Epstein may have had ties to Putin, intelligence sources claim - Daily Mail

The media outlet, citing sources in intelligence services, claims that Epstein built and used his network in the interests of first Soviet and later Russian intelligence.

The recently released three million files in the Epstein case contain 1,056 documents that mention Russian dictator Vladimir Putin. Another 9,629 documents mention Moscow and dealings that Epstein conducted with Russians.

According to sources, working for the Kremlin explains several issues that were previously considered mysterious, including how Epstein was able to maintain an extraordinarily lavish lifestyle and how he could freely bring girls from Russia for his "sex empire".

At present, there is no direct documentary evidence proving that Epstein worked for Putin. However, there is circumstantial evidence, as US intelligence had long monitored the financier’s ties with Russia.

• In one email, Bill Gates asked one of Epstein’s advisers to provide medication to treat sexually transmitted diseases. The email states that the billionaire contracted the illness after “sex with Russian girls.”
• In 2010, Epstein offered Prince Andrew an introduction to a 26-year-old Russian woman. Notably, Prince Andrew effectively shielded the financier from surveillance by British intelligence services.

Epstein, Maxwell, the KGB, and money

Epstein’s "ticket" into the world of intelligence operations was issued by American media mogul Robert Maxwell. Maxwell himself, who had been considered a Soviet spy since the 1970s, died mysteriously in 1991—officially after falling overboard from his yacht while sailing in the Atlantic.

Maxwell’s daughter, Ghislaine, appears in numerous documents in the Epstein case and is currently serving a 20-year prison sentence for child trafficking for sexual exploitation. She was closely linked to the financier.

Maxwell officially dealt with the repatriation of Soviet Jews to Israel. In reality, however, he laundered Soviet money in the West that had been provided to him by the KGB of the USSR, US intelligence sources claim. Epstein assisted him, which brought him to the attention of what was then Soviet intelligence.

A massive "honeytrap"

Epstein was also known for having close ties not only to Soviet/Russian intelligence but also to Russian organized crime. It appears this is what enabled him to “invite” girls from Russia by the plane-load.

Overall, Jeffrey Epstein turned his island into a massive “honey trap.” Intelligence services use this term to describe attempts to recruit individuals through sexual compromise.

“You have Andrew, Bill Gates, Donald Trump, Bill Clinton and all the rest placed in compromising positions on an island bristling with technology. It's the world's largest honey trap operation,” one intelligence source said.

In contact with Putin

In an email to Epstein dated September 11, 2011, one of his employees discusses a meeting between the financier and Putin during a visit to Russia.

“Spoke with Igor. He said last time you were in Palm Beach, you told him you had an appointment with Putin on Sept 16 and that he could go ahead and book his ticket to Russia to arrive a few days before you,” the email reads.

Epstein had another meeting with Putin in 2014. Emails from Japanese businessman Joi Ito were found in which he writes that American billionaire Reid Hoffman, co-founder of LinkedIn, was supposed to take part in a meeting with Putin but declined.

“Hey Jeffrey.I wasn't able to convince Reid to change his schedule to go meet Putin with you.' It is unclear whether this meeting took place,” the email says. Another message makes it clear that Hoffman refused because on July 17, 2014, Russian terrorists in Donbas shot down a Malaysia Airlines passenger plane, killing all 298 people on board.

In addition, Epstein used his ties in Russia, boasting that he had a “friend of Putin” on call, and offered valuable information about Donald Trump to the Kremlin. He did the latter in 2018 via the then Secretary General of the Council of Europe, Thorbjørn Jagland.

Epstein promised to “teach” Putin how to deal with Trump. At least once, he spoke with Russia’s then ambassador to the UN, Vitaly Churkin, and also offered to arrange a conversation with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov.

On the other side, Trump adviser Steve Bannon was also “in contact.” Epstein informed him about the progress of Jagland’s negotiations with Putin and Lavrov. All of this took place ahead of the 2018 Helsinki summit, where Putin and Trump met.

Espionage in Silicon Valley

An intelligence source said that Epstein was linked to Maria Drozdova, a former leader of a pro-Putin youth organization who later adopted the image of a “businesswoman” in San Francisco.

US intelligence believes that Drozdova and her company, Day One Ventures, were engaged in espionage, attempting to steal technology from Silicon Valley. Epstein assisted her. An FBI agent discussed the financier with Drozdova.

“CHS and Drokova spoke, but Drokova did not talk at all about technology; instead, she looked at CHS and said, "You knew Epstein didn't you." She said Epstein was a "wonderful man" and that it was a crying shame what had being [sic] done to him,” the source report says.

Previously, on December 10, 2025, a US court allowed the publication of investigation materials in the case of sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. This became possible after the adoption of the Epstein Files Transparency Act.

On December 19, 2025, the US Department of Justice began releasing a new large batch of documents intended to shed light on Epstein’s ties in politics, finance, and the media, as well as on the actions of federal authorities over many years.

On Friday, January 30, 2026, the US Department of Justice released more than three million pages of materials related to the Jeffrey Epstein case. The new documents mention Bill Gates, Donald Trump, Prince Andrew, billionaire Elon Musk, an adviser to the prime minister of Slovakia, and dozens of other politicians, businessmen, and public figures.