The estate of sex offender Jeffrey Epstein has reached an agreement to pay as much as $35 million to satisfy pending claims from victims who said they were sexually abused and trafficked by him, but for whom no prior settlement has been reached, court filings on Thursday in federal court in Manhattan show.
The settlement agreement would resolve a class action filed in 2024 against two of Epstein’s longtime business associates: personal attorney Darren Indyke, who is also the co-executor of his estate, and financial manager Richard Kahn, Epstein’s ex-accountant and who also is a co-executor of the estate. They are accused in the suit of abetting Epstein’s sex trafficking scheme through the use of an intricate network of corporations and accounts to mask his illicit dealings, documents say.
The agreement states the estate will pay $35 million if there are at least 40 eligible class members, but would be reduced to $25 million if there are fewer than 40, according to the filings.
Indyke and Kahn have not been accused of sex trafficking themselves or having any knowledge of or witnessing any abuse, and both deny any culpability in connection with Epstein’s criminal enterprise. They and their lawyers have argued they are settling to resolve all pending claims against the estate after years of litigation, not because they believe the claims are legitimate.
Epstein’s estate earlier funded an individual settlement fund that has distributed over $121 million to victims.
Victim attorneys say that the $35 million settlement gives extra compensation to victims who have not yet received compensation. Experts said the settlement could be the key to one of the last outstanding civil cases about the sex trafficking ring that was maintained by Epstein over six years after his death.
Epstein committed suicide in a federal jail cell in August 2019 while awaiting trial for sex trafficking charges. The ramifications from Epstein’s actions are still working through the courts, from claims related to his estate, to the allocation of his assets and any accountability for those who worked alongside him.