Short Answer
The TerraMar Project was a nonprofit ocean conservation organization founded by Ghislaine Maxwell around 2012. It obtained consultative status with the United Nations, hosted events, and gave Maxwell a platform of environmental legitimacy. It was dissolved in August 2019, days after Epstein’s arrest.
In Detail
The TerraMar Project was presented publicly as an organization focused on raising awareness of ocean protection and the idea of citizens of the world having a stake in the high seas. Maxwell founded it approximately in 2012 and used it as her primary public identity in the years following 2008, replacing her role as Epstein’s consort with one as an environmental advocate.
Structure and Activities
TerraMar organized and hosted events related to ocean conservation, participated in UN-adjacent gatherings, and gave Maxwell platforms to speak publicly on environmental themes. The organization’s website sold “citizenship” to the ocean, in a conceptual rather than legal sense. It hosted a well-attended Clinton Global Initiative event.
UN Consultative Status
TerraMar was accredited as an NGO with consultative status to the United Nations. This accreditation gave Maxwell access to UN events and gave the organization an appearance of international institutional legitimacy. Critics later noted that obtaining UN NGO status, while meaningful, is a standard process available to many organizations and does not indicate endorsement of the organization’s principals.
Funding and Finances
The funding structure and financial scale of TerraMar were never fully disclosed publicly. Maxwell’s personal wealth — accumulated partly through her relationship with Epstein — appeared to be a primary support. Whether Epstein’s money funded TerraMar directly has been a subject of scrutiny.
Dissolution
TerraMar was dissolved within days of Epstein’s July 2019 arrest. The timing made clear the organization was dependent on Maxwell’s freedom of movement and public profile. Its collapse suggested it had served as much as a personal identity project for Maxwell as an independent conservation mission.