Saikat Chakrabarti publicly called out Elon Musk after the Tesla CEO claimed he had pushed for the release of the Jeffrey Epstein files. The Indian-origin political strategist called Musk’s comments ‘a lie’ on X.Musk posted on X: “No one pushed harder than me to have the Epstein files released and I’m glad that has finally happened.” The billionaire claimed that he had little to no connection with the pedophile Epstein, and had declined any invitations to visit his island for a party or fly on his “Lolita Express” plane, and was aware that some emails revealed in the newly released documents could be misinterpreted to smear his name.Musk wrote: “I don’t care about that, but what I do care about is that we at least attempt to prosecute those who committed serious crimes with Epstein, especially regarding heinous exploitation of underage girls.” The latest release from the Department of Justice (DOJ) is the largest batch of Epstein files yet. It includes three million pages, 180,000 images and 2,000 videos. The release comes over one month after the DOJ missed a deadline mandated by a law signed by US President Donald Trump, which required all Epstein‑related documents be made public. The compulsory date of release is long gone now, and the Justice Department is only releasing content bit by bit, with lots of text and images redacted. Among the newly disclosed material are emails between Musk and Epstein. In one, Musk asked Epstein in 2012, “What day/night will be the wildest party on your island?” Epstein replied, asking how many people will visit with Musk so they could be transported by helicopter. Musk responded it would only be himself and his then‑wife, Talulah Riley. Another email from Christmas 2012 shows Musk asking if Epstein had any parties planned. Musk said he needed to “let loose” after working a lot that year. More emails from 2013 show the two discussing logistics for a potential visit to the island. There is no evidence Musk ever went to Epstein’s island.Musk was one of the first ones to demand transparency of the Epstein files; he even called out Trump last year and said that US president was always mentioned in the files, and this is the reason why the documents are not out. He later deleted his said statement on X and apologised. The billionaire became less involved in White House activities following this drama with Trump.
