Ex-Mossad Investigator Claimed Epstein Learned Secret Offshore Money Scheme From Asset Protection Lawyer

Jeffrey Epstein's ability to move and conceal enormous sums of money has long fuelled public fascination, but former Mossad investigator Juval Aviv has now offered a striking explanation.

Speaking during a recent podcast interview, Aviv claimed the disgraced financier learned sophisticated offshore asset protection methods from the late lawyer Barry Engel, whom he described as one of America's most influential experts in hiding wealth.

Epstein's Financial Strategy

Aviv claimed his investigation into Epstein's finances led him to what he described as his 'biggest coup'. Rather than discovering a hidden bank account or secret business, he said he uncovered the lawyer who allegedly taught Epstein how to protect enormous sums of money from investigators.

According to Aviv, three lawyers in the United States became famous for specialising in asset protection, a legal practice designed to shield wealth from lawsuits and other claims. Clients would allegedly transfer funds to offshore structures created by these lawyers, who then arranged foreign bank accounts and handed over complete financial vehicles.

Aviv singled out the late Barry Engel of Colorado as the most influential of the group. He described Engel as a respected figure who authored books on asset protection and became widely known within financial circles for creating sophisticated offshore arrangements.

The Offshore System

According to Aviv, the system was far more complicated than simply opening a foreign bank account.

He alleged that Engel designed offshore structures centred on the Cook Islands, a jurisdiction long associated with asset protection trusts because of its strict legal safeguards.

Aviv claimed the trusts themselves were based there, while the actual money remained in Swiss banks, adding another layer of protection against investigators.

He further alleged that Engel had agreements with certain banks, receiving commissions for introducing wealthy clients alongside fees paid directly by those seeking to hide their assets.

Aviv claimed clients believed the lawyer's involvement ended once the accounts had been created using legally declared funds.

Aviv said he eventually discovered that Epstein had met Engel personally, a moment he believes explained how the financier later managed vast international fortunes.

According to his account, Epstein allegedly learned how to use Cook Islands structures and other offshore vehicles directly from the lawyer before expanding the operation to manage money belonging to wealthy clients.

Aviv claimed Epstein later became highly effective at concealing large sums, including funds linked to Russian oligarchs and other prominent individuals. He alleged the financial arrangements became so sophisticated that very few investigators were capable of tracing them successfully.

Aviv Said He Tracked Hidden Fortunes

Aviv also described the investigative methods he claimed helped him locate assets that others believed had vanished.

Rather than persuading Engel to reveal confidential client information, Aviv said he developed a friendship with the lawyer while separately building a close relationship with Engel's longtime secretary.

According to Aviv, when new clients approached him seeking to recover missing money, he would discreetly ask whether the person involved had ever been one of Engel's clients. If the answer was yes, Aviv claimed he immediately knew which financial structures to investigate.

He said this approach allowed him to identify where assets had likely been transferred before pursuing legal recovery through Swiss banks.