Tech billionaire Elon Musk has for years said that he didn’t know convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein very well. In 2019, shortly before Epstein died in a New York jail cell, Musk told Vanity Fair magazine that he considered Epstein a “creep” and said that Epstein “tried repeatedly to get me to visit his island” but that Musk had declined to do so.
Documents released Friday by the Justice Department provide another perspective on their acquaintanceship. The records include at least 16 emails between Musk and Epstein in 2012 and 2013, including multiple instances where Musk expressed interest in visiting Epstein’s Caribbean island, which has since become notorious as an alleged location for Epstein’s abuse of women and girls.
“What day/night will be the wildest party on your island?” Musk wrote in an email to Epstein in November 2012, according to the newly released files.
Musk sought to visit the island at least twice, in late 2012 and again in late 2013, according to the emails, indicating that the interest in him visiting was not entirely one-sided.
The emails do not say whether Musk ultimately visited the island and do not indicate any wrongdoing by Musk.
Musk did not respond to requests for comment Friday. In a series of posts on X Saturday, Musk called for justice for victims and prosections of people who participated in Epstein’s sex trafficking. He did not name any specific people.
In one post, Musk denied attending Epstein’s parties.
“I have never been to any Epstein parties ever and have many times call for the prosecution of those who have committed crimes with Epstein,” Musk wrote. “The acid test for justice is not the release of the files, but rather the prosecution of those who committed heinous crimes with Epstein.”
Epstein pleaded guilty in 2008 to procuring an underage girl for prostitution and then registered as a sex offender, although the allegations involving him and activities at his island did not begin to receive wide attention until about 2015.
A copy of Epstein’s daily schedules released Sept. 26 by House Democrats showed that Musk was tentatively expected to visit Epstein’s island in December 2014 — the third winter in a row when either he or Epstein raised the possibility of a visit. Musk said in a post on X later that day that the schedule entry was “false,” without elaborating. The following day he wrote on X: “Epstein tried to get me to go to his island and I REFUSED.”
The emails released Friday also showed that Musk and Epstein emailed about subjects other than potential island visits, including solar energy and the importance of sleep. Their respective administrative assistants were also in contact to organize possible meetings, such as a planned lunch at SpaceX’s office near Los Angeles in February 2013, according to the emails. It’s unclear if that meeting took place.
Musk has not been accused of any wrongdoing in connection with Epstein.