Convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein portrayed himself as a highly connected figure with access to the Trump White House in communications with Indian businessman Anil Ambani, who in 2017 sought help on U.S.–India defense cooperation and national security issues, according to a report by The New York Times.
Ambani, whose business empire was under financial strain at the time, reached out to Epstein for insights into “inside baseball” about working with the White House on matters affecting India’s relationship with the United States. Newly released Justice Department messages show Epstein sharing updates on Trump administration personnel decisions and foreign policy developments.
In March 2017, Ambani asked whether David Petraeus was being considered for the role of U.S. ambassador to India. Epstein replied that he would inquire and later told Ambani that Petraeus was not a leading candidate.
The ambassadorship eventually went to Kenneth I. Juster in November 2017. Later, in July 2017, Epstein informed Ambani that John Bolton was poised to replace Lt. Gen. H.R. McMaster as national security adviser, saying McMaster “was not long for the position” and Bolton was “next.” Bolton later assumed the post about eight months after Epstein’s message.
Epstein also offered to arrange introductions for Ambani with individuals close to President Trump, including Stephen K. Bannon and Thomas J. Barrack Jr., who chaired Trump’s inaugural committee.
In return, Ambani presented himself as having political access within Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government and mentioned that “leadership” had asked Epstein to help set up meetings with Jared Kushner and Bannon.
The correspondence also shows Epstein advising Ambani to highlight closer India–Israel relations to strengthen ties with the Trump administration. Epstein remarked that discussions about Israel strategy were dominating Modi’s agenda.
This period coincided with Modi’s landmark visit to Israel soon after meeting Trump and India’s approximately $2 billion in arms purchases from Israel that year.
Anil Ambani, the younger brother of billionaire Mukesh Ambani, saw his own net worth fall dramatically from around $45 billion in 2007 to roughly $1.7 billion in 2019 amid business setbacks.
The two men continued their communications into 2019, during which Epstein offered sympathy and counsel to Ambani as a “friend,” without charging fees.
They met in New York on May 23, 2019, the day India’s general election results were announced. Scattered throughout their exchanges were references to “dessert” and “fun,” though the messages give little additional context for those remarks.
