Newly released emails from the Epstein files indicate that convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein acted not only as a financial figure but also as a key adviser and intermediary in global energy policy and strategic investments.
According to information compiled by Anadolu, newly released documents reveal a vast influence network stretching from Israel's natural gas reserves and exploration activities in the occupied Golan Heights to solar-powered unmanned aerial vehicles and the governance structures of energy giants bp and Glencore.
Epstein's most concrete footprints in the energy world center on Israel's gas market and the disputed Golan Heights. Figures connected to his financial network - including Leon Black and Larry Summers - intersected around the company Genie Energy.
The firm's advisory board resembled a "shadow cabinet" including former US Vice President Dick Cheney, media tycoon Rupert Murdoch, former US Treasury Secretary Larry Summers, former CIA Director James Woolsey, and former US Energy Secretary and New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson - whose name also appears in Epstein's flight logs.
Genie Energy drew particular attention because its subsidiary Afek Oil & Gas held the sole license to explore for oil in the Golan Heights. The permit was issued during the Syrian war, and the company's valuation surged after the US recognized Israeli sovereignty over the territory in 2019.
Documents also show that on March 23, 2011 - when Israel's parliament debated the Sheshinski Law increasing taxation on natural gas exports - Epstein was informed of coordination efforts to arrange a meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu alongside Barclays CEO Jes Staley and Israeli economist Jacob Frenkel.
In an email, Staley wrote to Epstein, "surprise surprise… Against all odds, we have been granted a meeting with Prime Minister Netanyahu."
Correspondence further highlights Epstein regularly hosting Richardson and Summers to discuss investments, with repeated meetings and dinners recorded in 2013, 2015, 2016 and 2018.
- Emails with former Israeli PM Ehud Barak
An August 2013 exchange between Epstein and former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak focused on Israel's natural gas sector.
Epstein warned Barak that Supreme Court President Asher Grunis appeared inclined to issue an injunction blocking gas exports.
He also cautioned that he was "not sure an amercian energy co, will do well in israel" pointing to investment risks in the region.
Barak replied: "U R probably right but I would like to check it somehow."
The email traffic shows Epstein acting as a gatekeeper rather than merely an investor. In October 2014, Barak sought Epstein's advice regarding the sale process of GADECO, an energy company owned by billionaire Jack Grynberg.
On Oct. 25, 2014 Barak asked for Epstein's impressions of the sales materials. Epstein responded sharply:
"I told you on the phone before sending or asking anyo=e about it. you should do your own homework, You cannot be seen=to be selling garbage ,frauds. bad things and or trouble. this is a total waste of your time. call me when awake."
Barak later told Epstein he had "softly killed" the project, adding he did not have enough time "to learn from my mistakes."
GADECO's executive summary in the documents claimed reserves of 416 million barrels of oil and 6.8 trillion cubic feet of gas across North Dakota, Colorado and Wyoming.
- Solar drones and LNG projects
Epstein's energy interest extended beyond fossil fuels to emerging technologies. Two days after the GADECO exchange, on Oct. 27, 2014, Barak presented an investment proposal in a solar-powered drone company called Light & Strong.
Barak planned to serve as chairman and invest $1 million at a $13 million valuation. After reviewing financials, Epstein warned him to stay away, citing lack of cash flow.
The documents also contain a "highly confidential" 2012 presentation on a planned 1,000-megawatt solar project in Chile, detailing investment structure, costs and profitability projections.
Additional correspondence covers mini-liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminals in Norway and Kazakhstan. Emails with Norgas Carriers CEO Morits Skaugen discuss the importance of "mini LNG" for small-scale uses and identify Africa as a potential investment destination.
- Mandelson seeking direction
Former British ambassador to Washington Peter Mandelson frequently appears in the emails, seeking career guidance from Epstein.
In a May 21, 2010 message Mandelson asked whether Epstein knew mining company Xstrata, noting it might be seeking a chairman.
On June 20, 2010 Epstein advised Mandelson he could accept an advisory role at bp following the Deepwater Horizon spill, writing the company needed credible outsiders and should form its own investigative committee - chaired by Mandelson.
After Mandelson reacted negatively, Epstein replied he was "trying to find a way to get around the restriction on you being hired immediately."
On July 16, 2010 Mandelson contacted Glencore CEO Ivan Glasenberg via Epstein, expressing interest in joining the board during the company's IPO and emphasizing his knowledge of political and regulatory trends.
The documents suggest the Epstein case went beyond individual criminal allegations, revealing a network intertwined with global energy policy, cross-border resource licenses and strategic technology investments.
By Murat Temizer
Anadolu Agency
energy@aa.com.tr