Elon Musk, the billionaire CEO of Tesla and SpaceX, has spoken out after his electronic mail correspondence with Jeffrey Epstein was revealed by the Department of Justice.
In a collection of emails despatched over 10 years in the past, Musk repeatedly expressed his need to go to the convicted intercourse offender’s personal island within the Caribbean Sea, at one level asking when the “wildest party” would happen.
The messages have been among the many greater than 3 million information — together with courtroom data, photographs and movies — made public by Donald Trump’s administration on Friday in compliance with the Epstein Files Transparency Act.
Numerous high-profile people — together with Trump, former President Bill Clinton, Bill Gates and Richard Branson — have been named within the paperwork. Musk and others haven’t been accused of wrongdoing in reference to Epstein, and the inclusion of somebody’s identify or photographs in information linked to the instances in opposition to him don’t indicate in any other case.
Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche stated the large knowledge dump complies with federal regulation and “marks the end of a very comprehensive” evaluation course of. Some lawmakers, nevertheless, insist half the paperwork stay unpublished and have criticized the heavy redactions.
Musk responds to information
On Saturday, Musk sought to distance himself from Epstein in a collection of posts on X, with one describing the newly revealed paperwork as “a distraction.”
“I had very little correspondence with Epstein and declined repeated invitations to go to his island or fly on his ‘Lolita Express’, but was well aware that some email correspondence with him could be misinterpreted and used by detractors to smear my name,” he wrote in a single publish. The Lolita Express was the nickname given to Epstein’s personal airplane.
“What matters is not [the] release of some subset of the Epstein files, but rather the prosecution of those who committed heinous crimes with Epstein,” wrote Musk, including that, with out arrests, “this is all performative” and “nothing but a distraction.”
In later posts, he reiterated his name for the shoppers of Epstein’s “underage child sex ring” to be prosecuted.
A spokesperson for Musk didn’t instantly reply to a request for remark from The Independent.
Musk’s correspondence with Epstein
According to the information launched on Friday, Musk emailed Epstein a number of instances in 2012 and in 2013 — years after Epstein had pled responsible to state prices of soliciting a minor for prostitution and served a short jail sentence.
“What day/night will be the wildest party on your island?” he wrote on November 25, 2012.
One month later, on Christmas Day, Musk once more requested Epstein about attending one in all his events, noting that he needed to “let loose” and take a break from work.
“Do you have any parties planned?” he wrote. “I’ve been working to the edge of sanity this year and so, once my kids head home after Christmas, I really want to hit the party scene in St Baits or elsewhere and let loose. The invitation is much appreciated, but a peaceful island experience is the opposite of what I’m looking for.”
Epstein responded that “the ratio on my island might make Talilah uncomfortable,” an obvious reference to Musk’s then-wife, British actress Talulah Riley.
The males once more exchanged emails on September 11, 2013, this time about assembly up in New York City.
Epstein — whose dying in jail whereas awaiting trial on intercourse trafficking prices in 2019 was dominated a suicide — wrote: “Any plans for ny . the opening of the [general] assembly has many interesting people coming to the house.”
A couple of hours later, Musk responded: “I run and lead product design/engineering for two complicated companies. Moreover, SpaceX is about to launch what is arguably the most advanced rocket in history. Flying to NY to see UN diplomats do nothing would be an unwise use of time.”
“Do you think i am retarded,” Epstein replied. “Just kidding , there is no one over 25 and all very cute.”
The information additionally embrace different references to Musk, reminiscent of an April 2013 dinner invitation, a February 2013 lunch appointment and a December 2014 calendar entry marked “ELON MUSK TO ISLAND.” A search of the DOJ’s database turns up over 1,000 mentions of the businessman’s identify.
Prior to the doc dump, Musk had downplayed his connection to Epstein, insisting he hardly knew him.
When requested by Vanity Fair in 2019 whether or not he had launched Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg to Epstein, he responded: “I don’t recall introducing Epstein to anyone, as I don’t know the guy well enough to do so.”
“Epstein is obviously a creep,” he stated, including, “He tried repeatedly to get me to visit his island. I declined.”
And, after his public falling out with President Trump final yr, Musk accused the president of being within the Epstein information.
“Time to drop the really big bomb,” he wrote on X June 5. “[Trump] is in the Epstein files. That is the real reason they have not been made public.”
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/elon-musk-epstein-files-island-party-b2911563.html