- The US accused Malaysian fugitive Jho Low of siphoning $4.5 billion from a government investment fund.
- FBI agents talked to A-listers in Low’s orbit, including Kim Kardashian, to extract information about the fugitive.
- Kardashian once played an early morning game of baccarat and won $350,000 worth of chips.
Kim Kardashian once struck big after gambling with Jho Low, the Malaysian financier and wanted fugitive who is accused of siphoning $4.5 billion from a foreign government investment fund.
US prosecutors alleged that Low had stolen at least $4.5 billion from 1 Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB), which was founded and led by former prime minister Najib Razak. Razak was sentenced to 12 years in prison on July 2020 for his conviction related to the 1MDB scandal.
Meanwhile, the Justice Department indicted Low in 2018 for conspiring to launder billions of dollars stolen from the development fund and paying out hundreds of millions of dollars in bribes. Since then, Low has remained a fugitive and is believed to be living in China, The New York Times reported.
A law firm representing Low did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
In February 2019, FBI agents interviewed the reality TV star and businesswoman as part of their investigation into Low, according to documents obtained and published by Bloomberg.
During her interview, Kardashian told investigators that she was first introduced to Low in 2009 and met him about six times overall, including two instances when she gambled with him.
Kardashian’s first time gambling with Low was in Las Vegas. She was already in town hosting a party, per the documents, and decided to spend time with Low and his entourage of approximately 10 to 12 people.
According to the FBI’s account of the interview, a friend told Kardashian “that Low was notorious for gambling and giving a lot of money away to people.”
After having dinner and going to a club, Kardashian joined Low and his entourage in a private room of the casino to play baccarat — a card game where players typically bet on two hands — around 3 a.m. local time, according to records.
Around 5 a.m., Kardashian was prepared to leave but her acquaintance told her to “drink some coffee and stick around a little longer,” the documents stated.
“[Redacted name] had heard stories of Low giving people chips at the end of the night when gambling,” the FBI wrote. “Kardashian stayed and ended winning big on one game.”
Kardashian told investigators that her security guard advised her to give back the chips to Low since it was not her money. When she attempted to return the chips, Low told Kardashian to keep her winnings, according to the interview record.
When she went to the casino counter to cash out the chips, Kardashian went through an unusual money-transfer process, according to the documents.
The Skims founder was told she had about $350,000 in chips and was given a “trash bag full of one hundred dollar bills estimated to be worth $250,000,” the FBI recalled being told, per the documents.
Kardashian later stowed the trash bag in her carry-on bag during a Southwest Airline flight back to Los Angeles, the documents stated.
The rest of Kardashian’s winnings would be cashed out later on by another undisclosed acquaintance, according to the documents. She was again handed a trash bag full of cash, the FBI was told, according to the documents obtained by Bloomberg.
Kardashian would win another $100,000 the second time she gambled with Low, according to the documents.
Kardashian’s spokesperson did not respond to a request for comment.
The disgraced Malaysian financier’s lavish spending and orbit of A-list celebrities and politicians are well known.
Actor Leonardo DiCaprio was also interviewed by FBI agents for his connection to Low, Bloomberg reported.
In 2019, Low and his family agreed to forfeit more than $700 million worth of assets that were believed to be purchased with stolen money, including five luxury homes and a private jet.
