Fat Leonard

How One Man Bribed, Bilked, and Seduced the U.S. Navy

By: Craig Whitlock

Narrated by: Dan Bittner

Length: 11 hrs and 11 mins

Publisher's summary

#1 New York Times bestselling author Craig Whitlock’s masterful account of one of the biggest public corruption scandals in American history—exposing how a charismatic Malaysian defense contractor bribed scores of high-ranking military officers, defrauded the US Navy of tens of millions of dollars, and jeopardized our nation’s security.

All the admirals in the US Navy knew Leonard Glenn Francis—either personally or by his legendary reputation. He was the larger-than-life defense contractor who greeted them on the pier whenever they visited ports in Asia, ready to show them a good time after weeks at sea while his company resupplied their ships and submarines. He was famed throughout the fleet for the gluttonous parties he hosted for officers: $1,000-per-person dinners at Asia’s swankiest restaurants, featuring unlimited Dom Pérignon, Cuban cigars, and sexy young women.

On the surface, with his flawless American accent, he seemed like a true friend of the Navy. What the brass didn’t realize, until far too late, was that Francis had seduced them by exploiting their entitlement and hubris. While he was bribing them with gifts, lavish meals, and booze-fueled orgies, he was making himself obscenely wealthy by bilking American taxpayers. Worse, he was stealing military secrets from under the admirals’ noses and compromising national security.

Based on reams of confidential documents—including the blackmail files that Francis kept on Navy officers—Fat Leonard is the full, unvarnished story of a world-class con man and a captivating testament to the corrosive influence of greed within the ranks of the American military.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio.

©2024 Craig Whitlock (P)2024 Simon & Schuster Audio

Critic reviews

"A vigorous investigation into the life of a con artist and swindler who had half the leadership of the U.S. Navy in his pocket....Maddening and astonishing in its revelations of a crime spree that cost taxpayers untold millions."—Kirkus Reviews

"[A] rollicking exposé....Drawing on troves of incriminating emails and Francis’s colorful testimony after his 2013 arrest, Whitlock’s vivid narrative is a whirl of blithe graft....It’s also an appalling indictment of an out-of-control Navy that ditched its ethos of duty and honor in favor of craven toadying, and then, when the scandal came out, shielded the top brass from accountability while lower ranks went to jail. The result is an entertaining picaresque about a magnetic rogue that also spotlights troubling rot in the U.S. military."—Publishers Weekly (starred review)

“Explosive, brilliantly reported and meticulously documented, Craig Whitlock's Fat Leonard reads like a thriller but depicts one of the most sordid chapters in U.S. military history, a tale of brazen corruption that soiled the Navy and is an infuriating insult to the American taxpayer. You won't be able to put this book down, and you won't stop wondering how it could have happened.”—David E. Hoffman, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of The Billion Dollar Spy: A True Story of Cold War Espionage and Betrayal

Incredible but true story.

Amazing to hear how cheaply US Navy admirals could be bought. And how easy they were let off.

Disheartening and compelling

Even though I had heard several podcasts and read some articles about this case, this book was very compelling and brought to light fascinating details about this stain on the Navy and the Department of Justice. I couldn’t put it down. Whitlock does a great job of introducing the many players and helpfully reminding the reader of their role when he brings them up chapters later. This should be must reading for any sailor sent to the Pacific Theatre, at the Naval Academy, and really anyone in service.

WHAT?

Couldn't put it down ! So, why are these officers receiving a retirement benefit? Great story. Plan to read more from this author,

The truth is stranger than fiction.

It's funny, while I'm listening to this book. I can't believe that this man was able to manipulate so many people in authority, and get away with it for so long.

I was thinking this should be made into a movie, and I thought to myself who would play fat. Leonard, and I thought it would be a fun role for The Rock. And then it turns out that wild fat Leonard was talking to a journalist, he thought it should be developed into a movie and then The Rock should play him.

Simply WOW!

Great story of what too many of us just didnt hear about...still amazed at how many got away with no punishment!!

Outstanding dive into a dark story for the Pacific Fleet

This was well-done. The US Atlantic and Pacific Fleets were always on different pages while I was in. I can certainly see how they got into trouble as the command ships like Blue Ridge had reputations for being playgrounds for admirals when I was in back in the late nineties/early two thousands.

Well researched book!

I remember reading about this in the papers. Listening to this book tied this drawn out and insane saga nicely together. Thoroughly enjoyed it.

Compelling

This book drew me in more than I expected it would. I already knew it was an important topic but assumed it would be dry and frankly, a little dull. So credit the author for making the story compelling particularly as there were so many names to keep track of- there were vivid enough details to keep them all straight in my head.

The Navy as a criminal organization

Like most people I always thought of the Navy as one of most trusted and professional organizations on earth. This book paints them, the admirals that run the joint, as a bunch of over educated over sexed baboons. If half of this story is true the Navy needs to be dismantled and started all over again. The most senior officers in the Navy acting like a bunch of prepubescent high schoolers, a bunch of dummies unable to control their sex drives. They need to paddled and stood in a corner with dunce hats! Truly disgusting.

Needs more visual attachments

I appreciated the one attachment but another one listing the dramatis personae would have been helpful. Also, despite how many mentions there were of exotic or luxury foods in the text, the narrator seemed to struggle with every single one. At what point does he just go on YouTube to hear how it’s properly pronounced?