A newly released cache of documents has reignited controversy around Jeffrey Epstein’s social circle, this time in the form of a 2003 birthday book prepared for his 50th birthday. The book, made public on Monday by a US House committee, contains around 50 messages written to the disgraced financier years before his criminal activities involving underage girls came to light. The collection features personal notes attributed to high-profile figures, including former Presidents Bill Clinton and Donald Trump, Harvard law professor Alan Dershowitz, and several well-known business leaders.
The tone of the entries varies widely, ranging from lighthearted and affectionate birthday wishes to crude jokes, sexually explicit comments, and even provocative illustrations. The book also contains photographs of Epstein, including several in which he appears partially clothed, as well as pictures of associates and acquaintances. The mixture of playful sentiments and graphic content paints a complicated and at times disturbing picture of Epstein’s relationships during that period.
One of the most notable entries is attributed to former President Bill Clinton. Written in black marker and bearing what appears to be his handwriting and signature, the note praises Epstein’s curiosity and energy. Clinton’s words reflect on the importance of maintaining “childlike curiosity” and the value of friendship across years of experiences and learning. Though somewhat difficult to decipher in places, the message appears intended to highlight Epstein’s intellectual drive and personal charm. Clinton’s office has declined to comment on the note, and his staff has consistently maintained that the former president was unaware of Epstein’s criminal behavior and only associated with him in connection with humanitarian work.
An equally striking entry bears the name of Donald Trump, who has long claimed to have severed ties with Epstein before the financier’s crimes became public knowledge. The message attributed to Trump is accompanied by a drawing of a voluptuous woman and is sexually suggestive in nature. Trump has denied writing the letter or creating the illustration, even though the entry includes his name and what appears to be his signature. The denial adds yet another layer of controversy to the revelations, particularly given Trump’s previous insistence on distancing himself from Epstein.
Harvard law professor Alan Dershowitz, who at different times represented both Trump and Epstein, also appears in the book with a satirical entry. His note humorously claims to have convinced Vanity Fair to shift a story away from Epstein and onto Clinton, mocking up a fictional article titled “Who Was That Man With Epstein?” The passage jokingly speculates about Clinton’s travel with Epstein to Africa, suggesting media intrigue over why Epstein would be associated with an “obscure former politician from Hope, Arkansas.” Dershowitz has not responded to inquiries regarding the entry and has previously said he does not recall contributing to the book.
Beyond politicians and legal figures, the birthday book includes messages and artwork from influential business leaders and academics. A particularly controversial piece depicts women’s breasts, marked as having been “specially commissioned by Henry Rosovsky,” a Harvard economist who had died a year before Epstein’s birthday celebration. Another entry attributed to billionaire Leslie Wexner, the former CEO of the company that owned Victoria’s Secret and Bath & Body Works, contains a sketch of breasts alongside the note, “I wanted to get you what you want … so here it is.” Wexner has not publicly addressed the release.
Private equity investor Leon Black also appears in the collection with a poem referencing women of various hair colors “spread out geographically,” reinforcing the sexually suggestive and often crude nature of many of the entries. Black, through a spokesperson, declined to comment on the matter.
The release of this birthday book adds a new and unsettling dimension to the long-running scrutiny of Epstein’s personal and professional networks. By blending ordinary birthday wishes with explicit imagery and sexual innuendo, the compilation underscores how Epstein’s social environment often blurred boundaries between respectability, power, and indulgence. It also raises questions about the extent of knowledge, complicity, or detachment of the high-profile figures who owere nce associated with him.
