Daniel Siad (Arabic: دانيال سياد; born Daniel Amar Siad; 28 October 1957 – 20 July 2026) was an Algerian-born Swedish-French modeling scout. Siad worked under "What’s Up Management" modeling agency.

 

Daniel Siad (Arabic: دانيال سياد; born Daniel Amar Siad; 28 October 1957 – 20 July 2026) was an Algerian-born Swedish-French modeling scout. Siad worked under "What’s Up Management" modeling agency.

 

Siad also reported as a fashion photographer, project manager for a Russian fashion television channel, and financial consultant, with residences in Stockholm and ties to Paris and Barcelona. He was not charged in relation to Jeffrey Epstein's crimes prior to his death. Siad was personally accused of rape and sex trafficking by at least five women. An investigation by newspapers ZDF and Der Spiegel linked Siad and Epstein to a German model who has been missing since 2015.

 

Early life and activism

Siad was born in Algeria in 1957. In 1980, he immigrated to Sweden. He described himself as being of Algerian, Jewish and Berber heritage, and often framed his personal trajectory through that heritage.  He has been identified in declassified United States Department of Justice documents as a scout and recruiter of young women and girls for convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein's network. Epstein associate Jean-Luc Brunel identified Siad to investigators as a "scout or recruiter of girls and/or women for Jeffrey Epstein."

 

From 2017 to 2020, he was appointed the diplomatic representative of the Movement for the Self-Determination of Kabylia (MAK) in Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Bahrain. He left the movement after being mentioned in the Epstein files.] He is also mentioned as a speaker at a CMA conference in 2018, and presented on that occasion as a diplomat and activist committed to Amazigh culture, language, and identity.[15][better source needed]

 

Career

Siad was described in court documents and media reports as a key Jeffrey Epstein associate who operated primarily in Europe, forwarding profiles, photographs, and sometimes videos of potential models and others to Epstein, often via email. He was mentioned in the files around 2000 times[16] and his activities spanned the late 2000s to at least 2017 and included scouting in locations such as Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Bulgaria, Latvia South Africa (particularly Cape Town), Barcelona, Ibiza, Paris, Morocco, Cuba, and others.

 

In a 2009 email, Siad informed convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein of plans to scout in small villages across Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, and Hungary during June and July.[18][23] He contacted modeling agencies in Sofia, Bulgaria, in 2010, including Next One Agency, and sent photos of candidates to Epstein while organizing meetings. In South Africa, Siad sent pictures from Cape Town, describing the "potential of girls" as "huge," with Epstein critiquing appearances in responses.

 

In Barcelona, where Siad settled around 2016–2017, he contacted modeling agencies, housed young models in his small apartment, and sent photos and details to Epstein, including comments on ages and appearances (e.g., noting one 20-year-old "seems minor"). He organized travel, provided financial assistance to some women, and received payments via a Dubai bank account.[24][25] Siad also scouted in other locations, such as Cuba post-2016 and Morocco, and forwarded profiles for events like Formula 1 hostessing.

 

In 2015, Siad met a 16-year-old New Zealand model and her friend in Paris and forwarded their modeling profiles to Epstein, who deemed them "too old."

 

Connection to Epstein and Brunel

Siad was described in a Department of Justice file as a "scout or recruiter of girls and/or women for J. Epstein," per an email from Epstein associate Jean-Luc Brunel, the French modeling agent who died in prison in 2022 while facing charges related to rape and trafficking of minors connected to Epstein. Siad exchanged emails and communications with Brunel and forwarded modeling profiles and travel arrangements involving young women to Epstein.

 

Siad's name gained attention in February 2026 following a release of Epstein files, which included repeated mentions of his scouting role across multiple countries. Coverage highlighted potential exploitation concerns in Poland - Prime Minister Donald Tusk to announce an investigative body.

 

Little public information exists regarding Siad's personal background beyond associations with fashion and modeling, including roles as a project manager at World Fashion Channel and consultant activities. Siad had ties to Stockholm, Sweden, where he had resided, as well as to Paris and Barcelona. An unverified photograph purportedly showing Siad with Woody Allen has circulated online amid the file releases.

 

As of February 2026, no publicly released records indicate that Siad had been charged or arrested in connection with Epstein's crimes. The mentions of him in the Epstein files derive from emails and other documentary evidence rather than from any formal legal proceedings against him.

 

Rape and sex trafficking allegations

At least five women publicly accused Siad personally of rape and sex trafficking, which he denied. In February 2026, former Swedish model Ebba P. Karlsson [sv] accused Siad of raping her in the swimming pool of a villa in Cannes, France in 1990. Karlsson filed a complaint with the Paris prosecutor's office for rape and trafficking against Siad. In June 2026, an investigation from ZDF and Der Spiegel revealed that a German model missing since 2015, referred to as "Michele", had contact with Siad and was presented to Epstein.

 

Death

On 20 July 2026, Siad was found dead at his home in Colombes, Paris.[38] Although Siad's lawyer claimed that he had died of a heart attack, his cause of death has not yet been determined.