According to recently released U.S. Justice Department records, Swiss banking group UBS began providing financial services to Ghislaine Maxwell in 2014, shortly after another major bank ended its relationship with Jeffrey Epstein. The documents indicate that UBS managed accounts linked to Maxwell that collectively held up to $19 million in the years before her arrest and conviction.
The records, which include emails and account statements, show that UBS opened both personal and business accounts for Maxwell. These were used for everyday expenses as well as for several entities connected to her, including charitable and commercial ventures. By early 2014, one of her accounts reportedly held close to $2 million.
Correspondence included in the release suggests UBS staff reviewed documentation provided by Maxwell and continued processing the account transfer while requesting additional information. Over time, Maxwell instructed the bank to move funds between accounts and to make payments, including a multi-million-dollar transfer in 2016 related to her marriage that year.
Documents also show that after Jeffrey Epstein’s arrest in July 2019, UBS processed transactions at Maxwell’s request, including moving funds to cover credit card expenses. The following month, UBS received a grand jury subpoena related to Maxwell and provided information on certain wire transfers to U.S. authorities, according to a letter included in the file.
The records further indicate that UBS assigned relationship managers to Maxwell and offered services typically provided to high-net-worth clients, such as investment access and account management. Some materials suggest the bank conducted due diligence before accepting her as a client, though details of that process are not fully disclosed in the documents.
There is no finding of wrongdoing by UBS or its employees referenced in the released materials. The bank has not commented publicly on the specifics of the relationship, and legal representatives for Maxwell have also declined to respond.
Maxwell was arrested in 2020 and convicted in 2021 for her role in aiding Epstein’s abuse of minors. She is currently serving a 20-year federal prison sentence.
