Leon Black, the 74-year-old billionaire, has once again found himself under scrutiny for his past association with the notorious financier Jeffrey Epstein. This time, it was his own employer, Apollo Global Management, that launched an investigation into their relationship.
In 2020, Apollo hired the Dechert law firm to conduct an independent investigation into the ties between Black and Epstein. The final report, which can be found on the SEC website, concluded that there was no evidence of Black or any Apollo employee being involved in Epstein’s criminal activities. The report also stated that Epstein never introduced Black to any underage women.
According to the Dechert report, the millions of dollars Black paid Epstein for his advice actually saved him billions in return. The report deemed the money well spent and justified Black’s business dealings with Epstein.
Gloria Allred, a prominent women’s rights attorney, emphasized the importance of the Dechert report’s findings. She stated that the recently released Epstein documents only reinforced the accuracy of the report, which was based on a thorough review of over 60,000 documents and 25 interviews. Allred highlighted that Black had no knowledge of Epstein’s criminal behavior and only sought legitimate tax and estate planning services from him.
The Dechert report’s conclusions have been supported by Black’s spokesperson, who reiterated that Black’s interactions with Epstein were solely for business purposes and were vetted by reputable legal and financial professionals. The spokesperson emphasized that Black had no involvement in Epstein’s illicit activities.
As the investigation into Black’s ties with Epstein comes to a close, it is evident that the Dechert report stands as a testament to Black’s innocence in the matter. Despite the controversy surrounding his past association with Epstein, Black has been cleared of any wrongdoing by the independent investigation conducted by Apollo Global Management.
