David Stern is a German-born investor and consultant based in the United Arab Emirates. He is a primary principal of D&A Services (UAE) Limited and acted as the tactical "soldier" and intermediary for Jeffrey Epstein's sovereign-level operations.
The Operative Role
David Stern served as the primary executor for Jeffrey Epstein's sovereign-level projects. His role combined the legal authority of the Witan Group with the institutional backing of major financial entities:
- JP Morgan Liaison: Positioned as "CEO Special Situations" (or similar) for JP Morgan per email EFTA02687707. This integration provided the necessary scale for multi-sovereign deal-making (China-UAE-Russia).
- Invisible Pipeline Manager: Controlled the infrastructure for Epstein's financial dealings while maintaining "maximum protection/distance" through cryptic shell entities.
- Sovereign Intermediary: Pitched high-stakes deals involving Russia and China.
- Long-standing Associate: Stern was a close and long-term associate of Jeffrey Epstein, acting as an intermediary and strategist in various business dealings.
- The Ferguson Introduction (Feb 2010): Sarah Ferguson (Duchess of York) explicitly credited Epstein with introducing her to Stern, whom she described as having a "great rolodex for China." This was the catalyst for Stern's entry into the highest levels of the network.
- African Investment Vehicle (Nov 2011): Stern pitched a strategic vehicle to Epstein (African_Investment_Vehicle_Proposal_Nov_2011.md) aimed at bridging Chinese capital and African interests "with no direct Chinese involvement" visible on the surface.
- Witan Group Coordination: Stern founded the Witan Group (formerly Asia Gateway China). He explained to Epstein (Feb 2011) that the name refers to the "council of the Anglo Saxon kings" and noted that "PA" (Prince Andrew) liked the name because he didn't know what it meant, suggesting it was "safe."
- Hong Kong Shell Infrastructure (Sept 2011): In email EFTA02544359, Stern confirmed to Epstein that he controlled two 100% owned Hong Kong shell companies with "little activity": Kapitanka Ltd (Slavic/Russian root for "Captain") and Celestial Limited. This established the "Invisible Pipeline" for their joint operations.
- Russian Strategy Expansion: Stern frequently pitched Russian-linked deals to Epstein, including the acquisition of Russian farmland and coordinating with Russian billionaire Vladimir Zemtsov to manage the debts of Sarah Ferguson. This Russian layer complemented his "China Rolodex," providing a secondary sovereign brokerage channel.
- Evergrande Joint Venture (Nov 2015): Stern pitched a JV with Hui Ka Yan (Chairman of Evergrande) and Epstein (EFTA02671356), leveraging his Chinese billionaire network for African infrastructure projects.
Role in Djibouti and the Boreh Case
- D&A Services: Stern's firm, D&A Services, was heavily involved in the litigation between the Republic of Djibouti and Abdourahman Boreh.
- The London Case Interference: While officially hired by the Republic of Djibouti (July 2016) to manage the investigation against Boreh, Stern's private communications (EFTA02684680) show him celebrating Boreh's legal victories and forwarding strategy to Epstein.
- The Dubai v Djibouti Pivot (Sept 2016): Emails (EFTA00817179) show Stern coordinating Boreh's "cross examination" where he assisted Dubai (DP World) against the state of Djibouti.
Mapping the Connections (Key Associates)
The Sovereign Layer
The Brokerage & Advisory Layer
The Financial & Corporate Layer
The Operative Layer
Primary Evidence (Jmail Threads)