Beyond ‘just a girlfriend’: Thousands of emails reveal Ghislaine Maxwell’s deep role in Jeffrey Epstein's crimes and network

For years, Ghislaine Maxwell has downplayed her involvement in Jeffrey Epstein’s crimes. She has portrayed herself as a onetime girlfriend turned household manager, focused on decorators and staff for his many properties. Even after her 2021 sex trafficking conviction, she has insisted her role was peripheral.

Yet thousands of emails from Epstein’s Yahoo account, obtained by Bloomberg, tell a different story. The cache of about 18,000 messages shows Maxwell was deeply involved in Epstein’s business and personal affairs, as well as his legal strategies and efforts to discredit victims. Far from stepping away in 2003, as she has claimed, she was exchanging near-daily messages with Epstein for years afterward, including in the months leading up to his 2008 plea deal. The correspondence reveals a lasting partnership built on logistics, strategy, intimacy and secrecy.

Maxwell’s financial and logistical role

The emails show that Maxwell opened at least one foreign bank account using Epstein’s address, served as a director of one of his companies and traded stock in a business they both invested in. She managed his homes, organised his staff and even reminded him about assistants’ birthdays and Christmas bonuses.

She also acted as a social coordinator, ensuring Epstein stayed connected to elite networks. Maxwell offered high-profile contacts seats on his jet or trips to his private island, maintained ties with politicians and celebrities and nurtured connections with billionaires. She was not merely decorating Epstein’s homes. She was helping him maintain the image of a man at the centre of global power.

'Procuring minors for prostitution'

Perhaps the most damning exchange came in May 2008. As Epstein’s legal team negotiated a plea deal in Florida, he wrote to Maxwell asking her opinion on which charge sounded better: “lewd and lascivious conduct” or “procuring minors for prostit**ion.”

Her reply was blunt. “I suppose lewd and lascivious conduct… I would prefer lewd and lascivious conduct w/a prostit**e if possible,” she wrote.

A month later, Epstein pleaded guilty to two state charges of solicitation of prostitution and procurement of minors, avoiding federal prosecution. Maxwell’s casual involvement in such a decision shows her awareness of the gravity of the case and the reality of his crimes.

A machinery of gifts and control

A 2007 spreadsheet prepared by Epstein’s accountants offers a chilling view of how he used money and gifts to manipulate allies and victims. Nearly 2,000 entries, totalling $1.8 million, include everything from luxury cars and watches to lingerie and chocolates.

For allies, the list recorded a $71,000 Lexus for lawyer Alan Dershowitz, logged as part of his legal fees; an $11,000 Rolex for real estate investor Tom Barrack, a close Trump associate; and a $35,000 Audemars Piguet watch intended for Clinton aide Doug Band.

For victims, dozens of entries were marked “gifts for the girls,” with annotations ranging from Victoria’s Secret lingerie to Western Union transfers. One victim alone was logged as receiving more than $75,000 in gifts and cash, including a laptop, study abroad tuition and Thai massage lessons.

The initials “GM” appear more than 250 times, indicating Maxwell’s role in distributing the gifts. Victims later testified that these payments were part of Epstein’s manipulation, isolating them, fostering dependency and maintaining control.

Trump, Prince Andrew and Clinton in the emails

Despite longstanding speculation, Donald Trump appears only three times in the emails. In September 2006, Maxwell circulated a list of 51 politicians and business leaders for Epstein’s review. “Remove trump,” he instructed. His name surfaced again in 2007, when Maxwell flagged him as someone reporters might contact during their coverage of Epstein’s legal troubles. In another exchange, Epstein’s network referenced Trump in the context of Palm Beach society ties.

Maxwell later told the Justice Department that Trump was “cordial and kind” and that she never saw him behave inappropriately. Trump has said his friendship with Epstein ended after a dispute over a Mar-a-Lago employee. While the emails do not tie Trump to Epstein’s abuse, they show his presence on the margins of Epstein’s social world.

