Dead men tell secrets. But none so loudly and dreadfully as convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. His secret files show patterns of celebrity sexual romps, financial improprieties and shady deals. These influencers sought Epstein’s advice, favours and freebies, hungering invitations to his Caribbean Island resort—nicknamed “paedophile island” by locals. Like onion, escapades peel to reveal the rotten layers of the global glitterati.
Norway reels under new disclosures that compromise its hallowed institutions—the royal family, Nobel Peace Prize committee and foreign ministry. Prominent members trysted with Epstein well after his first 2008 conviction. Former prime minister Thorbjørn Jagland, who headed the Nobel Committee from 2009 to 2015, availed of loans, free plane rides and family vacations in Epstein’s Palm Beach luxury villa in Florida—the white-painted den of black sin where underaged girls were abused.
Star ambassador Mona Juul and her ambitious husband Terje Rød-Larsen helped craft the 1994 Oslo peace accord between Israel and Palestine. Files reveal Epstein gave his “chum” Terje loans, gifts, Ivy League college admission for his son, donations to his peace foundation. A well-known shipowner disclosed Epstein blackmailed him to sell his Rs28 crore apartment in Oslo at half price to Terje. Epstein bequeathed $5 million each to the couple’s two children. Epstein’s generosity to his powerful friends is self-evident, but what they did for him is cloaked in secrecy. Following these disclosures, Terje suffered multiple strokes.
Epstein and princess Mette-Marit | AFP, AP
Former Norwegian foreign minister and current head of the Davos-based World Economic Forum, Børge Brende, wined and dined with Epstein. On the menu was replacing the United Nations with the World Economic Forum… an idea now replaced by Trump’s Board of Peace. Conspiracy theorists claim Trump green-signalled the revelations to punish Norway for denying him the Nobel Prize.
Most damaging are secrets involving Epstein and crown princess Mette-Marit, 52, Norway’s queen-in-waiting, who is mentioned over a thousand times in the files. An unwed mother with a controversial past, Mette-Marit’s marriage to crown prince Haakon was spun as the modernisation of the monarchy. It’s more dysfunctional than modern. Her former lover was among Norway’s first convicted cocaine traffickers. Her son from this relationship, Marius, 29, is an accused serial sex offender. He is currently in jail, undergoing trial for 38 charges including rape, violence and drug offences. If convicted, he could get 15 years.
A common friend, Boris Nikolic, introduced Mette-Marit to Epstein, describing the crown princess as “twisted:) not a typical royalty”. The files reveal crown princess soliciting Epstein’s advice whether it would be appropriate for her to gift her then 15-year-old son wall posters of naked women. She advised Epstein, “Paris is for adultery, Scandinavia for finding wives.” Exchanging coquettish sms, she addressed Epstein, “Dearest,” saying, “I miss my crazy friend” and “Are you coming over to see me soon?” adding “What do you have to do besides seeing me?” Holidaying in Epstein’s Florida villa, enjoying sushi, shopping and steam baths, Mette-Marit exulted, “I haven’t felt so much peace in a long time.” Now she expresses “deep regret” for her friendship with Epstein, saying their exchange “does not represent the person I want to be”.
Norwegian media gleans that Russian intelligence sought access to Epstein’s network. A Russian woman linked to the Federal Security Service, Russia’s intelligence agency, requested Epstein for two “inappropriate” photos, shortly after the crown princess vacationed in his villa. Nearly half of Norway’s population now say Mette-Marit is unfit to be queen. Alive, Epstein was the spider in a dark world-wide-web. In death, his sticky spider web threads that trap prey, curl into nooses, garrotting his high-flying friends.
One by one.
Pratap is an author and journalist.