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Investigation

November

Vladimir “Lado” Okhotnikov is the alleged mastermind of a series of cryptocurrency scams. He co-wrote a new film starring Kevin Spacey and produced by Elvira Gavrilova.

Inside a Russian crypto guru’s Hollywood gambit

How the alleged mastermind of a multimillion-dollar crypto scam teamed up with a globe-trotting influencer and a disgraced Oscar winner as he pushed his latest dubious project.

Inside the crypto underworld enabling ‘unlimited’ crime

From gritty backrooms in Kyiv to gleaming towers in Dubai, a parallel banking system turning crypto into cash is operating in anonymity and ripe for abuse.

A legal dispute stemming from the renovation of MinRes headquarters was the start of Chris Ellison’s problems. Ellison’s wife Tia was part of the design team. His friend and co-founder Bob Gavranich oversaw it.

How a reno-gone-wrong laid bare Chris Ellison’s secrets

A legal case brought by a once-trusted executive exposed a string of scandals at Mineral Resources. Documents from the case have now been unsealed.

October

‘Devastated’: How I lost $500k in a crypto ATM scam

Mary, 85, is one of thousands of victims of Australia’s boom in crypto ATM’s, which suck in $275 million a year, and are the “getaway cars” for scammers.

September

These brothers built a vast property empire. Now China is after them

From mansions to big development sites, the Xues have quietly built their fortunes in Australia. But a stoush is brewing over the source of their wealth.

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August

Tony Denny walks through Martin Place in June. He is locked in a bitter legal fight with his former business partner.

‘I’m going to f--- you through the courts’: Inside Tony Denny’s world

After battling the Russian mafia on his way into the Rich List rankings, Denny’s new fight is a Sydney property battle with a builder.

Fund manager Lee Rushton talking up Australian Fiduciaries investments
3:15

Fund manager Lee Rushton talking up Australian Fiduciaries investments

This is a promotional video for Australian Fiduciaries Ltd, in liquidation.

Compare Your Super and Global SRI - projects
2:48

Compare Your Super and Global SRI - projects

This is a promotional video for now defunct financial adviser Compare Your Super and Australian Fiduciaries Global SRI fund, in liquidation.

Compare Your Super founder Tas Bartlett
3:03

Compare Your Super founder Tas Bartlett

This is a promotional video for now defunct financial advice firm Compare Your Super

FIFO pilot Neil Miller, 55, put half his super into funds managed by Lee Rushton’s Australian Fiduciaries.

Inside a $160m super collapse: ‘No one checked they weren’t cowboys’

Lee Rushton promised ethical investments and stable returns. Instead, more than 600 investors face tens of millions in lost superannuation.

July

$110,000 coffee date: CFMEU peace deal revealed as rot spreads north

A peace deal between a gangland associate and a Gold Coast developer has sparked calls for company bosses and gangland figures to join unionists at an inquiry.

Explore: Why Sydney is a magnet for commercial litigation

A Financial Review analysis of a decade of court decisions has revealed which court is fastest at delivering justice.

June

Scrap metal exporter Manhari is a name on the rise.

Trash, treasure and trauma: inside the Manhari juggernaut

Manhari’s scrap metal empire has made millions and bankrolled major sports. But it has a long compliance rap sheet and former staff are speaking out.

The photographer, the mother-in-law and Ellison’s lithium windfall

The Kali Metals IPO was a stroke of good fortune for the MinRes managing director and many of his friends and family. Now the regulator is taking a closer look.

Immutable’s revenues are shrouded in a Cayman Islands mystery

Investor updates show the crypto video gaming business is making $4.6 million every month. Half seems to be “service revenue” from a Caribbean not-for-profit.

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One of the richest casino billionaires is camping out in Sydney

Martin Moshal is a hard man to track down. But documents show the Sydneysider is connected to an enormous investment portfolio around the world.

The King & Wood Mallesons merger.

‘We didn’t have a hope in hell’: KWM’s cautionary China tale

A corrupt wind farm deal in Montenegro, a controversial Russian legal conference and the financial problems of one of its most senior executives have thrown the spotlight on the Sino-Australian law firm.

May

How a Sydney billionaire became the pokies king of Alice Springs

Sam Arnaout has built a $3.1 billion pub and pokie fortune by flying below the radar. For some, however, it is coming at a high cost.

At the end of his first term, Donald Trump turned to social media to express disdain for cryptocurrencies. By last year, his views had begun to shift.

Two sides of the Trump coin: Crypto dealer and policymaker

World Liberty Financial has eviscerated the boundary between private enterprise and US government policy in ways unprecedented in modern American history.

April

Home games: a Socceroo, a subdivision and the unpaid super

A struggling plan to bankroll an A-League club with an ambitious residential development is emblematic of the financial challenges facing Australian soccer.

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