Elon Musk, Prince Andrew, Steve Bannon named in new Epstein documents

Newly-released Epstein files show Elon Musk, Prince Andrew, Steve Bannon, Peter Thiel, and Bill Gates among contacts, revealing meetings, flight logs, and financial records linked to Epstein

Billionaire Elon Musk and Prince Andrew are named in documents released by Congressional Democrats related to the late financier and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

 

“These partial records come from the third batch of documents produced by the Epstein Estate,” said Democrats on the House Oversight Committee. “They include phone message logs, flight logs and manifests, financial ledgers, and Epstein’s daily schedule.” 

Musk, Prince Andrew find mention in meeting logs

 

The records, provided to the House Oversight Committee by the Jeffrey Epstein Estate, indicate that Musk was invited to Epstein’s private island in December 2014. Separately, a flight manifest from May 2000 lists Prince Andrew among passengers travelling with Epstein, BBC reported.

 

However, it was not immediately clear if Musk actually visited the island; the December 6, 2014 log listing his visit says: “Reminder: Elon Musk to island Dec. 6 (is this still happening?)”. Musk has also stated that although Epstein invited him to the island, he declined.

 

A flight manifest shows that Prince Andrew travelled with Epstein and his partner Ghislaine Maxwell from Teterboro, New Jersey, to West Palm Beach, Florida, on May 12, 2000. Maxwell was convicted in 2021 of conspiring with Epstein to traffic underage girls.

 

Prince Andrew has previously denied any wrongdoing.

 

A heavily-redacted ledger in the newly-released documents records two payments for massages for an ‘Andrew’ in February and May 2000. While Palace records suggest Prince Andrew was in the US at that time, it is not confirmed if the ledger refers to him. Buckingham Palace previously stated that Prince Andrew had attended a reception in New York for the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children from May 11-15, 2000, the BBC report said.   

 

Other prominent names in the files

 

Besides Musk and Prince Andrew, the files contain names of other high-profile figures such as internet entrepreneur Peter Thiel and former Trump advisor Steve Bannon.

 

The files included a planned lunch with Thiel in November 2017 and a planned breakfast with Bannon on February 17, 2019.

 

There is also a note about a tentative breakfast with Microsoft founder Bill Gates in December 2014. Gates later told the BBC in 2022 that meeting Epstein had been a “mistake".

 

The documents do not suggest that any of those mentioned were aware of Epstein’s alleged criminal activities.

 

In 2006, Epstein faced charges for sexually abusing minors and, in 2008, pleaded guilty to two felony offences. He died by suicide in his solitary prison cell in 2019 while awaiting trial for allegations of sex trafficking.

 

Duchess of York faces fallout

 

The release follows the emergence of an email from Sarah, Duchess of York, to Epstein in which she called him a “supreme friend” and apologised for publicly disowning him. Her spokesperson said the message was written after Epstein threatened to sue her for defamation. The revelation led to the Duchess being dropped by several charities she had supported.

 

Earlier this month, British ambassador Peter Mandelson was removed by UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer after it was found he had also sent messages to Epstein, referring to him as “my best pal” while Epstein was in jail awaiting sex trafficking charges.   

 

Calls for further transparency

 

Sara Guerrero, a spokesperson for the Democrats on the committee, urged Attorney General Pam Bondi to release more documents.

 

"It should be clear to every American that Jeffrey Epstein was friends with some of the most powerful and wealthiest men in the world. Every new document produced provides new information as we work to bring justice for the survivors and victims," she said.

 

Republicans on the committee criticised the Democrats, accusing them of “putting politics over victims”, and promised to release the full set of documents soon, the news report said.

 

Murdoch seeks dismissal of Trump’s $10 bn lawsuit

 

Rupert Murdoch and News Corp have asked a US judge to dismiss President Donald Trump’s $10 billion libel lawsuit over a Wall Street Journal article linking him to the late Jeffrey Epstein, calling it “an affront to the First Amendment".

 

The 94-year-old News Corp chairman emeritus argued in Miami federal court that the report about a birthday note Trump allegedly sent Epstein is accurate and does not harm his character. Trump had claimed the article damaged his reputation, calling it a “decades-long method of lying” in a post on Truth Social.