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‘Kiss of death’: how the US killed a Swiss merchant bank

Aerial view of road with tree alley seen from Europe bridge on a cloudy winter day at City of Zürich.
Photo: Getty Images

MBaer survived years of scrutiny at home — before Washington stepped in to seal its fate.

21 April, 2026 by Mercedes Ruehl in Zurich and Ortenca Aliaj in London

Michael Bär has long said banking is in his genes. A great-grandson of Julius Baer’s founder, he grew up during the heyday of Swiss private banking, when secrecy and security drew in the world’s wealthy — including those with