The Golden Passport

“An in-depth look at the rise of CBI, or Citizenship by Investment, the process by which impoverished nations benefit by selling citizenship to wealthy individuals in exchange for large investments in the country.”—Publishers Weekly

“This superb book, deeply researched and skillfully narrated, gives the lie to the idea that the current version of globalism is based on free markets. Citizenship by investment is a salient case of the incursion of raw capitalism into extra-market realms where it doesn’t belong.”—Robert Kuttner, author of Can Democracy Survive Global Capitalism?

“Kristin Surak offers a chilling look at the thriving industry of citizenship. In an unequal world, it enables the rich and super-rich to bypass laws, sanctions, and other perceived disturbances. A must-read!”—Frederik Obermaier, coauthor of The Panama Papers

“Forceful, original, and packed with empirical detail, this is a major contribution to our understanding of the current global order. Kristin Surak makes clear the wider social, economic, and geopolitical implications of a Faustian bargain in place between the super-rich and some of the poorer countries of the world. Her pathbreaking book deserves to reach a wide readership.”—Anthony Giddens, author of Turbulent and Mighty Continent

“This pioneering book illuminates how globalization, sovereignty, and citizenship work at the level of the individual. Combining a keen eye for fascinating personal stories and the sometimes bizarre details of this industry, Surak also provides a new perspective on some of the biggest political controversies of our day: who belongs, who doesn’t, and how much this should be left for money to decide.”—J. C. Sharman, author of Empires of the Weak

“A tour de force, offering at once a history of ‘citizenship by investment,’ a business school case study in market-making, and a peek into the lives of the super-wealthy. Surak’s book is a sharp-eyed contribution and a major milestone.”—John Torpey, author of The Invention of the Passport