Kriti Mehrotra
ABC’s ’20/20: Notorious: Ghislaine Maxwell’ is a special two-hour episode that delves deep into the elusive past of Jeffrey Epstein‘s former girlfriend and alleged co-conspirator. As Ghislaine awaits trial for the sex trafficking and grooming charges against her, this chapter chronicles her upbringing, involvement with the late financier and sex offender, and how her brother, Ian Maxwell, believes that she is innocent. With that said, we can not help but wonder more about Ian, his connection to the matter, and where he is today. And if you’re curious about the same, we’ve got you covered.
Who is Ian Maxwell?
Born to Elisabeth (née Meynard), a French scholar, and Robert Maxwell, a media mogul, in 1956 in Maisons-Laffitte, France, Ian Maxwell is the elder brother of Ghislaine Maxwell. Having relocated to Headington Hill, east of Oxford, England, in 1960, he completed his education at various schools and the renowned Oxford University before entering the business industry to make a name for himself. Ian initially joined his family’s firm, Pergamon Press, but then moved to the Prince’s Charitable Trust and Maxwell Communications Corporation, finding immense success at every step of the way.
Following Robert Maxwell’s tragic demise in late 1991, Ian was selected to be the MGN’s (Mirror Group Newspapers) Chairman. However, he resigned from both Maxwell Communications and MGN a month later, as it came to light that his father had allegedly transferred several million pounds to his own private companies without proper authority. Ian, one of his brothers, and their financial advisor were arrested in 1992, charged with conspiracy to defraud. They were all acquitted in 1996. Since then, Ian has continued to work in the industry and was, at one point, a director of 31 firms.
Where is Ian Maxwell Now?
Over the last few months, Ian Maxwell has been speaking out concerning Ghislaine’s ordeal and his worries about his sister’s welfare, who is now in federal custody in the United States of America. He not only believes that she is innocent, but he wants her to be let out on bail, especially because she is legally an American citizen and not a flight risk. “It’s a really ghastly experience,” Ian stated in March 2021. “She’s lost 20 pounds, she’s losing her hair, she can’t concentrate. She has a flashlight shone in her cell every 15 minutes during the night. So, she has no sleep of any real quality.”
As per Ian, his sister is being held in a 6 by 9 feet prison cell with nothing more than “a concrete bed and a toilet,” observed by ten cameras. “She is not allowed in the corners of her cell; she is not allowed within 2.5 feet of the cell door,” he stated to The Daily Telegraph. “These conditions, which Ghislaine has now endured … are depriving her of her health and critically the ability meaningfully to prepare her defense.” In short, Ian thinks, “The sustained brutal, degrading – and wholly unnecessary – conditions of my sister’s solitary imprisonment are a disgrace to any civilized democracy.”
To this day, Ian Maxwell is struggling to get Ghislaine out on bond before her upcoming court trial. Along with the rest of their family and her loved ones, he is trying to give the authorities assurance that his sister will stay in America if granted release. And, he is doing this all the while remaining in England to continue serving as an executive for companies and running Combating Jihadist Terrorism (CoJit), a think tank he established in 2018 with his brother, Kevin. CoJit, says the organization’s 65-year-old director, strives to understand terrorism and its root causes on a deeper level.
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