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BLIND GREED: From Ivy League to International Fugitive
NOW an Amazon #1 TRUE CRIME BEST SELLER!
Imagine "The Wolf of Wall Street" colliding with "Catch Me if You Can" — but this time, you’re inside the mind of a real white-collar criminal.
Blind Greed reads like a Greek tragedy fused with a high-stakes Jason Bourne thriller—except every twist, every betrayal, and every shocking moment is true.
Lawrence Hartman had everything: a Columbia Law School degree, limitless potential, and a clear path to the American Dream. But one taste of easy money changes everything. What begins as ambition spirals into obsession, transforming him from a promising attorney into the architect of a sprawling global empire built on deception, illegal activities, and organized crime.
Follow Hartman’s explosive rise—from internet entrepreneur to online gambling powerhouse—as he masterminds one of the most sophisticated offshore boiler room operations ever created.
The story spans continents and extremes: the neon-lit luxury of Las Vegas high-roller suites, the tropical allure of Costa Rica, Monaco’s glittering casinos where fortunes vanish in a single hand, and the historic streets of Barcelona, where modern crime unfolds in ancient shadows—all tied together through secretive Swiss banking networks and international intrigue.
The stakes? Everything.
Raising hundreds of millions from investors around the world attracts attention—and not the kind you want. Soon, Hartman finds himself entangled with law enforcement agencies across multiple countries, his empire placing a target squarely on his back.
After surviving a brutal kidnapping, he discovers the full extent of his reality: a 36-count indictment and an Interpol Red Notice. He’s no longer just a player in the game—he’s the hunted.
Living under false identities, navigating airports and luxury hotels like an undercover operative, Hartman becomes a ghost. Every move is calculated. Every mistake could mean capture—or worse.
He built an empire, but it was a castle on quicksand. And the cost? His soul.
Caught between the family he loves and the criminal world he can’t escape, he leads a dangerous double life.
His wife has no idea.
His children suspect nothing.
But the walls are closing in, and his greatest flaw—unchecked greed—is about to destroy everything.
The ending? Unthinkable.
When the fall comes, it’s absolute—landing him in Nicaragua’s infamous El Chipote prison, a brutal environment where survival is measured in hours, not years.
Shackled, broken, and facing extradition, with multiple law enforcement agencies closing in, Hartman has one last move left.
But who would risk everything to save a man consumed by greed?
You think you know how this story ends.
You don’t.
Blind Greed is a gripping true-crime storytime memoir of ambition, excess, and collapse—a story of organized crime, international intrigue, undercover operations, and the relentless pursuit of justice.
It’s the kind of book you devour in one sitting—and can’t stop thinking about long after.
Because some stories are too extraordinary to be fiction.
Imagine "The Wolf of Wall Street" colliding with "Catch Me if You Can" — but this time, you’re inside the mind of a real white-collar criminal.
Blind Greed reads like a Greek tragedy fused with a high-stakes Jason Bourne thriller—except every twist, every betrayal, and every shocking moment is true.
Lawrence Hartman had everything: a Columbia Law School degree, limitless potential, and a clear path to the American Dream. But one taste of easy money changes everything. What begins as ambition spirals into obsession, transforming him from a promising attorney into the architect of a sprawling global empire built on deception, illegal activities, and organized crime.
Follow Hartman’s explosive rise—from internet entrepreneur to online gambling powerhouse—as he masterminds one of the most sophisticated offshore boiler room operations ever created.
The story spans continents and extremes: the neon-lit luxury of Las Vegas high-roller suites, the tropical allure of Costa Rica, Monaco’s glittering casinos where fortunes vanish in a single hand, and the historic streets of Barcelona, where modern crime unfolds in ancient shadows—all tied together through secretive Swiss banking networks and international intrigue.
The stakes? Everything.
Raising hundreds of millions from investors around the world attracts attention—and not the kind you want. Soon, Hartman finds himself entangled with law enforcement agencies across multiple countries, his empire placing a target squarely on his back.
After surviving a brutal kidnapping, he discovers the full extent of his reality: a 36-count indictment and an Interpol Red Notice. He’s no longer just a player in the game—he’s the hunted.
Living under false identities, navigating airports and luxury hotels like an undercover operative, Hartman becomes a ghost. Every move is calculated. Every mistake could mean capture—or worse.
He built an empire, but it was a castle on quicksand. And the cost? His soul.
