Julian Dorey Podcast Episode 390 — Show Notes & Research

"Epstein Link!" — Julian UNLOADS on Bill Gates, Maxwell Sister EVIDENCE & Rockefeller

Episode: 390 | Published: February 28, 2026 | Channel: Julian Dorey Podcast (1.17M subscribers)
Host: Julian Dorey | In-Studio Producer: Joey Deef | COO & Producer: Alessi Allaman

Contact Information for Julian Dorey

Email: julian@trendifier.com (for business inquiries, podcast matters, sponsorships)

Social Media:

Instagram: @julianddorey (181K followers)
Instagram Podcast: @juliandoreypodcast (94K followers)
Twitter/X: @mrballen
YouTube: "Julian Dorey" (1.2M+ subscribers)

Who's Stepped Down So Far
The Pritzker Email & Joe Rogan
John Kiriakou & the Epstein Emails
Distractions from Epstein
Iran War & Julian's Second Source
Kash Patel & Dan Bongino
Bill Gates & Epstein
Epstein's Secret Storage Units
Epstein's Dead Man Switch
The Maxwell Sisters' Companies
David Rockefeller, Epstein & the Trilateral Commission
Princess Diana, Dodi Fayed & Gideon's Spies
Les Wexner Deposition Reaction
Maria Farmer's Wexner Theory
Howard Lutnick & the Micro Elite
Sources & Further Reading

Who's Stepped Down So Far

Julian and Joey track the growing list of people who have resigned or been fired since the DOJ's release of 3.5 million pages of Epstein-related documents on January 30, 2026 (referred to on the show as "jail.world"). As of the episode's recording:

Name	Role / Context
Peter Mandelson	UK political figure, former Cabinet minister and EU Commissioner. Described in the episode as a "UK government fixer." Emails between Mandelson and Epstein were flagged for unusual coded language.
Brad Karp	Chairman of Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison — one of the most powerful law firms in the world.
Peter Aella	Discussed in prior episodes.
David Ross	British billionaire and co-founder of Carphone Warehouse.
Larry Summers	Former U.S. Treasury Secretary and former President of Harvard University. A 2003 Harvard Crimson article reported Epstein's connections to Summers and described both as moving in Trilateral Commission and Council on Foreign Relations circles. (Harvard Crimson, June 5, 2003)
Joanna Rubenstein
Miroslav Lajcak
Tom Pritzker	Retired as Executive Chairman of Hyatt Hotels' board of directors, effective immediately (~Feb. 16, 2026). He stated: "I deeply regret my association with Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell." (PBS News)

The Pritzker Email & Joe Rogan

The Email

On June 6, 2011, Tom Pritzker sent an email to Jeffrey Epstein that read:

"I am in a remote valley of Afghanistan (its my birthday wish) with Boys with Toys. Spent time w Petraeus yesterday and he loaned me a chopper (actually two with one as a back up)."

This email was among millions of Epstein-related documents released by the DOJ on January 30, 2026. General David Petraeus was then commander of U.S. and NATO forces in Afghanistan. (The Hill; Chicago Sun-Times)

Joe Rogan's Response

Jamie (Rogan's producer) brought up a clip of Julian and Joey discussing the email. Rogan suggested the phrase "Boys with Toys" could refer to testing weapons in the Afghan mountains. Julian acknowledges that is a possibility but notes:

The phrase could refer to weapons testing or military hardware in the Afghan mountains, as Rogan suggested
Julian notes the phrase "boys with toys Afghanistan" also returns search results about the documented culture of bacha bazi (child exploitation) in Afghanistan
Multiple special operations veterans Julian has interviewed — Delta Force operators, Army Rangers, Navy SEALs — have discussed the prevalence of pedophilia in Afghan culture
Pritzker stepped down from the Hyatt board within weeks of the email's public release

Additional Context

The released documents show Epstein exchanged multiple emails with Pritzker spanning 2010 to early 2019. Pritzker was also named by Virginia Giuffre in a 2016 deposition, where she alleged she was trafficked to him; Pritzker's spokesperson denied the allegation. (CNN; Fox Business)

John Kiriakou & the Epstein Emails

Who Is John Kiriakou?

