It was widely suggested that many powerful people – from President Donald Trump downwards – would have preferred the notorious Jeffrey Epstein files remain sealed for years to come. Now, with the latest and perhaps most shocking release yet, the doors of his squirming transatlantic boys’ club have been blown open. Epstein had a rare quality in life for manipulating and flattering others. His posthumous influence is every bit as malign, to say nothing of humiliating for all concerned.
The doors of Epstein’s squirming transatlantic boys’ club have been blown open
Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor (formerly styled Prince Andrew) is, as expected, front and center in the latest files. His public disgrace is, of course, long complete because of his association with Epstein. But it is still shocking to discover that he and the billionaire financier were in close contact even after Epstein had been released from prison on child sex charges. In his now infamous BBC interview, Andrew claimed that he had lost touch with Epstein after an investigation was launched in 2006 and only met up with him in December 2010 to cut off contact. But these emails show the former Duke of York cheerily inviting Epstein to Buckingham Palace for dinner months before then and writing, after his period of house arrest ended that year: “Good to be free?”
Epstein, of course, never forgot a friend – or an asset. So, he lined up the then 50-year-old Andrew with a 26-year-old Russian girl called Irina, whom he described as “elevere [sic] beautiful [and] trustworthy.” It may or may not be Irina whom the King’s younger brother was photographed crouching over, while touching her stomach and smirking at the camera. Andrew may long have denied wrongdoing but this compromising, deeply unpleasant situation is only more fuel to the bonfire of his reputationally ruinous association with Epstein.
Yet, Andrew is far from the only one compromised. The files claim that Bill Gates, who has sought to present himself as a leading figure in world philanthropy, caught an STD from Russian girls procured by his billionaire friend. (He angrily denied all claims, calling them “absolutely absurd and completely false.”) In a draft email addressed to ‘Bill’ (but apparently only sent to himself), Epstein wrote: “To add insult to the injury you then subsequently with tears in your eyes, implore me to please delete the emails regarding your std, your request that I provide you antibiotics that you can surreptitiously give to Melinda, and the description of your penis.” Never has the word “Microsoft” had such an unfortunate double entendre.
And there are many more who allegedly benefited from Epstein’s largesse. Former British ambassador to Washington Peter Mandelson’s now-husband Reinaldo da Silva asked for and was given £10,000 ($13,700) from the pedophile to take part in an osteopathy course in 2009. Elon Musk, no stranger to hedonism, asked when the “wildest party” would take place on Epstein’s private island, Little Saint James, in 2012. The likes of Richard Branson, Woody Allen and Bill Clinton were all photographed alongside Epstein in his once-glittering orbit. Although all have denied any wrongdoing, the sense only grows that this deeply wicked man collected powerful figures like objets d’art for his own nefarious gallery of influence. Now, we understand why.
Conspiracy theorists who like to imagine the world is ruled by men in league with giant lizards have been looking in the wrong place. Here, it seems, was a man of huge appetites – amoral, perverted ones at that – who was sufficiently charming and sufficiently useful to a variety of world-renowned figures. They may deny wrongdoing, but why were so many apparently willing to ignore his activities, accept his hospitality and his money – even after his conviction in 2008? Can the answer be any more complex than pure, reckless hedonism or a misguided desire for power?
Already, we’ve seen global outrage over the release of these files – and rightly so. Like the emperor in the children’s story, the members of Epstein’s once-lavish boys’ club have been shown naked to the world. This time, we can all see their pitiful shortcomings.
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