When
Tuesday, March 12th, from 6pm - 7:30pm GMTWhere
Online via Zoom.Format
There'll be a great line-up of speakers plus ample scope for discussion and debate.About the books...
In March 2021, an obscure financial technology company called Greensill Capital collapsed, going into administration. As it unravelled, a multibillion-dollar scandal emerged that would shake the very foundations of the British political system, drawing in swiss bankers, global CEOs, and world leaders, including former British Prime Minister, David Cameron. At the centre was an Australian financier named Lex Greensill.
Pyramid of Lies charts the meteoric rise and spectacular downfall of Greensill and his company. He had a simple idea – democratising supply chain finance – and disrupted a trillion dollar industry in the process. But a staid business model concealed dubious practices as Greensill made increasingly risky loans to fraudulent companies using other people’s money.
Financial journalist Duncan Mavin, who has reported on the scandal for over three years, tells the incredible story of how a former sugar-cane farmer would go on to put tens of thousands of jobs at risk and gain unfettered access to the inner workings of the British government. With a globe-circling narrative full of scandal and intrigue, Pyramid of Lies reveals how the grubby world of shadow banking really operates.
About the author...
DUNCAN MAVIN
Duncan Mavin is an author and financial journalist. His writing has appeared in numerous titles including The Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, The Times, and The New Statesman.
His first book about the Greensill Capital scandal was titled The Pyramid of Lies: The Prime Minister, the Banker and the Billion-Pound Scandal. The book built on years of Duncan’s exclusive reporting that exposed the scandal. It was an Observer book of the week and an Amazon best-seller.
Prior to becoming a journalist, Duncan studied History at Durham University and spent a decade as a chartered accountant, mostly with Deloitte, in London and Toronto. He is currently working on a book about the collapse of Swiss bank Credit Suisse.