Author Guide · Investigative Journalism
Books Written by
In 2015 Bradley Hope and Tom Wright, reporters at The Wall Street Journal, began tracing billions of dollars that had vanished from 1MDB, a Malaysian state investment fund. The money led to a young Malaysian financier, Jho Low, who had thrown parties for Hollywood stars, bought a superyacht and helped fund The Wolf of Wall Street. Their reporting made them Pulitzer Prize finalists, and the book became an international bestseller. Hope has also written about Egypt's revolution and the Saudi crown prince. This guide covers all four of his books in order, and where to start.
By Lisanne Swart · 4 books · Investigative journalism · 2012–2022 · Updated October 2026
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Quick answer
Bradley Hope has published four books: Last Days of the Pharaoh (2012), about the fall of Hosni Mubarak; Billion Dollar Whale (2018, with Tom Wright), about the 1MDB scandal; Blood and Oil (2020, with Justin Scheck), about Mohammed bin Salman; and The Rebel and the Kingdom (2022), about a Saudi dissident. With Tom Wright he runs the journalism studio Project Brazen.
Where to Start with Bradley Hope
If you want the famous one
→ Billion Dollar Whale (2018).
If you want the Middle East
→ Blood and Oil (2020).
If you want the most recent
→ The Rebel and the Kingdom (2022).
All 4 Bradley Hope Books, in Order
Last Days of the Pharaoh
A short account of the end of Hosni Mubarak's rule in Egypt in 2011, from Hope's reporting on the Arab Spring.
Billion Dollar Whale
Written with Tom Wright: how Jho Low, a young Malaysian financier, helped divert billions from the state fund 1MDB, with the help of bankers, and spent it on parties, property, art and films. An international bestseller and a Financial Times and Fortune book of the year.
Blood and Oil
Written with Justin Scheck: the rise of Saudi Arabia's crown prince Mohammed bin Salman, from his consolidation of power to the killing of the journalist Jamal Khashoggi. It was longlisted for the FT and McKinsey Business Book of the Year.
The Rebel and the Kingdom
The story of Omar Abdulaziz, a young Saudi dissident in Canada and a friend of Jamal Khashoggi, and the surveillance and pressure he faced from the Saudi state.
How Many Books Did Bradley Hope Write?
Four books between 2012 and 2022, two of them co-written, with Tom Wright and Justin Scheck.
- Finance — Billion Dollar Whale (2018), with Tom Wright. Read the entries →
- Middle East — Last Days of the Pharaoh, Blood and Oil and The Rebel and the Kingdom. Read the entries →
In What Order to Read Bradley Hope
His books are not a series, but Blood and Oil and The Rebel and the Kingdom belong together: both are about Saudi Arabia under Mohammed bin Salman.
A reading path
1. Billion Dollar Whale (2018)
2. Blood and Oil (2020)
3. The Rebel and the Kingdom (2022)
The years · 2012–2022
Quick facts about Bradley Hope
- Known for
- Following the money behind power: the billions taken from Malaysia’s 1MDB fund in Billion Dollar Whale, and the rise of Saudi Arabia’s crown prince in Blood and Oil
- 2013
- Joins The Wall Street Journal
- 2020
- Blood and Oil
- Based in
- London
- Career
- The National in Abu Dhabi, covering the Arab Spring; The Wall Street Journal, 2013–2021
- Founded
- Project Brazen, a journalism studio, with Tom Wright in 2021
- Recognition
- Pulitzer Prize finalist with the Journal’s 1MDB team; Gerald Loeb Award
The red mark is 2018: Billion Dollar Whale, written with Tom Wright, about Jho Low and the 1MDB fraud.
How Bradley Hope Works: Following the Money
Hope's investigations follow money and power across borders: bank records, corporate filings and leaked documents, combined with sources inside the institutions involved.
He and his co-authors write their findings as narrative, with the pace of a thriller, which is why Billion Dollar Whale is often compared to Bad Blood.
Watch
Bradley Hope and Tom Wright on finding Jho Low
A live session from Brazen, the studio Hope runs with Tom Wright, in which the two co-authors of Billion Dollar Whale talk about the search for Jho Low, the financier at the centre of the 1MDB scandal.
Frequently asked questions about Bradley Hope's books
How many books has Bradley Hope written?
Bradley Hope has published four books: Last Days of the Pharaoh (2012), Billion Dollar Whale (2018, with Tom Wright), Blood and Oil (2020, with Justin Scheck) and The Rebel and the Kingdom (2022).
Who wrote Billion Dollar Whale?
Billion Dollar Whale (2018) was written by Tom Wright and Bradley Hope, the Wall Street Journal reporters who investigated the 1MDB scandal.
What is Billion Dollar Whale about?
Billion Dollar Whale tells how the Malaysian financier Jho Low helped divert billions of dollars from the state investment fund 1MDB.
Footnotes
Bibliography last verified 1 October 2026.
This list was not put together by a machine.
The notes are all mine,
and the books are all his.
Lisanne x
Written by Lisanne Swart, who has curated reading lists and author guides at lisanneswart.com since 2021.
See more on her personal bookshelf.
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