Image from theguardian.com
The Snail Farm Don: Is This the Most Brazen Tax Avoidance Scheme of All Time?
L 30%
C 65%
R
The Guardian Audio Long Read published on 15 December 2025 investigates a tax-avoidance scheme revolving around snail farming that has been described as potentially the most brazen ever. The piece focuses on Terry Ball, a renowned shoe salesman and friend to former mafiosi, who vows to spend his remaining years finding ways to cheat authorities. Ball's core aim is to build a tax-dodging snail empire using snail farming as the vehicle for the scheme. The article is written by Jim Waterson, read by Nicholas Camm, produced by Nicola Alexandrou, and executive produced by Ellie Bury. A text version of the article is also available.
Sources
* This article has been summarised using Artificial Intelligence and may contain inaccuracies. Please fact-check details with the sources provided.