Apollo Global Management & Jeffrey Epstein

$167M+ in payments · 4 independent victims · All 3 co-founders in the corpus

Apollo Global Management co-founder Leon Black paid Jeffrey Epstein more than $167 million through a network of shell companies. Four independent victims describe violent sexual assault with a consistent pattern. SDNY opened a titled human trafficking investigation. The Manhattan DA found the biting corroboration credible. No criminal charges have been brought. Black paid $62.5 million for criminal immunity in the U.S. Virgin Islands.

Contents

The Numbers

$167M+
Documented wires from Black/Apollo entities to Epstein (2013–2017)
4 victims
Independent victims describing violent sexual assault by Leon Black
8,629
EFTA documents mentioning Leon Black
$62.5M
USVI settlement with criminal immunity (2023)
3 of 3
All three Apollo co-founders appear in the corpus
158
Findings in database involving Apollo / Leon Black

The Money: $167 Million+

The transaction ledger (EFTA00027019, Exhibit A) documents $167M+ in wires from Leon Black, Debra Black, Black Family Partners, Apollo entities, and shell companies to Epstein’s Southern Trust Company between 2013 and 2017.

Source EntityPurpose / Notes
Leon & Debra Black (direct)Personal wires to Southern Trust
Black Family Partners / ApolloFamily office / firm-level payments
Narrow Holdings / Elysium ManagementShell entities — Deutsche Bank flagged “Elysium is Leon Black” (EFTA01368849)
BV70 LLCBlack’s yacht company at c/o Elysium, 445 Park Ave — $40.5M pipeline (EFTA01389074)

Epstein told Black the payments were tax-deductible (“sixty cent dollars”). The Senate Finance Committee found Epstein structured trusts to avoid gift/estate tax on $2 billion transferred to Black’s children.

Where the Money Went (Exhibit B)

EFTA00027019, Exhibit B shows Epstein reinvested Black’s money into:

Fund / EntityAmount
Boothbay Fund Management$38M+
Honeycomb Partners$35M
Peter Thiel’s Valar Global Fund$15M+
Blockchain Capital$15M
Joichi Ito (MIT Media Lab)$1.48M+
Coatue Enterprises (Epstein entity)$1.5M

The Shell Companies

Leon Black’s payments to Epstein were routed through a web of entities designed to obscure the money trail:

Elysium Management LLC

Deutsche Bank internal email: “Elysium is Leon Black” (EFTA01368849). DB was “working tirelessly” to develop the relationship, competing for a $300M loan.

BV70 LLC

Black’s yacht company at c/o Elysium Management, 445 Park Ave. Funneled $10M to Gratitude America + $22.5M + $8M to Plan D LLC. DB auditors caught discrepancy: account said “Epstein’s airplane” but BV70 held Black’s yacht. Richard Kahn preferred closing account over KYC compliance (EFTA01389074, EFTA01404535).

Plan D LLC

Held Epstein’s aircraft (Boeing 727 + Gulfstream G550). Received $30.5M from BV70.

Southern Trust Company

Epstein’s USVI-based entity that received the $167M+ in documented wires. Invoiced Black $20M for “algorithms” (EFTA00027019).

The Violence: Four Independent Victims

Four separate victims have described violent sexual assault by Leon Black, with a consistent biting pattern corroborated across independent accounts.

Victim 1 — Forensically Verified Diary (Age 16)

EFTA02731427: “Ghislane said it was best to take me home because Mr. Black is so important for some reason over my health… that fat fuck bit me! He threw me on the floor and blood all over Jeffreys carpet… Who the fuck bites someone?”

EFTA02731488 (FBI notes): “violently raped by Black” at Epstein’s townhouse. “Black used adult sex toys in victim’s rectum and vagina”, “began bleeding from her rectum.” Medical records document rectal tearing.

EFTA02731488: “From 2001 to end of 2004, she was trafficked… sex with at least 25 different men.”

Victim 2 — DANY/FBI Trafficking Pipeline

EFTA02731737: Mary Small trafficking pipeline — victim introduced to Maxwell at 17, described as “apprentice program.” “Black was very violent, tore her clothes off, bit her vagina, forced sex toys into her.” Victim “needed medical attention, bleeding.”

Victim 3 — Adult Victim (Wigdor Memo)

EFTA02731655: Met Black giving massages at townhouse. “Was violently sexually assaulted, including by being bitten.” Black gave her $1,000 cash in an envelope afterward. Arranged fake job interviews at Goldman Sachs via assistant Melanie Spinella.

EFTA02731576 (victim text to Black): “Leon. You sexually harassed me, sex trafficked me, raped me, and eventually blacklisted me… that document that I was forced to sign under duress.”

Victim 4 — Brazilian Victim (FBI 302)

EFTA02857849: Met Black at “a big house,” saw him four times in 2004. Described physical details matching Black. Black’s secretary arranged visits.

SDNY Prosecution Memo

EFTA00022461: Victim directed by Epstein to massage Leon Black (2011–2012). Black “began initiating sexual contact.” A second woman independently corroborated: “Epstein asking her to massage Leon Black and Jes Staley, both of whom engaged in sexual contact with her against her will.”

The Investigations That Went Nowhere

EFTA02731636: SDNY email thread titled “Leon Black/Additional HT [Human Trafficking] Subject Referral” — multiple AUSAs coordinating investigation. No charges have been brought.

