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Billion Dollar Downfall: The Dealmaker

He told the world‘s elite – Bill Gates, billionaires and governments – he would make them rich while doing good. But now accused of fraud, Arif Naqvi could face 291 years in jail.

He was welcomed at the White House, met billionaires like Bill Gates and counted cricket legend Imran Khan as a friend. Silent since his 2019 dawn arrest at Heathrow Airport, tycoon Arif Naqvi is now seen and heard for the first time.

He called himself the ‘flag carrier of impact investing’ - the idea that you can get rich while doing good. Naqvi’s $14bn firm Abraaj invested across the developing world, improving businesses and building hospitals.

Then it collapsed - the world’s biggest-ever private equity failure. Now accused of fraud and racketeering, Naqvi maintains his innocence but, if found guilty, faces 291 years in jail. So what went wrong?

In a fresh examination of the meteoric rise and dizzying fall of Abraaj and Arif Naqvi, key figures speak out. And personal videos of Naqvi give a glimpse into his three-year-long house arrest.

This turbulent tale leaves viewers asking whether it really is possible to deliver profit while doing good.

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59 minutes

Signed Audio described

Last on

Thu 2 Feb 2023 01:45

Credits

Role Contributor
Director Victoria James
Producer Monika Ghosh
Executive Producer Mike Radford

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