--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Shell companies can be owned by other…" description: "\"Shell companies can be owned by other shell companies; opaque offshore vehicles are carefully designed so that regulators can't identify who is using t..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/acc/anne-applebaum-2544_offshore_shell-companies-can-be-owned-by-other-sh_1806287.jpg" --- # Shell companies can be owned by other shell companies… ![“Shell companies can be owned by other shell companies; opaque offshore vehicles are carefully designed so that regulators can't identify who is using them; with the right accountants, they can be set up quickly and easily.” quote by Anne Applebaum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/acc/anne-applebaum-2544_offshore_shell-companies-can-be-owned-by-other-sh_1806287.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/acc/anne-applebaum-2544_offshore_shell-companies-can-be-owned-by-other-sh_1806287.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/acc/anne-applebaum-2544_offshore_shell-companies-can-be-owned-by-other-sh_1806287.jpg) > “Shell companies can be owned by other shell companies; opaque offshore vehicles are carefully designed so that regulators can't identify who is using them; with the right accountants, they can be set up quickly and easily.” [Anne Applebaum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-applebaum/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Shell companies are used to hide true ownership, making regulatory oversight difficult; they can be quickly created with the right expertise. **In simple terms:** Shell firms hide who really owns them, evading regulators. Key Takeaway Increase transparency and enforce stricter reporting. Themes financial secrecy regulation corporate structures tax avoidance accounting Mood concerned critical analytical Type policy explanatory When to use this quote - tax investigations - corporate compliance - anti‑money‑laundering efforts - government audits Key Concepts ownership opacity legal loopholes global finance policy enforcement Questions to Reflect On - What incentives drive the creation of opaque entities? - How can regulators better trace ultimate owners? A Different Perspective Complex networks can be hard to dismantle without international cooperation. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Companies Opaque](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/companies-opaque-2076041/) [Companies Owned](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/companies-owned-2076042/) [Offshore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/offshore/) [Offshore Vehicles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/offshore-vehicles-2076043/) [Other](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/other/) [Owned Shell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/owned-shell-2076040/) [Right](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/right/) [Shell Companies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/shell-companies-2076039/) [Up](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/up/) [Who](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/who/) ## Related quotes > [There is nothing inevitable about this secret offshore world. It is not a fact of nature: Our laws created tax havens, and our laws…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-applebaum/there-is-nothing-inevitable-about-this-secret-offshore-world-it-is/) [Anne Applebaum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-applebaum/) > [I guess the main thing that came out of the Panama Papers was that Ukrainian President Poroshenko had promised to divest of his chocolate…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-hudson/i-guess-the-main-thing-that-came-out-of-the-panama-papers-was-that/) [Michael Hudson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-hudson/) > [I will stay living in Staffordshire. Other people would be moving offshore. I am reasonably happy to help support the British economy. I have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-caudwell/i-will-stay-living-in-staffordshire-other-people-would-be-moving/) [John Caudwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-caudwell/) > [I've always been called a professional opportunist, and in the future I'm open to anything. We've spent a lot of time offshore, looking at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-zell/i-ve-always-been-called-a-professional-opportunist-and-in-the-future/) [Sam Zell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-zell/) > [If you look at a company like Qualcomm, we're a big exporter. We essentially have tremendous revenue offshore and large employment onshore. I think…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-mollenkopf/if-you-look-at-a-company-like-qualcomm-we-re-a-big-exporter-we/) [Steve Mollenkopf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-mollenkopf/) > [The tax rate of 35 percent is impossible to provide an incentive to the large corporations, that have $1.7 trillion offshore, to put their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-w-smith/the-tax-rate-of-35-percent-is-impossible-to-provide-an-incentive-to/) [Frederick W. Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-w-smith/) > [We fail to boost our offshore production at our own expense.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-murkowski/we-fail-to-boost-our-offshore-production-at-our-own-expense/) [Lisa Murkowski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-murkowski/) > [In the past, offshore wind farms have faced significant opposition in the United States for a few reasons: high costs, complicated rules about who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tatiana-schlossberg/in-the-past-offshore-wind-farms-have-faced-significant-opposition-in/) [Tatiana Schlossberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tatiana-schlossberg/) > [The United States is deeply concerned by Turkey's announced intentions to begin offshore drilling operations in an area claimed by the Republic of Cyprus…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/morgan-ortagus/the-united-states-is-deeply-concerned-by-turkey-s-announced/) [Morgan Ortagus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/morgan-ortagus/) > [I get out in my boat and go fishing inshore and offshore.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rickie-fowler/i-get-out-in-my-boat-and-go-fishing-inshore-and-offshore/) [Rickie Fowler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rickie-fowler/) > [There's giant waves in numerous occasions around the world, it's a matter of the wind being offshore.