The King of Oil: The Secret Lives of Marc Rich
Hardcover edition
AuthorDaniel Ammann
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
SubjectMarc Rich, commodity trading
GenreNon-fiction
PublishedOctober 13, 2009
PublisherSt. Martin's Press
Media typePrint, e-book
Pages320 pages
ISBN978-0312570743
OCLC695771883

The King of Oil: The Secret Lives of Marc Rich is a non-fiction book by Swiss investigative journalist Daniel Ammann.[1][2][3][4][5] The book was initially released on October 13, 2009 by St. Martin's Press. It became an international bestseller and was published in nine languages.

Synopsis

The book focuses on the biography of Marc Rich, a prominent international financier and commodity trader, who became a billionaire in the 1970s, arguably inventing the spot market for oil, grain, and metals. His Switzerland-based corporation Marc Rich + Co. AG actively traded with the apartheid regime of South Africa, Iran under Ayatollah Khomeini, Cuba, Nigeria under dictator Sani Abacha, China, the Soviet Union, and later Russia.[6][7] Indicted on some 65 criminal counts, including income tax evasion, wire fraud, racketeering, and trading with Iran during the oil embargo, Rich, nevertheless, received a widely criticized presidential pardon from U.S. President Bill Clinton on his last day in office.

Reception

Bloomberg named the book one of the best business books of the year and called it a "must-read".[8] The Daily Beast called it a "journalistic coup".[9] A reviewer of The New York Times wrote "the usually tight-lipped Mr. Rich gave an extensive account of his oil trading".[10] Le Monde commented "The book reads like a thriller".[11] A reviewer of Kirkus Reviews stated "A walking-on-eggshells attempt to shed light on arguably the most influential oil trader of our time... A flawed biography that reveals more about capitalist societies’ willful ignorance and ethical conundrums than the secret lives of its inscrutable subject."[6] A reviewer of Publishers Weekly commented "An empathetic look at the notorious Marc Rich, one of the most successful and controversial commodities traders in recent history and a key figure in the invention of the spot market... This meticulous account sets the record straight on a reluctant public figure who lost in the court of public opinion, but escaped being tried in a court of law."[7]

Film

The book is rumoured to be cinematized by Universal Pictures with Matt Damon slated to portray the fugitive billionaire. John Krasinski will be a producer through his Sunday Night Productions.[12]

References

  1. ↑ MOUAWAD, JAD (October 15, 2009). "Book on Marc Rich Details His Iran Oil Deals". The New York Times. Retrieved 5 July 2017.
  2. ↑ DODDS FRANK, ALLAN (12 November 2009). "Marc Rich Spills His Secrets". Daily Beast. thedailybeast.com. Retrieved 5 July 2017.
  3. ↑ "'King Of Oil' Being Primed For Big Screen By BB Film Productions". deadline.com. Retrieved 5 July 2017.
  4. ↑ Collins, Art (24 June 2010). "The King of Oil: The Secret Lives of Marc Rich". Futures. futuresmag.com. Retrieved 5 July 2017.
  5. ↑ Rothholz, Peter L. "The King of Oil: The Secret Lives of Marc Rich by Daniel Ammann". Jewish Book Council. jewishbookcouncil.org. Retrieved 5 July 2017.
  6. 1 2 "THE KING OF OIL The Secret Lives of Marc Rich by Daniel Ammann". Kirkus Reviews. kirkusreviews.com. Retrieved 5 July 2017.
  7. 1 2 "The King of Oil: The Secret Lives of Marc Rich". Publishers Weekly. publishersweekly.com. Retrieved 5 July 2017.
  8. ↑ Top 50 Business Books
  9. ↑ DODDS FRANK, ALLAN (12 November 2009). "Marc Rich Spills His Secrets". Daily Beast. thedailybeast.com. Retrieved 14 November 2019.
  10. ↑ MOUAWAD, JAD (October 15, 2009). "Book on Marc Rich Details His Iran Oil Deals". The New York Times. Retrieved 14 November 2019.
  11. ↑ Le roi du pétrole sent le soufre
  12. ↑ McNary, Dave (2 July 2018). "Matt Damon to Star in Marc Rich Movie at Universal". Variety. Retrieved 25 May 2019.
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