Anansi's Gold: The man who swindled the world

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A wild tale . . . Yeebo's substantial research -- based on interviews, archives, government reports, and the like -- is nothing less than awe inspiring, and her prose is careful and self-assured, often outraged, sometimes dryly amused . . . Anansi's Gold is a fascinating story brilliantly told. " -- The Boston Globe

Yepoka Yeebo’s riveting Anansi’s Gold traces the outlines of Blay-Miezah’s life, shedding light on how he perpetrated his deceptions for years while living in incredible opulence. The author delves into archives across the Atlantic, digs up criminal proceedings and conducts interviews with victims and associates alike, in the process telling us not just about Blay-Miezah, but about the world that enabled him to thriveThis hugely important and riveting book tells a true story of avarice and ambition that is centered on Ghana but reveals a web of lies and deceit on a vast international scale. At the heart of this utterly compelling narrative is a theme of real urgency today: the political and social dangers and the terrible harm caused by the deliberate falsification of the past." -- Susan Williams, author of WHITE MALICE TRUE OR FALSE? Pleading for government permission to be released from house arrest in Ghana—so he could finalize the funding of the Oman Ghana Trust Fund—Blay-Miezah offered this guarantee if he returned home empty-handed: “Captain, take me to the firing range…and have me shot. That is, if I fail.”

American victims were more credulous. Some considered it a speculative investment. Others accepted that it would inevitably be a yearslong process, given the large sums involved. Even after they became disillusioned, few were willing to publicly admit they had been duped.

TRUE OR FALSE? Gerald Smith, a “woebegone bank manager” who had been allegedly duped by Blay-Miezah, was arrested by the FBI. In court, Smith’s attorney told the judge that Blay-Miezah “could sell a Toyota to the president of General Motors.”