Topline
Jeffrey Epstein planned to host Elon Musk at his private island in the Caribbean, have lunch with tech billionaire Peter Thiel and have breakfast with Trump ally Steve Bannon, according to newly released documents—the latest to show the extent of Epstein’s ties to the rich and powerful.
Tesla CEO Elon Musk attends the public memorial service for right-wing activist Charlie Kirk at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona, on September 21, 2025. (Photo by PATRICK T. FALLON/AFP via Getty Images)
AFP via Getty Images
Key Facts
The documents released Friday by the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee include emails to Epstein of his itinerary that included a tentative trip to Epstein’s private island in the U.S. Virgin Islands on Dec. 6, 2014, with an annotation that reads “is this still happening?”
Musk claimed the trip plans were “false” in a tweet, and he told Vanity Fair in 2019 he “declined” repeated trips to visit Epstein’s island and his house in New York.
Other entries show plans for breakfast with Bannon on Feb. 16, 2019, lunch with Thiel on Nov. 27, 2017, and a tentative breakfast party with Bill Gates on Dec. 5, 2014.
The entries indicate Epstein was in contact with Musk, Thiel, Bannon and Gates after he pleaded guilty to state charges of soliciting prostitution in Florida in 2008.
Prince Andrew’s name also appears in a manifest for a private flight from Teterboro airport in New Jersey to Palm Beach in May 2000.
Democrats on the panel released the documents, obtained from Epstein’s estate, as part of a subpoena it issued for the records after the Trump administration announced earlier this year the Justice Department would not release the files related to its investigation into Epstein as previously promised.
Forbes has reached out to Bannon and Thiel for comment.
Tangent
Musk broke with Trump and Republicans by calling for the release of the Epstein files earlier this year, posting on X dozens of times attacking Trump’s handling of the issue. Musk also accused Trump, in a since-deleted tweet, of not wanting to release the files because he is in them. Musk has said previously he never took financial advice from Epstein, calling him a “cretin” and “dumb crook” in a tweet in response to a subpoena he received in 2023 from the U.S. Virgin Islands in a case against JPMorgan related to its ties to Epstein.
Key Background
The Oversight Committee began releasing the files earlier this month, including a copy of a birthday note Trump allegedly drew for Epstein’s 50th that features a hand-drawn outline of a woman’s body and reference to a “wonderful secret.” The “Donald” signature at the bottom of the note is nearly identical to Trump’s signature on other documents at the time that were previously made public. The Trump administration denies the signature is his and sued the Wall Street Journal for reporting the note was included in the “birthday book,” Epstein’s associate, Ghislain