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Vicky Ward
Vicky Ward
Vicky Ward
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Victoria Penelope Jane Ward (born 3 July 1969) is a British-born American author, investigative journalist, editor, and television commentator. She was a Senior Reporter at CNN and a former magazine and newspaper editor who has featured in The New York Times Best Seller list.

Key Information

Early life and education

[edit]

Ward was born Victoria Penelope Jane Ward on 3 July 1969,[1] the daughter of Simon Charles Ward,[2] and Jillian Ward (née East).[3] Ward attended Benenden School and later earned a BA and MA in English literature from Trinity Hall, Cambridge.[4]

Journalism career

[edit]

Before moving to the United States, Ward worked as a columnist and feature writer for The Independent.[5] Ward moved to New York City in 1997, where she worked at the New York Post and was Tina Brown's editor at Talk.[6][7] Throughout the 2000s, she wrote investigative stories for Vanity Fair on topics such as Hewlett Packard and its CEO Carly Fiorina,[2] Kate Middleton,[8] and a profile of Jeffrey Epstein.[9]

Ward worked as a contributing editor to Vanity Fair as well as a columnist for the London Evening Standard. In 2010, she published her first book, The Devil's Casino, on the downfall of Lehman Brothers.[10][11]

As a journalist, Ward has contributed to a variety of publications in the United States and the United Kingdom, such as the Financial Times, The New York Times, Esquire, the London Times, The Daily Telegraph, The Spectator, and British Vogue.[5]

In July 2017, Ward became editor-at-large for HuffPost and Huffington Post Highline,[12] where she wrote features on individuals including Erik Prince,[13] Michael Cohen, Anthony Scaramucci, among others.[14][15]

In 2019, Ward said her 2003 profile of Jeffrey Epstein in Vanity Fair had included on-the-record accounts of Annie and Maria Farmer (who filed the earliest known criminal complaints about Epstein), but that they were later stricken from Ward's article after Epstein pressured the magazine's editor Graydon Carter.[9][16] While researching Epstein, Ward was pregnant with twins and reported that she felt compelled to hire security protection for their neonatal intensive care unit after Epstein had threatened their wellbeing.[17][18][19] That year, Ward published Kushner, Inc., a book about Jared Kushner and Ivanka Trump.[20]

In July 2019, Ward was named Senior Reporter at CNN.[21] Ward later became editor-at-large at Town & Country magazine.[5] In June 2020, Ward joined the Council on Foreign Relations.[22] In September 2023, Ward was named a Visiting Fellow at the University of Oxford.[23]

In 2025, Ward and James Patterson published their book The Idaho Four: An American Tragedy.[24][25] In August 2025, Ward and Patterson announced their collaboration on an upcoming book about the killing of Brian Thompson. The book is planned to be published by Little, Brown and Company. No title or release date was given.[26]

Personal life

[edit]

Ward married Matthew Doull in 1995.[27] Ward and Doull later divorced, an experience she wrote about in the Daily Mail.[28][29] Ward became a naturalized U.S. citizen in 2017.[4]

In 2011, a portrait of Ward, taken by photographer Jason Bell, was exhibited in the British National Portrait Gallery as part of Bell's series An Englishman in New York.[30]

Publications

[edit]

Books

[edit]
  • Ward, Vicky (2010). The Devil's Casino: Friendship, Betrayal and the High Stakes Games Played Inside Lehman Brothers. Wiley. ISBN 978-0-4705-4086-2.[10][11]
  • — (2014). The Liar's Ball: The Extraordinary Saga of How one Building Broke the World's Toughest Tycoons. Wiley. ISBN 978-1-1182-9531-1.[31][32]
  • — (2019). Kushner, Inc.: Greed. Ambition. Corruption. The Extraordinary Story of Jared Kushner and Ivanka Trump. New York: St. Martin's Press. ISBN 978-1-2501-8595-2.[20]
  • —; Patterson, James (2025). The Idaho Four: An American Tragedy. Little, Brown and Company. ISBN 978-0-3165-7285-9.[25]

Selected articles

[edit]