John Kiriakou is a former CIA officer and the agency's most prominent whistleblower. Career highlights:

~1990: Recruited into the CIA out of graduate school as a Middle East analyst specializing in Iraq
~Age 25: Briefed President George H.W. Bush in the Oval Office on Saddam Hussein's psychological state of mind ahead of the Gulf War
1994–1996: Served as economic officer at the U.S. Embassy in Manama, Bahrain
March 28, 2002: Led the raid in Faisalabad, Pakistan that captured Abu Zubaydah, then believed to be al-Qaeda's third-ranking official
December 10, 2007: Became the first U.S. government official to publicly confirm that waterboarding was used on al-Qaeda detainees
2013: Sentenced to 30 months in prison — widely described as the only CIA officer imprisoned in connection with the torture program, not for conducting torture but for revealing it

(Wikipedia: John Kiriakou; Government Accountability Project; Al Jazeera)

Kiriakou's Reaction to the Epstein Files

In Episode 388, Julian walked Kiriakou through various Epstein emails in their third hour together. Julian describes Kiriakou as being rendered speechless — "rubbing his hand over the mouth" and staring at the screen in disbelief. Julian notes he has recorded approximately 18–19 hours on camera with Kiriakou and had "never seen him speechless like that."

Key moments that rattled Kiriakou:

References to a "9/11 shadow commission" in emails from 2001–2003
Missing data from 1999 to 2001 in the file dumps
The implications for what Kiriakou previously believed about 9/11

Distractions from Epstein

Julian argues that several major news events are being used to distract from the Epstein case:

UFO/Alien Disclosure — Trump announced he had directed the Pentagon to release UFO files. Julian says: "If you can't see that this is the ultimate 'look at the shiny object' ... I can't help you."
Mexico/Cartel Operations — Julian notes the suspicious timing of cartel-related events, including the airport shooting, coinciding with Epstein coverage.
Iran War Drums — See next section.

Julian emphasizes this is "the most bipartisan story of my lifetime" and quotes a YouTube commenter from his appearance on John Rondy's podcast: "For so long we've been fighting horizontally. It's time to fight vertically."

Iran War & Julian's Second Source

Kiriakou's Report (Episode 388)

Before Episode 388, Kiriakou told Julian about information from a White House source indicating a plan to attack Iran, estimating it would happen by Monday or Tuesday of the following week.

Julian's Second Source

After the episode aired, Julian received a phone call from what he describes as a separate, highly connected White House source who:

Corroborated that Kiriakou's report was "over the target"
Said Trump's mind was made up and he was feeling "a sugar high from the strike in Venezuela"
Confirmed JD Vance was against the operation; Tulsi Gabbard opposed it but was "not even in the room anymore"
Noted some additional White House voices were questioning the plan, but did not confirm Kiriakou's claim that the Joint Chiefs of Staff were against it
Warned that Iran is "a Middle Eastern country of 92 million people" — vastly different from Venezuela

Mike Huckabee Complication

Julian speculates the plan may have been delayed after Tucker Carlson released an interview where Ambassador Mike Huckabee casually stated he "wouldn't mind if Israel controlled the whole Middle East," which caused diplomatic fallout with Saudi Arabia.

Kash Patel & Dan Bongino

Julian expresses frustration with both Kash Patel (FBI Director) and Dan Bongino (former FBI Deputy Director):

Patel is described as being absent from the Epstein case, seen at social events while "the biggest case of all time is being covered up"
Bongino is criticized for running "a total PR campaign" to downplay the Epstein revelations after leaving the FBI, despite looking like "a hostage" during his tenure when asked about the case

Julian references Episode 351 with Mike Yeagley (DARPA), where he predicted Bongino would either become "the volcano that explodes and actually brings out some justice" or the opposite. Julian says it has been "the complete opposite."

