Wealth International, Limited

Offshore News Digest for Week of February 4, 2002


ENRON CREATES OFFSHORE POLITICAL STORM

"The villain here is not just Enron; It's also the tax code that drives business offshore," said Robert Bauman, a former U.S. congressman and an advocate for offshore investing.

More on this story here.

ENRON AND THE CAYMAN ISLANDS

A revealing look inside a major Cayman Islands law firm; how US business saves on taxes in legally guaranteed privacy.

More on this story here and here.

DELAWARE: AMERICA'S OWN 'OFFSHORE' HAVEN

Enron Corp. has a network of 2,000 subsidiaries in 23 states and 62 countries. But the largest number of Enron subsidiaries (685), are in Delaware, where creation & care of corporations is big business.

More on this story here.

BRITISH LABOUR CAUGHT UP IN ENRON MESS

Arthur Andersen wrote Blair's tax policies; Enron gave Labour cash.

More on this story here and here.

BERMUDA IMAGE HURT BY ENRON FALLOUT

Enron's captive insurer goes into bankruptcy here and locals worry about tarnishing the island's corporate image as other companies also fail.

More on this story here and here.

A LOVE LETTER TO BERMUDA

A long time resident defends his island, giving you lots of facts and opinion.

More on this story here.

MORE EVIDENCE OF BAHAMAS DECLINE

NASSAU. Citibank pulls out of the islands, closes VISA services.

More on this story here.

B.V.I. CONCERNS ABOUT U.S. TAX INFO ACCORD

British Virgin Islands offshore providers are worried about a possible tax information exchange treaty with the United States.

More on this story here.

U.K. GOVERNMENT ACCUSED OF GIBRALTAR SELLOUT

Foreign Office threatens tax haven status, subsidies. Conservatives hit Blair over plans to surrender sovereignty over The Rock to Spain.

More on this story here and here and here.

HONG KONG DEFICIT CRISIS LOOMS

Status as an offshore haven in doubt unless government acts.

More on this story here.

VIVA MACAU!

40 miles west of Hong Kong, Macau may be the next Las Vegas.

More on this story here.

WHY SECOND PASSPORTS CAN BE VERY USEFUL

An American's unsettling experience in the Philippines dramatically shows why a second passport can be very useful when abroad.

More on this story here.

OFFSHORE INDEX FUNDS DOING WELL

The case for international stock index funds gets stronger.

More on this story here.

WEALTHY FAMILY HEDGE FUND

BALTIMORE. After investing for his own family for years, Meyerhoff is eager to unveil his hedge fund strategy to outside investors.

More on this story here.

BETTING THAT GOLD WILL RISE AGAIN

Two mining investors amassed a $235 million fortune as metals prices tumbled. Now they're betting that gold will rise again.

More on this story here.

HOW TO HANDLE ASSETS IN A DIVORCE

Plan ahead and choose your jurisdictions carefully.

More on this story here.

WAY AHEAD OF THEM

US accounting firms say now, post-Enron, they will avoid conflicts of interest your editor exposed five years ago.

More on this story here.

The Truth About the Big Five Accounting Firms, Bob Bauman, (1998)

More on this story here.

U.S. SENATOR QUESTIONS U.N. WORLD TAX AGENDA

Sen. Bob Smith (R-NH) wants Bush administration assurances against a global revenue plan on the UN agenda at a Mexican conference next month.

More on this story here.

BRITISH FINANCIAL WOES GROW

UK banks are losing business to offshore private banks.

More on this story here and here.

Number of Brit millionaires declines 1.4%.

More on this story here.

UK adoption of the euro may mean forced tax increases.

More on this story here.

CANADA REVENUE TARGETS TAXPAYERS

Thousands of new tax collectors hired to dun Canadians.

More on this story here.

WHO CARES ABOUT DAVOS IN NEW YORK?

If you do, FT offers you a website on the pompous World Economic Forum.

More on this story here.

PHANTOM OFFSHORE TRUST FRAUD

A thousand US investors might lose $700 million in Ponzi scheme.

More on this story here.

GOVERNMENT OF MEN, NOT OF LAWS

Noted offshore asset protection attorney Denis KLEINFELD explains the real threats from US law enforcement in the wake of 9/11 laws.

More on this story here.

FREEDOM TO FLY MAY MEAN PRIVACY SURRENDER

Yet another feel-good, Rube Goldberg plan that will force airline users to bare their souls, while terrorists still go free.

More on this story here.

BELIZE ENDS ECONOMIC PASSPORTS

BELIZE CITY. The government terminates its sale of economic passports to non-nationals because of concerns about abuse.

More on this story here.

LORD ASHCROFT MEMOS SPUR U.K. LAW REPEAL

A leading investor in Belize turns UK laws against his Labour tormentors, who now want to repeal the law he used.

More on this story here.

PANAMA'S TOUGH NEW DIRTY CASH LAW

PANAMA CITY. Under pressure to clean up its banking sector, Panama cracks down with a new anti-money laundering law.

More on this story here.

COSTA RICAN ELECTION PROBLEMS

A badly split electorate faces major choices; but Libertarians win.

More on this story here and here.

U.K. LABOUR STICKS IT TO GIBRALTAR

Change or else Blair's colonial boys tell The Rock.

More on this story here.

LIECHTENSTEIN MONEY LAUNDERING CASES DOUBLE

VADUZ. More than twice as many dirty case prosecutions last year,

More on this story here.

AUSTRIA LEADS EUROPE MOVE RIGHT

VIENNA. Jorg Haider and his Freedom Party are still going strong.

More on this story here.

F.A.T.F. TARGETS NAURU

The Financial Action Task Force singles out this tiny Pacific island.

More on this story here.

BANK REGULATOR SHAKES UP SWISS SCENE

BERNE. Official wants to cooperate with US SEC insider investigations.

More on this story here.

BRITISH SUPPORT FOR EURO SLIPS MORE

LONDON. They just don't like Europe's new funny money.

More on this story here.

OFFSHORE SECTOR WELCOMES BARBADOS DECISION

Finally the OECD capitulates and strikes a name from the blacklist.

More on this story here.

U.S. MILLIONAIRES DOUBLE IN NUMBER

But the rich still pay most of the taxes.

More on this story here.
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