Leon Black Walks Out of Epstein Interview
Leon Black walked out of Epstein – Private equity magnate Leon Black walked out of Epstein during a House Oversight Committee session on Friday after declining to address questions about nondisclosure agreements tied to his relationship with the disgraced financier. The committee released a transcript of the June 26 interview, showing Black departed when he refused to discuss the NDAs allegedly connected to Jeffrey Epstein.
While Black indicated willingness to discuss three women who filed lawsuits against him, he consistently declined to elaborate on how many nondisclosure agreements he had entered into, citing his legal counsel’s guidance. “I’m not here to talk about confidential NDAs,” Black stated, later adding, “I’m not here to talk about who has NDAs.”
Subpoenas Follow Refusal
After Black’s refusal to answer certain questions, the committee issued two subpoenas. One required him to participate in a deposition, while the other demanded production of any relevant nondisclosure agreements. A committee spokesperson confirmed that Black’s attorney verified his appearance for a September 3 deposition, with the NDAs expected to be delivered the following week.
Black maintained a social connection with Epstein beginning in the mid-1990s and ultimately paid the financier more than $170 million for tax and estate planning guidance, according to Senate Finance Committee information. His appearance formed part of the committee’s continuing examination of the government’s investigation into the convicted sex offender.
NDA Details and Relationship
Black acknowledged discussing at least one nondisclosure agreement with Epstein, though he denied seeking Epstein’s counsel on the matter. According to Black’s account, he agreed to compensate a woman with whom he had a six-year romantic relationship after she allegedly blackmailed and extorted him. The final arrangement involved payments totaling more than $21 million spread across 15 years.
Since Epstein was assisting with Black’s financial management, Black explained that he kept Epstein informed about the agreement and associated payments. “I don’t know whether he had any experience on NDAs. He was not my NDA adviser,” Black remarked about Epstein, as recorded in the transcript.
“Mr. Black came here voluntarily to assist the committee. This was nothing more than a planned political stunt,” said Black’s attorney Aaron Cutler. “Mr. Epstein had no involvement with any NDAs, whether they exist or not.”
Before the interview concluded prematurely, Black addressed questions regarding his decades-long relationship with Epstein, whom he initially encountered socially before engaging him to manage portions of his estate. While Black conceded that he saw Epstein with reasonable regularity—approximately once each month—he maintained that they were not particularly close friends.
“Friendship is an amorphous term. This is somebody who knew intimately the goings on in my family tax and estate planning entities. It’s also something where, as I mentioned, I’d go over and meet his friends. I know there are emails where he claims that we’re best friends. We were never best friends,” Black explained according to the transcript.
Lawmakers challenged Black’s attempts to distance himself from Epstein, including inquiries about a message Black contributed to a book that Ghislaine Maxwell, Epstein’s longtime associate, compiled for the financier’s 50th birthday. According to the Wall Street Journal, Black penned a two-line poem reading, “Blonde, Red or Brunette, spread out geographically … with this net of fish, Jeff’s now ‘The Old Man and The Sea,'” which he signed “Love and kisses, Leon.”
When asked to clarify the note, Black stated he was referring to how Epstein “seemed to know women all over the world,” while denying knowledge that any of these women were underage. “He enjoyed the company of good-looking women, and he was a bachelor,” Black said.
Black’s lawyers contended that he was not free to discuss confidential agreements in which he was a party, characterizing the subpoenas as a political maneuver. The committee’s investigation continues as it seeks to understand the full scope of Epstein’s connections and the various nondisclosure agreements that may have been involved.
