Money Machine

An extraordinary tale of an American firm’s astounding success in China

In Money Machine: A Trailblazing American Venture in China, Weijian Shan delivers a compelling account of one of the most significant deals in private equity history: the first and only foreign acquisition of control of a Chinese national bank. Money Machine is the fascinating inside story of the transaction as told by the man who led it, from the intrigues of dealmaking to the complex and uncharted process of securing control by a foreign investor of a Chinese nationwide financial institution, a feat that had never before been attempted, nor has it been repeated.

Shan also describes the astonishingly successful turnaround of the institution under the control of the American firm: the clash of cultures, the growth to strength and profitability, and ultimately, the extraordinarily profitable exit from the investment. In the process, he reveals new insights into how finance operates in China’s capital system and how private equity firms can add real value to companies. Readers will also find:

• A peek behind the curtain of a process usually shrouded in secrecy: private equity dealmaking and moneymaking
• The complex negotiations between American private equity executives and Chinese regulators to implement a series of unprecedented changes
• The riveting details of the challenges that had to be overcome to return the bank to growth and profitability

An exceptional firsthand account of truly singular deal-making and money-making, Money Machine will be of interest to investment bankers, investors, financial analysts and anyone who appreciates a suspenseful, true-life story.