Newly released Department of Justice documents show that Jeffrey Epstein received millions from two previously unreported billionaire clients: Mortimer Zuckerman and Ariane de Rothschild.
According to the files, Epstein provided estate planning and financial services to both clients, who paid him a combined $45 million between 2013 and 2015. Experts say these fees were unusually high for the work described.
Epstein was not a lawyer or accountant, raising questions about how he could justify the payments. The clients’ payments came years after Epstein’s 2008 felony conviction in Florida for prostitution-related charges.
The largest sum, $25 million, came from Ariane de Rothschild and her family bank. Contracts show Epstein handled estate planning and “strategic business matters,” possibly related to a U.S. Department of Justice settlement involving the bank. Payments were made in December 2015.
Zuckerman’s contract from 2013 requested $30 million but appears to have been settled at $20 million. A third party, former Norwegian diplomat Terje Rød-Larsen, was also listed in the agreement, though his role remains unclear.
Experts say the fees far exceeded normal estate planning costs. One wealth planning specialist compared the $15 million de Rothschild payment to hiring three of the most expensive estate attorneys in the country.
The documents also highlight other high-paying clients, including Leon Black, who paid Epstein $88.5 million between 2013 and 2014 for similar services—far more than he paid traditional law firms for the same work.
While the exact reason for Epstein’s massive fees remains uncertain, the new filings reveal how he built and maintained his fortune through elite clients and unusually high payments.
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