14:42 05-02-2026

Epstein's Subaru WRX deal failed due to manual gearbox

Archival documents reveal Jeffrey Epstein's accountant canceled a 2018 Subaru WRX purchase because it had a manual transmission. Learn the ironic details of this automotive episode.

Newly released archival materials from the Jeffrey Epstein case have revealed an unexpected automotive episode involving the Japanese brand Subaru. In late 2017, Epstein's accountant Richard Kahn was arranging the purchase of a 2018 Subaru WRX. Correspondence suggests the vehicle was not intended for Epstein himself, but rather for his driver and assistant Jojo Fontanille.

According to reports from SPEEDME.RU, Kahn found a suitable option at the Carbone Subaru dealership in New York state. The vehicle in question was a Subaru WRX Premium priced at $28,990 before taxes, or $31,710 out the door. The deal was in its final stages, with Kahn even attempting to negotiate the final price down to $31,000 and discussing whether the driver would contribute through payroll deductions.

Simultaneously, there was consideration of registering the vehicle either in Fontanille's name or under one of Epstein's companies. However, at the last moment, the purchase was canceled for an unexpected reason. Kahn discovered that the chosen Subaru WRX was equipped with a manual transmission. In a message to Epstein, he wrote that they should disregard the vehicle because he had just realized it was a manual, and they needed an automatic. Following this realization, they abandoned the WRX.

The accountant then shifted his search to the Subaru Legacy, which in 2018 was offered exclusively with an automatic transmission, perfectly meeting the client's requirements. Adding another layer of irony to the situation is another fact from the archival documents: in his will, Jeffrey Epstein left Richard Kahn $25 million.

Thus, the person who once tried to save him $710 on a Subaru WRX purchase ultimately became one of his largest beneficiaries. The story reads almost like an anecdote: even among billionaires with unlimited resources, something as ordinary as a transmission type can become the deciding factor in a vehicle choice. In this case, the Subaru WRX lost out not due to price or image, but because of its manual gearbox—which has long been considered a niche choice in the United States.