by Joe Studwell
First published 2014
Between 40 and 50 families control the entire economies of Hong Kong, Singapore, Thailand, the Philippines and Indonesia. These dynasties dominate everything from banking and property to shipping and sugar, from vice to gambling. Thirteen of the world's 50 wealthiest families live in Southeast Asia, yet most people have never heard their names. They stay hidden because they own the press and television along with everything else. Joe Studwell breaks through this wall of secrecy to reveal how these families accumulated such staggering power. He exposes their methods, examines their secrets, and asks whether their dominance helps or harms the countries where they operate. Studwell shows that what little the public knows about these economic titans is almost completely false.
Genres: history, business, economics, non-fiction
Vibes: intimate, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: hidden-secrets, investigative-journalism
Setting: Hong Kong, Indonesia, Philippines, Singapore, Southeast Asia, Thailand
Period: 20th-century, 21st-century
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