Katherine Keating: Biography, Epstein Link & Career

A daughter of one of Australia’s most famous prime ministers, Katherine Keating spent years building a career in media, policy, and sustainability. Then a dinner from 2011 resurfaced, and her name became linked to Jeffrey Epstein. Here’s what we know about who she is and how she got there.

Known for: Daughter of former Australian Prime Minister Paul Keating ·
Current role: Chief Sustainability and Strategy Officer at Maverick ·
Education: University of California, Los Angeles ·
Controversy: Connection to Jeffrey Epstein and Prince Andrew ·
Age: Born 1989 (age 35-36)

Seven key biographical facts, one pattern: Katherine Keating’s public identity is split between her father’s political legacy and her own professional trajectory, with a brief Epstein encounter complicating both.

The implication: her father’s legacy grants her name recognition, but her career stands apart from it.

What is Katherine Keating known for?

Daughter of former Australian Prime Minister Paul Keating

• Katherine Keating is the daughter of Paul Keating, who served as Prime Minister of Australia from 1991 to 1996 (7NEWS report). Her mother is Annita van Iersel, Paul Keating’s first wife.

Growing up in the shadow of a political heavyweight, she later moved to the United States, where she built her own career away from Australian politics. The implication: her surname carries weight, but her professional work in media and sustainability has been largely independent of it.

Brief connection to Jeffrey Epstein and Prince Andrew

• In 2011, Keating attended a dinner in New York with Jeffrey Epstein and Prince Andrew (7NEWS report). A U.S. Congressional investigation later uncovered emails showing Epstein had asked Prince Andrew to invite her (7NEWS report).

Keating said she had lived in New York for only 10 weeks at the time and accepted what she thought was a large society gathering. Capital Brief reported that she exchanged emails with Epstein, including sending him a link to a story in The Australian on October 28, 2011 (Capital Brief report). The pattern: a single, brief social encounter has become the dominant media narrative, eclipsing her decade-long career.

Current role as Chief Sustainability and Strategy Officer at Maverick

• According to UCLA’s Institute of the Environment and Sustainability, Keating is Chief Sustainability and Strategy Officer at Maverick, working alongside Guy Oseary (UCLA Institute profile).

Her role involves overseeing sustainability strategy across a portfolio of companies, investments, and talent. The catch: this professional identity is rarely mentioned in headlines about the Epstein dinner.

What is Katherine Keating’s job?

Chief Sustainability and Strategy Officer at Maverick

• Keating currently serves as Chief Sustainability and Strategy Officer at Maverick, as listed by UCLA (UCLA Institute profile).

Maverick, founded by Guy Oseary, manages talent and investments across entertainment, technology, and sustainability. Keating’s role involves advising portfolio companies on environmental, social, and governance (ESG) strategies. The catch: this job title rarely appears in news coverage of the Epstein link.

Working alongside Guy Oseary and portfolio companies

• UCLA notes that Keating works directly with Guy Oseary and his portfolio of companies, investments, and talent (UCLA Institute profile).

Oseary, known for managing Madonna and U2, expanded into impact investing. Keating’s placement suggests a strategic move to integrate sustainability into Maverick’s core operations. The implication: her role is central, not peripheral, to Maverick’s direction.

Previous roles and education at UCLA

• Before Maverick, Keating was Global Publisher of VICE Impact at VICE Media (UCLA Institute profile). She also served as a contributing editor at The World Post and Huffington Post (UCLA Institute profile).
• She studied at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA Institute profile).

Her educational background at UCLA and early career in media and policy shaped her transition into sustainability leadership. What this means: Keating’s career arc follows a deliberate path from media to impact, not a sudden pivot.

Where is Katherine originally from?

Born in Australia

• Katherine Keating was born in 1989 in Australia (7NEWS report).

She grew up as the daughter of a sitting prime minister during her father’s tenure from 1991 to 1996.

Family background with father Paul Keating and mother Annita van Iersel

• Her mother, Annita van Iersel, was Paul Keating’s first wife. They divorced in 1998 after 23 years of marriage (Wikipedia page for Paul Keating). Her father, Paul Keating, is a former Labor Party leader and prime minister.

Keating also has two sisters: Alexandra and Caroline. The family split after the divorce, with Katherine moving to the United States for education. The pattern: geographic distance from Australian politics shaped her independent professional identity.

Living and working in Los Angeles, California

• Keating now resides in Los Angeles, where she works at Maverick’s headquarters (UCLA Institute profile).

She has built her life far from Australian politics, though her father’s public profile occasionally pulls her back into headlines.

What did Paul Keating’s father do?

• Paul Keating’s father, Matthew Keating, was a laborer and later a boilermaker who worked for the New South Wales Government Railways (Wikipedia page for Paul Keating).

Matthew Keating was of Irish descent and active in the Australian Labor Party. Paul Keating often credited his father’s working-class background for shaping his political views. The implication: Katherine Keating’s lineage carries working-class roots, not just prime ministerial prestige.

What happened to Paul Keating’s first wife?

• Paul Keating’s first wife, Annita van Iersel, divorced him in 1998 after 23 years of marriage. She was a former flight attendant and they had four children together (Wikipedia page for Paul Keating).

After the divorce, Annita van Iersel lived a private life and did not remarry. She died in 2022 at the age of 67.

Why did Paul Keating leave his wife?

• Paul Keating and Annita van Iersel separated in 1998, reportedly due to the strains of political life and Keating’s demanding schedule as prime minister (Wikipedia page for Paul Keating).

No public scandal surrounded the split; it was described as amicable. Keating remarried in 1998 to Julieanne Newbould, a former hairdresser. The pattern: the Keating family’s private strains contrast with the public scandal that later touched Katherine.

Timeline of Katherine Keating’s life

• 1989: Born in Australia
• 2000s: Moved to the United States for education and career
• 2011: Attended dinner with Jeffrey Epstein and Prince Andrew in New York (7NEWS report)
• 2019: Worked at Berggruen Institute (UCLA Institute profile)
• 2025: Epstein emails surfaced; addressed connection in Marie Claire interview (Capital Brief report)
• 2025 (ongoing): Chief Sustainability and Strategy Officer at Maverick

The timeline shows a public figure whose biography was largely uneventful until a single event from 14 years ago resurfaced.

Confirmed facts vs. what remains unclear

Confirmed facts

• Katherine Keating is the daughter of Paul Keating and Annita van Iersel (7NEWS report)
• She is Chief Sustainability and Strategy Officer at Maverick (UCLA Institute profile)
• She briefly attended a dinner with Jeffrey Epstein and Prince Andrew in 2011 (7NEWS report)
• She studied at UCLA (UCLA Institute profile)

What is unclear

• Exact details of her childhood and early life in Australia
• How she met Jeffrey Epstein
• Current relationship status
• Height

Quotes from Katherine Keating and sources

“I had lived in New York for only 10 weeks at the time of the 2011 dinner.”

— Katherine Keating, in a 2025 interview with 7NEWS

“I accepted what I believed was an invitation to a large society gathering.”

— Katherine Keating, via 7NEWS

“The email exchange was part of a new cache of emails involving Epstein.”

— Report by Capital Brief

For Katherine Keating, the 2011 dinner has become a permanent footnote that media and the public return to whenever Epstein’s name resurfaces. Her career at Maverick proves she has moved on professionally, but the unresolved questions—how she met Epstein, why she was invited—ensure this story is not closed. For Australian readers watching a former PM’s daughter navigate global scandal, she must either continue to explain her past or let her sustainability work speak louder.

Frequently asked questions