The new files suggest the men had more extensive contact with Epstein than previously known.
Published January 31, 2026
Newly released investigative files on the late financier and sex offender Jeffrey Epstein are casting further scrutiny on his relationships with some of America’s richest and most powerful figures, including tycoons Bill Gates and Elon Musk.
The set of documents released by the U.S. Department of Justice on Friday comes more than a month after the legally mandated Dec. 19 deadline for releasing all documents related to Epstein.
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The 3 million-page release spotlights two of the world’s richest people, Microsoft founder Bill Gates and Tesla founder Elon Musk, both of whom have previously downplayed their ties to Epstein.
In draft emails included in the documents, Epstein claimed that Gates engaged in extramarital affairs and asked for help in procuring drugs to “deal with the consequences of having sex with a Russian woman.” It is unclear whether Epstein sent the email.
In a statement to the New York Times, the Gates Foundation denied the affair allegations, calling them “completely absurd and completely false.”
Emails from Tesla founder Elon Musk to Epstein show that Musk actively facilitated several visits to Epstein’s private Caribbean island in 2012 and 2013, years after Epstein was convicted of pimping a minor. In one exchange in 2012, Musk wrote: “What day/night is the wildest party on your island?”
One meeting with Musk scheduled for 2013 was apparently canceled by Epstein due to scheduling conflicts. The emails do not indicate that Mr. Musk ultimately visited Mr. Epstein’s island, but they dispute Mr. Musk’s earlier claims that he was the one who declined Mr. Epstein’s invitation.
“I was well aware that some of my email communications with him could be misinterpreted and used by detractors to smear my name,” Musk responded on his social media platform X on Saturday.
“No one pushed for the release of the Epstein files more than me, and I’m glad it’s finally happening,” Musk wrote. “I had little contact with Epstein and declined numerous invitations to visit his island or ride his Lolita Express.”
The file also includes email correspondence showing that President Trump’s Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick arranged for a visit to Epstein’s island in December 2012. An email forwarded to Lutnick by an Epstein aide appears to confirm that the two met during this period.
In October 2025, Lutnick called Epstein “disgusting” and “the greatest extortionist of all time” and claimed he had severed ties with Epstein years ago.
A Commerce Department spokesperson said in a statement that Lutnick “had limited interaction with Mr. Epstein in the presence of his wife and has not been accused of any wrongdoing.”
Abusers remain “hidden and protected”
Despite the new revelations, a group of survivors of Epstein’s alleged abuse said some alleged abusers “remain hidden and protected.”
A statement from 19 of the survivors, some using pseudonyms or initials, said information about them remains on file, while “the men who abused us remain hidden and protected.” The letter called for “full disclosure of the Epstein file” and for Attorney General Pam Bondi to address the issue directly when she testifies before Congress next month.
The Epstein File Transparency Act, signed into law by President Trump on November 19th, requires all Epstein-related documents held by the Justice Department to be released by December 19th.
Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche said Friday’s release “marks the conclusion of a very comprehensive document identification and review process.” He blamed redaction delays to protect the identities of more than 1,000 Epstein’s alleged victims.
