Listen free for 30 days
-
American Kingpin
- The Epic Hunt for the Criminal Mastermind Behind the Silk Road
- Narrated by: Will Damron
- Length: 12 hrs and 14 mins
Failed to add items
Add to Cart failed.
Add to Wish List failed.
Remove from wish list failed.
Follow podcast failed
Unfollow podcast failed
Buy Now for $41.68
No default payment method selected.
We are sorry. We are not allowed to sell this product with the selected payment method
You may also enjoy...
-
The Mastermind
- Drugs. Empire. Murder. Betrayal.
- Written by: Evan Ratliff
- Narrated by: Evan Ratliff
- Length: 11 hrs and 16 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The incredible true story of the decade-long quest to bring down Paul Le Roux - the creator of a frighteningly powerful internet-enabled cartel who merged the ruthlessness of a drug lord with the technological savvy of a Silicon Valley entrepreneur.
-
-
A terrific story needs a great reader
- By G. Wilm on 2019-04-25
Written by: Evan Ratliff
-
American Desperado
- My Life - From Mafia Soldier to Cocaine Cowboy to Secret Government Asset
- Written by: Jon Roberts, Evan Wright
- Narrated by: Mark Bramhall, Erik Davies, Mark Deakins, and others
- Length: 16 hrs and 40 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In 2008 veteran journalist Evan Wright, acclaimed for his New York Times best-selling book Generation Kill and co-writer of the Emmy-winning HBO series it spawned, began a series of conversations with super-criminal Jon Roberts, star of the fabulously successful documentary Cocaine Cowboys. Those conversations would last three years, during which time Wright came to realize that Roberts was much more than the de-facto “transportation chief” of the Medellin Cartel during the 1980s, much more than a facilitator of a national drug epidemic.
-
-
Crazy story
- By mickael on 2021-07-05
Written by: Jon Roberts, and others
-
Bad Blood
- Secrets and Lies in a Silicon Valley Startup
- Written by: John Carreyrou
- Narrated by: Will Damron
- Length: 11 hrs and 37 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In 2014, Theranos founder and CEO Elizabeth Holmes was widely seen as the next Steve Jobs: a brilliant Stanford dropout whose startup “unicorn” promised to revolutionize the medical industry with its breakthrough device, which performed the whole range of laboratory tests from a single drop of blood. Backed by investors such as Larry Ellison and Tim Draper, Theranos sold shares in a fundraising round that valued the company at more than $9 billion, putting Holmes’s worth at an estimated $4.5 billion.
-
-
exciting nonfic book
- By Amazon Customer on 2020-06-27
Written by: John Carreyrou
-
The Lazarus Heist
- From Hollywood to High Finance: Inside North Korea's Global Cyber War
- Written by: Geoff White
- Narrated by: Geoff White
- Length: 8 hrs and 28 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Meet the Lazarus Group, a shadowy cabal of hackers accused of working on behalf of the North Korean state. It's claimed that they form one of the most dangerous criminal enterprises on the planet, having stolen more than $1bn in an international crime spree. Their targets allegedly include central banks, Hollywood film studios and even the British National Health Service. North Korea denies the allegations, saying the accusations are American attempts to tarnish its image.
-
-
If you love the podcast, buy this.
- By Amazon Customer on 2023-04-26
Written by: Geoff White
-
Dark Wire
- The Incredible True Story of the Largest Sting Operation Ever
- Written by: Joseph Cox
- Narrated by: Peter Ganim
- Length: 11 hrs and 40 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Beginning in 2018, a powerful app for secure communications, called Anom, began to take root among drug dealers and other criminals. It had extraordinary safeguards to keep out prying eyes--the power to quickly wipe data, voice-masking technology, and more. It was better than other apps popular among organized crime syndicates, except for one thing: it was secretly run by law enforcement. Over the next few years, the FBI, along with law enforcement partners in Australia and parts of Europe, got a front row seat to the global criminal underworld.
