Mr. Ng and Mr. Leissner worked together at Goldman in Asia. Mr. Ng is said to have introduced his former partner and others at the bank to Mr. Low in 2009. At the time, Mr. Low was a young and flamboyant businessman who had befriended many Hollywood celebrities. He was known for throwing lavish Las Vegas parties and buying up expensive properties in Los Angeles and New York.
Prosecutors have charged that the three men and others plotted to pay $1 billion in bribes to top officials in Malaysia and other countries so that Goldman could arrange $6.5 billion in bond offerings for 1MDB, a government fund that was supposed to pay for projects to benefit the Malaysian people. But instead, prosecutors contend, much of that money was diverted to pay for the bribes and to line the pockets of Mr. Low, Mr. Leissner, Mr. Ng and even the former prime minister of Malaysia.
Money looted from 1MDB went to buy a boutique hotel in Beverly Hills, apartment buildings, artwork, a mega-yacht, a grand piano made of clear acrylic that was given to a supermodel as a gift and a share of the EMI Music Publishing portfolio. Some of the money even financed the Hollywood movie “The Wolf of Wall Street.” Most of the purchases were made by Mr. Low.
Mr. Leissner, who is married to the fashion designer and model Kimora Lee Simmons, agreed to forfeit up to $43.7 million as part of his guilty plea. One of Goldman’s most powerful deal makers in Asia before the scandal erupted in 2016, Mr. Leissner is expected to appear on the stand for several days once he begins testifying. Given his ties to Mr. Ng and Mr. Low, his testimony is seen as crucial to the government’s case.