It turns out the pedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein’s interest in Britain’s movers and shakers reached far beyond the royals and political elite, and into the world of fashion, finance and the most glittering of social circles.
Epstein’s relationship with Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, formerly Prince Andrew, was laid bare years ago while his bro-mance with former Labour peer and U.S. ambassador Peter Mandelson is just coming to light now, and might even bring down U.K. Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer.
According to the latest batch of documents released by U.S. government investigators, Epstein, a convicted sex offender who died in prison in 2019, had a lot more friends in Britain than previously thought.
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He was in regular contact with Lyndon Lea, the British-born, polo playing founder of Lion Capital, and with Annabelle Neilson, who’d set Epstein and his friends up with “fun” young women.
The documents reveal multiple, warm exchanges with Lea, the former owner of Jimmy Choo and the current owner of AllSaints and John Varvatos, through Lion Capital.
Epstein arranged lunches and dinners, and connected Lea with Jean-Luc Brunel, the French model agent who in 2022 was found hanged in a French prison cell, where he was being held on suspicion of rape and trafficking of minors for sexual exploitation.
Epstein thought it would be “beneficial” for Brunel and Lea to have dinner. They did — and got along well. In January 2010, Brunel offered Lea the option of attending an event with “only 10-15 girls,” but then later offered him a better option, a party in Miami later that month with “30-40 girls.”
At one point in 2010, Epstein asked Lea’s help in finding a job for a young woman friend. Lea delivers, securing the woman a one-year, paid internship at Findus, one of the companies in Lion’s portfolio at the time.
Epstein described the woman as “serious, not a toy, toys are also available.”
WWD has reached out to Lion Capital for comment.
Also in 2010, Epstein asked for Lea’s help on behalf of his then-friend Naomi Campbell. “Naiomi (sic) wants to do a lingerie line, I told her that you might want to do for la sensa (sic),” Epstein writes. (He was referring to La Senza, the lingerie retailer.) Lion Capital owned the U.K. arm of the business from 2006 until 2012.
Campbell has admitted that she knew Epstein, but only ever spoke to him about professional matters, such as the swimwear line. She has called his crimes against children and young women “indefensible,” and said she stands with the victims.
As reported in WWD earlier this week, Epstein used Neilson, who died in 2018 of a heart attack, as a sounding board, asking her about various fashion designers, and relying on her to round up pretty young girls for parties, events and dates in Europe.
Neilson, a model, muse and great friend of the late Lee Alexander McQueen, was briefly married to Nat Rothschild, and her circle of friends included London cool girls Kate Moss and Sadie Frost.
“I’m going to be in NY for Freeze (sic)…Are you going around the Armory??? There’s a bum there you might like!!!,” Neilson wrote in 2012, using the British slang for buttocks. (She was referring to the Frieze Art fair.)
In another 2012 exchange, Epstein asked Neilson about potential dates. “If I think of anyone suitable…will let u know.” He responded: “How about Davina?” In another exchange, a friend of Epstein’s asked her: “Let’s you and I try and find something cute for JE tonight. See you later.…”
In addition to talking about London girls, the two also talked about art, books, mutual connections and plans for their next meetings, with messages full of affection and email kisses.