Caught between the family he loves and the criminal world he can’t escape, he leads a dangerous double life.
His wife has no idea.
His children suspect nothing.
But the walls are closing in, and his greatest flaw—unchecked greed—is about to destroy everything.
The ending? Unthinkable.
When the fall comes, it’s absolute—landing him in Nicaragua’s infamous El Chipote prison, a brutal environment where survival is measured in hours, not years.
Shackled, broken, and facing extradition, with multiple law enforcement agencies closing in, Hartman has one last move left.
But who would risk everything to save a man consumed by greed?
You think you know how this story ends.
You don’t.
Blind Greed is a gripping true-crime storytime memoir of ambition, excess, and collapse—a story of organized crime, international intrigue, undercover operations, and the relentless pursuit of justice.
It’s the kind of book you devour in one sitting—and can’t stop thinking about long after.
Because some stories are too extraordinary to be fiction.
398 pages, Kindle Edition
Published September 7, 2025
About the author
Lawrence Hartman
5 books8 followersLawrence Hartman
Columbia Law graduate. Wall Street attorney. Off-Broadway producer. Offshore hedge fund founder. Federal fugitive.
Few writers have lived a story worth this much telling. Lawrence Hartman's life has taken him from the hallowed lecture halls of Columbia Law School to the world's most wanted lists — and from a federal prison cell back toward redemption. What he found along the way became several unflinching books, a body of work that only someone who has truly seen the inside of America's legal and financial machinery could write.
Hartman grew up in the suburbs of New York City, earned an ivy league law degree, and quickly distinguished himself on Wall Street. Not content with the billable hour, he also wrote and produced an off-Broadway play, "Seeing Double," starring New York Giants legend Tiki Barber and the Double Down Twins from the cult indie classic Swingers. It was the kind of life most people only dream about.
Vice President and General Counsel of a publicly traded real estate company, and then founding an offshore hedge fund. He started over a dozen public companies. He was building an empire. Then came the 36-count federal indictment — and a week of wall-to-wall coverage as the lead news story across Central America.
During a 10-year sentence, Hartman refused to go quiet. He became a Shawshank Redemption jailhouse lawyer — helping dozens of inmates navigate a system rigged against them — while channeling his intellect and hard-won perspective into writing. What emerged? A collection of foundational books that are by turns explosive, instructive, and deeply human. Forbes took notice, featuring him in pieces on the unglamorous reality of life as a white-collar fugitive and his candid insights into drug addiction and reform.
Columbia Law graduate. Wall Street attorney. Off-Broadway producer. Offshore hedge fund founder. Federal fugitive.
Few writers have lived a story worth this much telling. Lawrence Hartman's life has taken him from the hallowed lecture halls of Columbia Law School to the world's most wanted lists — and from a federal prison cell back toward redemption. What he found along the way became several unflinching books, a body of work that only someone who has truly seen the inside of America's legal and financial machinery could write.
Hartman grew up in the suburbs of New York City, earned an ivy league law degree, and quickly distinguished himself on Wall Street. Not content with the billable hour, he also wrote and produced an off-Broadway play, "Seeing Double," starring New York Giants legend Tiki Barber and the Double Down Twins from the cult indie classic Swingers. It was the kind of life most people only dream about.
Vice President and General Counsel of a publicly traded real estate company, and then founding an offshore hedge fund. He started over a dozen public companies. He was building an empire. Then came the 36-count federal indictment — and a week of wall-to-wall coverage as the lead news story across Central America.
During a 10-year sentence, Hartman refused to go quiet. He became a Shawshank Redemption jailhouse lawyer — helping dozens of inmates navigate a system rigged against them — while channeling his intellect and hard-won perspective into writing. What emerged? A collection of foundational books that are by turns explosive, instructive, and deeply human. Forbes took notice, featuring him in pieces on the unglamorous reality of life as a white-collar fugitive and his candid insights into drug addiction and reform.
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
June 5, 2026
I really enjoyed Blind Greed. This is one of those books that reads like a fast-paced thriller, full of ambition, deception, and the consequences of chasing success at any cost. From the very beginning, I was pulled into the story and curious to see just how far the characters would go before everything came crashing down.
What stood out most to me was how well the author explored the theme of greed. The characters aren't simply good or bad. They're layered, flawed, and constantly making choices that feel understandable even when they're clearly headed in the wrong direction. Watching those decisions snowball into larger consequences made for a compelling read.