Bill Gates & Epstein

Timeline of Contact

Date	Event
January 2011	First documented meeting at Epstein's Manhattan townhouse — three years after Epstein's 2008 guilty plea
May 2011	Gathering at Epstein's home with Gates, JPMorgan's James E. Staley, former Treasury Secretary Larry Summers, and Gates Foundation science adviser Boris Nikolic
March 1, 2013	Gates flew on Epstein's private jet (Teterboro, NJ to Palm Beach, FL). A spokesperson said Gates "was not made aware it was Mr. Epstein's plane"
September 2013	Both Bill and Melinda Gates met with Epstein. Melinda told Bill afterward she was deeply uncomfortable with Epstein
2013	Epstein arranged a $2M donation from Gates to the MIT Media Lab
2014	Last in-person meeting (per Gates)
2017	Epstein continued emailing Gates; attempted to leverage knowledge of affairs

The New York Times documented at least six meetings between Gates and Epstein, mostly at Epstein's Upper East Side townhouse. (Newsweek; CNN)

The Draft Emails (July 18, 2013)

Among the 3.5 million pages released by the DOJ on January 30, 2026, were two draft emails Epstein sent to himself using the address jeevacation@gmail.com. These stream-of-consciousness notes contained unverified allegations including:

"TO add insult to the injury you then implore me to please delete the emails regarding your std, your request that I provide you antibiotics that you can surreptitiously give to Melinda and the description of your penis."

Critical context: Snopes verified these emails exist in the DOJ release but noted there is no evidence they were ever sent to or read by anyone other than Epstein. A Gates spokesperson called the claims "absolutely absurd and completely false." (Snopes)

Gates' February 2026 Admission

On February 25, 2026, at a town hall with Gates Foundation staff (audio reviewed by the Wall Street Journal):

"I did have affairs, one with a Russian bridge player who met me at bridge events, and one with a Russian nuclear physicist who I met through business activities."

"It was a huge mistake to spend time with Epstein. I apologize to other people who are drawn into this because of the mistake that I made."

"I did nothing illicit. I saw nothing illicit."

The "Russian bridge player" was identified as Mila Antonova, first reported by the Wall Street Journal in May 2023. Epstein paid for Antonova's coding school tuition and later emailed Gates demanding reimbursement in what reporters described as having "blackmailing undertones." (CNBC; NBC News)

Divorce Connection

Melinda Gates began consulting divorce lawyers in 2019 after the New York Times published its investigation into Bill's relationship with Epstein. The divorce was announced May 3, 2021. After the January 2026 DOJ release, Melinda told NPR she felt "unbelievable sadness" and stated: "Whatever questions remain ... they need to answer to those things, not me." (Al Jazeera; NPR)

Epstein's Secret Storage Units

The Telegraph Report

The Telegraph, reviewing financial records within the released files, reported that Epstein rented at least six storage units nationwide, some starting in 2003, and paid for them until 2019 (the year of his death). He paid private detectives to move material between units as investigators closed in.

An inventory list of the Palm Beach storage unit, emailed to Epstein and his lawyers in August 2009 (one month after his release from jail), revealed:

3 computers and CDs from his private island, Little St. James
29 address books
A three-page list of masseuses
Two training manuals for sex slaves — items detectives had found receipts for during the 2005 raid of his home but could not locate
Nude photographs believed to be of victims
Dozens of pornographic magazines, including Barely Legal
VHS tapes and DVDs described as "eroticising teenagers"
11 boxes of sex toys
Lab results

Questions About FBI Searches

Search warrants reviewed by The Telegraph "suggest that U.S. authorities never raided these lockers, raising the possibility that they contained unseen evidence relating to Epstein and his associates." (Daily Sabah; ABC News; Yahoo/Telegraph)

Epstein's Dead Man Switch

Julian speculates about whether Epstein maintained a secondary layer of insurance — a "dead man switch" — potentially sitting in one of his storage units. He frames it as speculation ("just spec") but notes:

