Hermès CEO Says Epstein Was “Financial Predator,” Claims He Was Targeted During Takeover Battle

Hermès Chief Executive Officer Axel Dumas has described late financier Jeffrey Epstein as a “financial predator,” saying he believed he was personally targeted by Epstein during a sensitive period for the French luxury group.

Speaking to journalists on Thursday, Dumas said he repeatedly refused attempts by Epstein to arrange meetings, adding that the approaches came while Hermès was in the middle of a takeover battle involving luxury giant LVMH.

“I think we were a target. I was a young CEO and we were in the middle of the LVMH affair. He was a financial predator,” Dumas said. “He already had a hateful reputation.”

Recently released files from the U.S. Justice Department show that Epstein sent multiple emails in 2013 and 2014 to Dumas’ assistant requesting meetings, and also contacted the luxury brand asking it to design the interior of his private jet — a request Hermès declined.

Dumas said he met Epstein only once, in March 2013, during an event at a Hermès atelier. According to him, Epstein was not on the official guest list but joined a group that included film director Woody Allen and his wife.

“After that, he tried three times to meet with me, and I refused every time,” Dumas said. “I can’t tell you exactly what we knew about him then, but he already had a loathsome reputation.”

The released emails show Epstein attempted to organise a meeting between Dumas and Ariane de Rothschild, head of the Edmond de Rothschild private bank, in January 2014. Correspondence from Dumas’ assistant, Elodie Brisebarre, shows polite refusals to Epstein’s invitations in November 2013 and January 2014, citing prior commitments and a tight schedule.

One email sent by Epstein reportedly read: “Track down Axel Dumas in Hermès headquarters Paris.”

Epstein pleaded guilty in 2008 to prostitution charges, including soliciting an underage girl. He was later arrested in 2019 on federal charges of sex trafficking of minors. His death in a Manhattan jail cell later that year was officially ruled a suicide.

Dumas’ comments come amid renewed scrutiny of Epstein’s attempts to build relationships with powerful business and political figures, as newly released documents continue to shed light on his global network and influence.