• Musk posted his offer on X in response to Matt Walsh questioning why Epstein survivors in a Super Bowl PSA had not publicly named their abusers
• Released DOJ emails show at least 16 exchanges between Musk and Epstein in 2012-2013, including Musk asking about the “wildest party” on the island
• Survivors say roughly three million Epstein-related files remain unreleased despite the Transparency Act’s December 2025 deadline

WASHINGTON, DC (TDR) — Elon Musk offered on Super Bowl Sunday to cover legal costs for any Jeffrey Epstein victim who publicly names their abusers and faces a lawsuit for doing so. The pledge — posted on X, the platform Musk owns — arrived less than 10 days after the Department of Justice released more than three million pages of Epstein investigative files that included at least 16 emails between Musk and the convicted sex offender, some of which appear to contradict the billionaire’s previous claims about their relationship.

“I will pay for the defense of anyone who speaks the truth about this and is sued for doing so.”

That was Musk’s response to Matt Walsh, the conservative commentator who had questioned why the women featured in a new Epstein survivors PSA released on Super Bowl Sunday had not simply named their alleged abusers in public.

The Super Bowl PSA That Sparked the Exchange

Freedom-Loving Beachwear by Red Beach Nation - Save 10% With Code RVM10

The advertisement, produced by advocacy group World Without Exploitation, featured multiple survivors holding childhood photographs of themselves from the period when prosecutors say they were trafficked by Epstein. Survivor and advocate Annie Farmer appeared alongside others in the video, which opened with a stark graphic: “On November 19, 2025, the Epstein Files Transparency Act was signed into law” — followed by the word “Transparency” being crossed out and replaced with heavy black redaction bars.

“After years of being kept apart, we’re standing together. Because this girl deserves the truth.”

The PSA’s closing message was directed at Attorney General Pam Bondi: “Stand With Us. Tell Attorney General Pam Bondi: IT’S TIME FOR THE TRUTH.”

The timing carried weight. The Justice Department’s Jan. 30 release of 3.5 million pages of records, 2,000 videos and 180,000 photographs came 42 days after the department was legally required to make all relevant Epstein records public under the Transparency Act that President Donald Trump signed into law. Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche called the release the end of the DOJ’s review process, but survivors and lawmakers disputed that characterization.

“We have very little faith in the DOJ at this point.”

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE THE DUPREE REPORT

That was Danielle Bensky, an Epstein survivor, speaking to CNN. Rep. Ro Khanna (D-CA), a co-author of the Transparency Act, said on NBC’s “Meet the Press” that the Justice Department had released “at best half the documents” it was supposed to under the law.

Walsh’s Challenge and Musk’s Response

Walsh did not simply share the PSA. He questioned the survivors’ approach, asking why they had launched what he described as a “months-long publicity campaign” without directly naming their abusers.

“These women could also just name their abusers at any time. Instead they’ve embarked on a months-long publicity campaign which curiously didn’t start until the exact moment Biden left office.”

Walsh argued that the survivors could provide names to members of Congress who would be shielded by congressional speech and debate protections when reading them on the floor. When other X users pointed out the risk of defamation lawsuits from powerful individuals, Musk stepped in with his pledge.

Survivors and their advocates have consistently cited multiple reasons for not publicly naming alleged abusers, including non-disclosure agreements tied to previous settlements, the financial power of the accused to sustain prolonged litigation and the retraumatization that comes with public confrontation. A statement from 19 Epstein survivors last week noted that the DOJ had inadvertently exposed some of their own identities in the released files while the names of alleged abusers remained redacted.

“Survivors are having their names and identifying information exposed, while the men who abused us remain hidden and protected.”

The Contradiction in the Files

Musk’s pledge sits against a backdrop that makes it unusual: the same document releases that survivors want expanded contain emails showing Musk himself had more contact with Epstein than he previously acknowledged.

At least 16 emails between the two men from 2012 and 2013 were included in the Jan. 30 release. In a November 2012 exchange, Epstein asked Musk how many people would need a helicopter ride to the island. Musk’s reply, according to NBC News’ review of the files: “Probably just Talulah and me. What day/night will be the wildest party on your island?” Talulah Riley was Musk’s wife at the time.

