The Epstein Files Unravelled: How Millions of Secret Documents Are Shaking the Global Elite

 

 

From royals to billionaires and former presidents, the release of 3.5 million pages of DOJ records is redrawing the map of power and accountability.
 

 

One story has dominated global headlines entering 2026 with unusual ferocity — and unlike trade wars or geopolitical tensions, this one strikes at the personal reputations of the world's most powerful individuals. 

 

The United States Department of Justice has released classified documents relating to the case of Jeffrey Epstein, the late American financier and convicted sex offender who ran one of history's most far-reaching sex trafficking networks. 

 

On 30 January 2026, the DOJ published more than three million additional pages, bringing the total released to approximately 3.5 million pages, alongside 2,000 videos and 180,000 images.

 

Epstein was first convicted in 2008 under a controversial deal that critics called a gross miscarriage of justice. He was re-arrested in 2019 on fresh federal sex trafficking charges, only to die in his prison cell in circumstances that have never been fully accepted as straightforward. 

 

 

 

 

His long-time associate Ghislaine Maxwell was subsequently convicted in 2021 for her role in grooming and trafficking underage girls. The public's demand for full transparency, however, never abated.

 

That pressure eventually produced legislation. 

 

In November 2025, the US Congress passed H.R. 4405 — the Epstein Files Transparency Act — with a unanimous 100-0 Senate vote, requiring the DOJ to make all unclassified Epstein-related materials publicly searchable and downloadable. 
 

 

 

 

President Trump, who had pledged during his 2024 campaign to release the files, signed the bill into law on 19 November 2025. The DOJ launched the public "Epstein Library" website shortly after, which now contains the largest-ever release of materials relating to a single criminal case.

 

 

 

 

Who Is Named — and What the Files Reveal

The DOJ has confirmed that approximately 300 prominent individuals are referenced in the documents. 

 

Attorney General Pam Bondi has emphasised that being named does not imply criminal wrongdoing — many mentions arise from emails, flight logs, or social contacts with no connection to abuse. That caveat has done little to stem the reputational fallout.

 

Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor (Prince Andrew) features frequently. Beyond his previously known ties to Epstein, the latest files suggest he may have shared sensitive UK trade intelligence with Epstein and that a taxpayer-funded trip to China in 2010 was facilitated through Epstein's associates. 

 

 

Thames Valley Police are examining potential Misconduct in Public Office grounds. Andrew has consistently denied all allegations of sexual abuse. 

 

Bill and Hillary Clinton — both mentioned throughout the files — agreed to testify before the House Oversight Committee following a threatened contempt of Congress vote, making Bill Clinton the first former US president to appear before a congressional panel since Gerald Ford in 1983. 

 

Both deny any knowledge of Epstein's criminal conduct. Donald Trump, who appears hundreds of times in the files, has denied wrongdoing, and the DOJ noted that some documents contained claims against him it characterised as "unfounded and false."

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

British politician Peter Mandelson has emerged as one of the most significant UK casualties, with files reportedly alleging he leaked market-sensitive Downing Street correspondence to Epstein. A formal Metropolitan Police investigation is now underway. 

 

 

 

 

 

In the business world, Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem — CEO of DP World — appeared in over 4,700 direct emails from Epstein and subsequently resigned.

 

Elon Musk, Bill Gates and Richard Branson appear in various social and philanthropic contexts and have all denied wrongdoing. Indian billionaire Anil Ambani features in email exchanges from 2017 to 2019; Indian authorities dismissed the files as "worthless gossip."
 

 

 

 

 

 

The Political Firestorm

The files have become a political battleground. 
Speaking to the BBC from Berlin, Hillary Clinton accused the Trump administration of a cover-up. 

 

"Get the files out. They are slow-walking it," she said, adding: "We have nothing to hide. We think sunlight is the best disinfectant." 
 

 

Asked whether (Prince) Andrew should appear before Congress, she replied: "I think everyone should testify who is asked to testify." 
Trump responded from Air Force One: "I've been exonerated. I had nothing to do with Jeffrey Epstein. They went in hoping they'd find it, and found just the opposite."
 

 

 

 

 

Thailand: Speculation Without Confirmation

Online discussion — amplified on Thai social media — has suggested that prominent Thai figures, including former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, may appear in the documents. 

 

As of publication, no major international news agency has confirmed any such link. 

 

The only Thailand-related mention in credible reporting involves an unanswered attempt by an Epstein associate to contact a Thai actress via email — not an accusation of wrongdoing. The DOJ's clear position stands: a name in the files is not evidence of a crime.
 

 

 

 

 

Global Fallout

The document release has triggered a wave of international accountability. In Slovakia, national security adviser Miroslav Lajčák resigned.

 

In Norway — arguably the country most deeply affected — Crown Princess Mette-Marit issued a public apology after files revealed she communicated with Epstein between 2011 and 2014, including a stay at his Palm Beach home. 

 

Several Norwegian officials now face formal corruption probes, including former Prime Minister and Nobel Committee head Thorbjørn Jagland, who faces aggravated corruption charges. 

 

In the US, New Mexico lawmakers approved a funded investigation into Epstein's Zorro Ranch property. 

 

US Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche has acknowledged that new domestic prosecutions are unlikely given statutes of limitations, effectively outsourcing accountability to governments and the public worldwide.

 

 

 

 

 

Key Figures at a Glance

Name	Country	Connection to Files	Status / Reaction
Prince Andrew	UK	Emails; alleged trade intel leak; China trip via Epstein	Police examining public office misconduct; denies wrongdoing
Crown Princess Mette-Marit	Norway	Emails 2011–2014; stayed at Palm Beach home	Issued public apology
Bill Clinton	USA	Hundreds of flight log entries	Agreed to testify to Congress; denies wrongdoing
Donald Trump	USA	Hundreds of contextual references	DOJ called related claims "unfounded"; denies wrongdoing
Peter Mandelson	UK	Alleged leak of Downing Street correspondence	Metropolitan Police investigation underway
Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem	UAE	Over 4,700 direct emails from Epstein	Resigned as DP World CEO
Elon Musk / Bill Gates / Richard Branson	USA / UK	Social and philanthropic contexts	All deny wrongdoing
Anil Ambani	India	Email exchanges 2017–2019	India dismissed files as "worthless gossip"
Thorbjørn Jagland	Norway	Former PM; mentioned in Epstein documents	Faces aggravated corruption charges

 

 

 

 

 

A Saga Still Unfolding

The Epstein case is far from over. Court orders protect some materials from release pending judicial review. The DOJ's Epstein Library will be updated as additional documents are identified. 

 

Civil litigation angles are multiplying as lawyers exploit newly surfaced material. Congressional oversight hearings — including the historic testimony of the Clintons — are imminent.

 

Beyond the legal mechanics, the case has opened a deeper wound in public trust: how, for so long, could an individual of Epstein's known criminal record continue to command the company and correspondence of the world's most powerful figures? 

 

The files may not answer that question definitively — but they have placed it, indelibly, on the public record.

 

 

 

What the Epstein files have ultimately demonstrated is not merely the guilt or innocence of any individual, but the fragility of the system that was supposed to prevent such networks from operating in the first place. 

 

As the world continues to sift through millions of pages, one principle has reasserted itself with quiet insistence: justice, however delayed, does eventually arrive. And in an era of mass disclosure, the protection once conferred by wealth, status and influence is wearing thinner than ever.
 
 

 

 

Reference: BBC, CNN, Reuters, AP, The Guardian, New York Post