Malaysia 1MDB scandal: millions funnelled to Kim Kardashian, Pharrell Williams via Jho Low

A Malaysian court heard that US$2.4 million from 1MDB was transferred to Kim Kardashian and Pharrell Williams via Jho Low’s shell company

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1MDB funds were misappropriated to celebrities, including Kim Kardashian, via Jho Low’s shell company, a Malaysian court heard. Photo: WireImage

Published: 4:35pm, 9 Sep 2024Updated: 10:27am, 10 Sep 2024

Malaysia’s High Court was told that a staggering US$2.4milllion had gone out of the coffers of 1Malaysia Development (1MDB) and into the bank accounts of celebrity Kim Kardashian and musician Pharell Williams, via fugitive businessman Low Taek Jho’s shell company Good Star Ltd.

Financial fraud investigator Richard Templeman testified this during a Zoom hearing in the US$6.59 billion lawsuit filed by 1MDB against former Treasury secretary general Mohd Irwan Serigar Abdullah and former 1MDB CEO Arul Kanda Kandasamy on Monday.

Based on his investigation, the plaintiff’s witness said that by October 25, 2011, 1MDB had transferred US$1.03 billion to Good Star for the benefit of Low, who is also known as Jho Low.

“These funds were transferred through a series of offshore companies and used for, inter alia, the personal benefit of the co-conspirators and their relatives and associates,” he said in his witness statement.

From the billions of dollars that flowed through Good Star from 1MDB, US$2,025,000 was transferred from Good Star to a SunTrust Bank account in the name of Talamasca Inc.

Malaysian officials allege that US$2.4 million from 1MDB was transferred to Kim Kardashian and Pharrell Williams via a shell company controlled by fugitive businessman Jho Low. Photo: MONCLER

The transactions between August 11 and November 17, 2011 carried details of the payments such as “part payment for music production” and “Letter of Agreement DD 3 Nov 2011 Red Spring Investments And Talamasca/Pharrell Williams”.