THE STORY BEGINS ON 27 JUNE 2007. THAT WAS THE DAY TONY BLAIR OFFICIALLY RESIGNED AS PRIME MINISTER, WAS APPOINTED MIDDLE EAST PEACE ENVOY, AND SET ABOUT MAKING HIMSELF SERIOUSLY RICH.

Since leaving office in 2007, the empire of Tony Blair has grown exponentially. As a businessman he has been unprecedentedly successful for a former public servant, with a large property portfolio and an estimated £80 million of earnings accrued in just a few short years. But how has he managed to achieve this?

Being an ex-Prime Minister comes with certain advantages, and besides his excellent state pension and twenty-four-hour security team, Blair enjoys the best contacts that money can buy – as do those willing to pay him for access to those contacts. Consequently, Tony Blair Associates' clients can be found around the world, and include the controversial presidents of Kazakhstan and Burma.

There is also Blair's role as special envoy in the Middle East. While his record as a peacemaker is in doubt, the position has brought him into contact with a variety of oil-rich potentates in the region who now number among his most profitable clients.

Blair Inc.: The Wars, the Money, the Scandals takes a close look at the complex financial structures in Blair's world. From the many layers of tax liability to the multiple conflicts of interest produced by his increasing web of relationships, this book exposes the private dealings of this very public figure.

Francis Beckett