Rudolf Elmer | |
|---|---|
 Rudolf Elmer on 5 June 2021 in Geneva at the inauguration of the sculpture | |
| Born | 11 November 1955 Zürich, Switzerland |
| Nationality | Swiss |
| Occupations |
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| Employer(s) | Julius Bär, 1980s–2002 |
| Known for | Disclosing confidential banking information to WikiLeaks in 2008 in violation of Swiss banking secrecy laws |
| Criminal penalty | 2-year probation and 9,500 euro fine |
Rudolf Elmer (born 1 November 1955) is a Swiss private banker, whistleblower, and activist. He worked as a banker at Julius Bär from the 1980s to his dismissal in 2002. At this time, he was head of the bank's Caribbean operations for eight years. In 2005 he was arrested by Zürich authorities and held for 30 days as Swiss authorities alleged he unsuccessfully attempted to disclose client information .
In 2008, Elmer allegedly disclosed confidential bank documents to WikiLeaks detailing the activities of Julius Bär in the Cayman Islands and its role in alleged tax evasion. In January 2011, he was convicted in Switzerland of breaching the country's secrecy laws. He was rearrested immediately thereafter for having again distributed illegally obtained data to WikiLeaks. Julius Bär as well as select Swiss and German newspapers alleges that Elmer has doctored evidence to suggest the bank engaged in tax evasion.