No-one quite knows what happened on the ill-fated night of Robert Maxwell’s death in 1991. His naked body was pulled from the sea and what quickly followed was the downfall of his publishing empire

When the body of publishing magnate Robert Maxwell was found floating in the Atlantic Ocean in 1991, the world was left stunned.

At the age of 68, the media mogul had boasted a seemingly successful empire when he fell from the £15m yacht that he had named after his daughter, Ghislaine.

While his untimely death triggered speculation of suicide and foul play, Robert’s once booming publishing empire also began to crumble as layers of fraud began to emerge.

Robert’s daughter now awaits trial for her links to Jeffrey Epstein, but her powerful father also boasted his own dramatic story of wealth and scandal.

Born to humble beginnings in Czechoslovakia, the Jewish youngster escaper persecution by fleeing to France during the Second World War.

Having lost many of his family in the Holocaust, Robert joined the Czechoslovak army and was commended for his efforts by the British Army.

After the war was over, Robert stepped into the world of publishing and grew Pergamon Press into a booming business before casting his focus onto politics.