British banker Simon Andriesz, who raised allegations about links between Jeffrey Epstein and US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, died by hanging in Thailand, the Daily Mail has revealed.
Andriesz, 57, was found dead on the morning of September 23 in a town near Bangkok.
The whistleblower alleged that Lutnick, a former employer and prominent ally of Donald Trump, had not fully disclosed a business relationship with the convicted sex offender and financier.
Andriesz said he had found 2018 emails indicating that Lutnick and Epstein were discussing a start-up venture in which both had an interest.
Epstein died in custody the following year. The messages were exchanged a decade after Epstein was convicted in 2008 of soliciting prostitution from a minor.
Khlong Luang Town’s municipal office recorded the death of the British national, who had worked on Wall Street and in recent years lived in Cornwall. The official cause of death was listed as ‘asphyxiation from hanging’.
In a statement issued to the Daily Mail, Andriesz’s family said: ‘Simon was a much-loved husband, father, brother, son and friend, and his loss has left an enormous hole in the lives of those who knew and loved him.
‘He was also a man with a very strong sense of right and wrong. When Simon believed something was wrong, he found it extraordinarily difficult simply to look the other way. That determination came at a considerable personal cost, but he continued to speak out because he genuinely believed that doing so mattered.
British banker Simon Andriesz, a former BGC Group employee, has died at the age of 57
‘As a family, we are immensely grateful for the kindness and support that has been shown since Simon’s death, including from people around the world who never met him but were touched by his story.
‘Our hope now is that Simon is remembered not simply for the circumstances of his death, but for his life, his courage and the issues he spent so many years trying to bring into the light.
‘If something meaningful can come from this tragedy, particularly in the way whistleblowers and vulnerable people are treated and supported, then that would be an important part of Simon’s legacy.
‘Above all, Simon was a husband and father, and his family would ask that his son, and those closest to him are afforded compassion and privacy while they grieve.’
Andriesz’s friend John Robertson has launched a GoFundMe page to support his son’s ‘education, welfare and future opportunities’. The appeal has a £35,000 target.
His death was confirmed by Andy Agathangelou, founder of the Transparency Task Force (TTF), a campaign group that had hosted whistleblowing events with Andriesz. Agathangelou called him a ‘whistleblower who stood up for what was right’ and a ‘valued member of our community’.
Before Lutnick appeared before the House Oversight Committee in May, Andriesz presented his findings, drawn from the Epstein files, to US lawmakers on the panel.
Lutnick said he did not learn until this year that Epstein had invested in the company. The US Commerce Department said there was no evidence of wrongdoing.
In separate revelations to the BBC, Andriesz later said one of Lutnick’s companies had planned to enter into a business venture in 2013 with Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor.
Jeffrey Epstein (centre) and Howard Lutnick (right) pictured on Little St James in 2012; the image was found in the Epstein files
Andriesz alleged that the plan was to commercially capitalise on contacts developed by the former UK trade envoy after providing a £1million loan intended to ‘basically buy a prince’.
Mr Lutnick was friends with Andrew’s ex-wife Sarah Ferguson and a guest at their daughter Princess Eugenie’s wedding in 2018, but the deal never happened.
Soon after the revelations were published, Mr Andriesz spoke at a TTF event about how his career, health and family had all suffered from his whistleblowing.
Mr Andriesz, who was recently living in Cornwall, previously worked as managing director at Wall Street firm BGC Group – known as BGC Partners until 2023 – where Mr Lutnick was chief executive.
Mr Andriesz was also named in the Epstein files, relating to interviews he gave the FBI while in dispute with BGC over his concerns about accounting irregularities.
TTF community member and financial services expert Paul Callin said Mr Andriesz ‘bravely fought alone for several years doing what he believed was right in exposing evidence of wrongdoing’.
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He added that Mr Andriesz was ‘a lone and vulnerable voice was let down by some of those who he needed to trust and who were able to make a difference’.
Mr Callin continued: ‘It is a tragedy that he felt so let down, how he sadly saw no way out recently and was lost.
‘To all Simon’s family and friends, please stay strong, the pain must be unimaginable, and you, along with Simon, are in the thoughts of so many around the world.
‘The words will never be right or adequate, but so many are there supporting you, even if not present or apparent, both now and in the weeks, months and years to come.’
US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick stands next to President Donald Trump in February
Mr Andriesz spent 35 years working in the securities industry before he was sacked in 2017.
A BGC spokesman said this week: ‘BGC has long disputed Mr Andriesz’s allegations but does not intend to relitigate these matters at this sad time.
‘BGC is sorry to hear this tragic news and expresses our condolences to Mr Andriesz’s family.’
BGC previously insisted his allegations were ‘categorically false’, and remained unsubstantiated following investigations by authorities in several jurisdictions.
Bosses insisted Mr Andriesz was sacked after he refused to follow medical advice or perform essential duties, rejected reasonable accommodation and abandoned his role.
MPs have called an investigation into the treatment of whistleblowers by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), after Mr Andriesz raised concerns with the watchdog and the FBI about evidence of links between Mr Lutnick and Epstein.
Ashley Alder, chairman of the FCA, has been urged to quit over the case, as he came under fire at the watchdog’s annual public meeting today.
After blowing the whistle on the Epstein allegations, Mr Andriesz later said he felt ‘thoroughly let down’ by the FCA after sending the watchdog evidence of what he said was retaliation by BGC and its lawyers.
The FCA revealed today that it had appointed a non-executive director ‘to review how we interacted with Mr Andriesz to learn any lessons for the future’.
Financial Conduct Authority chairman Ashley Alder has been urged to quit over the case
But in a statement read out at the FCA’s public meeting, Labour MP John McDonnell accused the watchdog of trying to ‘mark their own homework’.
Mr Agathangelou – who read out the letter – told Mr Alder: ‘It is clear to me and many others that you are incapable of protecting the reputational integrity of the FCA. On that basis, I call for you to resign.’
Mr McDonnell also said Mr Andriesz’s death was a ‘profound and preventable tragedy’, adding that whistleblowers were ‘an essential part of the financial regulatory system’.
And he warned of consequences for the system’s integrity if people did not believe they would be ‘treated properly, protected appropriately and listened to seriously’.
An FCA spokesman said: ‘We are very sorry to hear of Mr Andriesz’s death. Our thoughts are with his family and friends.
‘Since expressing our condolences, we’d asked Lea Paterson, who has just joined our board as a non-executive director, to review how we interacted with Mr Andriesz to learn any lessons for the future.’
Mr Lutnick has previously said he met Epstein three times, adding: ‘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.’
And a White House statement to the BBC said in July: ‘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.’
Mr Trump also associated with Epstein and was photographed with him several times in the 1990s and early 2000s, but has always denied knowledge of his sex offending.
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