Inside Jeffrey Epstein

In late 2016, Jeffrey Epstein flew solo in his private Gulfstream G550 from Paris to Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, and left the visit with a lavish gift, apparently from Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. It was a tent, “rugs and everything,” as he later described it. Bedouin tents, in Middle Eastern culture, are a symbol of hospitality.

What Epstein was doing to be honored with that gift is currently a mystery.

This was one of several meetings and interactions Epstein had with world leaders, according to emails and documents released in recent weeks detailing his activities in the final years of his life. They also included meetings with other members of the Saudi royal family.

Bin Salman is visiting washington this week and meet with President Trump. It is an important moment for the Kingdom as it seeks to improve its global image following the murder of a journalist in 2018. Jamal Khashoggi. Until now, Epstein’s business dealings with the Kingdom and members of the royal family have largely avoided close scrutiny.

Much of that information comes from the disclosure of hundreds of text messages, emails and other documents sent to the House Oversight Committee by Epstein’s estate as part of the committee’s investigation. Revelations about the tent and rugs were included in emails between Epstein and Hyatt CEO Tom Pritzker.

Epstein’s planning for his 2016 trip included an email from his assistant saying, “Did you need me to book you into the Four Seasons in Riyadh? Or will the king take care of it!?”

News themezone reached out to Saudi officials in DC for comment and had not received a response by the time of publication.

There is no evidence that anyone involved in the Saudi government was involved in anything related to Epstein’s sex trafficking allegations.

It is unclear why Epstein’s estate has decided to release certain documents. The release is in response to a subpoena that included requests for documents related to his finances as well as potential victims. What has been released is likely a fraction of what the estate has of Epstein’s communications, and it is unclear whether there will be future releases that could provide additional details. Epstein maintained extensive communication with his staff, financial clients and friends over the years.

How Congress voted almost unanimously Tuesday to demand release from the Department of Justice Epstein Archivesmost of the public’s attention has been focused on his sex crimes, but any release of additional documents could reveal more about Epstein’s vast global business connections, which until now have remained largely unknown.

Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., told News themezone there are a number of unanswered questions stemming from Epstein’s financial dealings around the world.

“My own investigation has found that Epstein was moving hundreds of millions of dollars around the world during the years he operated his cross-border sex trafficking operation, but it remains unclear who among his foreign network knew about, enabled it and participated in his trafficking,” Wyden said.

Epstein, who was profiled as an elite money manager, also advised the governments of Mongolia and the Maldives, in addition to traveling and presumably making or pursuing business deals in the United Arab Emirates, Morocco, Ivory Coast, China, Russia, Qatar and Belarus, according to those documents. But Epstein’s contacts with Saudi Arabia appear to have been some of his most extensive and potentially lucrative dealings with foreign leaders.

Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman consolidated his control in Saudi Arabia in 2017 following a purge of high-level government officials. A few days later, New York Times journalist Thomas Landon Jr. emailed Epstein: “Did your Saudi friends survive the purge?” Epstein responded: “Everyone. With God’s help ;)”

Epstein discussed another run-in with the Saudi crown prince in April 2018. He appears in a text message exchange with an individual whose name is redacted in the documents but who, based on the context of their conversation, appears to be Trump’s former adviser. Steve Bannon. Epstein writes: “MBS [Mohammed bin Salman] It has the Louvre and 400 guards. To himself”, and indicates that he is on his way.

“There’s no better way to spend Sunday,” was the response.

That night, French President Emmanuel Macron tweeted a photo of himself and bin Salman at the Louvre with the caption “With Mohammed Bin Salman, Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia.” News themezone contacted the French government to find out if Epstein was present, but did not receive a response.

That document ended with a text message the next day from Epstein to Bannon: “If you’re around the 18th, in DC. John Kerry,” the former senator, presidential candidate and secretary of state.

A spokesperson for Kerry told News themezone that he was back in Boston after the end of his service in the Obama administration. “He was not in Washington, D.C., he was never scheduled to be in Washington, and he did not have a meeting or a meeting request with that cast of characters, period, which is not surprising since he did not have a relationship with any of them, and was not in contact with any of them,” the spokesperson said.

According to other messages sent from Epstein, he was planning another visit for the summer of 2019 to Saudi Arabia. That trip never happened due to his arrest and incarceration on federal sex crimes charges.

Other signs of connections between Epstein and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia have emerged since his death. Authorities found a photograph of Epstein posing with bin Salman prominently displayed in his Manhattan mansion, according to The New York Times.

After Epstein’s arrest in 2019, officials also discovered he had an expired Austrian passport from the 1980s with his photograph and a false name, listing his residency as Saudi Arabia.