We've known for years that Jeffrey Epstein cultivated relationships with powerful people in tech and science, but newly released government records are now giving a much clearer look at how broad and how recent some of those connections were.
The latest document release includes millions of pages of emails, schedules and correspondence that reference major figures like Elon Musk, Bill Gates, Google co-founder Sergey Brin, and LinkedIn co-founder Reid Hoffman.
The records suggest that Epstein wasn't just socially adjacent to Silicon Valley, but actively sought out influence in these tech circles. He was pursuing investments, introductions, as well as invitations well after his 2008 conviction for sex crimes.
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For example, while Musk has said that he declined invitations to Epstein's private island repeatedly, emails in the files now show him asking at one point what night would be the "wildest party" there, and Reid Hoffman is also referenced in emails discussing visits and gifts sent both for the girls and for the island, though the context of some of those messages remain unclear.
The files also highlight Epstein's outreach into the scientific community. According to reporting in Nature, Epstein kept contact with roughly 30 scientists and academics. Some of them were reaching out for funding or professional opportunities, while others had more troubling exchanges, including one scientist who proposed a study involving undergraduate students to "test our horny virus hypothesis." There were not any further details about what exactly that meant.
There was another scientist who visited Epstein's private Caribbean island.
Both of those scientists mentioned said they regretted continuing their relationship with Epstein.
It's important to note being named in these files does not mean that anyone is being accused of being involved in or aware of Epstein's criminal abuse, and no one's been charged with that.
Meanwhile, Hoffman and Musk have engaged in public social media posting since more details have emerged. Hoffman posted on X that he "deeply regrets" interacting with Epstein post-conviction and has said that it's largely for a fundraising relationship, while Musk maintains that his email correspondence "could be misinterpreted."
Still, what stands out is the timeline. Many of these interactions happened after Epstein was already a convicted sex offender, raising renewed questions about judgment, ethics and how a man with his history remained welcomed in some of the world's most elite tech and academic circles for years.
