What Was the Black Book?
Jeffrey Epstein maintained a physical leather-bound address book containing the names, addresses, phone numbers, and sometimes personal notes about contacts. The book was approximately 97 pages long in printed form and contained approximately 1,571 entries.
The book was seized by FBI agents investigating Epstein, and a scanned copy reached Gawker Media’s Nick Denton via Alfredo Rodriguez, a former house manager at Epstein’s Palm Beach residence.
How It Was Disclosed
In 2011:
- Rodriguez attempted to sell the book to Epstein attorney Jack Goldberger (a move that boomeranged)
- Rodriguez was arrested and charged with obstruction of justice for stealing the book
- He later provided a copy to Gawker, which published the scanned contents in 2015
- Rodriguez died in prison in 2015 while serving his sentence
The Contents — Who Was Listed?
The Black Book contained entries across a remarkable range of categories:
Political Figures
- Multiple US senators and representatives
- Foreign heads of state and ministers
- White House officials from multiple administrations
Business Elite
- Wall Street CEOs and hedge fund executives
- Real estate magnates
- Corporate lawyers and bankers
Royalty
- Multiple entries for Prince Andrew
- British and European royal family connections
- Middle Eastern royalty connections
Academic and Science Community
- MIT professors (Minsky, others)
- Nobel Prize winners
- Research institute directors
Entertainment
- Actors, directors, producers
- Fashion designers and models
Media Figures
- Journalists from major outlets
- Network executives
What Being Listed Actually Meant
Critical context: having an entry in the black book did not imply any misconduct. The book was Epstein’s full contact list, and inclusion could mean:
- A genuine close associate in the criminal operation
- A met-once business acquaintance
- Someone whose public contact information Epstein simply collected
- A donor prospect or target for cultivation
Researchers studying the book have attempted to stratify entries by call frequency and notation type.
Entries with Annotations
Some entries included Epstein’s personal notations:
- ”@” symbols next to names researchers have interpreted as sexual notation
- Notes about specific personal details or interests
- Frequency indicators
These annotation interpretations remain contested.