A newly released Justice Department photo shows Jeffrey Epstein at a 2015 dinner with Elon Musk, Mark Zuckerberg, and other tech figures, which Epstein later described in an email as a “wild” dinner.
What the photo shows
The image, disclosed in the latest tranche of Epstein-related documents, depicts Musk and Zuckerberg seated at a long dinner table with several other guests, in what appears to be a private, dimly lit setting. The photo was emailed by Epstein to himself the day after the dinner, and sits among files the Justice Department has been releasing from its Epstein investigations.
When and why the dinner happened
Emails in the released files indicate the dinner took place on August 2, 2015, with Epstein noting plans to dine that night with “musk thiel zuckerberg” in Los Angeles (or the broader LA area). Reporting and prior accounts say the gathering was hosted by LinkedIn founder Reid Hoffman for MIT neuroscientist Ed Boyden, with attendees including Musk, Zuckerberg, Epstein, Peter Thiel, and others from the tech and finance world.
Epstein’s “wild dinner” description
In an August 20, 2015 email later unsealed, Epstein boasted to billionaire Tom Pritzker that he had recently had dinner with “Zuckerberg, Musk, Thiel, Hoffman, wild,” which is where the “wild dinner” phrase originates. That email, together with the self‑emailed photo, is being cited as evidence of Epstein’s efforts to cultivate relationships with Silicon Valley’s most prominent figures.
How Musk and Zuckerberg have responded
A spokesperson for Zuckerberg has previously said he met Epstein only briefly at an event honoring scientists, did not maintain contact, and did not have further communications after the dinner. Musk has publicly denied having a close relationship with Epstein or attending any of his parties, even as newly surfaced emails show him in contact with Epstein and expressing interest in social trips around the same period.
Broader context in the new files
The photo is part of a larger Justice Department document release that has also detailed Epstein’s contacts with other tech leaders such as Bill Gates, Peter Thiel, and Reid Hoffman, highlighting how extensively he networked in Silicon Valley even after his 2008 conviction. These disclosures have intensified scrutiny of tech billionaires’ past interactions with Epstein and prompted renewed public debate about their ties to him.
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