References

[edit]
[edit]
Revisions and contributorsEdit on WikipediaRead on Wikipedia

Vicky Ward

View on Grokipedia
from Grokipedia

Vicky Ward is a British-born American investigative , author, and commentator renowned for her reporting on intersections of power, wealth, and misconduct among elites. Educated at Cambridge University, she has worked as a contributing editor at Vanity Fair, senior reporter at , and editor at large at Town & Country, while authoring several books that achieved New York Times bestseller status. Ward's notable investigations include a 2003 Vanity Fair profile of financier titled "The Talented Mr. Epstein," in which she gathered on-the-record accounts from victims alleging , though these were excised from the published version amid editorial disputes with then-editor , who later claimed ignorance of their on-the-record nature. This episode has fueled ongoing debates about media reluctance to expose influential figures, with Ward asserting Epstein's threats influenced the cuts, including warnings against her unborn children. Her persistence in Epstein-related coverage extended to producing the 2021 docuseries and podcast Chasing Ghislaine on and co-authoring recent works like The Idaho Four (2025) with , examining a quadruple case. Among her other contributions, Ward's books such as Kushner, Inc. (2020), which scrutinizes the Trump family associates' business dealings, and earlier titles like The Devil's Casino (2010) on ' collapse, highlight her focus on financial scandals and political ambition. Currently, she hosts the "Vicky Ward Investigates," the Pipeline to Power, and serves as a visiting fellow at the , maintaining an independent platform amid criticisms from some quarters questioning her narrative's emphasis.

Early life and education

Upbringing and family influences

Ward was born Victoria Penelope Jane Ward on 3 July 1969 in , , to Simon Charles Vivian Ward, a retired London financier, and Myrtle Jillian Eileen Ward (née East). The family, which included Ward and her two younger twin sisters, relocated within during her childhood, reflecting a middle-to-upper-class background centered in southern regions. Her mother's perfectionist nature and emphasis on discipline shaped Ward's early years, instilling high standards for appearance, social graces, and intellectual pursuits; Jillian Ward, a product of mid-20th-century expectations for women, later pursued writing amid health challenges, publishing a piece on in The Independent and relying on her husband to type drafts. This parental dynamic—combining her father's with her mother's competitive drive and cultural interests, including extensive travels to places like and —fostered Ward's ambition and resilience, as her mother emulated her daughter's journalistic style in later years. Jillian Ward, who suffered a mini-stroke at age 71 and lived bedridden with thereafter, died on 22 May 2025 at age 84. From around age 13, Ward attended , an elite boarding school for girls in , , where she earned academic scholar status from 1982 to 1987, further influenced by her mother's push for rigorous education in areas like and languages. These family expectations prioritized achievement over leisure, contributing to Ward's early development of analytical skills and determination that later defined her career.

Formal education and early interests

Ward completed her at , a private boarding school for girls in , . She pursued higher education at the , where she studied English literature and obtained a degree from 1988 to 1991. At age 24, Ward received runner-up honors for the Catherine Pakenham Prize, Britain's leading award for longform writing by women under 25, signaling her early commitment to and literary pursuits.

Professional career

Entry into British journalism

Vicky Ward began her journalism career in the following her graduation from Cambridge University in the early , initially working as a reporter for tabloid newspapers including the and Daily Telegraph, where she engaged in tabloid-style reporting. At age 24, around 1993, she was named runner-up for the Catherine Pakenham Prize, an award recognizing promising young journalists. Ward subsequently transitioned to more feature-oriented roles, serving as a columnist and feature writer for prior to relocating to the in the late 1990s. Her early work emphasized narrative-driven profiles and commentary on social and cultural topics, establishing her reputation in British print media before expanding internationally.

Rise in U.S. magazine and broadcast media

Ward immigrated to the in the late 1990s and initially established herself in print journalism at the , where she served as features and news features editor from 1999 to 2001, overseeing investigative and cultural reporting. She simultaneously advanced to executive editor of Talk magazine, a short-lived publication founded by , holding the position from 2000 to 2001 amid the outlet's focus on high-profile interviews and New York-centric stories. In 2001, Ward joined Condé Nast's Vanity Fair as articles editor, a role she held briefly before transitioning to contributing editor, a position she maintained until 2012. During this decade-long tenure, she specialized in long-form investigative profiles on , , and elite society, including a 2003 piece on financier that highlighted his business ties and personal history but omitted certain victim allegations following editorial decisions. Her work at Vanity Fair garnered attention for its access to powerful figures, such as a examination of congressional interns' influence on policy and a 2004 investigation into developments. Ward extended her magazine presence beyond Vanity Fair, contributing to and serving as for and its long-form arm HuffPost Highline starting in July 2017, where she reported on political influence and anonymous funding networks. She later became at Town & Country, producing pieces on scandals involving figures like General . Transitioning to broadcast, Ward joined as a senior reporter in July 2019, based in New York, and covered high-stakes political developments, including the impeachment-related scandal involving Ambassador Marie Yovanovitch's ousting. Her CNN stint lasted until July 2020, after which she maintained on-air contracts with and Bloomberg TV, appearing as a commentator on topics like and Maxwell. Subsequent television contributions included guest spots on MSNBC's Deadline: in September 2023, ABC News, , and Democracy Now! in 2025, solidifying her multimedia profile.

