Business, power, and sex: how Epstein's global network operated

BarcelonaThe story of Jeffrey Epstein is not just that of a pedophile who ran a prostitution ring catering to wealthy men worldwide. It is also a story of money, politics, and above all, power. Epstein used sex to buy favors and influence, but also to obtain information and increase his fortune. The American magnate, who committed suicide in 2019 in a New York prison, had a network of accomplices who procured young models and minors for him. But he was also the mastermind behind the scheme. What did the wealthy men who came to him want? He provided it and opened the doors of the island to them. Little Saint James: a paradise in the Caribbean where he invited some of the most influential people on the planet and where some of these men assaulted and raped dozens of minors.

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One of the victims who testified in court in Florida, Virginia Giuffre, recounted how, when she was still a minor, she was forced to have sex with Prince Andrew, brother of King Charles III of England, three times, and even participated in an orgy with the member of the British royal family. "Epstein also trafficked me for sex with many other powerful men, including politicians and executives of large companies. He demanded that I describe the sexual encounters I had with these men, presumably so he could blackmail them. I am still very afraid of these men today," Giuffre said, referring to what happened last year. As of 2021, 225 people had sought financial compensation for being victims of Epstein's network.

This is one of the key aspects of this scheme: Epstein satisfied the sexual desires of politicians, businessmen, and aristocrats from around the world to gain their trust, create personal connections, but also to extract information and conduct business or influence international politics. Also through blackmail and extortion. He was a sexual predator, but also a business predator.

With the declassification of the documents by the United States Department of Justicewhich also contain thousands of photographsIt has been proven that Epstein has been linked to founders of major technology companies – from Elon Musk to Bill Gates, including Sergey Brin of Google and Reid Hoffman of LinkedIn –; politicians such as Bill Clinton, Donald Trump and former Labour minister Peter Mandelson; entrepreneurs such as Richard Branson or Jes Staley of JPMorgan Chase; members of royal families, and intellectuals and cultural figures such as Woody Allen and Noam Chomsky.

The web of abuse

Epstein's abuses would not have existed without a web of accomplices, an extensive network for recruiting girls from all over the world. From Paris to Barcelona, ​​from Russia to Brazil, passing through Sweden and the United Kingdom. The first steps of this network were detected in the early 2000s by the Palm Beach police in Miami. Epstein's inner circle, consisting of his partner Ghislaine Maxwell and several assistants such as Sarah Kellen, Lesley Groff, and Natalya Malysheva, and even his driver Tony Figueroa, persuaded minors attending high schools, often young women from dysfunctional families and with financial problems, whom Epstein bribed. The victims themselves became perpetrators, bringing friends to Epstein's mansion in exchange for more money. The magnate rewarded them with gifts and trips, or financed their careers as artists or models. In 2008, Epstein was given a significantly reduced sentence of eighteen months in prison for soliciting prostitution. He admitted to the facts, and the sentence was minimal. Far from being intimidated, he further refined his sex trafficking and exploitation system.

Newly released documents in the Epstein case, extensively reviewed by the ARA, reveal an international network for recruiting women, with men and women whose sole purpose was to find young women who could satisfy the interests of Epstein and his guests. In Barcelona, as this newspaper explainedThere was also a procurer of young women: Daniel Siad. In July 2010, this man of French-Algerian origin traveled to Ibiza. "I'm with Tigran in Ibiza with eight top girls. He'll only do business with you," Siad commented in an email to Epstein himself. Tigran Khachatrian is a Russian modeling agent. "He's stopped working with Trump," Siad said about him. Epstein replied that he would be traveling to Paris in a few days, and Siad sent a photograph of the girls who could fly to the French capital to be with him. Among the names were Russian and Belarusian models who are still well-known today.

In these emails sent from Ibiza, another name appears that is also important for understanding the recruiting network. "Jean Luc could also make a good profit," Siad commented. This is none other than Jean-Luc Brunel, the director of a modeling agency, in this case French, who took his own life in prison in 2019 while awaiting trial for child rape. Brunel and Epstein were close friends. His name appears more than 5,000 times in the declassified documents. In fact, Giuffre, the accuser who ultimately committed suicide a year ago, stated that she had also been raped by Brunel. The court records of the case explain how Brunel "helped to get girls for Epstein."

