Moneyland: The Inside Story of the Crooks and Kleptocrats Who Rule the World

An investigative journalist's examination of how corrupt leaders and their financial advisors operate within the global financial system. The book traces how kleptocracies—governments run by corrupt officials who enrich themselves at their people's expense—have risen in power, from towns in Siberia to wealthy enclaves in London and Manhattan. Historically, stolen money had limited uses and would accumulate uselessly. Modern banking changed this, enabling corrupt officials to hide and deploy vast wealth internationally. Bullough explores how financial institutions in Europe and the United States have facilitated money laundering, destabilizing many of the world's most stable countries. The book profiles kleptocrats and their families, while documenting efforts by activists worldwide to counter these systems. It examines wealth and power structures in the 21st century and their consequences.