The Department of Justice released more than three million records on Friday related to the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, and many mention major sports figures or show them corresponding with Epstein.
The documents contained correspondence where Epstein appeared to connect New York Giants co-owner and chairman Steve Tisch with women. Tisch admitted his relationship with Epstein but denied any wrongdoing.
Casey Wasserman, the agency executive who chairs the organizing committee for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, is also featured in the documents communicating directly with Epstein’s associate, Ghislaine Maxwell. LA28 did not respond to a request for comment; Wasserman expressed his regret late Saturday but said he had no relationship with Epstein.
Maxwell is now serving a 20-year prison sentence for her role in Epstein’s trafficking and sexual abuse of girls.
Front Office Sports has compiled a list of major sports figures who appear in the documents. Not all of these names corresponded with Epstein directly; many are mentioned by him or others in his orbit.
- Steve Tisch, co-owner and chairman of the New York Giants: Messages between Epstein and Tisch from 2013 show the financier appearing to connect the producer with women for dates. Tisch’s messages to Epstein included lines like “Is she fun?” and “Is my present in NYC?” After Epstein described one woman as “(Tahitian) speaks mostly french exotic,” Tisch asked, “Working girl?” One of the emails sent by Tisch said he was in an “NFL meeting.” Tisch admitted Friday night that he and Epstein “had a brief association where we exchanged emails about adult women.”
- Casey Wasserman, chairman of LA28: The agency exec sent messages—at times highly flirtatious—with Maxwell in 2003 about real estate and massages. When discussing the massage, Maxwell said there are “a few spots that apparently drive a man wild” and offered to “practice them on” Wasserman. He later said his “desires” include “You, me, and not else much.” In a statement on Saturday, Wasserman said, “I deeply regret my correspondence with Ghislaine Maxwell,” that happened “long before her horrific crimes came to light. … I never had a personal or business relationship with Jeffrey Epstein. As is well documented, I went on a humanitarian trip as part of a delegation with the Clinton Foundation in 2002 on the Epstein plane. I am terribly sorry for having any association with either of them.”
- Todd Boehly, owner of Chelsea, and part-owner of the Los Angeles Dodgers and Lakers: The emails appear to show Boehly had two meetings with Epstein in 2011.
- Paul Allen, late owner of the Seattle Seahawks and Portland Trail Blazers, and part-owner of the Seattle Sounders: Epstein and others make several mentions of the financier wanting to see or speak with the Microsoft co-founder in emails. “If paul Allen is coming , I would appreciate it if I can sit with him,” Epstein wrote about a dinner party in 2012. “Jeffrey ran in to Paul Allen the other day and Paul had mentioned to Jeffrey he must go by to see his ‘mouse/brain project,’” reads an email with contact information redacted from 2014.
- Josh Harris, co-owner of the Washington Commanders, Philadelphia 76ers, New Jersey Devils, Crystal Palace, and new WNBA franchise in Philadelphia: Emails between Harris and Epstein’s assistants, and occasionally the two men directly, show Epstein’s repeated attempts to schedule or invite Harris to meetings. Harris mostly dodged those meetings, but did attend at least one breakfast meeting in 2014. Epstein asked Harris if he had fun at breakfast, to which Harris replied: “Yes very much. Thank you for inviting me.” Harris also responded to a message in 2016 saying he would be “Happy to catch up,” and a lawyer soon reached out to Epstein at “Josh’s request.” Epstein had close ties to Harris’s company, Apollo Global Management. The cofounder of Apollo, Leon Black, resigned in 2021 a few months after it was discovered he paid Epstein $158 million and lent him more than $30 million; Harris hadwanted him to step down immediately. “Josh Harris never had an independent relationship with Jeffrey Epstein,” a spokesperson for Harris told FOS. “Harris sought to prevent Epstein’s attempts to develop a corporate relationship with Apollo. As these emails indicate, Harris sought to avoid meeting with Epstein, canceling meetings and having others return his calls.”
- David Tepper, owner of the Carolina Panthers: Tepper crops up twice in Epstein’s inbox, with a redacted sender calling the Panthers owner “very smart and very funny” in an email to Epstein, and another man asking Epstein if he knew Tepper.
- Stephen Ross, owner of the Miami Dolphins: The NFL owner and real estate mogul is mentioned several times as a friend of Andrew Farkas, the billionaire real estate developer with whom Epstein co-owned a marina in the U.S. Virgin Islands. In 2009, Epstein asked Farkas where he was, to which Farkas responded “I’m at the dolphins/jets game w/ steve ross et al.” Epstein exchanged several emails about Ross and Related Companies. In early 2010, Epstein seemed curious about an ask to connect with someone “regarding Steve Ross and The Related Group, and very interesting investment opportunities.” A few days later, Farkas told Epstein about a property, and Epstein pressed about whether Ross was involved. Farkas said: “He’s been consumed with some NFL secret emergency mtgs the last 24 hrs. He will get to me. My relationship with him is similar to yours and mine. Very honest, very open, very good friends.” After a disappointing mansion tour in 2014, Epstein received an apology email saying “I (and Steve) am deeply grateful for your participation.” In 2015, Farkas said Ross would give $100 million to a project for which Epstein appeared to help connect other investors. An event reminder for Ross’s New Year’s Eve party from late 2016 appears in the files, though the recipient’s name is redacted. In 2017, Epstein’s pilot Larry Visoski said Ross and Epstein were both interested in the same plane, and in 2018, Epstein called a Related Companies project “funn, but quite a mess.”
