THE latest disclosures from the Epstein files have triggered political consequences far beyond American shores. They have, for example, led to the sidelining of Norway’s ambassador to Jordan and Iraq after it emerged that Jeffrey Epstein had bequeathed $10m to her children. They have forced UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer to apologise over the appointment of Peter Mandelson, linked personally to Epstein as the country’s ambassador to the US. Miroslav Laják, Slovakia’s national security adviser, has been forced to resign following newly surfaced, highly embarrassing exchanges with the paedophile financier. These developments underscore how, years after his death, the sordid life of Jeffrey Epstein continues to cast a long shadow over the global power elite. It may be recalled that Epstein built an extensive criminal network that exploited vulnerable, underage girls, and hid behind private jets, islands and elite philanthropy. This world overlapped with circles in which some of the world’s most powerful men from politics, business and royalty moved. The latest tranche of declassified documents has not only pulled the curtain further away from his crimes, it has also shone a spotlight on the profound moral rot that seems to prevail among the global elite.

Epstein’s social network included former US presidents Donald Trump and Bill Clinton, tech billionaires Elon Musk, Sergey Brin and Bill Gates, former Prince Andrew of the UK, billionaire Richard Branson, and countless others. Not every person named in the documents may be guilty of the crimes Epstein himself was involved in; many of his links seem to have been social, professional, or incidental. Yet the sheer breadth and high status of the disgraced financier’s connections are chilling. It is deeply disturbing that a man convicted in 2008 and later charged with sex trafficking continued to maintain ties with some of the world’s most influential figures for years, and with no apparent consequences. Epstein, of course, seemingly died by suicide in 2019 while serving his sentence. His confidante and ‘partner in crime’, Ghislaine Maxwell, is serving time for sex trafficking. Yet, there have been no other convictions tied to his activities. It seems that the extreme wealth and status of Epstein’s social network ultimately shielded it from serious consequences. It just goes to show how untouchable the wealthy and powerful are, even if they appear plausibly complicit in heinous crimes.

Published in Dawn, February 7th, 2026