The high living in the hit Hollywood movie The Wolf of Wall Street might not have been confined to the screen.
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As American prosecutors sued to seize more than $US1 billion ($1.3 billion) in assets from a Malaysian government-owned company, a claim emerged that a financier withdrew more than $US1 million ($1.3 million) at a Las Vegas casino to gamble with a party that included the "lead actor" of the movie - presumably Leonardo DiCaprio.
He played Jordan Belfort, a high-flying stockbroker who landed in prison for securities fraud and money laundering.
The "lead actor" is said to have gambled with Malaysian financier Jho Low and two executives of Red Granite Pictures - Chief Executive Riza Aziz, who is the stepson of Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak, and Vice Chairman Joey McFarland.
That company produced Martin Scorsese's The Wolf of Wall Street, which was nominated for five Oscars in 2014 including best picture, director and lead actor and took more than $US390 million ($522.45 million) at the worldwide box office.
Although DiCaprio was not mentioned by name, the US prosecutors' complaint mentioned "Hollywood Actor 1" who thanked "Joey, Riz and Jho" in his Golden Globes acceptance speech.
While there is no suggestion the actor did anything wrong or even knew about the alleged source of the funds, the case shows how influential international financing partners can be on even the most high profile of Hollywood movies.
Not to mention the fact that a movie about financial rorting has been swept up into an FBI investigation of financial rorting.
Prosecutors say the assets they are seeking are tied to an international scheme to launder money stolen from a Malaysian state fund called 1MDB, overseen by the Malaysian prime minister, which was used to buy paintings and property as well financing the movie.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, 17 payments totaling $US3.9 million ($5.22 million) are described as going to Scorsese's company Sikelia Productions. Another $US48 million ($64.30 million) went to a company that managed the film's payroll, at least $US4.1 million ($5.49 million) went to a special effects company, $US2.5 million ($3.35 million) went to the Screen Actors Guild and about $US80,000 ($107,172) went to a yacht charter company.
Representatives of 1MDB and the Malaysian prime minister's office are yet to comment, though Najib has previously denied any wrongdoing.
Prosecutors say money was stolen from the fund, moved through shell companies and hidden in the US in purchases.
The US government wants to seize such assets as luxury properties in New York and California, paintings by Monet and Van Gogh and a Bombardier jet.
"The Malaysian people were defrauded on an enormous scale," FBI deputy director Andrew McCabe said at a news conference in Washington.
Attorney General Loretta Lynch said the $US1 billion ($1.3 billion) in assets were "just a portion of the more than $US3 billion ($4.02 billion) that was stolen from 1MDB and laundered through American financial institutions in violation of United States law ...
"Unfortunately, sadly, tragically, a number of corrupt 1MDB officials treated this public trust as a personal bank account."
Red Granite, which has also produced Friends With Kids and Dumb and Dumber To, later issued a statement saying its executives did not knowingly use illicit funds.
"To Red Granite's knowledge, none of the funding it received four years ago was in any way illegitimate and there is nothing in today's civil lawsuit claiming that Red Granite knew otherwise," the company said.
"Red Granite continues to cooperate fully with all inquiries and is confident that when the facts come out, it will be clear that Riza Aziz and Red Granite did nothing wrong."
With Reuters
