By Don Terry | Sunday, September 28, 2025 | 6 min read

The names of Elon Musk, Peter Thiel, and Steve Bannon have surfaced in the latest release of Jeffrey Epstein’s papers, reminding Americans of the strange intersections of power, politics, and influence that continue to haunt public life. It is a story as much about what the documents do not say as about what they do.

The newly unsealed records, released by Democrats on the House Oversight Committee, add more than 8,500 pages of phone logs, schedules, and flight manifests to the public record. Taken together, they paint a picture of a man who, long after his 2007 conviction that forced him to register as a sex offender, was still able to move among billionaires, royals, and political operatives with relative ease. They also remind us that proximity to Epstein was not confined to the entertainment world or Wall Street bankers; it extended deep into the Silicon Valley and the Republican political machine.

Among the more eye-catching entries is a December 2014 note that reads, “Reminder: Elon Musk to island Dec. 6 (is this still happening?).” The island in question was Epstein’s private property in the Virgin Islands, which would later become a byword for exploitation and trafficking. There is no evidence in the records that the trip happened, nor any proof of misconduct by Musk. But the very mention illustrates how Epstein continued to attempt to draw powerful people into his orbit.

Other records highlight meetings with two figures who became critical architects of Donald Trump’s rise: Thiel, the contrarian venture capitalist whose early support for Trump helped bring Silicon Valley cash and credibility into his campaign, and Bannon, the political strategist who would become synonymous with Trump’s brand of nationalist populism. Epstein’s calendar shows a lunch penciled in with Thiel on November 27, 2017, and a breakfast scheduled with Bannon on February 16, 2019—just a few months before Epstein’s final arrest. By then, Bannon remained firmly within Trump’s circle of influence, even after leaving the White House.

These three figures—Musk, Thiel, and Bannon—are not just names on a calendar. They have each, in their own way, played roles in shaping the political landscape that made Donald Trump president in 2016 and again in 2024. Thiel’s money and contrarian credibility helped nudge Silicon Valley toward Trump’s side. Bannon’s sharp instincts and dark populism gave Trump a movement. Musk, with his massive social platform, cash and unpredictable interventions, has become a loudspeaker in the culture war that keeps Trump at the center of public life. Their combined influence underscores why their presence in Epstein’s orbit lands with such weight.

Musk, in particular, has taken risks in how he talks about Trump. Earlier this year, he abruptly claimed that Trump’s name was on Epstein’s list. In Trump’s world, that sort of accusation is more than careless—it is political suicide. Trump has built his career on loyalty and punishment, operating with a kind of mafia-like instinct that spares no one who crosses him. To suggest such a connection was, in effect, to invite retaliation from a man who has never hesitated to destroy rivals or defectors. Musk may have thought he was championing transparency, but in Trump’s unforgiving universe, that was the equivalent of drawing a target on his own back.

For Democrats on the Oversight Committee, the disclosure was about more than scoring political points. “It should be clear to every American that Jeffrey Epstein was friends with some of the most powerful and wealthiest men in the world,” said spokesperson Sara Guerrero in a statement. “Every new document produced provides new information as we work to bring justice for the survivors and victims.” That message was aimed as much at transparency as at reminding the public that accountability has been uneven, particularly when it comes to those with immense resources.

The files also reference other names long tied to the Epstein saga, including Prince Andrew, noted in connection with a May 2000 flight from New Jersey to Florida with Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell. The prince’s association with Epstein has been the subject of scandal and litigation for years, further illustrating how Epstein sought to attach himself to institutions of wealth and monarchy just as much as business and politics.

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What stands out in these documents is not only Epstein’s persistence but also the apparent willingness of powerful people to continue brushing up against him, even after his criminal conviction. The argument has long been that Epstein used his money and social reach to normalize his presence in circles that should have shunned him, and these records give weight to that theory. By 2017 and 2019, Epstein was hardly a shadowy unknown; he was a convicted sex offender with a reputation. Yet here were names that would help shape the trajectory of American politics and technology appearing in his calendar.

Representatives for Musk, Thiel, and Bannon have declined to comment on the latest release. That silence, whether out of legal caution or simple unwillingness to add fuel to the fire, leaves the public with documents that raise questions but provide few answers. Still, the absence of explanation allows speculation to fill the void, and speculation is often enough to erode trust.

It is possible that some of these meetings never happened, that Epstein was bluffing, exaggerating, or simply hopeful. His calendars often included tentative notes and penciled-in reminders. But the significance is that he felt he could claim proximity to people who, by any measure, held extraordinary sway over the American political and cultural landscape. For the survivors of Epstein’s abuse, these papers are not just a record of his appointments but of a network that enabled him, whether intentionally or through neglect, to remain powerful far longer than justice should have allowed.

In the end, the documents released by the Oversight Committee will be sifted through for weeks, dissected for what they say about power, loyalty, and silence. Musk, Thiel, and Bannon may never face direct consequences for appearing in Epstein’s notes, but their presence there is a reminder of how closely the worlds of politics, technology, and scandal can intertwine. And for Trump, who owes part of his political ascent to men like Thiel and Bannon, the resurfacing of their names in connection with Epstein only deepens the sense that American democracy continues to play out against a backdrop of uneasy alliances and compromised legacies.

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