From Wall Street to the Palace: Mapping the Redactions in Epstein’s Files

You don’t redact nobodies. You redact the people who can’t afford to be seen.

From Wall Street to the Palace: Mapping the Redactions in Epstein’s Files

You don’t redact nobodies. You redact the people who can’t afford to be seen.

The Jack Hopkins Now Newsletter #560: Friday, September 19th, 2025.

Why This Matters Right Now

When Rep. Thomas Massie told the world that the FBI has a list of billionaires…princes… bankers…politicians…and moguls tied to Epstein…every newsroom in America should have stopped cold.

Instead, what did we get? A half-dozen panelists politely nodding while Kash Patel repeated the bureaucrat’s lullaby: “no credible information.”

Here’s the problem: we’ve already got credible information…in lawsuits…settlements… unsealed filings…and receipts hiding in plain sight. The “client list” might be a media creation…but the categories of power that Epstein touched are already public record.

So let’s build a hypothesis map: who fits the professions Massie listed…based on what we already know.

The 20 Professions…and the Names That Fit

(Note: These are not accusations of trafficking. These are documented contacts, settlements, or financial links already in the public record. The question: why would the FBI redact these names if the mandate is “transparency”?)

1) Billionaires / Financiers

• Les Wexner: Epstein’s biggest patron. Gave him control of a trust. Paid millions.

• Leon Black: Paid Epstein $170M for “tax advice.” Stepped down from Apollo.

Hypothesis: Redacted to shield financial moguls whose ties are too large to shrug off.

2) Princes / Royalty

• Prince Andrew: Sued by Virginia Giuffre…settled…exiled from royal duties.

• Other royals appear in contact books and depositions.

Hypothesis: Redactions = diplomatic dynamite.

3) Bankers / Executives

• Jes Staley (JPMorgan/Barclays): 1,000+ emails with Epstein. Now banned by UK regulators.

• JPMorgan & Deutsche Bank: Settled with Epstein victims for $365M combined.

Hypothesis: Names of specific executives appear in FBI files = automatic black bars.

4) Politicians

• Bill Clinton: Logged multiple flights on Epstein’s jet.

• Ehud Barak (Israel): Confirmed meetings; denies misconduct.

Hypothesis: Political “mentions” redacted not for law…but for optics.

5) US Presidents / Candidates

• Donald Trump: Socialized with Epstein in 1990s; deposition “flagged mentions” tied to FBI review.

Hypothesis: Election-year reason to double-blackout anything referencing Trump.

6) Media Moguls

• Mort Zuckerman: Listed in Epstein’s contacts.

• Media execs…studio heads…publishers connected through events and parties.

Hypothesis: “Privacy” invoked to protect reputations without criminal context.

7) Fashion / Modeling Gatekeepers

• Jean-Luc Brunel: Founded a modeling agency Epstein bankrolled. Multiple accusers. Died in prison.

Hypothesis: Recruitment ties = nuclear legal risk → redacted.

8) Hedge-Fund & PE Barons

• Glenn Dubin: Tied in lawsuits; family denies all wrongdoing.

Hypothesis: Epstein targeted elite family offices. FBI shielding details to avoid reigniting lawsuits.

9) University Leaders / Academics

• Harvard accepted $9M+; internal report documented staff contacts.

• MIT Media Lab (Joi Ito) resigned after concealed donations.

Hypothesis: Redactions cover donor correspondence…protecting “elite institutions.”

10) Tech Titans

• Bill Gates: Multiple meetings with Epstein. Expressed “regret.”

• Silicon Valley investors noted in his black book.

Hypothesis: FBI redactions mask tech philanthropy trails.

11) Lawyers / Deal-Makers

• Alan Dershowitz: Longtime Epstein lawyer. Sued by Giuffre…later withdrew claim.

Hypothesis: Redactions invoke attorney-client privilege.

12) Wealth Managers / Fixers

• Epstein acted as middleman between billionaires and banks…recruiting new clients.

Hypothesis: Shielding names of “silent partners.”

13) Philanthropy Boards

• Harvard…MIT…museums…all accepted Epstein funds.

Hypothesis: Redactions protect the boards who looked away.

14) Think-Tank Fellows / Intellectuals

• Noam Chomsky confirmed meetings.

• Other scholars appear in calendars.

Hypothesis: Blacked out for reputational damage…not legal danger.

15) Real Estate Enablers

• Epstein’s property deals (Manhattan townhouse, Palm Beach mansion) involved high-end intermediaries.

Hypothesis: FBI covers paper trails that show who greased the wheels.

16) Entertainment Executives

• Party photos and logs show moguls…producers…Hollywood players.

Hypothesis: Redacted to avoid splash headlines absent criminal evidence.

17) Foreign Ministers / Diplomats

• International leaders courted for “philanthropy” or science events.

Hypothesis: Protected under diplomatic “sensitivity.”

18) Regulators & Prosecutors

• Alex Acosta’s office authored the 2008 sweetheart deal.

Hypothesis: Redactions cover internal DOJ/FBI communications admitting failure.

Why Redactions Matter

The FBI’s “privacy” rationale is a shield for the powerful. Victims’ privacy is vital. Billionaires’ embarrassment is not.

When entire categories…finance…royalty…politics…tech…get the Sharpie…it’s not law. It’s preservation of the elite ecosystem that Epstein serviced.

BONUS Section

Here’s where we connect five trails directly to redactions.

1. JPMorgan Settlement ($290M) → Who signed off? What execs corresponded? Expect their names blacked.

2. Deutsche Bank ($75M) → Same story: compliance officers ignored glaring red flags.

3. MIT Media Lab Emails → Internal emails admitted “keeping Epstein’s name off donor lists.”

4. Harvard Report → Staff flew on Epstein’s jet, met in his homes. Redactions hide their names.

5. Prince Andrew Filings → FBI can’t unseal specifics without igniting a diplomatic earthquake.

This is what’s under the Sharpie: not fantasies…but receipts already seen in courtrooms… boardrooms…and settlements.

“No Credible Information”: BS

They tell you “no credible information.” But the convictions…settlements…unsealed filings…and paper trails already show otherwise.

The redactions aren’t protecting truth. They’re protecting the hierarchy Epstein built his life around.

From Wall Street to the Palace…the black bars are the confession.

They’ll tell you the redactions are about privacy. Don’t buy it. Privacy is for victims… not billionaires. Not royals. Not the moguls who built empires on the backs of broken kids.

Those black bars don’t protect the innocent…they protect the powerful. And in that sense…the Sharpie isn’t hiding the story. It’s confessing to it.

And that’s why this matters. Because if they can bury this…if they can erase billionaires…princes…and politicians from Epstein’s record…they can bury anything.

Justice doesn’t redact. Truth doesn’t redact. Only power does. And the only antidote to that kind of power is relentless sunlight…demanded by people who refuse to shut up.

Back soon…with more.

-Jack