Jeffrey Epstein had two key aides – why do they still control his money and secrets?
Jeffrey Epstein had two key aides – why do they still control his money and secrets?
In the wake of Jeffrey Epstein’s arrest in July 2019, the FBI executed a search of his New York residence, uncovering a cache of diamonds, stacks of cash, passports, and digital storage devices within a large safe. However, a procedural oversight in the search warrant initially barred agents from seizing the items. Upon returning with a revised warrant, they found the safe empty—according to FBI records. Richard Kahn, Epstein’s accountant since 2005, had instructed the mansion’s staff to pack two suitcases with the safe’s contents and deliver them to his home, the agents noted.
Kahn later agreed to hand over the suitcases without interference, but he refused to disclose who had directed him to remove the items. A source linked to the Epstein investigation revealed that Kahn had not been interviewed or scrutinized as part of the criminal probe. His current attorney told BBC News that his client had fully cooperated with the FBI’s requests. Together with Epstein’s long-serving lawyer, Darren Indyke, Kahn and Indyke serve as the sole executors of his estate, overseeing all of his financial assets and documents.
Concealed Assets and Pending Testimonies
Although not widely recognized, the pair now control compensation for survivors and the confidential information stored in the Epstein estate’s records, which have been shared with the House Oversight Committee. As part of a congressional inquiry into Epstein’s network, the committee has summoned both Kahn and Indyke to testify. Kahn is set to appear on Wednesday, while Indyke will do so on Thursday, March 19.
Epstein named Indyke and Kahn as co-executors in August 2019, just days before his death in custody. He revised his will to transfer all his wealth into a trust named after his birth year, which they would manage. As beneficiaries, they could receive millions from the trust’s remaining assets once claims are settled. The estate’s total value remains uncertain, though it was estimated at about $635 million at the time of Epstein’s death, according to Edwards Henderson, a firm representing many survivors.
“Jeffrey Epstein was just one person. There’s no way he could manage such an operation alone,” said an anonymous woman who endured abuse by Epstein. “We always say, follow the money, right? If you follow the money, you can understand a lot about how this operation ran.”
Legal documents assert that either Kahn or Indyke—often both—held signatory authority over nearly all of Epstein’s accounts, allowing them to conduct transactions. They also oversaw several corporations tied to Epstein, some of which were allegedly created solely to support his sex-trafficking activities. Kahn’s attorney disputed these claims, stating that Epstein’s businesses were primarily tax-filing entities with transparent ownership.
According to filings, the duo received substantial fees and loans from Epstein, used funds to settle survivors, and even facilitated coerced marriages for women trafficked internationally to help them remain in the U.S. A lawsuit emphasized that no one was as central to Epstein’s operations as Ghislaine Maxwell, his former associate now convicted in related cases. US Congressman Suhas Subramanyam, part of the House Oversight Committee, highlighted the ongoing scrutiny of their roles in the aftermath of Epstein’s death.