-
-
When the hunters spy on the hunted
- By Gerry Corcoran on 2024-07-16
Written by: Joseph Cox
-
Billion Dollar Loser
- The Epic Rise and Spectacular Fall of Adam Neumann and WeWork
- Written by: Reeves Wiedeman
- Narrated by: Will Collyer
- Length: 10 hrs and 51 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
This inside story of WeWork and its CEO tells the remarkable saga of one of the most audacious, and improbable, rises and falls in American business history. Veteran journalist Reeves Weideman dives deep into WeWork and its CEO's astronomical rise, from the marijuana and tequila-filled board rooms to cult-like company summer camps and consciousness-raising with Anthony Kiedis. Billion Dollar Loser is a character-driven business narrative that captures, through the fascinating psyche of a billionaire founder and his wife and co-founder, the slippery state of global capitalism. \
-
-
Great listen
- By colin on 2023-06-05
Written by: Reeves Wiedeman
-
The Mastermind
- Drugs. Empire. Murder. Betrayal.
- Written by: Evan Ratliff
- Narrated by: Evan Ratliff
- Length: 11 hrs and 16 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The incredible true story of the decade-long quest to bring down Paul Le Roux - the creator of a frighteningly powerful internet-enabled cartel who merged the ruthlessness of a drug lord with the technological savvy of a Silicon Valley entrepreneur.
-
-
A terrific story needs a great reader
- By G. Wilm on 2019-04-25
Written by: Evan Ratliff
-
American Desperado
- My Life - From Mafia Soldier to Cocaine Cowboy to Secret Government Asset
- Written by: Jon Roberts, Evan Wright
- Narrated by: Mark Bramhall, Erik Davies, Mark Deakins, and others
- Length: 16 hrs and 40 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In 2008 veteran journalist Evan Wright, acclaimed for his New York Times best-selling book Generation Kill and co-writer of the Emmy-winning HBO series it spawned, began a series of conversations with super-criminal Jon Roberts, star of the fabulously successful documentary Cocaine Cowboys. Those conversations would last three years, during which time Wright came to realize that Roberts was much more than the de-facto “transportation chief” of the Medellin Cartel during the 1980s, much more than a facilitator of a national drug epidemic.
-
-
Crazy story
- By mickael on 2021-07-05
Written by: Jon Roberts, and others
-
Bad Blood
- Secrets and Lies in a Silicon Valley Startup
- Written by: John Carreyrou
- Narrated by: Will Damron
- Length: 11 hrs and 37 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In 2014, Theranos founder and CEO Elizabeth Holmes was widely seen as the next Steve Jobs: a brilliant Stanford dropout whose startup “unicorn” promised to revolutionize the medical industry with its breakthrough device, which performed the whole range of laboratory tests from a single drop of blood. Backed by investors such as Larry Ellison and Tim Draper, Theranos sold shares in a fundraising round that valued the company at more than $9 billion, putting Holmes’s worth at an estimated $4.5 billion.
-
-
exciting nonfic book
- By Amazon Customer on 2020-06-27
Written by: John Carreyrou
-
The Lazarus Heist
- From Hollywood to High Finance: Inside North Korea's Global Cyber War
- Written by: Geoff White
- Narrated by: Geoff White
- Length: 8 hrs and 28 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Meet the Lazarus Group, a shadowy cabal of hackers accused of working on behalf of the North Korean state. It's claimed that they form one of the most dangerous criminal enterprises on the planet, having stolen more than $1bn in an international crime spree. Their targets allegedly include central banks, Hollywood film studios and even the British National Health Service. North Korea denies the allegations, saying the accusations are American attempts to tarnish its image.
-
-
If you love the podcast, buy this.
- By Amazon Customer on 2023-04-26
Written by: Geoff White
-
Dark Wire
- The Incredible True Story of the Largest Sting Operation Ever
- Written by: Joseph Cox
- Narrated by: Peter Ganim
- Length: 11 hrs and 40 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Beginning in 2018, a powerful app for secure communications, called Anom, began to take root among drug dealers and other criminals. It had extraordinary safeguards to keep out prying eyes--the power to quickly wipe data, voice-masking technology, and more. It was better than other apps popular among organized crime syndicates, except for one thing: it was secretly run by law enforcement. Over the next few years, the FBI, along with law enforcement partners in Australia and parts of Europe, got a front row seat to the global criminal underworld.
