One of the girls followed up with Siad, sending him a link to her and her friend\u2019s modelling profiles. Siad forwarded the email to Epstein, saying: \u201cHello Jeffrey what do you think about those models for NY\u201d. Epstein apparently thought they looked too old, replying: \u201cmost of these girls would have been good 5 years ago. you need to find new.\u201d<\/p>\n
The professor\u00a0<\/p>\n
Jeffrey Epstein was obsessed with the novel Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov, a critically acclaimed but deeply controversial book told from the perspective of a paedophile who falls in love with a young girl.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Epstein displayed quotes from the book<\/a> around his house. He ordered a vintage edition<\/a> from Amazon. He owned a copy of the audiobook<\/a>, read by Jeremy Irons. He discussed the novel with friends<\/a> and recommended it<\/a> to anyone who would listen. His private jet was famously nicknamed the Lolita Express, and his preference in women was described by those who knew him as the \u201cLolita type<\/a>\u201d.<\/p>\n Epstein was so fascinated that he started researching to learn more about its author. In 2009<\/a>, he emailed an unknown person saying: \u201ccould you research and find the best nabokv [sic] scholar at any university.\u201d<\/p>\n It seems he found the answer in Brian Boyd of the University of Auckland, a literature professor who has written extensively about Nabokov\u2019s life and works.\u00a0<\/p>\n Epstein became very interested in Boyd. He attended some of Boyd\u2019s public talks<\/a> and invited him to a \u201csmart day<\/a>\u201d at Harvard with other big-name academics, including economist Larry Summers, linguist Noam Chomsky, psychologist Howard Gardner and mathematician Steve Wolfram. They discussed attending a Nabokov conference<\/a> in Paris together.\u00a0<\/p>\n When Epstein visited an art museum with film director Woody Allen, who has\u00a0 been accused of, and denies, sexually assaulting minors, he wrote to Boyd<\/a> to say: \u201cThought of you today\u201d.\u00a0<\/p>\n Epstein wanted to provide funding for Boyd to write a book about the making of Lolita. They had several meetings in person and on Skype. In an email chain from July 2012<\/a>, Boyd initially suggested he would need $50,000 to write the book. Epstein thought that wasn\u2019t enough and offered $75,000. After thinking about it further, Boyd suggested that he might need more: \u201cTo do the book in a year I\u2019d really need to take a full year of unpaid leave and be free of all university obligations here. So that\u2019s just for you to reflect on.\u201d He sent through his bank details and Swift code for international transfers.\u00a0<\/p>\n Excited about the book, Epstein wrote to Katherine Keating<\/a>, daughter of the former Australian prime minister Paul Keating, saying: \u201cI am funding an author, who is the biographer of Nabokov, who is now doing a full work on [philosopher Karl] popper. I think [investor George] soros would like it\u201d. He added: \u201chis name is Brian Boyd.. new zealand professor\u201d.<\/p>\n The following year, Epstein had discussions with a friend about making a movie about how Nabokov wrote Lolita<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n Neither the book or movie ever eventuated. Boyd told Newsroom<\/a>, \u201cI know I didn\u2019t do anything wrong. I was just glad not to have been caught in a sticky web, you know, by being financially associated with him.\u201d<\/p>\n The billionaire\u00a0<\/p>\n Peter Thiel, the billionaire founder of Paypal and early investor in Facebook who, controversially, became a New Zealand citizen in 2011<\/a>, was in regular contact with Epstein for years. They exchanged emails, planned meetings, discussed future parties and invited each other on trips. Epstein invested $40 million<\/a> in a firm co-founded by Thiel.\u00a0<\/p>\n Epstein invited Thiel to visit his private island with former Norwegian prime minister Thorbjorn Jagland<\/a>, Santa Fe with philosopher Noam Chomsky<\/a>, and to a dinner with Woody Allen<\/a>. Epstein tried to connect Thiel with other powerful people<\/a>, including Mohammed bin Salman, Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the ruler of Dubai, and former Qatari prime minister Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim bin Jaber Al Thani.