Brazil, United Kingdom, and Sweden

Jane Doe also accused Epstein of sexual assault, and her testimony opened the door to a new country: Brazil. The accuser claims that Brunel and Epstein had a "mother agent," as yet unidentified, in that country who procured prostitutes for them. She was asked how old the Brazilian girls were. "16, 17, or 18," she replied.

"A sexy, beautiful 19-year-old Brazilian girl just arrived," Epstein read in 2013. The message was from a French modeling agency, still active and with 50,000 Instagram followers. "I met a new vagina today from Russia... She'll send me photos... 22, no agency," Epstein received in 2009 from a French woman, Mégane Lemiel. "Fun night. Your youngest girl was a little naughty," an anonymous sender commented. These are all conversations that the ARA has been able to verify: the network provided the girls and Epstein handed them over to the jet set.

The girls came from Russia, Brazil, and also the United Kingdom, where Epstein found a new accomplice. "I'm putting together a small group of girls. Hopefully, one of them will have all the qualities you want. I have two other girls who would be perfect for the job, but unfortunately, they're past their expiration date," Annabelle Neilson, also a model and member of the sociality The British woman, a close friend of Kate Moss, died in 2019. Why did she agree to participate in Epstein's network? Only she could answer that question, but the emails show that she was "very grateful" because Epstein had left her a property.

Epstein also managed to gain the trust of Barbro Ehnbom, a prominent Swedish businesswoman. "Barbro called. She has an economist, a woman, who will be coming to New York around March 20. She thinks you would really like to meet her. She hopes she can arrange something for you with some girls before she leaves for Sweden in early April," an assistant of Epstein's wrote to the magnate in an email. Barbro was offering a scholarship at the Stockholm Economic Institute, which Epstein partially funded. Another email from Barbro is particularly suspicious: she speaks familiarly of Princess Sofia of Sweden. "Here's a picture of our Sofia—remember?—soon to be Princess Sofia." This email is accompanied by a photo of a young woman. The Swedish royal house admitted that the princess met Epstein twenty years ago, but that they were social encounters and have not seen each other since. Barbro's email to Epstein with the photo is from 2010.

Even in the declassified emails consulted by ARA, one can suspect that Epstein's former partner, Eva Andersson-Dubin, was involved. "Come visit us next week. Celina will have five friends at home," the former partner, a model who won the title of Miss Sweden in 2010, told him. This email is further aggravated by the fact that Celina is Andersson-Dubin's daughter—as can be verified on the official website of the family foundation. She and Epstein were a couple in the 1980s. Celina Dubin was one of Epstein's main heirs before the magnate changed the inheritance shortly before his death.

Social control and luxury gifts

Epstein didn't just exert his control through sex and the vast network of pedophilia and prostitution he wove across the globe. He also did so through luxury and certain friendships, paying those who acted as his eyes among the powerful. This was the case with publicist Peggy Siegal, with whom he maintained a long friendship and exchanged hundreds of messages in which she shared details of parties and ceremonies attended by high society figures, artists, politicians, and the aristocracy. In return, in 2017, for her 70th birthday, they agreed that Epstein would give her $100,000: $30,000 for the party she organized in Southampton, $15,000 for the Elton John AIDS Foundation, which enabled her to attend a party at the singer's home, and $15,000 for an unspecified purpose. A year later, Siegal was still demanding the money: "If the $70,000 is the gift, that's fine. I just wanted you to know the story. I'm always so grateful for everything you do for me... you keep me afloat emotionally. I'm your most loyal friend." In fact, in 2009, she told him about a trip to Kenya—sponsored by Epstein—and ended the email with a macabre proposition: "I can bring a little baby for you... or two. Boys or girls?"

Money was never an issue for Epstein. Just as he paid victims of sexual exploitation to ensnare them in his web, he took care of his so-called friends with trips and luxury gifts. A cashmere sweater for Noam Chomsky's birthday or 31 pairs of Zimmerli underwear and undershirts worth almost €10,000 for Woody Allen.

