Kamal Ghorui
A newly released photograph from the latest tranche of Jeffrey Epstein files shows the disgraced financier at a dinner attended by tech billionaires Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg, casting fresh light on the extent of his connections with Silicon Valley’s elite.The image, disclosed by the US Department of Justice as part of a vast public release of investigative records, appears to show Musk and Zuckerberg seated at a long dinner table. According to emails included in the documents, Epstein sent a message to himself on August 2, 2015 noting he was due to dine in Los Angeles with “musk thiel zuckerberg” — an apparent reference to Musk, Facebook founder Zuckerberg and investor Peter Thiel. The following day, he emailed himself a photograph from the gathering.
There is no suggestion that Musk or Zuckerberg engaged in any wrongdoing, and being mentioned or pictured in the files does not imply criminal conduct. Epstein, a convicted sex offender, cultivated relationships with powerful figures across politics, business and academia for years. He was convicted in Florida in 2008 for soliciting sex from a minor and died in prison in 2019 while awaiting trial on federal sex trafficking charges.The newly published material — amounting to millions of pages, images and videos — includes extensive email correspondence between Epstein and high-profile individuals. Among them are exchanges in which Musk discussed potential travel plans, including queries in 2012 about visiting Epstein’s private Caribbean island. Musk has previously said he declined invitations to the island and has not been accused of any crime.The broader release has triggered political and reputational fallout in the United States and Europe, with several public figures facing investigations or resignations over past associations with Epstein, particularly where contact continued after his 2008 conviction.US officials said the publication followed a comprehensive review process aimed at ensuring transparency.