<\/p>\n Before one breakfast meeting with Epstein, Thiel had his executive assistant Alisa Bekins send a three-page list of dietary requirements<\/a>, which has been redacted.\u00a0<\/p>\n Epstein spoke highly of Thiel to other people. After one party, he wrote to venture capitalist Joi Ito, \u201cpeter thiel came last night, fun<\/a>\u201d. He told Russian investor Masha Drokova<\/a>: \u201cI met with peter thiel, he is great\u201d.\u00a0<\/p>\n However, when former US treasury secretary Larry Summers speculated that Donald Trump could pick Thiel to lead the treasury in 2016, Epstein dismissed the idea with a damning opinion: \u201cpeter thiel autistic, no global sense<\/a>\u201d.\u00a0<\/p>\n The managers<\/p>\n New Zealanders Brice and Karen Gordon were two of Epstein\u2019s most trusted and longest-serving staff members. They worked for him as the managers of his sprawling ranch in New Mexico and later as the managers of his private island resort on Little St James, where they lived. In 2011, Epstein granted limited power of attorney<\/a> to Brice Gordon to handle some of his affairs in New Mexico.\u00a0<\/p>\n Emails show the pair were diligent employees, responsible for ordering supplies and food for guests, organising maintenance, and dealing with contractors for construction work.\u00a0<\/p>\n The couple returned to New Zealand several times for holidays and family duties. In 2012, Epstein offered to pay $14,000 for their return flights to New Zealand, and in 2013 urged them to take a trip to Auckland, saying \u201cyou deserve a vacation\u201d.\u00a0<\/p>\n There is little information about the Gordons available online, their names appear on previous property records in Auckland, Dunedin and Christchurch. In July 2014, Brice told Epstein<\/a> he had sold his house in New Zealand and \u201cWe plan to go to Jackson Hole, WY and hide in a cabin in the woods with the bears\u201d.\u00a0<\/p>\n The university<\/p>\n Canadian-American theoretical physicist and cosmologist Lawrence Krauss was a close friend of Jeffrey Epstein\u2019s, and a huge fan of New Zealand. He visited New Zealand several times and repeatedly urged Epstein to join him<\/p>\n \u201cI am very excited about going to New Zealand,\u201d he told Epstein in 2010<\/a>. Two years later, he was still banging on about it. \u201c[I] want to take you to new zealand sometime,\u201d he wrote<\/a>. On another occasion<\/a>: \u201cI am looking into my fall travel and I don\u2019t know if you were serious about maybe taking a few days to go to new zealand.\u201d He proposed an itinerary<\/a> for a \u201cfreedom trip\u201d where they would \u201cspend 4-5 days in NZ, depending upon your druthers.. starting in south, then glacier, then ending in Auckland.\u201d It\u2019s unclear if the trip ever went ahead.\u00a0<\/p>\n In 2012, Krauss decided he wanted to move to New Zealand. First, he asked Epstein for advice: \u201cnew zealand\u2026 any ideas on how I can spend 6 months there a year? Wanna consider an institute?\u201d. Then he reached out to senior staff at the University of Otago in the hopes of securing a job for himself and partner Nancy Dahl-Tacconi.\u00a0<\/p>\n Krauss is a big name in the scientific world, so university management showed immediate interest. Initial discussions with University of Otago vice-chancellor Harlene Hayne seemed positive. However, Hayne eventually told<\/a> him that government funding cuts meant they could not afford to add any new roles.\u00a0<\/p>\n Krauss told Hayne the news was \u201cpretty devastating\u201d and offered an alternative: \u201cif I can get private funding to fund the positions for at least a year, and maybe two, would you consider this?\u201d He suggested that a foundation might provide US$250,000 per year for two years to support his salary and a research program. Hayne was \u201ccautiously optimistic about the idea\u201d.