The two insiders who kept Jeffrey Epstein’s empire running, and now control his fortune

Jeffrey Epstein

For years, Jeffrey Epstein projected the image of a lone predator operating behind closed doors. But newly surfaced records, lawsuits and testimony show that two little-known figures were central to keeping his operation functioning: Richard Kahn, his accountant, and Darren Indyke, his longtime lawyer. They handled everything from cash withdrawals and shell companies to immigration paperwork and payments to women who later said they were abused. Today, they control access to critical evidence and remain positioned to inherit tens of millions from Epstein’s estate — a reality that infuriates victims and has prompted renewed calls for investigation, the Wall Street Journal reported.

The financial and legal architects

Indyke began working for Epstein in the 1990s, eventually becoming his exclusive attorney and personal representative. Kahn joined in 2005 as Epstein’s in-house accountant. Together, they formed a tight operational core: creating companies, opening bank accounts, moving money, managing expenses and responding to banks when suspicious transactions were flagged. When institutions cut ties with Epstein over concerns about his behaviour, they scrambled to find new financial pathways. Their lawyers insist they saw nothing illegal and merely provided routine services for a wealthy client.

Links to women in Epstein’s network

The most troubling allegations involve the pair’s direct dealings with women later identified as victims. Court filings show they facilitated marriages that turned out to be immigration shams, arranged housing and medical care, handled cash distributions and even prepared tax returns. Payments to women were routed through entities they controlled, and bank records list dozens of transactions tied to their companies. Both men deny knowing the women were being abused, saying no one told them and that they believed the relationships and marriages were consensual.

Controlling Epstein’s estate

When Epstein was arrested in 2019, he named Kahn and Indyke co-executors of his estate, giving them control over records, assets and compensation negotiations. Victims who sought payouts through a claims program were required to sign releases protecting the men from lawsuits, unless Kahn and Indyke approved exceptions. Critics say this allowed them to shield themselves while deciding how much victims would receive. Their lawyers argue the process was fair, voluntary and overseen by independent administrators.

Why they still matter

Despite civil suits accusing them of enabling Epstein’s abuse, neither man has been criminally charged. They remain key holders of documents requested by Congress and private litigants. They also stand to benefit personally: after debts and settlements are resolved, Epstein’s remaining wealth will flow into a trust they control and from which they are top beneficiaries. Some victims describe the situation as “a fox guarding the henhouse,” saying those who helped sustain Epstein’s operation now determine what becomes of his money and evidence.

Whether new disclosures change their legal exposure remains uncertain. What is clear is that Epstein’s financial machinery did not function on its own — and the two men who kept it running are still in positions of extraordinary power.