Leon Black

Black says he paid Epstein for tax and estate planning that saved him far more than it cost, and a review by the law firm Dechert, commissioned by Apollo, agreed the services were real and found no evidence he knew of or took part in crimes. Critics note the review was paid for by his own firm and that $158 million, to a man with no tax credentials, is an extraordinary fee. Senator Wyden puts the total at more than $170 million. [1][2][4]

In settling with the Virgin Islands for $62.5 million, Black did not admit wrongdoing, but the territory said the money helped finance Epstein’s operation there. [3]

House investigators held Black in contempt in September 2026 after he left a voluntary interview, declined questions about non-disclosure agreements and skipped a subpoenaed deposition. He is suing the committee. [1]

A woman suing anonymously alleged Black raped her at Epstein’s townhouse in 2002, when she was a teenager. Black called it fiction. In October 2026 the case was dismissed with prejudice after she, now without a lawyer, said she was medically unable to continue; she said this was “not a concession” or a retraction. Her former lawyer had been sanctioned in a related dispute. [2]