Murder in Monaco: The Billionaire Banker's Deadly Fire
Netflix's new documentary examines the 1999 death of Lebanese-Brazilian banking magnate Edmond Safra and the nurse convicted of setting the fatal blaze
On December 3, 1999, a fire erupted in the penthouse of billionaire banker Edmond Safra in Monaco's Belle Époque building, claiming his life and that of his nurse. Twenty-five years later, Netflix's Murder in Monaco revisits the case that convicted Ted Maher, the former Green Beret employed as a nurse, while raising questions about the investigation itself.
Safra, 67, was a Lebanese-Brazilian banking magnate and founder of Republic National Bank of New York. Just months before his death, he had sold his banking empire to HSBC for $10.3 billion—a transformative transaction that should have marked the pinnacle of his career. However, Safra was battling Parkinson's disease at the time, a condition that would complicate the events of that December night.
The penthouse where Safra lived was a fortress. Described as heavily fortified with state-of-the-art security features, the residence included a reinforced bathroom that functioned as a panic room. Security guards, reportedly trained by Mossad, typically patrolled the premises—but notably, none were on duty the night of the fire.
