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  • The Key Man

  • How the Global Elite Was Duped by a Capitalist Fairy Tale
  • By: Simon Clark, Will Louch
  • Narrated by: Peter Noble
  • Length: 11 hrs and 21 mins
  • 4.6 out of 5 stars (134 ratings)
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The Key Man cover art

The Key Man

By: Simon Clark, Will Louch
Narrated by: Peter Noble
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Summary

Brought to you by Penguin.

In this compelling story of greed, chicanery and tarnished idealism, two Wall Street Journal reporters investigate a man who Bill Gates and Western governments entrusted with hundreds of millions of dollars to make profits and end poverty but now stands accused of masterminding one of the biggest, most brazen frauds ever.

Arif Naqvi was charismatic, inspiring and self-made. The founder of the Dubai-based private-equity firm Abraaj, he was the key man to the global elite searching for impact investments to make money and do good. He persuaded politicians he could help stabilize the Middle East after 9/11 by providing jobs and guided executives to opportunities in cities they struggled to find on the map. Bill Gates helped him start a billion-dollar fund to improve health care in poor countries and the UN and Interpol appointed him to boards. Naqvi also won the support of President Obama's administration and investors, who compared him to Tom Cruise in Mission: Impossible.

The only problem? In 2019, Arif Naqvi was arrested on charges of fraud and racketeering at Heathrow airport. A British judge has approved his extradition to the US, and he faces up to 291 years in jail if found guilty.

Populated by a cast of larger-than-life characters and moving across Asia, Africa, Europe and America, The Key Man is the story of how the global elite was duped by a capitalist fairy tale. Clark and Louch's thrilling investigation exposes one of the world's most audacious scams and shines a light on the hypocrisy, corruption and greed at the heart of the global financial system.

©2021 Simon Clark (P)2021 Penguin Audio

What listeners say about The Key Man

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

here we go again

The Abraaj scandal hasn't attracted half as as much publicity as similar takes of greed and hubris, bit it's every bit as outrageous. This is good, detailed account, with a total evisceration of stakeholder capitalism right at the end of the epilogue. Good stuff.

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very poor and simplistic book

This book raises many questions about the writers as I find some of their information very bias against Arif Naqvi. If you want to have a non-bias view of the downfall of Abraaj I recommend you to read "Icarus" by Brian Brivati.

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    4 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

What impact had Abraaj?

The Key Man is a riveting account of the meteoric rise and crash of Arif Naqvi, the Pakistani guiding light behind Abraaj, an investment firm that for a time was the darling of the international development and impact investment world. Well researched story by two WSJ reporters, from Davos to the Karachi backstreets, of how Naqvi hoodwinked the global do-good elite with eloquent appeals which masked megalomanic excess and depravation. Alas the real losers are the 3rd world entrepreneurs and small companies who never got funded as a result.

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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

lack of humility when successful!!!

awesome book which teaches you how ego leads to fraud & illusions leading to destruction

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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Very well narrated

To the point not too much beating around the bush

As with all left leaning globalists communists and marxists the centre of the world is themselves

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Very well written and insightful

Very detailed and thoughtfully explained on the inner workings of Abraaj. Told like a movie and very gripping,

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Yet again, the gullibility of the global elite is beyond belief.

A crook, swindler, charlatan or just an immoral person named Arif Naqvi abusing his gift ie his ability to make people believe in him. The world needs to wake up and keep an eye on individuals in the Private Equity and Venture Capital sector. Most are nothing more than “tourists” abusing the system.

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    4 out of 5 stars

Very well read and entertaining

Recommended- gripping story and very well narrated by Peter noble - would be interesting in listening more audios about the abraaj debacle

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    4 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

it's ok

it's really a shame as usually big frauds like this have crazy twists or reveals, this just felt like a regular fraud.

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  • DC
  • 03-11-21

Democracy in peril by Davos elites

Gripping story of how the self satisfied elites are duped by their own story and delusions

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