Mugabe Named Among Former Leaders Mentioned in Epstein Files

Newly released US justice documents contain references linking Zimbabwe’s former president Robert Mugabe to Jeffrey Epstein, citing unverified claims of financial contact and correspondence mentioning Zimbabwe’s currency crisis.

Recently disclosed files from the United States Department of Justice include emails and FBI records in which Mugabe is mentioned in connection with Epstein, the financier who died in custody in 2019 while facing sex-trafficking charges. The documents do not present evidence of wrongdoing by Mugabe, and the claims they contain remain unsubstantiated.

One reference appears in a 2015 email exchange between Epstein and Japanese technology investor Joichi “Joi” Ito. In the correspondence, Epstein suggested approaching Mugabe about assisting with the creation of a new currency for Zimbabwe, which at the time was dealing with the aftermath of hyperinflation and the collapse of its dollar. When Ito asked whether Epstein knew Mugabe personally, Epstein replied that he did not, but said he could “easily get his attention”, adding that Zimbabwe would be “a great petrie dish”.

The files also include a 2017 FBI record summarising testimony from a confidential source who alleged that Epstein had acted as a wealth manager for several high-profile figures, including Mugabe and Russian president Vladimir Putin. If accurate, any financial dealings between Epstein and Mugabe would have breached US sanctions imposed on the Zimbabwean leader in 2003, which prohibited American individuals and companies from conducting financial transactions with him. 

The FBI has been asked to clarify the status and context of the material, and the Mugabe family has been approached for comment. Mugabe ruled Zimbabwe from independence in 1980 until he was removed in a military-backed intervention in 2017. He died in 2019 at the age of 95. His leadership combined a prominent role in the country’s liberation struggle with a prolonged period of economic decline, including repeated currency failures.

Epstein was convicted in 2008 of soliciting sex from a minor and later returned to public prominence through his links to wealthy and influential figures. He was arrested again in 2019 on federal sex-trafficking charges and died by suicide in a New York jail while awaiting trial. Ito resigned as director of MIT’s Media Lab in September 2019 after it emerged that the institution had received donations connected to Epstein.

Other mentions of Mugabe in the released documents appear to be inaccurate. A 2012 email signed “jonathan” claimed that Mugabe was seriously ill in Italy. Days later, he returned from medical treatment in Singapore and attended Zimbabwe’s independence celebrations. A former Mugabe ally, speaking anonymously to the BBC, said such errors raised questions about the reliability of parts of the material.

Zimbabwe remains governed by Mugabe’s Zanu-PF party and continues to face economic challenges, including ongoing currency instability. Two years ago, the government introduced a gold-backed currency known as the Zig after several failed monetary reforms. Although the Zig has provided some stability, many Zimbabweans continue to rely on US dollars for everyday transactions.