The Laundromat

In 'The Laundromat', the Pulitzer Prize winning investigative reporter Jake Bernstein explores the hidden circulatory system that flows beneath the surface of global finance, carrying trillions of dollars from drug trafficking, tax evasion, bribery, and other illegal enterprises, while masking the identities of the individuals who benefit from these activities. Drawing on millions of leaked documents from the files of the Panamanian law firm Mossack Fonseca—a trove now known as the Panama Papers—as well as first-hand reporting from the Caribbean, Latin America, and Europe, Bernstein shows how shell companies operate, how they allow the uberwealthy and celebrities to escape taxes, and how they provide cover for illicit activities on a massive scale. He also recounts how Mossack Fonseca was finally exposed and what lies ahead for the corporations, banks, law firms, individuals, and governments that are implicated. 'The Laundromat' offers a disturbing and sobering view of how this world really works and raises crucial questions about the financial and legal institutions implicated in it.