Belgian Authorities Seize €65.2 Million in French McKinsey Tax-Fraud and Money-Laundering Probe
Belgian authorities have seized €65.2 million in connection with a French investigation into suspected aggravated tax fraud and money laundering involving McKinsey, according to a joint statement by France’s National Financial Prosecutor’s Office and the Brussels prosecutor.
The seizure, announced on 4 September 2026, represents about 96% of the tax loss estimated by French prosecutors. It was carried out in Belgium following a request for judicial assistance from France.
Investigation dates back to 2022
France’s Parquet National Financier opened the preliminary investigation in March 2022 following a French Senate inquiry into the use and influence of private consulting firms in public policy. French investigators searched McKinsey offices in May 2022, and witnesses and suspects were questioned during 2025 and 2026.
The French investigation concerns suspected aggravated tax fraud and laundering of the proceeds of tax fraud. After tracing assets linked to the investigation, French prosecutors sought assistance from the Brussels prosecutor’s office, leading to the Belgian seizure.
Public reporting based on the prosecutors’ joint statement indicates that the seizure was executed on 19 August 2026 through the Brussels authorities’ international judicial-cooperation channels.
McKinsey has said it is cooperating with French authorities and denies wrongdoing. The company said it remains committed to complying with its tax obligations in France and other jurisdictions where it operates.
Cross-border asset recovery
The prosecutors emphasised the role of international cooperation in identifying, freezing and potentially confiscating assets connected to suspected financial crime. The investigation remains ongoing, and the seizure is a precautionary asset-recovery measure rather than a criminal conviction or final determination of liability.
The case is notable for the scale of the cross-border seizure and for the use of mutual judicial assistance to preserve assets while a complex tax-fraud and money-laundering investigation continues.
