Elon Musk had closer ties to Epstein than previously known. “Do you have a party planned?” / New revelations from declassified documents
Elon Musk had more extensive and cordial communications with sex offender Jeffrey Epstein than was publicly known until now, according to documents released Friday by the US Department of Justice. Emails included in the files reveal the two were making plans for Musk to visit Epstein's island, The Guardian reports.
The documents include email exchanges between Musk and Epstein between 2012 and 2013, in which the two tried to determine when Musk would next visit Little St James. None of these discussions seem to have led, in the end, to a visit, due to logistical problems.
“There's always room for you”
“I will be in the BVI/St Bart's area over the holidays. Is there a good time to visit?” Musk wrote on December 13, 2013.
“Any day between 1 and 8. We'll see along the way, if you want. There's always room for you,” Epstein replied.
Musk then sent several emails detailing his schedule, and the two set a date of January 2nd for the visit. The exchange of messages, however, ended with an e-mail from Epstein, in which he said that he would have to stay in New York and expressed his regret that they could not meet.
“Bad news – unfortunately my schedule will keep me in New York. We were looking forward to finally spending some time together, just for fun, so I'm very disappointed. I hope we can schedule another time in the near future,” Epstein wrote.
In November 2012, Epstein sent Musk an email asking “How many people will you be for the helicopter to the island.”
“Probably just Talulah and me. What day/night will be the craziest party on your island?” Musk replied, in an apparent reference to his ex-wife, Talulah Riley.
Musk returned with another email on December 25, in response to a message from Epstein encouraging him to come visit and making his helicopter available.
“Do you have a party planned?” asked Musk. “I've been working beyond reason this year, so once my kids come home after Christmas, I want to have fun at parties in St Barts or elsewhere and relax. I appreciate the invitation, but a quiet island experience is the exact opposite of what I'm looking for,” Musk wrote.
On January 2, 2013, Musk sent Epstein an email suggesting that the visit would not take place: “Logistics won't work this time.”
What Musk previously said about Epstein
Musk has been highly critical of people associated with Epstein, but recently released emails appear to contradict his constant denials of any personal connections.
Tesla's CEO told Vanity Fair in 2019 that Epstein was “obviously a dubious individual” and claimed: “He repeatedly tried to get me to visit his island. I refused.” The email exchanges between the two tycoons took place years after Epstein was convicted in 2008. Epstein was later arrested in 2019 on federal sex-trafficking charges.
The newly released emails between Musk and Epstein — who was found dead in his cell in 2019 and who for years was the subject of intense speculation about his ties to some of the world's most powerful people — are part of a set of 3 million documents released Friday by the U.S. Department of Justice.
Musk has previously faced pressure to answer any possible connection to Epstein, including after an earlier release of Justice Department documents naming him.
Last year, House Democrats released a copy of Epstein's daily schedule, which included a notation from 2014: “Reminder: Elon Musk on island Dec. 6 (still valid?).” No other details were provided, and Musk denied making plans for the visit in a post on X.
“This is false,” he wrote in response to a post mentioning the allegations.
