Emails Reveal Musk Had More Extensive Ties With Epstein Than Previously Known

Emails contradict Musk’s longstanding public denial of any personal ties to convicted child sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

Newly released Department of Justice documents reveal that Elon Musk had more extensive and friendly communications with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein than previously publicly known, including detailed discussions in 2013 about a possible visit to Epstein’s private Caribbean island.

Emails Sent After Epstein’s 2008 Child Sex Conviction

The emails were exchanged years after Epstein pleaded guilty in 2008 to soliciting prostitution from a minor in Florida and served a controversial jail sentence. Epstein was later arrested in 2019 on federal sex-trafficking charges and was found dead in his jail cell while awaiting trial.

According to the emails, Musk and Epstein corresponded multiple times in December 2013 to coordinate a visit to Little St. James, Epstein’s island in the U.S. Virgin Islands. On December 13, Musk wrote that he would be in the British Virgin Islands and St. Bart’s over the holidays and asked whether there was “a good time to visit.”

Epstein replied that Musk could visit “any day 1st–8th” and added, “always space for you.”

The exchange continued over several emails, with Musk providing updates on his schedule. On Christmas Day, Musk suggested traveling to the island on January 2, writing that he would be in St. Bart’s and could fly back early. The correspondence suggests the two tentatively settled on January 2 as a potential visit date. 

Musk-Epstein Relationship Went Beyond Emails

Additional documents in the DOJ release suggest further contact between the two men in 2013. One email from Epstein’s longtime assistant, Lesley Groff, appears to reference plans for Epstein to have lunch at SpaceX in February of that year, though it is unclear whether the meeting took place or whether Musk attended. Another exchange shows Epstein congratulating Musk following a SpaceX rocket launch, with the two corresponding afterward.

Emails Contradict Musk’s Public Claims

The newly released records contradict Musk’s longstanding public denial of any personal ties to Epstein. In a 2019 interview with Vanity Fair, Musk described Epstein as “obviously a creep” and said that Epstein “tried repeatedly to get me to visit his island. I declined.”

Musk has also publicly criticized others over alleged connections to Epstein. He previously accused former President Donald Trump of appearing in Epstein-related files, later deleting those posts, and has attacked Microsoft founder Bill Gates over Gates’s past association with Epstein.

The emails are part of a broader release of more than three million pages of documents made public by the Department of Justice on Friday, shedding new light on Epstein’s network and contacts among some of the world’s most powerful figures.