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.

The Best Student Harvard Ever Had | 2

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.&nbsp; 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.&nbsp; The Pirate of Prague is an Apple Original podcast, produced by Blanchard House. Follow and listen on Apple Podcasts. apple.co/pirate

Society & Culture

Personal Journals

History

Philosophy

Places & Travel

News

True crime

After 18 months in a notorious Bahamian prison, Viktor walks free. But he’s still being hunted. The Czechs put him on trial in absentia. Trapped in the Bahamas, Viktor is shunned. For so long a self-promoting, globetrotting high roller, he seems to have disappeared from public view. Where is he? Where’s all that money? And will he ever face justice?




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.

Bottom of the Barrel | 8

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.

The Seven Stages of Grief | 7

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.

Vallpaper! | 6

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.

In Bed With Baba | 5

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.

The Best Student Harvard Ever Had | 2

Download our free app to listen on your phone