MESOP BACKGROUNDER: The Man Who Stole World Leaders’ Secrets

BY Nico Hines  –  5 April 2016 – An anonymous source began to expose the finances of the world’s most feared and powerful men like Vladimir Putin with a single question: ‘Interested in data?’

Panama Papers Leaker: ‘I Want to Make These Crimes Public’

An anonymous source began to expose the finances of the world’s most feared and powerful men like Vladimir Putin with a single question: ‘Interested in data?’

LONDON — When an encrypted message first flashed up on Bastian Obermayer’s screen, the German investigative reporter could have no idea that he was about to receive the biggest leak of confidential material the world has ever seen.

“Hello. This is John Doe. Interested in data?” the source asked. Of course, he was.

Via an encrypted messaging service, the whistleblower continued:

There are a couple of conditions. My life is in danger.

We will only chat over encrypted files.

No meeting, ever.

Obermayer didn’t know it yet but this clandestine approach was entirely justified. The anonymous source was about to expose some of the most closely held secrets of the world’s most feared and powerful men. Pissing off Vladimir Putin, Bashar Assad or the King of Saudi Arabia individually would make a sufficiently daunting opponent, but relatives of all three of them are listed in an unprecedented leak exposing the innermost financial workings of their families. Read all http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2016/04/04/panama-papers-leaker-i-want-to-make-these-crimes-public.html?via=newsletter&source=DDAfternoon