Other powerful figures appear more prominently. Maxwell was photographed with Prince Andrew at parties, and victims have testified that he groped them in Epstein’s townhouse. The emails do not prove such allegations but confirm Maxwell’s role as a bridge between Epstein and British royalty.

Bill Clinton and his circle also figure in the correspondence. Maxwell arranged flights for Clinton aide Doug Band, offered him a $35,000 watch and promoted her ocean conservation nonprofit, the TerraMar Project, through the Clinton Global Initiative. Clinton’s spokesperson has said the former president “knew nothing” about Epstein’s crimes.

Attacking Virginia Giuffre

When Virginia Giuffre, then Virginia Roberts, accused Epstein and Maxwell of abuse, Maxwell went on the offensive. In 2015, she asked Epstein for any files his lawyers had on Giuffre. She circulated an old police report that painted Giuffre as unreliable and told Epstein she planned to distribute it.

Weeks later, the New York Daily News published a story casting doubt on Giuffre’s credibility, citing sealed juvenile records. Giuffre later sued Maxwell for defamation, a case that was settled. The emails show Maxwell not only knew about Giuffre’s allegations but actively sought to undermine her even as evidence mounted.

Fertility plans and personal intimacy

Strikingly, even as Epstein faced indictment, Maxwell discussed undergoing fertility procedures that required his sperm donations. In one 2006 email, she reminded him to collect “all the ejaculate” for her procedure within 90 minutes.

Such exchanges contradict Maxwell’s claim that her relationship with Epstein had “diminished” by 2003. Instead, the emails show emotional and physical entanglement stretching well into his legal crisis.

Odd purchases and disturbing notes

The inbox also reveals Epstein’s eccentric consumerism. There were more than 600 Amazon purchases, including an FBI agent costume, teeth whitener, leather bullwhip, size-12 Crocs and a schoolgirl uniform. In one email chain, Maxwell and Epstein discussed whether a 19-year-old woman was “cute enough” for sex acts. Epstein dismissed another young woman as “fat and Asian sorry.”

These details, mundane on the surface, expose a man who mixed ordinary consumption with predatory fixations, and a network of women, including Maxwell, who facilitated it.

Social engineering at scale

Even as Epstein’s world collapsed after his 2006 arrest, Maxwell continued to leverage her social connections on his behalf. She name-dropped fashion designers, Hollywood directors and Silicon Valley leaders. She urged Epstein to treat Anne Wojcicki, co-founder of 23andMe and then-partner of Sergey Brin, with special care, calling her “key” to DNA research.

Political requests also flowed in. The office of Bill Richardson, then governor of New Mexico, inquired whether he could use Epstein’s jet for a peace mission. Epstein told Maxwell to have Richardson call him directly.

The emails reveal how Epstein’s money, planes and access to luxury were currency for building and maintaining influence. Maxwell was often the broker.

Preparing for prison

As Epstein’s plea deal neared in 2007, Maxwell stayed closely involved. Epstein updated her on negotiations: “did not go well… 2 years.” She agonised in response: “I’m sad scared and depressed… I can’t shake it.”

She also helped wind down his empire, deciding whether to sell his Bentley, fire staff or unload his helicopter. She even sought advice on Bear Stearns stock as the financial crisis loomed. The level of coordination shows Maxwell was not distancing herself but doubling down, ensuring Epstein’s world would keep functioning even as he went behind bars.

After Epstein’s death, the legacy lingers

Epstein died in a New York jail cell in 2019, his death ruled a suicide. Maxwell was arrested the following year, convicted of sex trafficking in 2021 and sentenced to 20 years in prison. She is now appealing her case to the Supreme Court.

The emails are a reminder that Epstein’s empire did not operate in isolation. It depended on networks of money, gifts and access, and on Maxwell, who acted as both his lieutenant and shield.