The existence of six storage units, some never searched by the FBI, suggests more material may exist
The private detectives Epstein hired to move materials between units suggests deliberate concealment strategy
The computers and CDs from Little St. James moved into storage suggest a systematic archival of compromising material

The Maxwell Sisters' Companies

Robert Maxwell — Background

Robert Maxwell (born Jan Ludvík Hyman Binyamin Hoch) was a British media baron and Member of Parliament who died on November 5, 1991, when his body was found in the Atlantic Ocean near the Canary Islands. He received state funeral–level honors in Jerusalem, buried on the Mount of Olives — one of Judaism's most sacred burial sites. Attendees included Prime Minister Yitzhak Shamir, President Chaim Herzog, and Natan Sharansky. (Washington Post, Nov. 11, 1991; UPI)

Seymour Hersh's 1991 book The Samson Option alleged Maxwell worked with Mossad and helped capture Mordechai Vanunu. The book Robert Maxwell, Israel's Superspy (2002) by Gordon Thomas and Martin Dillon further alleged Maxwell was "Mossad's representative for extremely sensitive transactions." (Wikipedia: Robert Maxwell)

Christine Maxwell — Magellan & Chiliad Inc.

Magellan (1995–1996): Christine Maxwell (along with twin sister Isabel) launched one of the earliest professionally curated internet search directories in September 1995. In June 1996, it was acquired by Excite for $18 million in stock. (Wikipedia: Magellan)

Chiliad Inc. (1996–~2022): After selling Magellan, Christine co-founded Chiliad, a data-mining software company. Post-9/11, Chiliad's software became the backbone of the FBI's Investigative Data Warehouse (IDW) — a counterterrorism database containing over 659 million records from 50+ government agency sources, including the FBI, Treasury, State Department, DHS, and CIA data.

Key facts:

13,000 agents and analysts used the system, averaging 1 million queries per month
A search of 1,000 names across 50 databases that previously took 32,000 hours could be completed in under 30 minutes
Partially financed by a $24 million investment from Hewlett-Packard
Alan C. Wade, the former CIO of the CIA (35-year career, recipient of the National Intelligence Distinguished Service Medal), served as Chairman/Founder of Chiliad Inc. according to Bloomberg data

(Washington Post, Aug. 2006; Wikipedia: Investigative Data Warehouse; Bloomberg: Alan C. Wade Profile)

March 2008: Business Wire announced Chiliad hired Dan Ferranti as CEO with the headline: "Chiliad, the Company That Solved the 9/11 'Connecting the Dots' Problem." The release stated: "For nearly 10 years, Chiliad has been quietly working behind the scenes to develop some of the most powerful and innovative software in the U.S. government's anti-terrorism arsenal." (InKnowVation)

August 2019: Christine Maxwell was last confirmed as board director. Chiliad is now permanently closed; the UK entity was dissolved December 27, 2022. (Crunchbase; UK Companies House)

The Palantir Timing

Julian and Joey note a striking timeline overlap: Christine Maxwell's last confirmed board role was August 2019. In March 2019, Palantir won an $876 million Army contract (DCGS-A), and Palantir's U.S. government revenue expanded dramatically from 2019 onward. Palantir received early funding from In-Q-Tel, the CIA's venture capital arm.

Important caveat: No primary reporting documents a direct, formal replacement of Chiliad by Palantir in any specific contract. The connection is through the shared intelligence community data analytics ecosystem.

Julian frames this as speculation — "the timing is crazy, dude. It's almost like she set up the foundation and said, 'Yo, Pete, take the rock.'" (TechCrunch: Palantir Army contract, March 2019; Fortune: In-Q-Tel and Palantir)

Isabel Maxwell — Israeli Tech & the WEF

1997–2001: President of Commtouch Inc. (now CYREN), an Israeli-American email security company that went public on NASDAQ in 1999. She secured investments from Bill Gates, Paul Allen, and Microsoft. Despite this, the company suffered severe losses: $4.4M in 1998, $24M in 2000.
Designated a Technology Pioneer by the World Economic Forum (WEF Profile)
Member of the Israel Venture Network and chairperson of its Social Entrepreneur Fellowship Program (2004–2010)
Previously created Maxwell Communications Network (2006), serving as a liaison between Israeli tech startups and U.S. angel investors

(Wikipedia: Isabel Maxwell; Unlimited Hangout: Isabel Maxwell — Israel's "Back Door" Into Silicon Valley)

David Rockefeller, Epstein & the Trilateral Commission

Who Was David Rockefeller?

