“Billion Dollar Whale” focuses on the role of Jho Low (pictured), a baby-faced Malaysian playboy who American prosecutors allege was the ...
Culture|TheresheblowsThestorybehind“BillionDollarWhale”ItsroadtopublicationinBritainhasbeenlongSep19th2019ShareITISAdrynameforwhatmayprovetheheistofthecentury.The1MDBaffair,involvingtheallegedtheftof$4.5bnfromtheMalaysianstatedevelopmentfundofthatname,hasfelledaMalaysianprimeminister,ensnaredGoldmanSachsandembarrassedHollywoodbigwigs.Animpeccablyresearchedbookonthescandal—byTomWrightandBradleyHopeoftheWallStreetJournal—cameoutlastyear.ButnotinBritain,thankstoitsstrictlibellawsandtheeffortsofitsfearsome“reputation-management”industry.ThatomissionwasrectifiedonSeptember12thwiththedelayedpublicationoftheBritishedition,evenaslegalthreatscontinuedtofly.Listentothisstory.EnjoymoreaudioandpodcastsoniOSorAndroid.Yourbrowserdoesnotsupporttheelement.ListentothisstorySavetimebylisteningtoouraudioarticlesasyoumultitaskOK“BillionDollarWhale”focusesontheroleofJhoLow(pictured),ababy-facedMalaysianplayboywhoAmericanprosecutorsallegewasthemastermindofthemisappropriation.MrLow,afugitivesoughtbyInterpol(andbelievedtobeinChina),hasbeenchargedwithmoney-laundering-relatedoffencesinAmericaandMalaysia.Hemaintainshisinnocence.Hisspokesmansaysthebookis“trial-by-mediaatitsworst”and“guiltbylifestyle”.Amongotherextravagances,MrLowthrewlavishpartiesforbankersandcelebrities,showeringthemwithgifts,includingaPicasso(sincereturned)forLeonardoDiCaprio.Theproblemsforthebook’sBritishreleasebeganwhenthelocalarmofitspublisher,Hachette,declinedtodistributeitonbehalfofthecompany’sAmericandivisionbecauseoflegalthreatsfromseveralpeopleitmentioned.Scribe,apluckyindependenthousethatalsopublishedanunflatteringportrayalofthebillionaireKochbrothers,laterpickedupthebaton.TheothersourceofdiscouragementwasacampaignledbySchillings,aBritishlawfirmactingforMrLow.InamoveunusuallyaggressiveevenbyBritishstandards,Schillingsbombardednotonlythepublisherbutalsodistributors,inBritainandelsewhere,withthreateningletters.Severalbooksellersreceivedreamsofmissives,somehand-delivered,whichadvisedthatsuggestingMrLowwasguiltyoffraudwas“outrageouslydefamatory”.Sellingthebookwouldpotentiallyinterfere“intheproperadministrationofjusticeintheUnitedStates”.Somevendorswerewarnedagainstcategorisingthebookas“truecrime”.Manydistributorswerespooked.AmazondecidedagainstsellingthebookinBritain(andsomeotherEuropeancountries)afterHachetterefusedtoindemnifyitagainstlegalaction.Free-speechcampaignershavebemoanedthisassaultonbookshops,notleastbecauseSchillings’sthreatsappeartorestonshakylegalfoundations,eveninBritain.TheDefamationActof2013states,ineffect,thatdistributorscannotbetargetedunlessitisimpossibletogoafterthepublisher,authororeditor.Forallthebombast,MrLowisnotbelievedtohavesuedortriedtosueHachette,Scribe,MessrsWrightandHope,oranyoneelseinvolved.Schillingsdeclinedtocomment.ButthisistheonlyknowncaseoflawyersinBritaintargetingbookdistributorsondefamationgroundssincethelawof2013waspassed.Intherun-uptotheBritishrelease,ScribeissuedastatementreassuringBritishbooksellersthattheyareonsafelegalground.Most,includingAmazon,arenowwillingtostock“BillionDollarWhale”.(Afewbraveshopshavedonesoalready,usingcopiesorderedfromAmerica.)SarahBraybrookeofScribesaysordersfromBritishoutletsare“excellent”.Publicationinthespiritualhomeofthelibelcomplaintdoesnot,however,meanMrLowwillnecessarilyconsiderhiseffortswasted.“Knockingafewstockistsoutoftheloopforatimebymaximisingpressureonthemmaybethebesthecouldhavehopedfor,”saysonemedialawyer.Thecampaign,hereckons,wasprobablyalwaysmoreaboutdamagelimitationthanlegalredress.“It’snotcleartomehowsomeoneontherun,facingcriminalchargesandwantedbyInterpol,isabletodothis,”MsBraybrookeobserves.Thefightgoeson.Schillingscontinuestofireoffletters,recentlysendinganotherbatchtobookshopsaroundtheworldtocoincidewithanupdatededition.Scribehasreceivedtenlettersinthepastsixweeks,mostlydemandingthatitcomplywithdata-protectionlawsbyhandingoverallpersonalinformationitholdsonMrLow.“It’sintimidating,”saysMrHope;“butit’salsogoodpublicityforourbook.”■ThisarticleappearedintheCulturesectionoftheprinteditionundertheheadline"Theresheblows"CultureSeptember21st2019ClimatechangeisachallengeforartistsSamanthaPower’sportraitofAmericandiplomacyYouthandagecollideinEmmaDonoghue’snewnovelWhichisthebestlanguage?Thestorybehind“BillionDollarWhale”FromtheSeptember21st2019editionDiscoverstoriesfromthissectionandmoreinthelistofcontentsExploretheeditionShareReusethiscontentMorefromCultureCarlosAlcarazmaybethemantousurptennis’sBigThreeatlastManymaketheSpanishteenagerfavouritefortheFrenchOpenMantasKvedaraviciuswaskilledwhilefilmingthewarinUkraineHisfootagehasbeenretrievedandscreenedatCannesThedarksideofCasanova’shedonismBytoday’sstandards,LeoDamroschrecounts,hewasarapistandmurderer
Jo Lo Billion Dollar Whale