WEBVTT 1 00:00:00.120 --> 00:00:03.120 What's up, everyone, and welcome to another episode of the 2 00:00:03.160 --> 00:00:09.240 Epstein Chronicles. During the twenty twenty four presidential campaign, Donald 3 00:00:09.240 --> 00:00:13.359 Trump and his surrogates talked a big game about Jeffrey 4 00:00:13.400 --> 00:00:16.320 Epstein and about what they were going to do if 5 00:00:16.320 --> 00:00:20.079 they were elected. Well, they got elected, and instead of 6 00:00:20.120 --> 00:00:22.640 doing what they said they were going to do, they 7 00:00:22.679 --> 00:00:26.559 did the exact opposite. And if you were wondering why, 8 00:00:26.920 --> 00:00:28.320 all you have to do is take a look at 9 00:00:28.320 --> 00:00:32.280 the administration and see how many people were involved with Epstein, 10 00:00:33.320 --> 00:00:36.560 including the person we're about to talk about in this article. 11 00:00:36.920 --> 00:00:40.640 And this dude happens to be the son of Leon Black. 12 00:00:41.560 --> 00:00:45.079 And if that's not bad enough, this man's part of 13 00:00:45.119 --> 00:00:49.479 the Trump administration. Today's article is from The Guardian and 14 00:00:49.520 --> 00:00:52.439 the headline Trump appoint leading two hundred and five billion 15 00:00:52.479 --> 00:00:56.920 dollar US agency had personal ties to Epstein. This article 16 00:00:57.000 --> 00:01:00.520 was authored by Kate Brown. Ben Black, the head of 17 00:01:00.560 --> 00:01:04.079 a little known government investment agency funded by billions of 18 00:01:04.120 --> 00:01:07.760 dollars from US taxpayers, had personal and business ties to 19 00:01:07.840 --> 00:01:11.760 Jeffrey Epstein, according to emails and business filings released by 20 00:01:11.799 --> 00:01:15.760 the Department of Justice. Well, yeah, we've known about Ben 21 00:01:15.799 --> 00:01:18.439 Black for a long time and The fact that he's 22 00:01:18.519 --> 00:01:21.840 even in this administration tells you that this whole thing 23 00:01:21.920 --> 00:01:25.840 is not serious when it comes to Ebstein. Leon Black, 24 00:01:25.879 --> 00:01:29.079 his father one of the key people when it comes 25 00:01:29.079 --> 00:01:32.319 to Ebstein's finances, and his son, Ben Black is part 26 00:01:32.319 --> 00:01:37.280 of the administration that's promising us transparency. And Scott Assent 27 00:01:37.599 --> 00:01:41.959 wants to talk about Ron Wyden's son, Buddy, go take 28 00:01:42.000 --> 00:01:45.120 five looks in the mirror. His father, Leon Black, had 29 00:01:45.159 --> 00:01:49.879 once been the disgraced financiers highest paying client, calling on 30 00:01:49.920 --> 00:01:52.959 the convicted sex offender for tax advice and the orchestra 31 00:01:53.040 --> 00:01:57.120 payments to women. According to The New York Times and Bloomberg, Oh, 32 00:01:57.120 --> 00:01:59.680 I'm sure that's all it was. You know, Epstein was 33 00:01:59.719 --> 00:02:02.200 just working for him, because Epstein's such a genius in 34 00:02:02.280 --> 00:02:06.159 everything he did. Like, who's buying that bullshit these days? 35 00:02:07.599 --> 00:02:09.120 All you have to do is take one look at 36 00:02:09.159 --> 00:02:12.479 Jeffrey Epstein's emails and you can tell he wasn't some sylvant, 37 00:02:12.919 --> 00:02:18.080 wasn't some genius. He was useful, and boy did they 38 00:02:18.199 --> 00:02:22.000 use him because, believe me, when we're talking about a 39 00:02:22.039 --> 00:02:26.000 parasitic relationship, that's what all these people had with Jeffrey Epstein. 40 00:02:27.879 --> 00:02:30.599 A Guardian review of more than five thousand records from 41 00:02:30.599 --> 00:02:34.199 Epstein's private correspondence found that Ben Black invested in the 42 00:02:34.199 --> 00:02:38.400 same company as the financier Pedophile in twenty eleven, and 43 00:02:38.439 --> 00:02:42.280 the two men had a relationship for several years. Afterwards. 