Musk-Epstein Island row: Tesla CEO explains allegations after daughter's ‘boat ride’ remark

Elon Musk explained his name appearing in the latest release of the Jeffrey Epstein files.

Published on: Jan 31, 2026, 21:34:29 IST

By Yash Nitish Bajaj

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Elon Musk explained his name appearing in the latest release of the Jeffrey Epstein files. The Tesla CEO, the richest person in the world, was in touch with the convicted sex trafficker and paedophile in 2012 and 2013, at one point asking him about the ‘wildest party on your island’.

Elon Musk was named in the latest release of the Epstein files (REUTERS)

“What day/night will be the wildest party on your island?” one email read. Musk has always downplayed his link to Epstein and even pushed for the release of the infamous files and client logs.

“Epstein tried to get me to go to his island and I REFUSED,” he said in a post on X, platform formerly known as Twitter, back in September.

Vivian Wilson remembers boat ride during vacations

Meanwhile, Musk's estranged daughter Vivian Wilson, 21, wrote in a post on Threads that she remembers visiting the region where Epstein's island was located.

“There was this boat ride from St Vincent to St Barth’s I remember from when I was little. We used to visit around the holidays. I remember the sea being so dark at night," she posted.

Musk responds to Epstein row

Elon Musk, in a post on Saturday, said that he declined to fly on Epstein's ‘Lolita Express’, the nickname for the trafficker's private jet.

“No one pushed harder than me to have the Epstein files released and I’m glad that has finally happened,” he tweeted.

The tech billionaire further added that he wants authorities to prosecute those who ‘committed serious crimes'.

“I had very little correspondence with Epstein and declined repeated invitations to go to his island or fly on his “Lolita Express”, but was well aware that some email correspondence with him could be misinterpreted and used by detractors to smear my name,” he added.

“I don’t care about that, but what I do care about is that we at least attempt to prosecute those who committed serious crimes with Epstein, especially regarding heinous exploitation of underage girls,” Musk said on Saturday.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Yash Nitish Bajaj
Yash Bajaj is a Chief Content Producer with a strong foundation in US coverage, digital strategy, and audience-focused storytelling. As part of the US Desk at Hindustan Times, he covers a wide range of topics - from American politics to sports (NFL, NBA, derbies, MLB and more). Before joining Hindustan Times, Yash served as Deputy News Editor at Times Now, where he oversaw international coverage and led a team of six. In this role, he significantly expanded global traffic through strategic planning, SEO-driven content execution, and meticulous trend tracking across platforms. He is experienced in managing high-pressure breaking-news shifts, coordinating live coverage, and building newsroom systems that improve speed, accuracy, and reach. Prior to Times Now, Yash held a position at Opoyi, where he headed the Sports and US news team. He developed broad editorial strategies, guided reporters across multiple beats, and played a key role in recruiting and training new talent. His responsibilities also extended to social media management and experimenting with innovative content formats. A passionate NFL fan, Yash is a die-hard supporter of the Cincinnati Bengals and has followed Joe Burrow closely since his college days at LSU. Whether breaking down top players' latest performance, analyzing team performances, or tracking roster moves, he brings the same dedication and sharp storytelling to his sports coverage as he does to American politics and breaking news. When he’s not writing, Yash can often be found watching games or debating the latest NFL storylines with fellow fans. Yash holds a Bachelor of Mass Media (Journalism) from HR College, Mumbai University. His interests extend well beyond the newsroom: he is an enthusiastic explorer of AI tools, a movie buff with an ever-growing watchlist, and someone who enjoys unraveling conspiracy theories for fun.Read More

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