Question
What happened to Jeffrey Epstein’s “black book” — his contact directory — after his death?
Answer
Jeffrey Epstein’s contact directory — the so-called “black book” containing thousands of names, addresses, and phone numbers of friends, associates, business contacts, and others — has had a complicated public history.
The Rodriguez theft: The contact book first became legally significant when Epstein’s former household manager, Alfredo Rodriguez, stole a copy before Epstein’s 2009 release and attempted to sell it as “the holy grail” to an undercover FBI agent for $50,000. Rodriguez was convicted of obstruction of justice for this theft and died in 2015 while awaiting sentencing.
How it became public: Journalist Nick Bryant obtained a copy through civil litigation and published the full contents via Gawker in August 2015. The publication listed thousands of names, including many high-profile individuals across business, politics, academia, media, and entertainment. The publication was significant because it demonstrated the extraordinary breadth of Epstein’s social network.
What the black book shows: Having a name in the black book means only that Epstein had that person’s contact information. It does not imply any criminal connection or that the person knew about or participated in Epstein’s crimes. Many of the names are ordinary business contacts; Epstein’s social circle was genuinely vast.
Current status: The black book remains part of the public record via Gawker’s publication (still archived online) and was referenced in multiple civil proceedings. It is available to researchers and journalists. Its legal status as evidence did not change with Epstein’s death — it continues to be cited in civil litigation contexts.
Sources
Rodriguez conviction records; Gawker publication (August 2015); civil litigation referencing black book; Nick Bryant reporting.