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Fugitive financier lost nearly $2m at a casino in under two hours

Fugitive financier lost nearly $2m at a casino in under two hours
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Many Las Vegas casino operators are used to people who make big bets and the zany requests from wealthy guests.

However, even in those instances, Jho Low, a Chinese-Malaysian Fugitive financier, stands out among the crowd.

In testimony given to a New York Court, Low, sometimes known as the "Asian Great Gatsby," bet and lost $1.75m during a 90-minute turn at a baccarat table at the Venetian Casino in 2010.

According to Vice News, Kirk Godby, an executive with over 20 years of experience at The Venetian, testified about Low's big-spending habits during the trial of Roger Ng, a former Goldman Sachs banker.

Ng was accused of helping and abetting low and other people of stealing $4.5bn from 1Malaysia Development Bank (1MDB).

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A US attorney general called 1MDB pilfering "the largest kleptocracy case in the world," which caused the 2018 collapse of former Prime Minister Najib Razak's government.

Godby testified that Ng had gambled with Low during the former banker's solo visit to The Venetian in November 2010.

Ng lost $22,500 playing baccarat during the visit, which occurred before the first 1MDB bond deal closed in May 2012. Low also played at the same table as Ng on November 29 at roughly 5am and placed a $4m in bets.

Godby further told the court that Low, who was said to be the brain behind the thievery of Malaysia's state 1MDB public investment fund, had gambled nearly $87m at The Venetian and lost around $26m of that money.

"He was extremely extravagant," Godby said, referring to Low.

"He had requests that were parallel to none. He made requests like he wanted disco balls, dance floors and DJs."

"He was extremely extravagant."iStock

The Venetian isn't the only casino place Low visited.

In celebration of his 28th birthday, he threw a bash at Caesar's Palace and flew in Leonardo DiCaprioon a private jet and even paid him $150,000 to attend the dinner and party.

Low is now an international fugitive and is speculated to be hiding out somewhere in China.

Court testimony in Ng's trial also addressed Low and how he threw his lavish parties with stolen money.

Jurors were informed that he paid celebrities like Paris Hilton, Megan Fox, and Kim Kardashian to attend the functions.

And in November 2021, Vice News reported that Emily Ratajkowski had claimed that Low paid her $25,000 to accompany him to the SuperBowl.

If this is not a case of when high-rolling goes sour, we don't know what is.

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