Billionaire hedge fund manager John Paulson found himself in the spotlight after Representative Thomas Massie mentioned him in connection with Jeffrey Epstein’s “black book.”
Massie, a Republican from Kentucky, brought up Paulson on Newsmax's Rob Schmitt Tonight after he was asked about naming people involved with Epstein.
“Well, let me give you the name of one of the billionaires who's running $2 million of ads in my district since I started this effort. His name is John Paulson,” Massie said.
Highlights
- Rep. Thomas Massie linked billionaire donor John Paulson to Epstein’s black book during a Newsmax interview, sparking widespread attention.
- John Paulson denied all connections to Jeffrey Epstein, calling Massie’s claim a “fabricated attack” and stating he never met Epstein.
- Paulson donated millions to Republican campaigns recently and hosted a $50.5 million fundraiser for Donald Trump.
Thomas Massie said Republican donor John Paulson was named in Epstein's black book
Image credits: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images
“He's a hedge fund manager and a major donor to the Republican Party, a major donor to the speaker of the House, a major donor to the president's campaign, and he's in Epstein's black book.”
Paulson became famous for making billions by betting against the housing market in 2007-2008.
Through a spokesperson, he denied ever meeting Epstein or having any connection with him and called Massie’s statement a “fabricated attack.”
“If John Paulson is in Epstein's black book, it's news to him. He never shared a meal or even a drink with Epstein. Never went to a party he hosted anywhere, never visited Epstein at any of his residences, was never on his plane and never on the island,” a spokesperson told Newsweek.
Massie later clarified on X that he had said Paulson is in the “black book,” not on the “Epstein list.”
He also said on Newsmax that Paulson’s name shows the type of figures who could face embarrassment if all of the documents were released.
He added that transparency is essential for public trust.
“Now, that's public, but that's indicative of the types of people who may be implicated or just embarrassed by a complete release of these files,” Massie said.
Being listed in Epstein’s black book does not indicate criminal activity.
The book contained names, addresses, and phone numbers, but it did not detail the nature or legality of any contact.
Paulson, an ally of U.S. President Donald Trump, has contributed millions to Republican campaigns, including hosting a $50.5 million fundraiser for Trump.
Epstein's black book includes names, addresses and phone numbers
Image credits: The White House/Flickr
OpenSecrets, a non-partisan non-profit that tracks money in U.S. politics, revealed that in 2024 alone, Paulson donated $763,800 to Republicans and $1.26 million in 2020.
The Epstein files remain a focus of debate. The House Oversight Committee recently released tens of thousands of documents, but survivors and lawmakers say key information is still being withheld.
At the news conference last week, survivors called for fuller disclosure and confirmed they were writing their own list.
Former model Lisa Phillips said, “Us Epstein survivors have discussed creating our own list. We know the names. Many of us were abused by them.”
Trump also disrupted the conference by organizing a flyover of F-16 and F-35 fighter jets to honor a fallen Polish army pilot who died last month. As the loud jets boomed through the sky, survivors were forced to stop speaking.
Image credits: Kypros/Getty Images
Trump has dismissed the Republicans' push to release the additional files on Epstein as a “Democrat hoax,” despite members of his own party demanding more transparency from the administration.
Last week, a senior Department of Justice official told an undercover reporter pretending to be on a Hinge date with him that the department would redact any released Epstein files to remove the names of Republicans.
“If they’re [the Epstein files] released in any way, it’s going to be very redacted. They’ll redact every Republican or conservative person in those files, leave all the liberal, Democratic people in those files,” Joseph Schnitt, the acting Deputy Chief of the Office of Enforcement Operations, said in a video published on X by journalist James O’Keefe.
A senior DOJ official said the department would redact Republican names from the Epstein files
Trump and Epstein had a close friendship until the early 2000s, and one model, Cleo Glyde, recounted being used by Epstein to impress Trump.
“I had this white wraparound dress and [Epstein] said, ‘Oh my God, you look just like a nurse,’” she told The Daily Beast.
Epstein suggested she and a friend visit Trump Tower dressed as nurses, showing them off as “trophies on display” to impress the real estate mogul.