In 1978, a man landed in America with a fake passport and one mission: spy for the Soviet Union.
For 10 years, he lived as an American.
Had a job.
Had a wife.
Had a daughter.
Nobody knew who he really was.
Not his neighbours.
Not his family.
Not even the FBI.
He sent secrets to the KGB. He lived a double life.
He became so good at being American that he started to forget he wasn't one.
Then one day, the KGB told him to come home.
And he had to make a choice that would change everything.
What he did next, and why he's still alive and walking free today, is a story that makes you question how intelligence agencies work.
In our recent episode of Figuring Out, I sat down with Jack Barsky, a former KGB spy who fooled two of the most powerful nations on earth.
We talked about:
– What America still gets wrong about Russia
– Why the US was considered the ultimate enemy
– How the world misunderstands Putin’s KGB mindset
– The Illegals Program: honey traps, Morse code, dead drops
– How the KGB recruited and psychologically reshaped people
– Why Putin and Trump are often described as political narcissists
– How easy it would be for Russia to eliminate someone on US soil
And what happens when you have to choose between the life you built and the people who made you.
Watch the full episode here: https://bit.ly/4r7IfiC
#rajshamani #figuringout
For 10 years, he lived as an American.
Had a job.
Had a wife.
Had a daughter.
Nobody knew who he really was.
Not his neighbours.
Not his family.
Not even the FBI.
He sent secrets to the KGB. He lived a double life.
He became so good at being American that he started to forget he wasn't one.
Then one day, the KGB told him to come home.
And he had to make a choice that would change everything.
What he did next, and why he's still alive and walking free today, is a story that makes you question how intelligence agencies work.
In our recent episode of Figuring Out, I sat down with Jack Barsky, a former KGB spy who fooled two of the most powerful nations on earth.
We talked about:
– What America still gets wrong about Russia
– Why the US was considered the ultimate enemy
– How the world misunderstands Putin’s KGB mindset
– The Illegals Program: honey traps, Morse code, dead drops
– How the KGB recruited and psychologically reshaped people
– Why Putin and Trump are often described as political narcissists
– How easy it would be for Russia to eliminate someone on US soil
And what happens when you have to choose between the life you built and the people who made you.
Watch the full episode here: https://bit.ly/4r7IfiC
#rajshamani #figuringout