History of Ghislaine Maxwell in Timeline

Ghislaine Maxwell is a British former socialite convicted in 2021 of child sex trafficking and other offenses related to Jeffrey Epstein. She was sentenced to 20 years in prison in the United States.

Sections (5)

Full Timeline Early Life & Education Career & Achievements Challenges & Struggles Controversies & Scandals

December 1961: Ghislaine Maxwell Born

Ghislaine Noelle Marion Maxwell was born in December 1961. She is a British former socialite and convicted child sex offender.

Others born on this day/year

1967: Brother's Death

In 1967, Ghislaine Maxwell's brother Michael died after being in a prolonged coma since a car accident two days after Ghislaine was born.

1973: Computers Installed at Headington

In 1973, Ghislaine Maxwell's father installed computers at Headington, and her first job was training to use a Wang 2200 and later programming code.

1985: Graduation from Balliol College, Oxford

In 1985, Ghislaine Maxwell earned a degree in Modern History with Languages from Balliol College, Oxford.

1986: Yacht Named in Honour

In 1986, Robert Maxwell invited Ghislaine to the naming of his new yacht, the Lady Ghislaine, in her honour.

November 1990: Delivery of Envelope in New York

In November 1990, Ghislaine Maxwell flew to New York City to deliver an envelope on her father's behalf, which was unknowingly part of a plot to steal from Berlitz shareholders.

January 1991: Ghislaine Sent to New York City as Emissary

After Robert Maxwell purchased the New York Daily News in January 1991, he sent Ghislaine to New York City to act as his emissary, providing her entry into the Manhattan social scene.

May 1991: Business Trip to New York with Father

In May 1991, Ghislaine Maxwell and her father took the Concorde on business to New York, where he then departed for Moscow, leaving her to represent his interests at an event honouring Simon Wiesenthal.

November 1991: Robert Maxwell's Death

In November 1991, Robert Maxwell's body was found floating in the sea near the Canary Islands. Ghislaine Maxwell later attended his funeral in Jerusalem.

1991: Move to United States

Ghislaine Maxwell moved to the United States in 1991, shortly after her father's death.

1991: Death of Robert Maxwell

In 1991, Ghislaine Maxwell's father, Robert Maxwell, passed away, leading her to move to New York City.

June 1992: Arrest of Maxwell's Brothers

On June 19, 1992, two of Ghislaine Maxwell's brothers, Ian and Kevin, were arrested and charged with fraud related to the Mirror Group pension scandal.

November 1992: Move to New York City

In November 1992, Ghislaine Maxwell moved to New York City after experiencing social discomfort due to her father's pension fraud, purchasing a one-way Concorde ticket.

1992: Epstein's 'Main Girlfriend'

In a 2009 deposition, it was testified that Jeffrey Epstein referred to Ghislaine Maxwell as his "main girlfriend" who also hired, fired, and supervised his staff, starting around 1992.

February 1993: Association with Epstein

Ghislaine Maxwell and Jeffrey Epstein were associated with each other by February 1993.

1994: Intimate Relationship with Epstein

From 1994 to 1997, Ghislaine Maxwell and Jeffrey Epstein were engaged in an intimate relationship.

1994: Jane Testifies About Abuse at Summer Arts Camp

In 1994, a victim presented as "Jane" testified that Ghislaine Maxwell and Jeffrey Epstein preyed upon her while she attended summer arts camp, where they operated a pyramid scheme to exploit vulnerable girls.

1995: Cruise with Epstein

In 1995, Ghislaine Maxwell and Jeffrey Epstein were guests of honor on a cruise organized by Lindsay Fox.

1995: Ghislaine Corporation Founded

In 1995, Jeffrey Epstein renamed one of his companies the Ghislaine Corporation, based in Palm Beach, Florida, US.

January 1996: Acquittal of Maxwell's Brothers

In January 1996, Ghislaine Maxwell's brothers, Ian and Kevin, were acquitted of fraud charges related to the Mirror Group pension scandal.