Shift to independent reporting and multimedia

Following her tenure as a senior reporter at , which concluded in July 2020, Vicky Ward shifted toward independent journalism, producing content centered on investigative and elite networks. This transition enabled her to pursue long-form projects unbound by traditional newsroom deadlines or editorial hierarchies, drawing on her prior experience with constrained reporting at outlets like Vanity Fair. In 2021, Ward hosted and co-produced Chasing Ghislaine, a docu-series aired on discovery+ that traced Ghislaine Maxwell's associations with , complemented by an featuring exclusive interviews and archival material. The project garnered attention for its focus on underreported connections among power brokers, with Ward conducting on-camera reporting and narrative oversight independently. She followed this with Pipeline to Power, an exploring influence in and , hosted and produced under her own direction. Ward expanded her independent platform via , launching Vicky Ward Investigates as a and in the early 2020s, delivering episodes on Epstein-related documents, victim testimonies, and systemic failures in —content often sidelined by mainstream outlets due to access or sensitivity concerns. Episodes include analyses of unsealed files and critiques of institutional protections, attributing delays in awareness to source suppression rather than evidentiary gaps. This format allowed real-time updates, subscriber-funded operations, and integration of audio, video, and written elements without intermediary gatekeeping. Her pivot extended to collaborative books, such as the July 2025 release The Idaho Four, co-authored with , which debuted as a #1 New York Times bestseller and dissected the 2022 student murders through forensic details, suspect profiling, and investigative timelines. Ward's role emphasized original sourcing and narrative construction, positioning the work as a precursor with potential tie-ins. These endeavors reflect a broader pattern of self-directed output, prioritizing depth over volume, amid a media landscape where independent creators increasingly bypass biased or risk-averse institutions.

Major investigations

Coverage of Jeffrey Epstein and associated networks

In 2002, Ward began investigating for a Vanity Fair profile, conducting multiple interviews with him and sources including victims who alleged . The resulting article, "The Talented Mr. Epstein," published in March 2003, described Epstein's enigmatic rise as a financier with ties to figures like Leslie Wexner and , but omitted direct victim testimonies—such as those from and her sister Annie, who had warned of Epstein's predatory behavior—following editorial decisions by then-editor . Ward later recounted that Epstein, during a 2002 interview, casually referred to as his "best friend" while deflecting questions about his personal life, a remark she interpreted in retrospect as hinting at their close operational ties. Ward's reporting extended to Epstein's 2008 plea deal in , where he faced state charges of soliciting from minors; in a May 2008 Vanity Fair piece, she examined rumors of his potential flight to amid federal non-prosecution agreements that shielded co-conspirators, highlighting the lenient sentence of 18 months with despite evidence of a broader trafficking pattern involving dozens of underage girls. This work underscored Epstein's network of enablers, including lawyers who negotiated immunity for unnamed parties, though federal probes at the time did not fully pursue international dimensions. Following Epstein's federal indictment on sex-trafficking charges spanning 2002–2005, Ward revisited her earlier findings, noting in interviews that suppressed allegations mirrored patterns in documents naming recruiters and high-profile associates. Her focus shifted prominently to Maxwell, Epstein's longtime associate accused of procuring and grooming minors; in the 2021 docuseries Chasing Ghislaine, Ward detailed Maxwell's role in facilitating Epstein's operations across New York, Palm Beach, and Little St. James, drawing on victim accounts and flight logs linking the pair to elites. The accompanying episodes, released around Maxwell's 2021 trial, explored her evasion of scrutiny post-2003 and ties to Epstein's financial opacity, including offshore entities. By 2025, amid unsealed files revealing over 150 associates, Ward's analyses in outlets like emphasized causal links between Epstein's impunity—rooted in his leverage over influential networks—and systemic failures in and to expose the abuse ring earlier, with Maxwell's 2022 conviction on five counts validating elements of her long-pursued . Her investigations consistently prioritized victim testimonies over Epstein's self-mythologizing, revealing a decade-spanning operation that exploited underage girls for sexual gratification and potential , sustained by Maxwell's logistics and Epstein's elite access.

