Blackmail and the Price of Silence The congressional investigation into Jeffrey Epstein's network has uncovered a disturbing aspect of his operations: his influence over high net worth individuals who allegedly used him as a facilitator for their own extramarital affairs.
Leon Black, former CEO of Apollo Global Management, testified that he paid $21 million to a woman with whom he had an affair, in exchange for her silence. Black described the payment as "total blackmail and extortion.
" However, his admission raises questions about why he felt pressured into making such a substantial payment. Epstein's influence over Black may have been a key factor in this decision making process.