Concise, fast-paced, the Secrecy World reads like a Grisham bestseller, but sadly none of it is fiction.
I'm not sure what makes me angrier: discovering the length the rich will go to hide their wealth or knowing that there's no stopping them despite all the investigations. Either way, this book airs all the dirty laundry that the extremely wealthy have tried to conceal in the most crooked schemes possible over the past 35 years.
Tax evasion, tax avoidance, tax denial, tax obliteration: you name it, they've done it!
And the sad thing is that no nationality seems exempt from such fraudulent behavior, as if there exists no country and no allegiance when you're rich, only the commitment to protect and increase your money at all costs. No wonder the rich have become richer and the poor poorer, while nations can't afford any kind of social benefits!
Mr. Bernstein explains how, where and why these people care about nothing except themselves and their growing fortunes. He tells it all with a clear and compelling style that I usually associate with bestselling fiction authors. But when you realize this is no fiction, the awareness of how selfish and self-centered these wealthy people really are comes crashing down on you.