King of Zanzibar

In this polish-produced documentary on Netflix, Wojciech Zabinski is depicted as a multi-million dollar embezzling con-artist who was able to build a real-estate pyramid scheme targeting polish people in the vacation paradise Tanzania. Without any experience, he was able to build an tourism empire of Pili-Pili hotels - a paradise for poles who wanted an unforgetful adventure in Africa. And so they did but not in they way they imagined it....

The documentary is based on real stories told by a number of interviewees (mostly polish-speaking guests, staff members, journalists and detectives) and one german man who also been a hotel owner on the island for many years. Together, they put together a picture of a charismatic, clever and highly manipulative man who was able to build a number of things based on deceipt and lies. This 3-part true crime (financial crime) is definitely worth watching. I don't understand polish but the dubbing made it easy to follow the storyline.

It keeps the viewer intrigued as this story never made it internationally. However, for poles, it seems to have been one of the most written stories from 2020-still ongoing controversy today.

Let me start by saying this so-called documentary is way too long.

All it has to say would have fit in one hour with time to spare. Instead, they rehash the same things for 3 long episodes.

Why does everything have to be a mini-series nowadays?! Don't bother answering, it's rethorical question. I am well aware it's a way to milk for more money.

Back to this documentary: the pyramid scheme is nothing new. A talented marketing guy from Poland makes vain promises through Facebook. People get lured to invest money in hotels, and beach villas that never get built, or get only partly built. Investors end up losing their money. It's an old story.

I am old enough to still be surprised how many people are greedy enough to invest on a stranger they see on Facebook, without any background check.

Because when the background check gets done, it's obvious the scammer has a criminal past.

After the scheme being busted, all the staff, including the top guy who apparently is the only one to blame because only he knew this was a scam, keep living free in pretty nifty digs Zanzibar.

End of story.