minister
of Malaysia,
746
00:36:42,967 --> 00:36:46,197
to actually
make the scheme work.
747
00:37:01,653 --> 00:37:03,553
Reporter: Can I ask you, sir,
why you haven’t resigned
748
00:37:03,621 --> 00:37:05,421
over involvement
in a corruption scandal
749
00:37:05,523 --> 00:37:06,963
of global
proportions, sir?!
750
00:37:07,025 --> 00:37:09,765
Rewcastle Brown:
When this all blew up,
751
00:37:09,861 --> 00:37:14,931
it created a massive
political upheaval in Malaysia.
752
00:37:15,033 --> 00:37:17,243
As the Feds were closing in
on Jho Low
753
00:37:17,335 --> 00:37:19,465
and all of his accomplices
in the U. S.,
754
00:37:19,571 --> 00:37:21,911
Najib, the Prime Minister
of Malaysia at the time,
755
00:37:21,973 --> 00:37:23,873
was ousted from his position.
756
00:37:23,975 --> 00:37:25,875
Goldberg:
Najib was then put on trial
757
00:37:25,977 --> 00:37:29,507
for embezzling $9.9 million,
758
00:37:29,614 --> 00:37:33,124
a mere fraction of the total
amount that disappeared.
759
00:37:33,218 --> 00:37:35,518
Cohan:
Najib Razak was convicted,
760
00:37:35,587 --> 00:37:38,987
is out on bail while
he’s appealing his sentence,
761
00:37:39,090 --> 00:37:40,630
but it seems unlikely
762
00:37:40,725 --> 00:37:45,095
that he will be victorious
in that appeal.
763
00:37:45,163 --> 00:37:49,973
Riza Aziz, who was the producer
of "Wolf of Wall Street,"
764
00:37:50,034 --> 00:37:51,544
returned to Malaysia,
765
00:37:51,603 --> 00:37:55,043
but the charges against him
were dropped.
766
00:37:55,140 --> 00:37:58,480
Red Granite Pictures made a deal
with the U. S. Justice Department
767
00:37:58,543 --> 00:38:03,513
and had to give up $60 million
of profits from the movie.
768
00:38:03,615 --> 00:38:05,625
♪
769
00:38:05,717 --> 00:38:08,347
Putting someone in jail,
into prison,
770
00:38:08,419 --> 00:38:10,019
you know, only does so much.
771
00:38:10,121 --> 00:38:11,861
It’s taking the profit
out of the crime
772
00:38:11,956 --> 00:38:15,456
and often returning those funds
to the crime victims
773
00:38:15,560 --> 00:38:17,930
that I think
is the true justice.
774
00:38:18,029 --> 00:38:22,229
I mean, that’s the only real way
to make someone whole again
775
00:38:22,333 --> 00:38:24,743
or at least partly whole again.
776
00:38:24,803 --> 00:38:28,243
The Malaysian citizens were
the victims of Jho Low’s crime.
777
00:38:28,339 --> 00:38:32,909
They had the economic stability
and prosperity of their country
778
00:38:32,977 --> 00:38:36,707
and their children’s futures
stolen by Jho Low
779
00:38:36,815 --> 00:38:41,095
and spent at, you know,
parties in Las Vegas.
780
00:38:41,186 --> 00:38:42,486
Marell:
When he stopped coming in
781
00:38:42,554 --> 00:38:44,994
and we learned that all
of the money he was spending
782
00:38:45,089 --> 00:38:46,259
was stolen --
783
00:38:46,357 --> 00:38:48,987
He probably spent, you know,
784
00:38:49,093 --> 00:38:51,563
$10 million in Vegas
in a couple years.
785
00:38:51,663 --> 00:38:53,333
Sometimes I would think about
786
00:38:53,431 --> 00:38:55,701
how the money
that was being spent in Vegas
787
00:38:55,800 --> 00:38:58,270
could help, you know,
the less fortunate.
788
00:38:58,369 --> 00:39:01,139
♪
789
00:39:01,239 --> 00:39:06,079
This is one of the biggest
financial frauds of all time.
790
00:39:06,144 --> 00:39:08,814
Jarvis:
The real victims in this story
791
00:39:08,880 --> 00:39:10,780
are the people of Malaysia,
792
00:39:10,882 --> 00:39:15,592
people who thought they were
getting a better future.
793
00:39:15,687 --> 00:39:18,357
To provide people
with that kind of hope
794
00:39:18,456 --> 00:39:20,386
and then to just steal it away,
795
00:39:20,458 --> 00:39:22,188
what kind of person
would do that?
796
00:39:22,293 --> 00:39:24,433
McMurry: The public officials
that were supposed to serve them
797
00:39:24,529 --> 00:39:25,899
decided to steal this money
798
00:39:25,997 --> 00:39:28,267
rather than use it
for what it was intended for.
799
00:39:28,333 --> 00:39:31,373
And the impacts can be felt
for generations.
800
00:39:31,469 --> 00:39:34,209
The power plants
and the railroad stations
801
00:39:34,305 --> 00:39:35,705
that were never built,
802
00:39:35,807 --> 00:39:37,477
things that would have changed
people’s lives,
803
00:39:37,575 --> 00:39:40,905
given them opportunities
that now they won’t have.
804
00:39:41,012 --> 00:39:45,122
Jho Low has now
been on the run for years
805
00:39:45,216 --> 00:39:47,616
with this investigation
still ongoing.
806
00:39:47,719 --> 00:39:49,889
And it really begs
the question...
807
00:39:49,988 --> 00:39:52,718
could he get away with this?
808
00:39:52,824 --> 00:39:54,464
Sproule:
Jho Low is in the wind.
809
00:39:54,559 --> 00:39:57,729
There are rumors
that Jho Low is in Shanghai.
810
00:39:57,829 --> 00:40:00,969
There are also rumors
that he continues to party.
811
00:40:01,065 --> 00:40:03,565
He’s clearly found a country
that’s willing to harbor him.
812
00:40:03,668 --> 00:40:07,608
Cohan: Jho Low, he’s effectively
nowhere to be seen.
813
00:40:07,705 --> 00:40:11,675
He’s become sort of
a "Where’s Waldo?" character.
814
00:40:11,776 --> 00:40:14,176
Where in the world is Jho Low?
815
00:40:45,176 --> 00:40:47,076
McMurry:
If Jho Low remains a fugitive --
816
00:40:47,178 --> 00:40:49,408
I believe he’s still
in his 30s. He’s a young man.
817
00:40:49,514 --> 00:40:52,824
And he’s got a long way to go.
818
00:40:52,917 --> 00:40:55,087
He’s doomed to an existence
819
00:40:55,186 --> 00:40:58,416
where he’s going to always
be looking over his shoulder
820
00:40:58,523 --> 00:41:02,733
because the United States
will never stop looking for him.
821
00:41:02,827 --> 00:41:04,657
He’s going to get caught.
822
00:41:04,762 --> 00:41:07,502
He’ll be arrested.
823
00:41:07,598 --> 00:41:09,028
Goldberg:
You hear that, Jho Low?
824
00:41:09,133 --> 00:41:10,673
We’re comin’ for you.
825
00:41:10,768 --> 00:41:16,268
♪
826
00:41:16,374 --> 00:41:26,024
♪