\u00a0<\/p>\n He never revealed to the university that the private funder he had in mind was Jeffrey Epstein. He forwarded the emails to Epstein, saying he \u201cwould love to talk\u201d about the idea, and strangely added that he was \u201cjust with Cameron Diaz in my hotel room\u201d.\u00a0<\/p>\n Epstein wasn\u2019t a fan. \u201cre new zealand, I can\u2019t get behind it\u201d, he said. Krauss replied<\/a>, \u201cpity.. I had hoped I could convince you it would be win-win\u2014 a great place to have a retreat once a year or so\u201d.<\/p>\n The sailors<\/p>\n Many of the references to New Zealand in the Epstein files related to yachts and sailors. There is a scanned copy of a New Zealand passport belonging to Philip Anthony Baker, and New Zealand immigration documents for his partner Myla Trestiza, who appear to have been hired as staff to crew a luxury yacht. They don\u2019t appear to have had much contact with Epstein. Most of their communications are with Epstein\u2019s accountant Richard Kahn and involve various travel arrangements and employment dealings.\u00a0<\/p>\n Epstein\u2019s yacht The Dancing Hare<\/a> was moored in Westmere, Auckland for several years. In 2009, he discussed buying the catamaran Kokomo<\/a>, built by Alloy Yachts in New Zealand, and in 2014 he emailed Google co-founder Larry Page about a sailing trip<\/a>: \u201cI would like to take you up on your invitation to test your new zealand catamaran. next step?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n There are several other mentions of New Zealand and New Zealanders which raise more questions than answers.\u00a0<\/p>\n A woman whose name has been redacted emailed him in 2010 saying: \u201cNew Zealand looked cute today. [Name redacted] is 19 but I look younger than her. I like [name redacted] more\u2026 Will ask her out this week. So nice to become not fat again, easier to make friends cause no one wants to hang out with fat girl(( miss u Such a snow storm here!!! Crazy!! Going to work soon) kiss.\u201d<\/p>\n In 2017, Epstein offered to buy an unknown person a round-the-world trip for their birthday or chanukah. They responded: \u201cWhat about New Zealand, Bora Bora, or Bali?\u201d. \u201cWhatever you prefer, as always,\u201d Epstein replied.\u00a0<\/p>\n In 2018, British neurophysiologist Peter Fenwick, an expert on death and human consciousness, told Epstein he was in New Zealand giving expert evidence in court. A man named Peter (presumably Fenwick) attended the Banksy exhibition at the Aotea Centre in Auckland and sent some photos to Epstein<\/a>. \u201cSome Banksy painting to amuse you\u201d he wrote. When he received nothing back, he followed up<\/a>: \u201cDid you enjoy Banksy?\u201d Epstein didn\u2019t reply.\u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The notorious billionaire sex trafficker had a network reaching all over the world, including several links to New…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":268191,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[492,40196,152459,152460,15860,111,43,139,69,88911,2935],"class_list":{"0":"post-268190","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-new-zealand","8":"tag-comments-enabled","9":"tag-epstein","10":"tag-epstein-island","11":"tag-epstein-new-zealand","12":"tag-jeffrey-epstein","13":"tag-new-zealand","14":"tag-news","15":"tag-newzealand","16":"tag-nz","17":"tag-peter-thiel","18":"tag-society"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/268190","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=268190"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/268190\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/268191"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=268190"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=268190"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=268190"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}Distinguished Nabokov expert\u00a0 Brian Boyd. (Photo: University of Auckland)<\/p>\n
Peter Thiel leaves an elevator at Trump Tower in 2016 in New York (Photo: Drew Angerer\/Getty Images)<\/p>\n
Zorro Ranch, Jeffrey Epstein\u2019s New Mexico mansion.<\/p>\n
Physicist and cosmologist Lawrence Krauss.<\/p>\n
The Dancing Hare, a luxury yacht associated with Jeffrey Epstein.
\nThe mysteries<\/p>\n