The King of Oil

The King of Oil is the astonishing, no-holds-barred true story of Marc Rich—the fugitive billionaire trader who invented the modern spot oil market, transformed the world economy, and became one of the most controversial businessmen in history.

For the first time, billionaire oil trader Marc Rich speaks at length about his private life and global empire. He reveals details behind his high-profile divorce, his rise as a Holocaust survivor, and his quiet cooperation with the Israeli and U.S. governments—even while facing tax fraud indictments led by Rudy Giuliani and near-comical, illegal kidnapping attempts by U.S. officials.

This revelatory biography by Daniel Ammann explores Rich’s lucrative, unpublicized dealings with Ayatollah Khomeini's Iran, Fidel Castro's Cuba, war-ravaged Angola, and apartheid South Africa. Infamously pardoned by President Bill Clinton—a move that resurfaced during Attorney General Eric Holder's confirmation hearings—Rich’s story charts an unbelievable rise from fleeing Nazi-occupied Europe as a young boy to becoming the most powerful commodities trader of the century.