It shows how easily intelligent people can swallow sensational nonsense when emotion overrides reason.
When we look at the facts, the claim collapses immediately.
Malaysia’s GDP during Mahathir’s early years wasn’t even close to USD 40 billion. Our economy only crossed that mark around 1990. The idea that one man secretly owned an entire economy simply makes no economic sense. No global financial leak - not the Panama Papers, Swiss Leaks, nor the ICIJ archives - has ever mentioned him. And multiple governments, including hostile administrations, scrutinized him over the years and found nothing. If vast billions existed, political rivals would have exposed them instantly.
Even our richest tycoon, Robert Kuok, is worth about USD 11 billion. Suggesting that Mahathir is four times richer defies logic, mathematics, and every observable indicator.
There is no trail of assets, no vast web of companies, no expansive land banks, no offshore empire - nothing remotely resembling a USD 40 billion fortune.
And when we look closely at the article that spread this claim, the problem becomes clearer. It is a listicle written for clicks, not a serious investigative report. The writer is a general journalist, not a financial forensic expert, and the article provides no credible audits, leaked documents, or verified financial trails.
In other words, listicle pieces like this are fast food - quick, catchy, and designed to attract attention. But when you’re dealing with a USD 40 billion allegation, you need real nutrition: audited data, official documents, accountability, and credible investigations.
In short, the article makes a dramatic accusation without any evidence to justify something so serious.
Extreme partisanship blinds the mind, and when emotion becomes the filter, even the brightest can fall for the most ridiculous claims.
“From hatred springs delusion; the mind becomes clouded.” – The Buddha
Peace, anas
