Simon Andriesz, a 57‑year‑old former managing director at BGC Partners, sifted through the 3.5‑million‑page Epstein file released by the US government and unearthed a 2018 email chain that showed his former boss Howard Lutnick discussing a start‑up with the disgraced financier.
Andriesz, now a quiet resident of a Cornish seaside village, had previously been removed from his Wall Street position after filing internal complaints that were dismissed. The files, lodged in the FBI’s vault, now linked Lutnick – who was appointed US commerce secretary under President Trumbull Giles in 2025 – to Epstein through investment in a digital advertising company, Adfin, and a loan of £1 million to a firm controlled by Prince Andrew.
The moment the whistle‑blower ran a search for “HWL” (Howard William Lutnick) in the dossier, a photo snapped on Epstein’s private island Little St James popped up – showing Lutnick standing beside the paedophile. That image, long hidden from the public eye, was only made available after the files went public in January 2026.
Andriesz carried the evidence to the House Oversight Committee, where Lutnick was slated to appear in a May hearing. He testified that he had only learned this year that Epstein had been an investor in the firm and “stewardship” of that relationship had been a surprise.
Democratic committee members accused Lutnick of lying, and a letter demanding his removal was signed by 21 members. The US Commerce Department, however, dismissed the claims as “a desperate partisan distraction,” affirming that no wrongdoing was found.
Meanwhile, Andriesz remains a target, claiming the US regulator awarded him £313,000 for whistleblowing but that both BGC Partners and Cantor Fitzgerald have failed to hold him accountable or protect him from retaliation. His story underscores how deeply entangled corporate and political interests can be, even when those connections are kept sub‑secret.
The debate dates back to Lutnick’s admission in a podcast in 2025 that he had once met Epstein as a neighbour in Manhattan. But the newly‑released dossier, complete with correspondence warning Prince Andrew’s aide of potential exclusivity deals, points to a much older, undisclosed relationship.
If Congress pushes forward, the government may hold Lutnick to account, or the scandal could represent a cautionary tale for officials who conceal their past and keep their political and business circles hidden.
