British banker and whistleblower Simon Andriesz, who raised allegations about US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick’s links to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, has died in Thailand.
Andriesz, 57, was found dead in a town outside Bangkok on the morning of September 23, according to the Daily Mail.
Records from the Khlong Luang Town municipality office listed his cause of death as asphyxiation from hanging.
The British national had previously worked on Wall Street and was recently living in Cornwall. He spent decades in the financial services industry before becoming embroiled in a dispute with his former employer, BGC Group, where Lutnick had previously served as chief executive.
Simon Andriesz raised questions over Lutnick and Epstein
Andriesz claimed he had uncovered emails from 2018 showing discussions involving Lutnick and Epstein about a start-up business in which they were allegedly involved.
Epstein died in a New York jail in August 2019 while awaiting trial on federal sex-trafficking charges. He had previously pleaded guilty in 2008 to a Florida charge involving solicitation of prostitution from a minor.
Andriesz presented material from what he described as the Epstein files to members of the US House Oversight Committee before Lutnick appeared before the panel in May.
Lutnick has acknowledged meeting Epstein on three occasions but has denied wrongdoing. He has also said he only learned this year that Epstein had been an investor in a firm connected to him.
The US Commerce Department has previously said there was no evidence of wrongdoing.
Lutnick said he “unequivocally condemn[s]” Epstein’s conduct and the illegal activities associated with him, adding that survivors of Epstein’s crimes deserved respect and support.
Simon Andriesz also raised concerns over Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor
The whistleblower later told the BBC that one of Lutnick’s companies had planned in 2013 to enter into business with Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, formerly known as Prince Andrew.
Andriesz alleged that the proposed arrangement was aimed at commercially exploiting contacts Andrew had developed through his position as a former UK trade envoy.
He claimed the plan involved a £1 million loan that would effectively allow the company to “buy a prince”.
The proposed business relationship never materialized.
Lutnick was known to have been friends with Andrew’s former wife, Sarah Ferguson, and attended the 2018 wedding of their daughter, Princess Eugenie.
Family remembers Andriesz as a man who stood up for what he believed
Andriesz’s family described him as a devoted husband, father, brother, son and friend, saying his death had left “an enormous hole” in their lives.
They said he had a strong sense of right and wrong and found it difficult to ignore issues he believed were wrong.
“That determination came at a considerable personal cost, but he continued to speak out because he genuinely believed that doing so mattered,” the family said.
They also appealed for privacy and compassion for his son and those closest to him.
Andriesz’s friend John Robertson has established a GoFundMe campaign to support his son’s education, welfare and future opportunities, with a target of £35,000.
His death was also confirmed by Andy Agathangelou, founder of the Transparency Task Force, a campaign group that had hosted events involving Andriesz.
Agathangelou described him as a whistleblower who “stood up for what was right” and a valued member of the group’s community.
Following his death, however, BGC said it did not intend to revisit the dispute.
“BGC is sorry to hear this tragic news and expresses our condolences to Mr Andriesz’s family,” a spokesman said.
Andriesz’s concerns were also raised with the UK’s Financial Conduct Authority.
The FCA has since appointed non-executive director Lea Paterson to review how the organisation interacted with Andriesz and identify lessons for the future.
The regulator expressed its condolences to his family and friends.
