Epstein Estate Reaches $35 Million Settlement in Survivor Lawsuit
Survivors of Jeffrey Epstein raised their hands during a House hearing on oversight of the justice department, held on Capitol Hill in Washington DC on 11 February. This symbolic gesture underscored their ongoing fight for accountability in the wake of the financier's crimes.
Details of the Class-Action Settlement
Jeffrey Epstein's estate has agreed to pay as much as $35 million to resolve a class-action lawsuit that accused two of his advisers of aiding and abetting his sex trafficking of young women and teenage girls, according to a recent court filing. The law firm Boies Schiller Flexner, representing Epstein victims, announced the settlement in a brief filed in federal court in Manhattan on Thursday.
If approved by a judge, this deal would conclude a 2024 lawsuit filed against Epstein's former personal lawyer Darren Indyke and former accountant Richard Kahn, who serve as co-executors of the late Epstein's estate. Notably, the estate had previously established a restitution fund that disbursed $121 million to victims, along with an additional $49 million in settlements.
No Admission of Misconduct in the Agreement
In an emailed statement, Daniel Weiner, the lawyer for Indyke and Kahn, emphasized that neither individual "made any admission or concession of misconduct" as part of the settlement disclosed on Thursday. Weiner explained that the co-executors were prepared to contest the claims through trial but opted to mediate and settle to achieve finality regarding any potential claims against the Epstein Estate.
He further stated that the settlement offers "a confidential avenue for financial relief" for Epstein victims who have not yet resolved their claims against the estate. Epstein died in a New York jail in August 2019, with authorities ruling his death a suicide.
Allegations of Financial Complicity in Trafficking
The 2024 lawsuit, as presented by lawyers at Boies Schiller Flexner, alleged that Indyke and Kahn assisted Epstein in creating a complex network of corporations and bank accounts. This system allegedly enabled him to conceal his abuses, compensate victims and recruiters, and ensure the advisers were "richly compensated" for their roles.
This settlement follows previous legal successes by the Boies law firm, which secured $365 million in settlements with JPMorgan Chase and Deutsche Bank after accusing them of overlooking red flags concerning Epstein, who was once a lucrative client for these institutions.
