Notes
Released by the U.S. Department of Justice on 2026-01-30 as part of the Epstein files (about 3 million pages). The text here is only what news outlets quoted from the DOJ PDF; the DOJ file itself sits behind an age-verification page and could not be retrieved, and '=' characters are encoding artifacts in the released files. Being named in the files is not evidence of wrongdoing, and no record of Musk actually visiting the island appears in the reporting. Musk's public response on X (31 Jan 2026, as quoted by TIME): "No one pushed harder than me to have the Epstein files released and I'm glad that has finally happened" and "I had very little correspondence with Epstein and declined repeated invitations to go to his island or fly on his 'Lolita Express'"; NBC also quotes him: "I have never been to any Epstein parties ever and have many times call for the prosecution of those who committed crimes." DOJ document EFTA02702478 per Lead Stories. The opening phrase 'The world needs more romance' is quoted by 404 Media with an ellipsis before the rest; 'yo=' is an encoding artifact for 'you'.
Personal, outside & personal. Tags: epstein-files, st-barts