Bradley Birkenfeld

Bradley Birkenfeld is a pivotal figure in the world of financial whistleblowing, known for exposing a massive tax evasion scheme orchestrated by the Swiss bank UBS. His actions led to a significant blow against Swiss banking secrecy and resulted in the recovery of billions in unpaid taxes.

An American private banker working for UBS in Switzerland, Birkenfeld became aware that the bank was actively helping wealthy clients hide assets to evade. In 2007, he decided to disclose this illegal practice to the U.S. government.

Birkenfeld’s detailed information provided to the Department of Justice (DOJ), the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), and other government agencies was instrumental in building a case against UBS. His disclosures revealed the systematic methods used by the bank to help thousands of American clients conceal their wealth in secret offshore accounts.

The consequences of his whistleblowing were far-reaching. In 2009, UBS entered into a deferred prosecution agreement, admitting to conspiring to defraud the United States. The bank paid a hefty $780 million fine and, in an unprecedented move that shattered the foundations of Swiss banking secrecy, agreed to turn over the names of thousands of clients with undeclared accounts. This led to the U.S. government recovering billions of dollars in unpaid taxes.

Under the IRS tax evasion whistleblower law Birkenfeld obtained a record-breaking $104 million award – becoming the first whistleblower in history to be paid $100 million in consideration of his sacrifices and the invaluable information he revealed.  His case highlights the profound impact a single individual can have in challenging institutional wrongdoing, as well as the personal risks often associated with whistleblowing.