Money Games: The Inside Story of How American Dealmakers Saved Korea's Most Iconic Bank

The book contains vivid details of a live deal negotiation, chapters after chapters of how the counterparties went back and forth with their own stance over the course of 15 months of negotiation. I probably thought at one point TPG Chairman would have shut the negotiations down, but again the persistence pays off. The details of the deliberations were important for all finance practitioners to absorb.Am glad the author has written this book as it's a rare record written from the dealmaker's point of view. The analysis, thinking, tactics, deliberations, frustrations, were all a very useful guide to understand the inner workings. Overall I find the book nutritious, while I see that it’s dedicated to “all our limit partners”, but it’s actually useful to all finance practitioners out there. And it is a fun read with the author's subtle sense of humor.

I had read Weijian's Shan's first book, Out of the Gobi. It was a fascinating memoir of his early life in the Gobi during the Cultural Revolution. When I learned that the author was writing a second book, I couldn't wait for it to come out. This book is just as riveting as his first, focusing on his life as a finance professional in the world of private equity. It provided a fascinating look into one of the most significant financial transactions in Korea's modern history. Having read the author's first book, I had a great appreciation for the human element behind the transaction -- the tenacity and grit learned from his time in the Gobi played a major role in getting his transaction completed. I only wish the author's life story could be made into a movie.

After reading about the author's remarkable story in "Out of the Gobi," I could not wait for the release of his latest book. in "Money Games," Mr. Shan does a wonderful job of walking the reader through an intense turnaround story. This was incredibly challenging time with so much on the line - the details of the negotiations, turn-around and eventual exit were truly eye-opening, insightful and captivating. I would recommend this to any student of modern banking and finance. In fact, after reading the book, I've ordered 5 copies to share with family and some of my closest advisors.

You don't have to be financial professionals to benefit from the book. The author himself in the beginning "has no clue what private equity is about", as put by David Bonderman when he hired him. Yet through his insider's experience of frustration and excitement, Shan shows you what it takes for a determined apprentice to achieve success that even masters admire. Money Games is actually not so much about money as about responsibilities and honesty, for in Shan's view, success is measured not just by the accumulation of one's own and investors' wealth, but the scale of positive impact on the societies at stake as well. Highly recommended!

This book gave a full account on what happened in South Korea banks during the Asian Financial Crisis and the changes that the financial regulators made for today’s successful and healthy South Korea banking sector.It is very rare for outsiders to learn about a PE deal from acquisition to disposition. It is a good book for anyone who is interested in finance or private equity. Shan has made it simple for anyone without a background in finance to follow and understand the book.

I was too young to fully appreciate the gravity of the "IMF Crisis" and this book sheds a new refreshing light from a foreign investment professional's perspective during Korea's tumultuous period of its modern history. Regardless of one's specific interest in Korea, this is a must-read not only for any reader who is interested in finance (more specifically private equity) but also for any one who is interested in vicariously witnessing the art of negotiations play out in real life settings.

The last book Out of Gobi was my favorite book in 2019. This book is no less interesting and intriguing.Not sure if the author plans to write another book. If so, I very much would like to hear the story of the SDB deal, which, somewhat similar to the KFB deal, caused so much drama and controversies in China.

This was a great book from start to finish, it was extremely interesting to read a first person account of an extremely complicated transaction.It's quite astonishing to see how much goes into a deal of this nature and the tireless hours of work put in by so many different parties.Great read with a good balance of drama. This is a hard book to put down.

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As someone without a finance background but with a keen interest in Finance & PE, I've often found their books to be intimidating and hard to digest. However, "Money Game" proved to be a rare exception. Shan's storytelling skills, coupled with his ability to simplify complex financial jargon, made this book incredibly accessible.I love the fact that Shan used to be a former professor at Wharton. His formal teaching expertise helped break down intricate financial concepts, making it feel like I am being guided through his book as his student.The story is so surreal, and it is definitely more exciting and thrilling than a fiction movie :D