Dirty Forty: Epstein’s Billionaire Friends & Associates Are Sullying American Elections

Convicted child sex offender Jeffrey Epstein has been dead for nearly 6 years, but his close friends and associates still loom like a specter over our nation’s political institutions. Since the (partial) release of the Epstein Files by the Department of Justice, the American people have learned more about the extraordinary breadth of Jeffrey Epstein’s social and financial circle, which included some of the world’s most powerful people. Yet despite enormous evidence of a vast child sex trafficking ring, only one individual—Ghislaine Maxwell, Epstein’s long time co-conspirator—has been prosecuted for the trafficking upwards of 1,000 young women and girls over several decades. 

The nation’s political, economic, and judicial systems have failed to deliver justice for the victims. Yet, in this current election cycle and in cycles reaching decades into the past, more than $1.57 billion of political spending came from more than 40 billionaires with credible documented ties to Jeffrey Epstein, based on Federal Election Commission and Department of Justice files analyzed by Americans for Tax Fairness. This amount covers a period from the Supreme Court’s disastrous Citizens United ruling in 2010, that allowed for unlimited political spending by these Epstein billionaires, to May 15th 2026. 

While the number of billionaires connected to Jeffrey Epstein is split fairly evenly between self-identified Democrats and Republicans, their political spending clearly skews hard toward Republicans. We estimate that over $1.3 billion (84%) of their collective political spending has gone to Republicans or conservative activism, while roughly $105 million (7%) has supported Democrats and liberal causes. The remaining political spending has gone to Political Action Committees (PACs) that back both Democrats and Republicans on specific issues, predominantly directed to candidates that are pro-AI, pro-crypto, or pro-Israel. 

This political spending represents pocket change for these billionaire Epstein associates who hold $1.7 trillion of wealth combined and had benefitted from the last two major tax laws driven by President Trump and Congressional Republicans. The tremendous financial influence this small clique holds over our elections and political system represents just 0.09% of their total wealth. 



We examined how much of this political spending has gone to the two political dynasties most entwined with the Epstein network: the Trumps and Clintons. In fact, both Presidents penned entries into Epstein’s sexually graphic birthday book, demonstrating that even in an era of high political polarization prominent Democrats and Republicans can come together to celebrate billionaire pedophiles.


We estimate that Trump’s presidential campaigns and affiliated super PACs received $282 million from Epstein connected billionaires, including Reid Hoffman, Glen Dubin, and Elon Musk. 

We estimate that Clinton’s 2016 presidential campaign and affiliated super PACs received $1.7 million from Epstein connected billionaires, including Ronald Lauder, Howard Lutnick, and Elon Musk. 

 

The connections between the billionaires named above to convicted pedophile Jeffrey Epstein are varied, ranging from likely co-conspirators, deep personal friendships, business partners, self-interested patrons, social climbers, to severely negligent. No one on this list has been convicted of a crime connected to Jeffrey Epstein. Certainly a number of these billionaires are innocent of any wrongdoing and are only guilty of a severe lack of judgment. However, the following describes the connections between Jeffrey Epstein and billionaires. 



Sheldon & Miriam Adelson: Hundreds of appearances of the Adelson’s names in the Epstein files, most notably in relation to Jeffrey Epstein’s connections in the Macau gambling industry. Sheldon Adelson’s name and contact information appear in Epstein’s black book. A partially redacted FBI document has a confidential human source reporting that Alan Dershowitz, Epstein’s personal defense attorney, frequent guest to the Epstein Island, and potential co-conspirator, was under the control of the Adelsons. To this day the connections between Dershowitz and Miriam Adelson appear strong, with Donald Trump bragging about a plan to run for a 3rd term involving both of them

 

