Money Men: A Hot Startup, A Billion Dollar Fraud, A Fight for the Truth

complicated at first, turns into a fine financial thriller
Though it is hard to keep track of all the names in play and McCrum perhaps gets too detailed too soon, Money Men turns into a real page turner as it progresses.

Disappointing
I was a ’big 4’ forensic accountant, so stories about financial scandals hold a special interest for me. Money Men, the story of the Wirecard scandal by Dan McCrum, is an incredibly well-researched book. However, for a journalist, the writing is disappointing.I think there are more characters in this book than any other I have ever read. I found myself continually looking back at characters and was glad I bought the eBook because Kindle makes it easy to do.Money Men does not compare with James Stewart’s magnificent Den of Thieves, but Stewart was a Pulitzer winner, and the difference in the quality of writing is apparent.Money Men covered seven years of MeCrum’s life, and as a journalist, it was a superb achievement, but journalists don’t necessarily make great storytellers. Perhaps it’s unfair, but I kept comparing Money Men with Den of Thieves, and by that yardstick, it was lacking.A good read, but it never hooked me like it should have.

Good Book – Odd that edition purchased is only supposed to be sold in India
Not sure why the paperback version I purchased on Amazon indicates that the book is only for sale on the Indian subcontinent. My Amazon purchase appeared to come from the U.S.- seems sketchy.

Great Journalism But Disappointing Read
I love stories of accounting scandals, especially startups. I like to understand the people who perpetuate large-scale frauds and the details of how they pull it off. So when Money Men came out, the story of the Wirecard scandal by Dan McCrum, the Financial Times journalist who broke the story, I had to rush out and buy a copy.I’m glad I read it. If you’re into financial scandal, it’s a must-read. But I was kind of disappointed by the storytelling. What should have been an exciting read of international conspiracy, corruption, spying, and even criminal charges lodged against the writer, was kind of a slog.I can’t help comparing Money Men to Bad Blood, the story of the Theranos scandal. That book told the intimate stories of founder Elizabeth Holmes and a few senior staff members who risked their careers and their health to blow the whistle. We got to know each of them, their personalities, their lives and their struggles. We saw what was actually going on inside Theranos as Holmes hid the reality of an impossible product from employees, from regulators, from customers, and from investors. It was a page-turner.Money Men covered 7 years of investigation with every detail. Every meeting MeCrum had, every trip he took, every glass of beer he drank in a London bar. The book lists a cast of characters at the beginning because dozens of people play a part, but there is no focus other than McCrum’s determination to find a way to get the truth out about Wirecard.We never see the inside of Wirecard, never really understand how their scam worked. There’s a cat and mouse game between the company and McCrum that ought to be exciting, but by describing the hundreds of other cats and mice all over the world playing small (or unknown) roles, it feels more like reading a company’s annual report.In the end, I’m left learning much more about how the Financial Times operates and the layout of their desks than I did about Wirecard and their fraudulent operations.An important read and valuable investigative journalism, but could have been a more interesting book.

Read this after watching the documentary on the Wirecard story. So much better reading than watching a film. Highly recommend

Superbly written and disturbingly captivating tale of a criminal enterprise and its workings from the perspective of the person uncovering it all. One of the best business books there is.