How a British Whistleblower Uncovered US Commerce Secretary's Undisclosed Epstein Business Ties

A British former Wall Street executive has revealed how he uncovered evidence suggesting that Howard Lutnick, now serving as US commerce secretary, failed to disclose a business relationship with the convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Simon Andriesz, once a managing director at a firm within Lutnick's Cantor Fitzgerald group, discovered the evidence buried within millions of pages of documents released by the US government.

Searching 3.5 Million Documents

Andriesz, who now lives in a quiet Cornish seaside village, described feeling "completely shocked" when he discovered his own name within the massive trove of Epstein files — a collection of documents, photographs, videos, and emails related to the notorious sex offender that the US government began releasing over the past year.

The files containing Andriesz's name related to interviews he had given to the FBI during a dispute with his former employer, BGC Partners, a financial brokerage firm that was part of Lutnick's Cantor Fitzgerald group. Andriesz had raised concerns internally in 2016 about accounting irregularities at the firm. He was dismissed in 2017, though some of his allegations later resulted in BGC being ordered to pay a $3 million penalty by the US derivatives regulator for what were described as "numerous supervision, reporting, and record-keeping violations."

BGC has stated that Andriesz's allegations lacked credibility and were "categorically false," adding that the claims had been investigated by authorities in several jurisdictions without being substantiated.

Andriesz spoke to the FBI about BGC and about Lutnick in 2020 and 2021, following Epstein's death in jail while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges. The Epstein files show that Andriesz alleged Lutnick had maintained undeclared business ties with Epstein, though the FBI did not investigate these specific accusations. Andriesz expressed frustration that few seemed interested in what he had found.

The Initials That Cracked the Case

After Lutnick was appointed commerce secretary in 2025 — at which point he sold his shares in Cantor Fitzgerald and transferred control of the firm to his sons — he appeared on a podcast claiming he had only met Epstein once, roughly two decades earlier, when they were neighbours in Manhattan. He described finding Epstein's behaviour "gross."

However, the release of the Epstein files exposed inconsistencies in that account. A photograph placed Lutnick on Epstein's Caribbean island, Little St James, in December 2012 — four years after Epstein had been imprisoned in Florida for soliciting prostitution, including a charge involving a minor.

Andriesz suspected more evidence lay hidden within the 3.5 million pages of documents, but realised that most people were searching using the name "Lutnick." Knowing that Cantor Fitzgerald executives tended to use initials rather than full names in their emails, he searched for "HWL" — Howard William Lutnick — and struck gold.

The search revealed an email exchange from 2018 in which Epstein directly communicated with Lutnick about a digital advertising company called Adfin, in which both Epstein and Cantor Fitzgerald had invested. Epstein asked what Lutnick thought the prospects for Adfin were, and Lutnick replied that the company was "producing revenue finally" and needed to become "economically self-sufficient" within the next twelve months.

Testimony Before Congress and Political Fallout

Andriesz shared his findings with members of the House Oversight Committee, the US Congress's principal investigatory body, ahead of Lutnick's appearance before the panel in May. Lutnick participated in an off-camera hearing where he repeated his assertion that he had not known until this year that Epstein had been a co-investor in Adfin.

Lutnick told the committee: "I unequivocally condemn the conduct attributed to Jeffrey Epstein and everyone who participated in his illegal activities. The survivors of his crimes deserve our respect and support." He has not been accused of any wrongdoing in connection with Epstein.

Despite this, all 21 Democratic members of the committee signed a letter demanding Lutnick's resignation, accusing him of lying. The US Commerce Department dismissed the allegations as "a desperate partisan distraction from the historic work of this Administration," stating that Lutnick had answered hundreds of questions before Congress and that there was "no evidence of wrongdoing or legitimate cause for concern."

A Plan to "Buy a Prince"

Among Andriesz's other discoveries in the Epstein files was evidence of a proposed 2013 business arrangement between Cantor Fitzgerald and the then-Prince Andrew, who was serving as a UK trade envoy at the time. Lutnick had been friends with Andrew's ex-wife, Sarah Ferguson, since the 1990s and attended Princess Eugenie's wedding in 2018.

Documents revealed that Cantor Fitzgerald planned to loan £1 million to a firm controlled by the prince, which would then be obligated to conduct business exclusively with the firm — effectively exploiting Andrew's connections with wealthy individuals and sovereign institutions. Andriesz described the arrangement as a plan "to buy a prince."

The files indicate that Epstein himself warned Andrew's business aide, David Stern, against the deal, expressing concern about its exclusivity terms. Advisers to both Lutnick and the prince discussed the arrangement for four months, from August to November 2013, but it ultimately came to nothing. Cantor Fitzgerald did not deny that the talks took place but stated it did not enter into business with the former prince. Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor did not respond to a request for comment.

Andriesz, now 57, says the litigation of the past decade has taken a devastating toll on his career, finances, and health. Although he received a $420,000 award from the US regulator for his whistleblowing, he argues that authorities in both the US and the UK have failed to hold BGC and Cantor Fitzgerald properly accountable or to protect him from retaliation.

BGC maintains that it has robust policies protecting whistleblowers and denies retaliating against Andriesz, stating that his employment was terminated after he refused to follow medical advice, declined to perform essential duties, rejected reasonable accommodation, and ultimately abandoned his role. The firm says it has had no involvement with him since his departure beyond responding to litigation he initiated.

Speaking on behalf of Lutnick, the White House said: "The BBC's pathetic and desperate attempt to slander Secretary Lutnick will do nothing to change the fact that he has been the most consequential Commerce Secretary in modern history."

From a quiet Cornish village to the corridors of power in Washington, Andriesz's story raises profound questions about accountability, transparency, and the lengths one individual will go to uncover the truth. What do you make of these revelations? Share this article with your network and join the conversation.

Source: BBC News – World