Show Notes
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Mark Lombardi, a conceptual artist on the cusp of international success, had everything to live for. So why was the 48-year-old found hanged and deemed suicidal? Was his death the ultimate conceptual art, an afterlife laugh at those who doubted his brilliance? He did, after all, carry business cards eerily portending "death defying acts of art and conspiracy."
Or was he ultimately overwhelmed by the subject of his work: the financial networks connecting some of the most powerful and corrupt people on earth?
His intricate drawings traced hot money, from Cold War funding to the heroin trade. But his most dogged scrutiny fell on the Bank of Credit and Commerce International, a global money laundry bankrolling fraudsters, smugglers, and CIA operations abroad. Since his death, Lombardi's masterwork on the rogue bank has been held at the Whitney Museum of American Art. Could it be responsible for his demise? The answer can only be found within Lombardi himself.
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More from Corinna and The King
In this bonus episode of Corinna and the King, we invite you to discover the amazing original soundtrack for the series. This ambitious symphonic, cinematic and experimental musical work included the recording of more than 65 original tracks, in a process that ran right up until the release of the final episode of the series.
In this bonus episode, we share an exclusive interview with the hosts of Corinna And The King – Mishel Prada, who narrated the series in English, and Laura Gómez, in Spanish.
After his fall from grace, Juan Carlos retires from public life to Abu Dhabi. Corinna finds herself mired in investigations in multiple jurisdictions, where her bank accounts are closed one by one. When a freezing order descends on her US bank account, Corinna hires a former FBI agent to cooperate with US law enforcement rather than fight it. As she tries to prove her innocence, Corinna is secretly photographed in a restaurant and splashed across the Spanish media again. Fast forward to 2022 — the case continues, and Juan Carlos clings to state immunity to dodge Corinna’s allegations.
Seeing the huge pools of money held by the former king through hangers-on, Corinna cuts all contact with Juan Carlos. Corinna also finds out that Villarejo, who appeared to be on her side, has been secretly recording their meetings and has leaked the recording. To make matters worse, Juan Carlos does everything in his power to make her family turn against her. Corinna finally comes face to face with Juan Carlos for the first time in years over lunch at her place. At the end of the lunch, Corinna decides to take Juan Carlos to court in London.
Corinna brushes off Juan Carlos’ proposal. But Juan Carlos, now the former king of Spain, requests access to the gift. His lawyer frantically stops him, as the gift is undeclared and would get him in legal trouble. Rebuffed several times on multiple fronts, Juan Carlos unleashes another litany of lies about her to the media and his friends in the Middle East, discrediting Corinna globally. She’s at her lowest when her shrinking circle of trusted friends tells her there’s someone who might be able to help — a man named José Manuel Villarejo.