-
-
When the hunters spy on the hunted
- By Gerry Corcoran on 2024-07-16
Written by: Joseph Cox
-
Billion Dollar Loser
- The Epic Rise and Spectacular Fall of Adam Neumann and WeWork
- Written by: Reeves Wiedeman
- Narrated by: Will Collyer
- Length: 10 hrs and 51 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
This inside story of WeWork and its CEO tells the remarkable saga of one of the most audacious, and improbable, rises and falls in American business history. Veteran journalist Reeves Weideman dives deep into WeWork and its CEO's astronomical rise, from the marijuana and tequila-filled board rooms to cult-like company summer camps and consciousness-raising with Anthony Kiedis. Billion Dollar Loser is a character-driven business narrative that captures, through the fascinating psyche of a billionaire founder and his wife and co-founder, the slippery state of global capitalism. \
-
-
Great listen
- By colin on 2023-06-05
Written by: Reeves Wiedeman
-
Billion Dollar Whale
- Written by: Bradley Hope, Tom Wright
- Narrated by: Will Collyer
- Length: 12 hrs and 26 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Now a number-one international best seller, Billion Dollar Whale is "an epic tale of white-collar crime on a global scale" (Publishers Weekly), revealing how a young social climber from Malaysia pulled off one of the biggest heists in history. In 2009, a chubby, mild-mannered graduate of the University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School of Business named Jho Low set in motion a fraud of unprecedented gall and magnitude—one that would come to symbolize the next great threat to the global financial system.
-
-
Fascinating story but can be boring and often extremely difficult to follow.
- By Tracy on 2018-11-06
Written by: Bradley Hope, and others
-
The Smartest Guys in the Room
- The Amazing Rise and Scandalous Fall of Enron
- Written by: Bethany McLean
- Narrated by: Dennis Boutsikaris
- Length: 22 hrs and 30 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The definitive volume on Enron's amazing rise and scandalous fall, from an award-winning team of Fortune investigative reporters.
-
-
exhaustive account of the Enron scandal
- By Sam on 2019-10-07
Written by: Bethany McLean
-
Empire of Pain
- The Secret History of the Sackler Dynasty
- Written by: Patrick Radden Keefe
- Narrated by: Patrick Radden Keefe
- Length: 18 hrs and 6 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The prize-winning and best-selling author of Say Nothing presents a grand, devastating portrait of three generations of the Sackler family, famed for their philanthropy, whose fortune was built by Valium and whose reputation was destroyed by OxyContin. Empire of Pain is a masterpiece of narrative reporting and writing, exhaustively documented and ferociously compelling.
-
-
It hurts to read this book.
- By Rosemarie Boll on 2021-05-10
Written by: Patrick Radden Keefe
-
Kings of Cocaine
- Inside the Medellin Cartel - An Astonishing True Story of Murder Money and International Corruption
- Written by: Guy Gugliotta, Jeff Leen
- Narrated by: Paul Woodson
- Length: 14 hrs and 41 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
This is the story of the most successful cocaine dealers in the world: Pablo Escobar Gaviria, Jorge Luis Ochoa Vasquez, Carlos Lehder Rivas, and Jose Gonzalo Rodriguez Gacha. In the 1980s, they controlled more than 50 percent of the cocaine flowing into the United States. The cocaine trade is capitalism on overdrive - supply meeting demand on exponential levels. Here you'll find the story of how the modern cocaine business started and how it turned a ragtag group of hippies and sociopaths into regal kings.
Written by: Guy Gugliotta, and others
-
Secrecy World
- Inside the Panama Papers Investigation of Illicit Money Networks and the Global Elite
- Written by: Jake Bernstein
- Narrated by: Jake Bernstein
- Length: 10 hrs and 30 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Secrecy World offers a disturbing and sobering view of how the world really works and raises crucial questions about financial and legal institutions we may once have trusted. This audiobook discusses the fragile scaffolding upholding any tax haven, the flexible laws of banking, and the radiating impact of an international financial scandal.
-
-
Good listen, but pay close attention
- By James on 2021-08-07
Written by: Jake Bernstein
-
Tracers in the Dark
- The Global Hunt for the Crime Lords of Cryptocurrency
- Written by: Andy Greenberg
- Narrated by: Ari Fliakos
- Length: 10 hrs and 46 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Over the last decade, a single innovation has massively fueled digital black markets: cryptocurrency. Crime lords inhabiting lawless corners of the internet have operated more freely—whether in drug dealing, money laundering, or human trafficking—than their analog counterparts could have ever dreamed of. By transacting not in dollars or pounds but in currencies with anonymous ledgers, overseen by no government, beholden to no bankers, these black marketeers have sought to rob law enforcement of their chief method of cracking down on illicit finance: following the money.
