Latest news with #PeterAjak
Yahoo
15 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Wall Street Bigwig Says He's Confused How He Ended Up Funding an Armed Coup in African
Who among us hasn't stumbled headfirst into a violent coup attempt involving millions of dollars of black market weaponry? That's the argument Robert Granieri, multimillionaire cofounder of trading firm Jane Street, is invoking after being caught funneling hoards of cash to an opposition party in South Sudan. The funding allegedly included millions of dollars in backing to purchase rifles, Stinger missiles, bulletproof vests, and grenades meant to topple South Sudan's government. Granieri says he was "duped" into providing the funds by a man claiming to be an activist in the region. "Granieri is a longtime supporter of human rights causes," his lawyer told Bloomberg. "In this case, the person Rob thought was a human rights activist defrauded Rob and lied about his intentions." Jane Street is notably the launchpad of financial fraudster Sam Bankman-Fried before he launched his now-cratered cryptocurrency platform, FTX. Granieri, meanwhile, has a record of donations to NGOs like Ideas Beyond Borders in Afghanistan, which have been accused of treating third-world violence and suffering as "ample photo opportunities" with which to attract donors. The Wall Street hotshot's role in the plot was uncovered amidst the prosecution of Peter Ajak, a Sudanese political activist who was indicted last year for trying to smuggle the massive weapons cache from the US to the war-torn region. Though Ajak and his co-conspirator, Abraham Chol Keech, are alleged to be the masterminds behind the dramatic plot, it hadn't been fully explained who was funding the expensive venture. Far from the Mr. Magoo scenario that Granieri's attorneys are claiming, Ajak's lawyers paint a picture of a Wall Street financier who was "vital to the plan." In May, the Sudanese rebel's lawyers claimed that "without the significant financing that Mr. Granieri could and agreed to provide, the alleged conspiracy would have been impossible." Perhaps the most bizarre twist is the alleged involvement of Soviet chessmaster Garry Kasparov, who came to know both Granieri and Ajak through his work as chair of the Human Rights Foundation, according to Bloomberg. For his part, Kasparov denies involvement, saying that his "record and values are clear, and they remain unchanged." South Sudan officially separated from Sudan in 2011, following years of upheaval amidst a broader struggle by the United States and China for control over resources in the region. In 2021, a military coup toppled the transitional Sudanese government, leading to mass unrest and a resurgence of state violence. In the few short years since, over 10 million Sudanese residents have been displaced by war, while nearly 17 million people are considered food insecure. If Granieri is found guilty of knowingly funding the coup, he'll be the latest in a long list of American moguls caught meddling in the affairs of foreign lands — and unleashing devastating consequences on sovereign people in the process. More on Wall Street: This May Be the Most Terrifying Sign of Global Warming Yet
Russia Today
3 days ago
- Politics
- Russia Today
Russian chess legend linked to South Sudan coup plot
Garry Kasparov, a former world chess champion and Russian opposition figure, has been implicated in an alleged coup plot in South Sudan, Bloomberg reported on Wednesday. The grandmaster is said to have introduced a local activist to a US financier who unknowingly funded a plan to procure weapons. The alleged plot emerged from the US prosecution of Peter Ajak, a Harvard fellow and exiled South Sudanese activist, as well as his associate, Abraham Keech. The two are facing federal charges of conspiring to illegally export arms to South Sudan; both pleaded not guilty. Ajak – who allegedly wanted to buy AK-47s and Stinger missiles to topple the government – lacked the cash to put his plan in motion, Bloomberg said. However, he received $7 million from Robert Granieri, a co-founder of the Jane Street trading firm, sources told the agency. Granieri insists that he was 'duped' into funding the coup plot, with his lawyer claiming that the financier thought the money would be used to support human rights activism. The alleged plot also involved Kasparov, who introduced Ajak to Granieri, Bloomberg said, noting that the chess grandmaster met Ajak during his tenure as chair of the Human Rights Foundation. Responding to a question about the case, Kasparov neither confirmed nor denied his involvement, telling Bloomberg via his spokesperson: 'My record and my values are clear, and they remain unchanged. I have spent much of my life standing up for civil rights and promoting democracy around the world.' Neither Kasparov nor Granieri is facing charges. South Sudan was embroiled in a multi-sided civil war from 2013 to 2020, with factional conflicts still a major source of instability. The clashes have been accompanied by a humanitarian disaster, numerous atrocities, ethnic cleansings, and mass deportations. Kasparov, a liberal activist who is widely regarded as one of the greatest chess players ever, has a history of making controversial political statements. In 2016, he defended the US decision to invade Iraq, stating that he 'cannot condemn any action that removes a dictator.' Later, he opposed US talks with Iran over its nuclear program and criticized Washington for withdrawing from Syria. In a May 2024 opinion piece for the Wall Street Journal, Kasparov openly advocated for 'regime change' in Russia and Iran. A vocal critic of the Russian government for decades, Kasparov left Russia in 2013 and has since resided in New York City. In 2022, the chess grandmaster, who advocated for Ukraine's NATO membership, was labeled a 'foreign agent' in Russia, and two years later was designated as a 'terrorist and extremist'.
Bloomberg
4 days ago
- Politics
- Bloomberg
Jane Street Boss Says He Was Duped Into Funding AK-47s for Coup
The indictment reads like a cinematic plot: A Harvard Fellow and another activist allegedly wanted to buy AK-47s, Stinger missiles and grenades to topple South Sudan's government. What they lacked was enough cash. Now, Jane Street co-founder Robert Granieri concedes he put up the money — saying he was duped into funding the alleged coup plot. The admission from the wealthy recluse behind a Wall Street trading powerhouse stems from the US prosecution of Peter Ajak, the Harvard Fellow who was accused last year of scheming to install himself atop the East African nation.
