Jeffrey Epstein spent years building relationships with well-known hackers

Documents released by the US Department of Justice show that Jeffrey Epstein had been trying to break into the world of cybersecurity for years, Politico reports.

He communicated with several well-known researchers and entrepreneurs and repeatedly expressed interest in attending the prestigious DEFCON and Black Hat conferences in Las Vegas. However, it is unclear whether he actually attended any of the events.

According to emails, he sought contacts, discussed cryptography issues, and explored ways to suppress negative information about himself on the internet.

Well-known technology leaders, including Joi Ito and Vincenzo Iozza, were also involved in the communication. It was Iozza who was identified by an anonymous informant in the FBI file as Epstein's "personal hacker," which he vehemently denied. He claims that their contacts were only related to unrealized business opportunities.

The case once again raises questions about how Epstein was able to build a network of influential contacts even after his 2008 conviction.

(pir)