Book Description

When Mark Thatcher was charged with financing an illegal coup by mercenaries to overthrow the oil-rich regime in Equatorial Guinea, people were stunned but also intrigued. The news made headlines across the globe and once again the son of Lady Thatcher was thrust into the spotlight of controversy, skullduggery and dubious business ventures. In January 2005, he pleaded guilty to breaking antimercenary laws by unwittingly financing a helicopter that was to be used by the rebels. That, he hoped, would draw a line under the affair. But the bigger question on everyone's minds during the saga has been: just how has the son of the former Prime Minister made his fortune? For the first time, Thatcher and Son provides the answers. It reveals that Margaret Thatcher was far more involved in helping her son enrich himself - and indirectly their family - while she was Prime Minister than was realised. For most of the Thatcher decade, Mark lived in the USA, married to 'an ordinary Texan millionairess. From that base, he exploited his famous name for commercial gain. He was a middleman on a multi-billion arms deal with Saudi Arabia, private security contracts in America and oil ventures in Africa. although he continued to consort with arms dealers. Now his connections with mercenaries who were attempting to topple the president of Equatorial Guinea have propelled him back on to the front pages. Packed with new revelations about Mark and Lady Thatcher's financial and commercial affairs, this book also provides an insight into the twilight worlds of international arms-dealing and oil trading. But at its heart, Thatcher and Son is an insider's account of one of the world's most famous political dynasties.