1996: Arrest for Drink-Driving

In 1996, Ghislaine Maxwell was arrested for drink-driving, and her occupation was reported as "internet operative".

1997: Intimate Relationship with Epstein

From 1994 to 1997, Ghislaine Maxwell and Jeffrey Epstein were engaged in an intimate relationship.

1997: Maxwell's Belief about Father's Death

In 1997, Ghislaine Maxwell publicly stated her belief that her father was murdered and did not commit suicide.

1998: Ghislaine Corporation Dissolved

In 1998, the Ghislaine Corporation, a company renamed by Jeffrey Epstein in 1995, was dissolved.

1999: Recruitment of Jane Doe 3

In January 2015, details of a civil lawsuit were made public, containing a deposition from "Jane Doe 3" accusing Ghislaine Maxwell of recruiting her in 1999 to provide sexual services for Jeffrey Epstein.

2000: Romantic Link to Prince Andrew

Andrew Lownie claims that Ghislaine Maxwell was romantically linked to Prince Andrew for a few years around 2000.

2000: Party at Sandringham House

In 2000, Ghislaine Maxwell and Jeffrey Epstein attended a party thrown by Prince Andrew at the Queen's Sandringham House estate in Norfolk.

2000: Maxwell Moved into New York City Townhouse

In 2000, Ghislaine Maxwell moved into a 7,000-square-foot townhouse on East 65th Street, New York City.

January 2001: Article by Nigel Rosser

A 22 January 2001 article reported that friends of Jeffrey Epstein said Ghislaine Maxwell "remains desperate to marry Epstein."

2003: Maxwell Compiles Scrapbook

In 2003, Ghislaine Maxwell compiled a scrapbook that included a congratulatory 50th birthday letter to Jeffrey Epstein from Donald Trump.

2003: Vanity Fair Profile on Epstein

In a 2003 Vanity Fair profile on Jeffrey Epstein, the author Vicky Ward said Epstein referred to Ghislaine Maxwell as "my best friend".

2007: Maxwell Living in Massachusetts

Since 2007, Ghislaine Maxwell had been living in Manchester-by-the-Sea, Massachusetts, in the home of Scott G. Borgerson.

2008: Epstein's Conviction

In 2008, Jeffrey Epstein was convicted of soliciting a minor for prostitution.

2009: Epstein's 'Main Girlfriend'

In a 2009 deposition, it was testified that Jeffrey Epstein referred to Ghislaine Maxwell as his "main girlfriend" who also hired, fired, and supervised his staff, starting around 1992.

2010: Attended Chelsea Clinton's Wedding

In 2010, Ghislaine Maxwell attended the wedding of Chelsea Clinton as Ted Waitt's guest.

2011: Relationship Ended With Ted Waitt

In late 2010 or early 2011, Ghislaine Maxwell's relationship with Ted Waitt ended.

2012: Maxwell Founded TerraMar Project

In 2012, Ghislaine Maxwell founded the TerraMar Project, a nonprofit organization that advocated for ocean protection.

2013: Maxwell Accompanied Stuart Beck to United Nations Meetings

In 2013, Ghislaine Maxwell accompanied Stuart Beck, a TerraMar board member, to two United Nations meetings to discuss the project.

2013: Guest at Clinton Global Initiative

In 2013, Ghislaine Maxwell was an honored guest at the Clinton Global Initiative conference.

2014: Maxwell Gave TED Talk

In 2014, Ghislaine Maxwell gave a TED talk at TEDx Charlottesville for TerraMar.

January 2015: Civil Lawsuit Details Made Public

2015: Retreat from Social Functions

By late 2015, Ghislaine Maxwell had largely retreated from attending social functions.

2015: Maxwell Lied Under Oath

During a civil suit in 2015, Ghislaine Maxwell lied under oath about Jeffrey Epstein's abuse of underage girls.

2015: Maxwell Denies Allegations

In 2015, Ghislaine Maxwell rejected allegations that she had acted as a procurer for Jeffrey Epstein and denied facilitating Prince Andrew's alleged acts of sexual abuse.

