A new Justice Department release of Jeffrey Epstein-related documents includes references to numerous prominent individuals and offers additional details about Epstein’s ties to figures such as Bill Gates, Elon Musk and former Prince Andrew.
The materials were published Friday, more than 40 days after the Dec. 19 legal deadline set by the Epstein Files Transparency Act, which Congress passed and President Trump signed. Earlier DOJ releases included emails and photos mentioning other notable people, including President Trump, former President Bill Clinton, Mick Jagger, Woody Allen and Larry Summers. CBS News and partner news organizations are reviewing the newly released files.
Below are key items from the latest batch:
Prince Andrew
– The release includes undated photos showing Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor on all fours over an unidentified woman; in one image he appears to touch her abdomen and in another he looks at the camera while crouching over her. No context is provided and timing/location are unclear.
– Andrew has repeatedly denied wrongdoing but has been stripped of royal titles and duties amid the broader scandal. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer urged him to share information with U.S. investigators. Andrew has declined the House Oversight Committee’s request for a transcribed interview about his relationship with Epstein. CBS News has contacted his representatives.
Elon Musk
– Multiple emails from more than a decade ago show Epstein and Musk corresponded about holiday travel and parties in the Caribbean and indicate Musk may have visited Epstein’s island at least once.
– A Nov. 25, 2012 email had Epstein asking how many people Musk would bring on a helicopter ride to the island; Musk replied, “Probably just Talulah and me” (Talulah Riley was his wife then). Musk asked which night would be the “wildest party” on the island.
– Epstein invited Musk for Christmas in 2013 and 2014; emails suggest Musk was scheduled to go to the island Dec. 6, 2014, though another note questioned whether that was still happening.
– Musk wrote on X that he “had very little correspondence with Epstein and declined repeated invitations to go to his island or fly on his ‘Lolita Express,’” and said some email exchanges could be misinterpreted.
Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick
– Emails indicate former Wall Street executive and current Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and his family visited Little Saint James in 2012. Lutnick’s wife coordinated travel with Epstein’s assistant. A Dec. 24, 2012 note thanks Lutnick for a visit.
– Lutnick told the New York Post in 2025 that he and his wife cut ties with Epstein in 2005 after an unsettling tour of Epstein’s New York home. A Commerce Department spokesperson said Lutnick “had limited interactions with Mr. Epstein in the presence of his wife and has never been accused of wrongdoing.”
New York Giants co-owner Steve Tisch
– A 2013 email exchange shows Tisch asking Epstein about women he’d met through Epstein, including a “Ukrainian Girl.” Epstein’s replies include crude descriptions and indicate he would collect more information. Other emails show invitations to Giants games and Epstein inviting Tisch to his island.
– Tisch told CBS News the association was brief, that he exchanged emails about adult women, philanthropy and investments, and that he “did not take him up on any of his invitations and never went to his island.”
Bill Gates
– Two July 18, 2013 emails Epstein sent to himself contain unverified allegations that Bill Gates had extramarital sex with “Russian girls,” contracted a sexually transmitted infection requiring antibiotics, and sought to surreptitiously give antibiotics to his then-wife Melinda Gates. One document appears to be a drafted resignation letter from someone named “Boris” describing participation in ethically problematic acts, including “helping Bill to get drugs.”
– The emails appear to have been written by Epstein, possibly on behalf of an aggrieved employee; some outlets have suggested the drafts may relate to Boris Nikolic, a former Gates employee. A Gates spokesperson called the claims “absolutely absurd and completely false,” saying the documents show Epstein’s frustration and attempts to entrap and defame.
President Trump
– The trove contains hundreds of references to former President Trump. A Sept. 2009 deposition by Epstein’s former house manager, Juan Alessi, said Trump “never” stayed over at Epstein’s Palm Beach home and never received a massage there. Another 2012 message asks whether Epstein should go to Mar-a-Lago after Christmas instead of his island; sender and recipient are redacted.
– The Justice Department said some materials contain untrue information about Trump. Trump has said he cut ties with Epstein two decades ago and claimed the documents further exonerate him.
Steve Bannon
– The release includes nearly two hours of video from an interview between Steve Bannon and Epstein. Earlier releases showed Bannon and Epstein corresponded and that Epstein sought to rehabilitate his reputation through a documentary with Bannon.
– In the interview Bannon asks, “What are you, class three sexual predator?” Epstein replies “Tier one,” then amends that he’s “the lowest.” Emails also indicate Bannon and his son received Hermes Apple watches from Epstein in late 2018.
Brett Ratner
– Photos in the release show filmmaker Brett Ratner with Epstein and two women; Ratner has his arm around a woman on a couch while Epstein sits next to another woman. Ratner has previously denied allegations of sexual misconduct that surfaced in 2017. CBS News has reached out to Ratner’s production company.
Dr. Mehmet Oz
– A 2004 transaction report shows Epstein paid $1,592 to Shoppers Travel, Inc., for Oz’s travel. Epstein was invited to an event in 2014 where Oz spoke but wrote he was unavailable. A 2016 email from Oz to Epstein is redacted. Oz has served as administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services since 2025; CMS did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Kathryn Ruemmler
– A December 2015 email from Kathryn Ruemmler, who served as White House counsel under President Obama, said “I adore him. It’s like having another older brother!” after Epstein offered to buy her a first-class ticket to Europe. Ruemmler later told the Wall Street Journal in 2023 she regretted ever knowing Epstein. She is now chief legal officer and general counsel at Goldman Sachs.
Woody Allen
– A May 2015 text exchange shows Epstein asking Woody Allen if he wanted a “day museum White House trip” the next week; Allen replied, “With my rap sheet I’ll never get past security.” It’s unclear whether they referred to a visit to the White House or a tourist trip.
Bill Clinton and Jeff Bezos
– An October 2009 email from publicist Peggy Siegal said she had just left Ghislaine Maxwell’s house after an after-party where “Bill Clinton and Jeff Bezos were there.” Clinton previously acknowledged flying on Epstein’s plane several times in 2002–2003 for foundation-related travel, saying he knew nothing of Epstein’s crimes. Bezos’ presence at the party is noted in the newly released email.
Other notes
– The documents include previously reported materials and new items that are often redacted, undated or lacking context. Many references are unverified and some material appears false or defamatory, according to the Justice Department.
– CBS News has reached out to multiple people named in the documents and is reviewing the files alongside journalists from NBC, Versant and The Associated Press.
Contributors to the report include Graham Kates, Daniel Ruetenik, Emma Nicholson, Ibrahim Aksoy, Sheena Samu, Zak Hudak, Kathryn Watson, Kristin Brown and The Associated Press.