"Leadership Would Like Your Help": Indian Billionaire Tapped Jeffrey Epstein Before Modi's Visits to U.S. and Israel
New Department of Justice documents reveal Epstein’s direct role in fostering ties between Indian, Israeli, and U.S. elites.
Documents released by the U.S. Department of Justice on Friday reveal previously unreported details about financier and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein’s role as a backroom power broker amid the rapid strengthening of India-Israel ties in 2017.
Epstein connected an Indian billionaire close to Prime Minister Narendra Modi with former Israeli prime minister Ehud Barak ahead of the first ever trip by an Indian PM to Israel. Days later, that billionaire, Anil Ambani, told Epstein after a visit to Delhi that “Leadership” wanted Epstein’s assistance for Ambani to meet “jared and Bannon asap,” and requested his “assistance” regarding Modi’s upcoming meeting with Trump.
Modi’s landmark visit to Israel in 2017 helped accelerate the burgeoning relationship between the three countries. Afterward, Epstein celebrated in an email that Modi had “danced and sang in Israel for the benefit of the US president.”
On Saturday, the Indian government responded to the revelations about Modi’s visit to Israel in Epstein’s communications. “We have seen reports of an email message from the so-called Epstein files that has a reference to the Prime Minister and his visit to Israel,” said a statement by India’s foreign affairs ministry. “Beyond the fact of the Prime Minister’s official visit to Israel in July 2017, the rest of the allusions in the email are little more than trashy ruminations by a convicted criminal, which deserve to be dismissed with the utmost contempt.”
What the Indian government did not address, however, was that individuals in Modi’s orbit had long been engaging with Epstein as a trusted intermediary on a wide range of diplomatic and economic issues. The story below makes some of those connections.
This is the latest in Drop Site’s series on Epstein and Israel. We are partnering with Jmail, a searchable inbox of Epstein’s emails, to make all the Epstein messages searchable and public. Please consider supporting our journalism with a free or paid subscription.
“Leadership Would Like Your Help”: Indian Billionaire Tapped Jeffrey Epstein Before Modi’s Visits to U.S. and Israel
Story by Meghnad Bose, Fatima Khan, and Biplob Kumar Das
On March 16, 2017, Anil Ambani, an Indian billionaire closely associated with Narendra Modi’s BJP government, sent financier and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein a message that the “Leadership” was asking for his assistance in connecting with senior figures in Donald Trump’s orbit ahead of an upcoming state visit by the Indian prime minister.
Ambani texted Epstein, “Hello. Was in delhi. Leadership wld like ur help for me to meet jared and bannon asap. PI advise. Likely visit to dc by pm in may to meet donald. Also assitance on that.” Epstein and Ambani proceeded to set up a time to chat. A few messages later, Ambani texted, “Thanks as always.” Epstein responded, “Fun.”
In the months that followed, two consequential state visits by Indian prime minister Narendra Modi—his first meeting with Trump, and then the first trip by a sitting Indian prime minister to Israel—would change the course of India-Israel relations.
According to the new tranche of documents related to Epstein released by the Department of Justice, Epstein played a direct role as an intermediary in the dealmaking between the three countries.
In July 2017, Narendra Modi became the first Indian prime minister to make an official visit to Israel, a move that marked a decisive break from decades of Indian foreign policy that had kept relations with Israel largely discreet in deference to Arab states and the Palestinian cause.
The trip came at a moment of rapid political change in the region. Weeks earlier, Modi met U.S. President Donald Trump for the first time in Washington, while Trump was deepening U.S. ties with Israel and the Gulf Arab monarchies, and India was seeking to position itself as a key partner for the US Indo-Pacific strategy to contain China.
Modi’s highly publicized visit to Tel Aviv—featuring unusually warm personal interactions with Israeli leaders—was widely read as a signal that India was openly embracing a U.S.–Israel–India strategic axis, particularly in defense, technology, and intelligence cooperation.
In the meantime, emails show that Epstein, who played a connective role between Indian, Israeli, and U.S. elites in the run-up to the trip, was monitoring developments closely.
On July 6, 2017, as Modi concluded his historic visit to Israel, an elated Epstein wrote to an individual identified in the emails as Jabor Y, identified in past reporting as an individual with ties to Qatar’s former prime minister, Hamad bin Jassim bin Jaber Al Thani. “The Indian Prime minisiter modi took advice. and danced and sang in israel for the benefit of the US president,” Epstein wrote. “they had met a few weeks ago.. IT WORKED. !”
