Impact
ICIJ has redefined what investigative journalism looks like in the 21st century. We have repeatedly conducted journalistic collaborations so big, so visionary and so aspirational that they are unlike any others in history.
Our Offshore Leaks, Panama Papers, Paradise Papers and FinCEN Files investigations were the biggest cross-border journalism projects ever. They have shaken the establishment and led to public protests, to multiple arrests, sweeping legal reform, and official inquiries in more than 70 countries, and to the resignations of the leaders of Pakistan, Iceland and Malta after allegations of corruption.
We helped bring about the Corporate Transparency Act in the United States, hailed as the biggest anti-corruption measure since the Patriot Act of 2001. Our work has also been credited for helping bring more than 130 countries together to sign a worldwide minimum tax rate as a measure to stop giant corporations avoiding their responsibilities.
Sep 13, 2023
IRS investigating sanctioned Russian oligarchs’ use of South Dakota trusts, agent says
The agency has dedicated a team to uncovering oligarchs’ assets stashed in South Dakota’s secretive trusts, which ICIJ’s Pandora Papers revealed are popular with bad actors seeking to anonymously hide wealth.
Sep 12, 2023
Lindemann family returns 33 long-sought ancient statues to Cambodia
Billionaire George Lindemann showcased his collection of Khmer treasures and passed them on to his children. But investigations by ICIJ and others traced many of his prized antiquities back to pillaged sacred sites.
Sep 07, 2023
Ukrainian oligarch sanctioned following the FinCEN Files investigation arrested in Ukraine
The pretrial detention of banking and media tycoon Ihor Kolomoisky comes as Ukraine pledges to root out corruption.
Jul 24, 2023
Actress Isabelle Adjani, who was named in the Panama Papers, to be tried for tax evasion
The French star is accused of concealing a hefty donation from a Senegalese businessman and using an offshore company to funnel more than 100,000 euros to an unknown beneficiary.
Jul 20, 2023
New FinCEN head appointed as concerns grow over stalled US company registry
The incoming director of the federal financial crimes unit faces an uphill battle to deliver reforms to thwart illicit money flows amid warnings the agency’s corporate ownership database is not fit for purpose.
Jul 18, 2023
French Uber Files inquiry criticizes Macron’s secret dealings with ride-hailing giant
One year after the global investigation, a parliamentary report has painted a damning picture of Uber’s early business practices and its close ties with French powerbrokers.
Jun 29, 2023
German state buys Pandora Papers data, invites authorities to investigate
Authorities in the state of Hesse have reportedly already started flagging “cases worthy of examination” in a dataset that includes more than 10 million files.
Jun 23, 2023
Family of accused antiquities trafficker agrees to pay $12 million in record settlement
Douglas Latchford’s estate agreed to forfeit the money and return a 7th-century statue. Relics tied to the accused smuggler remain in museums and private collections around the world.
Jun 21, 2023
Lawmakers urge Europe to heed Pandora Papers ‘lessons’
A newly-adopted parliamentary report on ICIJ's 2021 investigation highlighted concerning issues, from inequality in financial systems to the need to protect journalists and whistleblowers.
Jun 19, 2023
Director 'mismanagement' enabled dos Santos to illegally divert millions, Dutch court finds
The daughter of Angola’s former authoritarian president siphoned 52.6 million euros from Angola’s state oil company into a business she controlled.
Jun 13, 2023
UK tax authority clamps down on Pandora Papers tax avoiders
The agency sent letters to hundreds of people implicated in ICIJ’s 2021 investigation, calling on them to “be honest” about their offshore assets or face consequences.
Jun 05, 2023
Government probe into Canadian forestry giant intensifies as company’s owner evades public scrutiny
Paper Excellence claims to be owned by one individual. But as questions swirl about his whereabouts, Canadian lawmakers weigh their options.
May 31, 2023
Uber chief tells French lobbying inquiry company’s culture has been transformed
Dara Khosrowshahi disavowed the aggressive tactics revealed in the Uber Files but dismissed an EU plan to improve conditions for platform workers.
May 23, 2023
Seven years after the Panama Papers, the country sees a dramatic decrease in corporate registrations
A new study shows registrations going down and dissolutions going up in Panama
May 23, 2023
New Justice Department-led task force pledges global crackdown on illegal timber trade
Formed after the ICIJ’s Deforestation Inc. probe, the interagency group will coordinate with other governments to combat trafficking in wood linked to environmental crimes and human rights abuses.
May 12, 2023
Malaysian environmental auditing scheme under scrutiny for ignoring labor violations
The revelations mirror Deforestation Inc. findings from around the world, which showed how auditing firms hired as environmental verifiers often ignore or fail to identify serious transgressions by their clients.
May 11, 2023
In response to scandals and stolen art seizures, the Met plans to scour its own collections for looted artifacts
The museum’s plan includes hiring a four-person team — led by a new “manager of provenance” — to root out suspect works among the Met’s many treasures with a view to returning them.
Apr 24, 2023
EU bans import of deforestation-linked goods
The new law requires companies to obtain "due diligence" statements before bringing products into Europe.
Apr 11, 2023
U.S. Treasury faces a wave of criticism over faltering push to unmask anonymous companies and track dirty money
Transparency activists warn that delays to U.S. reforms designed to thwart illicit money flows have grave global implications.
Apr 03, 2023
How the Panama Papers rocked pop culture
Band names, dozens of song titles, a racehorse and even cigarette rolling papers. Seven years on, the ICIJ-led reporting collaboration that sparked a global political earthquake continues to show up in surprising ways.
Apr 03, 2023
Where are the key Panama Papers figures, seven years later?
On the seventh anniversary of the Panama Papers, here’s an update on where some of the most pivotal figures are now, and the legacy the investigation left behind.
Mar 30, 2023
Prosecutors eye new seizures of old art at the Met
Ongoing investigations continue to show that the New York art museum is housing pieces it doesn’t have the rights to.
Mar 22, 2023
Canadian lawmakers call for probe into pulp and paper giant following Deforestation Inc. revelations
ICIJ and partners uncovered hidden links between Canada’s Paper Excellence and troubled Indonesian company Asia Pulp & Paper.
Mar 16, 2023
Key details withheld, files locked in basements as Ericsson ‘impaired’ US investigation
Court documents filed as part of the Swedish company's $206 million plea agreement reveal how Ericsson lawyers and employees withheld information from U.S. prosecutors, including details about its operations in ISIS-held areas of Iraq.
Mar 03, 2023
Ericsson agrees to $206m plea bargain with US in bribery case
U.S. prosecutors say Ericsson didn’t fully disclose evidence of possible serious misconduct in Iraq until the telecom firm learned that ICIJ and its partners were about to publish an investigation.