Profiles of influential families and figures

Ward has profiled numerous influential business leaders and , emphasizing their opaque financial networks, power consolidation, and societal impacts through long-form investigative pieces in outlets such as Vanity Fair, , and . Her approach typically involves sourcing from insiders, financial records, and public filings to expose tensions between private ambition and public accountability, as seen in her examinations of corporate takeovers and election funding. A key focus has been the , whose real estate holdings and political entanglements Ward scrutinized in her October 2016 Esquire profile of , which highlighted his transition from property developer to advisor amid the 2016 presidential campaign. This reporting expanded into her 2019 book Kushner, Inc.: Greed. Power. Corruption. The Extraordinary Story of Jared Kushner and , a New York Times bestseller that drew on over 200 interviews to detail the family's $1.8 billion in debt on 666 , alleged Chinese investments via Jared's firm, and ethical concerns over policy influences, including a $2 billion Saudi fund post-administration. Ward's narrative portrayed the Kushners' ascent as intertwined with favoritism, citing instances like the firm's receipt of a $500 million loan from shortly after Jared's role began. In a 2017 HuffPost Highline feature titled "The Blow-It-All-Up Billionaires," Ward examined the Mercer family's role in reshaping American conservatism, profiling hedge fund magnate Robert Mercer and his daughter Rebekah's $15 million-plus donations to Trump-aligned super PACs and , which facilitated Steve Bannon's campaign integration. The piece, based on interviews with family associates and campaign operatives, underscored the Mercers' data-driven strategy via , which targeted 5 million voters in swing states, and their funding of anti-establishment causes totaling over $50 million by 2016. Ward noted Rebekah Mercer's influence in ousting establishment figures, framing the family's as a vehicle for ideological disruption. Among individual figures, Ward's June 2002 Vanity Fair article "The Battle for Hewlett-Packard" centered on , then HP's CEO, amid a $45.2 billion company's with the Hewlett and families over her proposed $18.6 billion merger. Drawing from boardroom leaks and shareholder data, Ward detailed Fiorina's aggressive tactics, including a 2001 shareholder vote passed by a 51.4% margin despite family opposition led by Walter Hewlett, who sued alleging irregularities; the deal closed in May 2002, though Fiorina was ousted in 2005 amid $20 billion in losses. Similarly, her November 2008 Vanity Fair profile "Will's Cup of Tea" explored Kate Middleton's navigation of royal scrutiny, recounting her 2007 breakup with Prince William and reconciliation, bolstered by Queen Elizabeth II's reported invitation to Balmoral, which Ward sourced to palace insiders as signaling family approval amid public "Waity Katie" mockery. Ward extended such scrutiny to security mogul in a 2017 HuffPost piece, revealing Blackwater's post-9/11 contracts worth $1 billion and his family's $8.4 million donation to DeVos's Michigan campaigns, linking private military ventures to political access. These works collectively illustrate Ward's pattern of tracing elite influence through verifiable transactions and testimonies, often challenging narratives of self-made success.

Recent true crime and scandal reporting

In 2021, Ward produced and hosted the Chasing Ghislaine, a 13-part Audible Original series that examines Ghislaine Maxwell's background, her familial ties to influence and scandal, and her alleged role in recruiting underage victims for Jeffrey Epstein's operation. The series draws on Ward's reporting dating back to 2002, incorporating on-the-record accounts from Epstein's early accusers and analysis of Maxwell's evasion tactics during her 2020 arrest and 2021 trial, where she was convicted on five counts related to minors. An accompanying docuseries of the same name premiered on Discovery+ in November 2021, featuring archival footage, witness interviews, and Ward's narration of Maxwell's post-conviction appeals and sentencing to 20 years imprisonment in June 2022. Ward continued engaging with Epstein-Maxwell fallout in 2025 through interviews dissecting unsealed documents and Maxwell's ongoing legal challenges, including speculation around potential pardons and her family's lobbying efforts. These discussions highlighted discrepancies in , with Ward attributing delays in prosecutions to institutional protections for powerful figures, based on her direct observations of Maxwell's 2021 trial proceedings. Shifting to domestic homicides, Ward co-authored The Idaho Four: An American Tragedy with , published on July 14, 2025, by . The 448-page book reconstructs the November 13, 2022, off-campus stabbings of students Madison Mogen (21), Kaylee Goncalves (21), Xana Kernodle (20), and Ethan Chapin (20) in , using police reports, trial preparations, and community accounts to detail the crime's brutality—multiple victims stabbed in their beds with a fixed-blade knife—and the 46-day manhunt leading to Bryan Kohberger's arrest on December 30, 2022. It critiques investigative lapses, such as delayed crime scene processing and reliance on circumstantial DNA evidence via , while affirming Kohberger's DNA match to the knife sheath left at the scene. The work, which debuted as a #1 New York Times bestseller, emphasizes victim biographies and the small town's trauma without endorsing unproven conspiracy theories.

