How one family made $21 billion destroying the world's oldest rainforest—and they're still fighting over the money

Abdul Taib Mahmud, a billionaire who systematically destroyed one of the world's oldest rainforests, left behind a $21 billion fortune that has sparked a legal battle among his family members. While his sons are fighting their stepmother over stolen shares, the destruction of Borneo's rainforests continues at an alarming pace. Chainsaws are cutting through the forests, with 423,500 hectares lost between 2019 and 2023 alone, leading to widespread ecological devastation.

Taib had built a corrupt system that allowed for the unchecked destruction of the rainforest, with his family's company at the center of it all. The legacy of his greed lives on, as the timber companies he empowered continue to operate, politicians he corrupted still grant permits, and the money he amassed continues to flow through offshore accounts. Despite calls for action and awareness of the environmental and social cost of deforestation, the machine he built continues to operate, destroying an ecosystem that took millennia to evolve.