Spider Network
How a Math Genius and a Gang of Scheming Bankers Pulled off One of the Greatest Scams in History
Обзор книги Spider Network
Dive into the Libor scandal through David Enrich's financial thriller that reads "like a fast-paced John le Carre novel." This award-nominated expose reveals how math genius Tom Hayes orchestrated one of banking's biggest frauds while possibly having undiagnosed Asperger's.
Ключевые темы в Spider Network
- libor rate manipulation
- institutional financial corruption
- algorithmic trading ethics
- benchmark interest rates
- white collar crime
Цитаты из Spider Network
Make money at all costs.
When others saw tedium...Hayes saw opportunity.
Banks tended to minimize problems rather than address them directly.
Libor was vulnerable to manipulation from the start.
It's not broken. Don't try to fix it.
Персонажи в Spider Network
- Tom HayesBrilliant trader and mastermind of Libor rigging
- David EnrichAuthor and investigative journalist
- Minos ZombanakisBanker who devised the original Libor system
- RaymondTom Hayes's grandfather and a stockbroker
- Mohammad Reza PahlaviShah of Iran whose loan led to Libor's creation
Об авторе
Об авторе книги Spider Network
David Enrich, bestselling author of The Spider Network: How a Math Genius and Gang of Scheming Bankers Pulled Off One of the Greatest Scams in History, is the Business Investigations Editor at the New York Times and an award-winning financial journalist. Specializing in exposés of corporate malpractice, his debut book—a gripping narrative of the Libor scandal—blends investigative rigor with narrative flair, cementing his reputation in financial crime nonfiction. A former Wall Street Journal editor and reporter, Enrich’s work is informed by decades of unraveling high-stakes banking scandals across Europe and the U.S.
His subsequent books, including Dark Towers (detailing Deutsche Bank’s role in global financial crises) and Servants of the Damned (exploring elite law firms’ ethical compromises), further establish his expertise in dissecting institutional corruption.
Enrich’s reporting has earned prestigious accolades, including the Gerald Loeb Award, and his books are frequently shortlisted for honors like the Financial Times Business Book of the Year. A Claremont McKenna College graduate, he resides in New York City, where he continues investigating power imbalances in modern finance. The Spider Network has been translated into 15 languages and remains a seminal work on financial fraud.
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Часто задаваемые вопросы об этой книге
The Spider Network investigates the Libor scandal, where math prodigy Tom Hayes and a group of bankers manipulated global interest rates for profit. David Enrich traces Hayes’ rise in finance, his Asperger’s-driven obsession with numbers, and the collusion among traders from major banks to rig the London Interbank Offered Rate (Libor), impacting mortgages, loans, and investments worldwide.
This book suits readers interested in financial scandals, white-collar crime, or the inner workings of banking systems. It appeals to those curious about real-world market manipulation, ethical failures in finance, and the psychological profiles of individuals like Hayes, who exploited systemic corruption.
Yes—it combines investigative rigor with narrative flair, earning a spot as a Financial Times Business Book of the Year finalist. Enrich’s access to key players and detailed storytelling make it essential for understanding one of history’s largest financial frauds.
Hayes orchestrated a network of traders and brokers to submit false interest rate data, artificially inflating or deflating Libor to benefit his trades. His tactics included bribes, collusion, and leveraging his mathematical genius to exploit the rate-setting process.
Libor (London Interbank Offered Rate) determined interest rates for trillions in loans globally. Hayes’ group targeted it because its opaque, self-reported structure allowed easy manipulation, enabling them to profit from derivatives tied to rate fluctuations.
Enrich explores how Hayes’ Asperger’s and the banking industry’s cutthroat culture normalized unethical behavior. The scandal highlights systemic failures, where personal gain outweighed legal and moral accountability, even among high-ranking financiers.
Enrich drew on his investigative journalism background, interviewing Hayes, bankers, and lawyers, and reviewing court documents. His financial reporting expertise, honed at The Wall Street Journal and New York Times, ensured rigorous sourcing.
The group included nicknamed players like “Gollum” (a French trader), “Abbo” (a broker known for public nudity), and “Big Nose.” Their collusion with Hayes created a web of deception across institutions like UBS and Citigroup.
Hayes was convicted of fraud in 2015 and sentenced to 14 years (reduced to 11 on appeal). His case underscored the legal system’s struggle to hold individuals accountable in complex financial crimes.
Enrich depicts a profit-driven world where backstabbing, reckless risk-taking, and moral ambiguity were rampant. The Libor scandal exemplified how institutional complacency enabled widespread fraud.
Shortlisted for the Financial Times Business Book of the Year, it solidified Enrich’s reputation for exposing financial malfeasance. His Loeb and George Polk Awards further validate the book’s journalistic excellence.
As the New York Times Business Investigations Editor and a Pulitzer-finalist journalist, Enrich has decades of experience uncovering financial crimes. His previous exposés on banking corruption informed this deep dive.
