@DeutscheBank found that Epstein's bank accounts received transfers tens of millions of dollars from LLCs controlled by Black – even after the bank's anti-financial crime officers raised questions about the transactions.
We reviewed portions of Deutsche's internal report.
At the same time, Black was socializing with Epstein, joining him for meals, yachting and visits to Harvard.
There is a contrast between what we've found in our reporting and how Black described his relationship to investors last year. (Black's firm, Apollo, is publicly traded.)
All this was happening from 2013-2018. During this period:
- Epstein was a convicted sex offender.
- Epstein was allegedly running a sex-trafficking ring.
- Other benefactors had severed ties with Epstein.
In other words, Black's support for Epstein appears invaluable.
This is what Leon Black’s spokeswoman says to explain the $50M+ payments to Epstein.
It raises as many questions as it answers.
Also noteworthy that the relationship supposedly ended because of a “fee dispute,” not because of Black having any misgivings about Epstein.
Stock markets are rallying today.
Leon Black's private equity firm, Apollo Global Management, is getting crushed. Its stock is down nearly 5%. That's about $500 million of market value wiped out. finance.yahoo.com/quote/APO?p=AP…
MORE: Leon Black sent a letter to his investors today. @MattGoldstein26 got a copy.
"It is true that I paid Mr. Epstein millions of dollars annually for his work" from 2012 to 2017. (Black also confirms bringing his family to a picnic on Epstein's private island.)
Leon Black on the front page of tomorrow's @nytimes.
Leon Black's Apollo is now more than 9% in the wake of yesterday's NYT article – close to $1 billion of market value gone.
Two of the companies are working with an ex-NFL player with at best a shaky record. He’s teamed up with the arms dealer portrayed by @JonahHill in “War Dogs,” who was banned from federal contracts.
Another company was founded this year by a former Trump admin official.
The contracts — which are supposed to replenish the national stockpile of protective gear — have triggered complaints to the Pentagon and @USGAO and questions from US senators.
The Defense Dept says it handled the contracts properly.
3/ I've been wondering about this ever since. And while I don't have a clear answer of what happened to the returns, I just found what looks like proof that Deutsche Bank at one time did have some of Trump's federal income tax returns (along with other financial information).
If @DeutscheBank is mentioned in tonight’s debate, I will drink one of my favorite whiskeys. If “Deutsche” is pronounced correctly, I will drink more. (Actually I’ll be drinking regardless.)
For those wondering, it’s pronounced DOY-chuh. (And yes my sons and I are really into Legos)
The circumstances here are...murky. But it looks like once again Deutsche Bank just completely dropped the ball on scrutinizing high-risk transactions for certain clients.
You might think to yourself that a six-figure settlement is not much for a bank of DB's size. You would be correct!
Impossible to not mention here that the president is a major client of the bank, which is by far his biggest creditor.