Hedonism’s dance: how the governing classes fell for Jeffrey Epstein

How did he generate so much paperwork, traffic and comment? New York financier, mountebank, all purposes conman and dedicated rake that he was, Jeffrey Epstein continues to nag living figures from beyond the grave and place them in a tight spot of bother. His correspondence with these individuals runs into the millions, a figure suggesting his only work in life was being a pimp for pleasure and valet to the rotten.

The press vultures have been feeding most excitedly on the latest carrion released by the US Department of Justice on January 30 in response to the Epstein Files Transparency Act, comprising some 3.5 million pages with more than 180,000 images and 2,000 videos. "Today's release marks the end of a very comprehensive document identification and review process to ensure transparency to the American people and compliance," stated Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche.

Leaving aside Blanche's perky claim to thoroughbred compliance, those found corresponding or engaging with Epstein have had to qualify any engagement with the late financier as utterly innocent and certainly unconnected to the sexual trafficking arm he operated with the incarcerated Ghislaine Maxwell, herself the daughter of that mighty confidence trickster, serial litigant and press mogul, Robert Maxwell. What did not seem to bother Epstein's vast network of correspondents, foolish confidants and dissolute playmates was a conviction for soliciting sex from a 14-year-old girl in 2008. The sinner always knows best.

The list of the dishonourable is long and impossible to enumerate without expectorating. A handful of rummy specimens will suffice. We have the morally stunted tech brat billionaire Elon Musk discussing travel to Epstein's properties for reasons of entertainment. "What day/night will be the wildest party on your island?", he asks in one yearning inquiry. Musk continued to press the financier for information of any planned parties, claiming that he needed to "let loose". "I've been working to the edge of sanity this year and so, once my kids head home after Christmas, I really want to hit the party scene in St Barts or elsewhere and let loose."

In 2009, despite Epstein serving a prison sentence at the time, the emails reveal the financial provision of a loan to Lord Peter Mandelson's husband Reinaldo Avila da Silva regarding an osteopathy course. Mandelson, the Mr Fixit of Britain's New Labour, had his tenure as UK ambassador to Washington terminated once the cloacal gatherings of his association with Epstein proved too hard to ignore.

We find Britain's founder of Virgin Group, Richard Branson, expressing his pleasure at meeting Epstein before adding "Any time you're in the area would love to see you. As long as you bring your harem!" (The company hurriedly tried to dispel any needless assumptions of prurience: "harem" in this case was a reference to three adult members of the Epstein team.)

As is already known, royalty is not exempt from the turd lined trough. Recently deprived of his status as prince for scouring Epstein's fleshpots with rutting glee, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, known as "The Duke" in the correspondence, is most accommodating to Epstein in emails sent in September 2010. "We could have dinner at Buckingham Palace and lots of privacy," suggests Epstein. The reply: "Delighted for you to come here to BP [Buckingham Palace]. Come with whomever and I'll be here free from 1600ish."

The matter gets even more squalid with Mountbatten-Windsor's former wife, Sarah Ferguson, calling Epstein the "brother" she "had always wished for". (The provision of £15,000 to pay off her debts probably helped.) Showing how liberal his house arrest conditions were, Ferguson implies that the pair had lunch. An August 2009 exchange points to a meeting between Epstein and her daughters, Prince Beatrice and Princess Eugenie. "I have never been more touched by a friends [sic] kindness than your compliment to me in front of my girls."

Showing that the royals of other countries also slid into the honeypot, Norway's Crown Princess Mette-Marit had extensive contact with Epstein between 2011 and 2014. From what can be gleaned from the correspondence, the financier had made quite an impression, being "soft hearted" and "such a sweetheart". In one message dated November 1, 2012, the crown princess responds to a message of sheer gibberish discussing the protective facilities of nature and the problems of unnatural products. "You always make me smile," she reflects. "Because you tickle my brain."

The timing was most unfortunate for Mette-Marit, as her son, Marius Borg Høiby, is facing 38 criminal charges, including allegations of rape of four women including assault and drug offences. "I showed poor judgment and I deeply regret having had any contact with Epstein," she said in a statement, conjuring up contrition. "It is simply embarrassing."

Figures from the world of sports are not exempt. "We had a brief association where we exchanged emails about adult women, and in addition we discussed movies, philanthropy and investments," claimed New York Giants co-owner Steve Tisch, mentioned over 400 times in the files. "I did not take him up on any of his invitations and never went to his island. As we all know, he was a terrible person and someone I deeply regret associating with."

To keep Tisch in sporting company is chairman of the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games, Casey Wasserman. In his case, it was an enduring infatuation with Epstein's collaborator in vice, Ghislaine. "I think of you all the time," he says in a charged exchange in 2003. "So what do I have to do to see you in a tight leather outfit?" A statement from Wasserman on the matter expressed "regret" for correspondence "which took place over two decades ago, long before her horrific crimes came to light."

A generous assessment of these files would suggest the sense of sheer beguilement shown by Epstein's correspondents, who seemed to be playing fools during much of their acquaintanceships. But the cosmic expansiveness of it all at the highest social and political level points to the ethically desiccated nature of the governing classes and their willingness to be depraved and blinded. Operating in the realm of power and influence, these figures have shown themselves to be dunces and cavorters before hedonism's dance, utterly indifferent to the prospect that they would, eventually, be found out.