Who is Francis Derby in the Epstein files?

Francis Derby was a New York chef who worked as Jeffrey Epstein's private chef around 2011–2012. He appears in 312 documents, all but five of them emails. In those emails he is kept informed of Epstein's schedule, guests and meals, and he coordinates food with Epstein's assistants and household staff.

What do the documents show him doing for Epstein?

They show ordinary chef duties. He prepared meals for events, including a Sept. 2012 dinner connected with Bill Gates and his party, for which he was 'prepping for 8'. He received menu requests and shipped ingredients such as white tuna and steak to Epstein's Zorro ranch in New Mexico. He also asked about timing for breakfasts and lunches. Assistants emailed him about travel departures and guest lunches so he could plan.

Is Francis Derby accused of wrongdoing in the documents?

No. The documents show him only as an employee handling meals and household logistics. Appearing in these emails does not by itself indicate knowledge of or involvement in any criminal conduct by Epstein, and no allegation against him appears in the material.

Who did Francis Derby communicate with most?

The email headers link him most often to Jeffrey Epstein, then to assistant Lesley Groff. Pilot Larry Visoski, house manager Janusz Banasiak, Richard Barnett, Richard Kahn and Darren Indyke appear on shared staff distribution lists. Jojo and Lynn Fontanilla, who appear in Epstein's household scheduling emails, are also copied on some threads.

Who is Francis Derby in the Epstein files?

Francis Derby was a New York chef who worked as Jeffrey Epstein's private chef around 2011–2012. He appears in 312 documents, all but five of them emails. In those emails he is kept informed of Epstein's schedule, guests and meals, and he coordinates food with Epstein's assistants and household staff.

What do the documents show him doing for Epstein?

They show ordinary chef duties. He prepared meals for events, including a Sept. 2012 dinner connected with Bill Gates and his party, for which he was 'prepping for 8'. He received menu requests and shipped ingredients such as white tuna and steak to Epstein's Zorro ranch in New Mexico. He also asked about timing for breakfasts and lunches. Assistants emailed him about travel departures and guest lunches so he could plan.

Is Francis Derby accused of wrongdoing in the documents?

No. The documents show him only as an employee handling meals and household logistics. Appearing in these emails does not by itself indicate knowledge of or involvement in any criminal conduct by Epstein, and no allegation against him appears in the material.

Who did Francis Derby communicate with most?

The email headers link him most often to Jeffrey Epstein, then to assistant Lesley Groff. Pilot Larry Visoski, house manager Janusz Banasiak, Richard Barnett, Richard Kahn and Darren Indyke appear on shared staff distribution lists. Jojo and Lynn Fontanilla, who appear in Epstein's household scheduling emails, are also copied on some threads.

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Francis Derby

Person

312

Total Mentions

312

Documents

143

Connected Entities

New York chef who auditioned and was hired as Jeffrey Epstein private chef circa 2011-2012. Also associated with The Cannibal restaurant in New York City. Appears extensively in EFTA email documents regarding meal planning and kitchen logistics.

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Watch: Francis Derby in the Epstein files

1:06

Narrated from the AI-generated summary of the documents. Numbers reflect the archive at generation time.

Francis Derby appears in the files as Jeffrey Epstein's private chef in 2012. He is a routine recipient and sender of household scheduling and meal-planning emails with Epstein's assistants. Nothing in the documents ties him to misconduct.

All 312 documents that mention Derby are email or similar correspondence (307 emails, 5 other). He is in the From/To/Cc header of 106 of them. The emails are almost all from 2012. In them Epstein's assistant Lesley Groff and others keep him informed of the household schedule, guest meals, travel timing and food requests. He sometimes replies himself, for example asking Groff whether a 9:30 slot on Oct. 24, 2012 was a breakfast. Many other mentions are group emails where he is one of many recipients, such as flight-departure and arrival updates sent to a staff list. These are logistical and show his role in the household, not any substantive involvement in other matters.

