Max Green (lawyer) facts for kids

Max Green (born 1952) was an Australian lawyer. He passed away on March 25, 1998. He became known for taking millions of dollars that belonged to other people. Later, he was murdered in Cambodia.

The Life of Max Green

Early Years and Education

Max Green was born in London, England, in 1952. When he was five years old, his family moved to Australia. He grew up in the city of Sydney. After finishing school, he studied law and became a lawyer.

In 1976, he married Louise Giselle Baron. They lived in Melbourne.

Working Life and Businesses

In 1981, Max Green joined the board of a company called Emma Page. This company made fashion jewelry. He worked full-time for Emma Page in Austin, Texas, from 1985 to 1989.

In 1991, Green became a partner in a law firm in Melbourne. He left this firm in late 1993. After that, he joined another Melbourne law firm called Aroni Colman.

The Investment Plan

During the 1990s, Max Green started an investment plan. He told people it would help them save money on taxes. The plan was supposed to buy equipment. Then, it would rent this equipment to CityLink. CityLink was building highways in Melbourne.

The plan involved borrowing a lot of money from a bank in Hong Kong. About A$42 million was put into this plan. Most of the money came from private individuals. Many of these investors were Jewish business people from Melbourne. Green promised them a 15% return on their money each year. He also said they could save money on their taxes.

What Happened to the Money?

Max Green created fake documents. These papers made it look like equipment had been bought. But the plan never actually bought any equipment. CityLink also did not rent anything from the plan.

A large amount of money disappeared from the accounts. These accounts were supposed to hold the investors' money. Police later tracked the money through many different bank accounts.

However, the police were never able to get any of the money back. It is believed that Max Green used some of the money to buy gems. He bought about US $20 million worth of gems in Cambodia. He then sold these gems in Israel.

The Victorian Lawyers RPA Ltd started an investigation. This group checks how lawyers handle money. They looked into the accounts connected to Green and his law firm.