-
-
Loved this
- By janie g on 2023-04-22
Written by: Andy Greenberg
-
The Black Hand
- The Bloody Rise and Redemption of "Boxer" Enriquez, a Mexican Mob Killer
- Written by: Chris Blatchford
- Narrated by: Paul Boehmer
- Length: 14 hrs and 1 min
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Rene "Boxer" Enriquez grew up on the violent streets of East L.A., where gang fights, robberies, and drive-by shootings were fueled by rage, drugs, and alcohol. When he finally landed in prison - at the age of 19 - Enriquez found an organization that brought him the respect he always wanted: the near-mythic and widely feared Mexican Mafia, La Eme. What the organization saw in Enriquez was a young man who knew no fear and would kill anyone - justifiably or not - in the blink of an eye.
-
-
Really enjoyed this book
- By Anonymous User on 2022-10-07
Written by: Chris Blatchford
-
Black Edge
- Inside Information, Dirty Money, and the Quest to Bring Down the Most Wanted Man on Wall Street
- Written by: Sheelah Kolhatkar
- Narrated by: Kaleo Griffith
- Length: 12 hrs and 32 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Steven A. Cohen changed Wall Street. He and his fellow pioneers of the hedge fund industry didn’t lay railroads, build factories, or invent new technologies. Rather, they made their billions through financial speculation, by placing bets in the market that turned out to be right more often than not.
Written by: Sheelah Kolhatkar
-
The Heroin Diaries: 10 Year Anniversary Edition
- A Year in the Life of a Shattered Rock Star
- Written by: Nikki Sixx
- Narrated by: Nikki Sixx, Sophie Kargman, Ross Marquand
- Length: 11 hrs and 11 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In honor of the 10-year anniversary of The Heroin Diaries, Nikki Sixx’s definitive and bestselling memoir on drug addiction is now available on audio for the first time, read by Nikki Sixx! This shocking, gripping, and at times darkly hilarious memoir explores Nikki’s yearlong war with a vicious heroin addiction. Now more than ever, with opioid addiction ravaging our country and rising by 20 percent in the past year alone, Nikki’s story is now more relevant than ever.
-
-
Read to me, Nikki!
- By J9 on 2018-03-20
Written by: Nikki Sixx
-
Going Infinite
- The Rise and Fall of a New Tycoon
- Written by: Michael Lewis
- Narrated by: Michael Lewis
- Length: 8 hrs and 56 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
When Michael Lewis first met him, Sam Bankman-Fried was the world’s youngest billionaire and crypto’s Gatsby. CEOs, celebrities, and leaders of small countries all vied for his time and cash after he catapulted, practically overnight, onto the Forbes billionaire list. Who was this rumpled guy in cargo shorts and limp white socks, whose eyes twitched across Zoom meetings as he played video games on the side? In Going Infinite Lewis sets out to answer this question, taking listeners into the mind of Bankman-Fried.
-
-
He loves SBF too much
- By Samuel Carvalho on 2023-10-07
Written by: Michael Lewis
-
This Is How They Tell Me the World Ends
- The Cyberweapons Arms Race
- Written by: Nicole Perlroth
- Narrated by: Allyson Ryan
- Length: 18 hrs and 32 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Zero day: a software bug that allows a hacker to break into your devices and move around undetected. One of the most coveted tools in a spy's arsenal, a zero day has the power to silently spy on your iPhone, dismantle the safety controls at a chemical plant, alter an election and shut down the electric grid (just ask Ukraine). For decades, under cover of classification levels and non-disclosure agreements, the United States government became the world’s dominant hoarder of zero days.
-
-
Illuminating at all levels
- By Anonymous User on 2021-10-15
Written by: Nicole Perlroth
-
Altamont
- The Rolling Stones, the Hells Angels, and the Inside Story of Rock's Darkest Day
- Written by: Joel Selvin
- Narrated by: John Pruden
- Length: 9 hrs and 45 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In this breathtaking cultural history filled with exclusive, never-before-revealed details, celebrated rock journalist Joel Selvin tells the definitive story of the Rolling Stones' infamous Altamont concert in San Francisco, the disastrous historic event that marked the end of the idealistic 1960s.