David Rockefeller (1915–2017), grandson of Standard Oil founder John D. Rockefeller, was a central figure in 20th-century American finance and international relations:

1942–1945: Served in U.S. Army Intelligence during WWII. Trained as a "Ritchie Boy" at Fort Ritchie, Maryland (secret military intelligence unit). Served in North Africa and France setting up political and economic intelligence units. The CIA itself published an article titled "Banker, Philanthropist, Soldier, Spy: David Rockefeller's Experience in Army Intelligence, 1942–54" in Studies in Intelligence (Vol. 69, No. 3, September 2025). (CIA)
1946: Joined Chase National Bank
1960: Became President of Chase Manhattan Bank
1969–1981: Chairman and CEO of Chase Manhattan (which later merged with J.P. Morgan & Co. in 2000 to form JPMorgan Chase)
1973: Under his leadership, Chase established the first American bank branch in Moscow and became the first correspondent bank for the National Bank of China
Connections to Allen Dulles: Knew CIA Director Allen Dulles and Secretary of State John Foster Dulles since college. Allen Dulles set up his WWII operations center in Rockefeller Center. John Foster Dulles was a trustee of the Rockefeller Foundation (1935–1952).

(Wikipedia: David Rockefeller; Britannica)

The Trilateral Commission

Founded by David Rockefeller in July 1973, inspired by a 1972 speech he gave before the Bilderberg Group and the writings of political scientist Zbigniew Brzezinski (who served as its first full-time director). The Commission brings together leaders from North America, Western Europe, and Japan/Asia to discuss trade, monetary stability, energy, and other shared policy challenges. (Trilateral Commission — Britannica; Official site)

The "Guilty as Charged" Quote

From page 405 of Rockefeller's autobiography Memoirs (2002, Random House):

"For more than a century ideological extremists at either end of the political spectrum have seized upon well-publicized incidents such as my encounter with Castro to attack the Rockefeller family for the inordinate influence they claim we wield over American political and economic institutions. Some even believe we are part of a secret cabal working against the best interests of the United States, characterizing my family and me as 'internationalists' and of conspiring with others around the world to build a more integrated global political and economic structure — one world, if you will. If that's the charge, I stand guilty, and I am proud of it."

(Wikiquote: David Rockefeller)

Epstein on the Trilateral Commission

A 2003 Harvard Crimson article reported on Epstein's connections to elite institutions, describing him as part of the same circles as Harvard President Larry Summers, including the Trilateral Commission and the Council on Foreign Relations. (Harvard Crimson, June 5, 2003)

In his recorded interview with Steve Bannon (~2018), Epstein discussed being invited by David Rockefeller personally:

"He said to me, 'Would you like to be on the Trilateral Commission?' I was 30 years old — 32 years old. I said, 'Great.' And he said, 'Well, you have to fill out this application so they have your bio.' And I looked at the list of people and it was Bill Clinton, former President of the United States, Paul Volcker, every great leader in America..."

Asked what he wrote for his bio, Epstein answered: "Jeffrey Epstein, comma, just a good kid."