Key Highlights

•Derby is a direct recipient of staff scheduling emails from Lesley Groff and others. They include a Sept. 28, 2012 notice that Epstein had moved 'wheels up' to 3pm, and a Nov. 14, 2012 notice that Epstein would leave St. Thomas on Nov. 15 at 3pm.
•In a Sept. 27, 2012 thread about a dinner with the 'Gates crew', Derby wrote that he had been given a menu but did not know the time or number of guests, and that he was 'prepping for 8'. Another email in the thread says Epstein had gone over menu ideas with him.
•The emails show kitchen logistics: a Sept. 2012 message asking that white tuna and steak be sent to the Zorro ranch with Epstein, a sushi FedEx shipment in Oct. 2012, and Epstein's request to taste glass-bottle Diet Coke beside canned. Another thread concerns a garden on the island (July 2012).
•Staff emails also cover his time off. An email of Nov. 1, 2012 says Epstein approved him to be off on Nov. 18 for his engagement party, and a Sept. 2012 thread ('Francis Vacation FYI') asks whether he is going to the ranch.
•He appears in the same documents as other household staff and assistants: Epstein (257 shared documents), Lesley Groff (107), Janusz Banasiak (54) and Richard Barnett (43).
•The archive holds no legal, government, financial, travel or investigative records that name him. Every mention is staff-level email, and the documents allege nothing improper about him.

Frequently Asked Questions

Books for Further Reading

Perversion of Justice: The Jeffrey Epstein Story

Julie K. Brown

Investigative journalism that broke the Epstein case open

Filthy Rich: The Jeffrey Epstein Story

James Patterson

Bestselling account of Epstein's crimes and network

Relentless Pursuit: My Fight for the Victims of Jeffrey Epstein

Bradley J. Edwards

Victims' attorney's firsthand account

Document Mentions (20 of 312)

HOUSE_OVERSIGHT_029977

Source: House Oversight Committee

1 mention

---Original Message------ From: Tesley Groff To: Larry To: Richard Barnnet To: Louella Rabuyo To: Januiz Banasiak To: Rich Kahn To: Darren Indyke To: Francis Derby Subject: 3:00 Wheels up!! Sent: Sep 28, 2012 10:33 AM JE has moved wheels up to 3pm today! LArry, please confirm Also, Larry please confirm you will

Page: HOUSE_OVERSIGHT_029977 →

HOUSE_OVERSIGHT_031129

Source: House Oversight Committee

1 mention

ginal Message --- From: Lesley Groff To: Larry To: To: To: Richard Barnnet To: Louella Rabuyo To: Januiz Banasiak To: Rich Kahn To: Darren Indyke To: Francis Derby Subject: 3:00 Wheels up!! Sent: Sep 28, 2012 10:33 AM JE has moved wheels up to 3pm today! LArry, please confirm Also, Larry please confirm you will

Page: HOUSE_OVERSIGHT_031129 →

EFTA00401555.pdf

EFTA00401555

1 mention

d expiration > > From: > To: Larry > To: Darren Indyke > To: Lynn Fontanilla > To: > To: Richard Barnnet > To: Rich Kahn > To: > To: > To: Francis Derby > Subject: FYI Thursday Nov. 15th > Sent: Nov 14, 2012 10:11 AM > Jeffrey says he will depart STT tomorrow, THursday Nov. 15th at 3pm with Darren.

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EFTA00401571.pdf

EFTA00401571

1 mention

From: To: Cc: M=16e : Lynn Fontanilla <a, and Jojo Lynn , Francis Derby 110100i Subject: Re: Leon Botstein Date: Wed, 14 Nov 2012 16:39:28 +0000 sorry, Sunday Nov. 18th On Nov 14, 2012, at 11:35 AM, wrote: > Is the

EFTA00401659.pdf

EFTA00401659

1 mention

From: To: Jeffrey Epstein <[email protected]> Cc: Francis Derby <fiderbvOemail.com>, L nn and Jojo <[email protected]>, Subject: Re: Justin Nelson/Tom McGraw Lunch Date: Mon, 12 Nov 2012 15:06:00 +000

EFTA00402550.pdf

EFTA00402550

1 mention

From: MMI > To: Epstein Jeffrey <[email protected]> Cc: , Richard Barnett n & Jojo fontanilla •, Jojo fontanilla Francis Derby Subject: Priv & Con£ Oct. 24-31 Date: Wed, 24 Oct 2012 20:50:09 +0000 TONIGHT 5:30 Teeth Cleaning at Dr. Magnani's (7 W. 51st Street, 7th Floor)

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EFTA00402556.pdf

EFTA00402556

1 mention

From: To: Francis Derby Cc• Rosalyn Fontanilla Subject: Re: Date: Wed, 24 Oct 2012 21:58:10 +0000 Great! Thank you Sent from my iPhone On Oct 24, 2012, at 5:34 PM, F

EFTA00402909.pdf

EFTA00402909

1 mention

From: To: Francis Derby <1 Subject: Fwd: current thiniking Date: Thu, 18 Oct 2012 14:14:42 +0000 FYI! Begin forwarded message: From: Jeffrey Epstein <jeevacation@gmail.

