Secret Money

Global trade in drugs, lethal weapons, refugees. Financing terrorists. Tax evasion and insider trading. Escaping financial controls and legal claims. Even keeping the ex-wife and the kids away from your money. All of these require financial secrecy to work and often involve getting and keeping money offshore. Where? Depends on finding people and institutions and countries who know how to protect financial assets and keep their mouths shut. For a price, or course. Bottom line: There is a global market in financial secrecy covering hundreds of billions in assets that can bedescribed like any other industry – some need it, others supply it, value is being created, a price is being paid, and governments are in on the chase in a constant global cat-and-mouse game. This talk outlines the dynamics and effects of financial secrecy, both good and bad, and where things seem to be headed today.

Ingo Walter is the Seymour Milstein Professor Emeritus of Finance, Corporate Governance and Ethics at New York University’s Stern School of Business. His principal areas of  research include international banking and capital markets, corporate governance and risk management. Professor Walter has authored numerous papers in professional journals covering these fields is the author, co-author or editor of 27 books, most recently Global Asset Management (London:Palgrave Macmillan, 2014). He earned his undergraduate degree summa cum laude at Lehigh University and received his PhD degree from New York University.

Dean Yuxin Chen, Business at NYU Shanghai, will be introducing Ingo Walter.