There are many people who helped me enormously in writing this book, but for several reasons most might prefer not to be named at this point. Needless to say, a lot of people were very generous with their time and insights: they know who they are. None of this would have been possible without Georgia Catt from the BBC, who first told me about OneCoin and whose talents meant millions of people became interested in this story. There are plenty of other BBC people who made the original podcast a success, notably Rob Byrne, Philip Sellars, Rachel Simpson and Jason Phipps. My agent, Caroline Michel, is always on call, no matter what time or how small the problem. Andrew Goodfellow and Suzanne Connelly at Penguin Random House were a delight to work with and Vanessa Milton made the legal reads almost enjoyable. My family and friends, as ever, were a constant source of comfort, advice and calm, and I’d name them all if I could.
I would like to pay special tribute to BehindMLM and the dozens of people who contributed to it through the years. At times it might have felt like a thankless task, but you never know who else is reading your late-night posts.
Finally, to the people who invested in Ruja’s promise of financial freedom: I’m sorry for your loss. It’s a sign of strength, not weakness, to admit you were wrong. For those brave enough to speak out—thank you from all of us.