Controversies and disputes

Conflicts with editorial oversight at Vanity Fair

In 2002, Vanity Fair assigned journalist Vicky Ward to profile financier Jeffrey Epstein, during which she interviewed sisters Maria and Annie Farmer, who alleged that Epstein had sexually abused them in the 1990s. Ward included their accounts in her draft, supported by contemporaneous notes and witness corroboration, but the published version in the March 2003 issue, titled "The Talented Mr. Epstein," omitted these allegations entirely, focusing instead on Epstein's business dealings and social connections. Ward has maintained that then-editor excised the Farmers' section following direct pressure from , who reportedly telephoned Carter and implied threats involving exposure of the editor's own vulnerabilities, possibly tied to 's ties with figures like . She further claimed that visited Vanity Fair's offices to lobby against publication and that Carter instructed her to drop the story, prioritizing access to elite sources over the allegations despite her evidence. Ward reiterated these assertions in amid 's federal sex-trafficking charges, stating she had urged publication but was overruled. Carter has countered that the omissions stemmed from journalistic standards, asserting Ward failed to adequately verify the claims, that the Farmers declined to be named or fully cooperate, and that Ward herself concurred with the edits to avoid unsubstantiated accusations. In a 2019 New York Times interview and subsequent statements, he denied any Epstein intervention, emphasizing that no calls or visits influenced the decision and that Ward's later narrative exaggerated her efforts to include the material. A 2022 New Yorker investigation supported Carter's version, citing internal records showing Ward's draft lacked firm commitments from the Farmers and that she did not vigorously contest the removal at the time, framing the episode as a routine editorial judgment rather than suppression. Ward disputed the New Yorker's portrayal, arguing it ignored her preserved reporting files and the power imbalance with 's network, which she said deterred aggressive pursuit of the story within Vanity Fair's culture of favoring high-society access. The conflicting accounts highlight tensions between investigative rigor and editorial caution in profiling powerful figures, with Ward's persistence in later years—through books and podcasts—contrasting the magazine's initial restraint. No independent corroboration of 's alleged direct interference has emerged, though the Farmers' lawsuits against in 2019 lent retrospective weight to their early claims.

Accusations of media complicity in elite protection

Ward has accused Vanity Fair editors of suppressing allegations of against in her 2003 profile, claiming the decision protected Epstein's powerful associates. She reported obtaining on-the-record accounts from three women, including victims and Annie Farmer, who detailed 's abusive behavior toward underage girls, but these were excised from the published piece titled "The Talented Mr. Epstein," which appeared on March 1, 2003. Ward attributed the edits to influence from Epstein, who reportedly visited the magazine's offices and leveraged connections to elites like Leslie Wexner, , and , arguing that such interventions exemplified media deference to high-status figures. In a 2019 New York Times interview following 's arrest on July 6, 2019, Ward reiterated that then-editor informed her the victims' quotes were removed because "belonged to intelligence" or due to unspecified pressures, a claim Carter disputed in subsequent accounts, asserting the allegations lacked sufficient corroboration and that sources had recanted or gone off-record. Ward countered this in 2022 by releasing transcripts from her reporting process on her website, maintaining that the Farmers' statements remained verifiable and on-record, and accusing media outlets of broader complicity in downplaying 's network to shield influential patrons. This incident, she argued, delayed public awareness of 's crimes by over a decade, allowing his operations to continue until his 2008 plea deal. Ward extended her critique to institutional media patterns, stating in interviews that outlets like Vanity Fair prioritized access to elites over investigative rigor, a dynamic she linked to Epstein's threats against her during reporting—including warnings of professional ruin and harm to her unborn child—which she said chilled broader coverage. She has described this as part of a systemic reluctance to probe networks involving figures like Prince Andrew and , where media preserved elite alliances despite available evidence. In her 2021 Chasing Ghislaine and related writings, Ward highlighted how pre-2019 Epstein stories, including her own truncated piece, focused on his wealth and philanthropy while omitting abuse claims, fostering an environment of elite impunity. These accusations underscore Ward's view of media as complicit through editorial gatekeeping, though critics, including Carter, have countered that journalistic standards—not —dictated the cuts, citing the need for multiple sourced confirmations in a pre-#MeToo era when victim testimonies faced higher skepticism. Ward's claims gained renewed attention amid Epstein-related document releases in 2024-2025, where she reiterated in outlets like Democracy Now! that unprosecuted elite involvement persists due to media and institutional hesitancy.

