Red Notice: A True Story of High Finance, Murder, and One Man’s Fight for Justice by Bill Browder

Bill Browder’s gripping, page-turner of a memoir “Red Notice: A True Story of High Finance, Murder, and One Man’s Fight for Justice” captures the dramatic true events of an extraordinary personal journey. After earning millions in the rush to privatize Russia following the fall of the Soviet Union, Browder became the target of a corrupt Russian government, leading to the mysterious death of one of his partners, incarceration of another, and ultimately, Browder’s own expulsion from Russia.

In the late 90s, Bill Browder, graduated from Stanford University and went on to work as a fund manager at Salomon Brothers in London. Following the fall of the Soviet Union and the emergence of the powerful Russian oligarchs, Browder was intrigued. He believed that the great deal of financial opportunity in Russia, including state asset sales and the issuing of bonds, had immense potential for investors willing to take a risk. When Browder made his first investment in Russia in 1996, the wall between the West and the former Soviet superpower appeared to crumble.

In 2003, Browder started his own fund called Hermitage Capital and quickly reaped the rewards of his investments by becoming the largest foreign investor in the Russian stock market. Unfortunately, Browder lived during a time of increasing corruption throughout the Russian business world and soon began to be a victim to the cronyism of government officials. In 2005, he was blacklisted from entering and doing business in the country.

Soon after, Russian officials intensified their malicious behavior, as they conducted a raid of his offices, seized all of his assets, and drove his fund into bankruptcy. Furthermore, they also arrested two of his investors, Sergei Magnitsky and Ivan Cherkasov. Magnitsky, an attorney employed by Hermitage was reluctant to comply with Russia’s request to further defraud Browder of his holdings, and eventually, he suffered a tragic death in prison due to medical negligence and torture.

Browder’s radical personal and financial transformation was the start of a personal mission to vindicate the death of Magnitsky and uncover the truth. A truth that ultimately led to Browder’s involvement in the efforts to pass the Sergei Magnitsky Act in the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, and other countries that would punish anyone responsible for the death of Magnitsky and human rights violations in Russia.

In “Red Notice”, Browder chronicles his story of financial success and horrific tragedy, as he lives through this tumultuous period of history and works to uncover the truth behind the death of Magnitsky. His account of raw and emotional intensity provides insight into the corruption of the Russian government and the lengths they will go to in an effort to suppress truth.

Browder’s story is a powerful cautionary tale of the dangers of dealing with powerful governments and those willing to manipulate their power for personal gain. Combining a riveting personal tale of bravery against overwhelming odds and a grand overview of the tumultuous, decade-long struggle that ensued in Russia, “Red Notice” is truly a must-read for those looking for an in-depth study of the power and politics behind the tragedy of Magnitsky’s death.