Billion Dollar Whale: The Man Who Fooled Wall Street, Hollywood, and the World

by Tom Wright

He wanted her to say Clare Rewcastle-Brown was working against PetroSaudi. “But are there guarantees he will get out earlier?” Laura Justo replied. “You can help or not help,” Mahony snapped, his voice visibly tense. “I feel for you. But I’m also in the shit. We’re all in deep shit. There’s a prime minister of a country who is in the shit. “Who put us in this shit? Don’t forget that. I can’t give you any guarantees.” “For you it’s a matter of money. But for us, it’s a question of our lives, our family, everything,” Laura replied. “It’s not just a matter of money, Laura. It’s a matter of my future, my life,” Mahony broke in. “I won’t ever be able to do deals anywhere because of all this, okay!” “But that’s just work, money, I’m sure you have enough of that, so what’s the problem? You’re talking of the life of someone who’s locked up in a hole.” “But, Laura, all my assets have been confiscated. I have nothing at the moment. What do you think, that I’m living the sweet life? That I’m not paying for this? I’m borrowing money left and right to pay my bills, to pay for my kids’ school, okay. That’s what my life’s like at the moment.”