Responses to criticisms of her methods and claims

Ward has consistently defended her reporting on by asserting that she secured firsthand victim accounts, including from , detailing abuse as early as 2003, but that Vanity Fair editor excised them due to Epstein's influence and threats, prioritizing access to elites over victim testimony. She released redacted transcripts of editorial discussions showing Carter dismissing a 16-year-old victim's allegations as "not that earth-shattering," countering claims that her evidence was insufficient for publication. In response to a 2022 New Yorker article portraying her as unreliable—citing anonymous former Vanity Fair staff who described her as lacking credibility with fact-checkers due to past inaccuracies in quotes and sourcing disputes—Ward accused the piece of "vindictive" omissions and , noting she supplied the interviewer with the aforementioned transcripts that were excluded. She highlighted her continued decade-long employment at the magazine post-Epstein as rebuttal to internal distrust narratives and criticized reliance on anonymous critics, arguing it exemplifies media tactics to marginalize reporters challenging power structures. Ward has framed subsequent events, including Epstein's 2008 plea deal and 2019 charges revealing a trafficking network, as vindication, insisting editorial deference—not her methods—delayed exposure and enabled further harm. Regarding Farmer's later criticisms of Ward's 2011 follow-up for downplaying allegations, Ward acknowledged personal turmoil from divorce influenced tone but reaffirmed sourcing integrity, opting against releasing sensitive transcripts to shield victims from retraumatization. In other contexts, such as a 2022 lawsuit over leaked details in the Alex Murdaugh case, Ward responded by disclosing her source, leading to her dismissal as a , which she presented as upholding transparency over in investigative work. She has broadly contended that institutional media's bias toward protecting influential figures, evidenced by edited narratives and selective sourcing, underscores the value of her independent outlets for uncompromised reporting.

Personal life

Family and relationships

Ward is the daughter of , a retired financier. Her mother, who died in May 2025 at age 84 after suffering from following a mini-stroke, was described by Ward as complicated, driven, funny, and bold. Ward married Matthew Doull, a financier and step-nephew of media proprietor , on July 15, 1995, after meeting him while both worked in the City office of . The couple had twin sons. Their marriage ended in divorce in 2011 after 16 years, amid acrimonious disputes that Ward detailed publicly in a article, including financial disagreements over child-related expenses such as nanny payments. Ward has not remarried and is currently single.

Residences, affiliations, and public persona

Ward relocated to in 1997, where she has since been based professionally and personally. Her work frequently references her integration into New York's elite social and financial circles, reflecting a transatlantic lifestyle shaped by her British origins and American career focus. Among her key affiliations, Ward serves as a Visiting Fellow at the University of Oxford's , a position appointed in September 2023 to support research on corporate reputation and related themes. She is also a member of the , having joined in June 2020, which connects her to networks analyzing international affairs and policy. These institutional ties complement her media roles, including past positions as editor-at-large for Town & Country and contributor to outlets like and the . Publicly, Ward projects a of unflinching investigative rigor, specializing in exposés of power dynamics, financial intrigue, and , often leveraging personal access gained through her poised, pedigree-informed style. Her approach emphasizes multimedia storytelling, including podcasts and documentaries, and she engages audiences via newsletters like "Vicky Ward Investigates" on , alongside social media accounts on (@vpjw_) and X (@VickyPJWard) for real-time commentary on ongoing probes. This visibility underscores her reputation as a undeterred by high-profile threats, as evidenced in her reporting.

