The recent release of Epstein files reveals some household names: these are some of the most famous people on the list

Another tranche of Jeffrey Epstein material has entered the public domain, and with it a familiar mix of secrecy, outrage and celebrity. On Thursday, 30 January 2026, the US Department of Justice confirmed it had completed the release of more than three million pages linked to the late convicted financier, closing what officials describe as a years-long review process. Critics, survivors and lawmakers say it feels anything but finished.

Rather than providing neat answers, the documents offer something murkier: fragments of emails, photographs without context, financial records and heavily redacted files that sketch Epstein’s social orbit while leaving many questions unresolved.

What is the DOJ saying about latest Epstein files?

eputy Attorney General Todd Blanche has framed the disclosure as a balancing act between transparency and victim protection. He insists the department complied with the law and denies shielding anyone. He has also invited lawmakers to check the unredacted material for themselves, although said they’ll be supervised. Redaction errors affecting survivors, he argues, represent a tiny fraction of the overall release.

Survivors and their lawyers strongly disagree, accusing the department of exposing identifying details while failing to fully reveal those who enabled Epstein.

Trump and the other famous names

The name of President Donald Trump appears in FBI compilations of allegations, press coverage and tips submitted before the 2020 election. The Justice Department says these claims are unverified and unfounded, and Blanche has said hundreds of similar tips about prominent figures were quickly dismissed as not credible.

Inclusion in the files does not imply criminal conduct. Still, the prominence of him and other powerful figures explains why scrutiny remains intense. Here are the most famous:

• Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor: The former Duke of York is referenced extensively in emails and contact logs. He continues to deny allegations made by the late Virginia Giuffre, despite settling a civil case in 2022 and losing his remaining royal titles in 2025.
• Sarah Ferguson: Messages show repeated contact with Epstein, including effusive language later described by Ferguson as a serious error in judgment. She has publicly condemned Epstein’s crimes.
• Peter Mandelson: Emails suggest lobbying discussions and alleged payments dating back two decades, which Mandelson says he does not recall receiving. He has stepped away from Labour Party membership pending investigation.
• Elon Musk: Correspondence shows invitations and travel discussions involving Epstein’s island. Musk says he declined such trips and has welcomed the files’ release, calling for accountability for proven crimes. The owner of X has called for videos to be released.
• Richard Branson: Emails include casual invitations and public-relations suggestions. Virgin Group says contact was limited and ended once serious allegations emerged.
• Bill Gates: Epstein’s personal notes contain explicit claims about Gates that his representatives have categorically denied, calling them false and defamatory.

Other figures named across the documents include Ehud Barak, Steve Bannon, Larry Summers, Sergey Brin and filmmaker Brett Ratner.

What next for the Epstein files?

The Justice Department says its review is effectively complete, with only a small number of additional documents potentially subject to court approval. Survivors say justice cannot be declared finished while files remain redacted and accountability incomplete. Much of the public – which even includes several MAGA hard-liners – is keen to have justice for the children who were trafficked and abused.

What this release ultimately delivers is not closure, but a clearer picture of how Epstein moved through elite circles, and how much of that story remains obscured.

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