I also appreciated that the story isn't just about money or power. There are strong elements of betrayal, loyalty, family, and survival woven throughout the narrative. The tension continues to build as the stakes get higher, and there were several moments where I genuinely wondered how the characters were going to get themselves out of the situations they had created.
My biggest criticism is that the book can occasionally feel a little repetitive. There are quite a few moving pieces, side plots, and characters to keep track of, and there were moments where I felt the story could have been tightened up to maintain the momentum. A few sections dragged more than others, but never enough to make me want to stop reading.
Overall, I had a great time with this one. If you enjoy stories about ambition, moral gray areas, high-stakes decisions, and watching characters deal with the fallout of their own choices, this is definitely worth picking up. It kept me invested from beginning to end and left me thinking about its themes long after finished
An engaging and entertaining thriller with strong themes, flawed characters, and plenty of tension. It isn't perfect, but it's the kind of story that's easy to get wrapped up in and hard to put down.
What stood out most to me was how well the author explored the theme of greed. The characters aren't simply good or bad. They're layered, flawed, and constantly making choices that feel understandable even when they're clearly headed in the wrong direction. Watching those decisions snowball into larger consequences made for a compelling read.
I also appreciated that the story isn't just about money or power. There are strong elements of betrayal, loyalty, family, and survival woven throughout the narrative. The tension continues to build as the stakes get higher, and there were several moments where I genuinely wondered how the characters were going to get themselves out of the situations they had created.
My biggest criticism is that the book can occasionally feel a little repetitive. There are quite a few moving pieces, side plots, and characters to keep track of, and there were moments where I felt the story could have been tightened up to maintain the momentum. A few sections dragged more than others, but never enough to make me want to stop reading.
Overall, I had a great time with this one. If you enjoy stories about ambition, moral gray areas, high-stakes decisions, and watching characters deal with the fallout of their own choices, this is definitely worth picking up. It kept me invested from beginning to end and left me thinking about its themes long after finished
An engaging and entertaining thriller with strong themes, flawed characters, and plenty of tension. It isn't perfect, but it's the kind of story that's easy to get wrapped up in and hard to put down.
May 5, 2026
A compelling dive into the high-stakes world of finance, where ambition clashes with morality. Hartman crafts a narrative that's both informative and thrilling, making complex financial concepts accessible to the average reader. The characters are well-developed, each driven by their desires and flaws, adding layers of depth to the story.
What sets this book apart is its meticulous attention to detail. Hartman doesn't just tell a story; he educates, offering insights into the mechanisms of corporate greed and its far-reaching consequences. The plot is intricately woven, with twists and turns that keep you guessing until the very end. It’s a stark reminder of the ethical challenges present in the pursuit of wealth.
A must-read for anyone interested in understanding the dark side of corporate finance. It’s a cautionary tale that resonates with current events, prompting reflection on the values that drive our society. Hartman’s engaging writing style and thought-provoking narrative make this book both an enjoyable and enlightening experience.
What sets this book apart is its meticulous attention to detail. Hartman doesn't just tell a story; he educates, offering insights into the mechanisms of corporate greed and its far-reaching consequences. The plot is intricately woven, with twists and turns that keep you guessing until the very end. It’s a stark reminder of the ethical challenges present in the pursuit of wealth.
A must-read for anyone interested in understanding the dark side of corporate finance. It’s a cautionary tale that resonates with current events, prompting reflection on the values that drive our society. Hartman’s engaging writing style and thought-provoking narrative make this book both an enjoyable and enlightening experience.
May 9, 2026
greed
Larry is a law school graduate from a University. He decided he does not like working as a lawyer and he has another idea. The idea of easy money selling stocks really appeals to him. He comes up with his own scam and he’s riding high until he doesn’t.
This book is written in the first person of Larry and you feel all his emotions both good and bad. He makes millions of dollars but he’s not satisfied with that so he keeps getting that deeper and deeper. He marries a woman from Costa Rica and has children. Larry keeps on scamming and finally the law is on to him and he has to go into hiding and Costa Rica. However, Larry is trying to get out of trouble and hire his lawyers from the United States without much success. At the same time, he changes his name and gets a new passport from Nicaragua and is caught by immigration.
This book has many trigger warnings such as deaf, torture, and the seat I would recommend this book only for those who do not mind such triggers
Larry is a law school graduate from a University. He decided he does not like working as a lawyer and he has another idea. The idea of easy money selling stocks really appeals to him. He comes up with his own scam and he’s riding high until he doesn’t.