- Robert Kraft, owner of the New England Patriots and New England Revolution: Steve Bannon sent Epstein an email about Kraft’s day spa charges—which were later dropped—to which Epstein responded: “90 percent inaccurate wow. hes ok.” Epstein also said in a text: “you need to know about a past issue with Kraft that may come to light.” Kraft hired Florida lawyer Jack Goldberger—who was part of Epstein’s legal defense team after he was first charged in 2006—in his 2019 prostitution case. The new files show Epstein telling Goldberger that “im trying to have him hire you” after Kraft was charged. Charges against Kraft were later dropped after it was found that law enforcement had made illegal recordings in the case.
- Dan Snyder, former owner of the Washington Commanders: In a 2008 email, a helicopter flight is approved that the sender believes is tied to the football owner. He’s featured in a 2016 email as being moved from “dinner and preview” to “preview only” for an event. Snyder is also mentioned in a 2020 email about an inquiry from a TMZ reporter about a rumor for Snyder’s arrest “in connection with the Epstein/Maxwell investigation,” to which an unknown person responds: “Insane.” There are also blank pages with letterhead from former team executive Jon Kowalsky, who according to his LinkedIn worked for the team between 2012 and 2015.
- Ron Burkle, part owner of the Pittsburgh Penguins (former majority owner) and former founding owner of NWSL Wave: His ties to Epstein’s circle date back years, and he was named in an Epstein lawsuit unsealed in 2024. Burkle is listed in a lawsuit as one of many people—including Trump—who had “knowledge of [Epstein’s] sexual desire for minor girls.” An FBI tip in the documents from 2020 encourages investigating Burkle. According to an interview with a victim, Burkle said Epstein “was not a good guy” and wished he had never met him. A photograph of Burkle with Epstein and Bill Clinton has also been previously released.
- Mentions of Bernie Ecclestone: Epstein sent the longtime F1 leader a two-pound package for roughly $50 in July 2001, according to a FedEx receipt. Ecclestone’s name also appears in 2011 emails between Epstein and British politician Peter Mandelson about an attempted takeover of the Silverstone racing circuit, an effort which also included Boehly.
- Mentions of Lawrence Stroll, owner of F1’s Aston Martin team: The files include a FedEx receipt from January 2002 where Epstein sent the Canadian billionaire a four-pound package for roughly $50. A month later, Stroll’s then-wife, Claire Anne, sent Maxwell a note in French recalling a recent shared visit to an island in the Caribbean, and thanked Maxwell for taking a photo of Lawrence and daughter Chloe and saying she would see her very soon. (Their daughter, Chloe, is married to Olympic snowboarder Scotty James; their son, Lance, is a driver for Aston Martin.) The next year, Maxwell sent two emails about a dinner Lawrence Stroll was attending with “5 models who are the serving girls.” In 2014, Epstein asked his pilot if Stroll was selling a plane the two were discussing. Epstein wrote in 2018 that he hadn’t seen Stroll “in a very long time.”
- Mentions of Flavio Briatore, principal of F1’s Alpine team: The F1 exec is listed on a 2005 record that appears to be messages left for Epstein. In 2010, after Briatore had already endured several major scandals, Epstein knew he was planning to put real estate up for sale, and received an email saying that Briatore wanted to speak with him, and referred to him as “my itialin frined.”
- Zygi Wilf, owner of the Minnesota Vikings: 2015 emails show Wilf wanted to buy Epstein’s home in Paris.
- Sammy Sosa, former MLB player: Sosa is mentioned as having attended a party at a castle in the Hamptons in the mid-2000s that was also attended by Epstein and Donald Trump.
- Kristaps Porzingis, Atlanta Hawks player: Epstein emailed about rape accusations against Porzingis, which the player denied. “Do you have an investigator you trust,” Epstein wrote.
- Jersey purchases of NFL quarterbacks Peyton Manning and Geno Smith: Correspondence with Epstein’s aide shows discussion of gifts for “the boys” and two youth jersey purchases.
- Events honoring Falcons owner Arthur Blank and tennis legend Arthur Ashe: Both men appear in the emails tied to benefit galas happening in New York in 2011. An employee of Blank’s who still appears to work for his family foundation, David Homrich, was invited to the same 2016 event as Snyder.
Epstein’s friend and advisor Kathy Ruemmler worked at Latham and Watkins, which represented U.S. Soccer in the equal pay suit brought by members of the U.S. Women’s National Team. Epstein and Ruemmler briefly discussed the case in 2019, four months before his arrest. Interestingly, despite Ruemmler confirming involvement in the suit, U.S. Soccer didn’t announce it was bringing on Latham and Watkins onto the case until March 2020.
Some other owners and players are mentioned in articles and reports, rather than directly by Epstein or his aides.
This is a developing story and will be updated.
Correction: This story previously incorrectly described an email from an unknown sender to Jeffrey Epstein about meeting David Tepper as being from Epstein. FOS regrets the error.
Ben Horney and Katie Krzaczek contributed reporting.
