Milwaukee recruiter distances himself from Epstein after working for him in 2013

John Diedrich and Mary Spicuzza, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

Fri, February 6, 2026 at 9:28 PM UTC

3 min read

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A Milwaukee headhunter who worked for Jeffrey Epstein, seeking staff for the convicted sex offender's now-notorious island and ranch, said he would not have worked with the financier "knowing what we know now."

Peter Mahler, who owns an elite staffing business and a high-end boutique real estate firm, exchanged dozens of emails with Epstein and his staff, largely in 2013, according to documents released by the U.S. Justice Department.

Epstein was looking to hire a personal assistant and a manager to work on his private Caribbean island and at his ranch in New Mexico.

By the time Mahler began working with Epstein, the financier had been convicted five years earlier of two counts of prostitution, including soliciting a child for prostitution, and was accused of sexually assaulting dozens of girls − which had been widely covered. Epstein was a registered sex offender.

In 2019, Epstein was indicted on charges of sex trafficking of minors and conspiracy to sex traffic minors. A FBI memo alleges Epstein has more than 1,000 victims. Epstein died by suicide while incarcerated in 2019.

"While our firm doesn’t comment about the thousands of staffing searches and interviews, we have conducted over the past three decades, I am making an exception under these circumstances," Mahler said in a statement to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. "The revelations about Jeffrey Epstein are abhorrent."

Mahler confirmed his company was conducting searches for "professional administrative staff and property management positions" for Epstein.

"These ultimately failed because he did not like the qualified candidates, we identified for him to interview," Mahler said. "Knowing what we know now, we would never have worked with him under any circumstances."

Will Lidstone, director of business development at Mahler Private Staffing, sent the statement in an email and declined a request for an interview with Mahler.

"At this time, Mr. Mahler will not be participating in any interviews beyond the written statement provided," Lidstone wrote in the Feb. 6 email.

There is no indication of any illegal activity in the emails between Mahler and Epstein. Mahler has not been accused of or charged with any crimes.

Jeffrey Epstein in custody in West Palm Beach, Fla. in 2008.

The emails with Mahler provide insight into Epstein's preferences when it came to assistants and his penchant for scolding people who failed to meet his standards.

In multiple messages, Mahler notes Epstein's preference for Asian candidates. Mahler also hid Epstein's identity from candidates, referring to Epstein as "Mr. Stone," according to emails.

Mahler did not respond to questions about why he hid Epstein's identity from applicants or whether it is typical for his clients to express an ethnic or racial preference for candidates.

Mahler also did not respond to a question about why he would work for a convicted sex offender.

In one October 2013 email, Mahler reasoned with Epstein, who was frustrated by the lack of progress in the search.

"I am writing this because I think you are a good guy and you make me laugh but you need to get out of your own way and let us help you," Mahler wrote. "Xo. Peter. Let's chat."

Epstein paid Mahler's firm $25,000 for services but refused to pay Mahler another $15,000. The business relationship appears to have ended bitterly, based on the emails.

Mahler did not respond to questions as to whether he would give back the $25,000 paid to him by Epstein.

This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Milwaukee recruiter Peter Mahler distances himself from Jeffrey Epstein

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