Epstein was born in 1953, placing this invitation around 1983–1985. (Transcript via Singju Post; Epstein Web Tracker: Trilateral Commission)

Epstein on the Rockefeller University Board

Around 2000, Epstein was appointed to the board of Rockefeller University (a biomedical research institution, distinct from the Rockefeller Foundation). The board included Nancy Kissinger, Brooke Astor, and Nobel laureate Joseph Goldstein. According to reporting compiled on Wikipedia, Epstein's tenure was notably brief — only one term — and a board spokesperson admitted it was "infrequent" for members not to be renominated. (Connections of Jeffrey Epstein — Wikipedia)

Kiriakou's Bahrain Story

In Episode 388 (and in a 2022 CovertAction Magazine article titled "Diplomacy is Hard Work"), Kiriakou tells a story from his time as economic officer in Bahrain (1994–1996):

David Rockefeller visited Bahrain, ostensibly to collect an award from the Bahraini-American Banking Association
A state dinner was held with the Amir, the full cabinet, the entire diplomatic corps — "the biggest social event of the year"
After Rockefeller departed, Kiriakou's ambassador told him the award was "just a cover stop" — Rockefeller was put on a military transport to Baghdad to serve as a secret backchannel to Saddam Hussein, delivering a message from President Clinton about weapons of mass destruction
Kiriakou notes the mission was "another failure — not because Rockefeller had done a bad job, so much as because Saddam didn't have any weapons of mass destruction"

Source caveat: This is a first-person account. It has not been independently corroborated by declassified government documents. (CovertAction Magazine, April 10, 2022)

Princess Diana, Dodi Fayed & Gideon's Spies

The Khashoggi–Fayed Family Connection

Dodi Fayed, who died alongside Princess Diana in the Paris car crash on August 31, 1997, was the nephew of Adnan Khashoggi, one of the world's most notorious arms dealers.

The family link: Dodi's mother was Samira Khashoggi, the sister of Adnan Khashoggi. Samira married Egyptian businessman Mohamed Al-Fayed in 1954, and the marriage produced one child: Dodi. (Wikipedia: Samira Khashoggi; Wikipedia: Dodi Fayed)

Additional notable connection: Murdered journalist Jamal Khashoggi was Adnan's nephew, making him Dodi's first cousin.

Adnan Khashoggi's arms dealing career:

By 1980, he was the intermediary for up to 80% of Saudi Arabia's military purchases
A 1975 U.S. Senate inquiry revealed he received commissions of $106M from Lockheed, $54M from Northrop, and $23M from Raytheon
He was a key middleman in the Iran-Contra affair, facilitating the sale of ~1,500 U.S. missiles to Iran
He was a "principal foreign agent" of the United States and helped establish the Safari Club, a supranational intelligence partnership
He developed contacts with CIA officers including James H. Critchfield and Kim Roosevelt

(Wikipedia: Adnan Khashoggi; Washington Post obituary; Defense News)

Gideon's Spies by Gordon Thomas

Julian references the book Gideon's Spies: The Secret History of the Mossad by Gordon Thomas (first published 1999, multiple updated editions). Key passages relevant to the discussion:

The Ritz Hotel as an intelligence hub: Thomas describes the Ritz as "a meeting place for Middle Eastern arms brokers and their European contacts," which made it a strategic Mossad surveillance target. (The History Reader: Gideon's Spies Excerpt)

Henri Paul as an intelligence asset: Thomas details how a Mossad katsa (case officer) codenamed "Maurice" (not "Henri" as Julian recalled) was tasked with recruiting Henri Paul, assistant security chief of the Ritz Hotel and the man who would later drive the car that killed Princess Diana and Dodi Fayed. Key details from the book:

Mossad first obtained the Ritz's staff list by hacking into the hotel's computer system
Henri Paul was identified as a target because his security role gave him access to guest safe-deposit boxes, hotel bills, and telephone logs
A Mossad psychologist concluded there was an "inherent vulnerability about Henri Paul"
First contact was made at Harry's Bar in the rue Daunou, where Maurice struck up a conversation
Thomas claims Paul was recruited through a combination of monetary incentives and threats to reveal his side income from selling celebrity information to paparazzi
Thomas states the katsa was present outside the Ritz the night Diana and Dodi died

Note: Thomas's claims about Mossad and Henri Paul are not independently verified and remain highly controversial. His primary source was Ari Ben-Menashe, a former Israeli government employee whose credibility has been challenged. (Gideon's Spies — Wikipedia; WRMEA Review)

Les Wexner Deposition Reaction

The Deposition (February 18, 2026)

Les Wexner, 88, was deposed by the U.S. House Oversight Committee at his 30-room, $47 million estate in New Albany, Ohio (336 acres). The deposition lasted nearly five hours and was released on video the next day. (PBS News: Full deposition; CNBC)

Julian notes that, like the upcoming Clinton depositions in Chappaqua, Wexner was deposed on his own turf rather than before Congress — asking: "Why are these powerful people getting special treatment?"

