Billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk has strongly denied allegations linking him to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein and Epstein’s private island, insisting that he never visited the island and repeatedly refused invitations. Musk said Epstein persistently tried to lure him into visiting, but claimed he “always declined,” portraying himself as someone who deliberately kept his distance despite repeated approaches.
Musk’s rebuttal followed a public and increasingly bitter exchange with Reid Hoffman, who accused the Tesla and SpaceX chief of misrepresenting his past interactions with Epstein and attempting to deflect attention. Hoffman criticised Musk online, alleging that Musk was making false accusations to shield himself from scrutiny and drawing comparisons between Hoffman’s fundraising visit to MIT and Musk’s alleged interest in attending what Epstein had described as a major gathering on his private island.
Responding on X, Musk claimed that Epstein had relentlessly pressured him to visit the island, which he described in crude terms, and said that while he had always refused, Hoffman had actually gone. Musk questioned Hoffman directly, asking what “gifts” he had brought when he visited the island, further escalating the public feud.
The controversy intensified after newly released court documents and emails emerged, appearing to show exchanges between Musk and Epstein several years after Epstein’s 2008 conviction for sex crimes. The correspondence suggested discussions about potential meetings, travel arrangements, and possible visits, which critics have interpreted as evidence of Musk’s interest in socialising with Epstein.
Musk rejected that interpretation, maintaining that he never flew on Epstein’s aircraft, never attended any of his parties, and never set foot on the private island. He argued that the emails and messages were being selectively interpreted and stripped of context to create a misleading narrative about his actions and intentions.
The latest round of criticism followed the release of additional records by the United States Department of Justice, which showed that Musk had attempted to arrange several meetings with Epstein and had sought an invitation to a large gathering on Epstein’s private island. Emails dating from 2012 and 2013 reportedly include discussions about possible visits, helicopter travel, and tentative dates while Musk was vacationing in the Caribbean. One such proposed visit was later called off due to scheduling conflicts.
As scrutiny mounted, Musk described the allegations as part of a broader smear campaign against him. In multiple posts on X, he said he had knowingly exposed himself to backlash by advocating for the full release of Epstein-related files. He claimed that no one had pushed harder than he had for transparency and for holding abusers accountable, and said he fully expected attacks from what he described as “legacy media” and political adversaries despite, in his view, having no involvement in Epstein’s crimes.
The controversy took another turn after Musk’s daughter, Vivian Wilson, commented publicly on the emails. She said she believed the messages were authentic, noting that the family was indeed in St Barth’s during the period referenced in the correspondence. While stopping short of accusing her father of wrongdoing, she suggested that he was in denial and criticised his attempts to dismiss the emails as being taken out of context.
According to the documents, Musk appeared to show interest at one point in visiting Epstein’s private island in the Caribbean. In response to the renewed scrutiny, Musk shared an email that he said showed Epstein referring to Reid Hoffman’s presence on the island. Musk claimed Epstein had tried to use Hoffman’s visit as a way to persuade him to attend as well, but that this information instead reinforced his decision to stay away and cut off further contact.
Hoffman has previously acknowledged that he regrets having associated with Epstein and has consistently denied any involvement in criminal activity. Nevertheless, the exchange between the two prominent tech figures has drawn significant attention as more names from elite political and business circles surface in Epstein-related records.
In one widely circulated online exchange, Musk endorsed a post listing several powerful individuals whose names have appeared in Epstein-related files, including Bill Gates, Steve Bannon, Hoffman, and Bill Clinton. The post claimed that Musk was the only one openly calling for prosecutions. Musk responded bluntly, writing that it was “because they are guilty,” a remark that further fuelled controversy and criticism.
The renewed debate follows the Justice Department’s release on Friday of the largest batch of Epstein-related material to date. The disclosure includes roughly three million pages of documents, nearly 180,000 images, and around 2,000 video files, released under a law mandating greater transparency. While officials have stated that the release does not automatically imply wrongdoing by those named, the sheer volume of material has reignited public scrutiny of Epstein’s extensive network and the nature of his relationships with some of the world’s most influential figures.