44 00:02:42.879 --> 00:02:46.240 Epstein told a friend that he attended Ben Black's thirtieth birthday, 45 00:02:46.719 --> 00:02:49.400 advised him on the purchase of an eleven and a 46 00:02:49.439 --> 00:02:53.080 half million dollar townhouse, and helped one woman compose messages 47 00:02:53.120 --> 00:02:56.039 to him. She wrote to Epstein to say that she 48 00:02:56.120 --> 00:02:59.800 and Black had kissed the following day. Good old Epstein 49 00:02:59.800 --> 00:03:03.240 as the matchmaker. Huh, what is this fiddler on the roof? 50 00:03:03.719 --> 00:03:06.840 More like diddler on the roof? And now Black holds 51 00:03:06.840 --> 00:03:11.120 the Senate confirmed position overseeing the Development Finance Corporation, the 52 00:03:11.159 --> 00:03:16.680 Trump administration's largest overseas investment arm. The agency was previously 53 00:03:16.719 --> 00:03:20.599 confined to work in low income countries, but Congress recently 54 00:03:20.639 --> 00:03:23.560 cleared it to invest in high income countries and tripled 55 00:03:23.599 --> 00:03:26.639 its lending cap to two hundred and five billion, greatly 56 00:03:26.680 --> 00:03:32.280 expanding Black's influence over taxpayer funds. The Epstein administration and 57 00:03:32.400 --> 00:03:37.120 full effect, nobody could do this job but Leon Black's kid. Okay, 58 00:03:37.199 --> 00:03:40.439 I guess I guess he's that talented we're talking about 59 00:03:40.479 --> 00:03:44.520 Warren Buffett wrapped up with Michael Berry. Huh okay, I 60 00:03:44.520 --> 00:03:48.400 guess that's what Ben Black is. Meanwhile, Jeffrey Epstein himself 61 00:03:49.080 --> 00:03:52.280 had some pretty terrible things to say about Leon Black's kids. 62 00:03:53.800 --> 00:03:56.199 Donald Trump is appointed at least three other men with 63 00:03:56.280 --> 00:03:59.639 known ties to Epstein to federal office. Howard Lutnik, the 64 00:03:59.639 --> 00:04:03.360 secret Terry of Commerce, testified recently to the House Oversight 65 00:04:03.400 --> 00:04:06.840 Committee after admitting that he had traveled to Ebstein's private island. 66 00:04:07.719 --> 00:04:10.479 He has never been accused of any wrongdoing related to 67 00:04:10.479 --> 00:04:14.719 Ebstein or otherwise. Lutnick sits on dfc's Board of Directors, 68 00:04:14.879 --> 00:04:17.879 where he and Ben Black joined six other presidentially appointed 69 00:04:18.079 --> 00:04:21.920 and Senate Conferm members in reviewing and approving the agency's 70 00:04:22.040 --> 00:04:25.600 oversees investments. Nothing like one of Jeffrey Epstein's buddies being 71 00:04:25.639 --> 00:04:28.000 in charge of two hundred and five billion of your 72 00:04:28.040 --> 00:04:32.040 tax dollars, right, that's reassuring the scope of Ben Black's 73 00:04:32.040 --> 00:04:36.399 personal connection to Abstein has not previously been reported. Black 74 00:04:36.439 --> 00:04:39.519 has not been accused of wrongdoing in connection to Epstein 75 00:04:39.800 --> 00:04:42.639 or any other matter. The DFC did not respond to 76 00:04:42.680 --> 00:04:46.439 a request for comment. Lawyers for Leon Black responded to 77 00:04:46.560 --> 00:04:50.759 questions on behalf of both Leon and his son, and 78 00:04:50.839 --> 00:04:54.480 the White House spokesperson sent The Guardian an unsolicited defense 79 00:04:54.759 --> 00:04:58.040 of Black's fitness for his job. Look, I'm not saying 80 00:04:58.079 --> 00:05:00.839 that he's not fit for the gig. I'm Surery's intelligent, 81 00:05:01.120 --> 00:05:04.120 and I'm sure he knows what he's doing. The fact is, 82 00:05:04.480 --> 00:05:07.759 why do we have all these Epstein adjacent people holding 83 00:05:07.759 --> 00:05:12.519 positions of power? Especially considering everything that's come out, you 84 00:05:12.560 --> 00:05:14.600 would think that that would be you know the line 85 00:05:14.639 --> 00:05:16.759 in the sand, Ack, buddy, I can't have you in 86 00:05:16.759 --> 00:05:20.000 this administration. You're name five thousand times in the files. 87 00:05:20.519 --> 00:05:23.480 But then how can you have that standard when the 88 00:05:23.519 --> 00:05:27.439 president himself was named what thirty eight thousand times? And 89 00:05:27.480 --> 00:05:30.120 when I tell you that the fish stinks from the head, 90 00:05:30.680 --> 00:05:35.720 this is what I mean. A personal spokesperson for Ben 91 00:05:35.800 --> 00:05:39.040 Black said Ben Black had no personal or a professional 92 00:05:39.040 --> 00:05:42.439 relationship with Jeffrey Epstein. I guess it was just Ron 93 00:05:42.439 --> 00:05:47.199 wyden Son. But sent wants to go after widen Son. 94 00:05:47.680 --> 00:05:50.600 Has he said anything about Ben Black? And look, again, 95 00:05:50.639 --> 00:05:52.399 I'm not saying that he shouldn't go after Ron. Whd 96 00:05:52.480 --> 00:05:54.600 and son. He should, but he should have the same 97 00:05:54.680 --> 00:05:58.240 kind of vigor when it comes to Leon Black's kid. 98 00:05:58.680 --> 00:06:01.480 And that's the problem with everything that's going on right now. 99 00:06:02.160 --> 00:06:05.879 Nobody wants to hold their own side accountable. Everybody wants 100 00:06:05.920 --> 