Elon & Kimbal Musk: DOJ-released documents revealed at least 16 emails between Elon Musk and Jeffrey Epstein spanning November 2012 to December 2013. The emails show Musk initiating contact about visiting Epstein’s island, asking about ‘the wildest party’. In February 2013, Epstein and three female assistants visited SpaceX headquarters; Epstein’s assistant Lesley Groff emailed passport copies for ‘Jeffrey and 3 girls’ to arrange the visit. In August 2015, Musk attended a private dinner in Palo Alto hosted by Reid Hoffman where Epstein was present and photographed Musk alongside Mark Zuckerberg. Musk was also listed on invitations alongside Epstein and attended gatherings organized by Al Seckel, a known Epstein associate. An entry in Epstein’s calendar serves as a reminder: “Elon Musk to island Dec. 6 (is this still happening?).” Musk acknowledged visiting Epstein’s New York City townhouse in 2012

Elon’s brother and fellow billionaire Kimbal Musk had direct email correspondence with Jeffrey Epstein illustrating their social relationship. Kimbal Musk invited Jeffrey Epstein to a party in September 2012, and Epstein attempted to add guests to the ‘Musk party.’ Kimbal Musk had a scheduled lunch at Jeffrey Epstein’s house in October 2012.

 

Marc Andreessen: Epstein was an early investor with the venture capital firm Andreessen Horowitz with extensive professional connections to top executives. Two big professional relationships loom large. Steven Sinofsky, a Microsoft executive and board member of Andreessen’s venture capital company, had an extensive email correspondence with Jeffrey Epstein totaling over 1,400 communications. Michael Ovitz as senior advisor to Andreessen’s venture capital firm praised Epstein for his “outstanding multiple talents.” In a released audio clip from the DOJ, Epstein is caught effusively encouraging former Israeli Prime Minister to invest in Andreessen’s venture capital firm, and promising introductions to the titans of Silicon Valley. While there appears to be limited personal interaction between the two, it is undisputed that Andreessen had multiple financial ties to Jeffrey Epstein long after he was convicted of soliciting sex from a minor. 

 

Reid Hoffman: Hoffman, the billionaire founder of LinkedIn, was deeply embedded in the Epstein network, and used as a point person in his dealings with Silicon Valley elites. The January 2026 DOJ file release references Hoffman in 2,658 separate documents. While Mr. Hoffman claimed that his last contact with Epstein was in 2015, almost a decade after he was convicted of soliciting sex from a minor, these emails revealed additional interactions including in-person meetings and Skype calls in 2016 and 2018. It has been widely reported that Hoffman visited Epstein’s private island on numerous occasions, and there is even an email exchange where Epstein informed Hoffman that he had found his passport inside a gift bag. 

 

Steven Wynn: Along with having dozens of women accusing this hotel magnate of sexual misconduct, Steven Wynn’s corporate lawyers reportedly enlisted Jeffrey Epstein services in tracking the location of a woman, who had made sexual assault accusation against Wynn. Jeffrey Epstein purchased Steve Wynn’s Boeing Business Jet (BBJ) around October 2014. Steven Wynn also appeared in Epstein’s black book.

 

Peter Thiel: The Paypal co-founder and J.D. Vance paymaster was mentioned in nearly 3,000 Epstein file documents and was in the black book, and the two reportedly exchanged more than 2,000 emails. Thiel attended a gathering at Epstein’s Manhattan residence alongside Bill Gates and Mort Zuckerman. Thiel appears on multiple Epstein social guest lists, even after his sexual interest in underaged girls was widely known. ​​Epstein invested $40 million in venture capital funds managed by Valar Ventures, a firm co-founded by Thiel, now worth nearly $170 million. The two billionaires apparently swapped strategies to avoid the IRS tracking their hidden wealth. 

 

Howard Lutnick: Secretary of Commerce Lutnick and Jefferey Epstein were longtime next door neighbors in Manhattan. While Lutnick claimed he cut ties with the convicted pedophile in 2005, DOJ documents have revealed Lutnick, then CEO of the powerful financial services firm Cantor Fitzgerald, telling “Jeff” how excited he was to visit the Epstein island in 2012. Lutnick also appeared on an FBI investigative list of persons associated with Epstein alongside Glen Dubin, Jes Staley, Leon Black, Les Wexner, Alan Dershowitz, Bill Clinton, and Tony Blair, with a notation ‘ponzi scheme‘ next to his name.

