‘A stark warning to all of us about what happens when we let bankers do what they like’ – Oliver Bullough, bestselling author of Butler to the World ‘Gripping . . . Scandal after scandal’ – The Times Discover the story behind Credit Suisse, from its scandal-ridden history to its explosive collapse – this is the thrilling exposé of the empty hubris that keep our biggest banks alive. A 166-year-old bastion of Swiss banking, Credit Suisse was among the most important and influential financial institutions in the world – but a veneer of high-class service disguised a darker, dirtier reality. From its sterile Zurich headquarters, the bank catered to a clientele that included dictators, drug dealers and former Nazi officers, and helped fleece its own clients out of billions of dollars. This continued for decades, even as Credit Suisse continued to expand and grant its own executives lucrative bonus contracts. Meltdown is the fascinating history of how the house of cards fell apart.