The latest releases of files related to the American financier and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein suggest the possibility of financial links between him and the late Zimbabwean president Robert Mugabe.
According to email correspondence dating back to 2015 between Epstein and Japanese entrepreneur Joi Ito, Epstein proposed reaching out to Mugabe, who was president at the time, to supply Zimbabwe with a new currency following the collapse of the local dollar amid hyperinflation.
Documents issued by the Federal Bureau of Investigation in 2017 also included an unverified statement attributed to a “confidential human source,” claiming that Epstein had acted as a wealth manager for Russian President Vladimir Putin and provided similar services to Mugabe.
Mugabe, who led Zimbabwe from independence and remained in power for decades, died in September 2019 at the age of 95, two years after being ousted in a military coup.
The files published by the U.S. Department of Justice reveal email exchanges between Joichi “Joi” Ito and Epstein, including a message titled “Fertile Ground for Exploration” discussing the idea of providing Zimbabwe with a new currency. In response to Ito’s question about whether Epstein was a friend of Mugabe, Epstein replied: “No, but it’s easy to get his attention. Zimbabwe would be an ideal environment for experiments, and it is also said to be beautiful.”
Ito resigned in September 2019 from his position as director of the MIT Media Lab following revelations that the institute had received donations from Epstein.
Mugabe had been under U.S. sanctions since 2003, with American companies and citizens barred from engaging in financial or commercial dealings with him. Zimbabwe and Mugabe also appeared in other correspondence within the Epstein files, including an email dated April 2012 that falsely claimed Mugabe was on his deathbed in Italy.
The sender’s full name and email address were redacted, though the message was signed “Jonathan.” The sender asked Epstein about potential contacts in Italy, adding: “They have great companies if this man is really finished.”
At the time, Mugabe was 88 years old and appeared to be in good health after returning from Singapore to lead independence celebrations. One of his longtime allies, speaking anonymously to the BBC, said the claims reflected fabricated and inaccurate information.
Zimbabwe continues to be governed by the ZANU–PF party and has endured chronic inflation since abandoning the Zimbabwean dollar in 2009. While several attempts to introduce a replacement currency failed, a gold-backed currency known as “ZiG,” launched two years ago, has helped stabilize the economy after a shaky start, even as many citizens continue to rely on the U.S. dollar.
Epstein, a powerful American financier convicted of sex crimes, was found dead in his jail cell in August 2019 in what was ruled a suicide while he was awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges. He had previously been convicted in 2008 of soliciting a minor for sex in Florida and was released after completing his sentence in July 2010.