Jeffrey Epstein describes in an email a dinner with Mark Zuckerberg, the head and founder of Meta, LinkedIn co-founder Reid Hoffman, SpaceX and Tesla CEO Elon Musk and PayPal co-founder Peter Thiel, which he describes as “insane”, according to the latest documents released by the US Department of Justice in the case of the American financier, reports the New York Post.
Epstein mentioned this in an email dated August 20, 2015 to billionaire Thomas Pritzker, who asked him if he planned to travel to New York later that month. The financier replied: “I'm not sure yet. I've had dinner with Zuckerberg, Musk, Thiel, Hoffman.“
The dinner was first reported by Vanity Fair in 2019. It said the LinkedIn co-founder hosted a dinner in Palo Alto, California, for MIT neuroscientist Ed Boyden.
“Mark met Epstein briefly at a dinner honoring scientists that wasn't hosted by the financier,“ Zuckerberg's press secretary, Ben LaBolt, said in 2019. He said he never spoke to him again.
Vanity Fair alleged that Musk introduced Zuckerberg to Epstein, but the businessman denied it. “I don't recall introducing anyone to Epstein because I don't know him well enough to do so,” Musk said at the time. "Epstein is clearly a shady character, and Zuckerberg is not my friend," he added.
Released emails from Epstein show Hoffman discussing trips to the private island, his ranch in New Mexico and his apartment in New York. The LinkedIn co-founder said he regretted communicating with Epstein.
The files also mention correspondence with Musk about the possibility of his trip to the financier's private island, Little St. James, The Telegraph reported.
In one email from November 2012, Epstein asked the businessman how many people he planned to invite to the island. He replied: "Probably just me and Tallulah." He then asked about the "craziest island party." The entrepreneur was married to actress Talulah Riley from 2010 to 2013.
A year later, on December 13, 2013, Musk wrote to Epstein: “I will be in the British Virgin Islands/St. Barthelemy area for the holidays.“ Is there a good time to visit? “There's always room for you,“ the financier replied.
As the publication notes, Musk apparently couldn't make the trip, but separate correspondence shows that Epstein arranged to visit a SpaceX facility and have lunch with Musk.
In response to the latest release of documents by the Justice Department, the entrepreneur said: “No one has pushed harder for the release of Epstein's files than I have, and I'm glad it's finally happening.“
He said he had little correspondence with him and repeatedly declined invitations to visit his island or fly on his private jet, the Lolita Express. "But I was fully aware that some of my emails with him could be misinterpreted and used by critics to smear me," Musk said.
"I'm not interested in that, but how do we try to hold accountable those who committed serious crimes with Epstein, especially in relation to the horrific exploitation of underage girls," he added.