Tim Leissner

Timothy Leissner (born November 2, 1969) is a German-born investment banker and convicted felon. As managing director at Goldman Sachs and chairman of the bank's Southeast Asia division Leissner helped orchestrate the 1Malaysia Development Berhad scandal, one of the biggest financial scandals in history, in which billions of dollars were stolen. He was arrested in June 2018 in Washington, D.C. and eventually forced to pay a $43 million fine. Leissner was facing up to 25 years in prison, however he cooperated with authorities and in May 2025, he was sentenced to two years in Federal prison.

Early life and education

Tim Leissner was born in Germany as the son of a senior executive at Volkswagen. He completed his early education in Germany, where he was recognized for strong academic performance. In 1991, he obtained a Bachelor of Arts degree in Business Administration from the University of Siegen, a public research university in North Rhine‑Westphalia. The following year in 1992, he earned an MBA from the University of Hartford in Connecticut.

Career

After working at JPMorgan and Lehman Brothers, In 2013, he was appointed to Goldman Sachs' Partnership Committee, placing him among the firm's senior leadership. The following year, in 2014, he was named Chairman of the bank's Southeast Asia division.

1MDB Leissner was arrested in June 2018 in Washington, D.C. In 2018 he pled guilty to charges he personally stole $200 million from a Malaysian sovereign wealth fund 1 Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) and that he broke the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) by paying bribes to corrupt Malaysian and Emirati offices to get Goldman Sachs business.

Leissner was banned for life by the Securities and Exchange Commission and forced to pay a $43 million fine. As of 2020 he faced up to 25 years in prison. but due to his cooperation has avoided spending any time in jail.

He testified against his former deputy Roger Ng in a 2022 trial. As of 2022, Leissner was free on bail of $20 million.

He married his second wife, Judy Chan, in Hong Kong in about 2000. Leissner and Simmons had a son, born in 2015. In 2020, Simmons adopted a 10-year old son. In February 2022, it was revealed that Leissner and Simmons were estranged, though it is not clear when the couple split.

Leissner has a daughter.