8,105 Documents Name Leon Black in Epstein DA Investigation

The memo, document vol00012-efta02731662-pdf, records a call between prosecutors from the District Attorney of New York (DANY) and federal investigators from the FBI's Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking unit, in coordination with the Southern District of New York.

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The 2023 DANY Investigation

The June 28, 2023 memo describes a victim interview coordinated between DANY, the FBI New York Field Office, and the SDNY. The victim, approximately 17 years old around 2001–2002, was drawn into Epstein's network through an intermediary who presented the arrangement as an "apprentice program."

She was introduced to Ghislaine Maxwell and subsequently to Epstein. Maxwell and Epstein flew her to Palm Beach, St. Thomas, and New York on multiple occasions. The memo notes that a customs officer once asked if she was alright when she passed through.

According to the memo, Epstein introduced her to Black by name — using "Leon" — and told her she would give him a massage. The victim described what followed as a violent assault requiring medical attention.

The DA's office received medical records spanning 2011 to 2023. A 2011 record notes injuries from a sexual assault. A May 2020 medical record references sexual assaults and Epstein. An April 2021 note mentions abuse and drugging by a named individual.

DANY subpoenaed a gymnasium the victim had attended, seeking corroborating records. No response was received, and the matter remained open. Investigators were also unable to obtain her phone records.

A Multi-Agency Investigation

The DANY document is part of a larger email chain spanning October 2021 through July 2023. Document vol00012-efta02731737-pdf, a forwarded copy of the same June 28 memo, shows the communication was distributed internally across the investigative team.

A February 28, 2023 email shows DANY informing SDNY that a new victim had come forward, alleging she was trafficked by Maxwell and Epstein and that Leon Black was among those who abused her. DANY asked whether the victim's name had appeared in SDNY's earlier investigation.

SDNY responded that it had no current plans to re-interview the victim and was unlikely to open a new investigation at that time. The DA's own memo notes that no independent corroboration of the allegations against Black was found.

The victim was initially represented by Adam Horowitz, who first approached DANY in late 2022. She was later also represented by Jeanne Christensen, who took on her civil claims against multiple Epstein-linked individuals.

Black's Financial Records in Epstein's Files

Beyond the investigation documents, the archive contains 8,105 records referencing Black — including estate planning and financial management files seized from Epstein's operations.

Document vol00009-efta01127300-pdf is a summary prepared by the law firm Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP, tracing the creation of Black Family Partners, L.P. — a Delaware limited partnership formed in May 2007 to consolidate Black's indirect interests in Apollo Global Management.

The document outlines ten restructuring steps across multiple Grantor Retained Annuity Trusts and subsidiary holding entities. The full limited partnership agreement, document vol00009-efta01088296-pdf, signed May 17, 2007, lists Black as both General Partner and Limited Partner, with multiple family trusts as co-investors.

This is precisely the type of complex tax and estate planning Epstein marketed as his specialty. Apollo's board disclosed in 2021 that Black had paid Epstein approximately $158 million for tax and estate planning advice over several years — one of the largest known payments from a public figure to Epstein.

The presence of Black's financial planning files in the Epstein archive is consistent with the active advisory relationship those payments describe.

The Personal Services Diary

Also in the archive is a communications diary maintained by Total Personal Services Administrative Group LLC (TPS) on behalf of Leon Black. Document vol00009-efta01069775-pdf covers a three-day billing cycle in May 2013.

The diary records 41 communications and checks totaling $262,149.56 across three days — covering property taxes for multiple residences, a wire transfer for interior decorating at 760 Park Avenue, and household payments for properties in Southampton and Bedford Hills.

TPS also managed payments for a yacht named Starfire and landscaping work at Black's Southampton estate. The diary reflects the scale of private household management Black maintained at the time of his financial relationship with Epstein.

The presence of these detailed personal financial records in Epstein's seized files gives a measure of how closely Epstein was integrated into Black's administrative infrastructure.

What Happened Next

Black stepped down as Chairman and CEO of Apollo Global Management in March 2021, citing health reasons. The announcement came shortly after Bloomberg Businessweek reported on the scope of his payments to Epstein. He also resigned from the board of the Museum of Modern Art the same month.

Apollo's board conducted an independent review, which confirmed the $158 million in fees paid to Epstein. The review concluded there was "no evidence" Black had engaged in illegal conduct.

The DANY investigation documented in the archive continued into mid-2023, coordinated across multiple federal and local law enforcement agencies. As of the June 28, 2023 memo, the victim's civil case remained active.

All individuals mentioned are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law.