-
-
Very good
- By Roberta W on 2024-04-18
Written by: Joel Selvin
Publisher's Summary
The unbelievable true story of the man who built a billion-dollar online drug empire from his bedroom - and almost got away with it
In 2011, a 26-year-old libertarian programmer named Ross Ulbricht launched the ultimate free market: the Silk Road, a clandestine website hosted on the Dark Web where anyone could trade anything - drugs, hacking software, forged passports, counterfeit cash, poisons - free of the government's watchful eye.
It wasn't long before the media got wind of the new website where anyone - not just teenagers and weed dealers but terrorists and black hat hackers - could buy and sell contraband detection-free. Spurred by a public outcry, the federal government launched an epic two-year manhunt for the site's elusive proprietor, with no leads, no witnesses, and no clear jurisdiction. All the investigators knew was that whoever was running the site called himself the Dread Pirate Roberts.
The Silk Road quickly ballooned into a $1.2 billion enterprise, and Ross embraced his new role as kingpin. He enlisted a loyal crew of allies in high and low places, all as addicted to the danger and thrill of running an illegal marketplace as their customers were to the heroin they sold. Through his network he got wind of the target on his back and took drastic steps to protect himself - including ordering a hit on a former employee. As Ross made plans to disappear forever, the feds raced against the clock to catch a man they weren't sure even existed, searching for a needle in the haystack of the global Internet.
Drawing on exclusive access to key players and two billion digital words and images Ross left behind, Vanity Fair correspondent and New York Times best-selling author Nick Bilton offers a tale filled with twists and turns, lucky breaks, and unbelievable close calls. It's a story of the boy next door's ambition gone criminal, spurred on by the clash between the new world of libertarian-leaning, anonymous, decentralized web advocates and the old world of government control, order, and the rule of law. Filled with unforgettable characters and capped by an astonishing climax, American Kingpin might be dismissed as too outrageous for fiction. But it's all too real.
What the critics say
“An astonishingly well-researched narrative.... Bilton's storytelling bears not so much as a trace of fat; the book he's conjured is so sharp and bright that it can be whipped through in the airport lounge before the flight takes off." (The Globe and Mail)
"Unbelievably riveting." (Casey Neistat)
“I dare you not to read this book in one sitting. Masterfully reported and written, Bilton’s book drops you hard into the dark heart of the most famous Internet crime to date. A first-rate thrill.” (Joshua Cooper Ramo, author of The Seventh Sense)
More from the same
What listeners say about American Kingpin
Average Customer RatingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Kynsilok
- 2019-09-07
Great if you love true crime.
The author has a great way of telling Ross' Ambitions and how he went around dealing with the anxiety of getting caught. Very relatable storytelling.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- AH
- 2021-03-27
Listened to the entire thing in one sitting
I was vaguely familiar with Ross Ulbricht from listening to a few podcasts about the Silk Road, but this book goes into great detail about it. Crazy story. I started listening first thing in the morning and couldn't stop listening. Usually audiobooks have a hard time maintaining my attention, but the combination of the story and the narration was perfect. Highly recommended.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- DRB
- 2020-08-24
Conceptually it needs to be respected
At one point an FBI officer comments that terrorists no longer need to bring weapons into the U.S. / Canada, they can now enter the country and buy what they need on-line from within - that's a scary possibility. Weak narration.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Amazon Customer
- 2020-01-17
Fantastic from start to finish
Listened to it in 2 days, couldn't push pause. Great reporting all around, very well written.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Anonymous User
- 2020-05-22
1 of the best written and read book I read this yr
Love it so much, highly recommend it. listening to it felt like I was watching an action movie.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- oliver
- 2020-02-26
Great
This was awesome all around. 10/10 would recommend. Wish it kept going longer lol.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Tayla Smelser
- 2018-05-11
loved it
It was such a good book, totally fascinating. I wish Ross had agreed to be interviewed, it would have been cool to see what he had to say after all was said and done.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
1 person found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- TimRules!
- 2018-03-24
Couldn't stop listening!
At once a fascinating and captivating look at an under-reported story. Author provided a fair assessment of a potentially controversial subject, and did so in a very entertaining way. Highly recommended!
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
1 person found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- sue
- 2020-08-21
Awesome book
What an awesome book. Enjoyed every single second of it. wish I could find more books written so perfectly, and the guy reading is perfect. I loved everything about it!
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Celine
- 2018-09-19
loved it!
Very interesting story with detailed information on the investigation and well narrated. I highly recommend.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!