Newly released files tied to the late financier and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein have placed billionaire Elon Musk and Prince Andrew among those mentioned in documents handed to the US House Oversight Committee.
The records, turned over by the Epstein Estate to Congressional Democrats, include phone message logs, flight manifests, financial ledgers, and daily schedules.
Among the entries is a December 2014 note stating, “Reminder: Elon Musk to island Dec. 6 (is this still happening?).” The records suggest Musk had been invited to Epstein’s private island, though he has previously said that he declined such an invitation.
A separate document, a flight manifest dated 12 May 2000, shows Prince Andrew listed as a passenger on a trip from Teterboro, New Jersey, to West Palm Beach, Florida, with Epstein and his close associate Ghislaine Maxwell, who was later convicted in 2021 for conspiring with Epstein to traffic girls.
On the day before the trip, Buckingham Palace’s official record noted that Andrew had been in New York for a charity reception. The log shows he returned to the UK three days after the flight.
Andrew has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing in connection to his friendship with Epstein.
The batch of records is the third set provided by the Epstein Estate. Democrats say the files also include references to high-profile figures such as internet entrepreneur Peter Thiel, former White House advisor Steve Bannon, and tentative meeting plans with Microsoft founder Bill Gates.
For instance, one note mentions a planned lunch with Thiel in November 2017, a breakfast with Bannon in February 2019, and a proposed December 2014 breakfast party involving Gates. Gates has previously said that meeting Epstein was a “mistake.”
The Democrats argue that the documents show the vast reach of Epstein’s network. Sara Guerrero, spokesperson for Democrats on the committee, said: “It should be clear to every American that Jeffrey Epstein was friends with some of the most powerful and wealthiest men in the world. Every new document produced provides new information as we work to bring justice for the survivors and victims.”
Republicans on the committee criticized the move, accusing Democrats of prioritizing politics over victims and promised to release the full set of Epstein files in due course.
Epstein died by suicide in a New York jail in August 2019 while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges. He had previously struck a controversial plea deal in 2008 after being accused of molesting a 14-year-old girl in Florida.
Musk and Prince Andrew have been approached for comment.