High-Stakes Divorce Battle of Private Equity Financier Jeffrey Leeds Reveals Epstein Links
The contentious divorce proceedings between New York-based private equity executive Jeffrey Leeds and his wife, Elizabeth Leeds, have spilled across courtrooms in Florida, Wyoming, and Manhattan, unveiling a saga of acrimonious allegations, multimillion-dollar assets, and unexpected connections to the late financier Jeffrey Epstein.
Allegations of Affairs and Financial Misconduct
In Palm Beach County filings, 69-year-old Jeffrey Leeds accused his 43-year-old wife, Elizabeth, of engaging in a long-term affair with Miami businessman Alberto Alejandro Tawil, 66, and claimed she became pregnant by him. "You sneaked out the day I left to f--k that idiot loser," Jeffrey wrote in a February 2025 email included in court documents, referring to Tawil as a "loser grifter real estate mogul" in another message.
Jeffrey alleged that Elizabeth misused marital funds, investing over $275,000 in one of Tawil's businesses in Mozambique, paying for a household staff of 21 for her lover, and purchasing "erotic gifts." He also referenced their two children in a text message, stating, "Just leave us alone and come visit every now and then. You’re a part-time mother anyway." In a further accusation, he claimed she left inappropriate items around their home, saying, "Stop leaving your 'watercolors' of c--ksucking around where the kids can see them and your crotchless underwear on the floor for everyone to see and your anal lubricant around."
Counter-Allegations of Harassment and Stalking
Elizabeth Leeds, in her own filings, alleged that her estranged husband "exerted financial warfare" and harassed her friends, including Tawil and New York jeweler Anne Baker, with unnecessary and intimidating subpoenas. Jeffrey contended that Baker sold Elizabeth jewelry worth over $291,500, including a $125,500 diamond and platinum chain, a $98,000 Georgian diamond collet-set necklace, and a $68,000 emerald-cut diamond bracelet, and might have information about the alleged affair.
Elizabeth further accused Jeffrey of stalking her, screaming at and following her during one of their children's school events. She claimed in court papers that he sent text messages containing naked photographs he had taken of her to harass and embarrass her, and that he stole and photographed her personal journal. During a July deposition, Elizabeth admitted to a "loving and long-term relationship" with Tawil, stating, "I had a loving relationship with someone I have known for a long time and I had a miscarriage."
$100 Million Real Estate Portfolio at Stake
The couple's legal fight involves real estate valued at approximately $100 million, including a $22 million, 14-room apartment at 740 Park Ave. on Manhattan's Upper East Side, purchased in 2016 for $22.5 million and now back on the market; a $23.5 million home in Southampton with 11 bedrooms and 12.5 bathrooms on 4.6 acres, once owned by the Carnegie family; and a $35.6 million property in Palm Beach, an 11,567-square-foot house on a 1.3-acre lot a block from the ocean, currently rented out.
Epstein Connections and Denials
The dispute unfolded alongside references to Jeffrey Leeds in documents related to Jeffrey Epstein. Leeds' name appeared dozens of times in the Justice Department's Epstein document dump, and he was quoted in a 2002 New York Magazine profile titled "Jeffrey Epstein: International Moneyman of Mystery," where he said, "You may read about Jeffrey in the social columns, but there is much more to him than that. He’s a talented money manager and an extremely hardworking person with broad interests."
In emails, publicist Peggy Siegal listed Leeds as a "smart investor and knows politics," while Next Model Management founder Faith Kates wrote to Epstein about Leeds' marriage to Elizabeth in March 2012. Epstein's ex-girlfriend, Eva Dubin, also emailed Epstein about Leeds in September 2012. However, Leeds was not accused of misconduct in connection with Epstein.
His lawyer, Peter Trombadore, stated, "Mr. Leeds had no professional or personal relationship with Epstein. No one has suggested otherwise. Any such claims would be utterly false and defamatory." He added that Leeds "may have met in passing, though Mr. Leeds has no recollection of any such meeting," and never visited Epstein's properties.
Background and Legal Proceedings
The couple married in a March 2012 ceremony in Manhattan presided over by former Mayor Rudy Giuliani, with Jeffrey giving Elizabeth $1 million to use as she wished. At the time, Leeds Equity Partners managed over $4 billion in assets. A prenuptial agreement indicated Jeffrey had $90 million in assets before the marriage, though his current net worth is unclear.
Jeffrey filed for divorce in Palm Beach in January 2025, shortly after Elizabeth moved with their two young children to Wyoming four months earlier, where she filed her own case. Lawyers for both parties have urged privacy. Richard Segal, representing Elizabeth, said, "Elizabeth requests that the press and the public let this matter proceed privately, especially for the sake of the parties’ two young children." Trombadore stated, "This is a private matter. Mr. Leeds asks that his privacy and that of his family during this challenging time be respected as he works to resolve issues amicably and focuses on the best interests of the children."
