PE Billionaire Smith to Testify Against Lawyer in Tax Case

Vista Equity founder admitted hiding $200 million from IRS
He says he paid lawyer Carlos Kepke, who goes on trial Nov. 28

Robert Smith
Photographer: Jason Alden/Bloomberg

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By David Voreacos and Neil Weinberg

November 8, 2022 at 4:10 PM UTC

Updated on

November 8, 2022 at 7:55 PM UTC

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Private equity billionaire Robert F. Smith is expected to testify for the prosecution at the trial of the lawyer who allegedly helped him evade taxes over a decade.

Vista Equity Partners founder Smith was on a list of witnesses Justice Department lawyers filed Monday in federal court in San Francisco ahead of the Nov. 28 trial of Houston trust lawyer Carlos Kepke. The 83-year-old Kepke has pleaded not guilty to charges of conspiracy and aiding in the preparation of false tax returns by Smith.