In 2014, Jeffrey Epstein coordinated the creation of a legal vehicle that allowed billionaire financiers Ronald Lauder and Leon Black to share ownership of the painting for $25 million, a deal that sheds new light on the extent of the convicted sex offender’s connections to wealth and power.
Black’s connection to Epstein has been public knowledge for years, but a trove of emails released by the Justice Department last week reveal Epstein’s connection to Lauder — the heir to the Estee Lauder cosmetics empire, an art collector and a major donor to President Donald Trump.
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In the emails, members of Lauder’s and Epstein’s staff arranged lunches for the two men at Epstein’s Upper East Side residence on two occasions in 2017, long after many other prominent individuals and institutions had cut ties with him. Epstein pleaded guilty in 2008 to soliciting prostitution with a minor.
The files released by the Justice Department, which are heavily redacted, reveal no direct correspondence between Epstein and Lauder. Nor do they suggest that Lauder became involved with Epstein beyond limited business, social, and philanthropic engagements. Lauder has not been charged with any wrongdoing in connection with Epstein or his crimes.
A Lauder spokesman did not respond to calls and emails seeking comment. A black representative declined to comment.
Black, who was CEO of Apollo Global Management Inc. until 2021, frequently paid Epstein for estate planning and tax advice. Along with managing Black’s other financial interests, Epstein created an LLC in 2014 for Black and Lauder to jointly own “Ja – Was? – Bild,” a mixed media work by German collegian Kurt Schwitters. The vehicle, called “Friends Ventures,” stipulated that they would each own the work for $25 million for two and a half years, with the option to buy out the other’s interest if one of them died.
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Later in 2017, Epstein held frequent meetings and phone calls with Lauder to help Bill Gates raise money for health initiatives and on his own behalf as Epstein attempted to position himself as a mediator in the coming conflict in the Middle East.
In the emails, staff members coordinated a lunch with Lauder at Epstein’s Upper East Side residence, including Nobel Prize-winning scientist James Watson, on February 24, 2017. In follow-up messages three days later, they attempted to schedule a future meeting.
“Jeffrey says Ronald has offered to host him and Jim Watson the weekend of March 11,” Epstein’s assistant wrote to Lauder’s staff on February 27. “But Jeffrey is wondering if Ronald could give them a gallery tour instead of the week of March 13th. Please let me know if that’s something Ronald would like to do!”
Lauder’s employee replied, “The week of March 13th should be fine. What date would they prefer? And what time? Ronald also asks if Jeffrey has a direct number to call him.”
Staff have exchanged emails about possibly scheduling a gallery tour for several months in 2017, but there is no indication that this has happened; they also coordinated a luncheon for both men on August 17th.
Four days later, Epstein’s assistant told Lauder’s assistant in an email that Epstein wanted to see Lauder’s tax returns and his will to “give him the best guidance” on an unspecified matter. Lauder’s assistant replied that she had forwarded the request. Subsequent emails do not indicate that it went any further.
Epstein’s assistant then tried unsuccessfully to arrange meetings between Epstein and Lauder. There is no record of contact between the two men or their employees after January 2018 in the files.
Lauder has become a generous donor to Trump and MAGA in recent years, giving $1 million to the president’s second inauguration and more recently $5 million to MAGA Inc., Trump’s super political action committee. Lauder’s son-in-law Kevin Warsh was nominated to head the Federal Reserve last week.
Warsh’s name also appears twice in Epstein’s emails, both times on event invite lists that the organizers shared with Epstein. There is no indication that Warsh participated in these events. He has not been charged with any wrongdoing. A spokeswoman for Warsh did not respond to requests for comment for this article.
