Scan barcode
A review by rossbm
Red Notice: A True Story of High Finance, Murder, and One Man's Fight for Justice by Bill Browder
4.0
(read as e-book)
What’s it about?
It’s the story of Bill Browder, the events leading up to the death of Sergei Magnitsky, and the Browder’s work afterwards to get laws passed that would punish the perpetrators. Bill Browder is the leader (owner?) of Hermitage Capital, which used to be a large and successful hedge fund operating in Russia. However in 2005, Bill Browder was denied entry to Russia. He figured that his shareholder activism had touched a nerve, and shutdown operations in Russia, pulling out money. Hermitage Capital’s offices were raided and it’s Russian lawyers harassed. One of them Sergei Magnitsky, tax lawyer, discovered that the police had used seized documents to get a fraudulent tax refund for around $250 million, issued in the name of one of Hermitage Capital’s companies, but going to the police officers. Magnitsky was arrested, accused of perpetrating the fraud in collaoarion with Boweder and subjected to inhumane conditions. He died in 2009. After his death, Bowder campaigned to bring Magnitsky’s tormentor’s justice, and succeeding in the passing of the so-called Magnitsky laws that were used to sanction those repsonsible for Magnitsky’s death , as well as other abusers of human rights.
What did I think?
I liked it. An easy read. It does a good job of illustrating the gangster state that Putin has setup. Good thing that Browder brought it to light when he did, helping to dispel the West’s illusions. Took a while, but with Putin’s invasion of Ukraine, we’re finally pushing back. Without Browder’s work, we might have abandoned Ukraine.
I noticed that he describes a lot of women as “attractive” which is, like “his opinion man” so whatever. But still a bit unnecessary and jarring. Christina Freeland was one of the women with that description. Her appearance in the book was a good reminder that before she became a cabinet minister, she was a journalist exposing these kind of corruption stories in Russia, so she is currently well equipped to respond to Russian aggression and tactics.
What’s it about?
It’s the story of Bill Browder, the events leading up to the death of Sergei Magnitsky, and the Browder’s work afterwards to get laws passed that would punish the perpetrators. Bill Browder is the leader (owner?) of Hermitage Capital, which used to be a large and successful hedge fund operating in Russia. However in 2005, Bill Browder was denied entry to Russia. He figured that his shareholder activism had touched a nerve, and shutdown operations in Russia, pulling out money. Hermitage Capital’s offices were raided and it’s Russian lawyers harassed. One of them Sergei Magnitsky, tax lawyer, discovered that the police had used seized documents to get a fraudulent tax refund for around $250 million, issued in the name of one of Hermitage Capital’s companies, but going to the police officers. Magnitsky was arrested, accused of perpetrating the fraud in collaoarion with Boweder and subjected to inhumane conditions. He died in 2009. After his death, Bowder campaigned to bring Magnitsky’s tormentor’s justice, and succeeding in the passing of the so-called Magnitsky laws that were used to sanction those repsonsible for Magnitsky’s death , as well as other abusers of human rights.
What did I think?
I liked it. An easy read. It does a good job of illustrating the gangster state that Putin has setup. Good thing that Browder brought it to light when he did, helping to dispel the West’s illusions. Took a while, but with Putin’s invasion of Ukraine, we’re finally pushing back. Without Browder’s work, we might have abandoned Ukraine.
I noticed that he describes a lot of women as “attractive” which is, like “his opinion man” so whatever. But still a bit unnecessary and jarring. Christina Freeland was one of the women with that description. Her appearance in the book was a good reminder that before she became a cabinet minister, she was a journalist exposing these kind of corruption stories in Russia, so she is currently well equipped to respond to Russian aggression and tactics.