Latest news with #LadyGhislaine
Time of India
25-07-2025
- Time of India
Ghislaine Maxwell: From British heiress to convicted sex offender – net worth, Epstein ties and more
Source: X Once a fixture of elite social circles in London and New York, Ghislaine Maxwell now serves a 20-year prison sentence for her role in Jeffrey Epstein 's sex-trafficking network. Her life has spanned from the lavish halls of Oxford and royal palaces to a 6-by-9-foot prison cell, as one of the most enigmatic and controversial figures linked to the Epstein scandal. Born into privilege Ghislaine Maxwell was born on December 25, 1961, into one of Britain's most influential families. Her father, Robert Maxwell, was a Czech-born British media mogul and Member of Parliament who built a publishing empire that included the Daily Mirror and Macmillan. Her mother, Betty, was a French scholar and Holocaust researcher. Ghislaine was the youngest of nine siblings and reportedly her father's favorite. Educated at Marlborough College, Ghislaine went on to study modern history and languages at Balliol College, Oxford University. Fluent in several languages, she was often described as poised, intelligent, and deeply ambitious. Beginning of an end On November 5, 1991, Robert Maxwell was found dead, floating near his yacht, the Lady Ghislaine, off the Canary Islands. His death was officially ruled accidental, but conspiracy theories persist. After his death, it was revealed that Robert Maxwell had looted hundreds of millions of pounds from his companies' pension funds. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Nvidia's AI Strategy Is Clear - But Is Wall Street Paying Attention? Seeking Alpha Read More Undo His empire collapsed under debt, and the family's fortune was largely wiped out. Source: X Though devastated by the loss of her father, Ghislaine relocated permanently to New York City. There, she rebranded herself as a socialite and entrepreneur, eventually crossing paths with Jeffrey Epstein, a financier whose private wealth and connections would come to define the darkest chapter of her life. Romantic relationships Despite growing up in the shadow of her powerful father, Ghislaine Maxwell carved out a highly public personal life, often linked to influential men across business, aristocracy, and tech. Count Gianfranco Cicogna (1980s) In the 1980s, Ghislaine was linked to Count Gianfranco Cicogna, a member of Italian aristocracy and heir to a considerable fortune. Their relationship was well-documented in society pages in the UK, where she was a known presence on the party circuit. Jeffrey Epstein (Early 1990s–2000s) By the early 1990s, Maxwell had become closely involved with Jeffrey Epstein. According to The New York Times, 'she was Epstein's best friend, former girlfriend, and confidante.' Though they were no longer romantically involved after the late 1990s, they continued to work and travel together extensively. Court filings later accused her of recruiting and grooming underage girls for Epstein's sexual abuse network. Source: X Ted Waitt (2004–2010) Following the public distancing from Epstein, Maxwell dated Ted Waitt, founder of Gateway Inc., a PC company. Waitt was a billionaire and philanthropist, and the two were considered a power couple in the sustainability and oceanic conservation space. In 2012, Waitt's foundation gave $10 million to The Scripps Institution of Oceanography, around the time Maxwell founded her own nonprofit, The TerraMar Project. Their relationship quietly ended before 2011, and Maxwell retreated further from public view. Scott Borgerson: The secret husband Among the most enigmatic figures linked to Ghislaine Maxwell in her later years was Scott Borgerson, a tech entrepreneur and former CEO of the Boston-based shipping analytics firm CargoMetrics. Maxwell and Borgerson reportedly met in 2013 through professional and philanthropic circles in Boston, and quickly developed a private relationship. Despite the growing legal scrutiny Maxwell faced due to her ties with Jeffrey Epstein, the couple managed to stay out of the public eye for several years, eventually settling into a home in the upscale seaside town of Manchester-by-the-Sea, Massachusetts. Their relationship remained a mystery until Maxwell's July 2020 bail hearing, when her legal team revealed that she was secretly married to Borgerson. The revelation stunned court observers and the public alike, not only because of Maxwell's sudden marital status but also because of how closely it intertwined with her legal circumstances. Court filings noted that Maxwell had transferred ownership of a 156-acre New Hampshire estate, where she was ultimately arrested by the FBI, to a company tied to Borgerson. Borgerson, in