Silicon Valley Books on Fraud – Rolling Stone

Calculated or helpless? Savior or shark? The premiere of HBO's "The Inventor," earlier this month, opened a new debate about the disgraced entrepreneur, Elizabeth Holmes, and all she knew about her company's demise. health care technology, Theranos.

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The documentary, which traces Holmes Valley's meteoric rise in Silicon Valley and its subsequent downfall after his company defrauded investors with misrepresentation and false income, also sparked renewed interest in undercoverage. industry ideas and young leaders are put on a pedestal, to be vilified when things go wrong. Are we all cynical living in a dog eating world? Or have the evil acts of others made us turn a blind eye to things that matter?

From a national bestseller that explores the shocking collapse of Theranos to a Wall Street wolf, we have collected three books that trace the stories of white-collar crime on a global scale while raising questions of responsibility, truth and justice.

1. "Bad Blood: Secrets and Lies in a Silicon Valley Start-Up"

Named one of the best works of 2018 by critics of NPR, The New York Times, The Washington Post and others, "Bad Blood" is the definitive look at Theranos' collapse. Written by John Carreyrou, a Wall Street Journal reporter, who initially questioned the company's findings and claims, "Bad Blood" traces Carreyrou's efforts to uncover the truth behind this multi-billion-dollar startup. dollars and comments on why – and how – Holmes got caught. in the fray.

With rave reviews from critics and readers (including a quote from Bill Gates that qualifies the story as "even crazier than what I expected" and states that he found "unable to repress"), "Bad Blood" is a partial detective story and expose yourself to the dark and desperate world of Silicon Valley, where people will do or say no matter what. what to prove the value of their businesses – and of themselves.

Although the HBO documentary was supported by its own interviews and research, a film version of "Bad Blood" is under development. Jennifer Lawrence is expected to play the main role of Homes and the director "vice", Adam McKay, should lead. Purchase: "Bad Blood", $ 16.77 on Amazon.com.

2. "One Billion Whale: The Man Who Fooled Wall Street, Hollywood and the World"

Bill Billard Dollar Whale, who was acclaimed for criticism last fall, traces the story of Malaysian businessman Jho Low, whose unpretentious appearance and moderate behavior allowed him to scam more than $ 5 billion to an investment fund, realizing one of the biggest financial hold-ups in the history of Wall Street.

Low used the money to climb the social ladder, holding sumptuous parties in his luxury mansions and on his yacht, which drew some of Hollywood's biggest stars and fashion. Low even invested his money in Hollywood movies like "The Wolf of Wall Street", helping to finance a share of the film's major production budget.

Named Best Book of Fortune in 2018, this New York Times bestseller describes Low as a "modern Gatsby," who, after experiencing a poor success in business school, has become a very real threat to the global financial system. Low fled when investigators came to pick him up last year. He is currently considered an international fugitive and, although he has left Malaysia, the authorities believe that he is still hiding somewhere in Asia. Purchase: "Billion Dollar Whale", 18.30 USD on Amazon.com.

3. "The den of thieves"

"Den of Thieves", one of the best-known books on insider trading and the fallout of financial fraud, tells the story of four cheeky Wall Street leaders, who have almost succeeded to win the largest number of insider trading financial history.

Written by James B. Stewart, winner of the Pulitzer Prize in 1988 for his reports on the stock market crash of the Wall Street newspaper"Den of Thieves" is No. 1 when released in 1992 and remains on the charts of bestsellers for months. Quoting investigators of the case, secret transcripts of the grand jury and privileged sources of his personal network, Stewart follows the ambitious plan that the men hatched in a conference room in Manhattan that promised revenues of billions of dollars. dollars, and details the main mistakes that eventually led the detectives to their track and lead to their downfall.

As noted by the editors' notes, "Den of Thieves" is "a portrait of human nature, big business and a crime of unprecedented magnitude". Purchase: 13.88 USD on Amazon.com.

Note: You can now play "The Inventor" for free with a 7-day free trial on HBO via Amazon. Click here for more details and to get started. The above books are also all available for free on audio books with a free 30-day trial on Amazon Audible.

This article has been reissued with the permission of Variety. Editorial products are selected independently. If you buy something through our links, PMC can earn an affiliate commission.