Saturday Read: The Absurd Story Behind China’s Biggest Bank Robbery
Dear Reader,
“In many ways, Ren Xiaofeng had already won the lottery. He was the youngest of four in an upwardly mobile family from northern Hebei province. Ren was handsome too, with chubby, prosperous cheeks. . .”
So how is it that this humble bank clerk became half of the duo behind China’s biggest bank robbery, stealing over 6 million dollars, in order to, of all things, play the lottery?
This week in Marker, we took a slight detour from our usual mix of stories designed to make you smarter about business and published a fantastic yarn from writer David Gauvey Herbert about this caper, which has gone largely unreported in Western media.
Herbert traveled to Handan, China to talk with colleagues, friends, and family members of Ren and his associate, Ma Xiangjing, and put together the story of how and why these men turned to a life of crime, and what happened when their deception was discovered.
We think it’s a ripping good tale and one to curl up with on a cozy fall Saturday. We hope you enjoy it.
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Sincerely,
Paul Smalera
Editor in Chief, Marker
