Leon Black gave Jeffrey Epstein a lot of money. Between 2012 and 2017, the billionaire private-equity investor paid the convicted sex offender $158 million for tax and estate advice — far more than the going rate on Wall Street. While facing scrutiny for these payments in 2021, Black resigned from his position leading the firm he founded, Apollo Global Management, and his seat on the Museum of Modern Art’s board, citing “health issues.” Since then, he’s largely stayed out of the public eye— save for an appearance in May at Madison Square Garden during the New York Knicks championship run. But he was back in the spotlight on Friday in Washington to face questions about his relationship with Epstein.
Black appeared before the House Oversight Committee as part of its ongoing investigation into the accused sex trafficker and his elite connections. “Of all the witnesses that have come thus far, this one has the potential to be the most groundbreaking deposition,” Oversight chair James Comer said shortly before the hearing began.
The deposition was held behind closed doors, though the committee will release a transcript in the coming weeks. But a written statement from Black, who has always denied knowledge of Epstein’s trafficking, provides a window into his explanations to the House members. So far, the results of the interview suggest it didn’t go well. Comer announced shortly after the hearing that he had subpoenaed Black on the spot and that he will be returning on July 16 to answer more questions.
