Moneyland by Oliver Bullough Summary

Moneyland exposes a hidden global system enabling corruption, tax evasion, and money laundering through offshore accounts, shell companies, and complicit Western professionals. Bullough reveals how oligarchs, criminals, and politicians exploit legal loopholes to hide wealth, drain resources from poorer nations, and destabilize democracies. The book spans scandals like Paul Manafort’s crimes and systemic issues like London’s role as a financial enabler.

This book is essential for readers interested in global finance, political corruption, or economic inequality. Journalists, policymakers, and ethics professionals will gain insights into offshore systems, while general audiences will understand how hidden financial networks impact daily life. Bullough’s investigative rigor makes it valuable for anyone seeking to comprehend modern kleptocracy.

Yes—it’s a critically acclaimed exposé blending investigative journalism with gripping storytelling. Bullough’s examples, from Ukrainian oligarchs to British lawyers, illustrate how Moneyland operates and why it threatens global stability. The book offers actionable solutions, making it both alarming and hopeful.

Key ideas include:

• Shell companies: Anonymous entities masking wealth ownership.
• Offshore finance: Jurisdictions like the Cayman Islands enabling tax avoidance.
• Western enablers: Lawyers, accountants, and banks profiting from illicit flows.
• “Fiscal friction”: The systemic erosion of regulations protecting stolen wealth.

Bullough describes it as a borderless, invisible realm where the ultra-rich evade laws, hide assets, and exploit global inequalities. It’s “a beautiful place, if you’re rich enough to enjoy it”—a system sustained by legalized secrecy and greed.

The UK, US, and European nations facilitate Moneyland by hosting tax havens, lax regulations, and professionals who legitimize dirty money. Bullough highlights London’s “laundromat” role, where oligarchs invest stolen funds into real estate and luxury goods.

Case studies include:

• Paul Manafort: Laundered millions through Cypriot banks.
• Ukraine’s “missing $1.8 billion”: Stolen via government procurement scams.
• Venezuelan oil money: Diverted via offshore shell companies.

Both books critique financial corruption, but Butler to the World focuses specifically on Britain’s post-colonial role as a service hub for global elites. Moneyland offers a broader examination of offshore systems and their societal impacts.

Some argue Bullough oversimplifies complex financial mechanisms or neglects grassroots anti-corruption efforts. However, most praise its accessibility and urgency, calling it a vital primer on modern kleptocracy.

Post-pandemic inequality, crypto-based laundering, and sanctions evasion (e.g., post-Ukraine war) underscore Moneyland’s ongoing threat. Bullough’s framework helps readers contextualize recent scandals involving NFTs, shell-company loopholes, and elite tax avoidance.

Bullough advocates for:

• Transparency laws: Public registries of company ownership.
• Global cooperation: Closing regulatory gaps between nations.
• Accountability for enablers: Prosecuting complicit professionals.

The title itself is a metaphor—a “secret country” where wealth exists beyond national laws. Bullough also terms offshore systems “legal corruption” and describes enablers as “butlers” serving kleptocrats.