Ramón Fonseca Moraa

Fonseca was born on 14 July 1952 in Panama and studied law and political science at the University of Panama and the London School of Economics.

He stated that as a young man, "he hoped to save the world", and considered joining the priesthood. But, he revealed in a 2008 television interview that, "I didn't save anything, I didn't make any change. I decided then, as I was a little more mature, to dedicate myself to my profession, to have a family, to get married and have a regular life … As one gets older, you turn more materialistic."

In 1977, Fonseca and Jürgen Mossack founded the law firm Mossack Fonseca in Panama City. It went on to become the world's fourth-largest offshore law firm, with more than 40 offices all over the world. In March 2018, the firm shut down in the wake of its involvement in the Panama Papers affair.

He was also a member of the Panameñista Party.

Fonseca was also an award-winning novelist. He wrote four novels, along with plays and short stories. He was awarded the Ricardo Miró Prize, the national literary award in Panama, twice, for novels Dance of the Butterflies (1994) and Dream City (1998).

Fonseca had six children. He was previously married to Elizabeth Ward Neiman, who became the Ambassador of the Republic of Panama to the Netherlands on 9 September 2020. As of April 2016 his son, Eduardo Fonseca Ward, was the former ambassador to the UAE. Fonseca died at a hospital in Panama City due to pneumonia on 8 May 2024, at the age of 71.

Panama Papers

Following the leak of 11.5 million Mossack Fonseca documents by an anonymous whistle-blower to the German newspaper Süddeutsche Zeitung in 2016, it was revealed how offshore tax regimes were exploited for tax purposes. While offshore entities are not in themselves illegal, the documents showed how some of the more than 214,000 shell companies set up by Mossack Fonseca were used for illegal purposes, including fraud and tax evasion. The documents were shared with the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists. As a result, more than 150 inquiries and criminal investigations were launched in more than 70 countries worldwide.

On 20 October 2020, prosecutors in Cologne, Germany issued international arrest warrants for Fonseca and his German-born law partner, Jürgen Mossack. Charges against them include accessory to tax evasion and forming a criminal organization, with the firm noted as central to the investigation.

The charges against Fonseca were dropped when he died in May 2024.