Swiss Edmond de Rothschild Bank Responds to CEO's Involvement in Epstein Case, Claims No Improper Ties and Stable Operations

On Thursday local time, Swiss private bank Edmond de Rothschild (EdR) officially announced details of the connection between its CEO, Ariane de Rothschild, and the Jeffrey Epstein case, clearly stating that neither the bank nor its CEO had any improper conduct, and the incident had no negative impact on the bank's operations. 

It is reported that Ariane de Rothschild was mentioned more than 4,500 times in the Epstein case-related documents released by the U.S. Department of Justice.

Previously, the U.S. Department of Justice released a total of 3 million pages of documents related to the Epstein case, which revealed the close connection between the late American businessman Jeffrey Epstein (who died in 2019) and Ariane de Rothschild. 

The documents show that since 2013, the two have had frequent work-related communications, and some subsequent email contents also involved Ariane de Rothschild's private life. 

In response to this, Edmond de Rothschild Bank has previously explained that Ariane de Rothschild's multiple meetings with Epstein between 2013 and 2019 were all conducted within the scope of her normal job responsibilities in the group, and she had no knowledge of Epstein's personal improper behavior.

Regarding the newly disclosed information, a bank spokesperson clearly told AFP that Jeffrey Epstein was only a service provider of the group, who had accompanied Edmond de Rothschild to participate in multiple strategic consulting and corporate development-related tasks. 

These tasks mainly involved the bank's business expansion, specifically providing assistance in the U.S. legal proceedings launched by the U.S. Department of Justice against Swiss banks in 2010. 

In addition, the bank also specifically confirmed that it had signed a $25 million contract with Epstein (who had been indicted in a major international scandal at the time) in 2015.

Regarding the potential legal consequences of the incident, Ed Ray stated that neither Edmond de Rothschild Group nor Ariane de Rothschild herself has participated or is participating in any past or ongoing legal proceedings related to Jeffrey Epstein, either in France or the United States. 

At the same time, a spokesperson for the Associated Press also pointed out that the relevant documents released by the U.S. Department of Justice did not "disclose any evidence that could question the fairness of the group's business or the integrity of its owners", a statement that was reconfirmed by the bank.

As the representative of the bank's senior management body, the bank's board of directors, chaired by Yves Perrier, has continuously monitored the progress of the incident in an "independent manner" to complement the management's work and analysis. 

A bank spokesperson said that the board of directors has taken necessary measures, focusing on notifying customers, employees and shareholders of the relevant situation, and making every effort to protect the legitimate interests of all parties, "there is no more appropriate way to respond than this".

Notably, the disclosure of this incident coincides with the eve of the bank's release of its annual report on March 19. At present, the bank has released deposit data for 2025 and since January 2026 in advance, responding to external concerns with actual operating performance. 

Data shows that the bank's net capital inflow in 2025 was about 10 billion Swiss francs, a significant increase from the previous 8.2 billion Swiss francs; since the beginning of January 2026, the net capital inflow has exceeded 5 billion Swiss francs, "maintaining a strong momentum at all times". 

The spokesperson emphasized that there is currently no customer loss caused by the disclosure related to the Epstein case, "these figures speak for themselves".

When asked whether there would be changes in the group's leadership due to this incident, the bank spokesperson clearly responded: "This is not a question that needs to be discussed", indirectly indicating that Ariane de Rothschild's position as CEO remains stable. 

It is reported that the Epstein case documents have previously implicated many European and American political and business celebrities, attracting widespread attention. However, Edmond de Rothschild Bank has strived to eliminate the potential impact of the incident by issuing clear statements and disclosing operating data, demonstrating its operational stability. At present, all parties in the market are continuously paying attention to the bank's subsequent annual report and related developments.