Introducing The Pirate of Prague
The Pirate of Prague- 501 views
- 6 Nov 2023
A charming young Czech promises staggering returns. An entire country’s oil industry is up for grabs. America’s top investors want in. Sounds too good to be true? Damn right it is. This is a story of private jets, $20,000 dinners, and suitcases stuffed with cash. It’s also a tale about the collapse of communism, the free-for-all that followed, and the birth of the oligarchs. And it’s a story of plain-old human greed...of just how far the rich may go to get even richer. Viktor Kožený smooth-talked his super-wealthy Aspen neighbors and a Wall Street titan into investing huge sums of cash to snap up Azerbaijan’s state-owned oil company. Host Joe Nocera and investigative journalist Peter Elkind follow the trail, beginning in the Bahamas, where the charismatic financial genius has been lying low. The Pirate of Prague is an Apple Original podcast, produced by Blanchard House. Follow and listen on Apple Podcasts.apple.co/pirateSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
An entire country's oil industry is up for grabs for cheap. And the young Czech guy hustling for investors? You never met anyone like him.
He's brilliant. Victor is brilliant.
Mr. Charming. Sir like movie Star Charming.
But the very thing that I loved about him, which was his brilliance, was also the thing that was lethal about him.
It.
All starts with a party, a massive party in a mansion on top of a mountain. Even his super-rich neighbors are blown away.
One of the best parties I've ever gone to in my life.
Everyone wanted an invitation.
But.
What his guests don't realize is that their charming host has big plans. He said.
You can invest and you're going to make a lot of money.
How? Well, remember that oil business I talked about?
They had a billion barrels of oil in the Caspian Sea. We would own oil for pennies a barrel.
He talks about the potential of many billions of dollars.
He lands some of America's smartest investors.
I'm not a schmuck. I'm not a fool. I have an impeccable reputation.
The.
Czech charmer is about to take them for the ride of their lives. I'm talking private jets and $20,000 dinners. They're going to fall in love with this guy, and they're going to invest millions.
I was on the planes. I saw those suitcases of cash, 25 million bucks each. This is a.
Tale about the collapse of communism, the free for all that followed, and the rise of the oligarchs. And it's about plain old human greed. He studied them and he seduced them. Trouble is it.
Didn't happen. It was supposed to happen. It didn't happen. We were head. So who the.
Hell was this guy? Well, you're just going to have to listen to the podcast. I'm Joe Nosira, and this is The Pirate of Prague, an Apple original podcast produced by Blanchard House. Follow and listen on Apple Podcast.
Bang, bang, bang.