#145: Money Moves That Could Cost You Everything (and How to Avoid Them) with L. Burke Files
What if saying yes to capital could quietly put your business at risk, and you didn’t even know it? L. Burke Files has seen it happen more times than he can count.
As an international financial investigator, due diligence expert, and instructor, Lawrence has worked on financial crime cases in over 130 countries ranging from a few hundred thousand dollars to more than $20 billion. He’s helped governments, private firms, and high-level entrepreneurs uncover the hidden traps inside well-meaning deals. In this episode, he shares what every founder needs to know before moving money or accepting outside investment.
In this eye-opening conversation, Lawrence walks us through how even clean, fast-scaling businesses can get entangled in financial crime, not because they’re doing something illegal, but because they never learned how to spot the signs. From the one mistake that freezes business bank accounts mid-deal, to the unseen red flags investors carry with them, this episode reveals the invisible risks no one talks about when you're building at the top.
We talk about how to protect your reputation as you grow, why most anti-corruption policies backfire, and how to build internal systems that make your business unshakable, especially when raising capital. Lawrence also shares the high-profile cases that have shaped his perspective and the simple due diligence questions that can prevent years of damage.
This episode is packed with powerful perspective, smart strategies, and a behind-the-scenes look at the compliance breakdowns that derail even the most legitimate businesses. If you’re growing fast and playing big, this one is non-negotiable listening.
