What we know about the six men who were unredacted from Epstein files

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What we know about the six men who were unredacted from Epstein files

Billionaire businessmen Leslie Wexner and Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem are among the names

American lawmakers who viewed the unredacted version of the Epstein files have named six men whose names they claim appear in them.

The most recent batch of files relating to convicted criminal Jeffrey Epstein, who allegedly died by suicide in 2019 while awaiting his sex-trafficking trial, were released by the Department of Justice on Friday 30 January.

More than three million documents were unsealed to the public, including photos and email exchanges between a number of famous faces and celebrities and Epstein, prompting questions.

However, the release included a lot of redactions, with faces and names blurred out - something that is usually only put in place to protect victims.

But on Monday (9 February) some members of Congress were allowed to begin reviewing the unredacted versions, including US lawmakers Jamie Raskin, Ro Khanna, and Thomas Massie.

The group have expressed concern over the DOJ's redactions, specifically the withholding of six men's names and photographs without a clear explanation as to why.

American lawmakers have named six men whose names were redacted from the Epstein files (Rick Friedman/Getty Images)
American lawmakers have named six men whose names were redacted from the Epstein files (Rick Friedman/Getty Images)

According to The Guardian, Khanna, the Democratic representative of California, revealed these names to be: Leslie Wexner, Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem, Nicola Caputo, Salvatrore Nuara, Zurab Mikeladze and Leonic Leonov.

He said during his floor speech: "If we found six men that they were hiding in two hours, imagine how many men they are covering up for in those 3 million files."

However, it's important to note that Khanna did not provide evidence of any wrongdoing and none of the men have been charged with a crime in connection to Epstein.

Khanna added that when he and Massie identified the redactions to DOJ officials, 'they acknowledged their mistake,' so the names are now unredacted.

Here's everything we know about the six men:

Leslie ‘Les’ Wexner

Leslie Wexner's name appeared in the files (WWD/Getty Images)
Leslie Wexner's name appeared in the files (WWD/Getty Images)

Leslie Wexner is a prominent American businessman and philanthropist, best known for his retail empire, including Victoria’s Secret, Abercrombie & Fitch and Bath & Body Works.

According to The Guardian, the billionaire business magnate had a financial relationship with Epstein, who handled his investments for years.

His ties to the criminal financer were already known and his name had been in previous releases, however, he's now been labelled a co-conspirator with Epstein by the FBI, though he faces no criminal charges in connection with Epstein’s offences.

Emails released by the DOJ in December showed that Wexner was under investigation by the FBI that year, reports The Crimson.

The publication outlines that Wexner claimed he cut ties with Epstein in 2007 and has long maintained that he was an unknowing victim of Epstein’s manipulation.

As per NBC News, a Wexner legal representative said in a statement on Tuesday: "The Assistant U.S. Attorney told Mr. Wexner’s legal counsel in 2019 that Mr. Wexner was neither a co-conspirator nor target in any respect. Mr. Wexner cooperated fully by providing background information on Epstein and was never contacted again."

Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem

Dubai-based billionaire business Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem is the second person to have their name unsealed (Riccardo Savi/Getty Images)
Dubai-based billionaire business Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem is the second person to have their name unsealed (Riccardo Savi/Getty Images)

The second name on the list is Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem, who is a Dubai-based businessman who is the CEO of DP World - a multinational logistics company based in Dubai that specialises in cargo logistics, port terminal operations, maritime services and free trade zones.

As reported by The Telegraph, Sulayem's name appears extensively in the files, alongside photos of him and Epstein together.

The two men exchanged emails for more than a decade after Epstein was jailed in 2008 and in April 2009, the criminal financer sent an email to him which read: "Where are you? are you ok, I loved the torture video."

While in a letter Epstein sent, he said that the pair had known each other since 2002 and described him as a 'close personal friend'.

Sulayem's father was an adviser to Dubai’s royal family and his brother, Mohammed Ben Sulayem, is the president of the governing body of Formula One, the FIA.

Nicola Caputo

Nicola Caputo was the third man to be named and according to The Guardian, he is an Italian politician who was a member of the European Parliament (MEP) from 2014 to 2019.

However, as reported by the publication, no verified evidence has confirmed that he is mentioned in the officially-released documents, and no news organisations have corroborated any link between him and the files.

Salvatore Nuara, Zurab Mikeladze and Leonic Leonov

The other three names are Salvatore Nuara, Zurab Mikeladze and Leonic Leonov. However, it is not yet known who exactly they are and what their connection is to Epstein.

Tyla has contacted the White House, Department of Justice and reps for Wexner, Sulaymen and Caputo for comment.

Featured Image Credit: Rick Friedman/Corbis via Getty Images

Topics: Jeffrey Epstein, Crime, News, US News, World News