The Six Billion Dollar Gold Scam: 1. The fall

World Of Secrets

BBC

Society & Culture, Documentary

4.7 • 765 Ratings

🗓️ 24 February 2025

⏱️ 41 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

World of Secrets presents The Six Billion Dollar Gold Scam. Bre-X geologist Michael de Guzman is the man of the hour. He’s responsible for one of the biggest gold discoveries in the world, deep in the Indonesian jungle. It’s a find that sends Bre-X stock prices soaring to stratospheric heights. So his apparent death — a dramatic fall from a helicopter flying to the gold site — sends shockwaves around the world. Did he jump? Was he pushed? But the days following his death will prove even more shocking.

Please note, this episode contains difficult subject matter, including references to suicide and death. The series has references to suicide and some graphic content.

This podcast was first published in May 2024.

Transcript

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0:00.0	Hello, you're about to listen to a BBC podcast, so I'd like to tell you where you'll find more just like it.
0:05.5	I'm Izzy Lee Poulton, an assistant commissioner for BBC Sounds, which means I'm involved in the whole podcast making process.
0:12.0	Whether that's developing fresh formats or facilitating eye-catching artwork, I helped project manage all the details that make our podcast stand out.
0:19.0	At the BBC, we've got access to storytellers
0:22.0	and experts across a huge range of subjects. It could be psychologists, comedians, celebrities or
0:27.8	journalists. No podcasts or day looks the same here. So no matter what you like, check out BBC
0:33.4	sounds. There's probably another podcast on there that you're absolutely love.
0:38.2	Hello again. I'm Yami Sedigoke, one of the hosts of World of Secrets, to introduce the first
0:44.3	episode of our World of Secrets special guest season. While we work on our next World of Secrets
0:49.5	investigations, we're bringing you the $6 billion gold stamp, one of our other investigative podcasts.
0:56.0	It's the story of the biggest gold mine fraud of all time.
1:00.2	First published in 2024, we're releasing episodes weekly.
1:04.6	From the BBC World Service and CBC, here's episode one.
1:09.0	Over to Suzanne Wilton.
1:17.6	First, a warning.
1:26.0	The following episode contains difficult subject matter, including references to suicide and death.
1:40.4	A man named Michael de Guzman is standing in front of a hotel mirror.
1:46.4	He's getting ready for a night out in a mining town in East Kalimantan, Indonesia.
1:57.7	De Guzman is a short, heavy-set Filipino man. He combs his thick black hair to one side and opens up his silk black shirt to show off his 24-carat gold chain.
2:03.3	De Guzman wore a lot of gold.
2:06.3	It's the evening of March 18, 1997.
2:11.6	He heads to a karaoke bar, has a few drinks, sings his heart out to Frank Sinatra.
	...

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