A new documentary from Arte alleges that Lebanese political and financial leaders organized the largest money-laundering and embezzlement scheme in history [1].

The film, titled “Casse du siècle au Liban,” highlights how systemic corruption contributed to an unprecedented financial collapse that has devastated the national economy. By detailing the mechanisms of this alleged theft, the documentary seeks to expose the leaders responsible for the country's instability [1, 2].

According to the report, the economic crisis began in autumn 2019 [2]. Since that period, the Lebanese pound has lost 98% of its value against the U.S. dollar [1]. This devaluation has stripped citizens of their savings and plummeted the majority of the population into poverty.

The documentary provides an urgent overview of the collapse, linking the financial ruin to the actions of a small group of elites. These individuals are alleged to have manipulated the state's financial systems for personal gain while the broader economy disintegrated [1, 2].

Arte has made the documentary available for replay on its YouTube channel until Sept. 17, 2026 [1]. The production serves as a critical examination of the intersection between political power, and financial crime in the region [2].

“the largest money-laundering/embezzlement in history”

The scale of the currency devaluation and the allegations of historic embezzlement suggest that Lebanon's crisis was not merely a result of market volatility, but of deliberate institutional predation. If these claims of the largest money-laundering scheme in history are accurate, it indicates a total failure of internal oversight and a level of state capture that complicates any potential recovery efforts led by international bodies.