"I refused when he tried to bring me to the island"
Musk criticizes media coverage, saying "You should be ashamed"
Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla, publicly refuted allegations that he was included on the invitation list of the late Jeffrey Epstein, a billionaire and notorious sex offender, stating, "I refused."
On the 28th (local time), Musk posted on the social media platform X (formerly Twitter), "Sky News, which ran a completely misleading headline, should be truly ashamed," adding, "Anyone who spreads such falsehoods deserves to be thoroughly despised." He continued, "Epstein tried to bring me to his island, but I refused. Yet, they mentioned my name before Prince Andrew, who actually visited the island."
Musk attached a link to a Sky News article titled, "Elon Musk and Prince Andrew named in newly released Epstein documents," to his post.
On the previous day, the BBC, The Telegraph, and Sky News reported that materials submitted by the U.S. Democratic Party to the House Oversight Committee included Epstein's phone message records, flight logs and passenger lists, copies of financial ledgers, and schedules. These documents indicated that Musk had been invited to Epstein's "island." A schedule from December 6, 2014, contained the note: "Reminder: Elon Musk island visit Dec 6 (still on?)." However, this memo alone does not confirm whether the visit actually took place or what relationship, if any, existed between Musk and Epstein. There is also no evidence that the visit was carried out.
In a 2019 interview with the entertainment outlet Vanity Fair, Musk stated that he had visited Epstein's New York residence once in the past, adding, "He kept inviting me to the island, but I refused." In his recent post, he strongly denied the allegations by writing "I REFUSED" in capital letters.
Prince Andrew, the younger brother of King Charles III of the United Kingdom, appeared on a passenger list for a private flight from New Jersey to Florida on May 12, 2000. The list showed that Prince Andrew traveled from Teterboro Airport in New Jersey to West Palm Beach, Florida, on Epstein's private jet. Additionally, released financial ledgers included entries for "Andrew" in February and May 2000 for expenses related to massage, exercise, and yoga. However, it cannot be definitively confirmed that this "Andrew" refers to Prince Andrew. Records do show that Prince Andrew visited the United States during this period. According to royal records, he arrived in New York on May 11, 2000, to attend a National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC) charity reception and returned to the United Kingdom on May 15.
Epstein, a former hedge fund manager, was arrested on charges of sexually abusing dozens of minors and died by suicide in a New York jail in 2019. He was known to have extensive connections with political and business figures worldwide, including former U.S. President Donald Trump.
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