Claim Every name in the Papers is a criminal.
Timeline beat 2014–15 — Files reach Süddeutsche
Many offshore structures are legal. The files show use of a firm. Courts decide offences.
Darker cells mean a higher score for this topic on that metric.
Notoriety90
Mystery28
Scale92
Evidence85
Legal impact78
Culture82
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Last reviewed Sources & creditsMedia creditsMethodology
Quick answers
What are the Panama Papers?
A 2016 journalistic publication of 11.5 million files from the Panamanian firm Mossack Fonseca, coordinated by ICIJ and more than a hundred outlets after Süddeutsche Zeitung received the cache from a source called John Doe. Stories began on 3 April 2016.
Was every name in the files a criminal?
No. Many offshore companies are legal. The leak showed who used Mossack Fonseca's services. Some later faced tax or corruption cases; many did not. Appearance in the files is not, by itself, a conviction.
Who is John Doe?
The still-anonymous source who delivered the files to Süddeutsche Zeitung. A later manifesto argued that inequality justified the leak. ICIJ has not publicly identified the person. Mystery in this atlas is about that identity, not about whether the files existed.
Which leaders fell?
Iceland's Sigmundur Davíð Gunnlaugsson resigned in April 2016. Pakistan's Nawaz Sharif was disqualified by the Supreme Court in 2017 in a case that grew from the leak. Other countries saw ministers questioned or audits opened without a uniform result.
What happened to Mossack Fonseca?
The firm announced it would shut down in 2018 after the reputational and legal shock. Founders denied criminality. Closure of a firm is not the same as a single global judgment against every client.
Did the leak change the law?
It sped beneficial-ownership and tax-transparency projects already underway at the EU and OECD. National statutes vary. LegalImpact in this atlas is high because registers and inquiries moved, not because one treaty was named 'Panama'.
The leak's arrival at a newspaper is one private date. The public story begins on 3 April 2016.
National court dates below are examples, not a complete world docket.
Timeline
JanuaryFebruaryMarchAprilMayJuneJulyAugustSeptemberOctoberNovemberDecember
- Files reach Süddeutsche
A source calling himself John Doe delivers a massive Mossack Fonseca cache to German reporters, who bring in ICIJ.
- Consortium reporting
More than a hundred newsrooms work under embargo from a shared archive, matching names to local politics and tax files.
- Global publication
ICIJ and partners publish the first wave. 11.5 million files and a 2.6 TB scale figure enter the public vocabulary.
- Iceland resignation
Prime Minister Sigmundur Davíð Gunnlaugsson resigns after protests and a televised confrontation about an offshore company.
- Cameron questions
David Cameron faces British questions about his late father's offshore interests. He publishes tax summaries under pressure.
- National inquiries
Tax agencies and prosecutors in multiple countries open files. Outcomes range from fines to silence.
- Sharif disqualified
Pakistan's Supreme Court disqualifies Nawaz Sharif in a case that grew from the Papers — the hardest court aftershock in a large democracy.
- Pulitzer for ICIJ
The consortium's explanatory reporting wins a Pulitzer. The journalistic event is canonised in English.
- Mossack Fonseca closes
The firm shuts down. Founders continue to deny criminality. Closure is not a global client verdict.
- Later ICIJ leaks
Paradise Papers and Pandora Papers reuse the method. Panama remains the name English speakers remember first.
Claim versus timeline
Each public-record claim on this dossier sits beside the timeline chapter already on the page.
Public-record encyclopedia. Not legal advice, not a how-to, not a private file.
Claim The leak was a US intelligence operation.
Timeline beat 2015–16 — Consortium reporting
No public record establishes that. The known path is John Doe to Süddeutsche to ICIJ. Rival states have alleged plots; they have not replaced that path.
Claim Mossack Fonseca was the world's only offshore firm.
Timeline beat 3 Apr 2016 — Global publication
It was a large one. Later leaks named other intermediaries. Panama is a chapter, not the whole industry.
Claim A film is the record.
Timeline beat Apr 2016 — Iceland resignation
The Laundromat is drama. ICIJ stories and official inquiries are the file.
Beat weight marks
Mark each timeline beat already on this dossier as supported, contested or unknown, using the public-record claims already filed here. Not a verdict.
Editorial marks on this device only. Public-record encyclopedia — not legal advice, not a how-to, not a private file.
| Timeline beat | Supported / Contested / Unknown |
|---|---|
| 2014–15 — Files reach Süddeutsche Claim already on file: Every name in the Papers is a criminal. | |
| 2015–16 — Consortium reporting Claim already on file: The leak was a US intelligence operation. | |
| 3 Apr 2016 — Global publication Claim already on file: Mossack Fonseca was the world's only offshore firm. | |
| Apr 2016 — Iceland resignation Claim already on file: A film is the record. | |
| Apr 2016 — Cameron questions Claim already on file: A film is the record. | |
| 2016–17 — National inquiries Claim already on file: A film is the record. | |
| 28 Jul 2017 — Sharif disqualified Claim already on file: A film is the record. | |
| 2017 — Pulitzer for ICIJ Claim already on file: A film is the record. | |
| 2018 — Mossack Fonseca closes Claim already on file: A film is the record. | |
| 2017–21 — Later ICIJ leaks Claim already on file: A film is the record. |
After 2016 the timeline is national leftovers and sequel leaks, not one world trial.
Public-record encyclopedia. Not legal advice. Not a how-to. Graphic detail is withheld. Wars belong in a separate atlas.