 

Ronald Lauder: The billionaire heir to the Estée Lauder fortune was repeatedly mentioned in court documents as attending events and sharing social circles with Jeffrey Epstein, including scheduling personal phone calls and lunches as late as 2017. Most damningly, in 2014 Epstein coordinated the creation of a legal vehicle that allowed Ronald Lauder and fellow billionaire Leon Black to share ownership of a $25 million painting. Lauder gave $5 million to Trump’s Super PAC in 2024 

 

Marc Rowan: This top executive at the private equity firm Apollo Global Management had direct and sustained contact with Jeffrey Epstein from 2013 to 2016, long after his sex offense conviction. Rowan and Epstein shared numerous personal emails, phone calls, and in-person meetings. Additionally, DOJ documents reveal Apollo Global Management solicited Epstein’s advice on tax planning, despite claiming in 2020 they “never did any business with Jeffrey Epstein at any point in time.” 

 

Further descriptions and source details for the rest of Epstein’s billionaire network can be found here. 

 

What is to be done? It is clear that our political institutions have failed the American people. With President Donald Trump literally a co-author of Epstein’s birthday book where he wrote a poem about his friend Jeffrey’s “wonderful secret” over a sketch of a naked woman’s body, this administration has not delivered justice for the more than 1,000 victims of Epstein and his associates. Why was Epstein able to get away with it for so long? Extraordinary amounts of money is the key reason. Jeffrey Epstein himself was worth upwards of $600 million, and that wealth translated into sweetheart deals and avoiding serious jail time for far too long. Now the billionaire class are using their wealth to insulate themselves against the consequences of their actions, the same way Epstein did. 

 

Investigate the Epstein Class: We need a full congressional investigation of all the individuals listed in this report, including using the power of the Way & Means Committee to subpoena their tax returns. Many of these billionaires, such as Leon Black, claimed their relationship with Epstein stemmed from his incredible tax planning acumen. It is time the public is informed of the full extent of these Epstein tax dodges. 

 

Overturn Citizens United: This is one of the worst Supreme Court rulings in modern history and has led directly to the Epstein class running roughshod over our democracy. Congress must use every lever of power, including reforming the court, to fight back against the radical right-wing assault on campaign finance regulations.

 

Enact a Billionaire Income Tax: A reform that would ensure billionaires have less money to spend on political influence would be making them pay their fair share of taxes. In some years, some of these fabulous wealthy individuals pay nothing in federal income taxes. Several versions of the billionaires income tax have been proposed, including one by President Biden, that would tax the increased value of the assets of the ultra-rich, like corporate stock, similar to the way workers’ wages are taxed, whether they sell those assets or not. This way income from wealth will be taxed more like workers’ wages. The growth in these assets is the biggest form of income for the ultra-rich, and it can now go entirely untaxed. Senator Ron Wyden (D-OR) introduced legislation that would tax billionaires, including the Epstein Class, on their unrealized gains. 

 

Pass the DISCLOSE Act to Expose Dark Money: The Epstein network money tracked down in this report only includes a fraction of what could be hiding thanks to our broken political disclosure system. Some corrupting billionaire money could be drained out of the political system by throwing some light on dark money. This could be achieved by passage of the DISCLOSE Act. This bill would better police dark money spent by electioneering non-profits by requiring such entities to establish a separate political fund; use only funds separate from the political fund; use only funds from the political fund for electioneering purposes; and disclose the source of donations of $10,000 or more.

 

Methodology: FEC contribution data was extracted on May 15th 2026, covering a period going back to January 1st 2010. It includes contributions over $1,000 from selected individuals. Recipients of political contributions were broken down ideologically based on the partisan spending of those groups during elections. Political Action Committees such as “Fairshake” and “United Democracy Project” that spend large amounts supporting/opposing both Democrats and Republicans were left out of the ideological/party breakdown.