David Stern (business adviser)

David Stern was a director from October 1, 2005 of the English company Witan Limited (company number 05579668, registered with Companies House), which traded as Asia Gateway Limited until August 16, 2012. The BBC described him on July 14, 2026 as "the prince's business aide" in its report on the 2013 Cantor Fitzgerald proposal to Prince Andrew. He is not the David Stern who led Lehi.¹²

Companies House Record

Companies House lists Asia Gateway Limited as incorporated on September 30, 2005, with Stern as director from October 1, 2005 and Finance Innovations Limited as secretary from April 5, 2007. An earlier director and secretary, both individuals, resigned on December 22, 2006. The company's nature of business is recorded as SIC 70229, "Management consultancy activities other than financial management." A certificate of change of name (form NM01, resolution of August 16, 2012) renamed it Witan Limited. Stern was listed as a person with significant control from April 6, 2016 with "Ownership of shares - 75% or more." The company applied for voluntary strike-off on May 30, 2019, withdrew that application on July 2, applied again on July 16, 2019 and was dissolved on October 8, 2019.¹

The Duke's Business Adviser, 2011

On January 12, 2011 Stern wrote to Jeffrey Epstein about joining JPMorgan Chase: "How can JPM hire my Co or buy a stake instead of hiring me...?" and set out his company's details, copying its Companies House extract (Asia Gateway Limited, no. 05579668). Epstein answered "employee with an allowed co." Stern replied "We will have co-investment rights and with the allowed co we can continue to work with PA ?" and Epstein wrote "Yes." On January 18 Stern listed what the company was for: "work with PA," "to operate with at times in China to achieve JPM objectives (very important !)," and "case by case co-investment, etc."³

On February 25, 2011 Stern wrote that his "UK company currently trading under Asia Gateway Ltd. will get a change of name (to be decided which name) and will be my UK private company for PA etc. affairs." Epstein, quoted in the thread at 13:18, answered: "the concern is that asia gateway, could get in trouble and taint jpm.. i would suggest you call emiliio, and propose that a lawyer from jpm sit on the board of gateway,or be an officer. or be the accountant, so that they have total transparcny, and effective oversight."⁴

A message to Epstein of February 21, 2011, with the sender line redacted, quotes a proposed company name, "STERLING," followed by the text: "PA says to Starling: 'No. Nasty dirty little bird that flocks and shits.'" On February 28, 2011, at 15:24 UTC, Stern wrote: "New company name: WITAN. What do you think? PA likes it and since he did not know what it was when I told him it should be safe," followed by a definition of the Anglo-Saxon witan as the council that advised the king. Epstein replied "yes," and Stern wrote back "Hooray !!!" with the variants "Witan Trust" and "Witan Holdings." The register records the change of name on August 16, 2012.⁵¹

On March 18, 2011 the Duke's private secretary, Amanda Thirsk, sent the Duke a message headed "DAVID STERN," marked "RH - IN CONFIDENCE": "These are the types of agreements David would need to sign." The Duke forwarded it to Stern, "For you to consider and come back to us on." On March 30 Stern asked Epstein, "What should I do about the appointment letter? I was asked about it again today," attaching a file named "declaration of interests.doc."⁶

Proposals Sent to Epstein, 2011 to 2013

On March 1, 2011 Stern relayed a message he attributed to the Duke: "Tim Collins asked a friend PA and Collins have in common, if he (Collins) should do business with me. PA told him that I have his full trust and Collins would be a fool not to do business with me."⁷ On August 18, 2011 he proposed "Discreet Investment Firm (London, Beijing, NYC) with access to capital (min. $1bn or JPM Name, ideally both) ... must feel, smell and in fact be big money and power (including access to power globally - see PA)," in which "You are invisible ... I run it to the outside."⁸ On September 15, 2011 he wrote that he had spoken to the chief executive (named as Lenny Fischer) about Kleinwort Benson Group's planned acquisition of BHF-Bank and added: "To use this as platform to combine PA and Chinese wealth seems perfect...."⁹

On September 6, 2011 he wrote that he was going to China with the Duke on October 23 (Shanghai, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Hong Kong): "Most meetings by now are organised by me except mayors and governors and nothing in KL. I stay in the background/hidden, just make the arrangements." On October 21 he wrote: "PA is chartering his own plane. He wants to take me with him. My name will be on the flight-records etc. I feel it is safer to fly separately. Do you agree?"¹⁰

On June 7, 2013 Stern wrote: "PA is in Silicon Valley on 25 & 26 June. Anyone you want him to see ?" Epstein answered "Yes , Steve sinofsky." On June 11 Stern wrote to Steven Sinofsky: "HRH or his office will be in touch shortly," and on July 10 asked him: "Do you happen to be in Los Angeles next week 18th & 19th? Or maybe I come to SF on the 17th? There are some very interesting ideas with The Duke involved that I would love to discuss." Sinofsky forwarded the message to Epstein asking "Do I do this?"¹¹

On July 10, 2013 a message to Epstein from the address ds@witangroup.com asked, "What is your view on Howard Lutnick ? Just met him with PA." On August 28, 2013 a message to Epstein with the sender line redacted, whose writer refers to "my entity Witan," asked: "PA has access to decision makers and capital (but no deal flow) such as China, UAE, Qatar, Kuwait,.... Kleinwort Benson is a UK bank with merchant banking aspirations, and wanting to do international deals. What is the right structure to combine this? I am the connecting piece joining Kleinwort formally? What are the terms? Or JV with my entity Witan ?"¹² The Cantor Fitzgerald exchange of September 2, 2013 ("Instead of 50/50, can we do 40/40/20 ? 20 for me.... This is original PA idea.") and the November 2013 draft referral agreement with a joinder line headed "David Stern" are set out on the pages for Urramoor Limited and Cantor Fitzgerald.¹³

On July 26, 2013 a message from "The Duke" to the financier Gary Winnick, forwarded to Epstein, said: "I know you saw David Stern whilst he was in California a week or so ago and I know you discussed a number of things and whilst he hasn't fully reported to me the discussion I will be seeing him after the Summer Recess to discuss your discussion and other things."¹⁴

Exchanges with Epstein over the Duke's Gulf Contacts, 2011

On November 12, 2011 Epstein wrote to Stern: "I need PA to explain to Abdullah in abu dhabi that the press mess was not my fault. He no longer trusts me , and he says it is to do with pa." Stern had written that day, "Monday lunch I am with PA and Qataris." On December 7, 2011 Stern wrote: "Had dinner with PA yesterday. He said he spoke to Abdullah. I am not convinced." The documents do not identify "Abdullah" further.¹⁵