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Who was Robert Maxwell? Ghislaine Maxwell's father, who had alleged ties with KGB and Mossad

Ghislaine Maxwell's father, Robert Maxwell, was a powerful media mogul with alleged ties to intelligence agencies.

Published on: Jul 24, 2025, 17:35:35 IST
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Ghislaine Maxwell, the notorious associate of Jeffrey Epstein, father, Robert Maxwell, influenced her world even though he had relationships with MI6, KGB, and Mossad.

Ghislaine Maxwell, daughter of late British publisher Robert Maxwell, reads a statement expressing her family's gratitude to Spanish authorities after the recovery of his body, Nov. 7, 1991, in Tenerife, Spain. (AP Photo/Dominique Mollard, File) (AFP)
Ghislaine Maxwell, daughter of late British publisher Robert Maxwell, reads a statement expressing her family's gratitude to Spanish authorities after the recovery of his body, Nov. 7, 1991, in Tenerife, Spain. (AP Photo/Dominique Mollard, File) (AFP)

Who is Robert Maxwell?

Maxwell was born into a poor Jewish family in Czechoslovakia and was lucky to avoid the horror of the Holocaust and later make it to Britain. He made an impressive niche in his writings and media world, and secondly in politics.

His academic publishing house, Pergamon Press, became a staple in American schools, though critics noted its textbooks had a clear pro-Israel tilt. Reflection of Maxwell’s Zionist beliefs?

In 1984, he bought the Daily Mirror and turned it into one of Britain’s leading tabloids.

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Maxwell controlled an empire that included Maxwell Communication Corporation, Macmillan, Pergamon, and numerous other publishing interests.

Interestingly, he was photographed alongside Queen Elizabeth, Princess Diana, Margaret Thatcher, and US Presidents George H. W. Bush and Donald Trump.

However, British officials reportedly suspected him of being more than just a powerful media baron. Whispers within the UK Foreign Office linked Maxwell to MI6, the Soviet KGB, and Israel’s Mossad, working as a triple agent. He was said to have moved seamlessly between Washington, Moscow, and Jerusalem, trading information and influence.

Robert Maxwell linked to PROMIS spyware scandal

The worst claims involve him in the PROMIS software scandal. Promis is originally a US Department of Justice tool that was reportedly backdoor implanted by Israeli intelligence and sold to the rest of the world so that foreign intelligence could monitor it on a large scale.

Former Israeli spy Ari Ben-Menashe claimed that ‘Robert Maxwell’ was the one who helped sell the doctored version of PROMIS to unsuspecting governments and corporations.

Maxwell’s power began to unravel in the early 1990s. It was discovered that he had raided £460 million from the Mirror Group’s pension fund, money meant for his employees, to keep his collapsing empire afloat. The British public branded him “Robber Bob.” His sons Ian and Kevin were later charged with fraud but were acquitted.

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On 5 November 1991, Maxwell vanished from his luxury yacht, the Lady Ghislaine, off the Canary Islands. Hours later, his body was found floating in the Atlantic Ocean. Authorities ruled it a heart attack and accidental drowning. Ghislaine has maintained her belief that her father was murdered.

  • Tuhin Das Mahapatra
    ABOUT THE AUTHOR
    Tuhin Das Mahapatra

    Tuhin Das Mahapatra is a key member of the US Team at Hindustan Times, crafting compelling narratives on politics, US visa, Hollywood, esports, anime, and beyond. This erudite literature student, if not penning down a narrative with his modest yet trusty pen, is deeply contemplating 'what the purpose of journalism is?Read More

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