This book is written in the first person of Larry and you feel all his emotions both good and bad. He makes millions of dollars but he’s not satisfied with that so he keeps getting that deeper and deeper. He marries a woman from Costa Rica and has children. Larry keeps on scamming and finally the law is on to him and he has to go into hiding and Costa Rica. However, Larry is trying to get out of trouble and hire his lawyers from the United States without much success. At the same time, he changes his name and gets a new passport from Nicaragua and is caught by immigration.
This book has many trigger warnings such as deaf, torture, and the seat I would recommend this book only for those who do not mind such triggers
May 20, 2026
Blind Greed: From Ivy League to International Fugitive
First, my hat off to Mr. Hartman for having the courage to not only tell his story, but also publish it for the masses to read. This was a well written, captivating personal recounting of his experiences in life, how he came into the situations he became involved in, the consequences of his choices, and the growth and wisdom he has acquired since. It takes a big person to admit their faults and accept accountability for their decisions and the way they affected the people around them- and still affect them to this day. The sincerity and genuineness behind the tone of the author is palpable. If you are looking for an honest memoir that doesn’t just give you the best highlight reel of someone’s life, but actually delves into the retrospection of choices and honest self-reflection, I highly recommend reading this book!
First, my hat off to Mr. Hartman for having the courage to not only tell his story, but also publish it for the masses to read. This was a well written, captivating personal recounting of his experiences in life, how he came into the situations he became involved in, the consequences of his choices, and the growth and wisdom he has acquired since. It takes a big person to admit their faults and accept accountability for their decisions and the way they affected the people around them- and still affect them to this day. The sincerity and genuineness behind the tone of the author is palpable. If you are looking for an honest memoir that doesn’t just give you the best highlight reel of someone’s life, but actually delves into the retrospection of choices and honest self-reflection, I highly recommend reading this book!
May 11, 2026
This true-crime thriller is absolutely captivating. Hartman writes with a cinematic quality that makes you feel like a bystander watching a train wreck in slow motion. It is staggering to watch an Ivy League-educated attorney transform into the mastermind of a global criminal enterprise, all while desperately trying to keep his family as his moral north star. It’s an exhilarating yet heartbreaking "rise and fall" story about a man who achieved everything he dreamed of, only to lose it to the gravity of his own greed.
May 19, 2026
I picked up Blind Greed and to tell you the truth I could not put it down for hours! How crazy. He had it all going for him- then made a left turn when he most certainly should have made a right turn. The next thing you know this clean cut kid is dealing with guys with heavy Brooklyn accents and talking about things Larry never thought he would hear other than watching the Sopranos. I couldn’t imagine the fear of being locked up in a foreign prison. But he did it all and it was insane. Great job! Love the tone of the book. Loved it all! Blind Greed - a definite thumbs up!
May 14, 2026
The beginning of this book is jam packed with detailed financial wording and situations that were a little over my head, but once I got through those pages, I couldn't read fast enough! This book is full of suspenseful moments and shocking revelations! I thought that I knew how it would end, but I was mistaken!
June 22, 2026
interesting and powerful
Blind Greed is an engaging and insightful work that serves as a powerful reminder of the dangers of letting greed override ethics and common sense. I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys stories with strong moral themes and character-driven conflict.
Blind Greed is an engaging and insightful work that serves as a powerful reminder of the dangers of letting greed override ethics and common sense. I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys stories with strong moral themes and character-driven conflict.
May 23, 2026
This book was amazing and I can’t believe it was a true story…..holy schoolyard frijolo rodrigo
April 22, 2026
An intriguing book on crime and greed by Lawrence Hartman. The story was not what I was expecting, but it did capture my attention. The book started out really slow and didn't really pick up until almost a third of the way in. The story doesn't condone crime necessarily, but it does show how a person who is polished and privileged can can come undone under the weight of ego and privilege and just become greedy and out for his or her own gain. The international chase scenes, the changing identities, and constant paranoia builds to an intense momentum. There are many ups and downs and twists and turns in this book. The book is about consequences and Hartman clearly describes the emotional wreckage that can be left behind. Hartman writes his story with a clear view of the consequences of what can happen with life choices. I absolutely enjoyed all the quips from different people written at the beginning of every chapter!
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews