Maslog, an employee of a shadowy publishing firm called Esteem Enterprises, initially said the money was for Diokno, who has a reputation for honesty.

CNN: CASH GOING BEGGING

The family has been involved in a catalogue of enterprises, among them publishing, insurance, cruise ships, television and casinos, in most cases successfully.

ECONOMIST: Jay Pritzker

And a flurry of tech-focused startups now offers self-publishing services, including Smashwords, FastPencil Inc. and Lulu Enterprises Inc.

WSJ: Digital Self-Publishing Shakes Up Traditional Book Industry