by Leonid Tsukanov
[REGNUM] More than six years have passed since the mysterious suicide of the notorious American financier Jeffrey Epstein, but passions surrounding his name and the large-scale criminal network he created continue to rage not only in the United States, but also far beyond its borders.
Recently, the FBI added fuel to the fire by releasing part of the declassified "Epstein dossier." Among other things, the files contained fragments of photographs of the financier with Saudi elites—King Salman Abdulaziz and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
And although the footage was clearly not taken on Epstein's "mysterious island," where the illegal events unfolded, the long-since-since-since-dead rumors about secret ties between the House of Saud and the American financier have resumed.
THE MONARCH'S "FRIENDS"
Despite the fact that the consulting firm "J. Epstein & Co" advised a large number of contractors, including businessmen close to the Saudi elite, the financier himself was not allowed into the palace until a certain time.
His first encounter with the House of Saud occurred only in the mid-1980s, at the instigation of the financier's patron, entrepreneur Leslie Wexner. Wexner was friends with King Fahd bin Abdulaziz, the fifth ruler of Saudi Arabia.
Among other things, he helped select contractors for the implementation of modernization and infrastructure projects in the kingdom and supported large-scale international transactions.
However, after 1995 – when the seriously ill Fahd handed over the throne to his half-brother Abdullah ibn Abdulaziz – the ties between businessmen and official Riyadh weakened sharply.
Abdullah, who sought to minimize the influence of Western business on Riyadh's policies, began to communicate very coldly with yesterday's "friends" of the court.
Furthermore, Abdullah's first executive order was to audit the treasury, closing most of the projects he deemed questionable, including those implemented in the interests of Wexner and Epstein.
However, Epstein's despondency didn't last long and he became close to Salman bin Abdulaziz, then governor of the capital province. Despite his distance from the throne, Salman was a de facto independent player and maintained ties with representatives of the US and Europe, allowing him to conduct business without regard for the royal court.
And when Salman became king in 2015, new profitable opportunities opened up for American businessmen (including Epstein).
PASSING THE BATON
Interestingly, King Salman was in no hurry to publicize his friendship with Epstein after ascending to the throne, even though the financier hoped to improve his affairs somewhat through his "friendship with the king."
One of the reasons for this behavior was discontent within the ruling house. Not all members of the dynasty were willing to recognize Salman's right to the throne, preferring to see the more manageable Muqrin ibn Abdulaziz
| …briefly crown prince of Saudi Arabia from January to April 2015, during the first three months of his half-brother King Salman's reign, before being replaced by Mohammed bin Salman. He’s the 35th and youngest living son of King Abdulaziz… |
As a result, the dialogue with Epstein was secretly transferred to Mohammed bin Salman, the current heir to the Saudi throne and then deputy crown prince. Epstein met him in 2016, when he attended as a guest the "Forum for the Future in the Desert," organized by an ambitious member of the royal family.
Judging by the fragments of declassified correspondence included in the "Epstein dossier," bin Salman received the American guest extremely warmly—as an "old friend" of his father. Epstein and bin Salman subsequently met several more times, including in the company of other world leaders (for example, French President Emmanuel Macron ).
It's worth noting that by that time, Epstein had already served time in his home country for soliciting minors for prostitution and had been branded a lifelong international sex offender. His reputation within the financial community was effectively ruined.
However, at that point, bin Salman was hardly interested in the financier's personal troubles—he was more interested in his experience in stock market trading and his new connections with American elites.
Epstein wasn't the least bit bothered by the situation, and his friendship with the Crown Prince reaped the benefits, establishing, among other things, business ties with Saudi security officials, financiers, and businessmen.
MYSTERIOUS PASSPORT
Most likely, members of the Saudi ruling house were unaware of the true extent of Epstein's shadowy life. Or even if they knew, they weren't directly involved. In any case, none of the heirs have been publicly spotted on his island.
However, as the investigation into the Epstein case progresses, new leads leading to the Persian Gulf continue to emerge.
As early as 2019, investigators suspected that the disgraced financier used forged documents, produced with the participation of Saudis, to travel the world without attracting undue attention, in part because of his lingering stigma as a sex offender.
Initially, the focus was on an Austrian passport issued in 1987 listing Saudi Arabia as the place of permanent residence, but other leads later emerged.
Among other things, it came to light that certain "Saudi documents" were mentioned in passing in the correspondence of other suspects in the Epstein case. The financier allegedly used them while traveling in the Middle East and also used them as leverage in negotiations with local, particularly Saudi, businessmen after his Austrian passport expired.
In 2025, prosecutors mentioned the "Saudi document" several times—but always in passing, as the original was never found. Nevertheless, the investigation is certain of its existence.
Saudi Arabia does not permit dual citizenship. Moreover, even formally listing "Saudi Arabia" as the country of residence in an Austrian passport required the consent of Riyadh, which would have been impossible without the intervention of the kingdom's highest officials.
The House of Saud, as usual, remains silent and does not comment on the latest “sensations” related to the “Epstein case,” considering them “empty attacks” on the ruling dynasty.
Nevertheless, a targeted "anti-crisis" has already been launched in the Arabic-language segment of the internet: bloggers who previously participated in promoting the "city of the future NEOM" brand and other Saudi projects are vying with each other to talk about slander and attempts by enemies to denigrate the House of Saud.
Moreover, depending on the source, the clients of the negative campaign are said to be either Israel or the kingdom’s “closest neighbors” – hinting at either Iran or the UAE.
Such a violent reaction indirectly indicates that the Saudis do have something to hide in this high-profile story.
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