00:06:09.240 to have that gotcha moment for the other side without 101 00:06:09.319 --> 00:06:13.240 cleaning their own house. And if you have a disgusting 102 00:06:13.279 --> 00:06:16.680 ass yard, don't you dare pop your head over the 103 00:06:16.720 --> 00:06:20.199 wall and tell me to pull my weeds, because I 104 00:06:20.240 --> 00:06:22.120 promise you you're not going to get the reaction that 105 00:06:22.160 --> 00:06:24.959 you're hoping for. And I think the same holds true here. 106 00:06:25.480 --> 00:06:28.279 You have one side saying, well, what about Ron Wyden's kid? 107 00:06:28.680 --> 00:06:30.959 Then you have Leon Black over here, and the other 108 00:06:31.040 --> 00:06:34.240 side wants to point that out. Meanwhile the rest of 109 00:06:34.319 --> 00:06:36.959 us are like, all of you are corrupt and none 110 00:06:37.000 --> 00:06:43.399 of you are helping. Trump created the DFC with bipartisan 111 00:06:43.480 --> 00:06:46.879 support during his first term and appointed Jared Kushner's former 112 00:06:46.920 --> 00:06:50.959 college roommate Adam Bohler to transform the lending agency into 113 00:06:51.000 --> 00:06:54.800 a tool to counter China and pursue more direct private investment. 114 00:06:55.279 --> 00:06:58.480 And look, the concept of it's great. The problem is 115 00:06:58.480 --> 00:07:01.959 the guy that's leading the department, Well, one of Jeffrey 116 00:07:01.959 --> 00:07:06.759 Epstein's buddy sons. And not only that, but allegedly had 117 00:07:06.759 --> 00:07:09.759 his own relationship with Jeffrey Epstein. So it's not even 118 00:07:09.839 --> 00:07:12.399 like a sinse of the father type of deal. This 119 00:07:12.519 --> 00:07:14.959 dude had his own ties to Epstein, at least according 120 00:07:14.959 --> 00:07:20.720 to the emails. It's not clear exactly what led Trump 121 00:07:20.800 --> 00:07:23.959 to appoint Ben Black to the DFC post, particularly given 122 00:07:24.279 --> 00:07:28.879 that public record suggests an experience in international development and finance. 123 00:07:29.600 --> 00:07:32.160 OH White House spokesperson told The Guardian Black had a 124 00:07:32.240 --> 00:07:36.199 lead experience for the role. And again, just remember that 125 00:07:36.279 --> 00:07:41.040 Jeffrey Epstein called Leon Black's kids retarded, and I know 126 00:07:41.079 --> 00:07:43.079 people don't like that word, but that's what he said. 127 00:07:43.519 --> 00:07:46.040 So that's the guy we want in charge of international 128 00:07:46.040 --> 00:07:49.639 finance for US. I'm gonna need to see his whole 129 00:07:49.680 --> 00:07:55.120 ass resume. In January twenty twenty five, then Black called 130 00:07:55.160 --> 00:07:58.720 the Pallanteer co founder Joe Lonsdell co authored an essay 131 00:07:59.199 --> 00:08:02.480 calling for a pro market approach the foreign aid. They 132 00:08:02.519 --> 00:08:05.920 specifically cited the missteps of the Biden administration and the 133 00:08:05.959 --> 00:08:09.560 promise of investing in Greenland, a Danish outpost that Trump 134 00:08:09.959 --> 00:08:12.480 has said he would like to control. OH Yeah, we're 135 00:08:12.480 --> 00:08:16.120 gonna get that. We're gonna have Cuba Venezuela, Canada fifty 136 00:08:16.160 --> 00:08:20.920 first state. How can anyone take this dude serious? Like 137 00:08:20.959 --> 00:08:24.000 at this point, with all the nonsense, how could you 138 00:08:24.040 --> 00:08:28.639 take anything that that man says seriously? Where those Amelia 139 00:08:28.680 --> 00:08:32.639 Earhart files? How about all those alien files? How about 140 00:08:32.639 --> 00:08:36.799 the JFK files? Oh what about the Epstein files. I 141 00:08:36.840 --> 00:08:38.639 don't know about you, folks, but I can't take all 142 00:08:38.639 --> 00:08:44.440 this transparency. I'm going to overdose on it. Three weeks 143 00:08:44.480 --> 00:08:47.840 after its publication, the President appointed Black now forty one, 144 00:08:48.000 --> 00:08:51.960 to take charge of the US largest overseas investing arm. 145 00:08:52.200 --> 00:08:55.720 Now age doesn't really matter. If the guy's qualified. He's qualified, right, 146 00:08:55.759 --> 00:08:59.519 I don't care. But my problem is I doubt he's qualified. 