On Christmas Day 2012, Musk emailed Epstein again: “Do you have any parties planned? I’ve been working to the edge of sanity this year and so, once my kids head home after Christmas, I really want to hit the party scene in St. Barts or elsewhere and let loose.” He added that “a peaceful island experience is the opposite of what I’m looking for.”

Epstein responded that the “ratio on my island might make Talulah uncomfortable.” Musk replied: “ratio is not a problem for Talulah.”

In December 2013, Musk wrote again: “Will be in the BVI/St Bart’s area over the holidays. Is there a good time to visit?” Epstein offered to send a helicopter but ultimately canceled, writing: “I was really looking forward to finally spending some time together with just fun as the agenda.”

A separate scheduling document from Epstein’s assistant Lesley Groff dated Dec. 5, 2014 read: “Reminder: Elon Musk to island Dec. 6 (is this still happening?)”

The emails do not confirm that Musk ever visited the island, and no allegations of criminal wrongdoing have been made against him. But they directly challenge his June 2025 claim on X that “Epstein tried to get me to go to his island and I REFUSED” — since several of the emails show Musk initiating plans to visit, not Epstein.

After the Jan. 30 release, Musk wrote on X: “No one pushed harder than me to have the Epstein files released. I had very little correspondence with Epstein and declined repeated invitations to go to his island or fly on his ‘Lolita Express,’ but was well aware that some email correspondence with him could be misinterpreted and used by detractors to smear my name.”

The Brother’s Files

The scrutiny extends to Musk’s family. Kimbal Musk, Elon’s brother and a Boulder, Colorado restaurateur, is referenced at least 140 times in the released files, according to the Denver Post. Emails show Kimbal Musk scheduling meetings with Epstein, thanking Epstein’s associates for “connecting” him with a woman in 2012 and receiving an island invitation in January 2013. Epstein’s associate Boris Nikolic warned Kimbal to “better be nice” to the woman because “Jeffrey goes crazy when someone mistreats his girls/friends.” Kimbal replied that he had received the message “wide and clear” with a winking emoji.

Kimbal Musk subsequently resigned from Burning Man’s board of directors after the festival’s community launched a campaign calling his ties to Epstein incompatible with its values. He has not publicly commented on the files.

What Comes Next

Members of Congress will begin viewing additional unredacted Epstein documents in a private room at the Justice Department starting this week. Survivors are calling for Bondi to address the matter directly when she testifies before Congress. The DOJ was forced to take down thousands of documents last week after “technical or human error” exposed victim identities, adding to frustration that the people harmed are being exposed while those accused remain protected.

Musk’s legal defense pledge, if followed through, could remove one barrier survivors have cited for remaining silent. Whether it shifts the dynamic depends on details he has not provided — such as whether the offer applies to any accusation against any individual, how the legal representation would be structured and what Musk’s definition of “speaks the truth” entails.

“You don’t ‘move on’ from the largest sex trafficking ring in the world. You expose it.”

That was the survivors’ own message in Sunday’s PSA — a statement that, intentionally or not, applies to everyone named in the files, including the man who just offered to pay their legal bills.

When a public figure whose own Epstein correspondence is under scrutiny offers to fund legal protection for survivors, does the gesture advance accountability — or does it risk redirecting the narrative away from the files themselves?

Sources

This report was compiled using information from Mediaite’s original reporting on Musk’s legal fees pledge, NBC News’ review of Musk-Epstein emails in the DOJ files, CBS News’ analysis of big names in the Epstein files, TIME’s reporting on the 16 emails, CNBC’s coverage of Musk’s island visit planning and SpaceX meetings, Fortune’s detailed email timeline, CNN’s breakdown of boldface names, The Hill’s reporting on the Super Bowl PSA, Newsweek’s coverage of the survivors’ commercial, The Denver Post’s investigation into Kimbal Musk’s 140 references, Al Jazeera’s reporting on the survivors’ demands, and NBC News’ key takeaways from the Epstein files.

Freedom-Loving Beachwear by Red Beach Nation - Save 10% With Code RVM10