Jho Low has made himself scarce since U.S. prosecutors linked him to the 1MDB scandal. A recent rare comment lays bare what he feels passionately about as the criminal investigation rumbles on.
Jho Low, the baby-faced Malaysian financier which U.S. prosecutors allege is the brain behind the billion-dollar corruption scheme at sovereign wealth fund 1MDB, has rarely surfaced since being pegged by investigators two years ago.
Low, who hasn't been indicted by U.S. officials but is being sought by Interpol, has steered clear of his homeland and also avoided the U.S., where he used to be a fixture on the society charity circuit. He was reportedly spotted in long-term residence at Shanghai's Peninsula Hotel, but appears to have spent much of the past two years sailing around Thailand, Cambodia, China and Hong Kong, according to harbor and marina fees linked to the «Equanminity», his 91.5-meter luxury superyacht.
The vessel has been the subject of a tug-of-war between U.S. officials, which want to seize it in the criminal probe, and Low. Indonesia recently dealt a blow to the U.S. efforts by blocking U.S. investigators from taking the Equanimity.
«U.S. Overreach»
Low has fought some of the asset seizures in court, and sent a New Year's message full of seafaring metaphors to friends last year. Otherwise, he has stayed largely silent – until now. On Friday, the trust which owns the Equanimity welcomed the blocking of the yacht's seizure and slammed the U.S.' handling of the 1MDB probe.
«The incident is yet another example of the unjustified global overreach by the U.S. government, which has gone to extreme and improper lengths to seize assets around the world while steadfastly avoiding having to prove that there are any merits to its case», Equanimity Ltd in the Caymans said in a statement disseminated by Byfield, a London-based public relations firm.
Helipad, Spa, Movie Theater
Though the Equanimity can berth 18 people overnight, Low is more likely to be sailing alone with a skeleton crew (the yacht can carry as many as 28 crew on board), if he is still on the $260 million boat. The luxury yacht has so-called zero speed stabilizers, which keep the yacht from rolling in choppy seas when anchored.
Outfitted in an Asian-inspired theme of wenge wood, bamboo, marble and gold leaf and with amenities like a helicopter landing pad, jacuzzi, sauna, pool, gym, spa, movie theater, Low can easily spend weeks or months on board, provided he keeps a low profile.
