The tech billionaire and owner of Tesla and Starlink, Elon Musk accused U.S. President Donald Trump of being one of the names in the still-sealed Epstein archives, claiming that this is the real reason why the key documents are still relevant to the public.
In January 2024, many so-called "Epstein archives" compiled by U.S. federal investigators were released to the public. However, some are still sealed.
Trump's presidency began with a strong promotion of Musk, who donated to Trump's presidential campaign and was appointed to lead a newly formed federal agency designed to simplify government action, the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).
But the relationship broke down after Musk resigned in May 2025, following public opposition to fiscal policy and a sharp decline in Tesla stock.
Since then, Musk has become increasingly vocal in his criticism of Trump, calling his "a big bill" a "negative abhorrence" as they increased the Treasury bonds and removed the electric vehicle subsidy, and now, he accused him of having connections with Epstein.
This is what we know about the allegations of Epstein’s archives and Musk.
The "Epstein Archives" is a collection of documents collected by U.S. federal authorities during their investigation into Jeffrey Epstein's activities.
These documents include flight logs, contact lists, court records and other materials that document his activities with high-profile people and associations.
The first major release of the document occurred in January 2024, when a federal judge ordered the emancipation of records in a 2015 defamation lawsuit against Epstein colleague Ghislaine Maxwell.
In February 2025, the Department of Justice and the FBI subsequently formally decrypted other documents, many of which have been leaked, containing deleted flight logs and contact information.
However, many documents are still sealed or re-edited, prompting public calls for full disclosure.
U.S. Attorney General Pamela Bondi said the FBI is reviewing thousands of documents to further issue the necessary revisions needed to protect victims and ongoing investigations.
On Thursday, Musk publicly accused President Donald Trump of being nominated in the unissued Epstein archives.
"@RealDonaldTrump is in the Epstein file. This is the real reason they are not disclosed," Musk wrote in an article on his social media platform X. He provided no evidence to support the claim.
It's time to drop the real bomb:@RealDonaldTrump In the Epstein document. This is the real reason why they haven't made it public.
Have a wonderful day, DJT!
- Elon Musk (@elonmusk) June 5, 2025
Trump did not directly address Musk's claims about Epstein's archives.
But during a meeting with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz at the White House on Thursday, Trump said Musk was “very disappointed” in criticism of the fiscal bill and suggested Musk’s opposition was attributed to the removal of electric vehicle subsidies.
"Elon 'wears skinny', Trump wrote in a social media post Thursday.
Trump also threatened to terminate federal contracts and subsidies for Musk, including Tesla and Astronauts, noting that it would save the U.S. government billions.
Trump and Epstein were acquaintances from the 1980s and 1990s and were often seen in New York and on social occasions together in Palm Beach, Florida. Their appearance was recorded on news reports and social pages at the time, while American media reported that the two bought a luxury home near the Trump Mara Lago compound near Palm Beach in the 1990s.
A 1992 videotape released by NBC News showed Trump and Epstein socializing and watching dancers at a party hosted by Mar-a-Lago.
In a 2002 Epstein article in New York magazine, Trump was quoted as describing Epstein as a "stunning man" who likes the company of beautiful women on the "young side".
"I've known Jeff for 15 years. Great people. He's been having fun with him. Even said he likes beautiful women as much as I do, many of them on the younger side."
Flight logs released in court lawsuits against Maxwell show Trump flew on private jets to Epstein at least seven times between 1993 and 1997, occasionally flying with his family.
Epstein's Black Book, a now-discontinued American blogger Gawker, was later filed as court evidence and listed several Trump's phone numbers and addresses, including his office, Home and Mar-A-Lago.
Musk's relationship with Trump will be greatly worsened once allies criticize Trump's fiscal policy and subsequent allegations of Epstein's archives.
The threat of Trump's threat to sign a federal contract with Musk has caused Tesla's stock to drop by 14%. Since then, Musk has called for Trump to replace him with US Vice President JD Vance.
This public quarrel has also attracted the attention of politicians, with some Democrats demanding the release of Epstein’s archives and questioning whether they have been seized due to the potential impact on Trump.