Dark Towers by David Enrich

Deutsche Bank, Donald Trump, and an Epic Trail of Destruction

Dark Towers: Deutsche Bank, Donald Trump, and an Epic Trail of Destruction by David Enrich was a riveting and deeply unsettling read that pulled back the curtain on one of the world's most scandal-ridden banks. This wasn't just another dry financial exposé—it was a human story about how Deutsche Bank's reckless pursuit of profits created a web of corruption that reached from Russian oligarchs to the highest levels of American politics.

What made this book so gripping was how Enrich weaves together multiple narratives, showing how Deutsche Bank became a willing partner for money laundering, tax evasion, and questionable deals when other major banks wouldn't touch certain clients. The bank's relationship with Donald Trump serves as a central thread, but the story goes much deeper, revealing a culture where red flags were ignored and whistleblowers were silenced. Enrich's reporting on the tragic suicide of a Deutsche Bank executive who tried to expose wrongdoing was particularly haunting and showed the real human cost of financial corruption.

The book really opened my eyes to how modern banking actually works behind the scenes. Enrich explains complex financial schemes in accessible terms, showing how Deutsche Bank's desperate attempts to compete with Wall Street giants led them to take increasingly dangerous risks. I found his investigation into the bank's role in facilitating billions in suspicious Russian transactions especially eye-opening—it revealed how supposedly regulated financial institutions can become conduits for global money laundering.

I enjoyed reading it because Enrich combines meticulous investigative journalism with compelling storytelling that kept me turning pages. His access to insider sources and internal documents made the book feel like a thriller, even though every shocking detail was real. The book left me with a sobering understanding of how financial institutions can operate with impunity and the devastating consequences when banking regulation fails. Overall, it was a masterful piece of investigative reporting that exposed the dark underbelly of global finance in ways that felt both urgent and essential.