Man On The Run

NOW ON NETFLIX! Stripping the glory from gangsterism like chrome from a tailpipe is the pulse-pounding documentary Man On The Run, written and directed by Cassius Michael Kim. It recounts the scandal surrounding 1MDB, a company that was set up to make investments in the country of Malaysia for the betterment of its citizens. Instead, 1MDB head Jho Low and Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak embezzled hundreds of millions of dollars to live it up like the biggest ballers.

The fund set up deals to build flashy skyscrapers that goosed up the skyline but served little practical purpose. Everyone involved would take a piece of the pie until there were empty plates. International banks like Goldman Sachs saw huge fee potential and got in the game with 1MDB. Meanwhile, Jho Low lived a very visible jet-set lifestyle, constantly being photographed with superstars while volcanoes of champagne erupted everywhere.

“…1MDB head Jho Low and Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak embezzled hundreds of millions of dollars to live it up like the biggest ballers.”

However, most other countries with sovereign funds to invest are doing so with large stores of excess money, typically from oil sales. Malaysia’s investment fund had to borrow money for each project, leaving the Malaysian people stuck with the bill and the interest. The documentary follows the scheme that was run until the wheels fell off, then follows the strange path of where those wheels rolled off.

You might be wondering why you should be interested in Man On The Run. That odd name for 1MDB is so easily confused with the Internet Movie Data Base. We should show up with bibs on for this because of how The Wolf Of Wall Street fits into all this. One of the investments Jho Low used 1MDB for was funding the Scorsese film, with tons of photos of DiCaprio and Low posing together. If you are a fan of that movie, and I understand many of a particular generation are, this documentary is a must-see.