Epstein’s Silicon Valley ties extended beyond just Musk and Gates

The U.S. Justice Department’s latest release of millions of documents related to the notorious sex criminal and financier Jeffrey Epstein has shed more light on the relationships he built with various influential figures, including many from the American tech industry.

Notably, the files reference communications and meetings involving tech mogul Elon Musk and Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates, two of the world’s wealthiest people. This has led to much scrutiny of the pair in recent weeks, both of whom have denied any wrongdoing related to Epstein.

But those two billionaires are not the only tech names to appear repeatedly in the trove of new documents. Other tech executives named include Google co-founder Sergey Brin, venture capitalist Peter Thiel, former Microsoft executive Steven Sinofsky, and LinkedIn co-founder Reid Hoffman.

While those executives have been linked to Epstein in the past, the new disclosures reveal more than previously known about their association with the convicted sex offender through records ranging from emails, schedules and photos.

Brin and Sinofsky have not commented on the matter, while Theil and Hoffman have said they only associated with Epstein for legal and legitimate purposes.

Authorities have stressed that being named in the records does not indicate evidence of wrongdoing nor prove that the name was part of a purported client list or blackmail scheme.

Still, the files help paint a picture of Epstein’s longstanding efforts to embed himself within — and sometimes become a confidant and power-broker for — some of Silicon Valley’s most powerful circles prior to his death in 2019

Those communications began around 2014 and lasted until around 2019, just months before Epstein was arrested on federal sex trafficking charges, and well after he was first formally charged with sex-related crimes in 2006.

Among the materials is a recording of an undated conversation between Epstein and former Israeli prime minister Ehud Barak, in which Epstein references Thiel.

In the recording, Epstein advised Barak on how to leverage his connections to get a lucrative position at a company, floating Palantir as a potential option. He added that he had not yet met Thiel but hoped to see him the following week.

The duo would indeed get better acquainted, with emails over the years including meeting plans, discussions about the Trump campaign, and other informal exchanges. Ahead of one planned meeting, Thiel’s team had even sent his dietary details to Epstein’s staff.