A charming young Czech promises staggering returns. An entire country’s oil industry is up for grabs. America’s top investors want in. Sounds too good to be true? Damn right it is. 

This is a story of private jets, $20,000 dinners, and suitcases stuffed with cash. It’s also a tale about the collapse of communism, the free-for-all that followed, and the birth of the oligarchs. And it’s a story of plain-old human greed...of just how far the rich may go to get even richer. Viktor Kožený smooth-talked his super-wealthy Aspen neighbors and a Wall Street titan into investing huge sums of cash to snap up Azerbaijan’s state-owned oil company. Host Joe Nocera and investigative journalist Peter Elkind follow the trail, beginning in the Bahamas, where the charismatic financial genius has been lying low. 

The Pirate of Prague is an Apple Original podcast, produced by Blanchard House. Follow and listen on Apple Podcasts.

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Christmas 1997. Viktor Kožený, a charismatic financial whiz kid from the former Czechoslovakia, throws a lavish party at his $20-million mountaintop mansion in Aspen. It’s so excessive that even his super-rich neighbors are blown away. But what they don’t realize is that their charming host is about to take them for the ride of their lives. 

The Pirate of Prague is an Apple Original podcast, produced by Blanchard House. Follow and listen on Apple Podcasts.

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See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

How it all started: After escaping communist Czechoslovakia, the wily young Viktor orchestrates a trip to America by posing as a physics prodigy. Taken in by a generous college professor, Viktor then runs off with the man’s wife and talks his way into Harvard. Returning to Prague just as communism is imploding, Viktor spots an opportunity that will change his fortunes forever. 

The Pirate of Prague is an Apple Original podcast, produced by Blanchard House. Follow and listen on Apple Podcasts.

apple.co/pirate

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

With the old Czech communists ousted, Viktor finds his one true talent— making money. Lots of it. He rapidly amasses a vast fortune by persuading fellow citizens to invest with him so he can hoover up valuable state assets. But when rumors about his business start flying, Viktor finds himself caught up in a scandal involving some of the country’s top politicians—and a spy. 

The Pirate of Prague is an Apple Original podcast, produced by Blanchard House. Follow and listen on Apple Podcasts.

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See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Mired in a bribery scandal and wanted by the Czech authorities, Viktor flees to the Bahamas with his young family and a large sum of cash. In the exclusive resort of Lyford Cay, he starts to spend it in earnest. But he’s already got his eye on his next deal—a deal he hopes will catapult him into the ranks of the mega-rich. 

The Pirate of Prague is an Apple Original podcast, produced by Blanchard House. Follow and listen on Apple Podcasts.

apple.co/pirate

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Just days after his swanky Christmas party in Aspen, Viktor starts recruiting his high-flying guests for his next grand plan: getting control of the state-owned oil company of Azerbaijan. With promises of eye-watering returns, Viktor sweet-talks a group of elite investors into putting up big bucks, including a Wall Street billionaire and one of Washington’s most respected politicians. 

The Pirate of Prague is an Apple Original podcast, produced by Blanchard House. Follow and listen on Apple Podcasts.

apple.co/pirate

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Viktor and his investors await the Azeris’ approval of the oil deal they hope will trigger the ultimate payday. They bend over backwards to keep key officials onside. 

The Pirate of Prague is an Apple Original podcast, produced by Blanchard House. Follow and listen on Apple Podcasts.

apple.co/pirate

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Still reeling from the failed deal, investors begin to believe that Viktor may have double-crossed them. US Law enforcement also sets its sights on Viktor, investigating criminal allegations of a bribery scheme. Viktor is banged up in the Bahamas, fighting extradition to the U.S. 

The Pirate of Prague is an Apple Original podcast, produced by Blanchard House. Follow and listen on Apple Podcasts.

apple.co/pirate

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.