Four things to know about the latest Epstein release in four minutes

Elon Musk and Prince Andrew have been named in a newly released tranche of documents relating to the deceased paedophile financier, Jeffrey Epstein.

The files, published by the Democrats sitting on the House Oversight Committee in the US, list the world’s richest man as a potential visitor to Epstein’s private island.

Musk’s name appears on Epstein’s daily schedule in 2014 – six years after Epstein became a listed sex offender.

Prince Andrew, whose friendship with Epstein is well-documented, is recorded as a passenger on the billionaire’s private jet in 2000.

Why have they come out now?

The documents are the third batch released so far by the House Oversight Committee as part of its investigation into how sex-trafficking charges against Epstein, who died in 2019 in federal custody, were handled.

The files form part of a larger collection given to the committee by the Epstein estate, which was compelled to hand them over by a congressional subpoena.

Democrats on the committee said they include phone message logs, copies of flight logs and manifests for aircraft, copies of financial ledgers and Epstein’s daily schedule.

Who is named?

A series of high-profile men are named in the documents, including Elon Musk, Prince Andrew, Bill Gates, Peter Thiel, and Steve Bannon.

Musk is listed as a potential visitor to Epstein’s Caribbean island, Little St James, on 6 December 2014. Epstein became a listed as a sex offender in 2008.

His name appears on what appears to be Epstein’s daily schedule, with the entry reading: “Reminder: Elon Musk to island Dec.6 (is this still happening?)”

Andrew is listed passenger on a flight from Teterboro, New Jersey, to Palm Beach in Florida on 12 May 2000.

He is named alongside Epstein, his former girlfriend and convicted sex trafficker Ghislaine Maxwell, as well as two names that were redacted.

According to the documents, Andrew also appeared to receive several massages on the trip, which were paid for with $200 cheques.

Details of the duke being a passenger on Epstein’s private jet have previously been heard in court through Maxwell’s trial – with one of her accusers, who was 14 at the time, recalling she had travelled on a flight with Andrew.

Internet entrepreneur Peter Thiel and Steve Bannon, a Conservative commentator and former adviser to Donald Trump, also appear in Epstein’s daily schedule.

The daily calendars do not indicate whether Epstein’s meetings with Musk, Thiel and Bannon in fact took place.

The files also mention plans for a breakfast meeting with Microsoft founder Bill Gates in 2014.

Although they appear in the documents, there is no evidence that anyone named in the files knew Epstein was sexually abusing teenage girls.

Musk denial

In an X post on Friday referencing a news story about the documents’ release, Musk wrote: “This is false.” He did not elaborate any further.

The X owner, who has acknowledged meeting Epstein once briefly in Manhattan, previously said he turned down an invite to visit Little St James.

He told Vanity Fair in 2019 that Epstein “tried repeatedly to get me to visit his island. I declined”.

Prince Andrew has not yet commented, but the Duke has previously denied any wrongdoing.

In 2021, Gates admitted that he made “a huge mistake” in meeting with the convicted sex offender.

Representatives for Thiel and Bannon did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Will the committee release more?

The Oversight Committee has suggested that more records will be released once additional redactions of victims’ names are complete.

A press release described the committee’s work as a “rolling production” and said it expected to receive more documents in response to other requests. 

“Every new document produced provides new information as we work to bring justice for the survivors and victims,” said Sara Guerrero, spokeswoman for the Democrats on committee.

“Oversight Democrats will not stop until we identify everyone complicit in Epstein’s heinous crimes.”

Guerrero also urged US Attorney General Pam Bondi to release more files related to Epstein held by the Department of Justice.