Key Moments Julian Reacts To

1. Epstein's Bonafides: Wexner describes what made Epstein attractive as a financial advisor: "His experience at an industrial level like working for a big company like Bear Stearns and then he had done personal work for the Rothschild family in France."

Verified context: An October 5, 2015 document from the Epstein files shows a $25 million agreement between Epstein's Southern Trust Company Inc. and Edmond de Rothschild Holding S.A. for "risk analysis" and "application of certain algorithms." The Rothschild family name appears nearly 12,000 times in the released documents. (Nordic Times; PBS News)

2. The Robert Meister Introduction: Wexner describes meeting Epstein through insurance mogul Robert Meister, saying Meister "stopped the car and said there's somebody you should meet" near the Breakers Hotel in Palm Beach. Asked if Meister ever raised concerns about Epstein, Wexner answered: "No."

Contradiction: A 2021 Vanity Fair article ("The Mogul and the Monster") quoted Meister saying he and his wife Wendy repeatedly warned Wexner about Epstein, including at Wexner's 60th birthday party in 1997. Meister described Epstein showing up at his Park Avenue apartment with five models as a "gift," prompting him to say: "Get the fuck out and I never want to see you again!" (Vanity Fair, July/August 2021)

3. "Conned by the All-Time Con Artist": Wexner characterized Epstein as "the world Olympic all-time con artist" and himself as having been "naive, foolish, and gullible."

Julian pushes back on this defense, noting:

The relationship lasted approximately 20 years
Wexner granted full power of attorney in July 1991
Wexner transferred approximately $1 billion in assets to Epstein's management
The Manhattan townhouse at 9 East 71st Street (the largest private residence in Manhattan at ~21,000 sq. ft.) was transferred to Epstein through a chain of shell companies, with deeds recording transfers at $0 or $10

4. Victoria's Secret Connection: Epstein posed as a talent recruiter for Victoria's Secret to gain access to young women as early as 1993. A Victoria's Secret executive stated Epstein embezzled more than $46 million from the company. When confronted in 1993, Wexner's attorney wrote that Wexner "confronted Epstein" but did not end the relationship — continuing it for another 14 years. (Hollywood Reporter; TIME)

Maria Farmer's Wexner Theory

Who Is Maria Farmer?

Maria Farmer was one of the first people to file a criminal complaint against Epstein (in 1996). She worked as an artist and was sent by Epstein to Wexner's New Albany estate as an "artist-in-residence." She alleges Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell sexually assaulted her there, and that when she tried to leave, she was held against her will by Wexner's security — "sharpshooters, guns, and guard dogs." (Wikipedia: Maria Farmer; 10tv.com)

"Head of the Snake"

Farmer has consistently called Les Wexner "the head of the snake" — meaning the true head of the Epstein operation. She also refers to him as the "Wizard of Oz": "He was the one behind the curtain that had all the power." In interviews with journalist Whitney Webb, Farmer stated Ghislaine Maxwell "answered to Wexner" and received "all of her funding to do this scam with Epstein" from him. (HopeGirl Blog; SkyWatch TV)

"The Setiles" — The Painting

In the 2020 James Patterson Netflix documentary Jeffrey Epstein: Filthy Rich, Farmer is shown working on a large painting called "The Setiles" — a satirical mural inspired by Hieronymus Bosch's The Garden of Earthly Delights. The title rearranges the letters of "elites."

