From the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists:
Offshore havens and hidden riches of world leaders and billionaires exposed in unprecedented leak
The Pandora Papers reveal the inner workings of a shadow economy that benefits the wealthy and well-connected at the expense of everyone else
Millions of leaked documents and the biggest journalism partnership in history have uncovered financial secrets of 35 current and former world leaders, more than 330 politicians and public officials in 91 countries and territories, and a global lineup of fugitives, con artists and murderers.
The secret documents expose offshore dealings of the King of Jordan, the presidents of Ukraine, Kenya and Ecuador, the prime minister of the Czech Republic and former British Prime Minister Tony Blair. The files also detail financial activities of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s “unofficial minister of propaganda” and more than 130 billionaires from Russia, the United States, Turkey and other nations.
The leaked records reveal that many of the power players who could help bring an end to the offshore system instead benefit from it – stashing assets in covert companies and trusts while their governments do little to slow a global stream of illicit money that enriches criminals and impoverishes nations.
Among the hidden treasures revealed in the documents:
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- A $22 million chateau in the French Riviera – replete with a cinema and two swimming pools – purchased through offshore companies by the Czech Republic’s populist prime minister, a billionaire who has railed against the corruption of economic and political elites.
- More than $13 million tucked in a secrecy-shaded trust in the Great Plains of the United States by a scion of one of Guatemala’s most powerful families, a dynasty that controls a soap and lipsticks conglomerate that’s been accused of harming workers and the earth.
- Three beachfront mansions in Malibu purchased through three offshore companies for $68 million by the King of Jordan in the years after Jordanians filled the streets during Arab Spring to protest joblessness and corruption.
Quite a lot more at the site. The data was handed to the ICIJ two years ago - they have been sorting through it. I am betting that 80% of it is unusual but not illegal but the other 20% will be very very fun to watch.
The London Daily Mail has their time with this:
The secret offshore wealth of world leaders: Leak of 12 MILLION files reveals Putin 'mistress's' $4.1m Monaco flat , Azerbaijani ruler's $500m London property deals, King of Jordan's $100m empire and Czech PM's $22m French chateau
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- Pandora Papers show Tony and Cherie Blair bought London office via offshore account
- Files were obtained by the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists
- King of Jordan secretly bought £70million worth of property in the US and UK
- Many transactions show no legal wrongdoing but expose how the UK has failed in its promise to bring in a register of offshore property owners
The secret offshore wealth of more than 300 world leaders, politicians and billionaires has been exposed in one of the biggest ever leaks of financial data.
Dubbed the Pandora Papers, the documents show how 35 current and former world leaders - including associates of Vladimir Putin - used accounts in tax havens to accrue huge amounts of wealth and carry out transactions.
The files consist of 12 million documents from 14 financial services companies in countries including the British Virgin Islands, Panama, Belize, Cyprus, the United Arab Emirates, Singapore and Switzerland.
They were obtained by the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ) before being studied by more than 650 reporters from BBC Panorama, the Guardian and other news outlets.
Of course, this makes me wonder... They had this data for two years. By the Daily Mail's own admission, it had been shopped around to various media outlets before being released today (October 3rd). Why now? What just happened that they need a big-ass smoke-screen to cover up and distract?
Now my interest is piqued - time to start digging...
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