A British whistleblower who exposed alleged financial dealings involving former Prince Andrew, Jeffrey Epstein and powerful American business figures has died in Thailand, raising fresh scrutiny over the treatment he received after speaking out.
Simon Andriesz, 57, died on September 23, just months after publicly revealing information about a proposed $1.3 million arrangement involving Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, the disgraced former Duke of York.
His family confirmed that he died by suicide and said there was no indication of foul play. However, his death has prompted British lawmakers to demand answers about how financial regulators handled his allegations and his repeated claims of retaliation.
Andriesz, a former senior executive at financial brokerage BGC Partners, became a prominent whistleblower after uncovering documents connecting Jeffrey Epstein to Howard Lutnick, President Donald Trump’s commerce secretary and the former head of BGC.
In a July interview with the BBC, Andriesz also revealed details of an alleged 2013 proposal involving Andrew, who had previously served as Britain’s special representative for international trade and investment.
According to Andriesz, the arrangement involved a £1 million loan, worth approximately $1.3 million, that would have helped secure access to Andrew’s influential contacts and potentially attract wealthy investors.
Andriesz described the alleged proposal as an effort to “buy a prince.” BGC told the BBC that the proposed business venture never went ahead.
The revelations added another layer to the controversy surrounding Andrew, whose longtime friendship with Epstein has already cost him his royal titles and public duties.
Andrew was arrested on February 19, 2026, his 66th birthday, on suspicion of misconduct in public office. Investigators are examining allegations that he shared confidential information with Epstein while serving as Britain’s trade envoy between 2001 and 2011.
The former royal was released without charge but remains under investigation. He has consistently denied wrongdoing connected to Epstein.
In another dramatic development, Andrew secured a legal victory on October 8 when Britain’s High Court determined that warrants used to search his properties at Sandringham and Windsor had been unlawfully issued.
The ruling did not end the criminal investigation. A further hearing is expected in 2027 to determine whether investigators can retain evidence seized during the searches.
Meanwhile, Andriesz had spent years fighting to have his own allegations taken seriously.
Before his death, he accused Britain’s Financial Conduct Authority of failing to adequately address his concerns about alleged misconduct and retaliation following his whistleblowing activities. BGC denied retaliating against him and maintained that it had strong protections for whistleblowers.
Andriesz publicly described the devastating personal consequences of his efforts to expose wrongdoing, saying the experience had taken an enormous toll on his family, finances and well-being.
His death prompted members of Britain’s Parliament to demand an independent examination of how regulators treated him.
The Financial Conduct Authority has since commissioned a review of its handling of Andriesz’s disclosures, including whether it fulfilled its legal obligations to protect whistleblowers.
On November 2, the regulator announced that the review would cover interactions dating back to at least 2017, with a progress update expected in January 2027 and final findings anticipated in spring 2027.
The controversy has also renewed attention on the powerful figures named in documents released from the Epstein investigation, including business executives and members of the British royal family.
Although Andriesz’s family has ruled out suspected foul play, his death has left serious questions about whether his warnings were adequately investigated and whether authorities did enough to protect him.
For Andrew, the fallout from his association with Epstein is far from over. And for British regulators, the death of a whistleblower who spent years trying to be heard has created a separate scandal that now demands answers.
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