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The cover of The World for Sale

The World for Sale

Javier Blas, Jack Farchy

Follow the traders who finance, move, and price the world's resources, and see how their appetite for risk shapes markets, governments, and crises.

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10 parts, about 29 minutes to read.

Why read it

  • See how hidden commodity traders connect resources, finance, logistics, and political power
  • Understand why crises and weak institutions create both vital trade and opportunities for abuse
  • Follow the shift from private partnerships to global firms under tighter scrutiny

Who it is for

  • Readers curious about commodity markets and global finance
  • Policy thinkers studying sanctions, corruption, and state power
  • Business readers interested in risk, logistics, and opaque industries

What the summary covers

  1. Fuel for a revolution3 min
  2. The postwar merchant network2 min
  3. Oil breaks open3 min
  4. The last bank in town4 min
  5. Paper barrels3 min
  6. The post Soviet opening3 min
  7. China and the move into assets2 min
  8. Scarcity and accountability5 min
  9. Public capital2 min
  10. Scrutiny and reinvention2 min

Recommended by

  • Andrew NeilJournalist and broadcaster
    Some of the stories could be straight out of John le Carré. The difference is they're true
  • James BallInvestigative journalist and author
    A globe-spanning corporate thriller, full of intrigue and double dealing . . . Changes how we see the world, often in horrifying ways

About the authors

  • Javier BlasBloomberg columnist covering energy and commodities
    • Javier Blas is a Bloomberg Opinion columnist covering energy and commodities and a coauthor of The World for Sale.
    • Before Bloomberg, he covered commodities for the Financial Times.
    • His reporting has included oil, food and war in Kazakhstan, Ivory Coast and Libya.
    • He and Farchy interviewed leading commodity traders, sometimes obtaining their first public interviews, and first published financial accounts of secretive trading companies.
    • In a 2025 interview he described having written about energy and natural resources for twenty five years.
  • Jack FarchySenior energy and commodities reporter at Bloomberg
    • Jack Farchy is a senior reporter covering energy and commodities at Bloomberg News.
    • He began his journalism career at the Financial Times in 2008 during the global financial crisis.
    • At the Financial Times, Gillian Tett directed him to work with Javier Blas on commodities.
    • His reporting with Blas has included interviews with leading commodity traders, first publication of some private firms' accounts, and field reporting from Kazakhstan, Ivory Coast and Libya.

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