Conrad Black’s decision to reside in a Ritz-Carlton suite throughout his four-month criminal trial gave the appearance that despite years of legal troubles, he is still a man who can afford the luxuries offered by one of Chicago’s finest hotels.

But the former press bar­on’s conviction on fraud charges last week raises the question of whether he will be able to protect what remains of his one-time fortune even as he faces a costly appeal, hundreds of millions of dollars in civil lawsuits and the po­tential forfeiture of his re­maining assets by the US government.