How does a man convince the global elite that he was recruited by the CIA at just 16 years old?

Enter Gaurav Srivastava. Armed with an elaborate, high-level intelligence cover story, Srivastava moved through the world of international commerce like a ghost operative. He built a private security firm straight out of a Hollywood thriller, but his ultimate play wasn't on a battlefield—it was in the oil trade.

This week, we untangle the jaw-dropping web of an international man of mystery who rubbed elbows with politicians, received congratulations from John Legend and shook the hand of the President before gaining the trust of a Dutch oil trader and walking away with a fortune.