Philippe Francq – illustratör

In the middle of the night, a man runs through the narrow back alleys of Venice. Three men are after him. He breaks into a travel agency, where he faxes Winch a hastily scribbled message before being gunned down by his pursuers. The person who hands Largo Winch the fax in New York is also killed. The message says only: Beware of the doge. Our millionaire businessman hero thinks his friend, the gorgeous Charity, could be in trouble and heads for Italy. They are invited to a masked ball, where they indeed meet a doge. A Renaissance-era term for the chief magistrate of the former republics of Venice and Genoa.

Largo Winch has been hoodwinked, framed and sent to jail. His enemies are celebrating their victory after taking control of his TV station. His friends are either in prison or in mortal danger - But Largo wasn't born a billionaire. He knows how to fight dirty, and now he's going to have to strike back at the circle of crooks, pimps and murderers who came after him-before they kill all potential witnesses, including his own employee, Sarah Washington.

A proposed deal between one of Winch's companies and a Chinese group would require that the young billionaire come sign the contract himself in Hong Kong. But there is a problem: In his youth, Largo tangled with Chinese justice in occupied Tibet. He escaped from prison with the help of a Chinese arms smuggler, whose triad later helped rescue Simon from a Burma prison. But that help came with a price, and the triad will one day call in their favour.

The triads of Hong Kong are about to be introduced to the Tao of the Billionaire. Largo has disappeared. His friends and employees are trying to find him while they keep the W Group ticking, but no one seems to know what has happened to him-not even the Chinese authorities. It will be up to the billionaire, locked in a cell with a corpse as his only companion, to escape on his own before he can begin reassessing who are his allies and who are his enemies. KEY SELLING POINTS: *More than 10 million French-language copies sold*Two feature-length films starring Tomer Sisley as Largo Winch, with Kristin Scott Thomas and Sharon Stone, were released in France in 2008 and 2011.*Hugely popular series that has been translated into at least 8 languages The 12th adventure of the reluctant tycoon! Largo Winch is a rare breed of man: a multi-billionaire who distrusts money. Being rich does have advantages, but it also brings headaches, troubles, conspiracies, murder attempts and other despicable behaviour in competitors and underlings. Largo has to stay on top of it all...

This two-volume book includes "HA".H : Largo Winch gives a cocktail party to launch his foundation for war orphans when a waiter brings out one of his colleagues' severed head on a tray. He has been murdered by the drugs traffickers Largo is after. In a matter of hours, the billionaire's life is turned upside down. Dutch Connection : Two policemen are shot down as they arrest Largo Winch and he is charged with the murders. On top of that, he is accused of being part of the international heroin trade. Largo flees to Paris and ends up in the homeless community, with little hope of escaping the dire fate that awaits him : a lifelong jail sentence...

Largo's best friend, Simon Ovronnaz, is being targeted by the secret services of Myanmar (formerly Burma). Simon and his girlfriend are wrongfully convicted of murder and imprisoned. After a very flawed trial, Simon is condemned to death and transferred to the infamous Fort Makiling. Blissfully ignorant of his friend's fate, Largo is enjoying a romantic adventure at the top of the world, while the plot against him deepens dangerously.

A man shoots himself in front of Largo, live on TV. He was a guest on a financial talk show who had lost his company because of a Group W decision. Shocked by the knowledge that he is indirectly responsible, Winch becomes an object of hatred for the nation, and his two best friends abandon him. When suspicions arise that shady dealings led to unnecessary restructurings, he launches an investigation to identify the real culprits.

Accused of murder and hated by an entire nation, Largo is hiding in Canada and feeling very much alone. But his friendships are stronger than his circumstances, and soon he's able to counterattack against the various factions that are trying to bring him down. Greedy lawyers, crooked CEOs, murderous accountants, all pitted against the orphan turned billionaire - In the end, only the smartest and strongest will prevail - for such is the Law of the Dollar.

Largo wakes up confused in a place he doesn't recognise. The first thing he sees when he opens his eyes is Earth... seen from space! Ten days earlier, the founder of a French aerospace company is murdered by a contract killer. So begins a new adventure for the leader of the W Group, his friends and his employees, in the world of new technologies, the space race, environmentalism... and social networks.

Largo must seek proof of his innocence in Turkey. Fresh from his old pilot Freddy's wedding, Largo is back in New York for more celebrating - the departure of one of his employees. But during the party, a Turkish national permanently retires Sir Basil with a couple of bullets. Shortly thereafter, the shooter himself is killed by a sniper before he's had a chance to say a word. When the FBI finally gets involved, they come with accusations of gun trafficking and hiring assassins...Accusations levelled at Largo himself! The 13th adventure of the reluctant tycoon! Largo Winch is a rare breed of man: a multibillionaire who distrusts money. Being rich does have advantages, but it also brings headaches, troubles, conspiracies, murder attempts and other despicable behavior in competitors and underlings. Largo has to stay on top of it all...

A decades-old vengeance against Winch is about to bear fruit. Largo is stuck on a boat with Silky. But this isn't the end of a James Bond story: the vessel's a container ship that belongs to Winch's enemy, a Georgian arms dealer who seems to be behind all the billionaire's current problems. And the crew are armed and trigger-happy...Not entirely surprising, since this time the plot is not just about money - it's also very personal! Poor Largo; things were so much simpler before he stopped being an orphan...The 14th adventure of the reluctant tycoon! Largo Winch is a rare breed of man: a multi-billionaire who distrusts money. Being rich does have advantages, but it also brings headaches, troubles, conspiracies, murder attempts and other despicable behaviour in competitors and underlings. Largo has to stay on top of it all...

The threads of multiple fates intertwine around Largo. Largo is in London for a board meeting with his group's various CEOs. At the same time, he's negotiating with a French aeronautics firm for a deal based upon a groundbreaking new technology. But the British capital seems to be the centre of a curious convergence: people with no apparent links to each other gravitate towards Largo and his inner circle. Old lovers, new flames, intelligence agencies, terrorists...Will the billionaire recognise his true allies amidst such a tangled web?