Born the son of a coal miner, Alfred Todd soon learns from his father that "honesty is best policy" fits only the poor, the weak and the stupid.
"Everybody cheats," he tells his son, "the milkman when he waters down your milk before he delivers it. The grocer when he puts his thumb on the scale as he weighs out your sugar. The government which lies to you and the courts who grant you only as much justice as you can afford to pay for."
Young Alfred or Freddy as he is generally known, start out in life, bearing these thoughts in mind as he sets out on a career of leading people into trusting him and parting them from their money.
Leaving a trail of destruction over two continents for some twenty years, his downfall comes about in an incredible way which nobody could have foreseen. His nemesis is of his own making although he could be forgiven for failing to spot it. One chance in a billion.
From insurance fraud to selling non-existent timber leases. From convincing people they are going blind to finding a miracle cure for them - emerging as a cult leader Freddy finally makes his billion-to-one mistake.