147 00:09:00.360 --> 00:09:05.519 You want to talk about nepotism. Here it is. Ben 148 00:09:05.559 --> 00:09:08.879 Black grew up amid the upper echelons of New York financiers, 149 00:09:09.000 --> 00:09:13.720 real estate moguls, and artificionados. His mother, Deborah Black, worked 150 00:09:13.720 --> 00:09:17.559 as a Broadway producer, garnering Tentoni awards for her work. 151 00:09:18.000 --> 00:09:21.120 And keep in mind that Leon Black was cheating on 152 00:09:21.159 --> 00:09:24.799 her with Guzelle Ganieva at least and probably other women 153 00:09:25.200 --> 00:09:28.639 for years, even when his wife was sick. What kind 154 00:09:28.639 --> 00:09:32.039 of scumbag does that. Leon partnered with Deborah's brother to 155 00:09:32.120 --> 00:09:36.039 found Apollo Global Management nineteen ninety, and the CEO led 156 00:09:36.080 --> 00:09:38.679 it to become one of the five largest private equity 157 00:09:38.879 --> 00:09:41.840 and credit managers in the world, with near lee one 158 00:09:41.879 --> 00:09:45.440 trillion under management. And I'm sure they got that far 159 00:09:45.519 --> 00:09:49.399 and square. I'm sure nobody got stepped on, nobody was destroyed, 160 00:09:49.919 --> 00:09:53.840 nobody had their life ruined. Leon Black and Trump were 161 00:09:53.840 --> 00:09:56.840 fellow travelers in the wild world of the nineties finance. 162 00:09:57.480 --> 00:10:00.720 The two vulture capitalists once vied for this real estate 163 00:10:00.759 --> 00:10:04.240 contracts in Boca Rautan and traveled to Moscow on business 164 00:10:04.360 --> 00:10:08.080 in ninety six, where Leon Black later told senate investigators 165 00:10:08.559 --> 00:10:10.639 that he and the president might have been in a 166 00:10:10.639 --> 00:10:14.639 strip club together. Oh well, might have been. Huh they were, 167 00:10:15.679 --> 00:10:17.519 And look, there's nothing wrong with that. I'm not gonna 168 00:10:17.519 --> 00:10:20.120 sit here and play mister amish. If you want to 169 00:10:20.159 --> 00:10:21.879 go to the strip club, go to the strip club, 170 00:10:22.440 --> 00:10:24.519 but don't try and present yourself as some kind of 171 00:10:24.519 --> 00:10:27.799 god fearing great guy, because we know that's not true. 172 00:10:28.519 --> 00:10:30.679 And I'm so sick of it. The main stop on 173 00:10:30.720 --> 00:10:34.080 Trump's ninety six tour was Ducot Place, according to the 174 00:10:34.080 --> 00:10:37.519 Moscow Times, where Trump once hoped to build Europe's first 175 00:10:37.519 --> 00:10:40.720 Trump Tower. Leon Black went on the fund the development 176 00:10:40.960 --> 00:10:44.519 of the luxury office complex after the trip. Now, no 177 00:10:44.559 --> 00:10:48.559 connections here. Leon Black's not somebody that Donald Trump is 178 00:10:48.600 --> 00:10:51.159 trying to cover up for, not at all. They didn't 179 00:10:51.159 --> 00:10:54.120 even know each other. Stop it. Don't you know that 180 00:10:54.159 --> 00:10:56.279 this is a hoax and that you should move on. 181 00:10:58.080 --> 00:11:01.039 Lawyers for Leon Black said in illegal letter that Black 182 00:11:01.080 --> 00:11:04.000 had no current ties to Russia, never did any business 183 00:11:04.000 --> 00:11:07.120 with Trump. That they have known each other socially, mostly 184 00:11:07.159 --> 00:11:09.720 as co residents of New York City, and the fact 185 00:11:09.720 --> 00:11:12.120 that they were in Moscow at the same time thirty 186 00:11:12.200 --> 00:11:15.080 years ago has no news value in the year twenty 187 00:11:15.120 --> 00:11:18.840 twenty six. But it does, especially when you look at 188 00:11:18.840 --> 00:11:21.879 this through the lens of a cover up. Is Leon 189 00:11:21.919 --> 00:11:23.720 Black one of the people that Trump's trying to cover 190 00:11:23.840 --> 00:11:28.480 up for? In my opinion probably Black was also Epstein's 191 00:11:28.480 --> 00:11:31.200 top paying client by a wide margin for years. He 192 00:11:31.279 --> 00:11:34.679 paid Epstein to advise him on tax having strategy, and 193 00:11:34.799 --> 00:11:38.559 purchasing art, and acted as an intermediary in his affairs 194 00:11:38.559 --> 00:11:40.799 with women and how the hell does Leon Black expect 195 00:11:40.840 --> 00:11:42.919 anybody to take him serious when he says he has 196 00:11:42.960 --> 00:11:46.480 no ties to Russia? We already know you do. We 197 00:11:46.519 --> 00:11:49.240 know that Jeffrey Epstein reached out to somebody and grew 198 00:11:50.000 --> 00:11:53.080 or connected to grew to try and get people pressed, 199 00:11:53.519 --> 00:11:57.080 to try to get people intimidated. But sure, Leon Black 200 00:11:57.080 --> 00:12:00.240 has no idea what's going on over in Russia. Well, 201 00:12:00.360 --> 00:12:02.480 he can't even find it on a map. A Senate 202 00:12:02.559 --> 00:12:07.279 