Tom Wright on Billion Dollar Whale's Film Adaptation and ...

Journalist and author Tom Wright on Billion Dollar Whale's film adaptation and his latest venture, Project Brazen. Skiptomaincontent TomWrightonBillionDollarWhale’sFilmAdaptationandOtherWildStoriesHe’sGotUpHisSleeveWordsbyCocoMarett January11,2022 'gallerygrid' 'close' 'carouselleft' 'carouselright' Cover Photo:JoelLim Readmore Fromexposésofespionagetoharpooningthebiggestfishinwhitecollarcrime—disgracedMalaysianfinancierJhoLow,ofthe1MDBscandalfame—BillionDollarWhaleauthorTomWrightisjustgettingstarted 'gallery' 4 viewGallery It’sabout3.30pminSingaporeandtheskyhassuddenlygonedark.Thundercrackslikeawhipeveryfewminutes,shakingthewindowsandsendingthedogsinmyapartmentbuildingintoafrenzy.It’stheperfectsettingforsomestorytelling,andI’vegotoneheckofastoryteller—TomWright—ontheline. TogetherwithBradleyHope,hisclosefriendandcolleaguefromtheirpreviouslivesasjournalistsforTheWallStreetJournal,Wrightco-wroteBillionDollarWhale,thetruestoryofdisgracedMalaysianfinancierJhoLow,whosiphonedbillionsofdollarsfromMalaysia’ssovereignwealthfund1MalaysiaDevelopmentBhd,or1MDB. Describedas“thrilling”byBillGatesandnamedaBestBookof2018byTheFinancialTimesandFortune,BillionDollarWhalewasalsoataleofobscenewealth.NotonlyhadLowusedthemoneytofinanceelectionsandpurchaseluxuryrealestate,hehadGatsby-likeaspirationstoclimbthesocialladderbythrowingover-the-toppartiesandgivingextravagantgifts. 'galleryimage' 'share' Above Photo:JoelLim Readmore 'galleryimage' 'share' Above Photo:JoelLim Readmore LowoncegaveParisHiltonaUS$250,000chipataLasVegascasino,spentUS$8millionondiamondjewelleryforthen-girlfriendMirandaKerr,boughtaUS$325,000FerrariforKimKardashianandKrisHumphries’wedding,andgiftedPicassoandBasquiatpaintingstoLeonardoDiCaprio.HeevenhelpedfinancetheHollywoodmovieTheWolfofWallStreet,andreceivedapersonalshout-outfromDiCaprioasheacceptedhisGoldenGlobeforhisstarringroleinthefilmasformerstockbrokerandconvictedfelonJordanBelfort. Inacrueltwistofirony,LowwillfindhimselfthesubjectofabiopicdetailinghisowndownfallasSKGlobalEntertainment,theproductioncompanybehindCrazyRichAsians,hasboughtthefilmrightsforBillionDollarWhale. Don’tmiss:ABriefHistoryOfIstanaWoodneuk,theFormerPalaceThatInspired‘CrazyRichAsians’ It’sadevelopmentthatpromptedWrightandHopetoestablishProjectBrazeninJanuary2021,acompanyspecialisingintruestoriestoldthroughpodcasts,booksandarticlesforadaptationforfilmandTV.InNovember2021,TheHollywoodReporterreportedthatSKGlobalhadtappedHouseOfCardscreatorBeauWillimonandJordanTappis,hispartnerinproductioncompanyWestward, todevelopandproduceBillionDollarWhale.ScreenwriterDavidHenryHwang,athree-timePulitzerPrizefinalistandplaywrightbehindtitleslikeMButterfly,willwriteandexecutiveproducetheseries. “There’ssuchahungerforrealstories,”Wrightsays. ThefirstreleaseunderProjectBrazendoesnotdisappoint.LaunchedinOctober2021,it’sathrillingnine-partpodcastseriesonLeonardGlennFrancis,otherwiseknownas“FatLeonard”.FatLeonardwasanotoriousMalaysianentrepreneurwhomadeafortuneasaUSNavycontractoruntil2013,whenhewasarrestedonbriberychargesinwhatisoftendescribedastheworstcorruptionscaminUSmilitaryhistory. “Hehasn’tbeensentencedyet,”Wrightsays,addingthatheinterviewedFatLeonardremotelyasheiscurrentlyunderhousearrestinSanDiego.“Heisn’tsupposedtotalktothemedia,aspartofthepleadealwiththeUSgovernment,butheagreedtotalktome,toripuphispleadeal.” Theseriesisrichwithobsceneindulgences,detailsofbribingofmilitaryofficials,Leonard’sownchildhoodmarredwithdomesticviolenceand,finally,hiswidelypubliciseddetainment. “Alotofpeoplesaythatinthefirstfewepisodes,theystarttofeelforhim,andcomparehisrisetosomeonelikeJordanBelfort’s,”saysWright,whoadmitsevenhewasseducedbyFatLeonardinthebeginning.“He’sacharmingguy.Butbythelaterepisodes,youstarttoquestionwhyyouwouldeverlikethisguy:thewayhetreatswomen,andsomeofthemafia-likeaspectsofhisfraud.You’llseeinthelaterepisodesheshowsextremecrueltytowomen,includingthemotherofhischildren.Icallhimoutonthat,andthatleadstoamajorbreakdowninourrelationship.Ultimately,someofthewomenhehurtplayaroleinbringinghimdown.That’swhythestoryissoamazing.” 