The author attempts to answer the following question: ʺWhy are American, European, and Asian oil companies enthusiastically committing tens of billions of dollars of long-term investment to the Gulf of Guinea's failing states, which are characterized by ruthless elites, recurrent warfare, and some of the world's most detrimental development practices?ʺ In attempting to answer this question, the author analyzes the relationship that world powers have with countries such as Angola, Equatorial Guinea, and Nigera and what such partnerships look like.