ISTANBUL 

The US Justice Department recently released a massive set of e-mails and documents related to the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, showing that several high-profile US tech leaders had interactions with the financier.

Bill Gates, co-founder of Microsoft, was mentioned in the files. In back-and-forth correspondence, the two men talked about creating a pandemic simulation, while Elon Musk, the world’s richest man and CEO of SpaceX, among other firms, had allegedly planned to visit Epstein’s islands.

Epstein was found dead in prison on Aug. 10, 2019, while on trial for running a prostitution ring involving underage girls. However, the files suggest his network of associates was extensive, including some of the world’s most influential figures.

Elon Musk’s correspondence

One of the key tech leaders mentioned in the files is Elon Musk. The billionaire had allegedly planned to make a trip to Epstein’s islands in late 2013. According to the US Justice Department’s Epstein Library, in a Dec. 13, 2013, e-mail, Musk wrote: “Will be in the BVI/St Bart’s area over the holidays. Is there a good time to visit?”

“Any day 1st - 8th,” responded Epstein two days later, saying, “play it by ear if you want, always space for you.”

Musk e-mailed again, saying “probably the 1st then,” referring to New Year’s Day, and Epstein said, “the 2 or 3 would be perfect. I will come and get you.”

Musk said he would fly back to Los Angeles on the night of Jan. 2, 2014, but added he could make plans to “fly back early on the 3rd,” asking, “When would we head to your island on the 2nd?”

However, Musk’s plans were seemingly thwarted. On Dec. 30, 2013, Epstein told him that his “schedule will keep [him] in New York.” Epstein added: “I was really looking forward to finally spending some time together with just fun as the agenda, so I am very disappointed.”

“The emails show a level of communication between the pair that had not been previously revealed,” a CNN report said Jan. 31, adding that “Musk has tried to denigrate his opponents by trying to tie them to Epstein.”

While it remains unclear whether Musk visited the island from the e-mails alone, Musk tried to nullify the claims, saying he had “refused” Epstein when asked to visit, according to a post on the US-based social media company X.

“Nobody has fought harder for full release of the Epstein files and prosecutions of those who abused children more than I did, knowing full well that the legacy media, far-left propagandists and those who are actually guilty would: 1. Admit nothing, 2. Deny everything, 3. Make counter-accusations against me,” he claimed in a post on X on Monday.

“The strong must protect those cannot protect themselves, especially vulnerable children. I will gladly accept any amount of future pain to do more to protect kids and give them a chance to grow up and have happy lives,” he added.

Musk’s second-eldest, estranged daughter Vivian Jenna Wilson, corroborated the claims on Threads, a Twitter-like social media platform under Meta’s Instagram, saying she recalled some details about the new claims against her father.

“I'm just going to speak directly instead of being vague and cryptic. I can confirm we were in St Barth’s at the time specified in the emails, and therefore I believe they are authentic,” said Wilson on Monday, adding that, “this has basically already been confirmed through his attempts to paint them as out of context (denial is a river in Egypt).”

Musk and Hoffman trade accusations

The files also fueled a public feud between Musk and LinkedIn co-founder Reid Hoffman on X.

“Epstein hounded me relentlessly to go to his pedo island and I always declined. Not you though. You actually went,” said Musk in an X post on Monday.

The screenshot attached on the post showed Epstein writing in an e-mail, “Sorry I was really looking forget (forward) to seeing you and spending time,” to which Hoffman responded with, “likewise,” adding that he “brought a gift that will wait for the next opportunity.”

“What ‘gifts’ did you bring to Epstein when you went to pedo island,” asked Musk in the same post, which was a response to Hoffman after the LinkedIn CEO had posted on X: “Give us a break: If you cared about the victims as you say, you’d stop making false accusations to cover your ass and start using your $220m of influence with President Trump to get justice for the victims.”

Musk posted a screenshot later the same day, in which an e-mail from Epstein to Musk read, “Reid was on the island last weekend, do you think you will be in carib (the Caribbean) for xmas (Christmas)?”

“This is how I knew so long ago that Reid Hoffman went to Epstein’s island,” said Musk. “Epstein used Reid being there to try to get me to go, not realizing that it would have the opposite effect.”

Hoffman countered with claiming Musk tried to attend Epstein’s “wildest parties,” a claim corroborated by an e-mail Musk sent to Epstein on Nov. 25, 2012, in which he responded to Epstein’s question of “how many people will (he) be for the heli to island” with “Probably just Talulah and me,” referring to his British spouse at the time, Talulah Riley, and added, “What day/night will be the wildest party on your island?”

Bill Gates’ pandemic simulation

Bill Gates also appears in the US Justice Department files, which show back and forth e-mails with Epstein.

Some e-mails led to allegations that Gates contracted a sexually transmitted disease from “Russian girls” and tried to hide it.

Gates’ spokesperson told BBC that the allegations were “absolutely absurd and completely false.”

Gates’ ex-wife, Malinda Gates, had previously said she was deeply disturbed by her ex-husband’s connection to the late financier.

Another document showed that an official from Gates’ private office, Gates Ventures, which was known as bgC3 at the time, e-mailed Gates about a business plan, which he then forwarded to Epstein.

The e-mail lists give projects within the think-tank, including one titled “Follow-up recommendations and/or technical specifications for Strain pandemic simulation.”

Euronews reported that the e-mail showed Gates informed Epstein of his most confidential projects, including in areas like biological defense and neurotechnology.

Other tech billionaires’ involvement with Epstein

Google co-founders Sergey Brin and Larry Page were also mentioned in the Epstein files. While not directly involved with sexual abuse allegations, the two were connected to Epstein’s financial network of important clients, as well as through their complex relationships with JPMorgan Chase.

Epstein introduced JPMorgan executives to Brin, who boasts a fortune of over $250 billion, to help the bank secure the billionaire as a customer, according to a recent New York Times report.

Meanwhile, Richard Branson, founder of the Virgin Group, is another figure to have appeared in the Epstein files.

The e-mail correspondence between the two men showed they met on Sep 10, 2013, and Branson told Epstein on Sep 11, 2013, that it was “really nice seeing” him. “Any time you’re in the area would love to see you. As long as you bring your harem,” he added.

Branson’s representatives claimed that one of the most controversial lines in the Epstein files was just a playful phrase to refer to the adult staff accompanying the late financier.

Amazon founder Jeff Bezos was also in the files. In an October 2009 e-mail, public relations expert Peggy Siegal said she had just left the house of Ghislaine Maxwell -- Epstein’s lover, co-conspirator, and convicted child sex trafficker -- where she saw that “Bill Clinton and Jeff Bezos were there.”

*Writing and contributions by Emir Yildirim