Finance Committee investigation found that Black paid the convicted sex 203 00:12:07.320 --> 00:12:10.559 offender one hundred and seventy million, which Black said was 204 00:12:10.600 --> 00:12:15.840 for legitimate estate and tax planning services. Epstein helped them 205 00:12:15.879 --> 00:12:18.759 send about twenty million to women, The New York Times found, 206 00:12:19.440 --> 00:12:21.840 but Epstein had nothing to do with anything like that. 207 00:12:22.240 --> 00:12:25.240 Just a lone wolf, just a guy that wanted to 208 00:12:25.240 --> 00:12:28.840 diddle some people, right, mister President, isn't that what you 209 00:12:28.879 --> 00:12:32.519 told us? I guess all of this is just made up. 210 00:12:36.039 --> 00:12:38.720 Three women have sued Lyon Black for alleged sexual abuse. 211 00:12:39.559 --> 00:12:42.720 Two of the suits have been dismissed and one remains pending. 212 00:12:43.120 --> 00:12:45.399 Lawyers for Leon Black said in a statement to the 213 00:12:45.440 --> 00:12:49.840 Guardian that misconduct allegations raised against Black were false, and 214 00:12:49.879 --> 00:12:53.840 that subsequent events have established with certainty that mister Black's 215 00:12:53.840 --> 00:12:58.440 account was truthful and his accusers' claims were not. Well, 216 00:12:58.679 --> 00:13:01.200 that's not true. We still have a case pending, So 217 00:13:01.320 --> 00:13:03.320 what are you even talking about. I think it would 218 00:13:03.320 --> 00:13:05.200 be a good idea to see what happens with that 219 00:13:05.320 --> 00:13:08.600 case before anybody is out here trying to exonerate Leon Black. 220 00:13:09.000 --> 00:13:11.840 Leon Black has never been charged with any crime in 221 00:13:11.919 --> 00:13:17.279 relation to the allegations. A separate independent inquiry commissioned by 222 00:13:17.279 --> 00:13:21.120 Apollo Management to investigate its founder alleged ties to Epstein's 223 00:13:21.120 --> 00:13:24.559 sex trafficking network in twenty twenty one found no evidence 224 00:13:24.600 --> 00:13:28.279 that Epstein ever introduced Black or offered to introduce Black 225 00:13:28.720 --> 00:13:32.120 to any underage women. Well, that investigation was a bunch 226 00:13:32.159 --> 00:13:37.559 of bs, absolute nonsense, nothing more than a whitewash, just 227 00:13:37.600 --> 00:13:40.799 like the rest of these internal investigations we always hear about. 228 00:13:41.120 --> 00:13:44.879 Have any of these internal investigations ever found anything that 229 00:13:45.039 --> 00:13:48.639 was damning, anything that sent people to prison? You all 230 00:13:48.679 --> 00:13:51.759 know the answer to that. All right, folks, We're gonna 231 00:13:51.799 --> 00:13:53.919 wrap up episode one right here, and in the next 232 00:13:53.960 --> 00:13:56.799 episode we're gonna pick up where we left off. All 233 00:13:56.840 --> 00:13:59.440 the information that goes with this episode can be found 234 00:14:00.000 --> 00:14:02.679 in the description box. What's up, everyone, and welcome to 235 00:14:02.720 --> 00:14:06.559 another episode of the Epstein Chronicles. In this episode, we're 236 00:14:06.559 --> 00:14:08.759 going to pick up where he left off with the 237 00:14:08.799 --> 00:14:14.519 Guardian article talking about Ben Black. The author of this 238 00:14:14.639 --> 00:14:19.879 article is Kate Brown. Ben Black attended the Dalton School, 239 00:14:20.039 --> 00:14:24.159 a prestigious Upper east Side establishment where Epstein briefly taught 240 00:14:24.200 --> 00:14:28.399 math and physics in the seventies. He graduated in two 241 00:14:28.440 --> 00:14:31.480 thousand and two alongside many of New York's most well 242 00:14:31.519 --> 00:14:34.120 healed children, and went on to study history at the 243 00:14:34.200 --> 00:14:38.399 University of Pennsylvania. He later earned a dual master's in 244 00:14:38.440 --> 00:14:42.200 business and law at Harvard and a master's in taxation 245 00:14:42.639 --> 00:14:49.120 from New York University Harvard always with Harvard. In twenty eleven, 246 00:14:49.240 --> 00:14:52.399 Ben Black and several of his family members invested in 247 00:14:52.559 --> 00:14:57.360 Environmental Solutions Worldwide, a diesel emissions control company where Epstein 248 00:14:57.639 --> 00:15:00.919 was a six percent shareholder VIA's Virgini Island shell company 249 00:15:01.120 --> 00:15:06.120 Financial Trust. According to SEC filings, Ben Black and Joshua Black, 250 00:15:06.200 --> 00:15:10.200 one of his brothers, became directors of ESWW that same year. 251 00:15:10.480 --> 00:15:13.759 Company record show AH, I have no doubt that Jeffrey 252 00:15:13.759 --> 00:15:16.000 Epstein had nothing to do with it. Never mind the 253 00:15:16.000 --> 00:15:18.840 fact that Leon Black has given Epstein hundreds of millions 254 00:15:18.879 --> 00:15:23.240 of dollars. But sure, nothing to see here, just another coincidence. 