Kamal Ghorui
The latest tranche of Jeffrey Epstein files released by the US Justice Department has placed Elon Musk back into a story he has long sought to keep at arm’s length.The documents include a series of email exchanges between Musk and Jeffrey Epstein between 2012 and 2014, several years after Epstein’s 2008 conviction for soliciting a minor. While the records do not allege criminal conduct by Musk, they provide a detailed account of repeated contact, social invitations and proposed meetings.
The September 2013 exchange
One of the most widely circulated emails dates to September 11, 2013. Epstein wrote to Musk asking whether he would be in New York for the opening of the United Nations General Assembly and said that “many interesting people” would be coming to his house.Musk replied that he ran product design and engineering at two companies, that SpaceX was preparing to launch what he described as the most advanced rocket in history, and that flying to New York to see UN diplomats would be an unwise use of his time.Epstein followed up with another email. In that message, he used a slur in a joking sentence and added that there would be “no one over 25 and all very cute”. The released documents do not show a reply from Musk to that specific message.
Other emails in the files
The same document release shows that the September 2013 exchange was not an isolated interaction.Emails between 2012 and 2014 show Musk and Epstein discussing possible meetings in New York, Florida and the Caribbean. In November 2012, Musk emailed Epstein asking: “What day/night will be the wildest party on your island?”In December 2013, Musk wrote again saying he would be in the Caribbean during the holidays and asked: “Is there a good time to visit?”Other emails show Epstein inviting Musk to visit his private island and encouraging him to bring friends. Musk responded to some invitations but later cancelled or postponed meetings.Calendar invitations and follow-up correspondence show Epstein visited SpaceX’s headquarters in California in February 2013. Epstein later emailed Musk to thank him for the tour.The released documents do not show that Musk visited Epstein’s island.
Musk’s response
After the emails began circulating publicly, Musk addressed them in a series of posts on X. “There are a lot of fake emails flying around, but this one is real,” Musk wrote. “It is easy to tell when something is written by me or fake. My writing style is clear.”In another post, he added: “If I actually wanted to spend my time partying with young women, it would be trivial for me to do so without the help of a creepy loser like Epstein and I would still have 99% of my mind available to think about other things. But I don’t.”In a later message, Musk wrote: “Admittedly, I was at first dumb enough to think he actually meant hanging out with UN diplomats . However, even after he clarified that he meant a party with young women ‘under age 25’, I still chose working on rockets and cars.”
Trump references
The disclosures also revive attention on Musk’s own past claims about Donald Trump.During a public feud with Trump in 2025, Musk claimed on social media that Trump appeared in government Epstein files. The newly released documents show that Trump’s name appears in tips and references received by investigators. The Justice Department has said those entries contain no corroborating evidence. Trump has denied wrongdoing.After making the claim, Musk later described the material as “references” rather than evidence linking Trump to Epstein.
What the files show
Taken together, the released documents establish that Musk and Epstein exchanged emails over a two-year period after Epstein’s conviction, discussed possible meetings and social visits, and met at SpaceX in 2013. The records do not show that Musk visited Epstein’s island.That is the scope of what the newly released Epstein files place on the public record.