2015: Giuffre Sues Maxwell for Defamation

In 2015, Virginia Giuffre sued Ghislaine Maxwell for defamation in federal court in the Southern District of New York.

April 2016: Sale of Maxwell's Townhouse

In April 2016, Ghislaine Maxwell's townhouse was sold for US$15 million.

2016: Marriage to Borgerson

In 2016, Ghislaine Maxwell married Scott Borgerson.

May 2017: Settlement in Giuffre's Favor

In May 2017, Ghislaine Maxwell settled a defamation lawsuit in Virginia Giuffre's favor, paying her "millions".

2018: Exposé by Julie K. Brown

A 2018 exposé by Julie K. Brown in the Miami Herald revealed Jane Doe 3 to be Virginia Giuffre, who accused Ghislaine Maxwell of introducing her to Jeffrey Epstein.

July 2019: TerraMar Project Ceases Operations

In July 2019, the TerraMar Project, a non-profit founded by Ghislaine Maxwell, ceased operations after sex trafficking allegations arose against Jeffrey Epstein.

July 2019: TerraMar Project Announced Closure

On July 12, 2019, The TerraMar Project, founded by Ghislaine Maxwell, announced its closure, shortly after the charges of sex trafficking against Jeffrey Epstein became public.

August 2019: Reports Surface of Maxwell Living in Massachusetts

In August 2019, reports surfaced that Ghislaine Maxwell had been living since 2007 in Manchester-by-the-Sea, Massachusetts, in the home of Scott G. Borgerson.

August 2019: Photos Published of Maxwell Dining in Los Angeles

In August 2019, the New York Post published photographs of Ghislaine Maxwell dining at a fast-food restaurant in Los Angeles, claiming that she was "hiding in plain sight". The photos were later proven to have been taken at a meeting with Maxwell's friend and lawyer Leah Saffian.

September 2019: Application for Terramar (UK) Closure

In September 2019, an application was made on September 4 for the United Kingdom organisation, Terramar (UK), to be closed, with the first notice in The London Gazette made on September 17, 2019.

November 2019: Prince Andrew's BBC Interview

In a November 2019 interview with the BBC, Prince Andrew said that he and Ghislaine Maxwell had known each other since she was an undergraduate at Oxford.

December 2019: Terramar (UK) Officially Dissolved

On December 3, 2019, the company Terramar (UK) was listed as officially dissolved.

2019: Association with Epstein until his death

Ghislaine Maxwell remained closely associated with Jeffrey Epstein for more than 25 years until his death in 2019.

2019: Moved to Remote Property in New Hampshire

In late 2019, Ghislaine Maxwell moved to a remote 156-acre property in Bradford, New Hampshire.

July 2020: Arrest and Charges by US Federal Government

In July 2020, Ghislaine Maxwell was arrested by the US Federal Bureau of Investigation and charged with enticement of minors and sex trafficking of underage girls related to her association with Jeffrey Epstein.

July 2020: Maxwell's Arrest

In July 2020, Ghislaine Maxwell was arrested.

October 2020: Borgerson Stepped Down as CEO

In October 2020, due to the publicity surrounding Ghislaine Maxwell, Scott G. Borgerson stepped down as CEO of CargoMetrics.

December 2020: Revelation of Marriage to Borgerson

In December 2020, it emerged that Ghislaine Maxwell had married Scott Borgerson in 2016.

March 2021: Delay of First Trial

In March 2021, new charges were added, and Maxwell's defense lawyers successfully argued that they did not have enough time to prepare for trial, leading to a delay of the first trial until November 29, 2021.

April 2021: Judge Nathan Ruled Maxwell Would Face Two Separate Trials

In April 2021, US District Judge Alison Nathan ruled that Ghislaine Maxwell would face two separate trials: one for sex trafficking charges and another for perjury.