an effort to support her bail application, submitted a letter to the court that painted a starkly different picture of Maxwell than the one dominating headlines: 'I have never witnessed anything close to inappropriate with Ghislaine. Quite to the contrary, the Ghislaine I know is a wonderful and loving person,' he wrote. Despite his public support, Borgerson largely retreated from view following Maxwell's arrest and subsequent criminal trial. In 2021, The Daily Mail reported that Borgerson had ended the relationship and was seen with another woman, although no formal divorce has been publicly confirmed. His name no longer appears in legal filings on her behalf, and his whereabouts, as well as the current state of their marriage, remain unclear. Net worth Maxwell's net worth has long been shrouded in secrecy. Although she was born into a fortune, most of Robert Maxwell's empire collapsed in debt. During her bail hearings, Judge Alison Nathan stated Maxwell was a "flight risk" due to "opaque" finances and "undisclosed assets." Court records revealed that between 2007 and 2011, over $20 million was transferred to her from Epstein-controlled offshore accounts. These funds came from various sources, including the sale of properties, like a Manhattan townhouse valued at $15 million. Despite these transactions, her defense insisted she had no hidden wealth. In her 2020 bail application, she claimed assets worth just under $4 million, a figure prosecutors challenged.
NDTV
24-07-2025
- NDTV
How Ghislaine Maxwell's Father May Have Led Her To Jeffrey Epstein
Nearly three decades before Jeffrey Epstein was found dead in a Manhattan jail, Ghislaine Maxwell mourned the death of another powerful man under mysterious circumstances: her father, Robert Maxwell. In both cases, she alleged foul play. Epstein, she claimed, was murdered; her father was pushed from his yacht. Ghislaine, before making it to the inner circles of Epstein, was known as the glamorous youngest daughter of the British media tycoon. And if it weren't for the influence her father wielded, his daughter, many say, might not even have made it to Manhattan's high society, and decades later, to a courtroom in New York. In November 1991, Maxwell vanished from the deck of his private yacht, the 'Lady Ghislaine', named after his favourite child. The 50-metre vessel was cruising the Atlantic when he disappeared. A few hours later, the Spanish coast guard found his body floating naked off the coast. The official ruling was heart attack, followed by accidental drowning. But some believed he had jumped to avoid financial ruin. Others, including Ghislaine, were certain it was murder. "Ghislaine is the baby of the family and the one who was closest to her father," her mother, Betty, told Vanity Fair. "The whole of Ghislaine's world has collapsed, and it will be very difficult for her to continue." Those onboard said they never saw him fall. The last confirmed sighting of the media tycoon was at 4:25 am. By afternoon, he was gone. What followed was a chain reaction: his companies imploded, and the family was plunged into bankruptcy. Not long after, Ghislaine Maxwell reappeared in New York City. And by the mid-1990s, she was deeply entwined with Jeffrey Epstein, a financier whose wealth and connections rivalled those of her late father. It is widely believed that the connection between Epstein and Ghislaine did not emerge by chance. Robert Maxwell sent her to New York in 1991 to oversee operations after acquiring the 'New York Daily News'. Reports suggest Epstein may have already been in Robert's orbit, possibly helping to manage or shield funds from Maxwell's increasingly unstable businesses. Some claim the pair knew each other before Robert's death. Sources believed Epstein may have laundered Maxwell's money, and then, when Ghislaine turned up in New York, she became very chummy with him almost overnight. Throughout the 1990s and early 2000s, Ghislaine was a fixture of elite Manhattan society. Her guest lists included royalty and political royalty: Prince Andrew, Chelsea Clinton, Donald Trump and more. Behind the scenes, she was becoming more than Epstein's partner. She was his recruiter, and, ultimately, his alleged accomplice. From the mid-1990s onward, she was described as the "lady of the house" at Epstein's estates. Later court proceedings would accuse her of actively aiding in the trafficking of underage girls. Ghislaine Maxwell, currently serving a 20-year sentence, is set to be questioned by both the US Department of Justice and Congress about her ties to Jeffrey Epstein and potential accomplices in his sex trafficking network. Her lawyer has said that she is willing to cooperate and "will testify truthfully."
