• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia
CybersecurityJeffrey Epstein

Musk, Thiel, and Bannon appear in newly released Epstein records, years after sex-offender plea

By
Eva Roytburg
Eva Roytburg
Fellow, News
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Eva Roytburg
Eva Roytburg
Fellow, News
Down Arrow Button Icon
September 26, 2025, 6:13 PM ET
The mug shot of Jeffrey Epstein in 2019.
Epstein maintained ties with more of the world’s wealthiest and most politically connected figures. Kypros/Getty Images

Newly disclosed records from Jeffrey Epstein’s estate, released Friday by the House Oversight Committee Democrats, show that Tesla CEO Elon Musk, Peter Thiel, and Steve Bannon were all listed on Epstein’s calendars in the years before his 2019 arrest.

Recommended Video

The tranche—more than 8,500 documents including phone logs, flight manifests, and daily schedules—suggests that Epstein maintained ties with more of the world’s wealthiest and most politically connected figures than previously known after his 2007 plea deal that forced him to register as a sex offender.

epstein-3rdtranche-1Download

The documents don’t necessarily suggest wrongdoing by Musk, Thiel, Bannon, or others mentioned. Still, the schedules highlight how Epstein’s social circle included tech moguls, financiers, royals, and political strategists years after his first conviction.

High-profile names, tentative meetings

A December 2014 schedule includes the entry: “Reminder: Elon Musk to island Dec. 6 (is this still happening?).” At the time, Epstein owned a private island in the U.S. Virgin Islands that became infamous for serving as the site of sex trafficking.

Later entries show Epstein penciling in a lunch with Thiel, the billionaire venture capitalist and GOP donor, on Nov. 27, 2017, and a breakfast with Bannon on Feb. 16, 2019—just months before Epstein was charged with sex trafficking. That meeting came while Bannon remained a prominent figure in Trump’s political orbit.

Other pages reference Prince Andrew on a May 2000 flight with Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell from New Jersey to Florida.

Democrats on the Oversight Committee framed the releases as a step toward transparency.

“It should be clear to every American that Jeffrey Epstein was friends with some of the most powerful and wealthiest men in the world,” spokesperson Sara Guerrero said in a press release. “Every new document produced provides new information as we work to bring justice for the survivors and victims.”

The references to Musk, Thiel, and Bannon tie them to Epstein years after his 2007 conviction—a time when critics say he leveraged weak oversight to maintain connections with powerful figures.

Musk’s mention is notable as he has publicly accused Trump of hiding Epstein-related records earlier this year, saying the files should be released in full.

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

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
By Eva RoytburgFellow, News

Eva is a fellow on Fortune's news desk.

See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon

Latest in Cybersecurity

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

Most Popular

placeholder alt text
North America
'I meant what I said in Davos': Carney says he really is planning a Canada split with the U.S. along with 12 new trade deals
By Rob Gillies and The Associated PressJanuary 28, 2026
1 day ago
placeholder alt text
C-Suite
Fortune 500 CEOs are no longer giving employees an A for effort. Now they want proof of impact
By Claire ZillmanJanuary 28, 2026
2 days ago
placeholder alt text
Politics
The American taxpayer spent nearly half a billion dollars deploying federal troops to U.S. cities in 2025, CBO finds
By Nick LichtenbergJanuary 28, 2026
1 day ago
placeholder alt text
Success
Every U.S. Olympian is going home with $200,000, whether they medal or not, thanks to a billionaire's $100 million gift
By Jacqueline MunisJanuary 28, 2026
1 day ago
placeholder alt text
C-Suite
Jeff Bezos capped his Amazon salary at $80,000: ‘How could I possibly need more incentive?’
By Sydney LakeJanuary 28, 2026
1 day ago
placeholder alt text
Real Estate
Ryan Serhant thinks the American Dream was just a 'slogan created by banks,' but it was really about FDR, the Great Depression, and an economic crisis
By Sydney Lake and Nick LichtenbergJanuary 26, 2026
3 days ago

© 2026 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.


Latest in Cybersecurity

ICE
CybersecurityMilitary
Only 4 democracies have created paramilitary police squads since 1960—if you include ICE
By Erica De Bruin and The ConversationJanuary 29, 2026
2 hours ago
people with masks over their faces sit cross-legged, crowded next to each other
CryptoCryptocurrency
Judge hits Chinese crypto scammer who helped swindle $37 million from U.S. victims with 46-month sentence
By Carlos GarciaJanuary 28, 2026
1 day ago
trump
CybersecuritySocial Media
The White House vows ‘the memes will continue,’ but misinformation experts say please, make it stop
By Kaitlyn Huamani and The Associated PressJanuary 27, 2026
2 days ago
CybersecurityTikTok
Why China’s ByteDance could be a big winner in its TikTok deal with Trump
By Nicholas GordonJanuary 27, 2026
2 days ago
LawSocial Media
TikTok users panic over the app’s ‘immigration data’ collection in its new privacy policy, but the wording isn’t new. Here’s what it means
By Marco Quiroz-GutierrezJanuary 27, 2026
3 days ago
trump speaks at davos
CryptoCryptocurrency
From Trump to Brian Armstrong to CZ, crypto was in the Davos spotlight like never before
By Carlos GarciaJanuary 23, 2026
6 days ago