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/garrett-mcnamara/there-s-giant-waves-in-numerous-occasions-around-the-world-it-s-a/) [Garrett McNamara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/garrett-mcnamara/) > [I worked offshore as an oil worker for a couple of years.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-linklater/i-worked-offshore-as-an-oil-worker-for-a-couple-of-years/) [Richard Linklater](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-linklater/) > [It's interesting that Swiss banks also hide their assets from the Swiss by using offshore bank structuring.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julian-assange/it-s-interesting-that-swiss-banks-also-hide-their-assets-from-the/) [Julian Assange](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julian-assange/) > [I do not think there should be a limit on the rig's liability, because they are sitting on top of unlimited amounts of oil,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-chafee/i-do-not-think-there-should-be-a-limit-on-the-rig-s-liability-because/) [John Chafee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-chafee/) > [There's just a law to the universe. We can have the San Andreas rip tonight. You've nothing to do with that. We could have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-drudge/there-s-just-a-law-to-the-universe-we-can-have-the-san-andreas-rip/) [Matt Drudge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matt-drudge/) ## More by Anne Applebaum > [Quite a lot has been written, including by me, about the effect of social media on politics, and in particular the way in which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-applebaum/quite-a-lot-has-been-written-including-by-me-about-the-effect-of/) [Anne Applebaum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-applebaum/) > [After Trump became president, it was really too late to investigate his dodgy investments in Azerbaijan or his links to Russian money laundering. Those…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-applebaum/after-trump-became-president-it-was-really-too-late-to-investigate/) [Anne Applebaum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-applebaum/) > [If Reagan and John Paul II were linked by anything, it was a grand, ambitious, and generous idea of Western political civilization, one in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-applebaum/if-reagan-and-john-paul-ii-were-linked-by-anything-it-was-a-grand/) [Anne Applebaum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-applebaum/) > [Until the attack on Pearl Harbor, isolationism was an important, even dominant strand in U.S. politics. After the Second World War, this strand disappeared,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-applebaum/until-the-attack-on-pearl-harbor-isolationism-was-an-important-even/) [Anne Applebaum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-applebaum/) > [The U.S.S.R. was a totalitarian state in which judges and prosecutors were controlled by the ruling party. The result was injustice, oppression and corruption.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-applebaum/the-u-s-s-r-was-a-totalitarian-state-in-which-judges-and-prosecutors/) [Anne Applebaum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-applebaum/) > [One knows, of course, that Donald Trump behaves differently from the leaders of other countries, especially the leaders of other Western democracies.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-applebaum/one-knows-of-course-that-donald-trump-behaves-differently-from-the/) [Anne Applebaum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-applebaum/) > [As a nation, we are not good at long-term planning, and no wonder: Our political system insists that every president be allowed to appoint…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-applebaum/as-a-nation-we-are-not-good-at-long-term-planning-and-no-wonder-our/) [Anne Applebaum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-applebaum/) > [Amazingly, quite a few people, even some American conservatives, are taken in by Russian tactics.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-applebaum/amazingly-quite-a-few-people-even-some-american-conservatives-are/) [Anne Applebaum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-applebaum/) > [Like wealth, or health, political freedom may simply be something that people don't value if they've always had it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-applebaum/like-wealth-or-health-political-freedom-may-simply-be-something-that/) [Anne Applebaum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-applebaum/) > [Unlike most European countries, the police in the US are decentralized; even the FBI has regional offices. Amending the constitution is a long and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-applebaum/unlike-most-european-countries-the-police-in-the-us-are-decentralized/) [Anne Applebaum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-applebaum/) > [The hard truth is that Trump was not exceptional. He was just another amoral Western businessman, one of many whom the ex-KGB elite have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-applebaum/the-hard-truth-is-that-trump-was-not-exceptional-he-was-just-another/) [Anne Applebaum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-applebaum/) > [Politics in Slovakia had long been a battle between egotistical men. Caputova sought to be the anti-ego alternative.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-applebaum/politics-in-slovakia-had-long-been-a-battle-between-egotistical-men/) [Anne Applebaum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-applebaum/) > [European security may now depend on Germany, France, Britain and one or two others, and it's better to start planning now for the possibility…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-applebaum/european-security-may-now-depend-on-germany-france-britain-and-one-or/) [Anne Applebaum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-applebaum/) > [Americans might not want to intervene in the outside world, but the outside world will still want to intervene in America.