Jeffrey Epstein was told to keep 'close eye' on Saudi Arabia amid Ritz Carlton purge
Convicted paedophile Jeffrey Epstein was closely watching the upheaval in Saudi Arabia amid the 2017 shakedown of the kingdom’s royal family and financial elite by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the tranche of documents released by the US Department of Justice over the weekend in relation to Epstein has revealed.
In an email from an unknown sender, Epstein was told on 4 November 2017 to “keep close eye on what is going on in Saudi right now”.
Epstein responded, “the missile or the anti corruption,” to which Epstein was told the “anti corruption”.
The email exchange came on the eve of an unprecedented crackdown by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman against members of the kingdom’s royal family and other business figures.
In early November 2017, scores of wealthy Saudi Arabians and royals were corralled at the Riyadh Ritz-Carlton in what was characterised as a corruption purge by the crown prince, and were ordered to pay billions of dollars to the kingdom.
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The list included high-flyers such as billionaire Alwaleed bin Talal and lesser-known royals. Those who did not pay were moved to prisons. The Wall Street Journal reported that some were repeatedly beaten.
The exchange underscores how Epstein was keeping close watch on the Gulf region and comes as the recently released documents show he was able to reach the highest levels of the Saudi government.
In an exchange with then-New York Times reporter Thomas Landon Jr, eight months before the Ritz Carlton purge, Epstein appeared to reference his ties with the Saudi crown prince in an effort to forge closer links with Saudi officials.
“Trying to get you in with Masa crowd. Some resistance though, due to all the headlines/controversy -- as you might expect. I tell them about your relationship with Saudis/Gates/Trump crowd, but still doubts. Working on it!” Landon wrote to Epsein. Masa appears to be a likely misspelling of Misa, the abbreviation for Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Investment.
“Tell him to ask nathan mhyrvold. . or bin salman,” Epstein replies in an apparent reference to the crown prince. At least one photograph from the tranche of Epstein documents shows the convicted sex offender smiling alongside the Saudi leader.
Ties to Gulf elite
Epstein’s ties to members of the Gulf elite have been revealed in the newly released documents. For example, Epstein brokered a previously unknown meeting between former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak and former Qatari Prime Minister Hamad bin Jassim bin Jaber al-Thani in 2018.
Among senior Gulf figures, however, it is Dubai Port’s World CEO, Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem, who figures most prominently. His ties to Epstein have been documented in several emails.
DP World is owned by the emirate of Dubai. It has expanded across the Middle East and Africa with the support of the UAE’s foreign policy. DP World's operations have come under renewed focus amid the UAE's rivalry with Saudi Arabia in the Red Sea.
In one email exchange, Sulayem writes to share his views on the Quran with Epstein before noting that he is “off the sample a fresh 100% female Russian” on his yacht.
Epstein and former New York Times journalist Landon had several deep conversations via email on Saudi Arabia. In a 17 October 2016 email, the journalist pumped Epstein for analysis on how low oil prices were affecting the Saudi royal family.
Epstein, the New York moneyman with ties to intelligence agencies, then provided an analysis on how the Saudi royal family functions, stating, “In politics the USA meant the white house. now there is pentagon. cia, state, and congress in addition, each feels empowered to act more independantly….same with Royal family, there are 20k members of a tribe. called the royal family, the words are misleading,” he said.
The exchange came at the early stages of an attempt by Saudi Arabia to begin social and economic reforms known as Vision 2030. Epstein suggested that the social reforms, such as allowing women to drive, were being spurred by pressure from western observers and not ordinary Saudi Arabians.
“"t is the americans that are demanding women drive. not the saudis,” he wrote to Landon on 18 October 2016.
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