Files Reveal Epstein’s Money Mingled with Silicon Valley’s Tech Start-Ups

Nytimes reports that newly released Justice Department documents show Jeffrey Epstein invested in Silicon Valley start-ups, including a $3 million stake in Coinbase in 2014 that later yielded multimillion-dollar returns.

The files detail other investments, including $5 million in Jawbone in 2012 that grew to $11.25 million by 2017 before the company liquidated, and a $40 million placement in Peter Thiel’s Valar Ventures that the estate still holds and that was worth about $170 million as of last summer.

They also show Epstein sought advice from technology figures and used intermediaries: Brock Pierce introduced him to Coinbase, Peter Thiel advised him on Palantir and Spotify, and aides and public relations contacts helped arrange meetings with founders and media outlets.

The documents describe ties to Deutsche Bank that led to a potential route into SpaceX shares and note ongoing uncertainty about whether Epstein ultimately invested in Palantir or SpaceX.

United States, Silicon Valley