255 00:15:24.519 --> 00:15:27.279 It's not clear whether Ben Black was aware that Epstein 256 00:15:27.720 --> 00:15:31.480 was ESWW shareholder when he took a stake in the 257 00:15:31.639 --> 00:15:34.799 entity through his personal trust fund, though his father, Leon 258 00:15:35.039 --> 00:15:38.799 had encouraged Epstein to invest in the group a year earlier. Oh, 259 00:15:38.840 --> 00:15:43.080 he had no idea. Stop with the nonsense. Okay, not 260 00:15:43.120 --> 00:15:46.600 that big of elite. His dad knew his dad encouraged 261 00:15:46.600 --> 00:15:49.720 Epstein to invest. Is it too much for us to 262 00:15:49.759 --> 00:15:54.639 think that Ben Black knew too? Two weeks after Leon 263 00:15:54.639 --> 00:15:59.320 black suggestion, Epstein wired one million to purchase ESWW company 264 00:15:59.360 --> 00:16:02.879 debt augmenting holdings that dated back to two thousand and five. 265 00:16:03.240 --> 00:16:08.120 According to his barristern's account. Epstein, through his company, sold 266 00:16:08.159 --> 00:16:11.960 his ESWW shares to the Black Family Partner's LP, a 267 00:16:12.039 --> 00:16:15.639 private partnership that manages some of Leon Black's fourteen billion 268 00:16:15.679 --> 00:16:20.399 dollar estate in November of twenty twelve. All these ties 269 00:16:20.440 --> 00:16:24.919 blind and if this was normal circumstances, and say that 270 00:16:24.960 --> 00:16:27.279 you or I were accused of what Epstein was accused of, 271 00:16:28.360 --> 00:16:30.720 this will all be rico And I know I know 272 00:16:30.879 --> 00:16:34.799 you're tired of hearing it, but guess what, I'm tired 273 00:16:34.840 --> 00:16:37.759 of living in a reality where it's not a Rico case. 274 00:16:38.200 --> 00:16:43.600 This is exactly what Rico was built for. Lawyers for 275 00:16:43.679 --> 00:16:46.759 Leon Black described this as a change an investment strategy 276 00:16:46.960 --> 00:16:50.200 on behalf of Epstein. Oh, just it's always Epstein's fault. 277 00:16:50.320 --> 00:16:52.519 Have you noticed that too? All these people that get 278 00:16:52.559 --> 00:16:55.080 called out, all these people that had relationships with them, 279 00:16:55.279 --> 00:16:57.759 now they all want to blame Epstein. He was evil, 280 00:16:57.840 --> 00:17:00.759 he was this, He was that? Well? Was he when 281 00:17:00.799 --> 00:17:03.840 you guys were getting riched together? Was he evil when 282 00:17:03.879 --> 00:17:08.160 he was pressing women that you allegedly assaulted? And if 283 00:17:08.200 --> 00:17:10.680 he was, then why'd you still do business with him? 284 00:17:12.000 --> 00:17:13.799 Why didn't you write him out? Why didn't you go 285 00:17:13.799 --> 00:17:16.000 to the authorities and tell them. I know a lot 286 00:17:16.039 --> 00:17:19.319 more about Epstein than other people. There are some discrepancies 287 00:17:19.359 --> 00:17:23.640 in the public timeline documenting Ben Black's involvement with ESWW. 288 00:17:24.200 --> 00:17:28.000 A Senate Ethics disclosure dates his board term to June 289 00:17:28.000 --> 00:17:31.359 twenty twenty one, ten years after Black's role was first 290 00:17:31.400 --> 00:17:35.559 listed in SEC filings. A company web page that listed 291 00:17:35.559 --> 00:17:38.960 Ben Black on its board of directors between twenty fifteen 292 00:17:39.319 --> 00:17:42.559 and twenty twenty three has been taken down. Oh, I'm 293 00:17:42.559 --> 00:17:45.720 sure it has been. Got to cover those tracks, got 294 00:17:45.720 --> 00:17:47.920 to make sure the cover up is running as smoothly 295 00:17:47.960 --> 00:17:51.799 as possible. Right. Lawyers for Leon Black did not answer 296 00:17:51.880 --> 00:17:56.160 questions about Ben Black's role on the ESWW board or 297 00:17:56.240 --> 00:17:59.799 his tenure there. ESWW did not return a request for 298 00:17:59.839 --> 00:18:03.079 comment about Black's tenure with the company, and I doubt 299 00:18:03.079 --> 00:18:08.680 they will private company. Why would they? Ben Black said 300 00:18:08.680 --> 00:18:12.400 that he would resign from his position at ESWW upon 301 00:18:12.440 --> 00:18:16.960 assuming his role at