Butler to the World: The Book the Oligarchs Don't Want You to Read - How Britain Helps the World's Worst People Launder Money, Commit Crimes, and Get Away with Anything

Named one of the Best Books of 2022 by the New Yorker and the Economist

In his forceful follow-up to Moneyland, Oliver Bullough unravels the dark secret of how Britain placed itself at the center of the global offshore economy and at the service of the worst people in the world.

The Suez Crisis of 1956 was the nadir of Britain's twentieth century, the moment when the once-superpower was bullied into retreat. "Great Britain has lost an empire and not yet found a role," said Dean Acherson, a former US secretary of state. Acheson's line has entered into the canon of great quotations: but it was wrong. Britain had already found a role. The leaders of the world just hadn't noticed it yet.

Butler to the World reveals how Britain came to assume its role as the center of the offshore economy. Written polemically, but studded with witty references to the butlers of popular fiction, it demonstrates how so many elements of modern Britain have been put at the service of the world's oligarchs.

The Biden administration is putting corruption at the heart of its foreign policy, and that means it needs to confront Britain's role as the foremost enabler of financial crime and ill behavior. This book lays bare how London has deliberately undercut U.S. regulations for decades, and calls into question the extent to which Britain can be considered a reliable ally.

ISBN: 9781250281920
Format: Hardback
Pages: 288
Publisher: St. Martin's Press
Published: June 14, 2022

“Urgent and essential reading…Bullough has drilled down to the root of the malaise that's rotting the UK system. Beautifully written with quiet despairing humor, this is the defining story of our times.” —Catherine Belton, author of Putin’s People

“Not only a witty and well researched economic history of Britain's role as financial Butler to the world, this is also a savage analysis of Britain's soul. As essential as Orwell at his best.” —Peter Pomerantsev, author of This Is Not Propaganda

“If like me you've ever wondered what all those university graduate schemes were ultimately about, Bullough outlines it here...Timely and revealing.” —Lucy Prebble, writer and executive producer of Succession

“A horribly brilliant account of just how much historical integrity Britain has sacrificed at the altar of dirty money. Bullough is a compelling and expert guide to the newly-dug sewers flowing through the heart of our political, legal and financial establishment.” —James O'Brien, author of How Not to be Wrong

“This is an absolute must-read for everyone who wants to understand Britain's crucial role in the global dirty money crisis…Bullough lifts the lid and explains in a very clear and intelligible way why and how Britain is facilitating illicit finance across the world. The narrative is gripping, the analysis original and powerful and the detailed examples terrifying. This book will provide a powerful contribution to the important debate on the UK and dirty money.” —Margaret Hodge, MP and chair of the Public Accounts Committee