Why This News Matters:

The new information from the Justice Department doesn't show that anyone did anything wrong. But it does make it harder to find out how close famous people were to Jeffrey Epstein, even after he was found guilty in 2008. I think about being honest and making choices. Why did famous people keep talking to Epstein even though they knew he was having trouble with the law and his reputation? I thought about these things because the letters to Ariane de Rothschild were long and well-written. Banks need to talk even more about their past relationships and what they think is right and wrong now that they have new information. People should trust banks because they deal with a lot of money and keep their information private.

Private Correspondence Sheds Light on Epstein’s Relationship With Rothschild Executive

According to the letters, the two met several times over the course of several years at Epstein's houses in New York and Paris, and Epstein invited de Rothschild to stay in his flat. Epstein wrote to de Rothschild on March 19, 2019, approximately four months before his arrest, informing her that he was in Paris. She replied, "Are you really?!! I am here as well. Epstein responded, "It's been far too long." They agreed to meet the next day. In 2018, de Rothschild emailed Epstein, "incredible sunrise this mrng," as they planned to talk over the weekend following her arrival in Paris. In a 2016 exchange, de Rothschild informed Epstein that she was unwell with the flu and would not be staying with "B," whom she did not identify. Epstein, in response, offered her to stay at his flat, stating that it would be private. "No one is wiser." De Rothschild, who is now 60, thanked him but stated that she would remain with someone else who would "play my mom." She stated B was a "disaster" and she was "tired of dealing with him." Her husband, Benjamin de Rothschild, died in 2021. In a 2016 exchange, Epstein's assistant agreed to return a hoverboard to de Rothschild's daughter. In 2015, de Rothschild and Epstein exchanged texts regarding the candles she had helped make for him. Epstein writes, "Candles???" Cannot wait to smell. Thank you." De Rothschild responds, "Your favorite mathematical formula is printed on it, and the scent is made just for you." "It complements your island." Epstein possessed a private Caribbean island that was accused of being used for teenage sex trafficking.

Epstein Advised Rothschild Executive Amid European Money-Laundering Probe

A bank official told Reuters that Epstein was a business acquaintance of de Rothschild from 2013 until 2019. De Rothschild had no knowledge of Epstein's actions and "unequivocally condemns his behaviour and the crimes which he committed," according to the spokeswoman. The bank spokeswoman declined to respond to any specific communications. A bank spokeswoman stated that the two had a commercial connection that lasted from 2013 until 2019. Following her marriage in 1999, de Rothschild became a member of one of Europe's most prominent banking houses. She has been the CEO of Geneva-based Edmond de Rothschild since 2023. De Rothschild became the first woman to lead a Rothschild financial institution, a banking dynasty that stretches back to 18th century Frankfurt, Germany. Edmond de Rothschild manages 184 billion Swiss francs ($236.8 billion) in assets.

As Luxembourg financial authorities began their investigation into a huge money-laundering plan, the head of Edmond de Rothschild Private Bank sought advise and comfort from well-connected, convicted paedophile Jeffrey Epstein. Luxembourg's Edmond de Rothschild Europe was shaken in 2016 when it was revealed that it received around $472.5 million of the $4.5 billion stolen from Malaysia's 1MDB sovereign wealth fund. In late June 2016, police searched the Rothschild bank's premises. Nearly a year after the police raid, de Rothschild confided in Epstein before it was reported that the bank and the CSSF had agreed on a punishment of nearly €9 million. In 2025, a Luxembourg court ordered Edmond de Rothschild Europe to pay a €25 million fine to settle criminal money laundering and concealment allegations.

Epstein’s Criminal History and Death

Epstein pleaded convicted in Florida in 2008 to soliciting prostitution from an underage girl. In July 2019, he was accused with sex trafficking kids in New York and Florida from 2002 to 2005. He pled not guilty. Epstein died by himself in a Manhattan jail cell on August 10, 2019, at the age of 66. Todd Blanche, the US deputy attorney general, stated that the release of records on Friday marked the conclusion of the Trump administration's actions under a legislation that required all Epstein-related files to be made public. The Trump administration continues to withhold roughly half of the data it gathered on Epstein, in breach of a statute that mandated all of it to be released by a deadline more than six weeks earlier.