The Profiteers - by Sally Denton (Paperback)

About the Book

The tale of the Bechtel family dynasty is a classic American business story. It begins with Warren A. 'Dad' Bechtel, who led a consortium that constructed the Hoover Dam. From that auspicious start, the family and its eponymous company would go on to 'build the world,' from the construction of airports in Hong Kong and Doha, to pipelines and tunnels in Alaska and Europe, to mining and energy operations around the globe. Today Bechtel is one of the largest privately held corporations in the world, enriched and empowered by a long history of government contracts and the privatization of public works, made possible by an unprecedented revolving door between its San Francisco headquarters and Washingto

Book Synopsis

From the bestselling coauthor of The Money and the Power, the "compelling corporate history" (The National Book Review) and inside story of the Bechtel family and the empire they've controlled since the construction of the Hoover Dam.The tale of the Bechtel family dynasty is a classic American business story. It begins with Warren A. "Dad" Bechtel, who led a consortium that constructed the Hoover Dam. They would go on to "build the world," from the construction of airports in Hong Kong and Doha, to pipelines and tunnels in Alaska and Europe, to mining and energy operations around the globe. In their century-long quest, five generations of Bechtel men have harnessed and distributed much of the planet's natural resources, including solar geothermal power. Bechtel is now one of the largest privately held corporations in the world. The Bechtel Group has eclipsed its few rivals, with developments in emerging and third world nations that include secret military installations and defense projects; underground bunkers in Kuwait, Iraq, and Afghanistan; oil pipelines and entire cities in the Middle East; palaces for Arab rulers, such as the Saudi Royal Family; and chemical plants for Arab dictators. Like all stories of empire building, the rise of Bechtel--one of the first mega companies to emerge in the American West--presents a complex and riveting narrative. Veiled in obsessive secrecy, Bechtel has had closer ties to the US government than any other private corporation in modern memory. "Riveting and revealing" (Kirkus Reviews), The Profiteers is one of the biggest business and political stories of our time.

Review Quotes

"Investigative reporter Sally Denton has deftly pulled back the curtains on one of the most consequential business dynasties in America. "The Profiteers" is eye-opening reading for anyone who truly wants to understand how money, government and power intersect." - Jane Mayer, author of Dark Money and staff writer for The New Yorker magazine