Anansi's Gold

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The astounding, never-before-told story of how an audacious Ghanaian con artist pulled off one of the 20th century’s longest-running and most spectacular frauds. Following Ghana's independence from Britain in 1957, the nation became a target for opportunists and Western interests eager to seize its assets. A CIA-backed military junta ousted President Kwame Nkrumah, falsely accusing him of hiding the country’s gold. Enter John Ackah Blay-Miezah, a charismatic scammer who declared himself the custodian of a fictitious Nkrumah trust fund worth billions. He lured investors with promises of wealth in exchange for “investments” to release the nonexistent fund. Throughout the 1970s and '80s, he and his accomplices, including Ghanaian officials and Nixon’s former attorney general, scammed hundreds of millions from thousands of believers. Living in luxury, Blay-Miezah deceived lawyers, financiers, and businessmen while evading FBI capture. American prosecutors deemed his scheme “one of the most fascinating—and lucrative—in modern history.” The narrative explores Cold War entanglements, international finance, and postcolonial betrayal, revealing how history often unfolds through deception.