Cases / Law, regulation and treaties · Netherlands · 1970–1976
WWF president Prince Bernhard resigned in 1976 after a Lockheed commission surfaced
Short record: the main facts, with sources. A full case file has not been prepared.
Nature's voice · report
No measurement of the harm done to me here is on record.
Did nature suffer? Not measured.
Not on record
- The record does not name which of my species, waters, soils or forests were harmed.
Prince Bernhard resigned as WWF's president in 1976 after a commission of more than USD 1 million from Lockheed came to light. The case also covers a secret donor club of 1,001 members that he set up in 1970, which bears on how WWF's early money was raised.
What?
Prince Bernhard resigned as WWF president in 1976 after a Lockheed commission of more than USD 1 million came to light. Powerbase
Where?
Netherlands; WWF's international network Powerbase
When?
1970 (donor club) to 1976 (resignation) Powerbase
Who?
Why?
Not stated in the sources reviewed.
How?
A commission from Lockheed came to light; the sources do not describe the transaction. Powerbase
6 of 6 questions answered from the record
What happened
The record, in order.
In 1976 Prince Bernhard resigned as WWF's president after a commission of more than USD 1 million from Lockheed came to light (Powerbase).
In 1970, on the suggestion of South African businessman Anton Rupert, Prince Bernhard set up the '1001: A Nature Trust' donor club, whose 1,001 members each gave USD 10,000 and whose membership was secret (Wikipedia).
In court and with insurers
Every proceeding and every insurer decision on record.
Lawsuits and rulings
No court case on record. No court has ruled on this case.
Insurers
No insurer decision on record.
What we don't know
Undisclosed, unproven, untried: recorded as data.
Nature
- Not measured Harm to nature: The record holds no measurement of harm to nature.
Record
- Insufficient Reported but not verified: Prince Bernhard's WWF co-founding and his 1962–1976 presidency.
- Disputed Reported but not verified: the sources differ on whether Bernhard took or sought the Lockheed commission.
- Insufficient Reported but not verified: details of the Lockheed commission beyond the 1976 resignation.
- Insufficient Reported but not verified: leaked lists of 1001 Club members, including Mobutu Sese Seko, Agha Hasan Abedi and at least 60 South Africans in 1989.
- Insufficient Reported but not verified: Bernhard sold two paintings to fund 'Operation Lock', a mercenary operation, and asked for GBP 500,000 from the club account to be moved to Queen Juliana's account.
- Insufficient Reported but not verified: Operation Lock was presented as anti-poaching work, but was linked to South Africa's apartheid-era destabilisation operations.
- None on record Not stated in the sources reviewed: whether any member received a benefit from the club.
Did the harm stop?
Not stated in the sources reviewed.
Who paid?
Not stated in the sources reviewed.
Sources
Voices on record: — Company or project— Government and regulators— Courts✓ Press and investigations— Communities and civil society— Researchers
Press and investigations
- Prince Bernhard of the NetherlandsPowerbase ·
- The 1001: A Nature TrustWikipedia ·
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