• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia
fraud
Europe

Executive who vanished after his company’s spectacular collapse three years ago to avoid arrest signals he’s still alive

By
Karin Matussek
Karin Matussek
and
Bloomberg
Bloomberg
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Karin Matussek
Karin Matussek
and
Bloomberg
Bloomberg
Down Arrow Button Icon
July 18, 2023, 3:36 PM ET
A police wanted poster of former Wirecard chief operating officer Jan Marsalek.
A police wanted poster of former Wirecard chief operating officer Jan Marsalek.Sean Gallup/Getty Images

Former Wirecard Chief Operating Officer Jan Marsalek contacted a Munich court through his lawyer, the first sign of life after the Austrian-born executive disappeared three years ago during the dramatic collapse of the German payments company.

Recommended Video

The Munich district court received a letter written by Marsalek’s lawyer, a spokesperson for the institution said Tuesday, declining to comment on details.

Marsalek has been one of the key figures behind Wirecard’s spectacular rise to one of Germany’s most valuable companies before its implosion in June 2020. At the time, Wirecard admitted that €1.9 billion ($2.1 billion) it had reported as assets probably never existed. Marsalek fled when the scandal broke and is believed to be hiding in Russia or Belarus. He’s on Interpol’s most wanted list and a Munich trial against him and other suspects continues.

WirtschaftsWoche first reported on the letter. Marsalek in it is rejecting claims that Wirecard’s third-party business didn’t exist and accused one of the key witnesses in the ongoing fraud trial of having lied several times, the German business weekly reports.

Join us at the Fortune Workplace Innovation Summit May 19–20, 2026, in Atlanta. The next era of workplace innovation is here—and the old playbook is being rewritten. At this exclusive, high-energy event, the world’s most innovative leaders will convene to explore how AI, humanity, and strategy converge to redefine, again, the future of work. Register now.
About the Authors
By Karin Matussek
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon
By Bloomberg
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon

Latest in

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • World's Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
  • Lists Calendar
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Lists Calendar
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Lists Calendar
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon

Latest in

Gas prices over five dollars a gallon are displayed at an Exxon gas station near the U.S. Capitol Building on March 31, 2026 in Washington, DC.
EconomyConsumer Spending
Good news: Rumors of a K-shaped economy are overblown so far, says Goldman Sachs. Bad news: 2026 is the year it will really bite
By Eleanor PringleApril 24, 2026
2 minutes ago
Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg in Washington, D.C. on March 26, 2026. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call/Getty Images)
NewslettersFortune Tech
Meta cuts 8,000 workers to relieve AI spending pressure
By Andrew NuscaApril 24, 2026
32 minutes ago
Top CD rates today, April 24, 2026: Lock in up to up to 4.20%
Personal FinanceCertificates of Deposit (CDs)
Top CD rates today, April 24, 2026: Lock in up to up to 4.20%
By Glen Luke FlanaganApril 24, 2026
1 hour ago
Today’s top high-yield savings rates: Up to 5.00% on April 24, 2026
Personal FinanceSavings accounts
Today’s top high-yield savings rates: Up to 5.00% on April 24, 2026
By Glen Luke FlanaganApril 24, 2026
1 hour ago
Upstart’s new millennial CEO, a Yale dropout, thinks AI can make every American 10% richer
NewslettersCEO Daily
Upstart’s new millennial CEO, a Yale dropout, thinks AI can make every American 10% richer
By Diane BradyApril 24, 2026
1 hour ago
Photo: Donald Trump.
EnergyMarkets
Stocks slump globally as Trump says he is in no rush to end the war—and California is running out of jet fuel
By Jim EdwardsApril 24, 2026
1 hour ago

Most Popular

When interest on national debt overtook military spending, it triggered a limit where the U.S. may ‘cease to be a great power,’ warns Hoover historian
Economy
When interest on national debt overtook military spending, it triggered a limit where the U.S. may ‘cease to be a great power,’ warns Hoover historian
By Eleanor PringleApril 23, 2026
1 day ago
Despite nearing their 60s, nearly four in 10 Americans heading towards the end of their careers don’t even have a retirement account
Success
Despite nearing their 60s, nearly four in 10 Americans heading towards the end of their careers don’t even have a retirement account
By Emma BurleighApril 23, 2026
20 hours ago
Officials will flush 50,000 toilets to flood a Utah lake in order to generate electricity
Environment
Officials will flush 50,000 toilets to flood a Utah lake in order to generate electricity
By Mead Gruver, Dorany Pineda and The Associated PressApril 22, 2026
2 days ago
Cursor’s 25-year-old CEO is a former Google intern who just inked a $60 billion deal with SpaceX
AI
Cursor’s 25-year-old CEO is a former Google intern who just inked a $60 billion deal with SpaceX
By Marco Quiroz-GutierrezApril 22, 2026
2 days ago
The Iran war is pushing Southeast Asia to debate the once unthinkable: Whether ships will need to pay to transit the Strait of Malacca
Economy
The Iran war is pushing Southeast Asia to debate the once unthinkable: Whether ships will need to pay to transit the Strait of Malacca
By Angelica AngApril 23, 2026
24 hours ago
The Gen Z Pout and the Gen Z Stare are both a warning to Fortune 500 CEOs
Future of Work
The Gen Z Pout and the Gen Z Stare are both a warning to Fortune 500 CEOs
By Nick LichtenbergApril 23, 2026
1 day ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.