The Sociology department is excited to announce that Professor Kimberly Kay Hoang from the University of Chicago will be the 2022-2023 Rossi Speaker.
Professor Hoang's talk on her exciting forthcoming book, Spiderweb Capitalism, will be held Wednesday, October 19th from 11:15am - 1:00pm.
In 2015, the anonymous leak of the Panama Papers brought to light millions of financial and legal documents exposing how the superrich hide their money using complex webs of offshore vehicles. Spiderweb Capitalism takes you inside this shadow economy, uncovering the mechanics behind the invisible, mundane networks of lawyers, accountants, company secretaries, and fixers who facilitate the illicit movement of wealth across borders and around the globe.
Kimberly Kay Hoang traveled more than 350,000 miles and conducted hundreds of in-depth interviews with private wealth managers, fund managers, entrepreneurs, C-suite executives, bankers, auditors, and other financial professionals. She traces the flow of capital from offshore funds in places like the Cayman Islands, Samoa, and Panama to special-purpose vehicles and holding companies in Singapore and Hong Kong, and how it finds its way into risky markets onshore in Vietnam and Myanmar. Hoang reveals the strategies behind spiderweb capitalism and examines the moral dilemmas of making money in legal, financial, and political gray zones.
Professor Hoang's visit to UMass Amherst will also include meetings with community members over the course of the day.
The department is thrilled to be bringing the Rossi Lecture series back to campus. This annual event honors Alice and Pete Rossi, both Distinguished Professors who left a rich legacy to the UMass Sociology Department and to the field in general.