November 2021: Maxwell Appears in Court and Trial Commences

In November 2021, Ghislaine Maxwell appeared in court. The trial commenced on November 29, 2021, with opening statements. Twelve jurors and six alternates were selected from a pool of forty to sixty people.

December 2021: Conviction on Multiple Counts

In December 2021, Ghislaine Maxwell was convicted on five out of six counts, including sex trafficking of a minor.

December 2021: Twitter Account Suspended and Jury Sitting Times Extended

In early December 2021, Twitter suspended the account "@TrackerTrial", an account monitoring Maxwell's trial. On December 28, 2021, due to rising COVID-19 infections, Judge Nathan extended the jury's sitting times to mitigate the risk of a mistrial.

December 2021: Maxwell Convicted on Sex Trafficking Charges

On December 29, 2021, Ghislaine Maxwell was convicted by a jury on five sex trafficking-related counts, facing a potential sentence of up to 65 years. She was acquitted on one charge, and her family initiated the appeal process.

2021: Conviction for Child Sex Trafficking

In 2021, Ghislaine Maxwell was found guilty of child sex trafficking and other offenses related to Jeffrey Epstein.

February 2022: Prosecutors Respond to Petition for New Trial

On February 4, 2022, following a petition for a new trial, prosecutors told the judge that Ghislaine Maxwell's arguments for a retrial must be "publicly docketed"; the judge said that the reasons for making the submission under seal must be made public.

April 2022: Judge Dismisses Maxwell's Request for Retrial

On April 1, 2022, the judge dismissed Ghislaine Maxwell's request for a retrial, which was based on a juror's failure to disclose their own history of sexual abuse during jury selection.

June 2022: Maxwell Sentenced to 20 Years in Prison

On June 28, 2022, Ghislaine Maxwell was sentenced to 20 years in prison for her role in the sex trafficking scheme with Jeffrey Epstein.

July 2022: Maxwell Appealed Conviction and Transferred to Federal Prison

In July 2022, Ghislaine Maxwell appealed her conviction on July 7. On July 25, 2022, Maxwell was transferred from Metropolitan Detention Center, Brooklyn, to Federal Correction Institution, Tallahassee.

August 2022: Former Lawyers Sue Maxwell for Unpaid Legal Fees

In August 2022, Ghislaine Maxwell's former lawyers sued her, alleging that she failed to pay $878,000 in legal fees.

2023: Income from Trust Fund

In 1992, Ghislaine Maxwell had an annual income of £80,000, which is equivalent to £216,935 in 2023, from a trust fund established by her father.

September 2024: Maxwell's Convictions and Sentence Upheld

On September 17, 2024, three judges at the US Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit upheld Ghislaine Maxwell's five convictions and sentence.

2024: Todd Blanche Defended Trump

In 2024, Todd Blanche defended Donald Trump. Later, in 2025, he was appointed by Trump in his inaugural cleansing of the US Department of Justice.

April 2025: Lawyer Asks Supreme Court to Hear Appeal

In April 2025, Ghislaine Maxwell's lawyer, David Oscar Markus, asked the Supreme Court to hear an appeal. He also made a new filing in the case the business day after her prison interview with deputy attorney general Todd Blanche.

April 2025: Giuffre's Death

Virginia Giuffre's family reported that she committed suicide on 25 April 2025, at her farm in Australia, at the age of 41.

July 2025: Maxwell Subpoenaed and Interviewed

In July 2025, James Comer of the US House Committee on Oversight and Accountability subpoenaed Ghislaine Maxwell to testify under oath. She answered on July 29 through her lawyer and demanded immunity from further prosecution. US Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche interviewed Maxwell on July 24 and 25, 2025.

August 2025: Release of Transcripts and Recordings

On August 22, 2025, the US Department of Justice released transcripts and recordings of interviews with Ghislaine Maxwell.

September 2025: Controversy Over Maxwell's Prison Transfer

In September 2025, Joseph Schnitt was caught on video claiming that Ghislaine Maxwell was transferred to a lesser-security prison. The DOJ and Schnitt responded by stating that Schnitt had no connection to the Epstein case.