TITLE:
Exploring the 1MDB Business Scandal
AUTHORS:
Megan Garg, CJ Nelson
KEYWORDS:
1MDB, Financial Fraud, Jho Low, Najib Razak, Global Corruption, Sovereign Wealth Funds, Anti-Money Laundering, Goldman Sachs, Regulatory Reform, Financial Governance, Malaysia, Cross-Border Finance, Blockchain Auditing, Transparency, Public Accountability
JOURNAL NAME:
Technology and Investment,
Vol.17 No.1,
January
6,
2026
ABSTRACT: The 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) scandal is seen as one of the most important and complex cases of financial mismanagement, as well as corruption, in history. 1MDB was established in 2009 by the government of Malaysia and was seen as a passion project to ultimately promote economic development by investing in various sectors including real estate, energy, and more. However, soon, it was found entangled in serious allegations of fraud, embezzlement, and money laundering. This research paper hopes to explore the intricate connections of wrongful financial decisions that created the 1MDB scandal by analyzing the key causes, actors, and the impact it had on the economy. This paper not only strives to provide a concise understanding of how the scandal unfolded, but also acknowledges the vulnerabilities in certain systems such as governance, financial decisions, and accountability which all authorized this high-profile embezzlement to take place. By doing so, this research encourages the urgent demand for regulatory frameworks. Transparency with employers and their companies, as well as enhanced international cooperation to avert similar occurrences from happening in the future. Furthermore, this paper seeks to contribute to the ongoing controversy of strengthening financial integrity and preventing corruption in sovereign wealth funds as well as public institutions. In all, the goal is to foster a more transparent and accountable environment that safeguards public resources from mismanagement to promote sustainability and development within a community.