Leon Black denies Epstein was his fixer
Leon Black rejects claims he used Jeffrey Epstein as a fixer, insisting $158m payments were for legitimate tax advice.
The Full Story
A plain summary built from the channels that reported this story.
Leon Black has denied allegations that he used convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein as a fixer, saying the payments he made to Epstein were for legitimate tax and estate planning advice. The denial comes amid a BBC Panorama investigation into Epstein's finances, which found that Black paid Epstein $158 million between 2013 and 2017, money that went to a company used to fund Epstein's sex trafficking operation.
Black, a New York financier worth almost $15 billion, hired Epstein in 2012 to manage his wealth, even though Epstein was already a convicted pedophile. Art journalist Eileen Kinsler said Epstein helped Black reduce capital gains tax on his art collection, advising him on how to trade pieces without incurring huge tax liabilities. The payments to Epstein became part of a wider investigation by authorities in the US Virgin Islands, where Epstein's company was based. Denise George, the territory's then attorney general, said Black agreed to settle out of court for about $62 million.
Black denies any wrongdoing and any knowledge of Epstein's crimes, but the money he paid Epstein was described as almost single-handedly funding Epstein's sex trafficking operation. Emails released by US authorities show Epstein helped manage payments on Black's behalf to three Eastern European women he allegedly had relationships with, and even organised surveillance on one former girlfriend and plotted to get her deported. Black walked out of a congressional hearing on Epstein and is now suing the House Oversight Committee for exceeding its powers. Democrat Congressman Robert Garcia said Epstein would not have been able to commit his crimes without Black's support.
In a statement, Black said the claims that Epstein acted as his fixer were not true, and described Epstein as a despicable individual who duped and deceived repeatedly. He said Epstein's tax work was responsible for billions of dollars in savings, and that an independent report had concluded the $158 million payment was for legitimate tax and estate planning advice.
On screen
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Key Claims
Claims reported during this story's coverage, mapped by channel. Ordered by how many channels carried each claim.
| Claim | BBC News |
|---|---|
| Black settled a lawsuit with the US Virgin Islands for about $62 million. | |
| Leon Black paid Jeffrey Epstein $158 million between 2013 and 2017. | |
| The money was paid to a company used to fund Epstein's sex trafficking. |
Channel Perspectives
What each channel focused on, with key quotes.
The BBC's Panorama investigation focuses on the scale of Leon Black's payments to Jeffrey Epstein and the allegation that Epstein acted as a fixer. It presents Black's denial and the independent report, but also highlights emails suggesting Epstein managed personal matters for Black, including surveillance of a former girlfriend. The tone is investigative and critical, emphasising the link between Black's money and Epstein's crimes.
- “He was advising him how to, you know, flip the art and trade it and not incur a huge capital gains tax.”
- “Jeffrey Epstein would not have been able to commit the horrific crimes without the support of Mr. Black.”
- “Mr. Black said this was not true and said Epstein was a despicable individual who duped and deceived repeatedly.”
Broadcast Timeline
News broadcasts tracked for this story, in time order.