Case Study: ICIJ uncovers Swiss Leaks and transforms investigative journalism with Neo4j

How the ICIJ Used Graph Database Technology to Uncover the Swiss Leaks Story

The International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ) faced an enormous data challenge when journalists gained access to the HSBC Swiss Leaks—tens of thousands of scattered files detailing over 100,000 clients and $100 billion in accounts across 200+ countries. The complexity and unstructured nature of the material made manual analysis impossible, and the team needed a way for non-technical reporters worldwide to explore relationships and follow the money without relying on data specialists.

ICIJ transformed the dataset into a graph using Neo4j (with Talend for import) and Linkurious for visual exploration, enabling reporters to quickly see connections between people, accounts and countries. The solution made complex queries intuitive, unlocked dozens of fraud, corruption and tax-evasion leads, supported global collaboration and major news coverage, and became a core tool for ICIJ’s large-scale investigations.

ICIJ

Mar Cabra

Editor