Why have so few companies or individuals been held accountable for the catastrophic consequences of the global financial crisis? Why do major controversies continue to arise regarding the safety of some of the world's best-selling drugs? Conventional thinking suggests that better knowledge can help prevent future financial and health crises. However, the truth is somewhat different. Through a series of examples—from the scandals surrounding News International to the 2016 US presidential elections—Linsey McGoey demonstrates how financial and political elites have increasingly become adept at using strategic ignorance for their own purposes. In an alleged post-truth era of historical amnesia, it is often the average citizen who is mocked for knowing too little. In reality, it is the rich and powerful who benefit the most by exploiting knowledge gaps to ensure they are never caught.