Dear Reader,

Today The Washington Post is joining news organizations around the globe to bring you the first in a series of important stories. These are the product of nearly a year of reporting at The Post focused on a vast trove of documents that expose a secretive financial universe that benefits the wealthy and powerful.

The project, known as the Pandora Papers, was conceived and organized by the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists, which obtained the records and shared them with The Post and other partners. The documents — more than 11.9 million records from 14 offshore entities, including law and wealth-management firms — illuminate a hidden world that has allowed government leaders, a monarch, billionaires and criminals to shield their assets.

Key findings from the Pandora Papers investigation

The Post decided to join this project because we felt certain that the breadth of records obtained by the ICIJ would shine a light on aspects of the international financial system that have operated with little or no oversight. A similar but narrower ICIJ investigation, known as the Panama Papers and published in 2016, revealed hidden wealth that ignited protests in several countries, forcing two world leaders from power.

The sheer scope of the records was too large for effective review by any single news organization. The partnership with the ICIJ allowed The Post, the BBC, the Guardian and others to work together in scouring the documents, validating the material and conducting the additional reporting needed to place key findings in context.

In closely examining thousands of documents over many months, The Post and its partners have found no indication of inaccuracy or that the papers’ release was targeted at any specific individual or government.

We have sought to provide every person and company identified in stories with the opportunity to review and comment on our findings. No one has challenged the authenticity of the documents. We are confident that our reporting meets The Post’s standards for accuracy and fairness. To minimize unnecessary harm to individuals and institutions, we have removed account numbers, metadata and other identifying information from documents before they are published.

The Post is proud to have taken part in reporting that has brought the Pandora Papers to light.