Development Finance Corporation, but would continue 302 00:18:16.960 --> 00:18:20.480 to own company stock. By his mid twenties, Ben Black 303 00:18:20.720 --> 00:18:24.039 had taken a position within the natural resources group at 304 00:18:24.039 --> 00:18:26.680 his father's firm in New York. But he had no 305 00:18:26.680 --> 00:18:29.759 idea about Epstein, right, no clue that Epstein was a 306 00:18:29.799 --> 00:18:32.799 dirt bag. My dad hangs out with him, must be 307 00:18:32.839 --> 00:18:36.039 a great guy, or the flip side of that, your 308 00:18:36.119 --> 00:18:41.599 dad's scumbag too, either or Records show that Black was 309 00:18:41.640 --> 00:18:44.440 scheduled to meet Epstein on several occasions after the young 310 00:18:44.480 --> 00:18:47.359 scion returned to the city. He was first scheduled to 311 00:18:47.400 --> 00:18:51.240 meet Epstein as his father's guest in twenty twelve. It's 312 00:18:51.279 --> 00:18:55.319 not known whether the meeting went ahead. A year later, 313 00:18:55.559 --> 00:18:59.519 emails between Epstein's staff and a Google administrator reflected that 314 00:18:59.559 --> 00:19:02.400 Epstein would be joining Ben Black and his girlfriend for 315 00:19:02.480 --> 00:19:06.559 a private tour of Google's New York headquarters. Leon Black 316 00:19:06.599 --> 00:19:11.119 and Crinny Ashuliac, Epstein's longtime Belarussian lover, were also listed 317 00:19:11.160 --> 00:19:14.359 as part of the six person tour. The identity of 318 00:19:14.400 --> 00:19:18.480 the six guest was redacted in Justice Department filings. Oh 319 00:19:18.519 --> 00:19:22.200 what an intricate web we weave. All these people are 320 00:19:22.240 --> 00:19:25.039 so connected, and they all knew Jeffrey Epstein a lot 321 00:19:25.039 --> 00:19:27.759 more intimately than they ever let on. And now that 322 00:19:27.799 --> 00:19:31.000 it's all coming to light, they're trying to say face 323 00:19:31.039 --> 00:19:33.119 the best way they can. But when it comes to 324 00:19:33.160 --> 00:19:36.160 these emails, they provide receipts, and all the people that 325 00:19:36.240 --> 00:19:40.480 denied being friendly with Epstein being partners with them, well 326 00:19:40.519 --> 00:19:44.519 they were proven to be liars. Lawyers for Leon Black 327 00:19:44.559 --> 00:19:46.640 said that Ben Black did not attend the tour of 328 00:19:46.680 --> 00:19:49.400 the Google headquarters, and that a tour did not attend 329 00:19:49.680 --> 00:19:53.200 does not establish a relationship of any kind, let alone 330 00:19:53.240 --> 00:19:57.079 a close one. By September twenty thirteen, Epstein obtained Ben 331 00:19:57.119 --> 00:20:01.000 Black's contact information after a family escape planning meeting at 332 00:20:01.000 --> 00:20:04.599 which both men were present. According to a memo summarizing 333 00:20:04.599 --> 00:20:07.680 the meeting, Leon said fine to set up meetings with 334 00:20:07.759 --> 00:20:12.720 Ben and Josh. Leon Black's assistant emailed Epstein's assistant. It's 335 00:20:12.759 --> 00:20:15.920 not clear whether the two men corresponded, but Epstein told 336 00:20:15.920 --> 00:20:18.559 a friend that he flew to the Hamptons to celebrate 337 00:20:18.599 --> 00:20:22.720 Ben Black's birthday his thirtieth birthday in July of twenty fourteen. 338 00:20:23.680 --> 00:20:26.319 Lawyers for Leon Black said Epstein did not attend a 339 00:20:26.359 --> 00:20:32.359 birthday celebration for Benjamin in twenty fourteen. Wherever, well, somebody's lying, 340 00:20:32.720 --> 00:20:35.200 who is it? And why would Epstein lie about going 341 00:20:35.240 --> 00:20:38.920 to the party. After reviewing the email in which Epstein 342 00:20:38.960 --> 00:20:42.000 told a friend that he attended Ben Black's birthday, the 343 00:20:42.079 --> 00:20:44.640 lawyer later said that they were not aware of any 344 00:20:44.640 --> 00:20:48.519 email to Leon Black acknowledging any attendants at the party, 345 00:20:48.759 --> 00:20:51.440 and mister Black and his son have confirmed that Epstein 346 00:20:51.519 --> 00:20:54.720 did not attend. Whatever he may have said in emails, 347 00:20:55.559 --> 00:20:59.440 It's very well known that Epstein was prone to exaggeration, lies, 348 00:20:59.599 --> 00:21:03.839 and inishments to try to elevate his importance with others. Oh, 349 00:21:03.880 --> 00:21:06.920 Epstein was so evil, it's well known. They knew that 350 00:21:07.000 --> 00:21:10.160 about him, but they didn't know he was diddling people. Okay, sure, 351 00:21:11.200 --> 00:21:13.960 