Claire-Anne Stroll Surfaces in Epstein Files as F1 World Faces Scrutiny Over Network Ties

Claire-Anne Stroll, the Belgian-born fashion designer and mother of Aston Martin Formula One driver Lance Stroll, appeared in the massive batch of Epstein documents released by the US Department of Justice on January 30, 2026.



Her name emerged alongside those of her former husband Lawrence Stroll and several other prominent Formula One figures, drawing renewed attention to the depth of Jeffrey Epstein’s connections within elite business and sporting circles.



The specific document involving Claire-Anne is an email written in French, dated February 6, 2002, addressed to Ghislaine Maxwell. In the email, Claire-Anne apologised to Maxwell for not visiting “little st jeff,” a phrase interpreted as a reference to Epstein’s private island, Little St. James, in the US Virgin Islands. The email was sent after Maxwell had visited the Stroll family’s home in Mustique, in the Caribbean.



Claire-Anne wrote: “I was delighted with your visit to Mustique and unfortunately we were not able to discover your ‘Little St. Jeff Pirate Treasure.’ Chloe was very disappointed. A thousand thanks for the magnificent photo of Lawrence and Chloe. You definitely have quality photographic equipment, I could really use some advice!! We are going back to Mustique next week, but during my next trip to New York, I will get in touch with you. See you very soon. Claire-Anne.”



Chloe in the email refers to the Strolls’ daughter, who would have been around seven years old at the time of Maxwell’s visit. The email does not contain any evidence of wrongdoing on Claire-Anne’s part, nor does it suggest awareness of the criminal activities for which Epstein and Maxwell were later convicted.



Representatives for the Stroll family addressed the broader appearance of Lawrence Stroll in the files shortly after the January release. A spokesperson said: “The paths of Lawrence Stroll and his ex-wife Claire-Anne and Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell crossed occasionally in business and fashion circles due to the fact that Epstein worked for Leslie Wexner, one of the American fashion moguls who, at the time, owned The Limited and Victoria’s Secret, among other things.”



The spokesperson added: “In this context, Lawrence Stroll and his co-owners of Tommy Hilfiger were invited at the time to Epstein’s house in New York for a drink. Ghislaine Maxwell once visited the Stroll family’s home in Mustique at her request. None of the members of the Stroll family ever went to Epstein’s island.”



Lawrence Stroll’s own appearances in the files are multiple. A FedEx receipt shows he received a package from Epstein in January 2002. In 2003, Maxwell sent emails indicating Lawrence Stroll was invited to a dinner at Epstein’s residence in New York, a gathering also referenced in correspondence involving Thomas Pritzker, the Hyatt Hotels executive chairman who later resigned from his position in February 2026 following his own appearance in the documents.







A spokesperson for Aston Martin confirmed that Stroll did not attend that dinner. By 2018, an email from Epstein to a redacted recipient noted that he had not seen Stroll “in a very long time.”



The document release came under the Epstein Files Transparency Act, signed into law by President Trump. Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche described the January 30 batch as including approximately three million pages, 2,000 videos and around 180,000 images. It was described as the last major release of documents from the DOJ. As with all individuals named across the millions of pages, appearances in the files do not constitute evidence of wrongdoing or involvement in Epstein’s criminal operation.



Claire-Anne Stroll is known professionally as the founder of Callens, a luxury activewear label she established under the creative direction of Paul Helbers. The brand positions itself at the intersection of technical athletic wear and high-end fashion, and has been featured in publications including The Times, InStyle and Bazaar. She described the concept in an interview with the Montreal Gazette as filling a gap in the market for garments that combined technical performance fabrics with sophisticated natural fibres. Her estimated net worth sits between $5 million and $10 million.



She and Lawrence Stroll divorced some years ago. Lawrence has since remarried Raquel Stroll, formerly Raquel Diniz. Claire-Anne and Lawrence have two children together: Lance Stroll, the Formula One driver contracted to Aston Martin through at least the end of the 2026 season, and Chloe Stroll, a singer-songwriter who married Australian Olympic snowboarder Scotty James in May 2023. Both attended the world premiere of the F1 movie in New York in June 2025.



The Formula One world’s broader appearance in the Epstein files extended well beyond the Stroll family. Former F1 chief Bernie Ecclestone is among the most prominent names in the documents. Alpine team principal Flavio Briatore exchanged multiple emails with Epstein between 2005 and 2010, with Epstein at one point referring to him as “my Italian friend.” Former FIA president Jean Todt wrote to Epstein in 2017. Former driver Eddie Irvine was mentioned in Maxwell emails from 2003. The breadth of connections underscores how extensively Epstein cultivated relationships across the highest levels of motorsport, finance and fashion during the years his operation went largely unchallenged.
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