Modi’s office did not respond to Drop Site’s requests for comment.
The same day, Epstein texted Ambani, who had deep investments in Israel, writing “Your guys performance was both clever and executed well . Good work.”
Epstein, in fact, was in regular contact with Ambani, a tycoon closely linked to the BJP establishment—with emails showing the two men setting meetings, discussing political developments, and evaluating the implications of possible political appointments in the U.S.
In the months leading up to the 2017 visit, the emails indicate, Epstein messaged Ambani saying he had emailed him Ehud Barak’s contact information. On March 5, Epstein also offered to set up a meeting between the two. On March 11, Epstein told Ambani that Barak was going to fly in to Paris to meet with the Indian business tycoon.
Ambani messaged Epstein that he would have to postpone the scheduled meeting with Barak in Paris due to a dinner with then France President François Hollande, Epstein wrote back, “Ehud was flying to meet. should I cancel him?”
“Cancel him,” Ambani replied.
On March 9, 2017, Ambani wrote to Epstein to ask his view on whether former CIA director David Petraeus could be the new U.S. ambassador to India. Ambani told Epstein that “Amb to India is key” and added, “Need a strong person like patreaus. To deal wth neighbores pak afghanistan etc.”
Epstein responded that although Trump liked Petraeus, the Pentagon was wary of that choice, to which Ambani replied, “K. Who do u suggest.”
Epstein wrote back, “a tall swedish blonde woman , to make it fun to visit.”
“Arrange that,” Ambani replied.
Also on March 9, Epstein also offered to organize a private dinner between Ambani and the head of NATO. “If you want a private dinner with head of NATO I Will organize , but not attend,” he texted.
On March 12, Epstein texted Ambani, “Told your ambassador, not front burner. Visit this week with Saudi.” Ambani responded, “K thanks.”
On March 14, Epstein messaged again, to tell Ambani that he “should meet Tom Pritzker, he’s one of the family.” Epstein was referring to the billionaire chairman of Hyatt Hotels. He added that Pritzker was chairman of the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington, D.C.
“april should be fun,” said Epstein, before adding that, “He will be at the may 5th dinner for the foreign ministers , most of the UN ambassadors that i am orgzanizing. ( you are invited ) . i will send you guest list and tell me who you want to sit next to. - then he is off to the the himalyas for a trek. . I told him you guys should meet.”
“K. Await list,” responded Ambani.
A few days later, Epstein again insisted that Pritzker was “worth a meeting” for Ambani and put them in touch.
On March 16, in response to Ambani’s request that “Leadership” would like Epstein’s help to meet Bannon and Kushner, the financier proposed Ambani meet Tom Barrack instead. Barrack, reportedly a friend of Trump’s, had been the chair of his inaugural committee and is currently the U.S. ambassador to Turkey.
Epstein wrote, “steve and jared are meeting 15 people a day. mostly meet and greet with little follow up.. state dept is way understaffed. MBS s meeting took time to set and basically a waste of time. . though photo op was what they wanted. . its early for anything meaningful.. you should meet with tom barrack.”
Epstein emailed Barrack to pitch a meeting between him and the Indian billionaire. “Anil ambani , India , is coming to new york first week april, i think you would enjoy,” wrote Epstein.
Minutes later, Epstein updates Ambani, “Tom barrack with me in palm beach tues wed.” Ambani replies, “Enjoy.”
On March 29, Epstein also told Ambani that “Israel strategy” would dominate Modi’s meeting with Trump that summer.
At the time, the Indian billionaire had substantial business interests in Israel. The previous year, his company, Reliance Defence Ltd, had entered a joint venture with Rafael Advanced Defense Systems Ltd, a state-owned Israeli defense firm, to produce air-to-air missiles and air defense systems in a deal valued at $10 billion over a decade.
Epstein, who had pleaded guilty to sexual offenses and become a registered sex offender as far back as 2007, appeared concerned about whether Ambani was worried about Epstein’s public image while engaging with him.
As Modi’s trip kicked off in Israel on July 4, 2017, Epstein reassured Ambani, “If my google is a concern a large group of ministers blunts it.”
Ambani did not respond to Drop Site’s request for comment.