'galleryimage' 'share' Above ActorLeonardoDiCapriowithJhoLow(right)atthephotocallbeforethe'TheWolfofWallStreet'WorldmoviePremiereinDecember2013inParis,France.(PhotobyBertrandRindoffPetroff/GettyImages) Readmore Thewords“Thetruthisstrangerthanfiction”appearinlargetextontheProjectBrazenwebsite—afittingmottoforacompanythathassomeextraordinarystoriesupitssleeve. “We’reworkingononeprojectaboutaroyalfamilythatreallylooksintothepower,theway[they]operateandthecorruptionyoucangetwithinthefamily,”saysWright,whoaddsthattheirfocusisonstoriesrelatedtocurrentevents. “Theyaren’thistorical:they’rehappeningrightnow,andthestakesareveryhigh,”saysWright.Indeed,FatLeonardisawaitingtrial,andLowisafugitiveontherun.Nooneknowswhereheis;somespeculatethathecouldbehidingoutinDubai,mainlandChinaorMacau. “Therearefartoomanynon-fictionstoriesthatdon’taffectanybody.We’reworkingonstorieswheretheimpactisabitmoreobviousandwidelyfelt,”Wrightsays.“Weshouldallcareaboutthesestoriesbecausethey’reabouthowweliveourlives,howgovernmentsdealwithpowerfulpeople.” Wrightisalsolendinghisexpertisetohelpwithscriptedprojects.“Straighttofiction,helpingtodevelopfictionalpodcasts,thatkindofthing,”hesays,addingthathekepthimselfinspiredandentertainedduringthepandemicwithpodcastslikeSerialandTheRFKTapes,andTVserieslikeTheSerpent,theNetflixcrimedramaaboutserialkillerCharlesSobhrajwhopreyedontravellersexploringthe“hippietrail”ofSouthandSoutheastAsiaintheSeventies. “Asakid,IhadalwaysbeeninterestedinAsia,”saysWright,whowasborninLondonandgrewupinStaffordshireandBirmingham.HerecallsbeingparticularlyinterestedinthetalesofMarcoPoloandthemovieTheBridgeontheRiverKwaiinhisyouth.“InFormSix,someonecametomyschooltotalkaboutProjectTrust,whichsentkidsabroadforagapyearafterhighschool.Iapplied,gotaccepted,andtheysentmetoIndonesiaforayear.” In1993,WrightmovedtothehillsofBandungtospendayearteachingEnglish.ItwashisfirsttriptoAsia,andtoanywhereoutsideofEurope.“Itwasshocking.Irememberwakingupthefirstnightthereandthinking,ohGod…whathaveIdone?WhyhaveIdecidedtocomeandliveouthere?” Thatinitialhesitationwasshort-livedand,afterreturningtoEnglandforuniversity,hewastednotimeingettingbacktoAsia,wherehehasspentmostofhisadultlife. WrightstartedhiscareerintheNinetieswithReutersinIndonesia,asGeneralSuharto’smilitarydictatorshipbegantocrumble.HethenjoinedDowJonesNewswiresinBangkokduringtheAsianfinancialcrisisof1997to1998,beforehis20-yearcareeratTheWallStreetJournal,wherehewasoneofthefirstjournaliststoarriveonthesceneoftheraidinwhichNavySealskilledOsamabinLaden.Healsoproducedaward-winningcoverageoftheRanaPlazafactorydisasterinBangladeshin2013forthenewspaper.Thatsameyear,hemovedtoHongKonginhisroleasAsiaEconomicsEditor.ItwastherethathediscoveredthestoryofJhoLowand1MDBthatwouldonedaybecomeBillionDollarWhale. In2015,WrightandHopeteameduptobreakthestoryonLow.“InNovember2015, attheShangri-LainKualaLumpur,BradleywaswarnedbysomeonetotellmetogetoutofMalaysia.Apparently[formerMalaysianPrimeMinister]NajibRazakwaslookingtoarrestme.IgotinataxianddrovetotheSingaporeborder,”Wrightrecalls.Weshouldallcareaboutthesestoriesbecausethey’reabouthowweliveourlives,howgovernmentsdealwithpowerfulpeople. —TomWrightUnsurprisingly,thereweremultipleattemptstoscaretheauthorsfrompublishingBillionDollarWhale.Low’slawyershadeventhreatenedbookstoresaroundtheworld,statingtheycouldbeliabletoadefamationsuitiftheycarriedthetitle.“ItwastheStreisandeffect,”WrightsaidofthisinaninterviewwithPompPodcast,referringtothephenomenon,namedafterBarbraStreisand,whenanattempttohideorcensorinformationincreasesawarenessofit.“Thebookjustgotalotmoreattentionbecauseofthat.” Thepairpersisted,thebookisnowaninternationalbestseller,andWrightandHopeareGeraldLoebAwardwinnersandPulitzerPrizefinalists. Inthemidstofallthis,Wrightalsostartedafamily.HeandhiswifehaveadaughterwhowasborninIndonesiaandasonwhowasborninIndia.ThefamilymovedtoSingaporefromHongKonginDecember2020. “Now,AsiaishomeandEnglandseemslikeaforeignplacetome.Ifyouwanttobeawriter,ajournalist,anauthor...thisisagreatpartoftheworldtobein,”hesays.“Yougoinwhicheverwaythestoryleadsyou.” Tags TomWright BillionDollarWhale JhoLow 1MDB NajibRazak Interview ProjectBrazen ©2022TatlerAsiaLimited.Allrightsreserved. BacktoTop