Epstein files reveal damning secrets of global elite

KARACHI:

If there were ever a record of the dirty dealings of the world's elite, it would be the Epstein files. From Donald Trump to Bill Clinton, and even India's hardline, ultra-religious prime minister Narendra Modi, few among the political and social elite appear untouched by the disgraced financier's network.

The scandal that dogged Trump's second presidency from the onset has taken another explosive turn, with the US Department of Justice (DOJ) releasing a fresh batch of the notorious Epstein files.

The disclosure lands as a political bombshell, dragging into public view an unsettling roster of world leaders, self-proclaimed philanthropists such as Bill Gates, and tech barons including Elon Musk, expanding a controversy long associated with elite excess, influence trading, and whispered impropriety.

Even gaining access to the documents comes with an unusual warning — visitors must confirm they are over 18 before proceeding. The caution alone signals the disturbing nature of the material, showing how Jeffrey Epstein's dark legacy continues to dominate international headlines more than seven years after his mysterious death in a New York prison cell.

The newly disclosed files suggest the disgraced financier's influence may have seeped into the highest circles of global power, with references linking him to former presidents Bill Clinton, George W Bush, Hillary Clinton, and George HW Bush.

Among the most explosive material are allegations contained within the documents accusing a former US president of sexual assault aboard a yacht.

While these claims remain unproven, their presence, experts believe, adds to the atmosphere of elite excess, secrecy, and alleged exploitation that defines Epstein's shadowy network.

Within Epstein's orbit moved A-listers from nearly every sphere of influence. Football icon David Beckham, Queen Consort Camilla Parker Bowles, Prince Andrew — the disgraced royal whose association with Epstein came to overshadow even his birth into the House of Windsor — and former British prime minister Tony Blair, who was recently named to participate in Trump's Board of Peace, all appear in the financier's sprawling gallery of notoriety, laid bare before the public through millions of DOJ documents.

One revelation carries a particularly cruel irony — Bill Gates, the billionaire philanthropist whose public image revolves around saving lives, is referenced in documents containing allegations that he contracted a sexually transmitted infection following an encounter allegedly facilitated by Epstein, a man infamous not only for trafficking but also as a convicted sex offender.

Buried within the trove is a 2015 email exchange in which Epstein's aides toyed with the idea of supporting Malala Yousafzai and her foundation to allegedly serve their own interests.

Whether Malala ever received any assistance remains unclear, yet the very discussion exposes how Epstein sought to attach himself to globally admired figures and causes.

In another email, his longtime assistant Lesley Groff flagged the vacant position of Executive Director at the Malala Fund, seemingly probing for any connection Epstein might have to secure a paid role.

In Pakistan's case, it appears the nation's polio programme remained on Epstein's radar. The financier was being updated about the situation by Terje Rod-Larsen, a prominent Norwegian diplomat known for his role in the Oslo Accords.

So much so that he was even made aware of moves by Bill Gates on polio eradication, including his meetings and exchanges with senior Pakistani officials.

In iMessages exchanged in July 2018, a year before his arrest, Epstein's open hostility toward Pakistan's new leadership is also laid bare in the files.

He reacted to Imran Khan's election as prime minister with unrestrained contempt, calling him "a much greater threat to peace than Erdogan, Khomeini, Xi, or Putin," invoking some of the world's most controversial leaders to make his point.

As audacious as it may sound, no issue appeared off-limits for Epstein. In another 2018 email, forwarded from a redacted account, discussion surfaces around the Indus Water Cooperation - the contentious "water wars" between India and Pakistan that recently made headlines amid India's threats to suspend the agreement roughly seven years later.

The email, sent to Adam Lupel and copied to Nadia Al Said, both then at the Institute of Peace, hints at Epstein's interest in delicate and high-stakes geopolitical disputes long before they surfaced publicly.

Just across the border from Pakistan, Epstein reportedly gained significant access to India's Narendra Modi, the BJP leader whose devout Hindu image has earned him near-reverential treatment from millions at home.

Emails and text messages in the documents reveal previously unknown efforts by the convicted financier to broker influence within Indian political circles, including direct interactions with a senior leader of Modi's Hindu nationalist party — hinting at the financier's ambition to entangle himself in power far beyond the West.

Modi, who has denied any association through India's foreign office, is reported to have sought Epstein's advice on visiting Israel, where he allegedly sang and danced.

Epstein also attempted to arrange a meeting between Modi and former Trump strategist Steve Bannon in 2019, less than two months before his arrest.

Observers who have combed through the Epstein link believe these documents do more than depict him as a man unafraid to cast judgement on the world stage.

They reveal a figure who wove an intricate web among the political elite, shaping influence wherever and whenever it suited him, embedding himself in corridors of power with chilling calculation.

The latest records also include internal memos and summaries of tips submitted by members of the public. Many reference President Trump in connection with sexual misconduct.

Newly disclosed, unverified claims of sexual assault involving Trump have surfaced alongside fresh accounts from Epstein's victims describing interactions with the future president.

The documents further shed light on connections with other prominent figures. Elon Musk appears in emails arranging possible meetings with Epstein in Florida and the Caribbean between 2012 and 2014, though Musk has repeatedly denied engagement.

Bill Gates is mentioned in correspondence about meetings and arrangements, which he also denies. Others, including Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, British billionaire Richard Branson, and former White House advisers like Steve Bannon and Kathy Ruemmler, appear throughout, indicating Epstein's web extended without any limits or barriers.

Perhaps most chilling is the confirmation that Epstein's abuses were reported to law enforcement long before the public knew. Internal FBI notes reveal that agents were aware as early as 2006–2007 of multiple allegations involving underage girls at Epstein's Florida estate, yet federal prosecutors largely ignored them.

Epstein eventually struck a plea deal at the state level, pleading guilty to soliciting prostitution from a minor and serving only 18 months. The international reach of Epstein's influence is further exposed by his connections to British royalty.

Prince Andrew, now former Duke of York, appears extensively in the files, with multiple references to dinners, guest lists, and emails documenting repeated interactions.

The release also exposes Epstein's manipulations to rehabilitate his image through elite networks. Sarah Ferguson, former wife of Prince Andrew, appears as someone Epstein allegedly tried to enlist in repairing his public reputation.

Even as legal scrutiny intensified, Epstein continued to cultivate high-profile contacts, exploiting professional and personal relationships to maintain influence.

Despite the breadth of the new release, experts caution that much of Epstein's operation remains somewhat hazy in legal terms. Of the six million potentially explosive pages originally identified by the Justice Department, only half were disclosed, and many files are heavily redacted to protect the identities of victims or to withhold sensitive material depicting political influence campaigns and even abuse.

President Trump, whose name appears more than 1,000 times in the documents, initially opposed the disclosure but ultimately, under political pressure and growing calls, signed the bill mandating the release of the files.

The massive disclosure, years after Epstein's death, experts say, has reignited scrutiny of powerful figures, who once socialised with or were contacted by him, raising renewed questions about complicity, awareness, accountability, and the extraordinary reach of a man whose influence extended even into the corridors of global geopolitics.

With millions of pages still unreleased and many redactions concealing damaging details, the dark story of Epstein's influence is far from over, Moira Donegan, writer in residence at the Clayman Institute, wrote in a recent article published by The Guardian.

Donegan notes that the documents provide a grim testament to the dangers of concentrated power, the vulnerabilities of the marginalised, and the lasting consequences when justice is delayed or denied.