Epstein expressed satisfaction with the growing ties between Israel, India and the U.S. that he had helped foster. Two days after Modi’s visit to Israel concluded, Larry Summers, former Harvard president and Secretary of the Treasury, asked Epstein if he still thought Trump is a better president than Hillary Clinton would have been. Epstein responded affirmatively, stating, “yes, defintley (sic) India israel. for example great and all his doing.”
“Excite an interest in India”
Other correspondence in the Department of Justice release show that Epstein had been involved in the years before the visit in helping build a connection between Silicon Valley and the BJP government. In June 2014, a month after Modi first came to power, Epstein hosted a previously unreported gathering at his New York residence with Ehud Barak, Larry Summers, and Hardeep Singh Puri, a senior BJP leader who had joined the political party earlier that year.
That October, Epstein emailed Puri asking whether his meeting with LinkedIn co-founder Reid Hoffman was taking place. Puri replied that he was in San Francisco for the meeting, adding, “You, my friend, make things happen. Any advice?” Epstein responded with guidance on how Puri should pitch Hoffman, including offering to organize a trip to India and make introductions across industries.
In November, Puri followed up with a detailed pitch to Epstein and Hoffman outlining India’s economic plans under Modi. “The market buzz is strengthened by the election of a new Government with a strong mandate bent on reviving the Indian economy with a major focus on Digital India,” he wrote, urging Hoffman to visit India. “I am now convinced more than ever that India today presents a terrific opportunity for internet-based economic activity,” he added.
The following year, at an event titled India-US Start-up Konnect 2015 in San Jose, Modi said in his speech, “Reid Hoffman, your LinkedIn is a great product. And, you are an inspiration to many here and in India.” (Hoffman did not respond to Drop Site’s request for comment. Hoffman has previously apologized for his role in facilitating Epstein donations to MIT.)
In December 2014, Puri had written to Epstein again: “Please let me know when you are back from your exotic island,” adding that he wanted to stop by with books to “excite an interest in India.”
Around the same period, Epstein was also corresponding with Pritzker about visiting India. “should we do india together, jaitley and modi,” Epstein asked, referring to the newly elected prime minister and his finance minister. Pritzker replied, “You will HATE India. I will be amused by your reaction.”
“Utmost Contempt”
The Modi visit to Israel in 2017 paid immediate dividends for both countries. During Modi’s visit to Israel, the two countries signed a string of agreements ranging from technology and space to energy and agriculture. The two countries also agreed to “focus on joint development of defence products, including transfer of technology from Israel.”
In 2017, India was reported to be the largest buyer of Israeli weapons, having bought $715 million worth of weaponry, according to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute. In the following years, as the BJP consolidated its hold over the country, its relationship with Israel only grew closer through defense collaboration and increasingly close diplomatic alignment. Drop Site previously reported that, in 2019, hours after Modi secured a decisive victory in parliamentary elections that year, Epstein offered to arrange a meeting between the Indian prime minister and former White House chief strategist Steve Bannon.
Newly released documents show that the individual that Epstein had been working to arrange this meeting was Ambani, who met Epstein within hours of Modi’s electoral victory. Three days earlier, on May 20, Epstein had already claimed to Bannon that Modi was dispatching Ambani to meet him. “Modi sending someone to see me on thurs,” Epstein wrote.
On May 24, a day after meeting Ambani, Epstein texted Bannon again: “really interesting modi meeting, he won with HUGE mandate.” He added, “his guy said that no one in wash speaks to him however his main enemy is CHINA! and their proxy in the region pakistan. they will host the g20 in 22. . totally buys into your vision.”
The same day, Epstein followed up with Ambani, writing, “i think mr modi might enjoy meeting steve bannon , you all share the china problem.” “Sure,” Ambani replied. Epstein then relayed the message to Bannon: “modi on board.”
Bannon did not respond to Drop Site’s request for comment.
Following the disclosure of the new tranche of files from the Department of Justice on January 30 showing Epstein’s involvement in talks related to Modi’s visit to Israel, the Indian government responded in a public statement. “We have seen reports of an email message from the so-called Epstein files that has a reference to the Prime Minister and his visit to Israel,” said a statement by India’s foreign affairs ministry. “Beyond the fact of the Prime Minister’s official visit to Israel in July 2017, the rest of the allusions in the email are little more than trashy ruminations by a convicted criminal, which deserve to be dismissed with the utmost contempt.”
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George Carlin’s famous quote: "It's a big club, and you ain't in it."
Becomes truer with every Epstein release.
extraordinary work, giving context. thank you. keep it coming.