The Washington PostDemocracy Dies in Darkness
A trove of secret files details the financial universe where global elite shield riches from taxes, probes and accountability. (Video: Sarah Hashemi/The Washington Post)

Governments launch investigations after Pandora Papers show how elite shield riches

1 min

The Washington Post on Sunday published the first in a series of stories based on more than 11.9 million documents that expose a secretive financial universe that benefits the wealthy and powerful.

The vast trove of documents, known as the Pandora Papers, was obtained by the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ). The Post collaborated on the investigation, which involved more than 600 journalists in 117 countries and territories, the largest ever organized by the ICIJ.  
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The files in the Pandora Papers detail the activities of nearly 29,000 offshore accounts.
Among them are more than 130 people listed as billionaires by Forbes magazine. U.S. states have become central to the global offshore system.
Leaders of countries on five continents use the offshore system, as well as 14 current heads of state or government.
Officials in Pakistan, Mexico, Spain, Brazil, Sri Lanka, Australia and Panama are set to launch inquiries in the wake of the Pandora Papers revelations.
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The files in the Pandora Papers detail the activities of nearly 29,000 offshore accounts.
Among them are more than 130 people listed as billionaires by Forbes magazine. U.S. states have become central to the global offshore system.
Leaders of countries on five continents use the offshore system, as well as 14 current heads of state or government.
Officials in Pakistan, Mexico, Spain, Brazil, Sri Lanka, Australia and Panama are set to launch inquiries in the wake of the Pandora Papers revelations.
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