Epstein Estate Agrees $35m Settlement For Abuse Victims
The estate of convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein has agreed to pay up to $35 million to settle outstanding legal claims from potentially dozens of victims who say they were sexually assaulted or trafficked by the disgraced financier, according to a court filing submitted on Thursday.
The proposed settlement, which must be approved by a federal judge in New York before it can take effect, relates to victims who reported being “sexually assaulted or abused or trafficked by Jeffrey Epstein between January 1, 1995, and through August 10, 2019,” the date of Epstein’s death in a Manhattan prison cell.
Under the terms of the agreement, the estate would pay $35 million if there are 40 or more people eligible in the class action lawsuit, and $25 million if fewer than 40 victims qualify for compensation under the settlement structure.
The co-executors administering the settlement are Darren Indyke, Epstein’s former lawyer, and Richard Kahn, the financier’s former accountant. Both men have consistently denied any wrongdoing through their professional association with Epstein and have not been accused of committing sexual abuse crimes or witnessing such abuse.
However, the settlement, if confirmed by the court, will bring to a close the initial lawsuit filed in 2024 in which the pair of advisors were accused of enabling Epstein’s illicit activities through their legal and business services to the financier.
The judgment filed in federal court in Manhattan on Thursday stated explicitly that the agreement does not constitute an admission of fault by the co-executors, nor does it make them liable to further legal action from victims beyond the terms of the settlement.
The law firm representing the class of victims, Boies Schiller Flexner LLP, did not immediately respond to a request for comment on how many people were part of the lawsuit or had come forward with claims against the estate.
Bloomberg News reported late Thursday that the firm was confident it had identified at least 40 victims who had not yet settled with Epstein’s estate through prior compensation arrangements, suggesting the settlement payout would reach the maximum $35 million threshold.
Daniel H. Weiner, the lawyer representing the co-executors, did not immediately reply to a request for comment on the settlement terms or the number of claimants involved.
The settlement announcement comes weeks after the United States Justice Department released millions of documents, photographs, and videos related to its investigation into Epstein, following the passage of the Epstein Files Transparency Act. The Department of Justice published nearly 3.5 million documents, many heavily redacted, along with more than 2,000 videos and 180,000 images in compliance with the legislation.
The massive document release has reignited public scrutiny of Epstein’s criminal enterprise and the network of enablers and associates who facilitated his decades-long pattern of abuse targeting underage girls and young women.
Jeffrey Epstein was a wealthy financier and convicted sex offender who cultivated a global network of powerful politicians, business executives, academics, and celebrities, many of whom have been tainted by their association with him. His connections spanned the worlds of politics, entertainment, science, and international business, and included high-profile figures whose reputations have been damaged by revelations of their ties to the disgraced financier.
Epstein was first convicted of sex crimes in 2008 in Florida, where he pleaded guilty to state charges of procuring a minor for prostitution and soliciting a prostitute. He served 13 months in a county jail under a controversial plea deal that has since been widely criticized as unusually lenient given the severity of the allegations against him.
He was arrested again in July 2019 on federal charges of sex trafficking of minors in Florida and New York. The indictment alleged that Epstein had sexually exploited and abused dozens of minor girls at his residences in Manhattan, Palm Beach, and other locations between 2002 and 2005.
On August 10, 2019, Epstein was found dead in his cell at the Metropolitan Correctional Center in Manhattan. His death was ruled a suicide by hanging, though the circumstances surrounding it have fueled persistent speculation and controversy.
Following his death, federal prosecutors moved to dismiss the criminal charges against him, citing the legal principle that criminal cases cannot proceed against deceased defendants. However, the investigation into his alleged co-conspirators and enablers has continued, with ongoing scrutiny of individuals and institutions that may have facilitated his criminal activities.
Epstein’s estate, valued at approximately $634 million at the time of his death, has been the subject of multiple legal battles. In 2020, the estate established the Epstein Victims’ Compensation Program, an independent fund designed to provide financial compensation to victims outside of the court system. According to reports, the fund distributed more than $121 million to over 135 claimants before it closed in 2021.
However, not all victims chose to participate in the compensation program, with some opting to pursue litigation against the estate and Epstein’s associates through the courts. The class action lawsuit filed in 2024 represents one such effort by victims who sought accountability through the legal system rather than the administrative compensation process.
The lawsuit specifically targeted Indyke and Kahn, alleging that their professional services as lawyer and accountant to Epstein were instrumental in facilitating the financier’s ability to operate his sex trafficking enterprise with impunity. The complaint argued that the two men managed Epstein’s financial affairs and legal matters in ways that enabled his crimes to continue undetected for years.
Both Indyke and Kahn have denied these allegations and have maintained that they were unaware of Epstein’s criminal activities and did not participate in or facilitate any illegal conduct. Their legal representatives have consistently argued that providing professional services to a client does not constitute complicity in that client’s crimes, particularly when the nature of those crimes was concealed from the professionals.
The proposed settlement appears designed to resolve these claims without requiring either side to prove their case at trial, a common feature of civil settlements in high-profile cases where litigation costs and uncertainties make negotiated resolution attractive to both parties.
For victims, the settlement offers a measure of financial compensation and closure without the need to endure a lengthy and potentially traumatic trial process. For the co-executors, it eliminates the legal and reputational risks associated with prolonged litigation, even as it does not require them to admit any wrongdoing.
The settlement’s approval by a federal judge is not guaranteed, however. Courts review class action settlements to ensure they are fair, reasonable, and adequate for the class members they purport to represent. Judges may also consider whether the settlement amount is proportionate to the claims being resolved and whether the process for distributing funds among class members is equitable.
Victims who are part of the class will likely be given the opportunity to object to the settlement terms or opt out of the agreement in order to pursue individual claims, depending on the specific procedures established by the court.
The Epstein case has had far-reaching implications for discussions about wealth, power, and accountability in cases of sexual abuse. It has highlighted systemic failures in law enforcement and the justice system that allowed Epstein to escape serious consequences for years despite credible allegations against him.