PARIS, Feb 12 (Reuters) - Hermes CEO Axel Dumas said on Thursday he had resisted repeated attempts by Jeffrey Epstein to meet with him, describing the financier as a "financial predator" who had targeted him during a corporate battle.
Documents released by the U.S. Department of Justice show Epstein emailed Dumas' assistant multiple times in 2013 and 2014 asking for meetings with him, as well as contacting the luxury brand to request they design his private jet. Hermes refused.
"I think I was a target, I was a young CEO and we were in the middle of the LVMH affair. He was a financial predator," Dumas said, adding: "He already had a hateful reputation."
Dumas told journalists that he was first approached by Epstein in 2013 at a time of heightened tensions when Hermes rival LVMH had built up a large equity stake in the company. LVMH always denied it was planning a takeover.
Dumas said he only met Epstein once, in March 2013, during an event at an Hermès atelier. Epstein had not been on the list of attendees but joined a group with movie director Woody Allen and his wife, he added.
Reuters was not able to independently verify whether Allen and his wife were in a group joined by Epstein at the event. Allen and his wife were not immediately available for comment.
"After that, he tried three times to meet with me and I refused every time," Dumas said. "I can't tell you exactly what we knew about him or not, because I can't remember 13 years ago, but he already had a loathsome reputation."
The DOJ files, including email receipts of purchases made at Hermes stores in Paris, show Epstein was a fan of the French brand which caters to the ultra-wealthy and had emailed to ask if it could "design my plane".
In one email to his assistant, Epstein writes: "Track down Axel Dumas in hermes headquarters paris".
The emails show Dumas' own assistant politely refusing Epstein's invitations to meet him in November 2013 and January 2014, citing a "prior engagement" and "a very tight agenda".
Epstein pleaded guilty and was convicted in 2008 on prostitution charges, including soliciting an underage girl.
He was arrested again in 2019 on federal charges of sex trafficking of minors. His 2019 death in a Manhattan jail cell was ruled a suicide.
(Reporting by Helen Reid and Tassilo Hummel; editing by Richard Lough and Alexander Smith)
Axel Dumas is a French businessperson who has been the head of 42 different companies. Currently, he occupies the position of Chairman for Isamyol 26, Chairman for Isamyol 24, Chairman at Hermès China Trading, Manager at MAÏA Group SA, Manager of Immauger, Manager at Axam 2, Chairman of Hermès of Paris, Inc., Chairman for Hermes Japon Co., Ltd., Chairman of Hermès Korea Ltd., Chairman for Hermès China, Chairman at Hermès Sellier SAS and Co-Executive Chairman-Management Board at Hermès International SCA. Axel Dumas is also Manager of Mathel and on the board of 5 other companies.
In the past Mr. Dumas held the position of Executive Chairman of SCI Édouard VII, Chairman at Hermes de Paris Mexico SA de CV, Chairman for Immobilière du 5 rue de Fürstemberg, Executive Chairman for SCI Boissy Nontron, Chairman at Cie Hermes De Participations 2, Chairman at Isamyol 25, Chairman for Isamyol 27, Chairman for Isamyol 28, Executive Chairman at Sci Honossy, Co-Executive Chairman at SCI Les Capucines, Chairman of Isamyol 33, Chairman of Isamyol 32, Chairman of Isamyol 31, Chairman for Isamyol 30, Chairman for Isamyol 29, Chairman at Cie Hermès De Participations 3, Chairman of Maroquinerie de Normandie, Chairman at Tannerie De Vivoin, Member-Management Board at Grafton Immobilier, Chairman of Castille Investissements Sa, Chairman at Hermes Iberica SA, Executive Chairman at Sci Auger-Hoche, Chairman of SCI Boissy les Mûriers, Chairman at Motsch-George V, Chairman of Herlee, Chairman of Hermès Retail (Malaysia) Sdn. Bhd., Chairman of Hermès of Hawaï, Chairman for Hermès Immobilier Genève, Chairman of Hermès Australia Pty Ltd., Chairman at Hermès Canada, Inc., Chairman at Hermès Grèce and Director at Créations Métaphores.
Axel Dumas received an undergraduate degree from Sciences Po and a graduate degree from Harvard Business School.
Hermès International specializes in the design, manufacturing, and marketing of luxury products. Net sales break down by family of products as follows:
- leather and saddlery goods (42.6%): purses, luggage, small leather goods, planners, writing items, saddles, bridles, riding objects and clothing, etc.;
- clothes, shoes, and accessories (29%);
- silk and textile products (6.3%);
- clock and watchmaking articles (3.8%);
- perfumes and beauty products (3.5%);
- other (14.8%): mainly jewelry and home decoration products.
At the end of 2024, the group had a network of 294 stores worldwide.
Net sales are distributed geographically as follows: France (9.5%), Europe (14.2%), Japan (9.5%), Asia-Pacific (43.8%), Americas (18.9%) and others (4.1%).
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