Business and politics

Epstein created a highly complex network of corporations, limited liability companies, foundations, and bank accounts designed to finance his criminal activities while simultaneously protecting his assets and concealing his identity. He amassed over 140 bank accounts and numerous shell companies used to move funds and obscure the money trail. Southern Trust Company, for example, was used to receive funds—a single source paid $158 million—and then funnel them into Epstein's personal accounts. JPMorgan Chase—the largest bank in the US by assets—played a key role in this scheme, allowing withdrawals of hundreds of thousands of dollars in cash—to pay victims and recruiters—without oversight, even though the bank knew Epstein had been convicted of a sex crime. A prominent figure at JPMorgan Chase was Jes Staley, who later became CEO of Barclays. In 2010, after Epstein asked a girl to buy him a Snow White costume, Staley emailed the pedophile saying, "Give my regards to Snow White." And just minutes later, another person, Selana P., confessed to the magnate, "Snow White got laid twice as soon as she put on the costume." The conversation with Staley continues, and he asks her what she'd like to dress up as next time. "Beauty and the Beast," he suggests.

To understand Epstein's fortune, one must discuss two key figures: the Wexners, former owners of Victoria's Secret, and Leon Black, a private equity billionaire. Although their relationship ended in 2007, Wexner was vital in catapulting the pedophile to prominence and opening doors to powerful circles for him. Among the documents declassified last week is a letter Epstein was writing to Wexner in which he acknowledged that he owed her "a great debt" and that he had "no intention whatsoever of divulging" his "confidences." Epstein played with the information he possessed and also with silence. Epstein employed a similar tactic with Leon Black. "For any non-financial matter, I am always with you and will continue to be the best friend I can be," he stated in emails to the businessman during a tense period when Epstein was demanding more money. One of the victims who testified to the New York District Attorney's office claims that Ghislaine Maxwell introduced her to Epstein to give him a massage. She then gave him one on Jean-Luc Brunel. Finally, she was also asked to give one on Leon Black. The victim describes a violent assault by the businessman. "He forced sex toys on me," she states. According to the testimony, this occurred at Epstein's home in New York. British entrepreneur Richard Branson, owner of the Virgin Group—a record label that brought bands like The Rolling Stones to Argentina and later became a holding company—also expressed his gratitude for visiting Epstein's properties. "It was a pleasure to see you. Whenever you're here, I'd love to see you. Whenever you bring your harem." In the same email sent to Epstein in 2013, Branson believes that Bill Gates was willing to say that Epstein was a brilliant advisor to him, "despite the slip-up a few years ago when he slept with a 17-year-old girl."

In fact, Gates also appears among the documents reviewed by the ARA. One of the most revealing emails is a message Epstein sent to himself. Again, it shows how the magnate manipulates and protects himself with the information he has on other businessmen. "From helping Bill obtain drugs to manage the aftereffects of having sex with Russian women, to facilitating his illicit encounters with married women."

For many people, Epstein became a very important figure in their lives. Like former Labour minister Peter Mandelson, who in an email called Epstein his "best friend" and shared his most personal feelings with him. "Where are you? I miss you," the British politician confessed.

The boundaries between personal life and business were always blurred. Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem opened doors for him, and they exchanged information. In 2018, this businessman from the United Arab Emirates asked Epstein about Steve Bannon. "We've become friends, you'll like him," the pedophile assured him. This response didn't convince Sulayem, who hinted that the far-right ideologue was no longer part of Donald Trump's inner circle. "Don't pay attention to the press," the magnate replied sharply. However, the conversations also went beyond the geopolitical realm. In a 2013 email chain, the Sultan informs Epstein that two girls, one Ukrainian and one Moldovan, have arrived. "A huge disappointment, the Moldovan isn't as attractive as in the picture, while the Ukrainian is very beautiful," says Sulayem.

