Newly released files from Jeffrey Epstein’s case have revealed a bizarre video interview in which the late financier is questioned by Steve Bannon, a former adviser to Donald Trump. The nearly two-hour conversation was reportedly intended for a sympathetic documentary to polish Epstein’s reputation. It was filmed around 2019, months before Epstein’s arrest and subsequent death in jail.
The footage shows an easy familiarity between the two men, with Bannon calling Epstein a “schmuck” and “criminal” and asking if he is “the devil himself”. At one point, Bannon tells Epstein: “There’s something deeply fucked up with you.” The discussion ranges across economics, philosophy and Epstein’s time in prison, but pays little attention to his crimes.
Epstein offers his views on gender and race, claiming that women have an “intuitive sense” and that men want to measure everything. He also rejects the argument that Black people are less intelligent than white people, suggesting instead that different peoples have different intelligences suited to their local environments. He gives the example of being in a forest and competing with a “local African” to escape a lion.
The interview also covers Epstein’s rise from a trader at Bear Stearns to membership of elite boards, which he attributes to a shift from reputation-based to calculation-based power in the late 20th century. He describes his roles on the Rockefeller University board and the Trilateral Commission, founded by David Rockefeller, who believed businessmen provide stability while politicians are transient.
The release of the files follows a trove of documents that have already revealed extensive contacts between Epstein and numerous high-profile figures. The video adds to the growing picture of Epstein’s ability to cultivate relationships across politics and finance.
