Exclusive documents released by the United States Department of Justice have unveiled startling new details about the relationship between convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein and Sarah Ferguson, the former Duchess of York. The emails reveal a comprehensive business plan that would have given Epstein majority ownership of Ferguson's women's empowerment brand, Mothers Army, following his 2008 conviction for child sex offences.
Business Plan for Mothers Army Brand
In 2009, Sarah Ferguson embarked on a year-long initiative to launch Mothers Army, a company and personal brand dedicated to amplifying mothers' voices worldwide to address challenging issues facing young people and families. According to a detailed business plan outlined in emails to Epstein, the brand was positioned as standing for integrity, consciousness, and strong moral values.
The proposed revenue streams for Mothers Army were diverse and ambitious, including lucrative book deals, involvement in multiple children's television programmes, and substantial speaking fees. One confirmed speaking arrangement involved a women in leadership event at Michigan State University, which was projected to generate $40,000 for the company.
Epstein's Proposed Majority Ownership
Despite Ferguson being positioned as the public face of the business, the behind-the-scenes financial structure told a different story. Documents sent after Epstein's conviction proposed that he would hold 51% equity in Mothers Army, effectively making him the company's majority owner if these plans had been executed.
Under this arrangement, Ferguson would have received a $250,000 annual salary. A notable comment in the business plan questioned whether she should be based in New York rather than the UK, describing the British market as poison for her reputation at the time.
Strategic Network Leveraging
A second email to Epstein provided clearer insight into how the convicted sex offender intended to profit from his relationship with Ferguson. The correspondence, sent by an associate who claimed to have recently dined with Ferguson, her former husband Prince Andrew, and their daughters, framed Mothers Army as an opportunity to leverage Ferguson's extensive network.
The email author explicitly stated that Mothers Army offered potential not only for the brand's growth but also for other deals through JEDS, an investment vehicle Epstein intended to use for funding Mothers Army and other ventures.
Ongoing Business Collaboration
The email correspondence reveals Epstein remained actively involved in Ferguson's efforts to establish Mothers Army throughout 2009 and 2010. In June 2009, Ferguson sought Epstein's guidance on company setup, to which he advised her to identify five powerful women who wouldn't be jealous of her to act as public faces for the brand.
Ferguson responded with several suggestions, including Ghislaine Maxwell, but Epstein rejected these proposals, pointing out that Maxwell didn't have children. Two months later, Ferguson provided Epstein with a project update, expressing gratitude and calling him the brother she had always wished for.
Trademark and Legal Assistance
In February 2010, Ferguson wrote to Epstein requesting his assistance with trademarking Mothers Army across all categories, not just the website. She emphasised the importance of securing these rights before mentioning the project during a keynote speech on female empowerment at a United Nations event.
Epstein advised her to mention Mothers Army during her speech and assured her that training manuals, approvals, and strategic goals were being developed alongside the necessary tactics for implementation.
Relationship Deterioration
As public scrutiny of Epstein's activities intensified, his involvement in the Mothers Army project appears to have concluded. An August 2011 email from a reputation management firm to Epstein's lawyer indicated Ferguson was keen to regain rights to the Mothers Army domain names that Epstein had purchased for her.
This correspondence appears to have been sent in the context of a request for Ferguson to sign a letter supporting Epstein, who was facing increasing public attention at the time. Epstein's lawyer forwarded the email to him with the comment that the Duchess appeared to be engaging in horse trading.
By late September 2011, Epstein's involvement had evidently ended. He received an email showing Mothers Army materials with the sender asking whether to keep, discard, or return the booklets to Sarah Ferguson.
Historical Context and Response
In 2011, Sarah Ferguson stated she would never have anything to do with Jeffrey Epstein again, describing any association as a gigantic error of judgment. She emphasised her abhorrence of paedophilia and sexual abuse of children.
It's important to note that being named in the Epstein files does not indicate wrongdoing. The newly released emails provide unprecedented insight into the business relationship between Epstein and Ferguson, revealing detailed plans that would have given a convicted sex offender majority ownership of a women's empowerment brand at a time when public awareness of his crimes was growing.
