Phones4U founder John Caudwell 'offered to pay £10m to clear Sarah Ferguson's debts in return for half her earnings'
Billionaire Phones4U founder John Caudwell offered to clear £10 million of Sarah Ferguson’s debts in return for half of all her future earnings, Epstein files emails have suggested.
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One of Jeffrey Epstein’s advisers David Stern told him she was ‘10million’ in the red in a message sent in 2009.
Mr Stern wrote on November 6: “Fergie will be in in an hour.”
Mr Stern replied later that day: “Please ask her about bankruptcy. It's option 1.
“Option 2 is deal with John Caudwell (english, founder of Phones4U) who wants 50% of her life earnings going forward for 10m, meaning paying off her debt (this offer needs to be verified if its real!).”
Mr Caudwell's team have clarified that he met Fergie through his support of her charity work, and she later approached him to talk about clearing her debts. He eventually declined doing any deal.
A spokesperson for Mr Caudwell said: “Sarah Ferguson and John Caudwell were long-time acquaintances who initially met through John Caudwell's support for some of Sarah Ferguson's charity work.
“Sarah Ferguson later approached John Caudwell to discuss a potential business transaction to help clear her debt.
“To be absolutely clear, until now, John Caudwell was unaware that Sarah Ferguson was consulting Jeffrey Epstein or anyone else on this matter.
“John Caudwell has never met or had any association or correspondence with Jeffrey Epstein.
“John Caudwell ultimately decided not to go through with the business transaction at the time.”
Mr Caudwell and Fergie are believed to have stayed friends - as she was invited to his daughter Libby’s wedding in Montenegro in June 2019.
Separate emails show that Epstein discussed how Fergie was considering going bankrupt ahead of a 'big meeting' at Royal Lodge when her finances were in peril.
They also reveal how Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor travelled to Manhattan to seek Epstein’s help in settling an unpaid debt owed by Ms Ferguson.
Ms Ferguson’s long-time personal assistant, was owed $126,721 after she went bankrupt in the US in 2010.
The former Duchess of York is now reportedly planning a return to public life.
Sarah, 66, is reportedly "getting her head together" in the UAE after a trip to the French Alps with friends.
During her trip to the Middle East, Fergie has also spent time with her youngest daughter, Princess Eugenie, 35, in Qatar while the young royal attended an art fair in Doha for work.
Fergie has faced heavy criticism since 2011 over her links to the dead sex offender Epstein.
She has faced new revelations over their ties since the release of three million 'Epstein Files' in late January.
But despite the ongoing scandal, the former royal is reported to be scouting for a new PR team to represent her upon her return to the UK.
Sources told the Daily Mail that Sarah has told friends: "I need to get back to work. I need money."
Despite having once described her relationship with ex Andrew as "the happiest divorced couple in the world", Sarah is now said to have admitted she needs to distance herself from the disgraced former prince.
Andrew is facing police probes over claims that he leaked business secrets to Epstein while serving as the UK's Trade Envoy, as well as new allegations that he had sex with a woman trafficked by the paedophile to him.
A friend told the Daily Mail: "When I come back, I am going to have to put some distance between myself and Andrew."
The reports have dashed suggestions that Sarah may join Andrew in his royal exile in Sandringham.
Ferguson will instead look for a new home close to her former Royal Lodge mansion in Windsor.
Recent weeks have seen a new swathe of allegations against Ferguson after the release of the Epstein Files.
Among the claims were allegations she called the paedophile the "brother she always wished for", told the trafficker "marry me", and took her teenage daughters to see the abuser shortly after he was freed from prison.
As a result of the renewed focus, Sarah's charity was forced to close for the foreseeable future.
Last week, a spokesperson for Sarah's Trust said: "Our chair, Sarah Ferguson, and the board of trustees have agreed that, with regret, the charity will shortly close for the foreseeable future.
"This has been under discussion and in train for some months.
"We remain extremely proud of the work of the trust over recent years. We have partnered with over 60 other charities in over 20 countries, providing education, healthcare, crisis response and environmental projects.
"We delivered over 150,000 aid parcels during the COVID pandemic, provided medical aid and training for those affected by the war in Ukraine and delivered education for over 200 children in Ghana."
Documents released by the US Department of Justice also revealed a plan for the paedophile to own a majority stake in the former Duchess's women's empowerment brand after his child sex offence conviction.
Ferguson began a year-long effort in 2009 to launch Mother's Army, a personal brand to "help amplify the voices of mothers all over the world to tackle some of the tougher issues facing young people and families".
A business associate of Epstein emailed the financier detailing the plans for his involvement with the brand.