Ghislaine Maxwell’s name has long been tied to disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein. Now, fresh details from a recently released transcript are once again drawing attention to her network of acquaintances, this time pulling Tesla CEO Elon Musk into the conversation.
The transcript, made public by the Trump administration, captures Maxwell’s courthouse exchange with prosecutors, where she recounted her memories of meeting high-profile figures. Maxwell, who is serving a 20-year sentence for assisting Epstein in sex trafficking, confirmed she had encountered Musk more than once.
Encounters With Musk at Social Gatherings
Maxwell recalled being introduced to Musk at a Caribbean party around 2010 or 2011. The event, hosted by Google co-founder Sergey Brin, did not include Epstein, she clarified. She also remembered crossing paths with Musk at the Oscars.
Her testimony hinted at email contact between Musk and Epstein, though she admitted her recollection was based on trial materials rather than direct experience. “I believe they did,” she said when asked if the two men exchanged correspondence. “My memory is not as good as I would like it to be,” she added.
High-Profile Names, But No Allegations
Pressed further, Maxwell listed a range of well-known individuals who, she said, were within Epstein’s broader orbit, among them Andrew M Cuomo, John F Kerry, Edward M Kennedy, Sarah Ferguson, Naomi Campbell, Alan Dershowitz, Kevin Spacey, and Larry Summers. She emphasised that these were friends or business contacts, and not implicated in criminal behaviour.
She also rejected claims of involvement by President Donald Trump, saying her conviction had nothing to do with him. Maxwell added that Epstein had ties to former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak but offered few details.
Musk vs Trump Over Epstein Files
Maxwell’s comments arrive against the backdrop of a simmering feud between Musk and Trump over the release of Epstein-related records. According to ABC News, Musk used his platform X to repeatedly attack Trump’s reluctance to make additional files public, posting or reposting accusations more than 35 times through July.
At one point, Musk claimed Trump’s name appeared in the files, only to later delete the post. He also mocked Trump’s description of the controversy as the “Epstein Hoax,” writing: “Wow, amazing that Epstein ‘killed himself’ and Ghislaine is in federal prison for a hoax.”
