Elon Musk has previously insisted that he has never visited Jeffrey Epstein’s private island in the Caribbean, known as Little St. But emails released by the US Department of Justice on Friday show that Musk was sending messages at least that he planned to visit the notorious child abuser on the American island on two separate occasions in 2012 and 2014. And one email from Epstein to Musk includes a reference to the men meeting in 2013 “at the center” and “four opportunities to bring Epstein.”
Emails from the previous release of the Epstein files suggested that Musk had been invited to the island, but did not conclusively indicate that Musk had accepted the invitation. The new emails show that Musk was at least expressing his openness to visiting the island in private correspondence with Epstein.
2012 Epstein Island Invitational
Emails from late 2012 show that Musk was invited to Epstein’s island that year.
“If you find out others the time , come on Vist [sic] me to mine the island in the middle i the caribbean. [sic] bring=your a friend or friends. i the will be there are many of nov again dec,” Epstein wrote on September 12, 2012.
“It makes sense well, the will try to do about it,” Musk responded in an email dated September 25, 2012.
In November 2012, the plans sound very tight between the two men, as Epstein refers to the “heli” to take Musk and his guests.
“How many people the will you be for heli to island,” Epstein wrote Musk on November 24, 2012.
“Maybe just Open up again me. What day/night the will be i never ending party to = ours the island?” Musk replied.
Planning a visit to the island in 2013
“The will be in the middle i BVI/St Bart’s place over i holidays. Is it There a good the time t= [sic] visit?” Musk wrote on December 13, 2013, referring to the British Virgin Islands.
“anywhere day 1st – 8 of play it with ear if you search. always space for you,” Epstein replied on Dec. 15, 2013.
“Okay, maybe i 1 st then,” Musk replied that same day.
Then there’s a 10-day gap in the email chain, depending on what was found, although it’s unclear if other emails were changed during that time. Epstein responds by suggesting that we are not seeing the other emails because the date they plan to connect is no longer the first of January but the second or third day of the month.
“i 2 or 3 would be be complete. I the will come on again find out you,” Epstein wrote in a Dec. 25, 2013 email.
“Me the need to fly back to LA to i at night of i Second, so w,” replied Musk.” It’s unclear if there should be more to that “w.”
About an hour later, Musk sent another email to Epstein, writing, “Actually, I he can fly back it’s early to i 3rd. We the will be in the middle St Bart’s. When = should [sic] we the head to yours the island you have 2?”
Musk previously said he “refused” to go to the island
Back in September, various news outlets were reporting on other Epstein files, and Musk took issue with his name being included in the headlines. “Epstein tried to get me to go to his island and I REFUSED,” Musk wrote.
The newly released emails appear to contradict Musk’s account. In fact, it looks like Musk wanted to visit Epstein’s island, but it didn’t work because Epstein had to stay in New York. Epstein even said he was looking forward to them sharing “fun” as an “agenda.”
“It’s bad news- Unfortunately , mine system the will save me in the middle New York,” Epstein wrote on December 30, 2013. “I it was rea=ly [sic] look forward to in the end spending money others the time together with just pleasure as an agenda. so i I am very disappointed. I hope we he can plan other= [sic] the time in the middle i nearby in the future.”
Elon Musk’s response after an hour and a half: “No problem.”
On Jan. 6, 2014, Epstein emailed Musk again, although it’s unclear if other emails were lost, given the abrupt tone: “I’m sorry it he didn’t work , outside just to find out over it. How it was yours trip?” Musk’s response later that day: “Good.”
“Center”
Another email that precedes the two men planning to meet in early 2014 dates from February 2013 and mentions “location,” though it’s unclear what the billionaires are talking about.
“look forward to to see you. I it can be or come on wth [sic] they don’t help ( four , ) =or alone. See strength enjoy it place if it’s okay with you,” Epstein wrote.
Musk replied, “Up to you.”
The meeting in St. Bart’s in 2013
There is also an email from early January in which two men appear to be planning a lunch in St. Bart’s.
“whenever tononorw in the middle St abarths?” Epstein wrote to Musk on Jan. 3, 2013.
“It’s possible get together for lunch. Will be with Open up again his a friend Debs,” Musk replied. Talulah is the name of Musk’s first wife Talulah Riley, a British actress he was married to from 2010-2012 and again from 2013-2016.
“Me the will the world of 12 , whenever after good, look forward to it,” Epstein replied.
“Anywhere here that you like to lunch?” Musk asked. Gizmodo could not immediately determine if there were any other emails in the series among the millions of pages released Friday.
Engagement of Ghislaine Maxwell
An email asking Musk’s representatives if he ended up visiting Epstein’s island went unanswered Friday afternoon. But Musk met with Epstein who collaborated with Ghislaine Maxwell on at least two occasions that we know of, according to Maxwell.
Ghislaine Maxwell was interviewed by Todd Blanche, a former lawyer for President Donald Trump and now a senior official at the DOJ, in August and told him that he first met Musk at Sergey Brin’s birthday party in 2010 or 2011.
“I met him—I can’t remember the year, but it would have been 2010, ’11, something like that, I think, if my memory serves,” Maxwell said. “And I was at an event for Sergey Brin, the founder of Google. And Sergey had planned—it was his birthday.”
Maxwell said Epstein himself was not at that birthday party.
More files?
The release of the Epstein files on Friday is only a fraction of the files required to be released by the Epstein Files Transparency Act, according to Rep. Robert Garcia of California, who said the DOJ continues to “withhold about 50% of Epstein’s files, while claiming to be in full compliance with the law,” according to MSNOW.
Rep. Ro Khana, also from California, said, “The DOJ said it has identified more than 6 million pages that it may respond to but is releasing only about 3.5 million after review and redaction. This raises questions about why others were withheld.”
Blanche held a press conference on Friday, insisting that no more documents will be released. He also denied that any files were withheld to protect President Donald Trump. The documents released on Friday will take some time to compile. So you can bet on more revelations in the coming days, even if it seems like a safe bet that there’s no smoking gun pointing at Trump, referred to by a few as Epstein’s “best friend” of 15 years.
Recently released emails between Musk and Epstein can be found in documents EFTA02357372, EFTA02362483, EFTA02364818, EFTA02364941, and EFTA02356830, all part of Data Set 11.
