The Deal<\/strong><\/h1>\n\n\nOn the night of December 10, 2015, Jeffrey Epstein sent an email to Ariane de Rothschild \u2014 the chairwoman of Edmond de Rothschild Group, one of Europe\u2019s oldest private banking dynasties. The subject line was blank. The message was not.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\u201ci think you will find that 45.5 penalty legal ( kathy plus pillsbury around 10. me 25 ) all less than 80 pretty good.\u201d\u00a0<\/strong>(<\/em>EFTA00669908<\/a>)<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"http:\/\/stateofthenation.info\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/9024559c-196d-480c-aa53-535a9f8e233b_1536x1024.webp\")
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The email did not exist in isolation. Two months earlier, on October 5, 2015, Epstein\u2019s company Southern Trust Company, Inc. had signed a formal Letter of Agreement with Ariane de Rothschild and Edmond de Rothschild Holding, S.A. (EFTA00584904<\/a>). The contract explicitly stipulated a $25 million fee to STC \u201cfor Work specifically relating to outstanding matters between Edmond de Rothschild Holding, S.A. and the United States,\u201d payable within three days of EDRH making payment to the U.S. government. The December 10 email was not Epstein characterizing an arrangement \u2014 it was him reporting the execution of one already contractually fixed.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"http:\/\/stateofthenation.info\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/dfd32617-0fea-4fc2-a37b-a3ffb7de6bc1_1274x1562.webp\")
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In a single line, Epstein described what he characterized as the financial breakdown of a DOJ settlement. The Edmond de Rothschild bank had been under investigation for helping wealthy American clients evade taxes \u2014 part of a sweeping DOJ campaign that had already produced landmark penalties against Credit Suisse ($2.6 billion in 2014) and UBS ($780 million in 2009). Now, the Rothschild settlement was done. The breakdown, per Epstein\u2019s own words:<\/p>\n
$45.5 million<\/strong>\u00a0\u2014 penalty paid to the Department of Justice<\/p>\n~$10 million<\/strong>\u00a0\u2014 legal fees to Kathy Ruemmler and the law firm Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman<\/p>\n$25 million<\/strong>\u00a0\u2014 to Jeffrey Epstein<\/p>\nTotal: under $80 million<\/strong>\u00a0\u2014 which Epstein characterized as \u201cpretty good\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\nThe figures above reflect Epstein\u2019s description in EFTA00669908. The exhibit does not independently verify payment execution, allocation mechanics, or regulatory approval.<\/p>\n
Rothschild\u2019s reply came hours later, at 1:55 AM Paris time:<\/p>\n
\u201cYes, congratulations and a giant thk u !! I m relieved that it s settled and over. Now we can start moving fwd.\u201d<\/strong><\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\nAnd then, in a final message:\u00a0<\/strong>\u201cYes … And deep thks for your amazing help.\u201d<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n
On the night of December 10, 2015, Jeffrey Epstein sent an email to Ariane de Rothschild \u2014 the chairwoman of Edmond de Rothschild Group, one of Europe\u2019s oldest private banking dynasties. The subject line was blank. The message was not.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n \u201ci think you will find that 45.5 penalty legal ( kathy plus pillsbury around 10. me 25 ) all less than 80 pretty good.\u201d\u00a0<\/strong>(<\/em>EFTA00669908<\/a>)<\/p><\/blockquote>\n The email did not exist in isolation. Two months earlier, on October 5, 2015, Epstein\u2019s company Southern Trust Company, Inc. had signed a formal Letter of Agreement with Ariane de Rothschild and Edmond de Rothschild Holding, S.A. (EFTA00584904<\/a>). The contract explicitly stipulated a $25 million fee to STC \u201cfor Work specifically relating to outstanding matters between Edmond de Rothschild Holding, S.A. and the United States,\u201d payable within three days of EDRH making payment to the U.S. government. The December 10 email was not Epstein characterizing an arrangement \u2014 it was him reporting the execution of one already contractually fixed.<\/p>\n In a single line, Epstein described what he characterized as the financial breakdown of a DOJ settlement. The Edmond de Rothschild bank had been under investigation for helping wealthy American clients evade taxes \u2014 part of a sweeping DOJ campaign that had already produced landmark penalties against Credit Suisse ($2.6 billion in 2014) and UBS ($780 million in 2009). Now, the Rothschild settlement was done. The breakdown, per Epstein\u2019s own words:<\/p>\n $45.5 million<\/strong>\u00a0\u2014 penalty paid to the Department of Justice<\/p>\n ~$10 million<\/strong>\u00a0\u2014 legal fees to Kathy Ruemmler and the law firm Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman<\/p>\n $25 million<\/strong>\u00a0\u2014 to Jeffrey Epstein<\/p>\n Total: under $80 million<\/strong>\u00a0\u2014 which Epstein characterized as \u201cpretty good\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n The figures above reflect Epstein\u2019s description in EFTA00669908. The exhibit does not independently verify payment execution, allocation mechanics, or regulatory approval.<\/p>\n Rothschild\u2019s reply came hours later, at 1:55 AM Paris time:<\/p>\n \u201cYes, congratulations and a giant thk u !! I m relieved that it s settled and over. Now we can start moving fwd.\u201d<\/strong><\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n And then, in a final message:\u00a0<\/strong>\u201cYes … And deep thks for your amazing help.\u201d<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/p>\n
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