Published works

Authored books and collaborations

Vicky Ward authored The Devil's Casino: Friendship, Betrayal, and the High Stakes Games Played Inside , published in March 2010 by Wiley, which details the interpersonal dynamics, risk-taking culture, and executive decisions at leading to its bankruptcy, based on extensive interviews with former employees including CEO Richard Fuld's associates. The book portrays the firm's transformation from a bond-trading powerhouse to a speculative entity undone by subprime mortgage exposures and internal rivalries. In October 2014, Ward published The Liar's Ball: The Extraordinary Saga of How One Building Broke the World's Toughest Tycoons through Wiley, chronicling the ownership battles and financial overhauls of 666 Fifth Avenue in Manhattan, from its 1998 sale by Elizabeth Stribling to subsequent deals involving tycoons like Sam Zell and the Kushner family's 2007 acquisition amid looming debt crises. Drawing on court documents and insider accounts, it exposes aggressive refinancing tactics and market misjudgments that strained buyers' empires during the 2008 financial downturn. Ward's 2019 solo work, Kushner, Inc.: Greed. Ambition. Corruption. The Extraordinary Story of and , released March 19 by , investigates the Kushner family's real estate empire, including opaque deals like the 666 Fifth Avenue purchase, and the couple's roles, alleging conflicts of interest and reliance on family networks for opportunities such as Middle East policy influence. The narrative relies on over 200 interviews and public records to critique the blending of private business and . Ward has collaborated with bestselling author on nonfiction projects. Their co-authored The Idaho Four: An American Tragedy, published July 14, 2025, by , reconstructs the November 2022 stabbing deaths of four students in , examining suspect Bryan Kohberger's background, the investigation's timeline, and community impacts through police reports, trial evidence, and witness statements. In August 2025, the pair announced another joint book on the December 2024 killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson by Luigi Mangione, focusing on Mangione's trajectory and alleged grievances against corporate healthcare, slated for future publication by .

Podcasts, documentaries, and ongoing projects

Ward serves as host and producer of the and accompanying series Chasing Ghislaine, which details her nearly two-decade pursuit of leads on Jeffrey Epstein's network, including Ghislaine Maxwell's role. The series, first released in 2021, features interviews and archival material exposing Epstein's influence and Maxwell's alleged complicity, with Season 1 available on Prime Video. Through her Substack publication Vicky Ward Investigates, Ward produces episodic s focusing on and elite scandals, such as analyses of Epstein-related documents and Virginia Giuffre's memoir Nobody's Girl in episodes dated October 2023 and 2024. These audio investigations draw on her reporting contacts and emphasize primary sources like court files, positioning them as extensions of her print journalism into formats. Among ongoing projects, Ward continues investigative work on the 2022 University of Idaho murders, conducting over 300 interviews across and Washington states following suspect Bryan Kohberger's December 2022 arrest. This effort, integrated into her and public appearances, anticipates developments in Kohberger's pending trial and critiques mainstream coverage gaps, reflecting her focus on underreported forensic and witness details.

