The story of Portcullis TrustNet and its birthplace — the Cook Islands — is in many ways the story of the offshore system itself.
It’s a largely invisible world, a curious blend of the parochial and the global that’s made up of the minor personalities and politics inside each offshore jurisdiction — many with populations no larger than a small town.
But by establishing special zones, these tiny provinces have changed the face of international finance and business and impacted law enforcement, tax policies and political and economic transparency across the planet.
The Tax Justice Network, an international advocacy group opposed to tax havens, estimates that about one third of all world wealth is held offshore, and about half of all world trade flows through there.
TrustNet, now headquartered in Singapore and with branch offices in 16 other locations, describes itself as a “one-stop shop,” employing lawyers and accountants who help “high net worth” clients manage their money and business activities.
In this they are not alone: there are dozens of other so-called offshore service providers.
Click through to ICIJ.org to continue reading.
MORE IN THIS SERIES
- François Hollande’s Campaign Treasurer’s Investments in the Cayman Islands
- Caribbean Go-Between Provided Shelter for Far-Away Frauds, Documents Show
- Philippine Government to Probe Marcos Daughter’s Offshore Trust
- Deutsche Bank Helped Customers Maintain Hundreds of Offshore Entities
- Who Uses the Offshore World
- Elites Undermine Putin Rail Against Tax Havens
- Ponzi Scheme Used Offshore Hideaways To Shuffle Investors’ Money
- Taxmen Have Little Clue of Offshore Companies Owned by Greeks
- Map: Key Tax Haven Clients In the World
- Ferdinand Marcos’ Daughter Tied to Offshore Trust in Caribbean
- Disclosure of secret offshore documents may force top Mongolian lawmaker to resign
- How ICIJ’s Project Team Analyzed the Offshore Files
- Canadian Senator's Husband Shifted Money Into Offshore Tax Havens
- Offshore companies provide link between corporate mogul and Azerbaijan’s president
- Interactive: Gunter Sachs' Offshore Network
- 'Crony' of African Strongman Among Thai Names in Secret Offshore Files
- Interactive: Stash Your Cash
- Mega-Rich Use Tax Havens to Buy and Sell Masterpieces
- Key Findings
- Secret Files Expose Offshore’s Global Impact
- About This Project: Secrecy For Sale
- Nominee Directors Linked to Intelligence, Military
- Cosmetic surgery tycoon had secret offshore company
- Britons Snapped Up Luxury Villas on Thai Island
- Post-Soviet Billionaires Invade UK ... Via British Virgin Islands
- Interactive: We Reveal Who's Buying Up Britain
- Who’s Buying Britain? Probe Reveals Real Estate Speculators Hidden By Offshore Alchemy
- One Block in London, Many Secret Owners
- Video: How To Dodge Tax
- Front Men Disguise the Offshore Game's Real Players
- ‘Fatal Blow’ Against Sham Corporate Directors Not So Fatal After All
- Meet the Queen of Nevis
- British Virgin Islands Well-Known for Sunny Beaches – and Strict Secrecy
- How the nominee trick works
- Inside the shell: Drugs, arms and tax scams