Jho Low, who is he? 5 facts about the wanted 1MDB employee
Mastermind Jho Low, whose alleged role in the 1MDB fraud crisis stunned the business world, was born in 1981 to a relatively wealthy family. It has been making headlines in Asia and America for years. This Thursday, August 18, 2022, ABC’s The Con should reveal more information about the financial scandal.
Millions of dollars have been stolen from the sovereign wealth fund, and Low, a Penang native and alumnus of Wharton and Harrow business schools, is believed to be the mastermind behind the multi-billion dollar 1MDB heist. Low is still wanted by Interpol despite his repeated denials. Since different stories offer varying details of his whereabouts, he could be anywhere.
Prior to being wanted for his role on 1MDB, Low led a rather opulent lifestyle that included dating Miranda Kerr and attending parties with celebrities like Leonardo DiCaprio. Former colleagues of Low say his questionable actions date back to his days as an MBA student at Wharton.
Jho down
Five Lesser-Known Facts About 1MDB’s Fugitive Jho Low
1) Another nickname for Jho Low is “The Asian Great Gatsby”.
Low earned the nickname “The Asian Great Gatsby” after throwing his first lavish party while a student at Wharton. For his 20th birthday, he spent $40,000 to hire Shampoo, one of Philadelphia’s hottest nightclubs.
Many others claimed that Low wrote a note to Ivanka Trump asking her to join him for a gaming vacation at the Trump Plaza Hotel in Atlantic City as his reputation for partying grew. She turned him down because she didn’t want to frequent one of her father’s casinos, he later told his friends.
2) Paris Hilton was the object of Low’s intense love.
There are rumors that Jho Low had a massive crush on Paris Hilton. Soon after, Low developed a reputation as a party animal and began paying celebrities like Megan Fox, Paris Hilton and Leonardo DiCaprio six figures to attend his extravagant parties.
Even in 2009, Low called the Hilton manager to inquire about paying her to attend his events. The motivation behind the action was his affection for the actress. She reportedly received $100,000 for each occasion.
The following year, he rented millionaire Paul Allen’s opulent boat and spent millions on champagne. Later, Low and his team — which now included Hilton — poured those bottles into the ground. For his 29th birthday in Las Vegas, Low reportedly gave Hilton a Cartier watch and $250,000 in casino chips.
3) He financed Red Granite Pictures, which resulted in a number of Hollywood hits.
Later, Jho Low provided financial support to the film company Red Granite, which made The Wolf of Wall Street. The company debuted at the Cannes Film Festival in 2011 by hosting one of Low’s signature parties.
DiCaprio, Bradley Cooper and Jamie Foxx were some of the celebrity guests who got to see Kanye West and Pharrell perform. Jordan Belfort, the Wolf of Wall Street star and a seasoned fraudster, was also present at the rally.
4) Jho Low and Leonardo DiCaprio would have become friends.
Paris Hilton, Jamie Foxx, and Leonardo DiCaprio were some of the well-known personalities that Low surrounded himself with while pursuing an extravagant lifestyle. During the billion dollar fraud investigation, a contract for Leonardo DiCaprio signed in November 2009 also came to light.
According to reports, DiCaprio was paid $150,000 to attend Jho Low’s birthday party, lavish dinner and VIP gaming events. He was flown to the celebration on a private plane that a high-end travel agency had exclusively booked for him. He was one of Low’s closest celebrities, and the entertainer once gave the actor a $9.2 million Basquiat coin as a gift.
5) He was linked to the Trump administration and Goldman Sachs bankers
Two Goldman Sachs bankers, Roger Ng and Tim Leissner, allegedly helped Jho Low organize these expensive gatherings and parties. Leissner has pleaded guilty and is actively assisting the police. Ng allegedly earned $35 million in compensation for those payments, according to the prosecution.
A person familiar with Kushner’s travel plans denied those claims. There still exists a relationship between Low and the Trump administration, as demonstrated by Elliott Broidy’s admission that he improperly influenced the Trump administration on Low’s behalf.
The Billion Dollar Con, an episode of The Con, will premiere on ABC Thursday at 10 p.m. ET.
