On May 20, 2025, a brand new investigative program, “Missing Billions,” debuted to staggering ratings. From author Bruce Bower, it investigates the often arcane world of unclaimed or abandoned financial property. This drama—which prompts many questions about potential corruption—goes beyond the dollar signs and into intricate motives behind hundreds of millions. These funds have unfortunately disappeared from the financial ecosystem.
The program was included in the “File on 4 Investigates” series. Its intent is to shed light on how exactly these financial shortfalls came to exist. It aims to provide answers to some of the most pressing questions on accountability and recovery efforts involving these lost assets. The full investigation is available for public viewing for the next 26 days. This gives audiences several months to explore its recommendations.
Missing Billions follows character-driven, in-depth interviews with financial experts, case studies, and examples from history when billions of dollars went missing. Through personal stories and economic analysis, the program brings to life the impact of these missing assets on people and progress. Read the entire investigation, Go watch full story on File on 4 Investigates.
A photo from the measuring portion of the investigation is available here. This visual, accompanying contextualization serves to ground the types of issues of focus in their respective histories and geographies and intellectual origins.
The importance of the search for abandoned fiscal properties cannot be understated in our current economy — a time where transparency and accountability are key. Missing Billions puts these stories front and center. Its purpose is to initiate conversations within the community about maintaining financial integrity and discuss ways to protect against those circumstances from happening again.