EFTA00405350.pdf

EFTA00405350

1 mention

Original Message From: To: Brice To: Cc: Cc: Cc: Cc: LSJEpstein Jeffrey Subject: Re: Francis Vacation FYI Sent: Sep 11, 2012 10:15 AM new Francis Derby I have not heard...Francis, do you know if you are going to the ranch? Has Jeffrey spoken to you about it? On Sep 11, 2012, at 10:13 AM, Zorro Ran

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EFTA00405340.pdf

EFTA00405340

1 mention

From: To: Francis Derby <1 Subject: FYI Date: Tue, 11 Sep 2012 13:59:01 +0000 wanted you to see this to...I don't think a response has been rec'd as of yet... Begin forw

EFTA00405348.pdf

EFTA00405348

1 mention

From: =I=I > To: Zorro Ranch ZI=IIIIIII I Francis Derby <IMIla W -a ca, , LSJEpstein Jeffrey <[email protected]> Subject: Re: Francis Vacation FYI Date: Tue, 11 Sep 2012 14:15:11 +0000 Cc: I h

EFTA00405733.pdf

EFTA00405733

1 mention

From: Cc: lb:EpmeinJeffrey<[email protected]> ca, Subject: Schedule Date: Fri, 07 Sep 2012 11:36:28 +0000 Richard Barnett <a>, Francis Derby FAST! 10:15 blood work at Dr Merrell's (- 1:00 appt with 4:30 haircut with Patrick at Fekkai's 7:30 Dinner with Woody, soon yi and Bobby Slayton

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EFTA00407629.pdf

EFTA00407629

1 mention

From: LSJ To: Cc: a>, , Francis Derby Subject: Re: Date: Mon, 30 Jul 2012 14:00:54 +0000 Thanks 6100 Red Hook Quarters B3 St Thomas USVI 00802 Ph: On Jul 30, 24 Heisei, at 7:15 AM,

EFTA00545870.pdf

EFTA00545870

1 mention

From: To: Francis Derby 1Mill > Cc: ca> Date: Fri, 08 Jun 2012 13:48:43 +0000 Hey..when you know, if you can pls let me know what time you'd like a car to pick you up fr

EFTA00553835.pdf

EFTA00553835

1 mention

From: To: Cc: Rosalyn Fontanilla „ "Jo.° luciano Fontanilla" , Francis Derby Subject: Re: Date: Sun, 19 Aug 2012 23:42:08 +0000 Yes, lyn is doing breakfast in the morning On Aug 19, 2012, at 6:55 PM, MII ME> wrote: > Ok S

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EFTA00555642.pdf

EFTA00555642

1 mention

From: To: Francis Derby <1 Subject: Fwd: Re: Date: Mon, 24 Sep 2012 13:51:35 +0000 I will try and push our appointment to 2:30pm for dishes Begin forwarded message: Fro

EFTA00661937.pdf

EFTA00661937

1 mention

From: To: Epstein Jeffrey <[email protected]> Cc: Kensin ton Janusz Banasiak , Francis Derby Subject: Nick Pritzker Date: Sun, 23 Sep 2012 11:55:02 +0000 Sent from my iPhone Begin forwarded message: From: "Nicholas J. Pritzker" -4 Date:

EFTA00401156.pdf

EFTA00401156

1 mention

Epstein Jeffrey <[email protected]> Cc: Jo'co fontanilla Subject: Leon Botstein Date: Fri, 16 Nov 2012 20:40:12 +0000 L n & Jojo fontanilla Francis Derby < >, Below from Botstein's assistant re 5:30 dinner...please advise what you wish to do: Dinner is fine at 5:30. It's all Jeffrey's call as far as

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EFTA00401249.pdf

EFTA00401249

1 mention

From: ==. > To: Epstein Jeffrey <[email protected]> Cc: Lynn Fontanilla , Lynn and Jojo , Richard Barnett , Francis Derby Subject: Priv & Con£ Nov. 15-30 Date: Wed, 14 Nov 2012 21:45:52 +0000 Thurs. Nov. 15-Island to NY -Jerry Barton to stay in Apt. ION 1:00 EDC Ap

HOUSE_OVERSIGHT_029976

Source: House Oversight Committee

1 mention

From: Sent: To: CC: Subject: Importance: Lesley Groff 9/10/2012 5:01:27 PM Epstein Jeffrey [email protected]] 1; Francis Derby Bobby Slayton High Bobby slayton will be in LA on Sept. 18th (he said if you are hosting Obama in NY though, he could make the effort to attend) Belo

Page: HOUSE_OVERSIGHT_029976 →

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