In brief
Leon Black, the billionaire investor who once served as co‑founder of Apollo Global Management, refused to appear before the House Oversight Committee in a hearing tied to the Jeffrey Epstein investigation. He has filed a federal lawsuit challenging the subpoenas issued by the committee, arguing they lack any legitimate legislative purpose and would expose the privacy of women linked to Epstein. The committee has warned that Black may face contempt of Congress proceedings and possible referral to the Justice Department. Black maintains he paid Epstein $158 million and was unaware of any illicit activity until the financier was charged in 2019. Legal disputes with a former model and Black’s exit from Apollo in 2021 underscore a whirlwind of scrutiny surrounding his name.
Leon Black, the billionaire investor who once served as co‑founder of Apollo Global Management, stepped out of a House Oversight Committee hearing on the Jeffrey Epstein case on 27 June, after being requested to provide sworn testimony and share nondisclosure agreements he had signed with the financier.
In federal court in Washington on 3 September, Black filed a lawsuit that argues the committee’s subpoenas are invalid, asserting that they have no legitimate connection to the committee’s legislative goals. He says that providing the requested documents could expose private women who had signed NDAs and who have no public link to Epstein.
Committee officials, including Representative Robert Garcia, warned that Black’s refusal may lead to a contempt of Congress determination and that the committee could refer the case to the Justice Department for potential prosecution.
Black maintains he paid Epstein $158 million over a twelve‑year relationship and was unaware of any illicit activity until Epstein was charged with trafficking in July 2019. The name appears in the Justice Department files linking him to Epstein, though authorities say no wrongdoing is implied by his presence in those records.
He has also faced a lawsuit from a former Russian model who claimed abuse and accused him of extortion. A judge dismissed that lawsuit, citing the validity of the NDA signed by the model and the payments she subsequently received.
After leaving Apollo in 2021, Black said relentless media scrutiny and public attention had taken a toll on his health, prompting his exit from the firm he co‑founded. The current legal battle underscores the tensions between the committee’s insistence on record‑keeping and Black’s insistence on protecting private agreements and avoiding what he calls abuse of congressional power.
