Anansi’s Gold: The Man who Swindled the World
Anansi’s Gold, a story about one of the biggest con-artists of the 20th Century is shortlisted for the Jhalak Prize 2024. Author Yepoka Yeebo tells us more. Visit: https://www.waterstones.com/book/anansis-gold/yepoka-yeebo/9781526668578
Winner of the Plutarch Award. Shortlisted for the Jhalak Prize. Named a Book of the Year 2023 by the New York Times, New Yorker, Washington Post, Newsweek, and TIME.
The Daily Telegraph calls it “fabulously entertaining.” Publishers Weekly says it’s “perfect for fans of Frank Abignale Jr.’s Catch Me If You Can.” This book reveals the incredible, untold story of a brilliant Ghanaian con artist. He orchestrated one of the longest and most audacious frauds of the 20th century.
Ghana gained independence from Britain in 1957. Immediately, opportunists targeted the new nation to seize its remaining assets. The military ousted the first president, Kwame Nkrumah. They accused him of stealing the country’s gold and hiding it overseas.
Then came John Ackah Blay-Miezah. This charismatic scammer, rivaling the trickster god Anansi, rose from poverty. He claimed to guard a supposed Nkrumah trust fund worth billions. He promised a share to anyone who helped “rescue” the fund with a small investment. During the 1970s and ’80s, his scam grew immensely. He collected hundreds of millions of pounds from countless victims worldwide. He outsmarted Henry Kissinger, scandalized Shirley Temple-Black, and had Nixon’s former attorney-general at his beck and call. Despite many attempts to stop him, Blay-Miezah lived in luxury. He stayed protected by ex-SAS soldiers while deceiving lawyers, businessmen, and investigators globally.
In “Anansi’s Gold,” Yepoka Yeebo follows Blay-Miezah’s wild trail. The book offers a captivating narrative of Cold War intrigue and African aspirations. It uncovers the untold story of the swindler who outplayed the West at its own game.