Correspondence from the Epstein trove indicates a proposed £10m settlement from John Caudwell for Sarah Ferguson’s debts in 2009 and shows how Epstein’s network discussed her finances and potential bankruptcy.
Newly leaked documents linked to Jeffrey Epstein have thrown fresh light on the financial turmoil surrounding Sarah, Duchess of York, and the private efforts made to help her. Buried in the cache are messages from July 13, 2009, and later reconstructed exchanges that suggest a striking proposal: John Caudwell, the Phones4U founder, apparently offered to wipe out roughly £10 million of her debts in return for half of her future net earnings for life.
Those snippets sit inside the wider trove of Epstein-related material that has already prompted scrutiny into how his circle discussed — and sometimes intervened in — the affairs of well-known figures. The newly revealed threads chart repeated attempts to tackle Ms.
Ferguson’s mounting liabilities, showing advisors, friends and potential backers debating a range of fixes, from formal bankruptcy to negotiated bailouts.
The £10 million proposal, as described in the messages, stirred immediate disagreement among those copied into the exchanges. Some urged turning the offer into a written contract; others worried that signing away half of someone’s future income for life was excessive and advised bankruptcy as a cleaner, more controlled route.
Beyond sums and terms, the correspondents weighed legal exposures and reputational fallout, with the tone shifting at times from coldly transactional to protective — several participants expressing concern that her vulnerability could be exploited.
Reporters reached out to the individuals named. Caudwell’s representatives say he first encountered Ms. Ferguson in charity work and later was approached about a business solution; they deny any dealings with Epstein, say he was unaware she was consulting Epstein or his associates, and add that no formal agreement was ever signed. Those responses, if true, underscore that these threads show discussion and possible offers but not completed deals.
Other messages in the files show members of Epstein’s network brainstorming ways to plug Ms. Ferguson’s shortfall. Legal and financial advisers mulled introductions to potential financiers, restructuring options and reputational management tactics. Investigators and litigants combing the archive will want to establish timelines, identify intermediaries and determine whether any proposals ever moved from talk to action — although, on their own, these documents do not prove criminal conduct.
The papers also reveal family members and close contacts trying to limit risk. Relatives urged tighter financial controls, cautioned against certain advisers and pushed for more decisive oversight; advisers voiced frustration at slow decision-making. One thread refers to an individual coded “F,” apparently Ms. Ferguson, and mentions arranging a meeting with someone described as a Russian billionaire to seek funding. A redacted 2010 note warned she might be surrounded by people likely to take advantage of her. Another file shows a concrete consequence of the turmoil: her personal assistant was listed as owed $126,721 after a 2010 U.S. bankruptcy filing.
Taken together, the records paint a messy picture of money, goodwill and worrying opportunism — a mix of earnest offers, wary advisers and frenetic damage control. They raise questions about who knew what and when, and about the boundaries between assistance and advantage.
