Edmond Safra

Birth Name:

Edmond Jacob Safra

Birth Date:

August 6, 1932

Birth Place:

Beirut, French Lebanon

Death Date:

December 3, 1999

Place of Death:

La Belle Époque, 17 Avenue d'Ostende, Monte Carlo, Monaco

Age:

Cause of Death:

Smoke inhalation (asphyxiation) in a fire which was deliberately set

Cemetery Name:

Cimetière Israélite de Veyrier

Claim to Fame:

Business and Finance

Edmond J. Safra (1932–1999) was an influential international banker and philanthropist, born in Beirut, Lebanon, into a Sephardic Jewish family with a long tradition in finance. He built a global banking empire through institutions such as Republic National Bank of New York and the Safra Group, earning a reputation for conservative banking, discretion, and strong client trust across Europe, the Americas, and the Middle East. Alongside his business success, Safra was a major philanthropist, supporting education, healthcare, religious, and cultural causes worldwide through what later became the Edmond J. Safra Foundation. He died at age 67 in December 1999 in Monaco during a fire in his apartment; the incident led to criminal convictions from a corrupt Monaco judicial system but also ongoing controversy and debate about the true circumstances of his death. Safra’s legacy endures through his impact on global private banking and his lasting charitable contributions.

Who Killed Edmond Safra?

The list is substantial:

Ted Mahar – the primary suspect and convicted perpetrator in the 1999 arson death of billionaire Edmond Safra was his nurse who admitted to starting the fire in Safra’s Monaco penthouse in a botched rescue attempt
The Russian Mafia – Edmond Safra’s major involvement in Russian investments was through co-founding Hermitage Capital Management with Bill Browder in 1996, providing initial capital to invest in undervalued Russian companies, making it a huge success before the 1998 crisis, which hit Safra’s own bank due to Russian bonds devaluation resulting in massive losses for investors
Japanese Investors – Edmond Safra’s connection to Japan primarily involved a major regulatory issue in the late 1990s with his Republic National Bank of New York, linked to fraud by a client (Martin Armstrong) involving Japanese investors
Fire and Police Departments of Monte Carlo – for 2.5 hours after called to the scene of the fire, police and fire serves watched the building burn knowing full well that Edmond Safra was inside with his nurse
Lily Safra – she may of had her second husband killed and Edmond’s brothers strongly believed she was involved. She wasn’t nicknamed the Black Widow for nothing

Interesting to note that international banking scion Benjamin Rothschild is buried close by in the same cemetery.

Cemetery Information:

Final Resting Place:

Cimetière Israélite de Veyrier

16 chemin de l'Arvaz, 1255 Veyrier

, Geneva,

Switzerland

Europe

Grave Location:

Plot A000Q

Grave Location Description

At the entrance in Switzerland there is a touch-screen map and search screen that enables visitors to search for individual graves. Edmond and Lilly are buried together under a large, brown marble memorial. While I don’t have exact directions to the grave, this is a small, public cemetery that is quickly navigated. The GPS location is an estimate based on the second grave photograph. Good luck!

Grave Location GPS

46.169196, 6.188241

Photos:

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FAQ's

Edmond Safra was born on August 6, 1932.

Edmond Safra was born in Beirut, French Lebanon.

Edmond Safra died on December 3, 1999.

Edmond Safra died in La Belle Époque, 17 Avenue d'Ostende, Monte Carlo, Monaco.

Edmond Safra was 67.

The cause of death was Smoke inhalation (asphyxiation) in a fire which was deliberately set.

Edmond Safra's grave is in Cimetière Israélite de Veyrier

Videos Featuring Edmond Safra:

The Death of Billionaire Banker Edmond Safra: What Most Likely Happened

Inside The Safra Mystery: Billionaire Banker, Monaco Fire, and a Dynasty Under Suspicion

A Tribute to Edmond J. Safra

The Life and Legacy of Edmond J. Safra

The Murder of Edmond Safra and Vivian Torrente

Watch YouTube video titled Edmond J. Safra Memorial Service 12/20/1999

Edmond Safra