Barak and Israel

A key figure in understanding the scope of Epstein's influence is former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak. The former Israeli Defense Minister exchanged thousands of emails with the American financier. Often, the messages were simply requests for phone calls. In a 2014 letter between Epstein's employees, it was revealed that Barak was invited to Epstein's private island, which the FBI linked to Israeli intelligence services. In 2013, Barak even acted as a liaison with other world political leaders, advising Epstein to inform Vladimir Putin of his trip to Moscow. In that same email exchange, the Israeli leader subtly warned Epstein not to share the conversation with any of his friends. But Epstein's ties to Putin didn't end there, to the point that Polish President Donald Tusk had already announced an investigation into whether the financier was a spy for the Russian secret services. These unofficial relationships with theestablishment There are Russians involved. "FSB [the new KGB]" appears almost 300 times in Epstein's documents. In fact, the pedophile had an ongoing relationship with Sergei Belyakov, a former Russian minister trained in the secret services. The trust between them was such that Epstein asked him how to proceed with a girl from Moscow who was blackmailing some New York businessmen.

In the political sphere, one of Epstein's closest associates was Barak. They discussed politics and money. In 2014, Epstein introduced the former Zionist minister to Baroness and banker Ariane de Rothschild, a figure also linked to the American magnate's business dealings, who facilitated a meeting in Geneva for them to get acquainted. He also introduced them to Andreu McCormack, founder of a venture capital firm. In 2016, he presented them to discuss the start-up Reporting Homeland Security, a project that Barak promoted.

The connection with Israel is strong, through Barak, and with the American far right, too. Steve Bannon maintained a very close relationship. "We're going to overthrow Pope Francis," the former Trump advisor announced to him, before expanding the list of enemies: Hillary and Bill Clinton, Chinese President Xi Jinping, and the European Union. Bannon, who for quite some time helped to boost European far-right parties—from Salvini to Le Pen—tried to get Epstein involved by providing financial resources.

Chaos and war were opportunities for his businesses. He told this to businessman Peter Thiel, co-founder of Palantir, a company specializing in warfare technology, in 2016. Brexit is just the "beginning," Epstein announced, arguing that we are moving towards a "return to tribalism" and that "incredible new alliances" may emerge. The magnate continued his argument about what the future holds in light of the geopolitical situation. "Finding things on the verge of collapse has been much easier than finding the next bargain," he maintained.

Global Tentacles

Epstein's tentacles reached everywhere. In China, where he had joint ventures with the tycoon David Tang, who was also linked to British high society. In royal houses everywhere, such as in Sweden with Princess Sophia, in the United Kingdom with the brother of Charles III, and also in Norway: he maintained regular correspondence—even after his 2008 conviction—with Crown Princess Mette-Marit. "You always make me smile," she wrote to him in 2012 from her official email address, HKH Kronprinsessen (Her Royal Highness the Crown Princess). "What's the weather like? I'm on the hunt for a woman. Paris is proving interesting, but I prefer Scandinavians," Epstein told her in 2012. The topic of the conversation was: "Coming to Oslo?"

Epstein's influence is evident in many of the declassified documents. People came to him, and he used his extensive network of contacts. In June 2013, for example, he asks about Corinna Larsen, why she's "trying" to do business with him in Russia. One of his confidants tells him she's King Juan Carlos's lover, and the American tycoon relies on intuition: "I don't know her, but I don't like the way she smells."

The tycoon's emails have put several governments in a bind, including the French and British. Mandeslon confessed to being one of Epstein's best friends And former French Culture Minister Jack Lang, who resigned this Saturday from his position as head of the Arab World Institute amid the scandal, also had a close relationship with the magnate. His name appears 600 times in the documents. There are regular emails between the two, in which Lang expresses his gratitude for Epstein's hospitality. "Yesterday was a fabulous day, a splendid time with you. Your friendship, the incredible plane, and your extraordinary generosity touched us deeply," Lang wrote to him in 2017. Once again, Epstein was buying influence with "generosity."

In total, more than 3.5 million documents were declassified. Thousands of people appear in them. Some have been proven to have been on Little Saint James Island, others exchanged suggestive messages, and still others discussed geopolitics or business. In some, an unknown sender even claims they never imagined they could kill someone, although the context is insufficient to understand the conversation.

The sheer volume of declassified material means there are still many unanswered questions surrounding Epstein and the people who were associated with him for years. Trump appears 4,700 times. Clinton, 3,200. Gatas, up to 6,000. It's difficult to pinpoint where a plot that aspired to control the world begins and ends.