Epstein estate agrees to pay up to $35 million to settle remaining victim claims
The estate of convicted U.S. sex offender Jeffrey Epstein has agreed to pay up to $35 million (€29.7 million) to resolve outstanding legal claims from potentially dozens of victims, according to a proposed court judgment filed in New York.
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The agreement would create a class encompassing people who said they were sexually assaulted, abused or trafficked by Epstein between Jan. 1, 1995, and Aug. 10, 2019, the date of his death in a New York jail, the filing states.
Under the tiered proposal, the estate would pay $35 million if 40 or more people are deemed eligible, and $25 million (€21 million) if fewer than 40 qualify. The structure suggests the final payout will depend on how many survivors join the class and are verified under the court’s process.
The proposed judgment names Epstein’s former lawyer, Darren Indyke, and his former accountant, Richard Kahn, as co-executors of the estate. It says the agreement does not constitute an admission of fault by the co-executors or indicate they are liable to further legal action from victims.
The settlement requires approval by a federal judge in New York before it can take effect. It was not immediately clear when the court might hold a hearing on the terms.
Boies Schiller Flexner LLP, the law firm representing the class of victims, did not immediately respond to a request for comment on how many people are participating in the lawsuit. Bloomberg News has reported the firm is confident there are at least 40 victims who have not previously settled with the estate.
Daniel H. Weiner, an attorney representing the co-executors, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The proposed deal follows the U.S. Justice Department’s release of millions of documents, photographs and videos tied to the Epstein investigation, which has continued to generate public scrutiny years after his death. Epstein cultivated a global network of prominent politicians, business leaders, academics and celebrities, many of whom have been tainted by their association with him.
Epstein, a financier who pleaded guilty in 2008 to charges involving a minor in Florida, was awaiting trial on federal sex trafficking charges when he died in 2019. His estate has faced a series of civil claims from women who accused him of abusing and exploiting them over more than two decades, often when they were teenagers.
If approved, the new class settlement would mark another step in winding down the estate’s exposure to civil litigation. The filing does not detail how payments would be allocated among eligible claimants or outline administrative timelines, leaving those specifics to be determined through the court process.
Key questions remain, including the final number of participants and the scope of releases that would accompany any payout. Approval by the federal judge would signal the court’s view that the proposal is fair and reasonable to the class, a standard that often hinges on the size of the fund, the strength of the claims and the history of related settlements.
For now, the filing signals a path to closure for victims who have not yet reached agreements with Epstein’s estate, even as the broader reckoning over his conduct—and the powerful circles that enabled him—continues to unfold.
By Abdiwahab Ahmed
Axadle Times international–Monitoring.
