Newly uncovered documents by WSJ reveal the extent of convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein’s connections with an array of powerful people long after he was a registered sex offender. The documents include thousands of pages of emails and schedules from 2013 to 2017 and show interactions with politicians, executives, and celebrities.
Why it matters: These documents provide new details about the nature and frequency of Epstein’s contacts, some of whom had previously been known to associate with him. Some disclosures about contacts with Epstein were found to be incomplete, while other documents offer new information about how often or where the people met with Epstein and the kinds of favors he did for them.
The Details:
- Former Treasury Secretary Lawrence Summers sought Epstein’s advice for raising $1 million to fund an online poetry project his wife was developing. A nonprofit linked to Epstein later donated $110,000 to the project.
- Billionaire venture capitalist Reid Hoffman visited Epstein’s private island and was scheduled to stay over at his Manhattan townhouse in 2014.
- Movie director Woody Allen attended dozens of dinners with his wife at Epstein’s mansion and invited him to film screenings.
- Former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak visited Epstein dozens of times and accepted flights on Epstein’s private jet.
- Leon Black, billionaire co-founder of Apollo Global Management, scheduled over 100 meetings with Epstein from 2013 to 2017.
What they’re saying:
- Hoffman said he met with Epstein to raise funds for MIT and regrets interacting with him after his conviction.
- Allen’s spokeswoman said the filmmaker went with his wife to group social events at Epstein’s townhouse.
- Barak said he often visited Epstein when he traveled to New York but never participated in any parties or activities with girls or women.
- Black declined to comment and stepped down after an Apollo investigation found he paid Epstein for tax planning and estate advice.
Eva Andersson-Dubin and Glenn Dubin
Longtime friends Eva Andersson-Dubin and her husband, hedge-fund billionaire Glenn Dubin, invited Epstein to charity events, to which he contributed. In 2019, when Epstein faced sex trafficking charges, the Dubins expressed their horror and explained they had maintained their friendship with Epstein because they believed he had rehabilitated himself.
Lawrence Summers
During Lawrence Summers’ tenure as Harvard University’s president, Epstein donated millions of dollars to the institution. Documents show more than a dozen scheduled meetings between Summers and Epstein from 2013 through 2016, including several dinners.
Woody Allen
Epstein was known to be friendly with Woody Allen, and the documents reveal new details about some of their activities and how often they met. They were scheduled to get together nearly every month in 2014 and 2015, with Allen even providing film editing lessons at Epstein’s townhouse.
Terje Rød-Larsen
Norwegian diplomat Terje Rød-Larsen, who helped negotiate the Oslo Accords, was also connected to Epstein. The documents show that he visited Epstein’s private island and attended events at Epstein’s townhouse. Rød-Larsen resigned from the International Peace Institute in 2020 following revelations about his ties to Epstein.
Ehud Barak
Documents show that between 2013 and 2017, Epstein had planned at least three dozen meetings with Israeli politician Ehud Barak. Barak also took flights on Epstein’s private jet but has denied any involvement in improper events connected to Epstein.
Reid Hoffman
LinkedIn co-founder Reid Hoffman has apologized for his interactions with Epstein, including visiting his private island and staying overnight at Epstein’s townhouse. Hoffman expressed regret for his personal misjudgment and for inadvertently helping Epstein’s reputation.
