US Court Approves $35m Epstein Estate Settlement in Sex Trafficking Lawsuit

By Folarin Adeyemi Aluko

A United States federal judge has granted preliminary approval to a settlement that could see the estate of late financier Jeffrey Epstein pay up to $35 million to resolve a class action lawsuit accusing two of his long-time advisers of aiding and abetting his sex trafficking of young women and teenage girls.

The agreement, announced on 19 February by law firm Boies Schiller Flexner, was described as fair by Manhattan-based U.S. District Judge Arun Subramanian during a hearing on Tuesday. The court has scheduled 16 September for a final approval hearing.

The settlement stems from a 2024 lawsuit filed against Epstein’s former personal lawyer, Darren Indyke, and his longtime accountant, Richard Kahn. Both men serve as co-executors of Epstein’s estate and were accused of helping facilitate and financially structure operations that enabled his abuse network to function for years.

According to court filings, the lawsuit alleged that Indyke and Kahn assisted Epstein in creating a complex web of corporations and bank accounts designed to obscure financial transactions, conceal misconduct, and channel payments to victims and recruiters. The complaint further claimed that the pair were “richly compensated” for their roles.

However, legal representatives for the co-executors strongly denied wrongdoing. Daniel Weiner, counsel for Indyke and Kahn, stated that the agreement does not constitute an admission of liability.

“Because they did nothing wrong, the co-executors were prepared to fight the claims against them through to trial, but agreed to mediate and settle this lawsuit in order to achieve finality as to any potential claims against the Epstein Estate,” Weiner said.

For survivors and their advocates, the preliminary approval marks another step in a long and painful pursuit of accountability.

Sigrid McCawley, a lawyer representing the plaintiffs, welcomed the development, saying the settlement represents progress for victims seeking justice.

“We are pleased we could take another step forward on that long road for the survivors and provide some sort of justice,” she said.

Epstein died in a New York jail in August 2019 while awaiting trial on federal sex trafficking charges. His death was officially ruled a suicide. Since then, scrutiny has intensified over the extent of his network and the individuals who may have enabled his activities.

Earlier, Epstein’s estate established a victims’ restitution fund that paid out approximately $121 million to claimants. Additional settlements totaling $49 million were also reached in related cases. The proposed $35 million agreement would add to those efforts to resolve outstanding claims tied to his estate.

Meanwhile, millions of documents released this year by the U.S. Justice Department have shed further light on Epstein’s extensive connections to influential political, financial, and social figures across the globe — renewing debate about accountability, transparency, and systemic failures that allowed his crimes to persist for years.

If granted final approval in September, the settlement would formally conclude the class action and close another chapter in the legal fallout from one of the most high-profile sex trafficking scandals in recent history.