• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia
TechElon Musk

Elon Musk blasts subpoena over his ties to deceased sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein as ‘idiotic’

Christiaan Hetzner
By
Christiaan Hetzner
Christiaan Hetzner
Senior Reporter
Down Arrow Button Icon
Christiaan Hetzner
By
Christiaan Hetzner
Christiaan Hetzner
Senior Reporter
Down Arrow Button Icon
May 16, 2023, 11:50 AM ET
Elon Musk
Musk has long been a vocal critic of remote work. LUDOVIC MARIN/POOL/AFP via Getty Images

Elon Musk blasted suggestions that a subpoena served to the tycoon would find any material evidence linking him to deceased money manager and known sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein.

A court order on Monday demanded Musk hand over “all documents reflecting or regarding Epstein’s involvement in human trafficking and/or his procurement of girls or women for consensual sex.”

While it did not accuse him of any wrongdoing, the implication he might be in possession of any such records is alone potentially damaging to his reputation. 

The Tesla CEO and Twitter owner called the idea “idiotic on so many levels”, refuting he might have any correspondence relevant to the U.S. Virgin Islands’ lawsuit filed against J.P. Morgan. 

“That cretin never advised me on anything whatsoever,” he told his nearly 140 million followers on Twitter on Monday. “The notion that I would need or listen to financial advice from a dumb crook is absurd.” 

This is idiotic on so many levels:

1. That cretin never advised me on anything whatsoever.

2. The notion that I would need or listen to financial advice from a dumb crook is absurd.

3. JPM let Tesla down ten years ago, despite having Tesla’s global commercial banking…

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) May 16, 2023

After the Wall Street bank “let Tesla down ten years ago”, Musk continued, he had subsequently pulled his global commercial banking business from the lender.

It’s not clear what Musk referred to, but he could mean an ongoing legal dispute over $162 million JP Morgan believes Tesla owes the bank stemming from a 2014 stock warrant sale.

The U.S. Virgin Islands allege J.P. Morgan financially profited from the business opportunities referred to them by Epstein and his co-conspirators on the Little St. James private island he owned “in exchange for its known facilitation of and implicit participation in Epstein’s sex trafficking venture.” 

A controversial moment captured on film

Musk’s ties to Epstein are the subject of repeated aggravation to the driven entrepreneur, whose critics often post a photo of him standing next to chief Epstein accomplice Ghislaine Maxwell. 

Musk, who has said combatting child exploitation on Twitter is his number one priority, has gone on the record as saying he was photobombed in the picture—the only such photograph portraying the two to come to light. 

Don’t know Ghislaine at all. She photobombed me once at a Vanity Fair party several years ago. Real question is why VF invited her in the first place 🤔

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) July 3, 2020

The Tesla CEO is by no means the only major tech industry figure to be linked to the sex offender.

Most famously, Bill Gates has come under scrutiny with wife Melinda revealing in March 2022 that one of the reasons behind her divorce from the billionaire Microsoft co-founder was his meetings with Epstein. 

Join us at the Fortune Workplace Innovation Summit May 19–20, 2026, in Atlanta. The next era of workplace innovation is here—and the old playbook is being rewritten. At this exclusive, high-energy event, the world’s most innovative leaders will convene to explore how AI, humanity, and strategy converge to redefine, again, the future of work. Register now.
About the Author
Christiaan Hetzner
By Christiaan HetznerSenior Reporter
Instagram iconLinkedIn iconTwitter icon

Christiaan Hetzner is a former writer for Fortune, where he covered Europe’s changing business landscape.

See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon

Latest in Tech

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • Future 50
  • World’s Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
Sections
  • Finance
  • Leadership
  • Success
  • Tech
  • Asia
  • Europe
  • Environment
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Health
  • Retail
  • Lifestyle
  • Politics
  • Newsletters
  • Magazine
  • Features
  • Commentary
  • Mpw
  • CEO Initiative
  • Conferences
  • Personal Finance
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
About Us
  • About Us
  • Editorial Calendar
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Diversity And Inclusion
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon

Latest in Tech

U.S. President Donald Trump speaks to the press, saying he's talking to NATO about Greenland, before he departs the White House en route Palm Beach, Florida on January 16, 2026, in Washington DC, United States.
PoliticsGreenland
The weak business case for Trump acquiring Greenland: a $1 trillion price tag and few returns for two decades
By Jordan BlumJanuary 17, 2026
1 day ago
boardroom
CommentaryCorporate Governance
When AI decides how shareholders vote, boards need to rethink governance
By Jane SadowskyJanuary 17, 2026
1 day ago
The CEO of Informatica, Amit Walia
SuccessCareers
Like DoorDash and Google’s CEOs, $7.6 billion Informatica boss is a McKinsey alum—he says being ‘pushed around’ by smart consultants helped him grow
By Emma BurleighJanuary 17, 2026
2 days ago
photo of western union store
CryptoCryptocurrency
Stablecoins will shake up the $900 billion remittance market—setting up a fight between crypto firms and legacy brands like Western Union
By Carlos GarciaJanuary 17, 2026
2 days ago
InnovationThe Boring Company
Exclusive: Elon Musk’s Boring Co. is studying a tunnel project to Tesla Gigafactory near Reno
By Jessica MathewsJanuary 16, 2026
2 days ago
AIOpenAI
ChatGPT tests ads as a new era of AI begins
By Sharon GoldmanJanuary 16, 2026
2 days ago

Most Popular

placeholder alt text
Economy
3 things Trump did in 24 hours to show that he's in control of American business
By Eva RoytburgJanuary 8, 2026
10 days ago
placeholder alt text
AI
This CEO laid off nearly 80% of his staff because they refused to adopt AI fast enough. 2 years later, he says he'd do it again
By Nick LichtenbergJanuary 11, 2026
7 days ago
placeholder alt text
Economy
Making billionaires illegal by taxing their wealth wouldn’t even fund the government for a year, budget expert says
By Nick LichtenbergJanuary 17, 2026
1 day ago
placeholder alt text
AI
Ford CEO warns there's a dearth of blue-collar workers able to construct AI data centers and operate factories: 'Nothing to backfill the ambition'
By Sasha RogelbergJanuary 18, 2026
13 hours ago
placeholder alt text
Banking
'Absolutely, positively no chance, no way, no how, for any reason': Dimon says he'd never run the Fed but 'would take the call' to lead Treasury
By Jacqueline MunisJanuary 16, 2026
2 days ago
placeholder alt text
Newsletters
The oil CEO who stood up to Trump is a follower of the disciplined 'Exxon way' and has a history of blunt statements
By Jordan BlumJanuary 13, 2026
6 days ago

© 2025 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.