A little over a decade ago Seth Klarman, a hedge-fund titan, worried that an asset-price bubble was emerging. He identified Tesla as one of the firms best exemplifying exuberance in the market. At the time, Elon Musk’s electric-vehicle company was worth around $30bn. Today its stockmarket value is $1.3trn.

Shamsud Din Jabbar, the 42-year-old behind the deadly New Year’s Eve attack in New Orleans, had a stable job as an employee at the prominent accounting firm Deloitte, reportedly earning an annual salary of $120,000. However, despite his relatively high-paying position, Jabbar’s life was marked by financial turmoil that escalated during his second divorce in 2022.
A high-earning professional struggling with debt
New York Post reports reveal that Jabbar, who had a background in IT and military service, was deeply in debt. In emails to his ex-wife’s lawyer, Jabbar admitted to owing over $27,000 in overdue home payments and stated he was at risk of foreclosure. Furthermore, he confessed to racking up more than $16,000 in credit card debt while paying court fees and expenses for a second home. His real estate business, which he had hoped would provide a financial lifeline, had suffered a staggering loss of more than $28,000 the previous year.

A fall from stability to squalor
Jabbar’s personal life took a dramatic turn after his second divorce. He had been married twice and had faced ongoing financial struggles, including child support disputes with his first wife, who sued him in 2012. Despite his job at Deloitte and his military service, Jabbar’s financial issues pushed him to a breaking point.

In the years following his military service, Jabbar’s situation deteriorated, and he found himself living in a dilapidated trailer park in Houston, Texas. The once-promising professional now lived in squalor, surrounded by sheep and goats in his yard. His neighbors, many of whom were Muslim immigrants, knew little about him, with one describing Jabbar as a “simple person” who kept to himself, reported the Post.
From military service to terror
Jabbar’s journey from a decorated military veteran to a terrorist suspect is as complex as it is tragic. He served in the US Army for over a decade, deploying to Afghanistan, where he worked as an IT specialist. He left the Army in 2015 as a staff sergeant after serving both active duty and as a reservist. Despite the stability of his military career, Jabbar struggled with personal and financial issues that seemed to worsen over time.

In a 2020 YouTube video promoting his real estate business, Jabbar portrayed himself as a dependable and trustworthy Texan. However, in the months leading up to the New Orleans attack, he reportedly became more isolated and radicalized. The FBI revealed that Jabbar had made references to the Quran and was reportedly influenced by ISIS ideology, a connection underscored by an ISIS flag found on the truck he used during the attack.

A deadly attack on New Year’s eve
On New Year’s Day, Jabbar carried out a premeditated terror attack, driving a rented Ford F-150 truck into a crowd on Bourbon Street, killing 15 people. Following the attack, he exchanged gunfire with police officers and was killed during the confrontation. Authorities confirmed that Jabbar had an ISIS flag on his vehicle, and law enforcement is continuing to investigate potential accomplices.
Jabbar’s financial struggles, marital issues, and apparent radicalization have painted a picture of a man who spiraled from a successful career and military service to a life of financial ruin and violent extremism.