References

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  2. https://www.nytimes.com/2019/07/09/business/media/vicky-ward-jeffrey-epstein-vanity-fair.html
  3. https://www.newyorker.com/news/annals-of-communications/why-didnt-vanity-fair-break-the-jeffrey-epstein-story
  4. https://capsulenz.com/think/true-crime/jeffrey-epstein-vicky-ward/
  5. https://vickyward.com/
  6. https://www.democracynow.org/2025/7/28/ghislaine_maxwell_vicky_ward
  7. https://www.change.org/p/amazon-amazon-remove-vicky-ward-s-chasing-ghislaine-podcast
  8. https://www.imdb.com/name/nm3164057/bio/
  9. https://www.theglobeandmail.com/life/vicky-ward-wall-street-tattler/article1366948/
  10. https://groups.google.com/g/peerage-news/c/feRpmdqu09A
  11. https://www.vickywardinvestigates.com/p/my-mother
  12. https://www.linkedin.com/in/vickypjward
  13. https://www.salon.com/2000/04/21/ward/
  14. https://mn2s.com/booking-agency/talent-roster/vicky-ward/
  15. https://speakers.com/speakers/vicky-ward/
  16. https://archive.vanityfair.com/article/2003/3/the-talented-mr-epstein
  17. https://archive.vanityfair.com/article/2001/12/meanwhile-back-on-capitol-hill
  18. https://archive.vanityfair.com/article/2004/6/faulty-towers
  19. https://huffpost.com/author/vicky-ward
  20. https://www.adweek.com/tvnewser/huffington-post-editor-at-large-vicky-ward-is-joining-cnn-as-senior-reporter/409929/
  21. https://vickyward.com/appearances/
  22. https://www.audible.com/podcast/Chasing-Ghislaine/B09887Z858
  23. https://www.audible.com/pd/Pipeline-to-Power-Audiobook/B0CFYTTD8B
  24. https://www.vickywardinvestigates.com/podcast
  25. https://vickyward.substack.com/
  26. https://www.jamespatterson.com/titles/james-patterson/the-idaho-four/9780316572859/
  27. https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2021/11/27/vicky-ward-did-epstein-try-tell-ghislaine-20-years-ago/
  28. https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2008/05/vicky-ward-you
  29. https://www.npr.org/2019/07/09/739799972/epsteins-indictment-covers-17-years-of-alleged-sexual-abuse-of-minors
  30. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt14706922/
  31. https://podcasts.apple.com/rs/podcast/vicky-ward-on-the-trail-of-ghislaine-maxwell/id472939437?i=1000557193658
  32. https://www.npr.org/2025/07/28/nx-s1-5479843/investigative-journalist-vicky-ward-reviews-just-who-jeffrey-epstein-was
  33. https://highline.huffingtonpost.com/articles/en/mercers/
  34. https://vickyward.com/books/kushner-inc/
  35. https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2019/mar/24/kushner-inc-review-vicky-ward-jared-ivanka-trump-kakistocracy
  36. https://www.townandcountrymag.com/society/money-and-power/news/a9979/how-steve-bannon-joined-forces-with-donald-trump/
  37. https://vickyward.com/article/the-battle-for-hewlett-packard/
  38. http://vickyward.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/05/battleforhewlettpackard.pdf
  39. https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2008/11/middleton200811
  40. https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2021/jul/11/jeffrey-epstein-vicky-ward-podcast-chasing-ghislaine
  41. https://variety.com/2021/tv/news/sweet-tooth-trailer-netflix-1234974694/
  42. https://www.amazon.com/Idaho-Four-American-Tragedy/dp/0316572853
  43. https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-idaho-four-james-patterson/1146996213
  44. https://www.rollingstone.com/culture/culture-features/idaho-four-murder-james-patterson-bryan-kohberger-1235383899/
  45. https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2003/03/jeffrey-epstein-200303
  46. https://nypost.com/2024/01/05/news/jeffrey-epstein-went-to-vanity-fair-office-to-suppress-truth/
  47. https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/general-news/why-i-dont-believe-graydon-carter-scrubbed-jeffrey-epstein-story-1223529/
  48. https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2019/07/19/magazine/graydon-carter-jeffrey-epstein-vanity-fair.html
  49. https://www.vickywardinvestigates.com/p/what-the-new-yorker-got-wrong
  50. https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/epstein-journalist-vicky-ward-hits-223103287.html
  51. https://www.npr.org/2019/08/22/753337520/why-the-media-didnt-pay-much-attention-to-jeffrey-epstein
  52. https://vickyward.com/article/the-venomous-epstein-tapes/
  53. https://pagesix.com/2021/07/15/maria-farmer-slams-vicky-wards-jeffrey-epstein-podcast/
  54. https://www.thestate.com/news/local/crime/article268624207.html
  55. https://www.tatler.com/gallery/vicky-ward-and-matthew-doulls-wedding
  56. https://pagesix.com/2010/08/20/vicky-ward-doull-divorce-gets-nasty/
  57. https://www.theglobeandmail.com/life/the-hot-button/author-vicky-ward-why-i-told-the-story-of-my-messy-divorce/article614930/
  58. https://www.whosdatedwho.com/dating/vicky-ward
  59. https://www.instagram.com/vpjw_/?hl=en
  60. https://x.com/VickyPJWard
  61. https://www.amazon.com/Liars-Ball-Extraordinary-Building-Toughest/dp/1118295315
  62. https://www.amazon.com/Kushner-Inc-Ambition-Corruption-Extraordinary/dp/1250185947
  63. https://us.macmillan.com/books/9781250185952/kushnerinc
  64. https://apnews.com/article/james-patterson-unitedhealthcare-ceo-killed-book-93afe9dd782eca1f8a507277905084ec
  65. https://www.primevideo.com/detail/Chasing-Ghislaine/0QG6IR3U8TBF4HNMOKG729UW1Y
  66. https://muckrack.com/vicky-ward/articles
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