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-applebaum/americans-might-not-want-to-intervene-in-the-outside-world-but-the/) [Anne Applebaum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-applebaum/) > [Romney was an excellent businessman with a strong record as a public servant - whereas Trump inherited wealth, went bankrupt more than once, created…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-applebaum/romney-was-an-excellent-businessman-with-a-strong-record-as-a-public/) [Anne Applebaum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-applebaum/) [Explore all 161 Anne Applebaum quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-applebaum/) ## More Offshore quotes > [There's just a law to the universe. We can have the San Andreas rip tonight. You've nothing to do with that. We could have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-drudge/there-s-just-a-law-to-the-universe-we-can-have-the-san-andreas-rip/) [Matt Drudge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matt-drudge/) > [I do not think there should be a limit on the rig's liability, because they are sitting on top of unlimited amounts of oil,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-chafee/i-do-not-think-there-should-be-a-limit-on-the-rig-s-liability-because/) [John Chafee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-chafee/) > [It's interesting that Swiss banks also hide their assets from the Swiss by using offshore bank structuring.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julian-assange/it-s-interesting-that-swiss-banks-also-hide-their-assets-from-the/) [Julian Assange](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julian-assange/) > [I worked offshore as an oil worker for a couple of years.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-linklater/i-worked-offshore-as-an-oil-worker-for-a-couple-of-years/) [Richard Linklater](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-linklater/) > [There's giant waves in numerous occasions around the world, it's a matter of the wind being offshore.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/garrett-mcnamara/there-s-giant-waves-in-numerous-occasions-around-the-world-it-s-a/) [Garrett McNamara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/garrett-mcnamara/) > [I get out in my boat and go fishing inshore and offshore.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rickie-fowler/i-get-out-in-my-boat-and-go-fishing-inshore-and-offshore/) [Rickie Fowler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rickie-fowler/) > [The United States is deeply concerned by Turkey's announced intentions to begin offshore drilling operations in an area claimed by the Republic of Cyprus…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/morgan-ortagus/the-united-states-is-deeply-concerned-by-turkey-s-announced/) [Morgan Ortagus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/morgan-ortagus/) > [In the past, offshore wind farms have faced significant opposition in the United States for a few reasons: high costs, complicated rules about who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tatiana-schlossberg/in-the-past-offshore-wind-farms-have-faced-significant-opposition-in/) [Tatiana Schlossberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tatiana-schlossberg/) > [We fail to boost our offshore production at our own expense.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-murkowski/we-fail-to-boost-our-offshore-production-at-our-own-expense/) [Lisa Murkowski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-murkowski/) > [The tax rate of 35 percent is impossible to provide an incentive to the large corporations, that have $1.7 trillion offshore, to put their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-w-smith/the-tax-rate-of-35-percent-is-impossible-to-provide-an-incentive-to/) [Frederick W. Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-w-smith/) > [If you look at a company like Qualcomm, we're a big exporter. We essentially have tremendous revenue offshore and large employment onshore. I think…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-mollenkopf/if-you-look-at-a-company-like-qualcomm-we-re-a-big-exporter-we/) [Steve Mollenkopf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-mollenkopf/) > [I've always been called a professional opportunist, and in the future I'm open to anything. We've spent a lot of time offshore, looking at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-zell/i-ve-always-been-called-a-professional-opportunist-and-in-the-future/) [Sam Zell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-zell/) > [I will stay living in Staffordshire. Other people would be moving offshore. I am reasonably happy to help support the British economy. I have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-caudwell/i-will-stay-living-in-staffordshire-other-people-would-be-moving/) [John Caudwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-caudwell/) > [I guess the main thing that came out of the Panama Papers was that Ukrainian President Poroshenko had promised to divest of his chocolate…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-hudson/i-guess-the-main-thing-that-came-out-of-the-panama-papers-was-that/) [Michael Hudson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-hudson/) > [There are few industries as defiantly opaque as shipping. Even offshore bankers have not developed a system as intricately elusive as the flag of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rose-george/there-are-few-industries-as-defiantly-opaque-as-shipping-even/) [Rose George](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rose-george/) [Browse all 77 Offshore quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/offshore/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Shell companies can be owned by other shell companies; opaque offshore vehicles are carefully designed so that regulators can't identify who is using them; with the right accountants, they can be set up quickly and easily.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Anne Applebaum" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-applebaum/shell-companies-can-be-owned-by-other-shell-companies-opaque-offshore/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Offshore" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-applebaum/shell-companies-can-be-owned-by-other-shell-companies-opaque-offshore/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/acc/anne-applebaum-2544_offshore_shell-companies-can-be-owned-by-other-sh_1806287.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/acc/anne-applebaum-2544_offshore_shell-companies-can-be-owned-by-other-sh_1806287.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/acc/anne-applebaum-2544_offshore_shell-companies-can-be-owned-by-other-sh_1806287.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Shell companies can be owned by other shell companies; opaque offshore vehicles are carefully designed so…” — Anne Applebaum", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Anne Applebaum", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-applebaum/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Shell companies can be owned by...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-applebaum/shell-companies-can-be-owned-by-other-shell-companies-opaque-offshore/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-applebaum/shell-companies-can-be-owned-by-other-shell-companies-opaque-offshore/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```