Ep07- Moneyland - Companion Guide For BBC’s “The Missing Cryptoqueen” Podcast

What’s Moneyland? That’s what the primary half of this “The Lacking Cryptoqueen” episode is about. The second half is about Frankfurt, town the place Jamie and Georgia assume that Dr. Ruja is perhaps hiding. In any case, Moneyland is that legendary place the place the cash that millionaires and company entities wish to disappear goes. The idea comes from british journalist Oliver Bullough, who “has spent a few years investigating the methods illicit cash flows all over the world, together with in Jap Europe.” He’s this episode’s star visitor.

The Frankfurt half, nonetheless, is essentially the most thrilling section of the entire podcast thus far. The manufacturing workforce actually stepped up their investigative sport and obtained nearer to Dr. Ruja than any police division ever will. We all know our summaries are phenomenal, however we advocate that everybody listens to that second half a minimum of.

Keep in mind, you possibly can obtain episodes immediately from the BBC, or take heed to “The Lacking Cryptoqueen” by means of Apple, Spotify, or iVoox.

In any case, let’s go to Moneyland!

About “The Lacking Cryptoqueen,” Episode Seven – “In Plain Sight”

Is Dr. Ruja alive? Earlier than even mentioning Moneyland, producer Georgia Catt confirms a doable Dr. Ruja sighting to presenter Jamie Bartlett. The employees of an Athens restaurant remembers somebody with Dr. Ruja’s traits as a part of a celebration of six. What they’re undecided about is strictly *when* did this occur. Fascinating. The potential of a Dr. Ruja working round Europe would possibly’ve been the catalyst for the Frankfurt a part of the episode. However first, let’s get to Moneyland.

After listening to the essential info of the OneCoin case, journalist Oliver Bullough tells Jamie that when upon a time “Albania descended into anarchy due to a pyramid scheme.” Because the crypto world has confirmed currently, these scams could be harmful. Then, Bullough explains what Moneyland is. Wealthy and sensible folks can assemble their “belongings in such a means that they grow to be invisible.” They will nonetheless use them to “purchase political affect and good homes and yachts.”

Relating to different folks looking for these belongings, although, they flip invisible. So, “that’s what Moneyland is, Moneyland is the place the place these belongings go.” This breaks Jamie, who asks if there’s zero probability of discovering them. Bullough tries to cheer him up by saying “It’s not zero probability. It’s, yeah. I imply, it’s been very nicely hidden, proper?” And that’s not essentially the most miserable a part of the episode. After that, they inform us that the UK has stopped their investigation into OneCoin. They only gave up.

FTT value chart for 11/18/2022 on FTX | Supply: FTT/USD on TradingView.com

Moneyland Leads To Frankfurt

When issues look darker, “The Lacking Cryptoqueen’s” manufacturing workforce will get into excessive gear. They flip their investigating arm up a couple of notches and deal with the Web. “We put a lot on-line now, and that info can betray us. And that’s what took us to someplace we expect Dr. Ruja is perhaps.“ That someplace is Frankfurt. Our heroes decide that Dr. Ruja’s ex-husband and her hidden daughter dwell within the metropolis. Plus, her finest pal appears to have visited Frankfurt not too long ago.

They get there and so they discover nothing, not a single hint. This half is excruciating. Nonetheless, it leads Jamie and Georgia to a high-luxury neighborhood that feels just like the place Dr. Ruja would dwell. That is the place Monelyland results in. In there, they discover a charismatic however annoying postman that may keep in mind the title Ignatova. They depart that storyline open and “The Lacking Cryptoqueen” returns to England.

To complete the episode off, Jamie has a really fascinating dialogue with Cameron, “a UK-based OneCoin promoter.” Is he a real believer or is he simply defending an especially profitable enterprise? Cameron goes all in and carries the OneCoin occasion line to the very finish. Wow. This is perhaps essentially the most stunning a part of the entire episode.

Quotes From Episode Seven of “The Lacking Cryptoqueen”:

Oliver Bullough, explaining how cash can disappear:

“If you’re wealthy sufficient and nicely suggested sufficient or intelligent sufficient, you assemble your belongings in such a means that they grow to be invisible. They nonetheless exist, you possibly can nonetheless use them to purchase issues, you possibly can nonetheless use them to purchase political affect and good homes and yachts. However when it comes from somebody looking for them, whether or not that’s a journalist or a police officer, the belongings are invisible. And in order that’s what Moneyland is, Moneyland is the place the place these belongings go.”

Jamie Barlett on what led them to Frankfurt:

“There’s one place we haven’t seemed, not likely seemed. And it’s in all probability the obvious place of all, the Web. We put a lot on-line now, and that info can betray us. And that’s what took us to someplace we expect Dr. Ruja is perhaps. Not Athens, Frankfurt. It took weeks of extraordinarily boring web analysis and painstakingly going again by means of all the things we’ve realized thus far.”

Further Materials, about “Moneyland”:

In The Guardian’s evaluation of Oliver Bullough’s “Moneyland,” they quote a metaphorical definition of the novel time period:

“He conceives of it as a secret, parallel world, nearly like one thing from a fairytale: “The very wealthiest folks … have tunnelled into this new land that lies beneath all our nation states, the place borders have vanished. They transfer their cash … and themselves wherever they want, choosing and selecting which international locations’ legal guidelines they want to dwell by.”

The Guardian additionally says:

“He’s surprisingly profitable at getting a number of the architects of the offshore world to open up, and is delicate to the truth that a few of its customers have good motive to keep away from governments, akin to wealthy dissidents fearing the politically motivated confiscation of their belongings. He additionally accepts an argument incessantly put to him in infamous tax havens: that wealthier, much less criticised international locations akin to Britain have been equally concerned in constructing and sustaining Moneyland.”

Episode Credit

Presenter: Jamie BartlettProducer: Georgia CattStory advisor: Chris BerubeEditor: Philip SellarsUnique music and sound design: Phil ChannellUnique music and vocals: Dessislava Stefanova and the London Bulgarian Choir