The Sunday Mail - 01.09.2019

September 1 • 2019 The Mail on Sunday^27

Was Russian model linked to ‘sex traff icker’

in Epstein’s lair at sa me time as Andrew?

­peeling­paint­and­nondescript­exte-

rior,­ it ­ could­ not­ contrast­ more­

s h a r p l y­ w i t h­ E p s t e i n ’ s­­

lavish­ home­ which,­ he­ once­

bragged,­was­one­of ­the­largest­pri-

vate ­houses­in ­Manhattan.

Intriguingly,­ although­ she­ has­

been­featured­in ­prestigious­Forbes­

magazine­for­her­charitable­work,­

Ms­Pozhidaeva­does­not­appear­on­

any­ publicly­ available­ database­ in­

the­US.

Educated­ at ­ the­ Moscow­ State­

Institute­of ­International­Relations,­

known­ as ­ a­ training­ ground­ for­

Russian­diplomats­and­spies,­she­is­

the­ daughter­ of ­ Yury­ Pozhidaev,­­

61 ,­who­rose­to ­the­rank­of ­Lieuten-

ant­ Colonel­in ­ the­ Russian­Army­

before­ retiring­ to ­ enter­ the­­

business­world.­

Her­grandfather,­ who­ died­ in­

1999,­is ­buried­in ­the­family­vault­in­

Russia’s­ most­ prestigious­ grave-

yard,­Novodevichy,­in ­Moscow.

It ­is ­unclear­how­Ms­Pozhidaeva­

went­ from­ being­ a­ visitor­ to­

2010

2016

FLYING VISIT: A woman

resembling Ms Pozhidaeva

leaving the depraved

millionaire’s mansion, her

Aeroflot flight tag visible.

Below, Ms Pozhidaeva

eating an avocado outside

Epstein’s New York house

By Charlotte Wace

Royal CoRRespondent

The Duke of York has launched

an astonishing bid to prevent The

Mail on Sunday from questioning

charities that he represents about

his friendship with Jeffrey epstein.

Among the questions posed by

our reporters was: given Prince

Andrew’s friendship with Mr

epstein and the allegations made

against the Duke, are you

reviewing your association with

the Duke and his role within

your organisation?

In the emails sent to the

charities, it was made clear that

the Duke has strenuously denied

allegations of sexual impropriety.

But when alerted to our

investigation, harbottle & Lewis,

the law firm that acts for the

Royal Family, called the enquiries

unwarranted and demanded

they cease.

The Mail on Sunday refused.

Most of the charities contacted

declined to comment, but the

children’s charity Power2 said it

‘will continue to monitor the

situation closely’.

A Royal insider has claimed the

Duke is particularly worried about

his relationship with charities and

fears that ‘everything he has

worked for risks being lost’.

‘The Prince has been keen to say

more and address what has been

said but has been counselled to

remain quiet,’ said the source.

Besieged

Duke’s bid

to gag MoS

PROBE MEDIA

Epstein’s­ mansion­ to ­ founding­ a­

charity­ using­ his­ money­ which,­ it­

appears,­guaranteed­her­admission­

into­New­York­society.

In ­ an­ 2018­ interview,­ she­ admit-

ted­ in ­ faltering­ English:­ ‘I ­ was­

refused­a­tourist­visa­to ­New­York­

without­ explaining­ the­ reasons.­ I­

simply­ came­ to ­ the­ consulate­ and­

they­ said­ “No”.­ Eventually­ I­ man-

aged­to ­move­here­with­a­modelling­

visa...­When­someone­tells­me­I’m­

crazy,­ I­ consider­ it ­ a­ compliment­

because­ the­ worst­ thing­ is ­ to ­ be­

regular­ and­ boring.­ I’ve­ started­

making­ money­ quite­ fast­ which­

also­rarely­happens­in ­modelling.’

She­founded­a­charity­called­WE­

Talks­(Women’s­Empowerment)­in­

December­2017­and­is ­president­of­

another­ New­ York-based­ charity,­

Education­ Advance,­ which­ report-

edly ­ received­ more­ than­ £40,000­

from­ Epstein­ –­ a­ sum­ it ­ is ­ under-

stood­she­has­now­returned.

Her­ charity­ lists­ her­ contact­

address­ as ­ East­ 66th­ Street­ –­ a­

building­owned­by­Epstein­and­reg-

istered­in ­his­brother­Mark’s­name.­

He­was­named­sole­heir­to ­Epstein’s­

fortune­ in ­ the­ paedophile’s­ will­

written­two­weeks­before­he­com-

mitted­ suicide­ on­ August­ 10­ by­

hanging­himself­inside­the­Manhat-

tan­Correctional­Centre.­

Ms­Pozhidaeva’s­charity­website­–­

which­has­recently­been­taken­down­

–­says­she­came­to ­the­US­on ­a­mod-

elling­visa­and­took­an ­online­course­

in ­accounting­and­business­manage-

ment ­at ­Harvard­University.

In ­the­Forbes­interview­about­her­

charity­ work,­ she­ said:­ ­ ‘I ­ firmly­

believe­ that­ risk-taking­ is ­ in ­ my­

DNA.­ I­ grew­ up­ playing­ tennis,­

competing­ on­ a­ high-level­ junior­

circuit­ in ­ my­ country­ and­ simply­

couldn’t­envision­a­predictable­and­

“normal”­life­in ­Moscow.­

‘I ­ come­ from­ a­ very­ patriarchal­

society­in ­which­women­are­encour-

aged­to ­study­and­meet­their­future­

husband­in ­ their­ early­ 20s,­ after­

which­they­are­expected­to ­marry­

and­take­care­of ­home.’

Intriguingly,­ Ms­ Pozhidaeva­

shares­a­ lawyer,­ Darren­ Indyke,­

with­Epstein.­

He­declined­to ­comment.

A­man­called­Pendleton­King,­who­

claimed­he­ was­ Ms­ Pozhidaeva’s­

boyfriend,­ has­ said­ she­ knew­­

‘very­ little’­ about­ Epstein­ when­­

she­ accepted­ his­ sizeable­ donation­

to ­her­charity,­adding:­‘She’s­never­

b e e n­ i n v o l v e d­ i n­ a n y t h i n g­­

shady.­ The­ money­ went­ to ­ some-

thing­positive.’

For­ now,­ Ms­ Pozhidaeva­ is­­

herself­ declining­ to ­ discuss­ her­

high-profile­connections.­

Doubtless,­there­will­be­some­who­

fervently­wish­that­continues.

MODEL LOOKS: Ms Pozhidaeva in an undated photograph in Moscow