The book tells the story of a young highly accomplished Swiss man who is apparently destined to be the head of a major bank in Zürich. He makes the mistake of trying to carry out a seemingly foolproof embezzlement from the bank. This attempt leads him on an increasingly risky path—from Zürich to New York to Los Angeles and back to New York—ultimately culminating late in his life in trying to carry out one of the greatest, most daring, and most spectacular embezzlements ever attempted.