The Event
On November 5, 1991, Robert Maxwell’s body was found floating in the Atlantic Ocean near the Canary Islands. He had been traveling on his yacht, named Lady Ghislaine after his daughter. He was 68 years old.
The Investigation
Spanish authorities conducted a post-mortem. The initial finding was accidental drowning. However, questions about the manner of death including whether he could have been pushed, or killed himself have persisted for decades.
The Body’s Condition
The condition of Maxwell’s body and the circumstances were unusual enough that multiple inquests and post-mortems were conducted. Some physicians concluded he had a heart attack; others found evidence consistent with accidental drowning.
What Followed
Within days of Maxwell’s death, the extraordinary scale of his fraud became clear. He had stolen approximately million from pension funds of his companies primarily Mirror Group Newspapers. Thousands of workers lost pension benefits.
Impact on Ghislaine
The death was catastrophic for Ghislaine. She lost her father, her primary source of social status, and faced a highly public scandal. She moved to New York, where Jeffrey Epstein became her new social and financial anchor.