Elon Musk has alleged that Jeffrey Epstein backed a campaign to short Tesla and persuaded Bill Gates to take a 1 percent short position when the company’s market capitalisation stood at about $40 billion. Musk made the claim in a reply posted on X, without presenting evidence. The allegation comes as the U.S. Department of Justice released roughly three million pages of Epstein-related records, naming several prominent figures, including Musk and Gates.
The convergence of Musk’s claim and the large DOJ document release has reignited scrutiny around Epstein’s network and its intersections with business leaders.
Responding to a post on X that described Epstein as repeatedly seeking contact and being 'blacklisted' from SpaceX systems, Musk wrote that Epstein became 'really upset' after being ghosted. He added that Epstein then “went on a massive campaign to short Tesla” and “got Gates to short 1 percent of Tesla stock” at a time when the company’s valuation was about $40 billion.
Musk further wrote: “As far as I know, Gates still has the short open.” He did not attach documents or cite sources to support the claim.
Yup 😂 That really made him upset. After I ghosted him, Epstein went on a massive campaign to short Tesla and got Gates to short 1% of Tesla stock when the market cap was $40B. As far as I know, Gates still has the short open. Someone should ask him how that’s working out 🤗— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) February 16, 2026
Short selling involves borrowing shares and selling them in anticipation of buying them back at a lower price. A 1 percent short position in Tesla at a $40 billion valuation would have represented a significant market bet.
Gates has previously acknowledged shorting Tesla in interviews, though he has not publicly disclosed the size or current status of any position. There is no public evidence linking Epstein to Gates’ investment decisions.
The Justice Department on Friday released what it described as the largest batch of Epstein files to date: approximately three million pages along with thousands of images and videos. The release followed a legal deadline set under the Epstein Files Transparency Act, which Congress passed and President Trump signed in November.
The newly released records include emails exchanged between Epstein and Musk in 2012 and 2013. In a November 25, 2012 email, Epstein asked Musk how many people he would bring for a helicopter ride to the island. Musk replied, “Probably just Talulah and me,” referring to his then-wife Talulah Riley. He also asked, “What day/night will be the wildest party on your island?”
In a separate Christmas Day message that year, Musk asked about party plans in the Caribbean, writing that he wanted to “hit the party scene in St. Barts or elsewhere and let loose.” In November 2013, Epstein again invited Musk to the Caribbean, mentioning Woody Allen. Musk responded “Yes,” according to the released email.
After the documents surfaced, Musk said he had declined invitations to visit and stated: “Never attended his parties or been on his ‘Lolita Express’ plane or set foot on his creepy island or done anything wrong at all.”
Inclusion in the files does not by itself imply wrongdoing. The records contain correspondence, contact details and references to numerous individuals across politics, entertainment and business.
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