German Countess with Epstein Links Secured Influential Whitehall Health Role
A German countess who maintained a close two-decade friendship with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein managed to secure a prominent position at the heart of the UK government's health technology initiatives. Nicole Junkermann, a 50-year-old London-based technology investor and former model, recently resigned as a trustee of the Royal Marsden Cancer Charity following disclosures about her relationship with Epstein.
Appointment to Key Government Advisory Board
Junkermann successfully persuaded then Health Secretary Matt Hancock to appoint her to the government's influential Health Tech Advisory Board in 2018. The board was tasked with creating a "culture of innovation" and guiding the government on its mission to transform technology within the National Health Service. Photographs from the board's inaugural meeting show Junkermann standing directly behind Mr Hancock during proceedings.
Revealing Email Correspondence with Epstein
Hundreds of emails released by the US Department of Justice document Junkermann's extensive correspondence with Epstein beginning in May 2009, just two months before his release from prison where he served 13 months for soliciting sex from underage girls. The communications reveal an intimate relationship in which Junkermann referred to Epstein using affectionate terms including "daddy" and "baby."
In one particularly revealing message, Junkermann described the disgraced financier as "Mr Wonderful" while suggesting she visit him following his release from incarceration. A diary entry from 2003 reads: "I cannot sleep, I think about Jeffrey. There are few people in my life which I want to spend time with – he is one of them."
Attempt to Connect Epstein with Former Prime Minister
The emails further disclose that Junkermann attempted to arrange a meeting between Epstein and former Prime Minister David Cameron. In 2018, she wrote to Epstein: "I am hosting a lunch on the west coast in March for David Cameron, would you like to join?" This correspondence continued until 2019, mere months before Epstein's final arrest and subsequent death in custody in New York.
By 2011, their relationship appeared to have deepened significantly, with Junkermann seeking Epstein's financial advice on investment decisions. In one exchange discussing a potential hedge, she wrote: "Daddy, How are u? Should I hedge now at 1.37 or wait? Kiss." Epstein had previously offered her employment, stating she would be "very helpful to me."
Personal Background and Recent Developments
Junkermann married Italian Count Ferdinando Brachetti Peretti in July 2017. The 66-year-old count belongs to a wealthy dynasty that controls the Italian energy giant API. Despite her resignation from the cancer charity trusteeship, questions remain about how someone with such documented connections to a convicted sex offender gained access to the highest levels of UK health policy decision-making.
A spokesperson for the countess stated: "Nicole was completely deceived and misled by him [Epstein]." The revelations raise significant concerns about vetting procedures for government advisory appointments and the potential influence of individuals with controversial associations on sensitive policy areas.