Key figures depicted:

Les Wexner as the head of a snake emerging from the ground — the central figure
Ghislaine Maxwell as a bloodthirsty reptile biting a girl
Alan Dershowitz pantsless, shushing victims under a tree of poisoned apples
Donald Trump on a mushroom
Bill Clinton in a television set
Jeffrey Epstein in a flying saucer
Her attorneys Sigrid McCawley and Edwards painted as cherubs (in gratitude)

(Daily Beast; Maria Farmer Art; A Curious Stack)

Howard Lutnick & the Micro Elite

Background

Howard Lutnick serves as U.S. Commerce Secretary (confirmed 2025). He was Jeffrey Epstein's next-door neighbor in Manhattan — Lutnick at 11 East 71st Street, Epstein at 9 East 71st Street.

Key facts from the Epstein files:

A now-dissolved entity with links to Epstein (SAM Conversion Corp.) bought Lutnick's property in 1988, before selling it through a chain of trusts. Lutnick purchased it in 1998 for "10 dollars and other valuable consideration"
Despite claiming he cut ties in 2005, evidence shows 13+ years of regular interaction: joint investments, neighborhood dealings, and socialization in New York and the Caribbean
In 2012, Lutnick, his wife, and four children planned a visit to Little St. James (Epstein's private island), invited for Christmas Eve lunch
A joint business venture was discussed as recently as 2018 — a full decade after Epstein's 2008 guilty plea
A photo of Lutnick on Epstein's island appeared on a DOJ website, was briefly deleted, then restored

(Newsweek; CBS News; CNN)

State of the Union Appearance

Julian plays footage of Lutnick at the February 2026 State of the Union, greeting senators and shaking hands. Julian expresses contempt at what he sees as Lutnick "pretending nothing happened" — noting Chief Justice Roberts' body language when Lutnick approaches him. Julian's message: "This is what they do. He's continuing his job. He's pretending that he didn't... he's not a complete bold-faced liar."

Multiple members of Congress, including Rep. Nancy Mace (R) and Rep. Robert Garcia (D), have called for Lutnick to testify. (Daily Beast; CNBC)

Sources & Further Reading

Books Referenced in This Episode

David Rockefeller, Memoirs (Random House, 2002) — The "guilty as charged" quote, p. 405
Gordon Thomas, Gideon's Spies: The Secret History of the Mossad (St. Martin's Press, 1999; updated editions) — Henri Paul/Ritz Hotel chapter
Seymour Hersh, The Samson Option: Israel's Nuclear Arsenal and American Foreign Policy (Random House, 1991) — Robert Maxwell/Mossad allegations
Gordon Thomas & Martin Dillon, Robert Maxwell, Israel's Superspy (Carroll & Graf, 2002)
James Patterson, John Connolly & Tim Malloy, Filthy Rich (Grand Central Publishing, 2016) — Basis for the Netflix documentary

Previous Episodes Referenced

Episode 388 — John Kiriakou: "Epstein LIES!" CIA John Kiriakou ERUPTS
Episode 351 — Mike Yeagley (DARPA): DARPA Data Hacker: "I Tracked Elite's Phones"
Episode 336 & 313 — Katarina Schultz on Mexico/cartels

Key Government & Legal Sources

DOJ Epstein Files Release — January 30, 2026 (3.5 million pages released pursuant to the Epstein Files Transparency Act)
House Oversight Committee Wexner Deposition — February 18, 2026 (Full video via PBS)
FBI Investigative Data Warehouse — Wikipedia
CIA: "Banker, Philanthropist, Soldier, Spy" — CIA Studies in Intelligence

Investigative Journalism

Epstein Exposed database — Searchable database of documents, flights, and connections
Epstein Timeline — Chronological event tracker
Whitney Webb / Unlimited Hangout — Investigative reporting on Maxwell family tech connections

These show notes were compiled with extensive source research. Claims are cited to their strongest available sources. Where claims remain unverified or speculative, that is noted in the text. This document is intended as a research companion to the episode, not as an endorsement of every claim discussed.