Billionaire investor Leon Black is under investigation by his own company Apollo Global Management. The investigation is over Black’s suspicious financial ties to the late child rapist Jeffrey Epstein.
It was revealed recently by the New York Times that Leon Black gave $50 million to Jeffrey Epstein even after Epstein had already been convicted in 2008 of sexual offenses related to minor girls.
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According to the Times report, Black sent Epstein a number of wire transfers, each in the millions of dollars. $10 million went to a foundation started by Epstein as well as consulting fees which brought about suspicion from Deutsche Bank, where Mr. Epstein kept his accounts. The NY Times stated that sources claim the funds sent by Mr. Black to Mr. Epstein could be as high as $75 million.
To Just about any normal person out there this all stinks of hush money. Why else would Leon Black be paying off Jeffrey Epstein?
What, if anything, did Black get in return for his money?
Well a spokesperson for Leon Black told the press that he received personal trusts and estates planning advice from Epstein as well as family office philanthropy and investment services between 2012 and 2017.
The New York Times reported that at the time of Mr. Epstein’s last arrest in 2019, Leon Black was forced to send a letter to Apollo Global Management employees explaining his decades long friendship with the pedophile.
“I want to emphasize that Apollo has never done any business with Mr. Epstein at any point in time,” Mr. Black wrote. “Neither Mr. Epstein nor any company controlled by him has ever invested in any funds managed by Apollo.”
And he also added a denial of any knowledge about Jeffrey Epstein’s molestation of young girls writing, “I was completely unaware of, and am deeply troubled by, the conduct that is now the subject of the federal criminal charges brought against Mr. Epstein.”
Well it comes as little surprise to people that right now Apollo Global Management has decided to conduct a formal investigation of its own into Leon Black’s relationship with Jeffrey Epstein.
In response to the news, Black stated, “In light of continued attention, it is in the best interests of Apollo, our employees, our shareholders and our LPs for there to be an independent review. I look forward to co-operating fully.”
A spokesperson for Apollo Global Management said, “Mr. Black has previously detailed the nature of that relationship in prior communications and confirmed that Mr. Epstein never did any business with Apollo.”
Black spokesperson Stephanie Pillersdorf said on his behalf, “Mr. Black continues to be appalled by the conduct that led to the criminal charges against Mr. Epstein, and he deeply regrets having any involvement with him.”
Well that’s nice.
Don’t hold your breath waiting for any smoking guns to be found which would prove the payments to be a form of hush money. Black has to this day not been listed among the many men associated with Epstein’s raping of young girls.
But who knows what other information Ghislaine Maxwell has up her sleeve.
