It is no longer a flood but a tsunami. The volume of information pouring into the media following the release of 3 million documents from the Jeffrey Epstein files is staggering, and the details about the vast network cultivated by the convicted sex offender over more than two decades grow more disturbing by the day.
American media outlets, led by The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal, have assigned investigative teams to comb through the massive files released by the U.S. Department of Justice and cross-reference them with court records.
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At Jeffrey Epstein’s Manhattan mansion in 2011, from left: James E. Staley, then a senior JPMorgan executive; former US Treasury Secretary Lawrence Summers; Epstein; Bill Gates, co-founder of Microsoft; and Boris Nikolic, who served as science adviser to the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
The reports, published gradually, are generating political and social tremors in the United States and Britain. In recent days, however, the spotlight has fallen on the upper ranks of Silicon Valley, the tech industry and academia. The documents suggest that even in a world where intelligence is the strongest currency, Epstein positioned himself as a connector between cutting-edge technology, vast wealth and political influence.
Silicon Valley connections
The list of figures linked to Epstein over the years is extensive. Bill Gates’ ties to him were previously reported, but additional names continue to emerge.
Google founders Sergey Brin and Larry Page; LinkedIn co-founder Reid Hoffman; venture capitalist Peter Thiel; former Microsoft Chief Technology Officer Nathan Myhrvold; former MIT Media Lab director Joi Ito; artificial intelligence pioneer Marvin Minsky; Israeli behavioral economist Dan Ariely; and even the late astrophysicist Stephen Hawking appear in the documents.
Hawking’s name appears at least 250 times in the Justice Department’s collection of Epstein documents.
The New York Times focused this week on Epstein’s ties to senior Microsoft executives about 15 years ago. According to the report, Epstein developed a network inside the company during a turbulent period, when Microsoft was struggling after missing major shifts in internet and mobile technology and amid speculation that the board was seeking to replace then-CEO Steve Ballmer.
Documents show that Epstein was updated by internal sources and offered “advice” in the search process. Over time, he gained access to internal management dynamics and built relationships that included Myhrvold, then-Windows chief Steven Sinofsky, technology research executive Linda Stone and employees at Gates’ investment and philanthropic entities.
According to emails cited in reports, some individuals shared sensitive business information with him. In 2013, Epstein even approached figures such as billionaire Tom Pritzker with suggestions related to Microsoft leadership.
Myhrvold, described as one of Epstein’s closest contacts at Microsoft, contributed to a book produced for Epstein’s 50th birthday in 2003. In it, he wrote that Epstein did not manage his money but advised him “on lifestyle.”
According to The New York Times, Epstein carefully cultivated these ties. In the early 2000s, he reportedly leveraged his acquaintance with former model Melanie Walker, who later worked at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and had been linked to Sinofsky. Through such connections, he met Boris Nikolic, a science adviser to the Gates Foundation, who became another close contact.
Beyond Microsoft, Epstein maintained close ties with Hoffman, Ito and Nikolic. In 2014, the three received sweatshirts from Epstein bearing his signature and their initials. They also spent weekends at his private island. Ito resigned from MIT and several boards in 2019, calling his relationship with Epstein a “serious error in judgment.”
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Bill and Melinda Gates. Epstein also managed to penetrate the couple’s philanthropic foundation
(Photo: Scott Olson/ Getty Images)
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Bill Gates with a woman whose face was blurred in an image released from the Epstein documents
(Photo: House Oversight Democrats)
Google, Musk and Meta
The documents also detail Epstein’s interactions with Google founders Brin and Page. For Brin, Epstein reportedly acted as an intermediary and informal adviser in managing his personal wealth, helping connect him to JPMorgan and advising on complex financial vehicles known as GRAT trusts, which are used to transfer assets while minimizing taxes.
According to a Wall Street Journal investigation, the attorney general of the U.S. Virgin Islands suspects that JPMorgan overlooked Epstein’s conduct to retain wealthy clients.
Epstein’s records show meetings with Page to discuss “the nature of the universe,” technology and philosophy. Internal documents suggest that Epstein boasted of being “an adviser to Google founders” to enhance his standing in academic circles.
Elon Musk’s name also appears in the files. Emails from 2012 and 2013 show friendly exchanges about potential visits to Epstein’s island. In one message, Musk asked which night would host “the wildest party.” Epstein toured SpaceX facilities in 2013. Kimbal Musk, Elon Musk’s brother and a Tesla board member, appears more than 100 times in the documents.
Mark Zuckerberg reportedly met Epstein at a private dinner in 2015. Emails found among Epstein’s assistants indicate Zuckerberg was “keen to stay in touch,” while Zuckerberg later described the encounter as brief and incidental.
Gates and the scientific community
Epstein’s most consequential relationship appears to have been with Gates. Following publication of photographs of Gates with Epstein and revelations of an extramarital affair, reports this week said Gates acknowledged additional relationships during that period and confirmed flying on Epstein’s private jet.
Draft emails included in Justice Department releases alleged that Gates contracted a sexually transmitted disease from “Russian girls” and sought antibiotics through Epstein. Gates has not publicly confirmed those specific claims.
Epstein also cultivated extensive ties in the scientific community. Nobel laureate Dr. Richard Axel resigned this week as director of the Zuckerman Institute at Columbia University and stepped down from a research role at the Howard Hughes Medical Institute after documents revealed prolonged contact with Epstein, even after Epstein’s 2008 conviction.
Emails suggest Axel served as a contact for Epstein within Columbia’s admissions committees and assisted in advancing applications for individuals connected to Epstein.
The Israeli angle
Former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak was previously known to have maintained close ties with Epstein. The newly released files also include extensive references to Dan Ariely, the Israeli-born behavioral economist.
Ariely’s name appears 636 times in the documents, reflecting sustained correspondence that continued years after Epstein’s conviction. According to reports by The Duke Chronicle and The New York Times, emails include requests for assistance in arranging research interviews, as well as personal and logistical exchanges.
In 2014, Ariely sought help from Epstein in securing funding for a documentary film. Other emails included travel advice and arrangements for a private tour of Ferrari’s factory in Italy. A 2012 email shows Ariely asking for contact details for a “redhead” Epstein had introduced him to.
Ariely told The Duke Chronicle that his contact with Epstein was infrequent, largely logistical and often mediated by assistants. He said he was not fully aware of the extent of Epstein’s crimes at the time and that Epstein did not financially support his projects.
Duke University announced earlier this month that it is closing Ariely’s research center, along with two others, as part of a broader strategic realignment.
As investigative reports continue to unfold, the newly released documents paint a picture of a man who embedded himself at the intersection of technology, finance and academia, leveraging proximity to power to expand his reach long after his criminal conduct was publicly known.