The Payments

EFTA02731526 (Wigdor evidence): Bank statements show deposits from three separate accounts:

AccountPeriodNotable
“Leon J. Black”OngoingPersonal account
“J. Black Trust”Nov 2015–2021Trust entity
“E Trust”Nov 2015–2021Additional trust entity

Specific wires documented (EFTA02731556):

Plus texts/emails with Black’s admin Melanie Spinella, a notebook with names and numbers of women, and an NDA signed under duress.

Paul Weiss: Apollo’s Law Firm

Brad Karp, chairman of Paul Weiss (Apollo’s law firm), is deeply entangled in the Epstein-Black relationship:

All Three Co-Founders

Apollo Global Management was co-founded by Leon Black, Josh Harris, and Marc Rowan. All three appear in the EFTA corpus.

Leon Black — 8,629 documents

Co-founder and former CEO/Chairman. Four victims. $167M+ in payments. Stepped down as CEO March 2021, MoMA Co-Chairman July 2021. $62.5M USVI settlement with criminal immunity. Subject of SDNY human trafficking referral. See sections above for full evidence.

Josh Harris — 599 documents

Marc Rowan — 371 documents

The Inner Circle

Key individuals who facilitated the Black-Epstein relationship:

PersonRole
Eileen Alexanderson Authority over all Leon Black family entities managed through Epstein
Melanie Spinella Black’s assistant. Arranged fake Goldman Sachs interviews. Coordinated victim visits.
Richard Kahn Epstein’s accountant. Preferred closing BV70 account over KYC compliance.
Darren Indyke Epstein’s lawyer. Co-managed shell entities with Kahn.
Kathryn Ruemmler Former Obama White House Counsel. Tracked Black-related legal matters for Epstein.
Brad Karp Paul Weiss Chairman. Coordinated surveillance operations and escrow payments.
Richard Joslin Managed Epstein-Leon Black art partnership and family office operations.
Peter Attia Epstein’s physician. Joint blood draws with Black at Epstein’s house.
Brad Wechsler Fiduciary authority over Epstein trust. Brokered $2.25M Leon Black transaction.

Banking Connections

JPMorgan Chase

Deutsche Bank

Consequences

March 2021Leon Black steps down as Apollo CEO/Chairman
July 2021Steps down as MoMA Co-Chairman (remains trustee)
July 2023Senate Finance Committee (Wyden) demands information on $158–170M payments
2023$62.5M USVI settlement includes criminal immunity in USVI

Black refused to answer Senate Finance Committee questions. No criminal charges have been brought by SDNY or DANY despite the titled “HT Subject Referral” investigation.

Wigdor attorney: “I’ve heard one lawyer represents ten women that he sexually assaulted.”

Money Flows

Wire transfers and entity relationships involving Apollo / Leon Black (from Money Network analysis).

FromToDescription
👤 Leon Black🏢 Southern Trust Company$158M+ payments
👤 Leon Black🏢 Elysium ManagementBeneficial owner
👤 Leon Black🏢 BV70 LLCBeneficial owner (c/o Elysium)
🏢 Elysium Management🏢 Southern Trust Company$20M wire
🏢 Southern Trust Company👤 Leon Black$20M 'algorithms' invoice
🏢 BV70 LLC🏢 Gratitude America$10M
👤 Jeffrey Epstein🏢 Plan D, LLCControls (USVI)
🏢 BV70 LLC🏢 Plan D, LLC$22.5M loan
🏢 BV70 LLC🏢 Plan D, LLC$8M loan
🏢 Plan D, LLC🏦 Deutsche BankAccount
👤 Brad Wechsler🏢 BV70 LLCBrokered loans
🏢 Financial Trust Company🏢 AP Technology (Leon Black)$250K (Leon Black)
👤 Leon Black👤 Yoni KorenMSK oncologist access
👤 Leon Black🏢 Leon Black FoundationControls
👤 Leon Black🏢 USVI Settlement$62.5M (criminal immunity)
🏢 Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison👤 Leon BlackLegal counsel (Halperin, Karp)
👤 Leon Black🏢 NY 70th Street LLCLife interest (split purchase 8/28/14)
🏢 Freestream Bermuda🏢 Plan D, LLCNDA coordination
👤 Leon Black👤 Steve CohenGiacometti sculpture sale (via Epstein)
👤 Leon Black👤 Melanie SpinellaPersonal assistant (Apollo)
👤 Leon Black🏢 J. Black TrustFamily trust
👤 Leon Black🏢 Elysium ManagementOwner
👤 Jeffrey Epstein🏢 Elysium ManagementDe facto manager
👤 Melanie Spinella🏢 Elysium ManagementOperational conduit
👤 Richard Joslin🏢 Elysium ManagementCFO, authorized signatory
🏢 Narrow Holdings LLC🏢 Southern Trust Company$20M c/o Elysium (Jul 2014)
👤 Leon Black🏢 Narrow Holdings LLCControls ($1.638B)

All Findings (158)

Every finding in our database involving Apollo Global Management, its founders, or their role in Epstein’s network.

Critical (31)

High (100)

Medium (25)

Low (2)

See also: JPMorgan Chase · All Banks · Financial Findings · Money Network · Leon Black · Josh Harris · Marc Rowan

All evidence sourced from the EFTA corpus, court filings, and expert reports filed under seal.