Introduction: On the trail of profit. The secret state. Securocrats, sanctions and assassinations -- The secret economy -- Oil and other foreign affairs -- Banking on apartheid. Bunkers, bankers and gold -- The arms money machine -- The big five. France -- The Soviet Union and Eastern Europe -- The United States of America -- The United Kingdom -- The People's Republic of China (PRC) -- Proxies, players and pariahs. Proxies and other players -- Pariahs -- The long shadow