How can anyone take any of these people serious? That's 352 00:21:14.000 --> 00:21:17.039 the real question. And honestly, I'm at the point that 353 00:21:17.079 --> 00:21:19.480 the people that take this kind of shit serious, I 354 00:21:19.480 --> 00:21:23.119 don't take them serious. Sorry. If your ass is dumb 355 00:21:23.240 --> 00:21:26.279 enough to be dog walked by these people at this point, 356 00:21:26.319 --> 00:21:29.440 you deserve everything you get. Two days after Ben Black's 357 00:21:29.440 --> 00:21:32.480 birthday party, Epstein weighed in on Black's planned to buy 358 00:21:32.920 --> 00:21:36.240 and eleven and a half million dollars townhouse. The transaction 359 00:21:36.359 --> 00:21:40.640 was carefully orchestrated to minimize tax exposure. Email show Epstein 360 00:21:40.680 --> 00:21:44.319 totally on Black's executive assistant that if Ben had questions 361 00:21:44.400 --> 00:21:48.240 after the purchase, he could call any time. People need 362 00:21:48.279 --> 00:21:52.240 to understand. That was Epstein's biggest role, bundling money. That's 363 00:21:52.240 --> 00:21:56.480 what he did. Everything else was secondary. Epstein was so 364 00:21:56.559 --> 00:21:59.319 useful because he knew how to hide money. That's it. 365 00:21:59.440 --> 00:22:01.839 That's the whole story. And because he was so useful, 366 00:22:01.960 --> 00:22:08.000 they looked the other way. By the end of twenty fourteen, 367 00:22:08.359 --> 00:22:11.519 Black's parents had moved into a thirty room Italian Renaissance 368 00:22:11.559 --> 00:22:14.960 style mansion one block from Epstein's upper east side address. 369 00:22:15.799 --> 00:22:19.640 Tensions between Leon Black and Epstein Ebbden flowed over the years. 370 00:22:19.799 --> 00:22:24.759 Email show Epstein repeatedly admonished Black for delaying personal changes 371 00:22:24.960 --> 00:22:28.759 in his family's office Elyssa management, and short changing his 372 00:22:28.839 --> 00:22:34.480 compensation for a formidable advisory task. In February twenty sixteen, 373 00:22:34.720 --> 00:22:38.440 Epstein's assistant asked Ben Black and his brother Joshua if 374 00:22:38.440 --> 00:22:40.480 they would have their portraits painted as a gift to 375 00:22:40.519 --> 00:22:44.680 their father. The brothers agreed and met Keong No, a 376 00:22:44.759 --> 00:22:48.480 Korean painter, for a photography session. No told The Guardian 377 00:22:48.640 --> 00:22:51.880 that he received a scholarship from Epstein to study portraiture 378 00:22:52.160 --> 00:22:54.480 at the New York Academy of Art. He said the 379 00:22:54.480 --> 00:22:57.480 scholarship stipulated that he had to paint at least one 380 00:22:57.519 --> 00:23:01.079 portrait for donors. They sent me the two guys, he recalled. 381 00:23:01.480 --> 00:23:03.960 I looked their photo and then I painted it in 382 00:23:04.000 --> 00:23:07.839 my studio space. After graduating, some guy came and picked 383 00:23:07.880 --> 00:23:10.680 it up. Well, I don't blame the artist, right, I 384 00:23:10.720 --> 00:23:14.480 have no qualms with him. His job is to create 385 00:23:14.599 --> 00:23:18.359 art and that's what he did. And Jeffrey Epstein, we 386 00:23:18.440 --> 00:23:21.720 all know that he had his fingers deep in the 387 00:23:21.759 --> 00:23:25.000 New York Academy of Art. And that's another question that 388 00:23:25.079 --> 00:23:28.759 I've always had, just how deep did that go? And 389 00:23:28.960 --> 00:23:32.160 was the New York Academy of Art feeding girls directly 390 00:23:32.160 --> 00:23:34.839 into the belly of the beast, because if you listen 391 00:23:34.880 --> 00:23:38.640 to what Maria says, that's what was happening. He added 392 00:23:38.680 --> 00:23:41.079 that he had no knowledge of Epstein or the Black 393 00:23:41.119 --> 00:23:43.960 family at the time or received any money in exchange 394 00:23:43.960 --> 00:23:47.880 for his work. Lawyers for Leon Black initially said that 395 00:23:47.960 --> 00:23:50.799 neither Benjamin nor his brother Joshua had sat for a 396 00:23:50.839 --> 00:23:54.319 portrait commissioned by Epstein, and that no follow up eml 397 00:23:54.400 --> 00:23:58.359 suggested that a portrait had been painted. After reviewing a 398 00:23:58.400 --> 00:24:01.480 picture of the painting, the lawyers additionally said, as for 399 00:24:01.559 --> 00:24:04.160 the portrait you provided, it appears to be painted from 400 00:24:04.200 --> 00:24:07.319 a picture. Neither Ben nor josh Black sat for a 401 00:24:07.359 --> 00:24:11.279