A Chronological Analysis of the Jeffrey Epstein & David Stern Network (2010–2017)
In the modern geopolitical landscape, sovereign assets do not simply change hands; they are transferred through a series of shell companies, private advisory boards, and high-level introductions that remain invisible to the public. Between 2010 and 2017, a small cell of private operatives—led by Jeffrey Epstein and his tactical lieutenant David Stern—effectively orchestrated the strategic realignment of the Port of Djibouti.
This is the story of how a private network, operating under the name of an ancient Anglo-Saxon council ("The Witan" - Evidence: Name Origin and Witan Trust Holdings), managed a double-game between the United Arab Emirates, the Republic of Djibouti, and the People’s Republic of China, ultimately facilitating the construction of China’s first overseas naval base at the chokepoint of the Red Sea.
It is also a story of impunity. This entire operation was orchestrated by a man—Jeffrey Epstein—who was, at the very time of these negotiations, a Level 3 Registered Sex Offender.
To understand the Witan Group, one must understand the necessity of its creation.
On June 30, 2008, Jeffrey Epstein pleaded guilty in Florida to soliciting prostitution from a minor. He was sentenced to 18 months in jail, serving 13 months under a controversial "work-release" program that allowed him to spend 12 hours a day at his office.
By 2010, Epstein was a free man, but he carried the permanent stain of a sex offender registration. He could no longer walk openly into the front doors of sovereign wealth funds or government palaces. He needed a proxy. He needed a "beard." He needed a shadow architecture that allowed him to wield power without being seen.
The architecture of the conspiracy began in Windsor and Westminster, where political influence was converted into financial access.
On February 14, 2010, Sarah Ferguson (Duchess of York) introduced Epstein to David Stern, explicitly citing his "great rolodex for China" (Ferguson Intro). This Royal channel was buttressed by Prince Andrew, who provided the "aura and access" that allowed Stern to operate at a sovereign level.
Parallel to this, Peter Mandelson (Baron Mandelson), a former EU Trade Commissioner and close friend of Epstein, provided the political cover. Mandelson, who referred to Epstein as his "best pal" and "Petie," acted as a high-level sensor for the group, seeking Epstein's advice on "China deals" and validating the network's sovereign-grade ambitions (Peter Mandelson).
With the political cover secured, the operational machine was built.
In February 2011, David Stern rebranded his UK entity "Asia Gateway" to the Witan Group (Witan Name Origin), legally structuring it as Witan Trust Holdings (Trust Structure) to hold the assets. He defined it as the Witenagemot—a "parliament of wise men" advising Kings on "grants of land" and "dealing with rebels" (Witan Name Change).
To execute this mandate, Stern partnered with Leonhard Fischer, a former CEO at Credit Suisse and Dresdner Kleinwort. Fischer provided the heavy-lifting financial expertise required for sovereign debt restructuring (Leonhard Fischer).
Simultaneously, Stern integrated the operation with JP Morgan. In March 2011, he secured a board seat for JPM personnel on the Witan private company and appointed himself "CEO Special Situations" (Witan/JPM Integration). This institutional bridge was maintained by Jes Staley, Epstein's "chief defender" at the bank, who ensured the Witan had the balance sheet credibility to negotiate with nations (Jes Staley).
The target was Ismail Omar Guelleh, the President of Djibouti. The bridge was Sultan Bin Sulayem, Chairman of DP World.
On September 24, 2011, Sultan arranged the critical meeting between Epstein and President Guelleh at the Waldorf Astoria in New York (Waldorf Meeting). * The Sexual Component: The relationship was not purely transactional. Emails from September 3, 2011 reveal Epstein discussing "girls" he had arranged for a "Djibouti friend" of Sultan's (Epstein Offer). While the specific encounter was canceled, the offer establishes that Epstein's value proposition included sexual access as a tool for diplomatic bonding.
Immediately following this meeting, Sultan instructed Epstein to conceal the channel from Abdourahman Boreh, the former head of the Djibouti Ports Authority and a rival to the President (Concealment Request). This secrecy was the foundation of the "Double Game," further evidenced by dinners where Stern managed the tension between Boreh and Sultan (Stern/Boreh Dinner).
With the sovereign relationship established, Stern activated the "China Rolodex." In November 2011, he proposed the "African Investment Vehicle" to funnel Chinese capital into Djibouti (Proposal).
This wasn't abstract. Stern was courting specific tycoons like Hui Ka Yan (Chairman of Evergrande), pitching "Joint Ventures" to Epstein involving these billionaires (Evergrande JV). He also set up Hong Kong Shell Companies to manage the flow of funds anonymously (HK Shells).
The Witan Group effectively advised President Guelleh to pivot away from DP World and toward the China Merchants Group (CMG), utilizing the capital prowess of figures like Hui Ka Yan to grease the transition.
While the Chinese deal was the primary objective, the network maintained a "Russian Option."
In October 2016, Sultan Bin Sulayem reported to Epstein on negotiations with the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) for port concessions (Russian Negotiations). The key contact was Sergey Belyakov (Sergey Belyakov).
This reveals the network's true nature: it was building a multi-polar bidding war, playing the UAE, China, and Russia against each other to maximize the value of the asset transfer.
This reveals the network's true nature: it was building a multi-polar bidding war, playing the UAE, China, and Russia against each other to maximize the value of the asset transfer.
The operation's success relied on a specific "Tripartite Structure" of influence—Political, Legal, and Tactical—that allowed the Witan Group to operate under the guise of legitimate British commerce.
To clear the way for China, the old DP World contracts had to be voided. Djibouti launched a corruption case in London against Abdourahman Boreh.
The State of Djibouti was represented by Lord Falconer (former UK Lord Chancellor), who provided the veneer of British legal rectitude (Lord Falconer).
However, behind the scenes, David Stern—whose firm D&A Services was officially working for Djibouti—was betraying his client. He celebrated Boreh's legal victories in emails to Epstein (Boreh Victory) and even asked Epstein to "check Rothschild" in Geneva to assist Boreh's financial maneuvering (Rothschild Coordination). Delays were sometimes orchestrated using petty excuses, such as Sultan claiming "food poisoning" to avoid critical meetings (Food Poisoning Excuse).
The legal chaos served its purpose: it delegitimized the DP World era, allowing the state to seize the port and hand it to CMG.
By 2017, the transformation was complete.
Two years later, on July 6, 2019, Jeffrey Epstein was arrested on federal sex trafficking charges. On August 10, 2019, he was found dead in his jail cell. The man was gone, but the geopolitical realignment he engineered—the Chinese base in Djibouti, the eviction of DP World—remained permanent.
The forensic history of the Witan Group reveals that the "Deep State" is not a monolith, but a marketplace.
It required Royals (Andrew) for access, Politicians (Mandelson, Falconer) for cover, Bankers (Staley, Fischer) for credibility, and Operatives (Stern, Epstein) for execution. Together, they formed a private governance layer capable of overriding national interests and selling the keys to the world's strategic gates to the highest bidder—whether that bidder was in Dubai, Moscow, or Beijing.
The Winners:
The Losers:
You ask: Who is behind the Witan Group? This is too big for a small LTD.
The forensic evidence suggests the Witan Group was not an independent entity, but a Force Multiplier for a higher power. A small limited company cannot:
The scale of coordination implies state-level sponsorship or a deep-state intelligence faction operating with "plausible deniability." The Witan was the mechanism, but the hand that wielded it had the weight of an empire.
Based on the forensic footprint, here are the possibilities for the "Empire" behind the Witan Group: