Billionaire Leon Black Defends Paying Epstein $158 Million: ‘i Knew Jekyll. I Didn’t Know Hyde’

Billionaire investor Leon Black is being grilled complete his narration pinch Jeffrey Epstein and $158 cardinal successful payments to nan disgraced financier during a House Oversight Committee proceeding Friday.

Black is nan 16th personification to look earlier nan committee arsenic portion of their investigation into nan web of wealthiness and power astir Epstein.

Before nan closed-door deposition, Rep. James Comer, R-Ky., nan House committee chairman, told reporters he believed it mightiness beryllium nan astir “groundbreaking" yet.

“This could beryllium a beautiful important deposition arsenic we effort to get answers,” said Comer.

Black is nan co-founder and erstwhile main executive of nan backstage equity patient Apollo Global Management. He stepped down successful 2021 amid fallout complete his ties to Epstein.

Black maintained Friday that he was not alert of Epstein's “nefarious activity” until 2019 and that he paid Epstein for morganatic purposes, successful portion owed to his “unrivaled web of relationships” pinch influential figures.

“I knew Jekyll. I didn’t cognize Hyde,” said Black.

Black was featured prominently successful nan Epstein files

Black is mentioned many times successful files that nan Department of Justice has released related to nan Epstein investigation. He besides appears successful a postulation of day messages sent to Epstein that were released by nan House committee past year, including a poem attributed to him that refers to “Blond, Red aliases Brunette, dispersed retired geographically.”

A 2021 reappraisal commissioned by Apollo recovered that Black paid Epstein $158 cardinal from 2012 to 2017, aft Epstein pleaded blameworthy successful 2008 to soliciting adultery from a minor. The reappraisal said nan payments were for “bona fide tax, property readying and different related services.”

“I gave Epstein a 2nd chance, arsenic did galore others. I wish I had not,” Black said.

Epstein was indicted successful July 2019 connected national charges of activity trafficking of minors and conspiracy to perpetrate activity trafficking of minors. The Justice Department alleged that Epstein created a immense web of girls, immoderate arsenic young arsenic 14, for him to sexually maltreatment betwixt 2002 and 2005. He died by termination successful a New York jailhouse compartment successful 2019 while awaiting trial.

The House committee chairman, Rep. James Comer, R-Ky., said earlier this twelvemonth that Epstein’s erstwhile accountant, Richard Kahn, told lawmakers successful his grounds that Epstein received important sums of money from a number of high-profile individuals, including Black.

Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., this period referred findings from a astir four-year investigation into Black to nan House committee. In a statement, Wyden said, “Epstein moreover appears to person acted arsenic a middleman for Black to salary women connected Black’s behalf.”

Black broadly denied nan allegations successful his opening statement, calling them “rank speculation.”

“I person ne'er abused a woman. I person ne'er been pinch an underage woman. I person ne'er engaged successful activity trafficking. I person ne'er paid Epstein for entree to women. I was ne'er blackmailed by Epstein.”

Many high-profile figures person been summoned to attest astir Epstein

Other figures to person appeared for nan investigation see erstwhile Democratic President Bill Clinton, erstwhile Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, former Attorney General Pam Bondi and Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates.

Gates testified earlier this month and said he had made a “grave correction successful judgment” by gathering pinch Epstein.

Black said Epstein's web included SpaceX laminitis Elon Musk, Google co-founder Sergey Brin and Peter Thiel, nan co-founder of PayPal and Palantir.

Democrats connected nan House committee person pushed Republicans to activity grounds from President Donald Trump, a Republican who had his ain yearslong narration pinch Epstein. Republicans person refused, saying they person not travel crossed immoderate grounds that Trump did thing incorrect during his well-documented relationship pinch Epstein.

Comer has said he has been successful touch pinch nan Justice Department astir acting Attorney General Todd Blanche coming successful for questioning soon.

Bondi, successful her testimony, stressed that Blanche had overseen nan chaotic merchandise of nan national Epstein files, which included nan unintentional merchandise of unfortunate information.